Suicides Topped Coronavirus Deaths in Tennessee Last Week; What, if Anything, Does that Tell Us
President Trump was attacked by many on the left, and some on the right, after he said he would like the U.S. to be open for business by Easter. The President has qualified that statement and says he would prefer a more targeted approach, meaning that the areas of the country which were the least affected by the coronavirus will open first and as conditions permit, other areas will follow.
The Federalist’s Tristan Justice reported the rather stunning news that nine residents in Knox County, TN took their own lives within a 48-hour period last week.
According to the Tennessee Department of Health, so far, there have been six coronavirus deaths in the entire state. (Rather than issuing a statewide shelter-in-place order, the Tennessee governor has shut down the counties which have been the hardest hit, Knox County being among them.)
Knoxville, Tennessee Mayor Glenn Jacobs said, “That number is completely shocking and makes me wonder if what we are doing now is really the best approach. We have to determine how we can respond to COVID-19 in a way that keeps our economy intact, keeps people employed and empowers them with a feeling of hope and optimism – not desperation and despair.”
Justice writes:
While it is unclear at this point whether the recent suicides were directly linked to the spread of the virus, their timing alone is strongly indicative, if not proof that they were. According to local Knoxville news station WBIR, the county’s suicides over the span of two days this week equates to about 10 percent of last year’s total where 83 lives were lost to suicide.Other states have also reported an increase in suicide-related incidents as the virus continues to take its toll on the nation’s mental health. Crisis hotlines nationwide are surging with calls from Massachusetts to Oregon, both of which are states with “shelter-in-place” orders implemented, keeping people out of work and isolated at home.In Portland, Police Chief Jami Resch said Tuesday suicide threats or attempts are up 41 percent from this time last year and have jumped 23 percent since 10 days before a declared state of emergency, according to local Oregon news outlet KATU.
During a White House Task Force briefing this week, a reporter asked President Trump, “How many deaths are acceptable to you?” Trump fired back, “Zero.”
However, as much as we want to say zero deaths are acceptable, the reality is that the collapse of the economy will cost lives as well. And perhaps for a long period of time to come as people try and fail to reboot their once thriving businesses. Or for those who once held meaningful jobs which were lost forever due to the shutdown and then find themselves unemployed or underemployed afterward. Some businesses won’t reopen at all, especially newer businesses or those which had already been struggling prior to the shutdown.
Certainly they won’t all take their lives. Some will. But others will simply live out their lives in quiet desperation, dissatisfied and frustrated. And their sadness will affect everyone around them.
My point is that we must consider the economy, as callous as that may sound.
Those who are elderly or have underlying health conditions should absolutely remain isolated until the pandemic ends. The rest of us should take whatever precautions we can, but we must be allowed to live our lives and run our businesses.
No comments:
Post a Comment