A12 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2020 LATIMES.COM/OPINION
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espite the worldwide consen-
sus on the best measures people
can take to protect themselves
from the coronavirus, there are
more than 2 million people in
this country who cannot practice social dis-
tancing, are prohibited from using or even
possessing hand sanitizer and who cannot
wash their hands without permission.
As inmates in local jails and state and
federal prisons, they are virtually defense-
less against the virus. In jails especially —
where quarters are cramped, inmate turn-
over is high and thousands of people are ad-
mitted each day — it is only a matter of time
before an infected person who does not yet
show symptoms enters one of these locked
institutions. And once the virus enters such
a confined space, it will spread.
Certainly this is a crisis for the inmate
population, which is made up largely of peo-
ple from socially and economically margin-
alized communities and suffers dispropor-
tionately from medical and mental health
problems. And of course it is a crisis for their
families, whom they will be rejoining.
But it is a crisis as well for the rest of us
for two distinct reasons: First, they are part
of our community, and we as a society are
responsible for their safety during the pe-
riod in which we have locked them up with
no ability to practice the protective mea-
sures that the rest of us do. And second, for
those observers who might shrug over the
fate of prisoners, it is important to remem-
ber that inmates are released every day to
rejoin the rest of us.
The average jail stay in Los Angeles
County is around 10 days. An infected but
symptom-free inmate could easily enter and
leave jail, unknowingly spreading the virus
to hundreds of others who also will be leav-
ing within a week or two. No jail or prison in
the U.S. tests every inmate for the virus
either coming in or going out. There simply
aren’t enough tests available.
In China, a decline in new infections was
quickly (although briefly) reversed because
of rapid outbreaks in two prisons. In Italy,
an atmosphere of fear and anxiety among
prison inmates over the virus, together with
an emergency ban on visitors, sparked
deadly riots, escapes and a complete break-
down of authority. In Iran, officials saw the
urgent need to temporarily defuse similar
potential disasters by granting furloughs to
tens of thousands of prisoners.
Thankfully, a handful of county officials
in the U.S. also see the wisdom of lowering
the danger in jails and prisons by quickly re-
ducing the number of inmates.
Here in L.A., Sheriff Alex Villanueva took
a number of steps to trim the nation’s larg-
est jail population. Inmates with 30 days or
fewer left on their sentences have been re-
leased. The sheriff has asked police depart-
ments to limit arrests to only dangerous
suspects, thereby decreasing new entries.
Defendants awaiting trial who have bail set
at $50,000 or less are cited and released.
These are smart and responsible moves
to reduce the threat of a coronavirus disas-
ter in jails. But that still leaves more than
16,000 people behind bars. There is so much
more that can and should be done in jails,
where stays are short, as well as prisons,
where they are much longer.
Virtually no defendant should be admit-
ted to jail during this emergency who does
not pose a risk to public safety. By definition
that includes anyone with bail set, whether
they can pay it or not, and anyone subject to
jail for a technical parole or probation viola-
tion. There are alternatives to incarceration
that promote safety and fulfill the public’s
need to see justice done; now is the time to
employ them.
For those already in jail, Villanueva is
right to let out people who would be leaving
within a few weeks anyway. But a coalition of
elected U.S. district attorneys has argued
for releasing anyone with up to six months
left to serve, and not just 30 days.
In federal prisons, still filled with in-
mates from the 1990s war on drugs, the fast-
est-growing segment is prisoners age 55 and
older. State prisons have large numbers of
people with complex medical problems. Few
at that age pose a risk to society, and most
should be granted furloughs or compassion-
ate early release when it is safe to do so.
During this emergency, time is of the es-
sence. Judges and prosecutors should
understand the importance of reducing new
jail and prison admittances. Sheriffs and
wardens should see the wisdom in reducing
their inmate populations to only those who
need to be there for public safety. If they
need statutory authority for releases, law-
makers should act swiftly to grant it.
And then, when the crisis abates and we
have caught our collective breath, we can
ask ourselves why we lock up so many sus-
pects, defendants and convicts in the first
place, and whether they all need to be
behind bars for us to be safe.Inmates, coronavirus and us
T
he person credited with sav-
ing the most lives ever is Edward
Jenner, inventor of the smallpox
vaccine. The disease had a much
higher mortality rate than the
novel coronavirus that is now confining
many people to their homes right now;
about 80% of children and 60% of adults who
contracted smallpox died of it. In the 20th
century alone, it killed more than 300 million
people before the vaccine eradicated it
worldwide in 1979.
The polio vaccine is estimated to have
saved 10 million people from paralysis just
since 1988 and prevented 500,000 deaths, ac-
cording to the World Health Organization. A
global vaccination campaign for measles
that began in 2000 prevented an estimated
23 million deaths by 2018, the organization
reported.
But despite these extraordinary victo-
ries of science over disease, too many people
have forgotten or are unaware of the havoc
that certain diseases visited on the world
before vaccines became available to fight
them. This collective amnesia has allowed
for the rise of the anti-vaccine movement,
whose irresponsible adherents believe vac-
cines exist to line the pockets of Big
Pharma. They ignore the fact that the
smallpox vaccine was so overwhelmingly
successful at eradicating the disease that it
no longer is routinely given. Then there are
the wild claims that autism is linked to vac-
cines, based on a fraudulent study that was
long ago debunked.
