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Should we focus on DEATHS as a measure of pandemic success in South Dakota?

Some say we’re doing fine because we have so few recorded COVID deaths among South Dakotans.

At what level would the death count be too high?

My sense is this is the WORST METRIC of SUCCESS.

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Not every COVID death is preventable but in theory, most are. If you don’t get infected you won’t get sick and you won’t die.

Success should be measured in how the coronavirus pandemic GOALS are enumerated, communicated, operationalized and executed by state and local officials.
For example, a goal of limiting disease spread & thus illness & death should be a top priority -not accepting a quota of deaths- at same time providing clear guidance & regulations to businesses to allow safe, ongoing commerce.

“I trust you to do the right thing” is not a goal.
Even freedom-loving, independent-minded people will accept the advice of experts and officials when presented in a sensible way that appeals to the benefit of citizens as individuals & the community in which they live.

This is the duty and responsibility of government officials.
SD Dept of Health @SDDOH has failed to deliver clear, consistent & up-to-date facts & guidance to South Dakotans. The website, while robust with links & populated with ill-defined counts of cases, hospitalizations & deaths, regularly raises questions about the data they present.
IDK if @SDDOH is understaffed, overly-oppressed or simply ill-prepared & incapable of knowing what to do about the public health crisis they face, and I personally don’t claim that I would do any better - but I would say “I don’t know” when I don’t, and ask for help when needed.
Sure, the rural nature of South Dakota is a factor working both for AND against success, & the outsized degree to which our lovely state attracts visitors each summer presents huge (but not insurmountable) challenges. These are the reasons we need GOALS, & PLANS to achieve them.
I started out talking about DEATHS due to COVID-19.

NO, it’s not good that our deaths are low, because THEY ARE NOT. Furthermore, I reject deaths as a metric of success. Deaths are a measure of failure: certainly to the individual/family but also on a societal level.
IDK if it’s too late in SD to tamp down the inevitable escalation in community spread, but I don’t think so. A prevention-centric testing strategy, strong leadership, and broad community buy-in re masks would go a long way to slowing spread.

Let’s get on it.

... one more...
Of course that’s all just my opinion, I could be wrong.
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