Old Coot

I see headline news every day of the Covid 19 statistics.
Where are the stats on Flu and common cold deaths or are they just lumping all the stats together under the Covid deaths etc to be sorted out at a later date when they have all the Post Mortem stats.
Just asking

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

You are asking the wrong people.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

The flu and common cold are "no longer important", Covid is the hot news now.

They MAY get around to reporting those figures, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

stanikon Loc: Deep in the Heart of Texas

Flu and common colds don't make good headlines so they don't attract advertising $$. There are some reports of non-Coronavirus deaths being included with virus deaths. One theory (which I don't believe) is that all or some additional funding is available for Covid-19 illnesses and deaths so health administrators are inflating the numbers to get more money. Personally I think the health admin people have just gotten caught up in the general hysteria and mass hypnosis. Hang in there, all of this will eventually pass.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Remember when the news was reputable?

stanikon Loc: Deep in the Heart of Texas

Careful, you're giving away your age.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Among some other attributes.

revhen Loc: By the beautiful Hudson

Folks, ignorance is not bliss. This COVID-19 pandemic is REAL! I've had a long-time dear friend die of it and another acquaintance also. To belittle the issue is beyond stupid.

htbrown Loc: San Francisco Bay Area

Those stats are out there if you look for them. We are passing out of flu season, and very few die of the common cold. The COVID 19 stats you have been, until very recently, those who have been identified as having it by tests. Within the last week, due to the limited availability of testing, they have broadened the stats to include people who may be presumed to have COVID based on their symptoms. And yes, it is distinguishable from flu (at least in many cases) by symptoms alone.

You should know that the stats, however they are determined, are a conservative estimate of how many cases are out there. Testing from around the world indicates that 50% or more of COVID infections are mild or asymptomatic. Those people may not seek medical attention and don't show in the stats. One very recent study from Santa Clara county of COVID antibodies in the blood of randomly selected people indicates that the number of people who show few or no signs may be much greater than cases that are worse. In some sense, this is reassuring since a 'true' count (were it possible) pushes the death rate lower.

Even the number of deaths is a conservative estimate. In New York, the number of people dying at home is six times the normal rate. Some of those people doubtless died of COVID, but nobody knows how many, and none of them show in the official counts. The number of people dying at home is up in other hot spots too.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Point was, not on/in the news, not that they don't exist.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Being paranoid is not bliss either.

photosbytw Loc: Blue Ridge Mountains

It's never fun to lose anyone close you and I'm sorry for your loss but I believe posters were belittling news organizations not the virus. The virus is receiving special attention......if your friend died from cancer, a drunk driver, as a victim of a homicide or of a suicide............would you feel any different? Of course not.

People die everyday but don't get the attention. People are diagnosed with life threatening illnesses everyday but they don't get the attention. Sadly, news has become an entertainment.

COVID19 is real! and it's dangerous!! and we all need to pull together to protect those who are most vulnerable!!!

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

The flu is simply not news. They weren't routinely reporting flu statistics before Covid-19 came along and made the news, since it is very contagious and can be spread by asymptotic people, and threatened to overwhelm our health systems, leading to shutting everything down. Now efforts to find a vaccine or treatment and plans to reopen the country are also news. If you want flu statistics, or statistics on other cause of large numbers of deaths, they can easily be found.

stanikon Loc: Deep in the Heart of Texas

I, for one, did not in any way intend to belittle the virus. I, too, have had a close friend die from it so I know first hand how serious it is. My point was not the virus, but some (not all) of the people involved along with a generous dose of skepticism for the media at large.

One note: deaths from Covid-19 are a serious number but deaths from other causes such as heart attacks, diabetes, etc., are way down everywhere. A coincidence? I think not.

Bill 45

You are not along, I known what you are talking about. I lose friends from 9/11, now this. It too much when I read people are down playing the COVIS-19.