DRam11 Loc: Polson, MT

Pink Floyd - The Wall. First thing that came to mind when reading your header.

But, yes. It does seem that the stats are being hidden.

mikee

Doing internet research is rather straightforward. First you go to college for 4 years and get you a BA. Be sure to take lot of science classes, and throw in some statistics and logic classes as well. Next you take a little quiz they call the MCAT, and hope to get scores above 80-90% of the rest of the test takers, who, by the way took the same classes you did. Next you apply to 30 or so medical schools in the hopes of getting accepted to 1. Whew, you're almost there (not!). After 4 more years of sweat and toil, taking 20 credits a term, you graduate with your medical degree, but because you want to better understand population medicine you need to get that nusance year of an internship out of the way (60 hour work weeks) before starting your multi-year residency (70 hour work weeks). THEN after your residency you take another little quiz to be boarded in preventative medicine, showing that yes, you have the required knowledge to design, carry out, and INTERPRET research studies dealing with population medicine. Straight-forward really. OR you can just read what your average layperson (who can't tell a valid statistic from propaganda) says on the internet.

My point? Let trained people do their thing, and trust them to do it right; since we don't know what we don't know. Armchair quarterbacking medical questions doesn't work.

cdayton

Easy to find data on Covid deaths, flu deaths, etc. Covid as been roughly 10 times more deadly than the annual flu. The plot shows US deaths - 7-day average trend since day 1 of record keeping. The vaccines have been very successful in preventing hospitalizations and, hence, deaths but the US is still at about 1300 deaths per day.

cdayton

I have a grandson who is a nurse who has been working intensive care throughout the pandemic. Very frustrating to have family members vilifying you when an unvaccinated relative dies despite heroic efforts to save them. All his patients on ventilators are unvaccinated males 40-60 years old.

Stu A Loc: Portsmouth, Ohio

Stu A Loc: Portsmouth, Ohio

tom hughes Loc: Phila Pa

CDC number of covid deaths questionable at best. When you are in Hospice care, with days left and you contract covid they list that death as a cvid death. A 21 year old man, died in a motorcycle accident, had covid listed on his death certificate. Of those 800,000 plus deaths only 200 were children between 5 and 18. So why were schools closed? Why are children wearing masks in the classroom?

gener202002

Both sides on this are trying to get through this in the best way possible, with the info they have. Those who say that one side or the other does not believe in science is totally unfair. Many just believe what they have heard without any critical analysis. I am going to try to not take a side on this, as this is a very, very sensitive topic. However....

if my math is correct, 800,000 people would be, if my math is correct, about one American in every 400. I have known very few people that have contracted the disease, let alone died from it. However, I am a recluse and don't get involved with many people. I do know it is real and I do know some who have had it, and some neighbors have died from it.

Do we need vaccinations? The disease does not seem to be discriminating too greatly between those vaccinated and those not. I know many people who have been vaccinated and they are doing fine. I also know many not vaccinated and they are doing fine too. The question is, how long does this go on? Over time, will one group be greatly decimated, or will the other, or will it make any difference? Although many vaccinated people are doing fine, there have been numerous horrible deaths of those who have been vaccinated. Not from the disease, but from the vaccine. Different bodies have different genetic makeup. How does one know what category they will fit in? Furthermore, just because vaccinated people are safe now, there is no guarantee that they will continue to be safe. Reactions could be delayed. If the vaccine works and you have taken it, you should be safe, rather others have taken it or not. That is how vaccine works. It protects the vaccinated, not anyone else. We seem to have gotten the idea that getting everyone vaccinated means soem kind of herd immunity. It does not. Vaccines protect only the one vaccinated, no one else-providing of course, that the vaccine works at all.

And here is another kicker. It does seem that getting vaccinated creates in viruses the need to mutate. It does appear that when we get vaccinated, the virus does eventually mutate, and the situation gets worse. I would suggest that we let everyone decide for themselves what the best thing to do is. Of course, the government and related groups do not do that. They put more and more pressure on people to the extent that gradually it becomes illegal not to get the shot. If we lose that kind of freedom, what else are we going to lose? And why are they doing this? Just things to think about.

KindaSpikey Loc: English living in San Diego

Hey Bob. Sorry to hear about your brother Kenny, he's in my thoughts and I hope he makes a swift recovery. Some people just don't understand the vaccine and that's really sad. There's no way that it's going to prevent everyone from getting covid, but it's now obvious that for most vaccinated people who are unfortunate enough to get it, the symptoms are vastly minimized and recovery is usually much quicker. I hope you feel better soon Bob, and again, best wishes for your brother.

Ruthlessrider

Vaccines don’t create in viruses a “need to mutate.” Viruses are not even cells, so in reality they cannot mutate on their own, they need a host cell to replicate, and replication provide the opportunity to mutate. Mutation is not a chosen function. It is more happenstance than anything else, and since the viruses very survival depends on a host, those who are unvaccinated provide a greater opportunity to survive, reproduce, and, by chance, mutate. Do everyone a favor, cut the viruses opportunity to reproduce, get vaccinated.

JoAnneK01 Loc: Lahaina, Hawaii

It's all political now and not scientific. Locally our mayor has said that if you are not fully vaccinated, which includes the booster, you can not enter an enclosed restaurant. Yes, we have increased omicron cases here but not at the increase of hospitalizations as we had with Covid 19.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

Rich2236 Loc: E. Hampstead, New Hampshire

I DO NOT DOUBT the number of deaths attributed to Covid19 at all!!! What I do not like is the "believe this, then, believe that," the back and forth rhetoric attempting to keep people scared and subservient to the swamps wishes.

gener202002

Well, first of all, I didn't say I wasn't vaccinated. Of course, I didn't say I was either. My getting vaccinated is not going to help anyone else in anyway. It would only help me, if it works. That is just the way it works. So it is of no concern to anyone else.

As far as the virus mutating, or not mutating, I stand by what I said.

But it is okay. You certainly have a right to your opinion. I just disagree.

Jack47 Loc: Ontario

But…….if you don’t know them, are they really dead?