Alabama Lawmaker Says He Wants To See More People Get The Coronavirus As Cases Spike In The State

Have you ever heard somebody say something and wonder, who says that? 

While speaking to reporters on Thursday about the coronavirus, Alabama lawmaker, Senator Del Marsh said, “In fact, quite honestly, I want to see more people, because we start reaching an immunity as more people have it and get through it.”

Alabama is currently seeing a spike in cases, a spike that Marsh says he is “not concerned” about, the Huff Post reports. 

“I don’t want any deaths — as few as possible,” he continued. “So those people who are susceptible to the disease, especially those with preexisting conditions, elderly population, those folks, we need to do all we can to protect them. But I’m not concerned. I want to make sure that everybody can receive care. And right now, we have, to my knowledge as of today, we still have ample beds.”

Marsh sits on Alabama’s coronavirus task force and references to the idea of herd immunity, which contends that a virus does not spread as easily once a high percentage of the population has contracted it or received vaccination for it, therefore developing the necessary antibodies. 

However, the herd immunity has been contested by public health experts who say it is a far stretch from right now, if it happens at all, even with a vaccine. 

Marsh’s comments made their rounds on social media, and many were appalled by his remarks. 

Kiani Gardner, who is running for the State’s First Congressional District, responded by saying, “It’s probably much easier to be “not concerned” when you don’t actually understand science. Those of us with advanced degrees in science are actually pretty concerned.”

On Wednesday, Alabama reported more than 1,800 new coronavirus cases, its highest tally yet. Alabama Hospital Association President Dr. Don Williamson fears that the state’s daily infection count will likely spiral in the upcoming weeks, because “none of these numbers reflect the effect of the Fourth of July.”

“We are looking at an incubation period here of minimum days, up to two weeks, and usually there’s a lag of about a week from infection to being hospitalized — or a week to two weeks — and so we are probably not going to see the real impact on the health care system until next week and the week after,” Williamson told WBRC.

“There is major movement in the wrong direction, and really these movements have accelerated, and that’s the most concerning part of this,” he added. “It’s the trajectory of the curve.”