Why we should listen to the health experts and the CDC (Opinion)

The CDC just came out with strong recommendations to not travel for Thanksgiving and to stick with only those in your immediate household for the holiday. Of course we don’t want to hear this. Who would? We also don’t want to hear our family doctor tell us we’re carrying too many pounds or need to stop drinking or get a colonoscopy at age 50. Yet with advice like that we don’t tend to jump to conspiracy theories and talk about the government just trying to control us in some imagined power grab.

This pandemic has been different. Why? Mostly Trump and his minions who spread the gospel of everything is fake (unless it’s something that suits them, otherwise, it’s fake.) Yes, we are living in a ridiculous time.

May I gently suggest that maybe, just maybe, people who have busted their asses to get through medical school and who have excelled in the area of science, medical research, epidemiology, etc., just might be doing their jobs properly? And I know this is crazy but just hear me out, that they maybe, just possibly, know far more of what they’re talking about than say a chef, a plumber, or dare I say us talk show hosts?

Look. A quarter of a million people who contracted this COVID-19 virus in the United States are dead. Without a doubt many of them joined you in claiming the virus was no big deal, overblown or a hoax. Without a doubt many of them joined you in saying the scientists at the Centers for Disease Control are wrong about masks, that they do nothing. I’m sure some of those dead also called governors ordering shutdowns and social distancing dictators and tyrants just like you. But you didn’t get coronavirus. At least not yet. Good for you! Hopefully you never will. So you get to live to rant another day.

Or, instead of going on with the name-calling and the rants about how you look silly in a mask and you need to take it off and rise up, can you consider something?

Researchers like the ones at the CDC and public health experts have accomplished some incredible things. You want some reasons why you should start listening to them? Here are ten.

Vaccinations - one of the single greatest health achievements that has saved literally millions of lives. The WHO estimates more than 17 million lives have been saved by the measles vaccine alone in only the last 20 years.

Decline in deaths from heart disease and strokes - deaths from coronary heart disease decreased by 51% since 1972.

Motor vehicle safety -scientific research and engineering have saved many lives.

Safer workplaces - fatal injuries in workplaces saw a reduction of 40% in 40 years.

Control of infectious disease - typhoid, cholera, tuberculosis, stds all better controlled through science.

Recognizing tobacco use as a health hazard - since the Surgeon General’s report in 1964 millions of deaths have been prevented and smoking rates have decreased dramatically.

Fluoridation of water - one of the more successful public health initiatives which reduced tooth decay in children by 40% to 70%.

Safer foods - since 1900 research and science created a safer food supply which has almost eliminated diseases like pellagra and rickets.

Family planning - fewer infant and maternal deaths and less transmission of stds.

Healthier moms and babies - advances in maternal as neonatal medicine decreased the maternal mortality rate by 99% and the infant mortality rate by 90% since 1900.

If you’re still not sold that science and medicine are worth believing in consider they have raised the human life expectancy by 30 years since 1900. That’s a remarkable achievement.

Maybe, just maybe, you should listen.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski. Any opinions expressed are Jeff Deminski's own.