The number is a central recurring figure in the essay "Day 10," written by Kiese Laymon . This piece is part of his 2020 collection, How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America: Essays . Meaning of the Number
He reflects on the danger posed to his ninety-year-old grandmother, a Black woman from Mississippi with a compromised immune system, whose caregiver had contracted the virus. 125039
The essay uses this staggering number to anchor a broader critique of: The number is a central recurring figure in
Laymon juxtaposes the mounting death toll with the refusal of leaders, like Donald Trump and Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, to mandate masks or acknowledge policy errors. 125039