HYSTERIA, HYPOCRISY, AND HYPERACTIVITY IN THE FACE OF A PANDEMIC
by Thomas Anthony
We are told that we are facing a Global Pandemic of epic proportions. Early models predicted that The United States of America could face the death of over 120 million of its citizens. Other organizations claimed that the mortality rate of the Corona Virus was over 3.5%. As the virus came to the shores of this country the reaction to it, slow in the beginning, began to rise to a panic level. The reporting from the press became increasingly hysterical to the impact of the virus where each new case or new death was quickly reported in a way that provided maximum impact to a captivated audience. Instead of reporting facts there became a facet of sensationalism that was used to promote the worst-case scenario as the most plausible outcome. Several states ignored CDC suggestions and proceeded to a complete Lock-down status which included the closing of schools, businesses, and all non-emergency activity. Those who pointed out statistics and evidence to the contrary of the most extreme outcomes were criticized for being outlandish and resistant to the truth. Those who protested to the violation of Constitutional Rights were criticized for being ignorant to the truth. Now that we find ourselves one month into this pandemic it would be good for us to review some facts and some fiction regarding the Corona Virus and get a good idea "Where are we now" in this mess. It is an exercise that could clear away some clutter, hysteria, and bring back some much needed common sense to the issues at hand. Even though the situations that we as a people encounter change on a daily basis there is still a possibility of consensus in some areas.
IRRESPONSIBILITY IN THE MEDIA
One of the purposes in the media is to provide information, especially in times of crisis.
The definition of journalism is as follows: " the activity or profession of writing for newspapers, magazines, or news websites or preparing news to be broadcast."
The definition of a reporter is as follows: " a person who reports, especially one employed to report news or conduct interviews for newspapers or broadcasts"
Journalism 101 teaches us the in preparing and reporting news one is to avoid personal bias and the temptation to formulate the story after one's own feelings or opinion. "Just the facts" was one of the sayings used in journalism. Another method often used was the old, "WHO,WHAT,WHERE, WHEN, and WHY." No longer is this the case. The news is commonly reported now with a political agenda in mind or with an intent to gain some sort collective support regarding a certain opinion. This often leads to a misrepresentation or distortion of the facts.
In regards to the Coronna virus there is no exception.
There have been many models that show what impact the virus could have on the population of the United States of America. The one being reported very heavily is one from Great Britain that once claimed that 2.2 million lives would be lost in the United States of America. This has recently been "adjusted to 80 thousand." Scientists who have written this report have openly admitted that they do not have enough data available to support their assertions and that is why the amount of people dying has been downgraded. As of right now the amount of individuals dying from the Corona Virus and related causes in the United States of America is 1500. That is a far cry from 80,000. Yet, this report is still being dispersed throughout the mainstream media as having some sort of credibility. To have 80,000 Americans dead at the current 1.5% mortality rate you
would have to have 8.7 million Americans infected. Where we are now with
100,000 infected and 1500 dead, you have a long long long long way to
go. I would argue that the way it is going it would be ABSOLUTELY
IRRESPONSIBLE for anyone to mention this flawed and statistically irreverent study anymore.
It was reported that the Corona Virus had a mortality rate of 3.5%, far greater than the common flu and that it poised a greater threat than the flu virus could ever have. This led to a reaction that more precautions needed to take place to insure the safety and stability of the population as a whole. As of right now the mortality rate of the Corona Virus stands at 1.4% and falling. The flu virus kills on average 26,000 people in the United States of America annually. After 30 days of the Corona Virus, we are not even at 5% of that. In New York State where 50% of all cases have been diagnosed, they are suffering from the worst flu season on historical record. More people in New York State have contracted the flu this year than the Corona Virus and have been treated for it medically.. This is hardly reported nor is it reported that the strain on the medical system of New York can be directly attributed to the flu epidemic happening at the same time as the Corona Virus.
In the majority of states the amount of cases of the Corona Virus compared to the population does not justify the reaction by the particular state in question. For example: The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, which is currently ranked number SIX overall in number of cases of Corona Virus, has a little over 3200 confirmed cases as of March 28, 2010. Massachusetts also has a population of 7 million people. With those numbers the Governor of Massachusetts decided to lock-down the entire state: only emergency businesses are allowed open, restaurants serve only take-out, no school until April 30th, and no gatherings above 10 people. Taking into account that Massachusetts has 13 counties, the counties with the largest amount of cases are Suffolk, Middlesex, Norfolk, and Essex Counties. There are 6 counties with less than 75 cases. The other counties have less than 100 cases. Yet, through the governor's orders, all are being treated the same. The Center for Disease Control specifically recommends that each community be addressed based upon their exposure to the virus. Instead the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has decided to go against CDC recommendations and resort to extreme measures. This includes shutting down Franklin and Hampshire Counties which have a total of 44 cases with a total of 230,000 people as a population! The state of New Hampshire just did the same thing with 158 cases, 10 counties, and a population of 1.3 million! The fiscal damage, violation of Constitutional Rights, and the illogical thought process which brings about such a move is baffling. It serves no purpose and does not follow the recommendations of the Center for Disease Control whatsoever. People in regions literally unaffected by the virus countless miles away from a single documented case are being treated the same as individuals caught in an epicenter. This is happening throughout the United States of America.
