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According to an estimate
by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), by the day after
Christmas, December 26, 329,000 Americans will have died
from COVID-19 – a pandemic that has reached catastrophic
proportions during the fall months.
The Institute for Health Metrics
and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington’s
School of Medicine projects that 538,893 Americans
will die from the disease by April 1, 2021
Unfortunately, so much of
the disease and death that has consumed the United States in
most of 2020 could have been prevented, says the CDC and
many infectious disease experts – by wearing masks, washing
hands, avoiding crowds when possible and keeping a social
distance when avoiding crowded situations is not possible.
There is, however, a
resistance to those simple acts so prevalent in our society
– a result of horrible leadership, an overweening desire for
personal freedom and what has become an extensive skepticism
that so many people experience about any information given
out by media, elected officials or “experts” of any type.
The Center of Hope Family
Services has partnered with the Toledo Lucas County Health
Department to emphasize, and re-emphasize, the preventive
measures that need to be a part of everyone’s daily life
these days. The grant to fund the project is from the City
of Toledo Department of Neighborhoods and the goal is to
reduce the spread of the virus among the city’s youth and
minority populations.
Tracee Perryman, PhD, CEO
of Center of Hope Family Service has felt compelled to take
direct action and implement the Mask Up Toledo program for a
number of reasons. Her father, Rev. Donald Perryman, pastor
of Center of Hope Baptist Church contracted the coronavirus
in February but it went undiagnosed at the time.
Additionally, Tracee Perryman has seen so many friends and
local first responders contract the virus.
However, in spite of the
overwhelming numbers of those who have fallen ill, there are
two issues of concern. First, so many young people, as
Perryman notes, fall into that category of being skeptics
about “official” information and advice.
“Young people don’t
understand that they may pass it on to older ones” says
Perryman.
Secondly, it has now been
estimated by the National Center for Health Statistics that
African Americans and Hispanics are 2.8 times more likely to
contract virus than are those in the white community and
almost twice as likely to die from COVID-19.
Underlying these concerns
is the fact that a lack of testing leaves so many people in
the dark about the extent of the virus among the populace.
Getting accurate
information to the community is a critical component in the
battle to check the spread of the coronavirus and to
eradicating it in the future as vaccines become available.
The partnership of Center of Hope Family Services with the
Health Department will focus on the message of “Keep Your
Guard Up,” says Perryman. That message has been broadcast in
a public service announcement featuring a music video in
which Perryman, an accomplished singer/songwriter, tells
listeners that “if your life matters to you, wear the mask
for me because it can save you.”
Content will be featured
in a number of places including YouTube, the Health
Department’s website, Center of Hope’s website, network
television stations, through paid advertising and “every
platform possible until the message has traction,” says
Perryman.
Think about others, is one
of the central themes of Perryman’s message. If you are
young and feel invincible, remember that there are others in
your family and circle of acquaintances who might be so
fortunate.
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