Michael1079 Loc: Indiana

Friends and photographers: hopefully, this post won’t be viewed as divisive, controversial, or argumentative. It is just an observation, and an attempt to put the current health crisis in perspective.

I’ve been seeing articles lately purporting the opinion that the COVID-19 pandemic has been blown out of proportion. I have even heard several medical professionals claim that the response by various governments was an over-reaction.

I’m having a difficult time reconciling these views. On April 1st, 2020, the New York Times was reporting that the number of deaths in the United States was 3,921. On May 1st, 2020 - 30 days later - that number had risen to 63,109. The difference between these two values is 59,188 lives lost in the month of April 2020. (Note: per the Times, these numbers represent “the total of confirmed and probable counts when they are available individually or combined.”)

For the sake of comparison, the number of American lives sacrificed throughout the conflict in Vietnam (1956 through 1975) equaled “58,318 KIA or non-combat deaths (including the missing and deaths in captivity.)” Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War_casualties

Taken together, these numbers indicate that approximately 870 more Americans died from COVID-19 in the month of April 2020, than died during the years spanning the conflict in Vietnam.

Stay safe and good health to you all.

(Re-reading “The Great Influenza” by John M. Barry)

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

As I stated in another thread, I'm getting tired of the 'théorie de l'heure' approach to finding out what is going on. It seems this has become a group of encampments that each believes what they think is correct and the others are wrong. Oh, and politics definitely rears its ugly head, as well. I'd like to find one factual, reliable, accurate, and honest source of news, and not only regarding the current plague.
--Bob

tramsey Loc: Texas

What do you expect when our 'leaders' don't follow their own rules. Nof following thee rules and opening a business too soon without abiding by the rules I think we are in for a long siege of this stuff

NMGal Loc: NE NM

If you find one, please, please let me and us know.

DanielB Loc: San Diego, Ca

My wife is a 30+ years as a nurse. She has herd from physicians that they have been told to pad the numbers by recording death by other causes as Covid-19 deaths. This is not the first I've heard of this and this has become political in the most horrible way.

repleo Loc: Boston

I go to the BBC News app on my phone every morning for my news. They don't have a dog in the (U.S.) fight. Also, they provide good intelligent coverage of what's going on in the rest of the world.

chrissybabe Loc: New Zealand

Forget anybodies and any countries death count. There are graphs online which give the average death count on a monthly basis (this is deaths from ALL causes INCLUDING the flu). You can find these graphs going back years. Then look at the total death count for the first few months of this year. This death count will include all the inflated deaths or where the death count has been changed to something else.
You will find that during the last few months the death rate has gone up considerably. In the absence of any current wars or geographic reasons (which would have to include a world wide event) the only significant reason for the increased death rate is the CCP virus. Take the average death rate for 2019 away from the same months death rate for 2020 and that is the most likely actual death rate due to the virus. There are graphs showing this by country and world wide totals. Probably within the US even down to State level.
This is the only way to tell what is really happening without all the prevaricating going on around the world.
And this increased death rate is real and shows that flu doesn't even have a look in.
These figures are almost impossible to allow deception. Even Chinas true figures will probably show up eventually unless they wish to keep a deception going for the next 10 years.

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

Rots a Ruck

llamb Loc: Northeast Ohio

Bob, stop by our place this afternoon. We'll sit (ten feet apart) out by our pond and enjoy nature - bring your camera. Before long our neighbor, Lawnboy, will drop over and tell us EVERYTHING that is going on in the world.

~Lee

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

All news sources are slanted, some more than others; and all of us have our own confirmation bias issues, some more than others.
Still, it it prudent, and easy enough to watch and read, many sources—and reach logical common sense conclusions. Sometimes one might have to check oneself, put things in perspective—but the truth is not that indiscernible.

Collhar Loc: New York City.

"I'd like to find one factual, reliable, accurate, and honest source of news, and not only regarding the current plague"
Good luck with that on any level. That level of expectation is long gone.

arden1939

Denial is no longer just a river on Africa, it is this administration's policy.

Now that the virus has infected the White House advisory staff and secret service, guess we will be renaming the Whitehouse the Whitehospital as in ICU in the Whitehospital.

St.Mary's

Let the finger pointing begin.

As KMGW9V noted, there are a plethora of sources for information. After much reading one can get a half way clearer picture of things.. I would only add, TV news is an oxymoron and to be avoided. Reading is much better if for no other reason you can go back and check on something.

Nikonnorm Loc: East Gwillimbury Ont.

There was a guy hit by a bus. They said cov 19 killed him.

Jimmy T Loc: Virginia

IMHO it is kind of hard to argue with 20/20 hindsight, sigh. . .