Wednesday, October 21, 2020

Putting COVID-19 in Perspective

 

Putting COVID-19 in Perspective

‘Let the Virus Run its Course?’


Image by rawpixel.com - magnified coronavirus


With the presidential elections days away and the media’s exploitation and incessant ‘panic porn reporting’ over COVID-19 reaching new heights, it is time to put a little rational perspective to the situation as a whole.

First, let us realize that for the majority of individuals who have contracted the virus and are under 60 years of age, the chance of death is minimal. And in the majority of these cases, the symptoms, if they exist at all, are no worse than an ordinary flu. 

Now, without taking away from the seriousness of the pandemic, let us put it into some form of rational perspective: 

As of 10/20/2020, and since the first confirmed case in the United States, ten months ago, 2.49% of the population has been diagnosed with COVID-19. Note: These figures do not take into account the 15 million to 20 million illegal aliens unlawfully residing in our country and being counted in statistical data. 

As of 10/20/2020, and since the first confirmed case in the United States, ten months ago, 0.066% of the population (sixty-six one thousands of one percent) have been recorded to have died due to COVID-19. 

In the USA, 78.8% of COVID-19 deaths have occurred in individuals over the age of 65. As well, a monumental 31% of these COVID-19 deaths have been attributed to the 85 years and older demographic. 

In the United States, 0.202% (two hundred and two one thousandths of one percent) of COVID-19 deaths occurred in school / university age youths between the ages of 5 and 24 years making the number of deaths in that demographic 411 persons. Note: This makes COVID-19 3 times less lethal to youths and young adults in comparison to America’s last pandemic, the H1N1 Swine Flu of 2009-10. During that crisis, 1,229 children between 0-17 years of age fell victim to the Swine Flu from April 2009 to January 2010. 

Though daily new cases (60,588) have risen by 61% from their peak of April 2020 (36,741), daily deaths (929) have decreased by 66.2% from their peak (2,752). (as of 10/20/2020) 

According to the CDC, of all recorded COVID-19 deaths, only 6% (12,174) can be attributed to COVID-19 alone. In the remaining 94% of deaths the patients have had an average 2.6 additional conditions or causes of deaths, such as heart disease, diabetes, and sepsis (comorbidities). 


Approximately 6% of cases and deaths reported by the CDC are undetermined and have been deemed ‘Expanded Case Definition (Probable)’ by that agency and erroneously (or deceptively) included in the nationally confirmed COVID-19 case and death counts. 

The United States ranks 12th in deaths per 100,000 of population. (USA: 67.6 per 100K. Ranked number 1 is Peru with 108 deaths per 100,000 populace). 

The United States ranks 17th in cases of infection per 100,000 of population (USA: 2,542 per 100K. Ranked number 1 is Qatar with 5,624 cases per 100,000 populace).

According to data supplied by the World Health Organization, COVID-19 has infected 0.54% (
fifty-four one hundredths of one percent) of the world population. 

The same data reveals that COVID-19 deaths have been recorded in 0.014% (fourteen one thousandths of one percent) of the world population. 

The information contained within this article is not intended to reduce the seriousness of COVID-19, rather, it is presented as empirical data meant to put a proper perspective to the present situation. Contrary to the unending preponderance of ‘panic porn reporting’ by main-steam media and the manipulation, distortion and equivocations of politicians and governmental agencies intent on using this crisis for financial and personal gains as well as expanding unprecedented governmental authority, the world has faced far worse in recent history. 

For example, it is a fact that this author lived through, and survived, the far deadlier world pandemic of the 1968-69 H3N2 Hong Kong Flu (have you ever noticed that all mention of this pandemic is avoided or shunned as if it were a plague itself). The Hong Kong Flu killed an estimated 1 to 4 million people worldwide. Adjusting those numbers for world population growth since 1969 the numbers are 2,207,130 to 8,828,522 worldwide deaths. Presently, the World Health Organization is reporting a total of 1,116,131 (10/20/2020) death due to COVID-19 thus making this virus one half to possibly 7.9 times less deadly than the Hong Kong Flu. For those of us in the United States who have lived through that earlier pandemic I ask, do you remember our response? That is correct ... very limited in its scope. We did not cripple our economy and means of production, we did not put tens of millions of Americans into potentially crushing debt and poverty, we did not further bankrupt our country with TRILLONS of dollars in new debt and we did not use the crushing force of government and law enforcement to dictate a requirement and burden on healthy individuals such as being made virtual prisoners in our homes, forced to wear (in what has proven worldwide to be highly ineffective) face coverings, et al. At that time, we did our best to protect the vulnerable, we kept commerce and production, the life blood of our nation, flowing, we accepted the fact we are often at the mercy of nature, we mourned our dead, we gathered together to attended their funerals and moved forward living all facets of life as it should be lived!

