Is the media using COVID-19 as a tool to block President Donald Trump’s re-election?

On the media, COVID-19

When will the media give us the real truth about the coronavirus and the shutdown that happened because of concern about it?

We know from news reports that the death figures are being manipulated.

Let’s say that I suffer a heart attack, go to the hospital and subsequently die. Now let’s say that after I die, an autopsy is done and it reveals that I had also contracted the coronavirus before my death. We all know that my death will be blamed on COVID-19, but that is nothing more than “cooking the books” regarding the actual number of virus-related deaths.

In addition while the daily numbers for COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to be Page One news, why isn’t it just as prominently reported that 90% of those who catch the virus recover from it — and don’t die from it?

I believe that much of the mainstream media’s COVID-19 coverage is designed to scare folks. And I believe that the mainstream media is hoping that President Donald Trump will be blamed for the virus, thus helping the Democratic Party in this fall’s presidential election.

Richard Luther, Columbia

On Accelerate ED

As someone who has worked on educational issues in our state in the past — and has assisted some out-of-state schools on their reopening plans — I have a few suggestions for the plan being put together by South Carolina’s Accelerate ED task force.

I believe that Accelerate Ed’s plan must fully address these four challenges:

▪ How to re-populate school campuses.

▪ How to properly monitor health conditions to detect COVID-19 infection.

▪ How to contain and prevent the spread of COVID-19 if it is detected.

▪ How and when to take steps to shut down a school because of COVID-19.

Hopefully the plan by Accelerate ED will give us guidance on addressing these challenges.

Christopher Leventis Cox, Irmo

On emergency managers

During the COVID-19 crisis, we have been hearing a lot about “heroes” in the form of doctors, nurses, law enforcement officials and others. But our emergency managers are also hard at work helping us through this crisis — as they were for many others in the past.

From local county emergency managers to those with the South Carolina Emergency Management Division, these highly trained individuals prepare every day for the worst possible scenarios. Whether it’s hurricanes, nuclear reactor incidents, pandemics or tornadoes, these professionals plan and train 365 days to protect and serve all South Carolinians.

South Carolina is now responding to its third federal disaster of 2020, and that has required our emergency management professionals to spend long days with elected officials, state agencies, nonprofits, the military, health care providers and others to make sure that needs of citizens are being met.

And while many of us are still working from our homes, emergency managers are out in their communities; they are out assessing storm damage, educating the public about the hazards of COVID-19 and providing a myriad of other services.

We owe a debt of gratitude to all of our emergency managers.

It is because of these quiet leaders that our communities are ready and able to meet the tasks of keeping all of us safe.

Mary Louise Resch, West Columbia

On physical therapists

With COVID-19 cases rising, I am worried about the long-term effects that this pandemic will have on our health care system.

I’m a practice manager for Carolina Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine and many of our elderly patients are exceptionally vulnerable to the virus. While we offer telehealth and home services, the need for social distancing has made it much harder for us to operate.

We have seen steep declines in the number of patients we can treat since the pandemic began, and what’s frustrating is that our federal policies are making this situation even worse.

Since Medicare has finalized its payment schedule, physical therapists will be forced to absorb a drastic 8% pay cut. This is just the latest in a series of significant reimbursement reductions from Medicare over the past decade, and it threatens to put many physical therapists out of business. We want to keep our doors open to patients, but we need help.

That’s why I urge House Majority Whip James Clyburn to fight for provider relief in the U.S. Congress’ next COVID-19 package.

Bradley Saunders, Columbia

This story was originally published May 16, 2020 at 10:55 AM.