Could have prevented

As a retired MD who practiced for over 30 years as a pediatrician, mostly in Arkansas, I feel blessed to have chosen a profession that had so many great outcomes; unfortunately I was involved in rare poor outcomes, including death. Those children will haunt me forever, along with the consoling of family members, testifying in court against perpetrators of horrific crimes, and watching their demise that was outside human control.

I have a daughter who was an ER doc for four years and went through the covid experience. She gave up her ER practice in a similar Southern state because of covid. She was told by hospital administration not to tell patients to get a vaccine, that this led to poor reviews, she was mostly understaffed and without supplies, etc. She has probably been involved in more deaths (thanks to covid) than I have in my 30 years. She has changed MD specialties.

Physicians are trained to look at treatments for disease, looking at side effects, and giving those treatments that have the best outcomes. What we have in the USA and especially in Arkansas is a government full of hypocrites who listen to selfish people and are afraid to make the tough choices to protect our citizens. Earlier, a mask mandate could have saved thousands of lives; vaccine mandates now would save thousands of lives and limit covid mutations.

Our governor and attorney general instead are fighting the mandates, causing the disease to proliferate, probably mutating to a more dangerous virus. Instead of listening to science/medicine, it seems they listen to Fox News (which has a vaccine mandate) and the idea that you have a right to infect the people around you.

To all of our elected officials (Asa, Leslie, Tom, French, etc.) making these horrific decisions, I hope you are haunted when you realize the deaths that you could have prevented.

ANDY CONNAUGHTON

Vilonia