Is Covid-19 a Cause for Panic? Here’s What I found
IS COVID-19 A CAUSE FOR PANIC? HERE’S WHAT I FOUND
Of course, every life matters. Of course, we must be especially concerned for our precious elderly. Which is why I would not visit a Senior Care Facility if I had the flu. Any flu or any virus could be deadly for anyone weakened by age or those with comorbidities. We’ve always known this, and so we have always been cautious in not spreading any sicknesses to the weak and vulnerable.
Covid-19 came on the scene in February. Yes, we did not know what we were dealing with and, “yes,” it seemed legitimate to show extra care by our social distancing; our lock-downs. BUT, is that legitimate any longer? That is the question I pose.
Let’s Look at the Data
CDC estimates the overall burden of influenza for the 2017-2018 season was an estimated 45 million influenza illnesses (over 13% of the population), 21 million influenza-associated medical visits, 810,000 influenza-related hospitalizations, and 61,000 influenza-associated deaths. Nearly 85% of deaths are over age 65. NOTE: This is *with* the availability of flu shots.
CDC estimates that the burden of illness during the 2018–2019 season included an estimated 35.5 million people getting sick with influenza (nearly 10% of the population), 16.5 million people going to a health care provider for their illness, 490,600 hospitalizations, and 34,200 deaths from influenza. Nearly 80% of deaths are over age 65. NOTE: This is *with* the availability of flu shots.
Currently, there are 3 million people who have tested positive with Covid-19 (this is less than 1% of the population, and which the media sensationalizes as a horror). This is less than 1/10 of annual influenza (yes, I know we are just four months in). The vast majority of which have mild or no symptoms at all (while reported flu cases are those “sick with influenza”). I cannot find a raw number of Covid-19 hospitalizations, to date (which can be a red flag). While the Covid-19 deaths are at nearly 130,000, the death fatality rate has dropped dramatically (See chart below), as treatments/protocols have greatly improved. Early on, patients were actually killed by inappropriate use (unknowingly) of ventilators. Also, the CDC did not require testing for Covid-19 deaths, as it could be left to the doctor’s judgment, based on symptoms (while symptoms are nearly identical to other flus and viruses). Add to this that hospitals were incentivized to regard all cases of pneumonia as Covid-19, as they received $13,000 for each Covid-19 patient, and if that COVID-19 pneumonia patient ends up on a ventilator, it goes up to $39,000 (Yes, this has been fact-checked … google it, I did). Also, tens of thousands of elderly died as Covid-19 patients were placed in senior care facilities, infecting many who are especially vulnerable to death by way of *any* flu or virus. Nearly 80% of deaths are over age 65.
This is my own study from CDC websites. Did I miss something? Did I get anything wrong here?
