Thank you, Dr. Schott, for your article in the Baker City Herald on August 19! The information you provided regarding COVID-19 and the effects in this community may help people who are on the fence about being vaccinated change their minds. We all, at some point in our lives, will go to the doctor or an emergency room to address a particular need. We rely on that doctor’s education, training and experience to address whatever problem we are experiencing. Yet with COVID, too many people rely on misinformation from social media or “news” organizations. We all, at some point in our lives, understand the need to consult with experts who have knowledge about a particular problem that we as individuals don’t have. Relying on experts to deal with problems beyond our personal knowledge or expertise is universal. That same understanding should apply to COVID-19 and now the delta variant. Doctors in our community, our state and across the country are providing information based on science, research, education and expertise. We should give thought to our reliance on experts throughout our lives to deal with problems and apply that same reliance now on experts to guide us through this crisis. Information that people can rely on to correct the misinformation prevalent on social media sites is easily obtained. We just need to look at the credentials of the source. The physical and economic heath of all of us depends on people doing what’s needed to protect themselves and others. Let’s hope we do.

Randy Crutcher

Baker City