Just to keep track of the nonsense that has wrecked our economy and generally made our politicians run around as if their fool heads were on fire, each day I publish the corona virus total death toll in the US based upon the latest data I can find. A single death is an immense tragedy if you love the person. However, we are not talking about love, but rather public policy, which should always involve a sober analysis of risk and cost. Please recall that in a bad normal flu year our death toll in the US can be as high as 90,000.
Note: this will be a total death toll since the beginning of this bad farce, and not a daily toll. As of the beginning of July 19, 2020 the claimed, as suspect as that claim is, death toll is 142,774.
Prior flu pandemics’ population-adjusted mortality (did not include motorcycle deaths) numbers: 1957 – 200,000; 1968 – 165,000 — LIFE went on (the Spanish flu count was higher): no lockdown; no 50,000,000+ (unemployment claims) livelihoods ruined; no infringement on freedom; no mask mandate; no economic destruction of Biblical proportion; no school closing (silver lining – kids not being brainwashed to hate America). We survived and thrived.
Ii’s insane out there and it’s getting insaner. I asked my MD when he thought this would end. He said, How do I know?! I’m not a politician.”
Every number and every statistic you read is unreliable. Every model is worse than useless.
I would say at this point that it is no longer allowed to get sick with a virus or bacteria. Not ever. Doctors and dentists, at least in my area, do not want to be around anyone who has a potentially communicable disease. Non-infectious conditions like heart attacks, arthritis, diabetes are acceptable. Ear infection? Sniffles? Under the weather? Fever? Our local hospital’s Chief Medical Officer stated in the paper that people should stay home and use telemedicine. My doctor’s office will not treat anyone with a potentially communicable disease. It is stated on the website that people with an illness will be refused entry into the offices. Any suspected infection is to go to the hosptial ER–who will also pretty much be denied entry and must be seen curb side.
.
With this kind of reaction, they are pretty much admitting that masks, other PPE, and “enhanced cleaning procedures” do not work.
With this kind of reaction, they are pretty much admitting that masks, other PPE, and “enhanced cleaning procedures” do not work.
No, what they’re telling you is that they do not work in every instance and the risk reduction is probablistic, not categorical.
Here’s an editorial in Ohio that says that the state needs to close down so that citizens will have less possible decisions to make, so their brains won’t get overly taxed:
https://www.cleveland.com/opinion/2020/07/we-need-to-re-close-ohios-economy-our-brains-cant-handle-the-reopening-tina-d-bhargava.html
Were I you, Don, I would report the death total as 1 less than the actual total. To which I would append, in order to make the point, “plus one motorcyclist who died cycling while infected with Covid-19“
No, what they’re telling you is that they do not work in every instance and the risk reduction is probablistic, not categorical.
God help us if and when we get hit with something really serious, like antibiotic resistant pneumonic plague or ebola.
Blew the formatting there.
“No, … not categorical” is Art. I’m responding to both comments.