What is considered acceptable risk in one area of a country or in another country is not necessarily acceptable risk in another. One size does not fit all during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a country of over 330 million people with the resources our healthcare system provides, 56,000 deaths caused OR RELATED to covid-19 is not anymore significant than influenza. Yes, we have locked down areas and have been practicing social distancing which has decreased the number of deaths, in theory anyway. According to preliminary tests, the cities with outbreaks have up to an estimated 25 percent of the population showing antibodies for covid-19. Most people haven’t been tested. I am for flattening the curve in areas of breakouts in order to enable our hospitals to provide treatment. I am not trying to lessen the importance of any human life. Even NYC hospitals have never reached capacity. Meanwhile the repercussions of these lockdowns are worse than covid-19.
SSM is a Catholic not for profit healthcare system in Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Missouri. It has 39,000 employees, 11,000 providers, 23 hospitals, and 39 additional affiliate hospitals. It announced it is furloughing employees. What are we doing? Our hospitals and doctors offices are empty in middle America while our food supply chain is breaking down and our businesses and agricultural industries are going bankrupt. But hey, the federal government bailed out The Lakers basketball team. Is that a joke? Bailing out a basketball team is on our list of bailouts? I call bullshit. Texas and Oklahoma are reopening their states on May 1 incrementally. We need to do this across the US. We need to change our focus to protecting the immune compromised. The rest of us inside the US have a healthcare system that is not over stretched and we can assume acceptable risk of returning to work and reopening our businesses. Yes, there are densely populated areas where it will take longer. Entire states? No. Start reopening where we can now. You are all going to have to eventually leave your house. The virus isn’t going away. It’s endemic. Stop letting the media scare you. Practice social distancing. Be responsible. Go back to work. Other countries do not have our healthcare system. Other countries do not have our resources. We have over 330 million people with 56,000 dead. It’s awful to lose people but staying closed will kill more. The mortality rate versus our total population? .169 percent. Yes, it will go up when we reopen. Yes, we are able to manage the process in the US.
In the US in 2018:
655,381 people died of heart disease
599,274 people died of cancer
167,127 people died of accidents
159,486 died of chronic lower respiratory disease (any for this year will probably be added to the covid-19 numbers)
147,810 died of cerebrovascular disease
122,019 died of Alzheimer disease
100,000 died of diabetes
59,120 died of influenza and pneumonia
51,386 died of kidney disease
48,344 died of suicide
The above numbers came from mdlinx.com
We are now beginning to see stories in our media about ER doctors and healthcare workers in outbreak areas committing suicide. I don’t believe the scare tactics. Our ER doctors in densely populated areas see gruesome accidents, shootings, disease, murders, rapes, tortures as well as horrific illnesses. I give them more credit than this. I do however find it interesting that doctors who could speak up about the truth of what is happening across the world are suiciding themselves. It happened in China and Italy. Now it’s beginning in the US. I’m calling bullshit on this one too.
Reopen our country in a reasonable manner before it is too late to recover.
Middle of the Muddy Road 