To the editor:

My knee still hurts (see my letter to the editor 3-28-2020). So what’s changed in 2 weeks? Well, quite frankly, not much. We’re stuck in a perpetual government shut down ordered by Governor Walz. My knee isn’t the only thing that’s hurting anymore. Now, my wallet and personal finances are staring to hurt worse than my knee.

The stated goal of the shut down was to “flatten the curve” of the COVID-19 epidemic. Take a drive through the New Ulm Medical Center parking lots. Not much going on there. I think our whole approach of “shelter at home” is wrong. We have simply delayed the inevitable.

I suggest people search the Internet and find Professor Knut Wittkowski at www.thecollegefix.com. Knut was formerly with Rockefeller University and spent 35 years in epidemiology. He has a 41 minute video that takes the “stay at home” remedy to task. Knut suggests we treat COVID 19 like any other flu or epidemic we’ve ever had before. Get the kids back in school, the sooner the better. Turn the people loose. Let the kids get sick, spread the disease as fast as possible and reach herd (general population) immunity of 80%, at which time the disease will die of natural causes. Oh boy, I suggested we get kids sick. People are not dying of COVID 19 infection, but of pneumonia, which is common in flu-like epidemics. Children generally have healthy lungs, and typically have exceptionally high survival rates with flu-like outbreaks. Some people won’t even know they got the virus.

Those that are at risk of serious complications are the elderly or immune-deficient persons. Protect these groups, or let them take their own measures. Those that become ill and need treatment should do so, but do so BEFORE symptoms are so severe they might need intensive care. We simply need to go through the process in order for COVID-19 to end. Continuing with our heads buried in the sand is misguided at best. A bigger disaster than we bargained for at worst. Delaying the inevitable is guaranteeing financial disaster or economic depression.

The economic fallout is already here. As a farmer, I raise crops and hogs. Due to reduced traffic, the ethanol industry is grinding to a halt. The pipelines are full of ethanol. Dairy farmers are dumping milk in Wisconsin. The shutdown of a hog packing plant in Iowa is causing backups throughout the industry, including my farm. We also own a towing business. Towing companies are laying off employees. Auto dealer lots are full of new unsold, cars. Body shops, auto parts stores, hotels, restaurants. You name it, it’s hurt.

Most of us were willing to tolerate the shut down for a short period of time. No more. Wake up sheeple! It’s time to demand a return to “normal.” Call your legislators. May 4 is not acceptable. Maybe Easter Sunday would be a good day to roll the stone back and come to life.

Paul Platz

Lafayette