While many in Northeast Michigan may be taking comfort in news there are “no reported cases” of COVID-19 in most area counties, they may soon discover they were dangerously misled. District Health Department No. 4, for example, reported on March 31 that, of the 96 tests for COVID-19 in Alpena, Cheboygan, Montmorency and Presque Isle counties since the beginning of this pandemic, 56 were negative, one was positive (Cheboygan County) and the balance still pending. Why, people might reasonably ask, should we stay at home and take other precautions to avoid a virus that’s having so little local impact? Welcome back to northern Michigan snowbirds and tourists fleeing dangerously infected states. You’re safe here!

Folks might begin to get a little upset if they realized those “no reported cases” are based on 57 completed tests in a population of nearly 80,000 people — an average of about one test a day! They might become outraged when they discover the death rate from COVID-19 in Germany is about half of what we’re experiencing in the U.S. because Germany has been performing thousands of tests daily. Testing often leads to early detection vital to survival and limiting the spread of this deadly virus. We should probably be testing at least 57 people every day at each hospital to properly protect staff and patients.

After weeks of being warned that our disproportionally elderly and vulnerable community was facing the greatest health crisis in a century, we have allowed this invisible enemy to establish a foothold in our community undetected. This must stop.

FIRST, DO NO HARM! TEST!! IF WE DON’T HAVE THE MEANS TO TEST, SPEAK UP!

And, please, stop this nonsense of “no reported cases” until you can also report that we are performing adequate testing.

WES HILLS,

Hillman