Activism
Doctor Prescribes “Common Sense” for COVID-19 Pandemic
“People have a false sense that the worse is over because the Omicron variant is not as deadly as the Delta variant, but what they don’t realize is that, although the milder Omicron variant dominates the news, the more deadly Delta variant hasn’t gone anywhere,” said Dr. Donna Carey, a physician for Alameda County and first lady of True Vine Ministries.
By Tanya Dennis
A member of Oakland Frontline Healers believes that simple common sense is the practice needed to halt the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Donna Carey, a physician for Alameda County and first lady of True Vine Ministries — which has provided testing and vaccines for the virus — spoke to the Oakland Post in a recent interview.
“If we’re to recover from this pandemic and return to normal, we must approach COVID-19 with common sense,” noting that as of Nov. 9, 2021, Alameda County has seen over 120,000 infections and over 1,400 deaths, with African Americans, Latino/a/x, and Pacific Islanders disproportionately affected.
“People have a false sense that the worse is over because the Omicron variant is not as deadly as the Delta variant, but what they don’t realize is that, although the milder Omicron variant dominates the news, the more deadly Delta variant hasn’t gone anywhere,” Carey said.
“It’s still here and Omicron is so contagious it has surpassed the deaths caused by the Delta variant because of increased infection rates,” Carey said. “An average of 2,200 people a day die (nationally), mostly unvaccinated, due to Omicron. I recommend everyone double-mask when out in public.”
Carey further recommends people remain in their personal social bubbles. “When COVID-19 hit in 2020, we were advised to keep our social circles small,” Carey said.
People are returning to theaters, restaurants, and gatherings with strangers. “Use common sense,” Carey said. “You don’t know where these people have been or what they have been exposed to. Stay in your bubble, only socialize with close friends and family.”
Carey recommends everyone continue to employ good hand-washing routines as well. “Good hand washing is also good for the flu virus,” she said. “The reason we had such a low flu season last year was because people were washing their hands. Germs are there when you scratch your eyes or put something in your mouth: hand washing is about cleanliness and should continue as a life habit.”
Expressing concern over the long-range impact of the virus on children, Carey encourages every person aged 5 and older to get vaccinated. “Our children are facing long-term consequences. Omicron has changed the landscape,” Carey said. “There have been over 1 million pediatric cases (nationally) in the last two weeks. That’s an 80% increase of infection.
“Will those children fully recover? We don’t know what the long-term effect will be in 20 or 30 years. Will this impact their health and reactivate like chicken pox and create shingles or create brain fog?”
The best protection for kids ages 5 and under is for their parents to be vaccinated and continue to vigilant “about who comes over your house, where your kids are going, and show them the right way to wear a mask. Kids playing sports should limit their play to one team, not one or two, even if they are vaccinated. Limiting exposure (to the virus) is key,” Carey said.
Carey also took a common-sense attitude to the incidence of vaccine-related deaths. “With any medication there is a risk ratio factor,” Carey said. Each person must consider their own health protocols. Is their diabetes out of control? Are they on steroids long term? Is their immune system compromised?
Each individual must talk to their doctors “about the vaccine. Have that conversation,” Carey said.
Carey also spoke to the issue of irrational fear of vaccines. “We hear of people dying from car and plane accidents, (but) that doesn’t prevent us from getting in a car or on a plane,” Carey said. “People die from eating shrimp or peanuts, yet we know the chance of dying from eating shrimp is low. There are side effects from COVID-19 and the vaccine, but (potential death from the virus is) way lower for those that take the vaccine.”
COVID-19 will end depending on “when we get to a high level of people getting vaccinated,” Carey said. “COVID is going to be here for a while, so it’s going to be boosters every year, and developing vaccines for new variants, much like the flu shot every year.
“The reality is, I don’t see us getting away from needing a booster, and, fortunately, I don’t have any concerns about the vaccine affecting us adversely.”
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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
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Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024
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Activism
Oakland Schools Honor Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties
Every Jan. 30, OUSD commemorates the legacy of Fred Korematsu, an Oakland native, a Castlemont High School graduate, and a national symbol of resistance, resilience, and justice. His defiant stand against racial injustice and his unwavering commitment to civil rights continue to inspire the local community and the nation. Tuesday was “Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution” in the state of California and a growing number of states across the country.
By Post Staff
Every Jan. 30, OUSD commemorates the legacy of Fred Korematsu, an Oakland native, a Castlemont High School graduate, and a national symbol of resistance, resilience, and justice.
His defiant stand against racial injustice and his unwavering commitment to civil rights continue to inspire the local community and the nation. Tuesday was “Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution” in the state of California and a growing number of states across the country.
One OUSD school is named in his honor: Fred T. Korematsu Discovery Academy (KDA) elementary in East Oakland.
Several years ago, founding KDA Principal Charles Wilson, in a video interview with anti-hate organization “Not In Our Town,” said, “We chose the name Fred Korematsu because we really felt like the attributes that he showed in his work are things that the children need to learn … that common people can stand up and make differences in a large number of people’s lives.”
Fred Korematsu was born in Oakland on Jan. 30, 1919. His parents ran a floral nursery business, and his upbringing in Oakland shaped his worldview. His belief in the importance of standing up for your rights and the rights of others, regardless of race or background, was the foundation for his activism against racial prejudice and for the rights of Japanese Americans during World War II.
At the start of the war, Korematsu was turned away from enlisting in the National Guard and the Coast Guard because of his race. He trained as a welder, working at the docks in Oakland, but was fired after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. Fear and prejudice led to federal Executive Order 9066, which forced more than 120,000 Japanese Americans out of their homes and neighborhoods and into remote internment camps.
The 23-year-old Korematsu resisted the order. He underwent cosmetic surgery and assumed a false identity, choosing freedom over unjust imprisonment. His later arrest and conviction sparked a legal battle that would challenge the foundation of civil liberties in America.
Korematsu’s fight culminated in the Supreme Court’s initial ruling against him in 1944. He spent years in a Utah internment camp with his family, followed by time living in Salt Lake City where he was dogged by racism.
In 1976, President Gerald Ford overturned Executive Order 9066. Seven years later, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco vacated Korematsu’s conviction. He said in court, “I would like to see the government admit that they were wrong and do something about it so this will never happen again to any American citizen of any race, creed, or color.”
Korematsu’s dedication and determination established him as a national icon of civil rights and social justice. He advocated for justice with Rosa Parks. In 1998, President Bill Clinton gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom saying, “In the long history of our country’s constant search for justice, some names of ordinary citizens stand for millions of souls … To that distinguished list, today we add the name of Fred Korematsu.”
After Sept. 11, 2001, Korematsu spoke out against hatred and discrimination, saying what happened to Japanese Americans should not happen to people of Middle Eastern descent.
Korematsu’s roots in Oakland and his education in OUSD are a source of great pride for the city, according to the school district. His most famous quote, which is on the Korematsu elementary school mural, is as relevant now as ever, “If you have the feeling that something is wrong, don’t be afraid to speak up.”
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