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I am one member of a five person board. The opinions I express on this forum are mine only, and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Escambia County Staff, Administrators, Employees, or anyone else associated with Escambia County Florida. I am interested in establishing this blog as a means of additional transparency to the public, outreach to the community, and information dissemination to all who choose to look. Feedback is welcome, but because public participation is equally encouraged, appropriate language and decorum is mandatory. Although this is not my campaign site for re-election--sometimes campaign related information will be discussed, therefore in an abundance of caution I add the following : Political Advertisement Paid for and Approved by Jeff Bergosh, Republican, for Escambia County Commissioner District 1








Thursday, July 23, 2020

Medical Professionals are Begging Us to Mandate Masks, Part I

N95 Masks Have Been Leaving The Country During The Coronavirus ...



From a doctor this week:


"Dear Commissioner Bergosh,

   I am a practicing Pulmonologist and Critical Care physician and resident of Escambia County for 27 years. I have never written to the BCC and hope never again to feel compelled to do so. 
My colleagues and I need your help.

   In the last month, I have taken care of hundreds of seriously ill Covid-19 patients in three local hospitals. Bed space is extremely limited and we are stretched to capacity. This situation is not sustainable. These patients are your neighbors, community members, potential relatives and constituents who are depending on you to exercise the power you were elected to deploy, in order to keep them safe.

   Masks and facial coverings work. A recent study, published just 3 days ago, compared the growth rate of Covid-19 before and after mask mandates in 15 states and the District of Columbia. It found that mask wearing led to a slow-down in transmission in the first 5 days of the mandate. After 3 short weeks, the Covid-19 growth rate slowed by 2%. Another study of 198 countries showed significantly lower death rates as a result of masking.

   Issuing a mask mandate, either by Commission vote or emergency order by the County Administrator, is a simple, harmless, low-tech and remedial step that is wholly within your power. To save lives. I hear the circular argument that such a mandate would be difficult to enforce. Commissioner, you were hired to make difficult decisions, in the interest of public safety. Just as I was hired to make difficult decisions regarding treatment of non-mask wearing patients who end up in our ICUs needing intubation because their lungs have deteriorated from the inflammatory process of this lethal virus.

   Seat belt laws, bicycle helmet laws, texting while driving laws, smoking bans in public places were all difficult implementations. Yet they have reduced hospitalizations and saved human lives. 
Is difficulty of enforcement a legitimate reason not to try? Your "Mask Up" campaign is a good step in the right direction but does not go far enough. It has not resulted, as we hoped, in the reduction of hospitalizations we desperately need. Our county is currently in the "red zone" classification of disease and our area recently reached a 155% increase in Covid-19 cases. Unfortunately there is no end in sight.

   How did a 6" x 4" piece of fabric that filters bacteria and viral pathogen become a debatable topic? If you have ever been a patient, did the sight of a mask on your physician or nurse elicit any response other than reassurance? We have been wearing earloop masks in health care for half a century. Because they work!

   Promotion of public health is arguably the greatest investment a government official can make. You have an opportunity here to help physicians in your community do their job. In the interest of public health, in the spirit of mutual human respect, please work WITH us, not AGAINST us. Physicians in Escambia County need your help. Now.

Thank you for your service."




14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Did you write this? Which pulmonologist? That's what I thought. Did you write it as a cover? Mandating masks is probably the right thing to do but don't attribute your decision on an "anonymous doctor".

Kim C. said...

A little too late don’t you think, Mr. Bergosh? Instead of wasting time debating the effectiveness of masks on your blog several times & listening to an anti mask group with ties to QAnon, fueled by Douglas Underhill, you should of exercised common sense way before now. Precautionary measures would of saved lives, businesses, & those now suffering from long term affects, instead of weak reactionary measures months later. I’m appalled & completely disgusted that politics took precedent over lives! I hope you sleep well at night while so many are left suffering permanent lung damage, kidney damage, etc!

Anonymous said...

is Kim C Mel P ?

Anonymous said...

Of course it’s Mel P , where’s Charlotte?😂

Anonymous said...

Mel P is an accuser. The others may be real people but negative advocates drawn in. If she has power with the Cognizant connection that should come out. They could be third party facebook censors. Beware you may be the next target of blame. Maybe they will move out of the area. Gone Girl.

Mel Pino said...

Anonymous 8:48 PM, what a ridiculous threat, and as usual displaying utter ignorance.

Cognizant doesn't even have the contract on providing labor to manage hate speech on Facebook any more. And my husband hasn't worked for the company for a while. You might want to check the opposition research you are getting shoveled for yourself before you unleash it and look the fool. No wonder you post anonymously.

I've turned that post over to ECSO and PPD.

--Melissa Pino

Kim C. said...

I can assure you I’m not Mel P. I’m a very real person with the ability to think for myself! You’re an absolute coward for hiding behind a pseudonym to spew your bs rhetoric & wish for someone to leave the area, due to the fact you’re unable to handle differing opinions.

Keep in mind, IP numbers can be traced - you’re not as anonymous as you think.

Kim C. said...

Is this Douglas Underhill & Alex Arduini hiding behind pseudonyms playing keyboard warriors because you’re both too cowardly to state your opinion using your real name?

Karen said...

Is this 911?
yes
"I want to report a comment on social media where some body talked about me"

basha0810 said...