There are some instances where drastic measures have to be taken. An example of this would be in the case of New York State. New York State is rapidly turning into the epicenter of the virus in the United States of America. It is here where the most extreme measures should be taken. Each state, county, and city should be judged by their exposure to the virus AS RECOMMENDED BY THE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL. When all areas are treated the same then resources cannot be dispensed properly and shortages result. As in any type of emergency situation the dispensing and utilizing of resources is paramount to initiating a proper strategy. In a country as large as the United States of America for some states to treat all in their areas the same and affect large amounts of the population the same when, ACCORDING TO THE CDC, it is not necessary displays a risky and unnecessary strategy that ultimately causes more pain, frustration, and actually achieves negative results.
Conversely, the conduct of some individuals and groups of people in areas that have been affected greatly by the Corona Viruses causes great concern. Not exercising Universal Precautions and Social Distancing as recommended by the CDC put other people at risk and leads to the spreading of this virus. In much the same way as the flu, what is recommended should be followed. In a country such as this where the rights of the individual are paramount this can present a challenge. Admittedly, there is a possibility that, just as some people and institutions are overreacting concerning the corona Virus, there are those who are not treating it seriously enough. There has to be a certain medium that is achieved where the goals of containment and prevention are accomplished without overreaction and hysteria.
As mentioned before, the mortality rate of the Corona Virus in this country is 1.5%. In comparison the mortality rate of the flu is much lower but the end result is that last year alone 26,000 people in this country died from the flu with 2.5 million people becoming infected. Comparing the the Corona Virus to the flu is something that cannot be avoided because those who are most susceptible to the flu are also susceptible to the Corona Virus: the elderly and those with preexisting conditions. Where we are now, arguably really 30 days into this outbreak, we are far from the yearly impact that the Common Flu has on our population. In fact it can be argued that the impact of the Corona Virus is much less ableit straining our medical resources because we are still in the midst of the flu season. This can be seen in New York State where the state in in the middle of the worst flu season on historical record and over 156,000 citizens of New York State have already been infected. It can be argued that this and the Corona Virus double-punch is what is straining the medical system in New York State.
The Corona Virus is a threat to the health and the well-being of the American People and to the world. This threat can be addressed in many different ways. This can be addressed through a well-organized plan that is implemented under the direction of medical professionals and the Center for Disease Control which has oversight in this area, assisted by proper reporting and disclosure by an unbiased press not driven by political ideology or it can be addressed through hysteria, overreaction, emotional decisions, propaganda, and political gain. Over the past month we have had the presence and a mixture of both in the solution. More of one and less of the other are strongly in order.
Deacon Tom Anthony
There are some instances where drastic measures have to be taken. An example of this would be in the case of New York State. New York State is rapidly turning into the epicenter of the virus in the United States of America. It is here where the most extreme measures should be taken. Each state, county, and city should be judged by their exposure to the virus AS RECOMMENDED BY THE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL. When all areas are treated the same then resources cannot be dispensed properly and shortages result. As in any type of emergency situation the dispensing and utilizing of resources is paramount to initiating a proper strategy. In a country as large as the United States of America for some states to treat all in their areas the same and affect large amounts of the population the same when, ACCORDING TO THE CDC, it is not necessary displays a risky and unnecessary strategy that ultimately causes more pain, frustration, and actually achieves negative results.
Conversely, the conduct of some individuals and groups of people in areas that have been affected greatly by the Corona Viruses causes great concern. Not exercising Universal Precautions and Social Distancing as recommended by the CDC put other people at risk and leads to the spreading of this virus. In much the same way as the flu, what is recommended should be followed. In a country such as this where the rights of the individual are paramount this can present a challenge. Admittedly, there is a possibility that, just as some people and institutions are overreacting concerning the corona Virus, there are those who are not treating it seriously enough. There has to be a certain medium that is achieved where the goals of containment and prevention are accomplished without overreaction and hysteria.
As mentioned before, the mortality rate of the Corona Virus in this country is 1.5%. In comparison the mortality rate of the flu is much lower but the end result is that last year alone 26,000 people in this country died from the flu with 2.5 million people becoming infected. Comparing the the Corona Virus to the flu is something that cannot be avoided because those who are most susceptible to the flu are also susceptible to the Corona Virus: the elderly and those with preexisting conditions. Where we are now, arguably really 30 days into this outbreak, we are far from the yearly impact that the Common Flu has on our population. In fact it can be argued that the impact of the Corona Virus is much less ableit straining our medical resources because we are still in the midst of the flu season. This can be seen in New York State where the state in in the middle of the worst flu season on historical record and over 156,000 citizens of New York State have already been infected. It can be argued that this and the Corona Virus double-punch is what is straining the medical system in New York State.
The Corona Virus is a threat to the health and the well-being of the American People and to the world. This threat can be addressed in many different ways. This can be addressed through a well-organized plan that is implemented under the direction of medical professionals and the Center for Disease Control which has oversight in this area, assisted by proper reporting and disclosure by an unbiased press not driven by political ideology or it can be addressed through hysteria, overreaction, emotional decisions, propaganda, and political gain. Over the past month we have had the presence and a mixture of both in the solution. More of one and less of the other are strongly in order.
Deacon Tom Anthony
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