Fighting the spread of viruses — and lies | Editorial

Many have moved on from the pandemic, but it is not over. As Americans gather during the holidays, there remains a need to get booster shots, practice social distancing, and fight the spread of misinformation.

Roughly 300 Americans a day are still dying from COVID-19. That is an obvious improvement from the pandemic’s peak of more than 4,000 deaths a day early last year, but the country is still losing the equivalent of an airplane full of passengers each day. Most deaths involve those who are older, sicker, and poorer.

The trauma to families who have lost loved ones is incalculable, while the financial impact continues to roil the economy. At the same time, many students have fallen further behind in their education.

Health officials remain optimistic this winter will not bring another surge in coronavirus cases like last year, when the omicron variant swept through the country. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is tracking a new subvariant known as XBB, which is showing up in a growing number of cases.

Anthony Fauci, who is retiring in December as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned that XBB appeared adept at evading antibodies from prior vaccination or infection and urged everyone to get COVID boosters.

So far, only 35 million people have received one of the revised boosters from Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech. The updated boosters introduced in September appear to offer slightly better protection against subvariants of the virus.

» READ MORE: U.S. renews push for COVID boosters as data show they protect

But many appear weary and confused about getting booster shots. A survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation found more than two-thirds of Americans planned to put off getting the jab or didn’t intend to get it at all.

The drop in the number of patients getting boosters has spilled over to fewer Americans getting their annual flu shot. More troubling, even fewer Black, Hispanic, and Native American adults have been getting flu shots in recent years.

Health officials warn the flu could be worse this year, as more of us return to our daily routines after several years of social distancing. The flu can cause 50,000 deaths a year and 400,000 hospital stays.

That’s why the CDC urges everyone over the age of 6 months to get a flu shot. Health experts say it is safe to get COVID and flu shots at the same time. The shots are free and available at hundreds of locations in the Philadelphia region.

President Joe Biden undermined vaccination efforts when he wrongly declared in September that “the pandemic is over.” His misstep pales in comparison with the flood of COVID lies and misinformation that continues to hamper efforts to get Americans vaccinated and boosted.

» READ MORE: Large study provides powerful evidence of long COVID’s lasting impact

Many of the falsehoods have been spread via right-wing podcasts, social media, and talk radio. Researchers found Fox News’ coverage suppressed vaccination efforts, while host Tucker Carlson, in particular, fueled the spread of misinformation.

One study found a direct correlation between misinformation on Twitter and a spike in COVID infections and deaths. Another study found Donald Trump was the single largest purveyor of coronavirus misinformation, essentially making the former president a one-man super-spreader.

The flood of misinformation by conservative influencers has created a deadly political divide. COVID death rates remain higher in Republican-leaning red states compared with Democratic-leaning blue states. Many so-called anti-vaxxers have made deathbed confessions wishing they had gotten the shots and urging others to get vaccinated.

Sadly, none of that has stopped Republicans from further politicizing science. When Republicans take control of the House next year, they plan to investigate Fauci, the origins of the pandemic, and go down other unproductive rabbit holes.

Getting boosters and flu shots are the best way to combat misinformation, stay healthy, and protect others.