Completely Off Topic: COVID-19 Myths and Reality

[Dennis Leonhardi]

Most participating in these forums are beyond elementary school and a first job - in other words, we’re much more likely to be affected adversely by the virus than elementary school kids.

In view of that fact and observing a significant number here who appear to be more than a little bit concerned, I don’t want to dismiss or brush off those concerns as unjustified.  But I do feel it’s worthwhile to examine some of the “facts” and reporting that we here in the United States have seen and heard.  I cannot speak to the experience of any other nation.

We see and hear new numbers every day - lots of numbers!  Total cases, new cases, deaths, recoveries, projections.  Let’s look at some of those numbers.

Jane Doe had a mild case of the virus but completely recovered.  She was a Pharmacy Tech at the corner Walgreen’s.  Unfortunately, she was working when Rashard Rocket felt a need to feed his drug habit; she was shot and killed when he robbed the store.

Jane’s death is recorded as a COVID-19 death.

John Doe was an elderly man who had survived several strokes before contacting the virus.  Fortunately, his symptoms were very mild.  Because of his age though, doctors felt it advisable to recheck him every couple of weeks.  He suffered another stroke - this time fatal - several weeks later, after a total of 15 tests.  All of the last 13 tests showed the virus to be inactive, but ...

John is reported as 15 Cases and a COVID-19 death.

XYZ labs has been designated as the testing lab for 3 counties of Florida.  The individual reporting cases to the CDC tires of putting together “all those numbers” and decides to not report most of the negative tests, resulting in 98% positives ...  Don’t scoff - this is happening too!

“The State of Texas ... had to remove 3,484 cases from its Covid-19 positive case count, because the San Antonio Health Department was reporting “probable” cases for people never actually tested, as ‘confirmed’ positive cases.”  (Texas Department of State Health Services)

“Today MDH (Minnesota Department of Health) misrepresented over 600 tests as positive cases from unknown locations in the State's COVID update.”  (July 20, 2020)

Not to minimize the pandemic at all, but (1) If you’re a betting man, please don’t put any money on the numbers, and (2) Wouldn’t it be nice if the bureaucrats reporting the numbers made a reasonable attempt to report them accurately?

And Food for Thought: The Guttmacher Institute (more accurate than the CDC in this case) reported approximately 862,000 abortions in 2017; have abortions been banned?  Smoking is a leading contributor to deaths from many causes; has smoking been banned?

[frank mccune]

       Hi Dennis:

        What was the source of information for your post?

         Frank McCune

[Dennis Leonhardi]

It's all readily available Frank, though it takes some research.  I've spent hours and hours on this and related topics.

[Don Chandler]

Not to mention the over 660,000 deaths last year in this country from cancer. Smoking isn't banned and there is little cure for cancer, yet life goes on. Here in northern California there are reports of people who made an appointment to get tested but didn't show up for the appointment but then were notified a few days later that the test, that they never took, had come back positive!!

[Perry Rose]

The only fraud bigger than the virus reporting fraud is voter fraud.  Florida had 300 testing centers report 100% positive tests. In Ct they reported many people as positive but they were not. Re testing they say. Here in La gov Dum Bel Edwards is down to wanting everyone to pray for a cure. The so called experts don't know any more that we do. They just throw something at the wall to see if it sticks. So far nothing. Just let us alone.

[Dennis Leonhardi]

Not to mention the over 660,000 deaths last year in this country from cancer. Smoking isn't banned and there is little cure for cancer, yet life goes on. Here in northern California there are reports of people who made an appointment to get tested but didn't show up for the appointment but then were notified a few days later that the test, that they never took, had come back positive!!

And these stories show up daily on virtually every reliable source of news.  We can either live in denial or face reality in my opinion, anyone else's mileage may vary.

[john e. holliday]

Has anybody checked the number of deaths from vehicle accidents?

Also doe any one make a cow catcher for vehicles for those protesters that don't have enough brains to get out of the road when a vehicle is coming, especially a fully loaded semi truck rig?

[Dennis Leonhardi]

       Hi Dennis:

        What was the source of information for your post?

         Frank McCune

Actually, a good question Frank - I learned many years ago to rely on multiple sources.  The information posted in the original post is such “garden variety” as to be seen daily.

The journalism I studied many moons ago died in the era of Vietnam War protests.  I expect any intelligent person to realize the information provided us by the mainstream media now is largely confined to that which fits an agenda.

In particular, I will always remember a day in the ‘60s when many of our colleges here in Minnesota as well as nation-wide became protest sites.  The front page of the next day’s Minneapolis Star Tribune told in great detail how each of the state’s colleges were completely shut down.

A cousin was attending one of the schools at the time; when I asked him about the day, he laughed and replied “There were a few students on the mall with signs, but it was just another day of classes for the rest of us.”

