Periodically, I try to update the status of the Covid-19 Pandemic based on the actual official numbers. I do this because my constant review of the news services suggest that they only provide strategically selected Covid-19 facts – and then draw inferences on them to support their preconceived partisan narratives.
Some of my left-leaning readers (fans?) often push back on my reports – calling me names and insulting my integrity. BUT … they never offer refutations of the Covid-19 facts I provide. I doubt that will change.
The Big Picture – should reduce a degree of fear and anxiety
Before delving into the Covid-19 numbers, we should remind ourselves of a few basic facts. Based on official projections, it appears that the total number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 will peak at between 35 to 40 million people. That would be between 11 and 12 percent of the population of the United States.
That means that 88 to 89 percent of us will NEVER even contract the virus. That has generally been the case from the onset of the Pandemic. But we will all suffer significantly from the social and economic effects of the Pandemic.
That begs the question as to whether we have not over responded to the crisis. I am giving the facts here so you can come to your own conclusion. I have mine, but that debate is for a future commentary.
Playing Games with the Numbers – a sin of omission
The one area in which I believe the east coast media cabal has been most obviously biased – and most obviously placing the propagation of their left-wing narratives ahead of honest reporting – is the constant omission of one of the most critically important Covid-19 facts – the recovery rate.
When I first traced the recovered number against the actively infected numbers, the latter far greater than the former. Over time, the number of those who have recovered began to overtake the number infected — and it now far exceeds the number of those with Covid.
The media myopically reports on the number of individuals who have contracted Covid-19 since January of 2020. That number is currently 32,789,653. However, we now have 25,339,874 Americans who have recovered – and are immune. In other words, we only have 6,863,899 who currently have the virus. This is the lowest number since the earliest days of the Pandemic – and a number that continues to decline.
The Most Critical Cases –fewer than you might imagine
Those officially designated as “serious/critical” has dropped to 9,944 ACROSS THE ENTIRE NATION. This number is expected to drop dramatically since the vast majority of those in the high-risk age categories have been inoculated. Keep in mind that they represented 80 percent of the deaths.
As of this writing, 70 percent of those over 65 years have received at least one dose. Scientists consider this as being close to full immunity – 80 percent as opposed to 95 percent. And remember … prior to this new form of vaccine, a 70 percent efficacy was considered state-of-the-science. This will significantly impact on the death RATE.
I emphasize “rate” because the media keeps focusing on the total number of deaths –all who have died since the onset of the Pandemic in America. Of course that number will always increase – and look scary. The really important number is the death “rate” – what percentage of the people who get the virus actually die from it. At the end of January 2021, the peak 7-day average of deaths was 3,352. The most current 7-day average is 718.
So far, no one who has been fully vaccinated – which doctors define as approximately two weeks after receiving full dosage — has died from Covid.
In the same period, the positivity rate from testing has dropped from 13.3 percent to 6.6 percent. This means we are finding fewer and fewer new cases.
What all these facts tell us is that we are well on our way out of the Covid-19 Pandemic. Fewer people are contracting Covid-19, and far fewer are dying from it.
To mask or not to mask – according to the scientists, not the politicians and reports
Biden and the media seem determined to stoke the fear and anxiety element of the Pandemic. That is so they can justify huge government expenditures funneled to their political base – government employees, union officials, failed Democrat city governments, etc., etc., etc.
They still want us to go around wearing masks, not dining in restaurants, and keeping social distances. President Biden wears the mask in the White House even though he is vaccinated – and has absolutely no reason to wear one. But why?
There is a lot of controversy as to whether an average mask offers protection from getting Covid-19. There is greater agreement that masks are more effective in stopping an infected person from spreading the virus – and that is not an unreasonable argument for wearing one. But it is virtually impossible for an infected person to spread it to a vaccinated person – outdoors, indoors or in crowds. That is what the scientists tell us.
But what about the 132 to 200 million (depending on who is providing the data) people who have had at least one shot of the vaccine – which doctors say provides a high degree of immunity? And what about the more than 25 million folks who have recovered from Covid-19 and have a natural immunity? That is 157 million Americans – almost half the nation — that do not need to wear a mask at all. And even a higher percentage if you remove the least vulnerable kids under 16, who are not getting the vaccine.
Within the medical and scientific community – and from the research data – there is almost universal agreement that a person with immunity cannot contract and cannot spread the virus. As a fully vaccinated person, I have no reason – based on the science – to wear a mask anytime, anywhere and for any reason. I wear them when shopping because I have no choice. I do not wear them in restaurants no matter how crowded. And I do not wear one outside – even in the company of strangers.
Remember, there are only 6.6 million active cases in the nation – and a lot of them are in hospitals. Your chance of being in the company of a person with active Covid-19 is statistically very low – and going lower every day. And if you are vaccinated, your risk of getting the virus from another is virtually zero.
I have friends who are vaccinated and prefer to put on a mask outside and when not actually eating in a restaurant. It is a free country. That is their right. They can wear a raincoat in sunny weather if they like. I have no problem with that. But it is not necessary as a protection from getting or spreading Covid-19 IF you have been vaccinated.
Summary
Democrats are very adroit at using a crisis to enhance their power. It is part of their political DNA. They understand that fear and anxiety often result in a willingness of the populace to surrender personal freedoms. We saw it in the Civil War. We saw it in the Great depression. And we are seeing it again in the Covid-19 Pandemic.
If we continue down this path, we will not have any freedoms left to surrender.
So, there ‘tis.