COVID-19 Booster

I am a 78-year-old, retired, Black male who is deeply appreciative of the fact that, on February  16, 2021, I received my second Coronavirus vaccination.  Nevertheless, I write to describe the taxing two-month process it took to do so in the world’s most “advanced” nation.  In pursuit of being vaccinated, the difficulties encountered concretized the significance of the [1] “the digital divide,” and [2] “systemic public health issues” as a function of one’s low-income status and race. 

Being fully aware of the long abuse of Blacks by some health professionals, I was initially in a “paranoid state of mind” regarding whether to take a Coronavirus vaccine.  The “Tuskegee Syphilis Study” and “the misappropriation of Henrietta Lacks‘ cells” were not faded memories for me.  I was also reticent because of how fast the vaccines were federally approved and unclear regarding side effects.  

The erosion of my vaccination fears began when I learned that the brilliant Black scientist Kizzmekia Corbett played a critical role in the development of the vaccines.  My reservations also declined after I learned that two highly respected friends, Dr. Chenits and Dr. Margaret Pettigrew, participated in clinical trials and, subsequently, recommended the vaccines.  On a personal level, I was motivated to get vaccinated because Spring was rapidly approaching and, being addicted to fishing, I did not want to miss the early runs of Crappie, White Perch, and Yellow Perch here in Maryland. 

“Spring Fever” annually afflicts those who fish and, having been sheltered in much of the 2020 fishing season, “Spring Fever” hit me hard right after January 1, 2021.  As such, I knew I needed to be vaccinated if I were to go in and out of bait shops as well as fish with a few buddies without social distancing at my fishing camp in central Pennsylvania.  With my fears mostly gone and the desire to fish, I began searching for a vaccination appointment and immediately got reminded that I was “technologically challenged” and, later in the process, which side I was on when it came to the “digital divide.”

The protracted search for my first Coronavirus vaccination required ownership of an iPhone, iPad, and laptop computer –items which a poverty level household of four would find very difficult to purchase given their annual income of approximately $26,500.  Even with these items in my possession, I needed the help of several people to [1] download relevant Apps to my iPad and iPhone; [2] obtain a 4 digit code to set up the “My Portfolio App” which was needed to do things such as book and confirm vaccination appointments as well as preregister the day before each vaccination;  [3] sync my iPhone and iPad to receive texts from the Hospital Center that provided my vaccinations; and [4] use my laptop to search extensively  for vaccination providers in accordance with my 1B priority classification for receiving a vaccination.  Some more technologically literate than I might have gotten by without the laptop, but the relevant vaccination searches proved easiest for me when I used the laptop.  

Another tremendous source of frustration was the problematic enrollment “systems!”  The beginnings of this nightmare started when my primary care physician’s office promised to email me a numerical code essential for downloading the “My Portfolio App.”  The code was to arrive within 48 hours, but to date it has not arrived.  I received a 4-digit code from a second source, after being placed on hold for more than 45 minutes.

Going online to the designated Maryland County Health Department to sign up for a 1B priority vaccination proved to be  fruitless.  Using the designated County website, neither my wife nor I received the stipulated follow up email response.  A week later, we used a different website for that same County office; received an email response that we were in category 1B; but we have never been scheduled for a vaccination even though they stated they were also vaccinating those in category 1C.  

On the several occasions, while seeking a vaccination appointment, I was put on hold for almost an hour.  On those occasions, I was reminded of how fortunate I was to have unlimited minutes telephone service.  My awareness was also heightened regarding those who are not fortunate enough to have access to the essential technology and I wondered how they might ever get vaccinated.  Added concern for others emanated from the fact that I and my wife did not get vaccinated because of our ownership of or limited ability to use technology, but because of an intervention.

After getting nowhere in terms of obtaining a vaccination appointment, I called my son and must have literally “bent his ear.”  He interrupted me with, “Daddy, I will call you back in a few minutes” and, when he called back, the following “discussion” occurred:  “Daddy, get my mother and both of you turn on your computers.  Go to www…   and click on the button that says…  Ok, now click on the button that says…  and then fill in your personal information.  Let me know when you finish.”  We did as instructed and asked, “What’s next?”  He said, “Ok, click on submit and let me know what it says.” I replied, “It says ‘your information has been received. You will be notified of an appointment.”  Then, as my son said would happen, in two days we both received notification of appointment dates.  

In short, we got appointments because just a few days earlier our son received an appointment after he had studied the websites in our surrounding communities and learned things such as [1] which sites had long waiting lists; [2] which were best given our ages; [3] the days and times appointments were electronically offered; [4] how quickly the appointments were taken; and [5] the fact that if we both simultaneously requested 7:15 a.m., then we would get appointments within a few minutes of each other which is exactly what happened for both vaccinations.  

