Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

"I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling more and more as if we’re all trapped on the Titanic — except that this time around the captain is a madman who insists on steering straight for the iceberg. And his crew is too cowardly to contradict him, let alone mutiny to save the passengers.

A month ago it was still possible to hope that the push by Donald Trump and the Trumpist governors of Sunbelt states to relax social distancing and reopen businesses like restaurants and bars — even though we met none of the criteria for doing so safely — wouldn’t have completely catastrophic results.

At this point, however, it’s clear that everything the experts warned was likely to happen, is happening. Daily new cases of Covid-19 are running two and a half times as high as in early June, and rising fast. Hospitals in early-reopening states are under terrible pressure. National death totals are still declining thanks to falling fatalities in the Northeast, but they’re rising in the Sunbelt, and the worst is surely yet to come.

A normal president and a normal political party would be horrified by this turn of events. They would realize that they made a bad call and that it was time for a major course correction; they would start taking warnings from health experts seriously."

Paul Krugman July 10, 2020

Bob Smith Loc: Banjarmasin

In 1919 the medical knowledge and equipment was nowhere near as advanced as the present day. If they had the present knowledge the death rate would have been much lower and vice versa if we only had the medical knowledge of 1919 the death toll would exceed the 1919 one. So your argument is flawed and complete rubbish. Where this virus is so deadly is its two week infectious incubation period with no symptoms. Another worrying thing is that the antibodies you develop after catching the virus don't seem to be lasting as long as previous virus's so you can catch it twice. Another worrying thing is any authority that doesn't think it is serious and it will all be over by Easter unless they meant Easter 2022

FrumCA

Interesting point regarding "once the dead are off the list". This will definitely benefit dimocrats by increasing their impact at the ballot box.

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

One of the main differences between 1919 Spanish Flu and 2020 Covid19 is the differences between the state of Medical Science, Diagnosis, and Delivery between those years. For how many months did the 1919 flu persist. Compare that to the Covid19 months which are not over yet.

FRENCHY Loc: Stone Mountain , Ga

I am elated that he failed you, this is the best news of the day.

On another subject, Justin had a million new jobs last month, maybe because our economy is working fine right?

wilpharm Loc: Oklahoma

very few people who are "infected" are even symptomatic...or annoyed...you don't know what the hell you are talking about..

soba1 Loc: Somewhere In So Ca

We will see when fall and winter hits, I agree

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

Actually, the science now says that asymptomatic carriers do not spread the virus. You have to have symptoms that cause you to shed it like a cough or sneeze.

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

So how did 63,247 people become infected in one day, yesterday?
Doesn’t make sense.

skylane5sp Loc: Puyallup, WA

63,247 did not become infected in one day, yesterday. 63,247 returned a positive test result - in one day. They could have been infected days, weeks or even months earlier. They could have no symptoms, mild symptoms or be headed to ICU.
Some percentage of those results are also false. (My son is a health care worker in SoCal. He's had eight tests. Two have been false positives.)

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

Right, 63,247 returned a positive result in one day. I understand. With that said, the number is pretty indicative to many of us that the virus is out of control. Regardless of how the numbers are recorded, and made public, the situation is getting worse, with no end in sight.
I don’t understand why so many are resistant to the acknowledgement of the severity of this health crisis.

Tex-s

I agree that because everyone assumed the experience of Italy would be the experience everywhere, and because no one allowed for greater knowledge bringing better care, the plurality of the world over-reacted. Still, I call out people with whom I disagree for, intentionally or not, manipulating data to suit their opinions and I'm a consistent, rational analyst. Therefore, I do have to point out your numbers for 1919 are final numbers and today's numbers are far from 'final'. It's not a valid way to argue that the lock downs are stupid, which they are.

My argument is not based on flat numbers but on the Infection Fatality Rate (IFR) of common illnesses and of recent pandemic scares. A fast google search of each got me:

Ebola 50% death rate
SARS 14%
MERS 34%
swine flu 2%
seasonal flu 0.2%

We never even discussed closing the country for any of those, or any other disease since the advent of antibiotics.

Covid.......The original rate touted based on Italy was 7%, and the number is revising downward every day.
The best-documented articles I've uncovered vary in their overall number from 0.2% to 0.6%, depending on how the overall infection count is estimated. Some assumed a bell curve distribution of infection with its peak at 30 years of age, with lower and lower percentages at ages diverging from 30 and others assumed a uniform infection percentage across age groups.

What is clear, though, is that for people below age 35 or so, seasonal flu is a greater danger than COVID. There is no reason, based on the health of children, to keep schools closed or keep youth sports leagues suspended. An argument can be made for protecting teachers, but THIS teacher would jump into gunfire to protect kids. I'll happily jump in front of this virus. Our kids, not at fault and not at any undue risk, deserve to live their school lives fully, from Halloween parties to Prom, and from football to volleyball to soccer, etc

What also is true is that media outlets are actively removing positive media. I downloaded a FB video in which a local area doctor was discussing his 0% death rate treating hundreds of cases of all ages and how he believes the best treatment is simple, effective, inexpensive, and can be administered in a home-care situation. Nebulizer administration of anti-inflammatory steroids. This doctor has served on state review boards for a couple of decades, so he's no quack. The video was deleted from FB within an hour of my downloading it. Counting YouTube and Facebook, I'm aware of at least a dozen videos suggesting hope and suggesting a lessened level of panic being removed, all of which were with medical doctors making the claim. Make no mistake. These outlets have a CLEAR bias and a CLEAR agenda, politically speaking and they will say, do, censor, and silence in every way to sow discourse, distrust, and anger to achieve their political goals. We are evermore approaching Big Brother overlord status with these media folks.....

phcaan Loc: Willow Springs, MO

Migradudetoo Loc: El Paso, Texas

With your advanced age and dementia, I bet you’re scared shitless of going anywhere, aren’t you old man?

Migradudetoo Loc: El Paso, Texas

I still haven’t seen you address the issue of your savior Dr. Fauci, who said in February that Americans had nothing to fear from COVID 19, remember? Fauci also said people were perfectly safe going on ocean cruises, remember? Why are you so frikken hypocritical? Do you just like following the liberal mantra, or do you actually think for yourself now and then?