Are anti-vaxxers ready to start believing
in vaccines again?
As social distancing and other efforts to
rein in the spread of COVID-19 are ramped
up, people are understandably hoping for
an Edward Jenner-like miracle in the form
of a vaccine that would protect against the
virus. When a scourge is upon us, immuniza-
tion starts looking pretty good.
There’s both encouraging and discour-
aging news on this score. This week, people
have seen what seems like a bright promise
in the darkness: a volunteer in Seattle re-
ceiving the first dose of an experimental
vaccine against the novel coronavirus. It
was developed by a Massachusetts com-
pany called Moderna, one of dozens of com-
panies searching for a vaccine across the
world. Israeli officials recently announced
that a group of research scientists there
were on the verge of offering a new vaccine
candidate as well. A San Diego biotech com-
pany is also working on the problem.
The speed of development has been
made possible in part through the help of
Chinese scientists who worked on sequenc-
ing the genetic material of the virus that
causes COVID-19. But as fast as all this
sounds, don’t expect a coronavirus vaccine
clinic to be opening near you anytime soon.
Despite the claims of the anti-vaccine crowd
that vaccines aren’t tested thoroughly
enough before coming to market, they actu-
ally go through a longer and tougher process
than most other drugs. Without fast-track-
ing, it usually takes 10 to 15 years for them to
gain final approval in the United States.
The experimental vaccine injected this
week isn’t being tested for effectiveness yet;
it’s in the first phase of testing, which looks
only at its safety for humans. At least two
more phases generally follow; they look at
whether a vaccine works and what the opti-
mal dose levels are, in addition to continu-
ing to check for safety. It’s worth noting that
many proposed vaccines never make it all
the way to approval; what looks promising
at first often proves disappointing when
subjected to thorough testing.
In urgent situations, vaccines can be
fast-tracked, but fast is a relative term. Pub-
lic health officials have warned that even if
these first vaccines continue to look good, a
fast-tracked vaccine won’t be available for 18
months, perhaps a little bit sooner. And the
vaccine approach taken by Moderna, using
genetic material called messenger RNA, has
not in the past resulted in any vaccine being
brought to market, although that doesn’t
mean it couldn’t work.
Even in dire situations, testing is critical.
An ineffective vaccine could do more harm
than good by giving people a false sense that
they’re protected. But the United States
and governments around the world should
be supporting these vaccine-development
efforts in every way possible, and fast-track-
ing those that appear safe and effective.
COVID-19 is upending our lives and our
economy; of course we want a vaccine to
stop it in its tracks as soon as possible. But if
a vaccine does someday render COVID-
just a memory, it’s frightening to think that
future generations who did not live through
it may think of the vaccine as more problem-
atic than the disease.Time to wake up, anti-vaxxers
Airlines, you have nick-
eled and dimed passengers
for years, adding tremen-
dously to your bottom line.
Therefore, for the next five
years, beginning with this
bailout, you will not be
allowed to charge for
checked baggage, pillows
or blankets.
Thank you for listening.
The deadline for replying is
March 20.
Bernadine Bednarz
Los Angeles::Up until the coronavirus
crisis began, the airlines
seeking a massive bailout
from the federal govern-
ment were together mak-
ing billions of dollars in
profit. Why would the
government rush to bail
these companies out with
taxpayer money?
These airlines should
first use the huge profits
they’ve made to pay their
idled employees during the
coming months when the
demand is reduced for
airline travel.
Any financial support
that our government de-
cides to give these compa-
nies should be in the form
of loans made with a sched-
uled plan for repayment
and should include govern-
ment oversight and super-
vision of how the money
will be used.
Carol J. Smith
CerritosSeniors-only
supermarket time
Re “Fight against virus
intensifies,” March 16As a senior I totally
understand Gov. Gavin
Newsom’s suggestion that I
self-isolate.
But recently, I went to
four markets beginning at
9 a.m. looking for fresh
vegetables. One store after
another had bare shelves.
It’s pretty hard to stay at
home when I have to forage
for food.
I heard that some mar-
kets are having early-
morning hours for seniors,
who are at particular risk
of developing serious com-
plications because of the
coronavirus. Unfortu-
nately, there are no such
stores in my neighborhood.
I strongly encourage
other markets to open
early for seniors. It would
make self-isolating a whole
lot easier.
Karen Berrenson
Woodland Hills::Instead of just urging
people to stay home, the
authorities should encour-
age us to go out and walk,jog, bicycle and roller
skate. These solitary activ-
ities can easily be carried
out at a safe distance from
fellow participants.
These kinds of exercises
build lung capacity, which
may well make a difference,
perhaps a life-saving one,
for those who do get sick
with COVID-19.
Urging people to be-
come couch potatoes for
what could easily be sev-
eral months will only trade
one public health crisis for
another.
