the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, according to a recent column by Stephen Moore ,California the state with the strictest lockdowns over the last two months has the biggest outbreak of the virus. New Jersey could learn a lot from this data .
Youyang Gu, one of the most accurate COVID modelers, reports that out of the 137 U.S. counties with populations of more than 500,000, the top five in COVID infections are all in California.
Gigantic Los Angeles County continues to climb. Per Patch:
“Public health officials delivered an ominous message to Angelenos Monday: The worst days of the coronavirus pandemic still lie ahead….One in five people tested for COVID-19 in Los Angeles are positive — as the region grapples with an alarming outbreak that officials have called a ‘human disaster.’
The test positivity rate climbed to 21 percent in Los Angeles County, which recorded 9,142 new cases on Monday.”
https://patch.com/california/los-angeles/human-disaster-1-5-test-positive-coronavirus-la
All those months of lockdown hardship and all those destroyed businesses didn’t stop COVID’s deadly march, and now the harsh stay-at-home orders are — as they did in New York in the spring — likely pushing in-home transmission, where most infection occurs, even higher.
Why is it so hard for Democratic mayors and governors to understand that lockdowns are ineffective at best and counterproductive at worst?
QUESTION – if lockdowns don’t work, as evidenced by the growing number of cases, then why are they repeatedly ordered?
To focus on “infections” and “cases” is to miss the point. Other real numbers need to be considered to put a better perspective on the situation:
As of 6 AM today; 08Jan21, here are the posted values to date from
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
88,599,836 cases
1,908,642 deaths
63,688,727 recovered
These numbers clearly show that this virus is not the boogy-man the media and officials make it out to be. Yes, it kills people, but all “cases” don’t die!
So why does the media and government focus on saying only “cases”? Because is sows fear. Fear is a very powerful motivator, and those in power rarely seek to diminish their power. Stoking fear in their constituents only serves to increase politicians’ power.
Now consider the permanent damage to lives still lived – how many jobs have been lost, businesses destroyed, and families harmed, educations damaged, etc.
Clearly, the lockdown “cure” is worse than the disease.
Hospitalizations is the key number to focus on. More hospitalizations, more deaths.
https://gis.cdc.gov/grasp/covidnet/COVID19_5.html
We’ve lost 1% of our population due to COVID. We currently have over 3k deaths per day. Would you have preferred to see 3k dead/per day for the entirety of the spring and summer? Stupidity may be worse than the disease.
Deaths are the key number to fous upon… not hospitalizations.
Unfortunately the death count is no longer 100% honest and reliable – it is , to some degree, inflated by “deaths with COVID-like symptoms” but no COVID test, deaths by other causes in individuals who have COVID antibodies (had COVID and recovered) or currently have COVID, but is not the primary cause of death and Influenza deaths being counted as COVID deaths.
It’s miraculous that this season, the flu (influenza) rate is significantly lower than the past 5 years.
“It’s miraculous that this season, the flu (influenza) rate is significantly lower than the past 5 years.”
Or, you know, it’s because people are distancing and wearing masks.
It’s ok. Logic is hard.
Yeah, you’re right, it’s just covid that infects everybody. You can trust the govt numbers. Why would they lie?
Death counts due to COVID are definitely inflated. If someone has a positive test 28 days before dying, that person is counted as a COVID death even if the true cause is a traffic accident. The stat to look at is “excess deaths” above expectation from all causes which cannot be gamed and which has hardly budged since spring
The excess death charts are pretty damning, so?
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid19/excess_deaths.htm
““It’s miraculous that this season, the flu (influenza) rate is significantly lower than the past 5 years.”
Or, you know, it’s because people are distancing and wearing masks.
It’s ok. Logic is hard.”
I understand that logic is hard for you.
Let me try to clarify.
Most masks are largely ineffective.
Either the mask if insufficient to block virus particles
or the mask is worn incorrectly
or the mask is not secured tight enough around the face allowing large amounts of breath to escape unrestricted (ask anyone who wears a mask with glasses)
People do not maintain recommended social distance of 6 feet.
Regardless, 6 feet is insufficient to stop the spread of virus particles.
There are decades of CDC data on influenza infection and death rates.
While it has varied year to year there is a consistency, range and expectation to Influenza infection and death rates. However this year these influenza numbers are way out of the expected ranges.
CDC counts “COVID-like symptoms” as COVID deaths EVEN WITHOUT a COVID test.
Hospitals and institutions ARE NOT held to a CONSISTENT standard to reporting COVID information. There is a HUGE DISCREPANCY between how different locations, organizations and states report their data.
So, YES.
Influenza deaths are being underreported.
“ So, YES.
Influenza deaths are being underreported”
Mental gymnastics, however, are over-occurring.
Simple facts
Basic Logic.
No gymnastics required.
Try to keep up (I hope this is simple enough for you to comprehend).