Why and how people in the Rio Grande Valley continue to get infected with the coronavirus should be published in the local newspapers.
Yes, we are told how many infections and deaths were reported and the cities where they live or lived.
Statistics are not enough to influence people’s behavior. Medical experts attribute continued infections to social or family gatherings where people are not following social distancing and not wearing masks.
Perhaps some people will never fully cooperate because they do not believe the virus is so serious.
Perhaps some people have become so tired of this pandemic that they are letting their guard down.
Whatever the reasons, it is important that people learn more details why and how someone got infected, who else they infected, and perhaps, sadly, why they died.
A strategy to help the community make better decisions is to learn HOW different situations lead to infections. It is a hard lesson but learning why some of our people are dying is as important as the numbers. Numbers do not have a face, they are not personal, and are often ignored.
So, I recommend that the local newspapers of the Rio Grande Valley coordinate with public health officials, hospitals, clinics, and other medical providers to publish stories (and post online) about people who got infected and survived or did not survive.
A national newspaper that I read, sometimes, publishes such stories and even includes photos of the persons who passed away. The families, of course, provided consent. They lost a loved one but are using the tragedy to help others live.
Editor’s Note: The above guest column was penned by Salomon Torres, who works in the healthcare arena in the Rio Grande Valley. The column appears in The Rio Grande Guardian with the author’s permission. To reach Torres, email: [email protected].
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