Letters to the editor: Coronavirus, Trump, teledentistry, recovery
Coronavirus
Coronavirus and young people ignoring the risks. Self centered, me generation spoiled brats putting others at risk. Their irresponsible actions have contributed to all of Idaho being put under a “Stay at Home” order. They have not stopped to think that they could get a mild case and spread the virus to others. Even worse, they could become a carrier with no symptoms. Then those young can spread the virus to others before they have symptoms. Some who get the virus will die. The young who spread the virus that eventually is transmitted to someone who dies are morally Guilty of Murdering that person even though they did not intend to do so. If you are one of these young people, do you really want to live with the fact that you contributed to someones death?
Barbara Jameson, Boise
Trump
If Trump loses this next presidential election, he will most likely threaten to sue every man, woman, and child in America. If that doesn’t work, he will likely threaten to sue God or Santa Claus.
Roy Lunsford, Kuna
Teledentistry
Tuesday’s Statesman included a guest opinion by two dentists asking Governor Little to veto Senate bill 1295, the Teledentistry Act, passed by the Idaho House and Senate. Dr. Bowen is a dentist in Moscow. Dr. Wolf “practices” in Nashville, with SmileDirectClub, a company that pushes dental corrective devices over the internet with little or no exam.
It is unfortunate that we have to have laws to protect patients. Teledentistry has amazing capabilities. Senate bill 1295 does not prohibit teledentistry. It does, however, require patient records and X-rays be evaluated before corrective devises are prescribed. Dentists in Idaho have treated patients for serious misalignments after using these devices, requiring more extensive, and more expensive, orthodontic correction. The bill also protects the patient’s right to file a complaint with the Idaho Board of Dentistry if they feel they have been mistreated. A common practice with these national companies is to sign away a patient’s right to complain.
Idahoans cherish the free market, but make no mistake, very little of the money these big, national companies make will ever stay in Idaho. Instead it lines the pockets of dentists as far away as Tennessee who “see” thousands of patients. Governor Little sign S1295.
Michael McGrane, Eagle
Recovery
Amid the hysteria, hoarding, and whistling-in-the-dark humor (all the memes and who doesn’t love Ginger Billy’s protective suit on YouTube), there are reasons to hope concerning COVID-19.
Follow CDC guidelines and remember many people who are infected recover. Others don’t get sick at all. You and I could have it. We’ll never know. Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz is among the asymptomatic.
Dying from any virus is terrible and understandably terrifying. Sadly, as of mid-March, about three to five times as many people have died from seasonal flu in the United States (22,000 to 55,000) as from COVID-19 worldwide (9,700).
COVID-19 isn’t necessarily a death sentence. More than 85,000 people worldwide have recovered, according to the Centers for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The Centers for Disease Control staff says most of those infected have mild symptoms and recover.
Recovery stories on the Internet are reasons to feel hopeful instead of hysterical.
As Donovan Mitchell said, “I hope we can all come together and be there for each other and our neighbors who need our help.”
Dianna Troyer, Pocatello