Given my experiences in obtaining vaccinations and, subsequently, having spent hours trying to help others who wish to be vaccinated, it is clear just how bad things are in the absence of [1] a national strategy; [2] effective state strategies; [3] “people friendly” processes to sign up for vaccinations; [4] appropriate coordination between manufactures, distributors and providers; and [5] what seems to be a national pattern of lower socio-economic, Black, and Latinx Americans disproportionately receiving fewer vaccinations. IT IS NO ACCIDENT THAT BLACK AND LATINX AMERICANS ARE DYING AT A RATE THREE TIMES THAT OF WHITE AMERICANS, BUT WHITE AMERICANS IN PENNSLVANIA, FOR EXAMPLE, ARE BEING VACCINATED AT FOUR TIMES THE RATE OF BLACKS (See Nicole Karlis, January 29, 2021).  

Jack L. Daniel

Co-Founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black 

February 19, 2021

Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Teresa Miller today reminded Pennsylvanians that help is available and encouraged for anyone affected financially by the COVID-19 public-health crisis by taking advantage of rent and mortgage assistance programs available to help people who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of losing their housing.

“The COVID-19 emergency and economic insecurity have caused many people to lose income or employment altogether and those individuals may now be struggling to make their monthly rent or mortgage payments,” DHS Sec. Miller said. “Anyone who is worried about losing their housing should know that assistance is available and should not hesitate to reach out for help. Access to safe and secure housing is essential, especially now. We want to be sure that any Pennsylvanian who is struggling to pay rent or utilities has the help that they need and knows that they are not alone during this time.”

A U.S. Census Bureau survey foundOpens In A New Window that since mid-April, the percentage of Pennsylvania adults who consider themselves housing insecure has risen by 2.4 percent. The most recent survey – which defines housing insecurity as missing last month’s rent or mortgage payment or having slight or no confidence that a household can pay next month’s rent or mortgage on time – found that nearly 24 percent of Pennsylvanians, or 1.6 million people, are living with housing insecurity. 

DHS has released $10 million in CARES Act funding to counties’ Homeless Assistance Programs (HAP) to aid in serving the increased needs of Pennsylvania citizens at risk of homelessness. HAP helps to ensure that homelessness can be avoided by offering rental assistance, emergency shelter, supportive housing services, and case management services to individuals and families. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, HAP provided these services to more than 28,000 individuals and families experiencing or at risk for homelessness.

Questions on eligibility and requests for help can be made by contacting a county HAP here. HAP services vary in each county, and counties can set their eligibility limits as they choose within 100 to 200 percent of federal poverty guidelines. HAP benefit limits are set at $1,500 maximum for a family with one or more children, and $1,000 for a single person.

More information on HAP can be found here. Other homelessness assistance programs can be found at the National Alliance to End HomelessnessOpens In A New Window, the National Coalition for the HomelessOpens In A New Window, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban DevelopmentOpens In A New Window.

The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) is also offering housing-related financial assistance. Applications are available at www.PHFA.org for both rental and mortgage assistance (look for the red CARES banner). All 67 counties have local organizations helping PHFA by processing the rent relief applications. PHFA will process the mortgage relief applications.

Renters who qualify may receive assistance equal to 100 percent of their monthly rent up to $750 a month for a maximum of six months of assistance for the time period between March 1 and November 30, 2020. For renters to be eligible for financial assistance, they will need to document at least a 30 percent reduction in annual income since March 1 related to COVID-19, or they must have become unemployed after March 1.

The assistance available for homeowners can be up to $1,000 a month for a maximum period of six months. The time period eligible for assistance is for mortgage payments owed from March 2020 through December 2020. Homeowners who became unemployed after March 1 or who suffered at least a 30 percent reduction in annual income due to reduced work hours and wages related to COVID-19 may be eligible for financial assistance to help with missed mortgage payments.

For more information on public assistance programs available through DHS, visit www.dhs.pa.gov.

“Math Problem: High School student with Corona rides the bus, capacity 60; enters gym class with 40; goes to seven classes with 24 in each class; eats lunch with 200, while passing between classes multiple times. How many students will be sent home for 14 days because of exposure?” (Attributed to a Retired School Teacher)

For the past three dangerous years, we have witnessed POTUS 45 and his crew do their best to turn the American democracy into an Idiocracy --a dumbed down alternative universe based on lies and ignorance that place American citizens at risk! Their latest reckless disregard for the truth as well as people’s lives consists of their idiotic statements and actions regarding our children, teachers, and staff returning to school in a few weeks. Some of their recent asinine statements are as follows:

· “We know that children get the virus at a far lower rate than any other part of the population, …And again, there is nothing in the data that would suggest that kids being back in school is dangerous to them.” (Betsy DeVos, reported by the Washington Times, July 12, 2020)

· “We’re very much going to put pressure on governors and everybody else to open the schools, to get them open, and it’s very important, … young people do extraordinarily well with the disease caused by the virus.” (POTUS 45).

