Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Political weaponizing.

jhkfly

gvarner wrote: "over 35,400 deaths so far (CDC count to-date). You can do the math..." Unfortunately we cannot do the math because the CDC in its "wisdom" has ordered the medical profession to miscount the numbers of deaths! All major death-causing terminal illnesses are now included in the Covid-19 death count if an individual has had even the slightest acquaintance with this corona virus. Also many of the tests used here and in other countries have produced "false positive" responses. Moreover evidence is now appearing that many times more people have actually been exposed to or have had the disease than previously believed. If so, the ratio of deaths to survival is far lower than current reportage suggests.

Sadly the major media in this country have more interest in maintaining the panic level to support Democrat talking points aimed at ousting President Trump than they have in informing the American people fully and truthfully. Major media, the entertainment industry and the Democrat Party have shared the same focus for the last three years in their efforts to derail America: "Never let a crisis go to waste!"

ecblackiii Loc: Maryland

Well Duh! The flu season is heavily concentrated over just a few cold weather months each year, with a few cases over the rest of the year. Apparently you need some education about the common flu--which is also caused by forms of corona virus.

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

I saw a newspaper article this past week about how Covid19 is affecting the vital organs such as the kidneys on top of the respiratory systems. One fallout item is the insufficient number of dialysis machines in sterile clinical settings (not stand alone dialysis centers).

Stephan G

Talk about "Doublespeak"!

NewGuy

I think the problem with Covid-19 is who is dying rather than the number of people dying. My impression is that this disease wipes out young healthy people far more often than ordinary flu. Does anyone have any stats on this question?

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Yet another conspiracy theory. Please post a valid scientific (not the National Enquirer, Daily Mail or FOX, CNN or MSNBC) source to back up your claim about the CDC “ordering the medical profession...”

drobvit Loc: Southern NV

👍

SalvageDiver Loc: Huntington Beach CA

drmike99 Loc: Fairfield Connecticut

Common flu or influenza is NOT caused by a form of corona virus. Influenza is caused by several strains of influenza viruses which are orthomyxoviruses not corona viruses. I’d be interested in knowing how many participants in this thread are actually medically trained. I’d guess the number is close to zero.

cfusco3

The Flu stats are what they are even having a vaccine. Think about it.

AirWalter Loc: Tipp City, Ohio

Just how useful is it to test for the virus? You can be clear when you are tested, and by that evening you can be infected!

fetzler Loc: North West PA

Quite a bit of misinformation and half truths here.

The morbidity of an infection is calculated as follows

m (%) = 100 * #deaths/ # infected.

At present we don't know how many people have been infected as the # infected = #without symptoms +#with minor symptoms + # with moderate symptoms + # with severe symptoms. We likely have only measured the latter two categories. A recent study in California that gave tests to a community(both sick and not sick) suggest that the number infected is 50 -85 times of the reported number. Most had no or minor symptoms. The morbidity of COVID-19 is thus likely quite low and likely close to a severe flu. We will have an accurate number much later.

Flu deaths and cases do not occur evenly throughout the years. You can not take the peak month number of deaths and multiply by 12 to get an annual rate. It appears from the data that the length of a COVID-19 outbreak is about 2-2.5 months. We won't know this precisely for a while either.

It important to remember that 17 million die each year from other infectious diseases.

Comparisons to the Spanish Flu are difficult to make as the times were much different. As viruses where just discovered medical treatment was minimal (compared to modern medical science) at best. The 1918 flu out break also occurred during WWI. The Nations of the Allied and Central Powers forbade the press to report on the flu for military reasons thus the public was large ignorant until it was too late. Sick soldiers were also managed poorly. As Spain was a neutral nation they reported on the flu extensively and hence the name Spanish Flu. The population of the US in 1918 was less than 1/3 of what it is today. The world population was about 28% of the current population.


It is true that flu and COVID-19 has risks for older people. The health of older people varies greatly however.
My Uncle's mother shingled the roof of her house when she was 100 and she was rather short. My father worked full time until he was 83 and swam with a rather famous man on Monday nights. This man swam several miles each day well into his nineties. My dad's brother on the other hand died at 56. You will have to asses your own condition.

SalvageDiver Loc: Huntington Beach CA

This is just hog-wash!! You need to read the the CDC reporting documents instead of the tabloids. The only thing they've changed lately is guidance on how to begin reporting "Provisional" deaths due to Covid-19. And there are no politics in the original or the updated CDC reporting guidelines.

You must also know that, in many cases, Covid causes an out-of-control immune response called "multi-organ failure". This can cause death due to pneumonia, blood clotting, gut failure, renal failure, and other organ system failures. For example, if a patient dies of renal failure with covid or suspected covid (in the medical professionals opinion), then its counted. In this example, covid is a contributing cause. Covid doesn't kill, only the manifestation of the virus kills. For individuals with covid that die in car accidents or jumping out of windows, they may be counted as an infected case but not as a death due to covid.

RichardSM Loc: Back in Texas

And that would be CNN, MSNBC,CBS,ABC....