So a 26 year old Oregonian died from unknown causes and it was initially blamed on coronavirus (1) scaring the bejesus out of the country , causing panic in dormitories all across the US, causing untold grief and fear in parents and students alike only to find out that it wasn’t coronavirus. And we have been rightfully told that coronavirus affects the elderly with co-morbid disease only to have that belief threatened by the likes of unbelievable (literally) hysterics that blame coronavirus for everything. We are 7 months into this coronavirus epidemic to now find that 2 months ago there was still shotty (oops, maybe that o should have been an i) investigation and reporting of the “epidemic”, as I have been saying for 7 months.
Panic streams across our headlines that the number of deaths in the USA has exceeded 200,000, more than half the number of Americans that lost their lives in WWII (as of last month). Coronavirus has almost reached the number of deaths of US citizens in Vietnam. Do/did they say that? And when there were over 33,740 coronavirus deaths, did the news media tout that there were more deaths than US service members in Korea? And when the coronavirus’ first victim fell, did the news media hysterically claim that the virus had killed more people than had died on your street (assuming you don’t live on the street the victim did)? Where does the media draw a line between fanning the flames of hysteria and reporting the news?
The news outlets are all in a twitter (no pun intended) about the number of deaths reported recently. “More than half that died in WWII.”(2) Let’s see what Wikipedia has to say about the number of deaths to which we can compare the coronavirus.(3)
Civil War 214,938
WWII 291,557 (whoops!)
Vietnam 47,424 (whoops!)
Seems Wikipedia can’t get their facts straight, either.
The following article is typical media hysteria and is a classic example. The reporter, editor and publication should be tarred and feathered and run out of town on a rail. That is as politely as I am willing to put it.
“…experts say it could be a response by the virus to defeat masks and other social-distancing efforts.”(4) As if the virus is a cognitive, thinking, strategizing conniving entity instead of a programed clump of inert protein mass.
“…accounted for 99.9 percent of cases during the second wave in the Houston, Texas, area…”(4) I’ll call bullshit on this. Nowhere, except within a confined laboratory space, has 100% viral testing been done. Much less that in one of the largest megalopolis’ in the USA. The Houston megalopolis is about 200 miles north to south and east to west encompassing about 31,416 square miles and hundreds of local cities and counties. It is impossible to mount such a concerted effort as to test every citizen to any degree of laughable accuracy in that situation. Period! 99% my ass.
“The paper, which has not been peer-reviewed…”(4) The entire foundation of modern medicine, evidence based medicine or any degree of trust and accuracy in diagnosis and treatment is based on peer review. Without peer review, medicine is thrust back into the pre-1800s snake oil, charlatans and mystics era. Give us a break! If this “study” has not been peer reviewed, it is no better than something printed in Mad Magazine or the Star Inquirer, right next to the article about alien abduction.
There are words in the article that should raise doubts, appears, apparently, may, could, suggesting… The fact that J. Salo did not refer to a specific article or citation should raise doubts, or get her fired.
And all this over one misreported case of non-coronavirus death. Where are the others?
From your grumpy Uncle Dave.
- Oregon’s once presumed youngest coronavirus victim actually tested negative for virus: report. Kayla Rivas. Foxnews.com. September 24, 2020. Retrieved 9/25/20 from https://www.foxnews.com/health/oregons-youngest-coronavirus-death-didnt-die-from-virus-report
- Live Updates: Coronavirus deaths surpass 200,000 in the US. David Aaro. Foxnews.com. September 23, 2020. Retrieved 9/25/20 from https://www.foxnews.com/health/live-coverage-coronavirus-surpasses-200000-deaths-in-the-us
- United States military casualties of war. Wikapedia. Last updated September 23, 2020. Retrieved 9/25/20 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_military_casualties_of_war
- Coronavirus mutation emerges that may bypass mask-wearing, hand-washing protections. Jackie Salo. Foxnews.com. September 25, 2020. Retrieved 9/25/20 from https://www.foxnews.com/us/coronavirus-mutation-emerges-that-may-bypass-mask-wearing-hand-washing-protections