Simple Science works! I was thrilled to read the article in the Portland Press Herald by Lindsay Tice (Jan. 1), reporting the amazingly low numbers of influenza cases in Maine. So far, this year there have been only 47 cases reported, compared to the 919 cases during the same period of time last year, representing a 95 percent reduction in occurrence of a highly transmissible viral disease!
The significance of this is far reaching! It means that we, as citizens of Maine, are doing what we should to slow the spread of airborne illness. Simple measures (e.g. immunization, masking and social distancing) are working! This data can be transposed to the spread of COVID-19.
Hypothetically, if we had not taken the CDC’s advice seriously, the results would have been disastrous with twenty times the cases; 484,020 cases versus 24,201 and 6,940 deaths versus 347! Imagine how much better it will be with widespread immunization.
Thank you Gov. Mills, Dr. Shah, all the health care workers, and all the people of Maine who are doing the right thing. Go Maine!
William Frank, MD
Sanford
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