Rand Paul: Huge number of meatpacking plant infections is actually a good thing

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) claimed Monday that there is a “silver lining” when it come to the “many infections” that occurred at meat processing plants across the country, claiming that those workers are now immune to the virus.

But there isn’t clear evidence that Paul’s statement is true.

While experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci say that historically once someone recovers from a virus they are immune from getting reinfected, the World Health Organization says they do not know whether the coronavirus will behave the same way.

“Right now, we have no evidence that the use of a serologic test can show that an individual is immune or is protected from reinfection,” WHO official Maria Van Kerkhove said in April, according to STAT news.

Here is Paul’s comment from a May 12 hearing on the coronavirus:

RAND PAUL: We have no evidence that survivors of coronavirus don’t have immunity and a great deal of evidence to suggest that they do.

 

The question of immunity is linked to health policy in that workers who have gained immunity can be a strong part of our economic recovery.

 

The silver lining to so many infections in the meat processing industry is that a large portion of these workers now have immunity.

 

Those workers should be reassured that they likely won’t get it again instead of being alarmed by media reports that there is no evidence of immunity.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.