Commissioner, I'm not anti mask. I'm anti mandate. Their is scientific proof that masks do not work. CA has had a mask mandate for months now and their COVID positive results are up 162%. If masks work, then why the increase? Masks don't work. Where does one start?? There is so much out there confirming this! These are just a few:

https://www.climatedepot.com/2020/05/23/physicists-new-study-why-masks-dont-work-how-governments-are-operating-a-science-vacuum/
https://www.rcreader.com/commentary/masks-dont-work-covid-a-review-of-science-relevant-to-covide-19-social-policy
https://www.thehealthyamerican.org/masks-dont-work
https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/coronavirus-why-masks-dont-work/ar-BB11nxm9

basha0810 said...

Commissioner, I'm not anti mask. I'm anti mandate. Their is scientific proof that masks do not work. CA has had a mask mandate for months now and their COVID positive results are up 162%. If masks work, then why the increase? Masks don't work. Where does one start?? There is so much out there confirming this! These are just a few:

https://www.climatedepot.com/2020/05/23/physicists-new-study-why-masks-dont-work-how-governments-are-operating-a-science-vacuum/
https://www.rcreader.com/commentary/masks-dont-work-covid-a-review-of-science-relevant-to-covide-19-social-policy
https://www.thehealthyamerican.org/masks-dont-work
https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/coronavirus-why-masks-dont-work/ar-BB11nxm9

Mel Pino said...

Appropriately-named Karen,

I've called 911 exactly once in my six years of living here, and that was to report an act of child abuse I had witnessed.

When social media contributors make violent threats on my safety online--such as "Gone Girl--I pass them to ECSO and PPD so they can evaluate them and see if they should put them in their departments' Q Anon files they keep to monitor that dangerous activity locally.

Underhill supporters in our neighborhood, however, love to call 911 or dispatch on our household for no purpose. We just had deputies show up at our door last weekend after Doug dog-whistled me on Facebook as the specks in his grey matter started pinging at the commencement of Sailor Jerry Sunday. The report was that I was videoing somebody in the park. (I wasn't--I was on my porch talking on the phone).

Can you imagine wasting police resources like that at any time, much less during a pandemic?

FYI, on such calls ECSO policy is to always have two officers respond. So this person was nuts enough to waste precious front-line resources on absolutely nothing but apparently enjoying the attention when they show up at her house. Then they had to come to ours. So apologetic and nice about having to check the box, BTW.

Lunatics abound these days. And some of them are escalating.

Anonymous said...

You wanna talk about suffering permanent lung damage, kidney damage, and how this commissioner does not care about the public safety. Vote Jonathon Owens on August 18th for district 1 who supports public safety and is worried about everyone’s safety and well being. Public safety is grossly underfunded. Trucks breaking down, ems holding calls, fire stations in poor conditions, firemen are getting sick from just working in there own fire houses cause there’s mold in the walls. You think this commissioner is worried about the public’s safety. He’s not, he’s not even worried about his employees safety what makes you think he’s worried about you, the citizens safety and public safety in general.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 11:00

This commissioner hosted a meeting and posted a video. The Coffee with Commissioner Wednesday. The Doctor said the hospital was about full, and they lacked medicine to treat covid-19 and need blood. This disease spreads exponentially. Do you know what that means?

How many times and how many ways do people have to be told to social distance, wear a mask and wash their hands -- yet we still have people that will actually comment publicly that they won't wear a mask. How baffling is that?

Owens is BFF with Underhill and is his Aide. Underhill participated in a national call out to support NOT wearing masks. Underhand/Owenhill must be delusional or nuts.

How can that be construed as supporting public safety. Trust actions not words.

Underhill also said no raises for public safety this year. Didn't you see that?

He will use the fire department to garner support so he can keep on being selfish and supporting his own agenda and try to keep the Gulf Front Beach for himself. What will they do when PKD washes out. Get a boat. The county isn't paying for that anytime soon. Get in line on the TPO list.

He also sent out his goons on f/b to message to keep our beach access closed when he could have used RESTORE $ to open it years ago.

How many people watched the Coffee with commissioner video. I see a count but few comments. Silent Majority see the ruse on facebook reporting comments to shut people down and take over.

Janice and Eric sat there with a serene smile. The hospital administrator kept quiet when asked do we need a tent city. The Dr said we need to wear masks and thinks the schools opening is a problem.

The economy is down near 40% nationally.

Maybe they are trying to not start a panic.

A mandate can not be enforced but yes people are spreading Covid-19 and the numbers are going to increase exponentially. The aerosols will stay in the air. The RNA must be tough on this virus.

We knew that in January but people keep spreading it. Lanza didn't seem to practice what he preached.

Why are people zombies and stupid?

It's called denial.

They are going to start sending people home from the hospital from the ER and they will die at home. Get a O2 pack and try to treat yourself if our idiotic neighbors keep spreading this.

Bergosh is attempting to get the word out without causing a panic.

Underhand/Owenhill will be a selfish self interested disaster.

Does the area need federal help to tell people to stop spreading this virus. I am disappointed in humankind for their ignorance and lack of cognitive ability.

WEAR A MASK Stay away from other people as much as possible and the only way the economy can hope to recover is if people take it upon them selves to heed the warning.

They aren't and apparently won't.

The nasty politics supporting the resistance since Trump was elected has caused people to distrust the media.

The general public has no recollection or knowledge of history of pandemic infectious disease to help in their cognitive ability and must have to learn the hard way -- unfortunately for all of us, and how to enforce it.

I recently watched an old Betty Davis movie that will probably be banned called Jezabelle, set during one of the yellow fever epidemics in New Orleans. They didn't understand the vector during that time period but certainly understood the importance of isolating themselves.



Political Advertisement Paid For and Approved by Jeff Bergosh, Republican for Escambia Commission D1