Letters to the editor

To the Editor, I’m grateful that Carolyn Shaffer, director of Black Earth Library, posted Black Lives Matter on the library Facebook page. This summer, long-simmering racial tensions finally erupted into a highly visible global reckoning and the director, as the leader of a community institution, was justified in raising awareness and showing solidarity with the movement. It’s too easy to stay unaware and comfortable. Her action was a necessary gesture, part of a national wake-up call to acknowledge and address the inequities in our culture. The image of our public library has not been tainted but instead I hold it and Carolyn Shaffer in even higher regard.    Mary Boettcher Black Earth   Letter to the Editor of the Star: Recent discussions about the Black Earth Library open an opportunity for a community engagement in learning about the origins and impacts of the Black Lives Matter movement. Our library has often helped us explore issues of the day in more depth. One option which we think worth exploring is for the Library Board and staff and the Village to organize an on-line forum involving people knowledgeable about the Black Lives Matter movement.  The forum could also provide opportunities for community members to engage with forum members in discussions.  Prior to the forum, the library staff could provide the library users with a reading list on the subject of Black Lives Matter as a point of reference for our community. Our library is one of our area’s respected treasures.   Sandie and David Stanfield Blue Mounds   The Sauk County Constitutional Officers would like to thank everyone for the support provided during this year’s election. The pandemic certainly presented many new challenges for everyone, and this campaign season was no exception. From start to finish, your signatures, kind words of encouragement and votes were greatly appreciated and remind us, as elected officials, what an honor and privilege it is to serve the people of Sauk County. Thanks again for your support and stay healthy!     Becky Evert Sauk County Clerk Elizabeth Geoghegan Sauk County Treasurer Brent Bailey Sauk County Register of Deeds   Wait, there is more than one kind of COVID test?   Did you know that there are currently three different COVID-19 tests available? Two test for active infection: the gold standard Molecular Test and the rapid Antigen Test.  The Molecular Test (also called a PCR test) is a nasal swab test used at free community testing sites in Sauk County (see https://www.co.sauk.wi.us/publichealth/free-covid-testing-information). It’s the most accurate test, but it can take a day or more to get results. This test cannot tell if a person previously had COVID-19 and has now recovered. The Antigen Test (also called a Rapid Test) is a nasal or saliva swab. It gives results within minutes, but it’s less accurate, so people may need to follow up with a Molecular Test, especially if they have symptoms or get a positive Antigen Test result. With their rapid results, Antigen Tests make it easier to quickly screen and isolate infected people and quarantine their contacts. It’s especially useful for settings like long-term care facilities, correctional facilities, workplaces, and schools. Like the Molecular Test, the Antigen Test looks for active infection only. A third test, the Antibody Test, is a blood test that assesses if a person was infected with COVID-19 in the past. A positive Antibody Test means that the person tested was infected with COVID-19 previously and developed antibodies to try to fight it off. Antibody Tests do not diagnose active COVID-19 infection. Instead, this test helps determine who is qualified to donate convalescent blood plasma, a COVID-19 treatment. Antibody Tests are not as accurate as Molecular or Antigen Tests. Antibody Tests are more likely to result in false negative or false positive results. People who have only a positive Antibody Test are not included in confirmed COVID case counts. And since we do not know yet if having antibodies can protect someone from being re-infected, or how long this protection may last, even those with positive Antibody Tests need to take precautions to keep themselves and their community safe: wear a mask, watch your distance, wash your hands, and stay home.    Jeff Jelinek Incident Commander of Sauk County Public Health COVID-19 Response