  “The risk is extremely low that anything will happen to them” (school age children) if they don’t have underlying conditions.” (Morgan Griffith, Republican from Virginia). He also  said the risk would also be low for school staff under the age of 60.” (Politico, July 9, 2020)

Obviously, as with nations around the world, America must come to grips with one of its most difficult decisions in centuries, i.e., when and under what conditions to have children go back to school. As reported by Laurel Chor (NPR July 10, 2020), “Hong Kong offers a cautionary tale of how difficult these decisions can be. Schoolchildren were sent home at the end of January; …When Hong Kong appeared to be winning its war against COVID-19, schools started to reopen. That was the end of May. …But the city is now fighting a third wave of infections, and the education bureau announced that the school year would end on Friday…” 

In Israel, there was a major surge in new COVID-19 cases when the schools opened prematurely. From a low of 50 new cases per day, the country went to 1,500 per day. As reported by the Wall Street Journal(July 15, 2020), “The surge followed outbreaks in schools that by Monday had infected at least 1,335 students and 691 staff since the schools reopened in early May, according to the education ministry.” Belatedly, one Israel principal stated, “It’s pretty clear that in coronavirus conditions, you cannot continue t teach in full classrooms without a massive outbreak.” 

With ignorance determined to be bliss, POTUS 45 repeatedly refuses to learn from the experiences of others. Instead, in a scenario reminiscent of the 1978 Jonestown mass murder-suicide led by cult leader Jim Jones in Guyana where 900 died, POTUS 45 arrogantly uses the full weight of the presidency to force schools to reopen sooner than they should. Should he succeed, it could result in America’s largest mass murder, surpassing Jonestown. He does so with no regard for the widespread concerns repeatedly expressed in, for example, a popular Facebook post, e.g., 

· If a teacher tests positive for COVID-19 are they required to quarantine for 2-3 weeks? Is their sick leave covered, paid?

· If that teacher has 5 classes a day with 30 students each, do all 150 of those students need to then stay home and quarantine for 14 days?

· Do all 150 of those students now have to get tested? Who pays for those tests? Are they happening at school? How are the parents being notified? Does anyone in each of those kids’ families need to get tested? Who pays for that?

· Where is the district going to find a substitute teacher who will work in a classroom full of exposed, possibly infected students for substitute pay?

· What if a student in our kid’s class tests positive? What if your kid tests positive? Does every other student and teacher they have been around quarantine? 

· What is the stress going to do to our teachers? How does it affect their health and well-being? How does it affect their ability to teach?

The foregoing questions are the mere tip of the iceberg when it comes to the matters that must be addressed before putting children, teachers, school staff, and, in turn, parents and other family members at risk of the deadly virus. Anya Kamenetz (June 9, 2020) succinctly stated, “What's at stake: An unknown number of lives, the futures of tens of millions of children, the livelihoods of their caregivers, the working conditions of millions of educators, and people's trust in a fundamental American institution.” Yet, the  leaders of the Idiocracy are as devoid of valid and reliable plans as they were when it came time to handle the Covoid-19 pandemic. Fortunately, more than two-thirds of people polled no longer trust what POTUS 45 says about the virus and they, along with school personnel, will protect the lives of our children.

No matter who demands what about schools reopening, classrooms will be relatively empty if the current virus surge continues. Parents and teachers will resist putting their children in deadly situations. Those needing to work and requiring child care will remain at home –especially given that [1] underpaid yet essential childcare workers will refuse to put themselves as well as children in danger; and [2] it is estimated that 50% of childcare facilities will soon go out of business. 

Meanwhile, as we face the distinct probability that schools will not open in full force, there remains another issue begging to be addressed. Privileged parents will be able to assist their children with on-line learning and, if necessary, home-school their children whereas those less fortunate won’t be able to do so and, in turn, the achievement gap will widen. Therefore, now is also the time to do things such as make educational technology available to those families on the downside of the digital divide. Higher education scholars should turn their attention to what must be done to prevent all children from losing a year or more in terms of their educational development. 

Without delay, steps should be taken to provide essential educational workers, at all levels, with the salaries they deserve for serving simultaneously as educators as well as social service providers. Similarly, now is the time to address the schools’ infrastructure needs, everything from proper ventilation and classroom spacing to essential educational supplies. All parents should study carefully the science-based implementation plans for their respective school districts. Finally, in November, 2020, right-minded citizens must take steps to end the current Idiocracy.

