COVID Musings (Update)

This is an update of my previous musings about the whole pandemic paranoia. Other, much more scholarly and/or scientific articles and blogs have been written over the past several months. Like this one.

But, harking back to my original comments in March when this whole shutdown began, I quoted CDC when I said:

CDC estimates that influenza has resulted in between 9 million – 45 million illnesses, between 140,000 – 810,000 hospitalizations and between 12,000 – 61,000 deaths annually since 2010.

So... let's just take a peek at what the current COVID stats are and see how they compare. (I copied and pasted from CDC's actual website.)

I'm not sure this is the time or place (nor do I have the data or credentials) to comment on the blatant padding of statistics that we are all well aware of. (We've all seen or heard about the memes...)

We've also read or heard about doctors reporting on the falsification of COVID statistics at various hospitals and care facilities. No one is going to ever be able to give an honest report of how many people actually died from COVID, compared to how many deaths were attributed to COVID. So, while 249k deaths is markedly higher than the "norm" of 12-16k deaths attributed to influenza each year, I think I am safe if saying that: 

• YES, there is a pandemic. (Because by definition, a 'pandemic' is a disease that is prevalent over a whole country or the world)
• YES, the COVID virus has been responsible for the deaths of many people (possibly .02% of those who have actually contracted the virus)
• YES, some people are at higher risk than others of dying from the virus.
• YES, washing our hands and refraining from hugging and smooching during 'flu season is a smart idea.
• YES, staying home from work (or church or the store, etc.) is to be recommended when you are not well.

But, I think I am also safe in saying that certain government officials have grossly overstepped their authority in dictating (I do not use that world lightly) how we live our lives in where we go or what we do. As if we are a bunch of 5-year-olds who don't have enough sense to cover our mouths when we sneeze.

I still believe that most people have enough common sense (and hopefully, enough common decency) to sequester or self-quarantine if they are sick. Or to self-isolate if they are in fact in danger due to underlying conditions of being at higher risk. 

I am just fed up with Nanny State officials assuming that none of us have brains or care about our fellow human being. And I am way beyond fed up with the notion that healthy people cannot be in charge of their own bodies. 

I wonder how the suicide rate this year compares to a normal year... maybe that is something to consider as well. Because frankly, this isolation from family and friends is doing far more damage to our society than anything I have seen in a long time.

Or maybe that was the idea all along?

*Updated April 30, 2021: Last week, the CDC said that of the 78 million Americans who at the time had been vaccinated (the number is now about 96 million) only 5,800 had subsequently caught COVID-19, or about 0.007 percent. Of those, 74 died, or about 0.00009 percent.

Per: https://thefederalist.com/2021/04/27/stop-asking-people-if-theyve-gotten-a-covid-19-vaccine/