By UTA ANDERSON
Special to the Chronicle
When our leaders first heard about this virus, there was no test and no vaccine for covid-19.
Normally, it takes our Food and Drug Administration years to test drugs and vaccines to the point they have set as safe to be available to us. No other country in the world protects their citizens as much as the USA. 
If you remember the horrible outcome of releasing thalidomide in Europe, you will understand this. Many babies were born crippled or with no arms and legs. 
I‘m glad I live in this country and that its laws are designed to protect us. I know that no matter how much testing is done, a few people may react adversely.
Listen to the TV drug ads. They tell you what wonderful things they can do for you, then warn of possible adverse reactions. 
My husband’s cousin is in management at a large pharmaceutical company. He says it is best to take nothing you don’t have to take. Now that isn’t practical so you have to come to a decision to risk trying what is available to see if it will help.

Nothing you put in your body is completely safe, even food. Ask those with food allergies what they have gone through. 
Since we had no tests, vaccines or known medication for covid-19 and people were dying at an alarming rate, the rational step was to mobilize the FDA and pharmaceutical companies to create them. There was also an enormous shortage of PPE and ventilators so those had to be made also
An amazing thing took place over the next months. Tests were developed, equipment made and therapeutics worked on faster than any time in history. Public and private sectors mobilized and cooperated to meet the needs as quickly as possible. 
Every day we get better results and products but this is a huge country of about 350 million of us. Though a miracle has been achieved, we need to be patient to get the quantities required to take care of all of us. 
We need to do our part, too. Follow advice and stop complaining. At the rate they are going, covid testing, vaccine and treatment will be available for everyone who seeks it like flu shots and treatment today. 
It would be interesting to see statistics on the annual flu cases, deaths, mutations of the virus and length of time for vaccine development of vaccines. That might calm us because other than the virulence factor and that we have just discovered it months ago it really isn’t that different from other deadly infections we have dealt with.\

It makes me furious that political partisans have trashed our President (and that office which should be treated with respect because we have real enemies who love to hop on us when there is dissension. 
He has performed a minor miracle in handling an impossible situation.
We have dealt with many viruses and diseases. The panic out there is irrational. 
Uta Anderson was born in Germany and is a retired nurse who lives in Lexington.

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