Jack L. Daniel

Co-Founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

July 19, 2020

Given my more than 50 years of experience in higher education, it seemed highly unreasonable for college administrators to expect their students [1] to resume residential life; [2] enroll in a mix of in-person and virtual classes; and [3] refrain from activities that would create spikes in Coronavirus infections.  An abundance of evidence suggested that succeeding in doing so was as improbable as  winning the daily state lottery, that much sooner than later schools would be forced to end in-person classes and/or close residence halls.  

College students represent the “best and brightest” among us as evidenced by standardized test scores, high school grades, and other measures of academic achievement.  However, parents as well as college administrators know how “young and dumb” college students can be as evidenced by Brigham Young students recently using the “young and dumb” phrase to describe their defiance of their campus’ Coronavirus guidelines.  

Across the nation, the “best and brightest” have demonstrated just how “young and dumb” they can be with the results being alarming rises in Coronaviruses cases.  In just a few days after opening, for example, Towson State University closed its residence halls.  At the University of Pittsburgh, Dean Kenyon Bonner declared several students persona non grata as well as suspended 8 Greek life organizations for inappropriate behaviors.  College students “gone wild” --drinking heavily and ignoring Coronavirus safety guidelines--  contributed to infection spikes on campuses such as the universities of Alabama, Baylor, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Notre Dame, SUNY Albany, and CAL POLY.  As of September 1, 2020, the University of Alabama had 1,201 cases, followed by North Carolina at Chapel Hill with 1,025.     

There are multiple college student characteristics that presaged the fact that many college students would not adhere to Coronavirus safety guidelines, that they would in fact engage in risky behaviors because they had done so prior to the Coronavirus pandemic.  For example, college administrators know that “The beginning of the school year can be one of the most dangerous times for female college students. It marks the start of the "red zone" – from the first day on campus until Thanksgiving break – when the risk of sexual assault is said to be highest. More than 50% of college sexual assaults take place between August and November, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, which advocates nationally against sexual violence…” (See Alia E. Dastagir, August 26, 2019, USA Today).  

College administrators also know that large, late-night gatherings of college students engaged in heavy drinking and raucous behavior are nothing new.  More than a decade ago when I became a Dean of Student Affairs, I scheduled a late Thursday afternoon meeting with student leaders.  A student leader came to me and said, “No one is going to be there.  Everyone starts drinking Thursday afternoon and parties continue through Saturday night.”  

Prior to the Coronavirus pandemic, college officials knew that their “bright young adults” arrived on campus with a vast array of problems for which they needed considerable psychological counselling.  A July 11, 2020 American Psychological Association report indicated, “Demand for mental health services at college counseling centers in the United States has been on the rise for years. In 2019, nearly 90% of counseling center directors reported an increase in students seeking services...  data from more than 200,000 college students at 163 institutions show there’s been a steady uptick in threats to self—including suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and non-suicidal self-injury—as well as depression, anxiety, social anxiety, and traumatic experiences…”

Along with the Coronavirus and systemic White racism pandemics, there has been a long-term “silent pandemic” related to young people and sexually transmitted diseases.  As Jeannie Kenkare wrote on September 26, 2017, “According to the Centers for Disease Control, nearly 50 percent of the 20 million new STDs diagnosed each year are among young people between the ages of 15–24 years. A large percentage of these cases occur among college students, who often underestimate the risks of having unprotected sex…”  On the contrary, “hookups,” i.e., casual “meaningless” sex is often normative.

To their credit, college administrators promulgated an array of very specific student and faculty guidelines per the reopening of their campuses.  It was indeed a very high if not unreasonable expectation, however, that students would abide by the guidelines.  Why, for example, would campus administrators expect students to return to campus after, for months, being under the close supervision of parents/guardians; having been controlled by local and state guidelines per things such as social distancing and wearing masks; and with bars and restaurants having been closed, that significant numbers of their students would not exercise restraint when they returned to campus?  It was no more reasonable than expecting college students not to riot and destroy property after a major sports victory without having implemented very strict controls.  

In short, given who the vast majority of students happen to be on historically White campuses where most highly privileged college students are enrolled, it was truly a longshot gamble to reopen residence halls and schedule a significant number of in-person classes.  Those higher education administrators who believe otherwise should step forward and explain themselves.  Meanwhile, as they shutter residence halls and switch to virtual classes, in addition to room and board restitutions, they should reimburse all payments related to the qualities of education they assert are derived from residential college experiences, e.g., face-to-face interactions with diverse students; living-learning experiences; problem solving in small groups; face-to-face dialogue with instructors; many of the activities associated with student activity fees; meals in dining halls; etc.

Jack L. Daniel

Co-founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

September 2, 2020