[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 99 (Wednesday, May 27, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E488]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             FUELING FEARS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JOE WILSON-

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 27, 2020

  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, an extraordinary insight 
has been provided by one of South Carolina's most respected business 
leaders, Peter Brown in The State of Columbia on May 21st. His message 
is valuable to all Americans as we work together to defeat Wuhan Virus.

      Fueling Fear About COVID-19 Will Hinder SC During Reopening

       Back in March our concerns about COVID-19 were driven by 
     fears of worst-case scenarios: massive infection statistics, 
     high mortality rates, overwhelmed hospital systems and 
     extreme mortality rates.
       Prevention was the goal--and the efforts launched sought to 
     flatten the curve of infections and deaths while reducing the 
     overall strain on the health care system.


                             CLEAR RESULTS

       And here are the results we've seen:
       Expected infection rates, but lower than expected levels of 
     hospitalization.
       Lower than expected mortality rates with most fatalities 
     occurring among the populations predicted to be hardest hit: 
     the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions.
       Success in employing personal safety precautions like 
     social distancing and wearing face masks.
       But some things haven't worked.
       Hospitals and associated medical practices suffered 
     dramatic reductions in patients and business. Why? Because 
     they had to cancel all elective surgeries rather than simply 
     staggering them. Meanwhile, ``stay at home'' orders by state 
     and local governments ended up sidelining tens of thousands 
     of people, forcing them to file for unemployment benefits 
     while also crippling the economy.


                         INACCURATE PREDICTIONS

       And through all of this, what we have learned is that the 
     virus may be less deadly than originally thought.
       The reality is that predictions of potentially millions of 
     deaths from COVID-19 have simply been inaccurate--and that 
     high-population hotspots like New York, New Jersey and 
     Massachusetts make up nearly half of all the nationwide cases 
     and deaths.
       In South Carolina the number of new infections remains 
     manageable, and the percentage of new cases versus total 
     cases continues to decline even as our testing efforts 
     increase.
       But that's not what is being reported by media outlets, 
     which are desperate for clicks and viewers. Every new case of 
     COVID-19 is treated as breaking news, and anchors 
     broadcasting from home is a gimmick that does more harm than 
     good.


                              SELLING FEAR

       This can't be the model going forward.
       We have to coexist with COVID-19, and that means putting 
     into place realistic, sustainable measures that recognize 
     that until the virus is cured, life for those who are most at 
     risk will dramatically change. The fears of a second wave of 
     COVID-19 are driven by fear rather than data, and they do not 
     help us create a sustainable way to coexist with the 
     coronavirus. We need to have a realistic way to address how 
     to protect those most at risk, as well as giving them the 
     tools for coping with a ``new normal''--a reality that the 
     rest of society has already started to acknowledge by acting 
     responsibly to keep infection rates low. Simply put the media 
     are selling fear. But the rest of us must go on with our 
     lives. The rest of us must coexist with this virus.


                              LET'S REOPEN

       So it is time to let individuals--who care about the people 
     in their families more than any government ever will--lead 
     the way through cautious responsibility.
       And it is time to let businesses reopen with the same 
     degrees of responsible caution so that people can earn 
     livelihoods and provide futures for their families.
       We should continue to proceed with caution.
       We should continue to practice social distance.
       We should continue to wear face masks.
       We should be willing to stay at home if we are not 
     comfortable with the pace of reopening our state.
       But we should reopen united as one.

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