It is, and has been, this authors opinion that we must accept reality, push past our fear and subscribe to the realization that our only viable and proper course of action is to focus on protecting the most vulnerable of society while letting the virus run its course.


Saturday, October 17, 2020

COVID-19 - A Proper Response


COVID-19 - A Proper Response 




Ron Peacock - Pavo News · Posted: Oct 17, 2020

Even before SARS-CoV-2 was officially declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020, the world was well aware that this virus, quite probably unleashed upon an unsuspecting global community by Communist China, displayed one defining, distinguishing and deadly characteristic ... it preyed upon the aged and medically frail in our societies. That dynamic has not changed in the 11 months since the first officially recorded case of COVID-19 in Hubei Province, China (Nov. 17, 2019).

 

This fact makes it all the more incomprehensible the response, or lack of response, by many State Governors and bureaucrats in these United States. Without delving into the disastrous policies, responses and apparent subsequent cover ups by States such as New York and Governor Andrew Cuomo, let us outline what science, logic and common sense would dictate should be a proper response to the COVID-19 pandemic in relationship to the situation in the United States. First we need some context so we will look at some vital statistics as of October 2019. 

According to CDC data, the percent of COVID-19 deaths in the United States of those between the ages of:

5 to 24: 0.198% Total = 458 

25 to 64: 20.48% Total = 47,372 

65 and up: 79.3% Total = 183,324

What stands out like an ugly black ink spot on a beautiful white canvas is the total of kindergarten through university age victims (5 to 24 years) of the virus, which translates to 0.00046% of that demographics population. And schools were closed again, why? 

Next we see the percentage of deaths in what can be considered the dominant working age demographic (25 to 64), which translates to 0.027% of that demographics population. This twenty seven one hundredth of one percent of deaths leads us to once again question, why did we destroy our economy and the lives of 100’s of million of citizens by closing businesses? 

And finally we see where the real problem lies, with those 65 and over and highly vulnerable to the negative effects of this virus. Even the most incompetent of the incompetent could not miss this fact! 

Solution:

1.) With over 8 million citizens diagnosed as COVID-19 positive, and until an effective and safe vaccine is found, the various States should be initiating Convalescent Plasma collection from all those actually infected and testing positive for the virus antibody. This will be used in an effort to protect the most vulnerable of our population. Though it is as of yet unclear how effective COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma treatment will be, 
convalescent plasma has been highly effective in other past circumstances. We are talking about saving lives, we must use every possible weapon at our disposal. 

2.) All businesses will resume norm activity and all employees will return to work, with the exception of those 60 and over who choose not to do so. This will aid in the building of natural herd immunity amongst the least vulnerable population in the USA and reduce unnecessary deaths over time. It will also reduce the current possibility of virus mutation (possibly becoming far more dangerous) by the actions presently taken. Now that the virus seems endemic in all States, the longer it is left to re-propagate with these ineffectual “mitigation” directives and mandates, we become more and more at risk. 

3.) All presently working citizens 60 and over are to be recipients of an additional $600.00 a week unemployment checks as well as receiving their appropriate state benefits and will not be required to work. This will be voluntary and if an individual chooses to work, they will not receive the benefits. 

4.) All nursing home, care facilities, assisted living facilities, etc. will be locked-down and completely quarantined. All employee’s and staff will be required to remain on site and only allowed to leave and rotate staff after following strict safety protocols. These staff members and employees will be compensated by for their sacrifice with an additional $600.00 per week for all time (to be determined) spent on station (at the facility) and during mandatory monitoring and quarantine prior to resuming their next ‘tour of duty’.

5.) If an effective and safe vaccine is produced, the first priority of distribution will be to those 60 and older followed by those qualified staff and employees mentioned in section 4 above. As well, those with multiple, qualifying 
comorbidities, will be the next in line for the vaccine with no exception to age. There will be NO exception to the prioritizing of the vaccine administration and to do so will result in felony criminal charges yet to be determined. 

6.) All legislation introduced into the various States and the U.S. Congress should be stand-alone, single issue Bills solely addressing the crisis at hand; they should not be used to hold the American people hostage to legislation that would otherwise have no opportunity of passing the scrutiny of the American people.

With close to 240,000 deaths attributed to COVID-19, these measures could have saved an untold number of lives yet, science, logic, reason and common sense were abandoned for political and personal gains. More so, the American public discarded all rational thought and responsibility and came to act nothing short of a group of hysterical 6 year old girls when confronted by a harmless mouse.

***Note: This is an amended excerpt of a detailed and comprehensive 36 page document I sent to State and Federal officials. That 36 page document encompassed all assets of a proper response to this COVID-19 crisis and was intended to be a simple, plain language composition to be introduced into the various legislative processes. Instead, the American people were burdened with Bills consisting of crippling debt, actions that were not directed toward the most obvious areas of need and filled with special interest concerns that had no relation to the virus and the needs of the American people.