Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) threw cold water on the notion of defeating the coronavirus pandemic with “herd immunity,” saying Monday that states’ health systems would be overwhelmed long before reaching that point.
Reeves said in a Twitter thread that in Mississippi alone, the hospital system has “started to become stressed to the point of pain” at 36,680 confirmed cases and conservatively estimated that herd immunity would require 40 percent of the population to become infected, which he said would require more than 3,000 new cases daily for the next year.
Over the last two weeks, our hospital system has started to become stressed to the point of pain. We are seeing the early signs and effects of it becoming overwhelmed. We had to suspend elective surgeries again.
— Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) July 13, 2020
“We would need to TRIPLE our worst day—every day—for a year,” Reeves tweeted. “I’m not one of these guys that immediately dismisses any idea that challenges the expert status quo talking points. I’m pretty skeptical by nature. That’s healthy. But herd immunity is not anything like a realistic solution in the short or mid-term. I wish it was.”
I’m not one of these guys that immediately dismisses any idea that challenges the expert status quo talking points. I’m pretty skeptical by nature. That’s healthy. But herd immunity is not anything like a realistic solution in the short or mid-term. I wish it was.
— Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) July 13, 2020
Reeves’s tweets come shortly after the publication of research suggesting antibody immunity after recovering from the coronavirus may not be permanent.
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Mississippi's GOP governor: "Herd immunity is not anything like a realistic solution" https://t.co/aaxPSs3BTn pic.twitter.com/ukKwEfHiE3
— The Hill (@thehill) July 14, 2020
Let’s talk about herd immunity. I’ve listened to some people argue that the rapid spread of cases is a good thing, and we need to reach herd immunity in Mississippi and elsewhere to survive. I’m not a health care expert by any means, but I am a math guy. And I have thoughts:
— Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) July 13, 2020
In Mississippi, our population is 3 million. We’ve had 36,680 cases so far.
We’d need 1.2 MILLION infections to achieve that hypothetical 40% threshold. (Remember, experts say it’s double that.)
— Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) July 13, 2020
On our worst day of new cases, we had just over 1,000. It has typically been between 700-900 during this most aggressive time.
To get to 40% infections, we’d need 3,187 new cases every day for a full year from today.
We would need to TRIPLE our worst day—every day—for a year.
— Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) July 13, 2020
Unless you’re willing to go without hospitals after a car wreck or heart attack, we need a different approach. Right now, despite mixed messages at the beginning, it seems like masks are the best bet. They’re a hell of a lot better than widespread shut downs. Please wear one!
— Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) July 13, 2020
How about the number of people who will die to achieve herd immunity?
Moreover, we may not have ever achieved herd immunity because the immunity lasts only a few months.
The 1918-1919 flu pandemic ended by herd immunity, but, with the cost of 50 million deaths and one third of the world population being infected.
This herd immunity concept is being pushed by Trump worshipers and like the Hydroxychloroquine touted by Trump is downright dangerous.
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