Compare numbers to dispel confusion
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Editor,
When many opinions swirl about COVID-19 infections, looking at numbers helps me reach conclusions. Montana has a large rural population, no huge cities, and you’d expect that the relatively dispersed population would mean reduced infection transmission. Montana is the fourth largest state in square miles but only has one phone area code, 406. Relatively speaking, there aren’t a lot of people here, and we’re spread out. Wyoming is similar.
In Montana, one out of every 603 people has died from COVID since January 2020, and 49 percent of people have been vaccinated. In Wyoming, one out of every 693 people has died from COVID since January 2020, and 38 percent have been vaccinated.
Let’s look at two western states with more population density, Washington and Oregon. In Washington, one out of every 1,170 people has died from COVID since January 2020, and 60 percent have been vaccinated. In Oregon, one out of every 1,359 people has died from COVID since January 2020, and 57 percent have been vaccinated.
COVID deaths in proportion to population are about double in Montana and Wyoming than they are in either Washington or Oregon despite our less crowded population. I’m disheartened that many Montanans do not take protective action, like masks and vaccination, when we’re faced with the most basic reality of this virus – that it’s potentially deadly and extremely contagious.
Data for this letter is from New York Times coronavirus tracker on Aug. 27.
Stephanie Brancati
Big Arm
