By Peter R. Breggin MD and Ginger Breggin

May 5, 2020

In New York State, Massachusetts and elsewhere, a large proportion of deaths have occurred as the Covid-19 virus raced through nursing homes, killing thousands of helpless residents and their caretakers. The cause of this nursing home pandemic is not merely the age and infirmity of the victims. Overnight New York state has added an additional 1700 nursing home deaths to the tally. 

As an egregious example of manmade risks during this epidemic, Governor Cuomo’s Health Department issued an edict on March 25th that nursing homes must accept coronavirus patients and furthermore that these facilities cannot screen incoming residents by requiring testing for the virus. As a result, hospitals discharged their older coronavirus patients into nursing homes which were prohibited from refusing them. Tragically, these COVID-19 positive patients were not kept isolated from the general elder population. Instead of being sent elsewhere, such as to the many extra hospital beds created in New York State for the treatment of COVID-19, they were discharged to elder care facilities.

Did Governor Cuomo and his Health Department know the risks of their edict? Along with the sick patients, they sent extra body bags.

"Coronavirus in a nursing home is like fire in dry grass," Cuomo said during his daily briefing on March 29th. "We're not even allowing visitors into nursing homes now, which is really harsh, frankly." He added, "Coronavirus in a nursing home is lethal. The only question is how many people will die?" Sunday, Governor Cuomo stated that he was unaware of the Health Department’s order and has called for an investigation of the nursing homes while reiterating that patient discrimination based on COVID-19 will not be tolerated. It is unconscionable for Cuomo to be investigating (blaming) nursing homes for the mistakes made by his health department.

What drives this madness? The political correctness movement—specifically, the desire to avoid discriminating against coronavirus patients. 

Wakeup call? Many of us have been concerned that political correctness, an inspiration of progressive politics, has been “spoiling” a generation of young people, making them afraid to stand up for themselves when feeling offended by someone’s words. Many have also pointed out that the left has been using political correctness as a tool for stifling freedom of speech on college campuses and in political forums.

Now, we find out that political correctness kills.

For more commentary on COVID-19, see the Breggins’ Coronavirus Resource Center.

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