Alan B. Posner
Santa BarbaraNot the time
to attack Trump
Re “Can Trump recover
from bungled outbreak
response?” column, March
15Doyle McManus’ weap-
onization of the co-
ronavirus crisis to attack
President Trump is inap-
propriate at this time of
national emergency.
McManus was unfair to
the president because it
was Trump’s travel ban
with China, Italy and Iran
that set the tone for the
action by state governors.
It was incomplete because
McManus failed to recog-
nize the positive efforts to
bring all segments of soci-
ety into the effort.
This is a time for a
united national effort, not
one to seek political gain.
There is no doubt that
mistakes have been made,
but as Kenny Rogers might
sing, “There’ll be time
enough for counting when
the dealing’s done.”
Fritz Mehrtens
Irvine::Can Trump recover
from the bungled outbreak
response? This question
assumes a lot.
It assumes that Trump
sees recovery as something
he needs, that Trump
cares about recovering
from anything, and most of
all it assumes that it mat-
ters to him and anyone
around him whether or not
he continues to bungle the
outbreak response.
McManus is a seasoned
journalist, so I won’t pre-
sume he doesn’t know he is
communicating in this
paper with an audience
completely external to the
Fox News radar, and it is
highly unlikely he will reach
anyone within it.
The problem here is not
McManus’ piece itself, but
rather the fact that it has
become impossible to say
anything about Trump
that can be constructive.
He has become dangerousto our health, education
and welfare, and no
amount of critiquing in the
press will bring anything to
bear on this.
Really, we can only pray
that the coronavirus will,
by some stroke of luck,
become this president’s
downfall.
Lane Barden
Los Angeles::One thing McManus
didn’t mention in his arti-
cle when quoting Trump’s
press conference reference
to a Google website for test
scheduling was that
Trump could not resist
attacking President
Obama with a snippy, “It’s
gonna be very quickly
done, unlike websites of the
past.”
The leader of the free
world demonstrates, even
during a dire national
emergency, that he is petty
and insecure.
Jon Rowe
Costa MesaGive us the facts,
not your opinion
Re “Why can’t pundits get
it right?” Opinion, March
15Jon Wiener writes that
pundits’ predictions are
often wrong, but he does
not say why.
They get it wrong for
two simple reasons. First,
they live in a bubble. They
look around at all the
young college graduates
who surround them and
think that this is the world.
Second, they are bliss-
fully untethered from real
life. How many have actu-
ally run anything — a coun-
try, a city, a company or a
business? How many have
faced the loss of everything
they’ve lived for and fought
back, working 20 hours a
day to do it? How many are
homeless because they
cannot afford rent even
though they work two
minimum-wage jobs and
see their kids only a few
times a week?
Speaking for me alone, I
really appreciate fact-
based journalism that
provides the information
for me to form an opinion. I
don’t care what the pun-
dits think.
Rett Lemoult
Laguna Niguel::I have a quick observa-
tion in addition to Wiener’s
helpful piece on Big Data
and political polling: Any
poll can only provide a
snapshot of a particular
moment in time.
Surveying voters, con-
sumers or any group for
any purpose is a little like
taking a picture of a school
of fish or a flock of birds.
They may be moving in one
general direction, but the
overall shape of the group
constantly changes.
It’s possible for a poll to
be dead accurate the day
before an election and
dead wrong the day of an
election. Even in highly
partisan times, a large part
of the electorate remains
difficult to pin down.
Craig Curtis
Altadena::Wiener’s article about
the difficulties of political
forecasting reminded me of
the saying, “It is difficult to
make predictions, espe-
cially about the future.”
Richard Jackson
Arroyo GrandeProtect the TP
Re “Hoarding is human
nature,” letters, March 17My brother and I were
recently speculating why
toilet paper, paper towels
and guns were being stock-
piled. He said, “They have
to protect the toilet paper
and towels with the guns.”
Sounds good. They will
have to pry the toilet paper
out of my cold dead hands.
Zeb Dyer
GoletaBail out Americans
Re “U.S. airlines brace for a brutal spring,” Business,
March 17The airline industry’s trade group is calling on the
federal government to provide about $58 billion in loans,
grants and tax breaks. Other industries are sure to
follow; they will say they need the money to preserve jobs,
maintain vital infrastructure and stimulate the economy.
These are all myths intended to obscure the fact that
bailouts benefit some of the richest people in America.
The first myth is that bailouts preserve jobs. Airlines
will continue to cancel flights, idle planes and furlough
employees as long as demand for their services continues
to fall. Bailout money will go to the bottom line.
The second myth is that bailouts protect
infrastructure. Our air transportation infrastructure is
endangered neither by the coronavirus nor airline
bankruptcy, which wipes out current shareholders and
allows a company to be reorganized. As travel demand
recovers, the infrastructure will be put back to work.
Only the shareholders benefit from a bailout.
The third myth is that bailouts stimulate the
economy. Corporate bailouts will be used primarily to
preserve the assets of shareholders, not to stimulate
consumption spending. To stimulate the economy, bail
out people, not corporations.
Michael M. Murphy
La Cañada Flintridge
The writer is a visiting professor of business and
economics at Forman Christian College in Lahore,
Pakistan.Brian van der BrugLos Angeles Times
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