I lived just a few blocks from the University of Minnesota at the time, while taking classes part time and with a wife who was an Administrator at the U.  On another day, students completely took over the central Administration building.  Student Records at the time were maintained on linen sheets by clerks who carefully recorded classes and grades in ink.

The University, authorities and the media declared the takeover was a “Peaceful Protest” - no one was charged.  The employees who returned to find the walls and even the linen records smeared with human feces might not have agreed - and that damage was just a small part of the total.

With regard to current events: The death of George Floyd was a horrible tragedy and never should have happened.  I can’t emphasize that enough.  And we’ve repeatedly been told he wasn’t resisting arrest.

When the jury watches videos from the Police body cams and hears several bystanders shout at George “Stop resisting!” or “Quit fighting before you have a heart attack!”, what do you think they’ll decide?

I’m saddened by the extent to which we’ve let mob violence run our lives and by the scarcity of real journalists  - but this too shall pass.

[Steve Scott]

Be careful out there, Dennis.

[john e. holliday]

George Floyd who the brainless people have made a martyr, should have been put away for good after his third conviction and prison time.  Yes, I'm old enough to remember it was said three convictions meant you were locked up for good.

[Tony Drago]

Yep. The old three strke law aka 3 time loser.
According to the law he should have be put in prison for life.

[Dennis Leonhardi]

One picture, a thousand words ...

[Perry Rose]

https://www.facebook.com/TheRealMikeRowe/photos/a.151342491542569/3445963458747106/
 A few facts to ponder.

[Ted Fancher]

What is missing in the media reporting...other than the obvious flat out bogus stuff already addressed...is any attempt to keep the data...correct or made up...in perspective.  A quick google search will tell you that some 7,500+ human beings die in the United States EVERY DAY  (2019 numbers, Pre COVID-19).  Yes including highway deaths, murders and suicides...but not including abortions.  Among the many thousands of deaths attributed to COVID are vast majorities of the elderly and unwell who likely would have been included in those daily numbers even if their primary cause of death had long preceded their COVID exposure.

etc. etc.

Edit.  Noted my initial error re the number of US deaths per day and corrected it.  What I get for not proof reading.  A touch too much Knob Creek maybe?

[Arlan McKee]

A touch too much Knob Creek maybe?

Never!!

[John Park]

This whole COVID-19 affair has certainly brought the dreaded 'experts' to the fore - over here in Britain, you can see that they're relishing their five minutes of fame, even though most of them seem to disagree with one another on a regular basis.  Back in the late 19th. century, one of our noblemen, Viscount Salisbury, was the author of a quote that sums up the whole 'expert' thing very neatly: "No lesson seems to be so deeply inculcated by the experience of life as that you never should trust experts.  If you listen to the doctors, nothing is wholesome; if you listen to the theologians, nothing is innocent; if you listen to the soldiers, nothing is safe."  In other words, they've all got tunnel vision and can't see anything beyond their own area of expertise.

[RC Storick]

sence the appedemic has started they have cured all other illnesses cancer-pneumonia-aids-heart attacks ladder falls and car accidents. It's totally amazing the an academic could cure all other causes of death.

One man showed up for a covid test and the wait was 2 hours. He decided the wait was not worth it and left with no test. Two days later he received a positive result in the mail. I didn't know they were testing by Osmoses. It's an amazing new world. I know it must be this guy who's running the tests.

[Gerald Arana]

One picture, a thousand words ...

Good one! 

LMAO, Jerry

[Brett Buck]

This whole COVID-19 affair has certainly brought the dreaded 'experts' to the fore - over here in Britain, you can see that they're relishing their five minutes of fame, even though most of them seem to disagree with one another on a regular basis.  Back in the late 19th. century, one of our noblemen, Viscount Salisbury, was the author of a quote that sums up the whole 'expert' thing very neatly: "No lesson seems to be so deeply inculcated by the experience of life as that you never should trust experts.  If you listen to the doctors, nothing is wholesome; if you listen to the theologians, nothing is innocent; if you listen to the soldiers, nothing is safe."  In other words, they've all got tunnel vision and can't see anything beyond their own area of expertise.

  Preciseluy. This is a perfect storm of "safety experts" coming out of the woodwork, combined with totalitarians that lurk under a thin veneer in most public officials and politicians. The death rate over the last two weeks is no different from the "background" - you know, people die of a lot of things, every day, many many people - meaning that Wuhan is a negligible contributor. But that's not good enough, apparently, so they keep talking about "cases", each of which they have convinced a bunch of fearful housewives and oldsters means certain death. So they demand that politicians save us for anyone who dares to disagree with them.

     Brett

[Fredvon4]

Not sure about counties...but locally a positive gets tested frequently until negative each of the 10 or 12 tests counts as a CASE....hummmm  ponder