Jun 21, 2021 3 min read

America continues to “open up” from the frightful, tragic months of the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to the ongoing, massive vaccination initiative made possible by the dedicated, expert researchers whose abilities unlocked the unknowns that were keys to the vaccines’ development.

Still, despite the vaccination progress achieved thus far, the U.S. continues to witness troubling infection levels, especially among people who have chosen risk of getting seriously ill over the opportunity to avoid that unwanted, potentially deadly fate.

Meanwhile, health officials say that the U.S has not yet reached vaccination levels necessary to prevent transmission of the virus in communities.

In addition, COVID-19 continues to rage in some countries where vaccine access remains limited or inaccessible, for whatever reason.

The bottom line today: COVID-19 has not been defeated yet, and it is impossible to predict if or when that will happen. Therefore, caution must continue to prevail amid the determined push to try to reopen the economy to some semblance of what it was before COVID-19’s arrival.

Caution is especially necessary now that a lazy, irresponsible attitude has evolved in numerous states over the reporting of new coronavirus cases, COVID-19 hospitalizations and pandemic-related death statistics.

Johns Hopkins University data collection has found that half of this nation’s states – including Pennsylvania – have halted daily reports, some having resorted to releasing statistical data five or three times a week, rather than seven.

Then there is the schedule implemented by Alabama and Florida, both of which, the other day, shifted reporting frequency to one time a week, making a mockery of the need for ongoing, up-to-date knowledge on what is or is not happening on the coronavirus front.

Only up-to-date data can zero in correctly on places where vaccine emphases ought to be directed most effectively and efficiently. Only up-to-date data can battle the enemy of misconception that can undermine successes that have been attained thus far as well as important steps deemed necessary to battle problem areas, going forward.

Epidemiologists’ and researchers’ efforts suffer when an excessive amount of “old” information is what they have to guide their work and base important decisions.

The pandemic has proven that even a couple of days can shift up-to-date information to the category of out-of-date, no-longer-reliable.

An article in the June 10 Wall Street Journal expanded on the relevance of that concern by pointing out that epidemiologists and researchers “worry lagging data will leave public health leaders with blind spots as new variants of the coronavirus circulate and many parts of the world battle rising cases.”

Beth Blauer, executive director of the Centers for Civic Impact at Johns Hopkins, was quoted in the Journal as saying “testing data is really a great monitor to help us understand where we are right now and whether or not the trend is in the wrong direction. We still have a raging global pandemic that is having huge impacts in places outside the United States.”

At this time, the Journal reported, epidemiologists are keeping the proverbial close eye on America’s Southern states, where vaccination rates are lagging behind and where cases climbed a year ago as people opted for indoor air conditioning to deal with the heat.

Having a steady flow of reliable information is not a political issue; it is mere common sense on behalf of the nation’s well-being.

The lazy, irresponsible trend toward significantly less data needs to stop.