Astoundingly, despite the U.S. (allegedly) being the richest, most technologically and medically advanced country in the world, we have the highest numbers of COVID-19 infections, and many times over the numbers of deaths due to complications of the coronavirus than the rest of the world.
Currently, as of today, November 29, 2020, according to John Hopkins University & Medical, the death toll in the U.S. is 266,047 with a 2% Fatality-Case rate.
Many Americans still insist the virus is just “a very severe flu-like contagion” or that it is a “hoax.” The numbers alone show that neither are true. Nor is it a national or worldwide political conspiracy as some allege. Even worse is the type of thinking that there is an “acceptable number of deaths to COVID-19” that should be accepted by society to reopen, or that those most susceptible to it should simply choose to separate themselves from the rest of society. It explains how the current national government and many in state governments have chosen to not do what was needed to combat this pandemic effectively.
That kind of thinking should be anathema to most Americans who truly value both life and freedom. Not only should that level of selfishness always be unacceptable, it should be viewed, even in a world admittedly bereft of many formerly cherished societal norms and values, as “immoral,” provided that such things any longer exist or are being taught in our culture.
On the other hand, perhaps writing off the lives of others based on a “Risk vs. Benefit” is not so unusual. In an article in Atlantic Magazine, “A Failure of Empathy Led to 200,000 Deaths. It Has Deep Roots,” it was noted that psychological studies have found that “the lives of the elderly are often undervalued and even dismissed,” in some instances by a few of the elderly themselves. Utilitarianism should not be the basis upon which someone’s life or death is decided.
At some point, when dealing with mass death, the Atlantic article noted that “victims are no longer individuals but statistics.” This observation is easily seen in how both the national, state, and local health authorities post COVID-19 numbers daily, and yet still thinks it’s the “numbers” that will be persuasive.
Daily numbers fail on the most fundamental level to impress on the public the seriousness of the pandemic and its effects on real people and families. Many people have had to die alone, away from the comfort of their loved ones. Making matters worse, the loss of a loved one cannot even be properly grieved. Where are their stories? What are the feelings of grief and loss by those left behind? Grief is both personal and private for everyone, but it is also usually a publicly shared experience that brings together family and community to acknowledge that someone’s “life mattered.” Not being able to do so, devalues life.
This pandemic may prove that the combination of Americans’ self-indulgence and willingness to believe in the most fantastical conspiracies, rumors and lies, while insisting that their personal and Constitutional freedoms extend past and outweigh the rights of everyone around them despite risks of severe illness, even death, to others, is not acceptable; it’s immoral and irresponsible in a civilized society. The fact is, others have every much the same right to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” as do those abusing their “rights” at others’ expense. Human rights and civil rights end where their practice or abuse harms those of others entitled to the same rights.
Covid-19, like any virus, can mutate…and it already has. One such mutation was thought to be responsible for the incredible increase in the infection rates. What if it continues to mutate and becomes even more infectious or deadly? What if something else comes along, something far more deadly and infectious, and we fail to learn valuable lessons from this pandemic?
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), following is a list of those medical conditions that are most at risk from the coronavirus and COVID-19:
Adults of any age with certain underlying medical conditions are at increased risk for severe illness from the virus that causes COVID-19. Severe illness from COVID-19 is defined as hospitalization, admission to the ICU, intubation or mechanical ventilation, or death.
Adults of any age with the following conditions are at increased risk of severe illness from the virus that causes COVID-19:
- Cancer (In 2020, an estimated 1,806,590 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in the United States and 606,520 people will die from the disease.)
- Chronic kidney disease (15% of US adults are estimated to have chronic kidney disease, which is about 37 million people. CKD is a condition in which the kidneys are damaged and cannot filter blood as well as they should.)
- COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) (COPD is a leading cause of death in the U.S., affecting 16 million Americans. Millions more don’t know they have it.
- Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies (Coronary heart disease affects about 18.2 million Americans age 20 and older, and it killed nearly 366,000 in 2017. Heart disease is the number one cause of death for most racial and ethnic groups.)
- Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant (39,717 organs — hearts and kidneys, for instance — were transplanted in 2019 in U.S. residents.)
- Obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30 kg/m2 or higher but < 40 kg/m2) Close 40% of the total population in the U.S. is considered “obese.”
- Severe Obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2) (Almost 10% of the population is considered “severely obese.” )
- Pregnancy (3.4% of population at any one time)
- Sickle cell disease (1 in 12 Blacks and African-Americans are born with the disease.)
- Smoking (In 2019, nearly 14 of every 100 U.S. adults aged 18 years or older (14.0%) currently* smoked cigarettes. This means an estimated 34.1 million adults in the United States currently smoke cigarettes
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus (It is estimated that 26 million Americans have type 2 diabetes, with 90 to 95 percent of people with diabetes in the United States having type 2. An estimated 79 million having prediabetes.
This is not an exhaustive list.
Many other medical conditions are also likely as well to result in severe COVID-19 symptoms, conditions, and even death. Here is the list (again, not an exhaustive listing) of potential medical conditions that are thought to increase risk, pending further studies):
- Asthma (moderate-to-severe)
- Cerebrovascular disease (affects blood vessels and blood supply to the brain)
- Cystic fibrosis
- Hypertension or high blood pressure
- Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids, or use of other immune weakening medicines
- Neurologic conditions, such as dementia
- Liver disease
- Overweight (BMI > 25 kg/m2, but < 30 kg/m2)
- Pulmonary fibrosis (having damaged or scarred lung tissues)
- Thalassemia (a type of blood disorder)
- Type 1 diabetes mellitus
“The truth is out there.” But you must be willing to look for it and accept facts from credible sources, of which there are many. The real questions facing the country is: Who and how many are you willing to let die from COVID-19? What is your idea of an “acceptable” number of deaths? And are you potentially one of them?
Discover more from Sierra Wave: Eastern Sierra News - The Community's News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Real easy to think and feel this way when you have a job and are financially covered.
Tragic how many people have died from this pandemic as well as how they spent their last days and how it must have impacted their families, nobody should have to experience that or die like that.
The other side of this pandemic that deserves our attention is how it has negatively impacted a much larger percentage of people that won’t get sick or at least are asymptomatic; issues such as and which have shown a sharp increase in like mental health, suicide, drug use, domestic violence, child abuse including molestation. Studies have shown that children are much safer at school than away from school. Some kids absolutely need to be in a classroom to learn, they need the in person instruction if they are to learn anything and this pandemic will have life long impacts to those kids and the classroom time they’ve lost.
In the last day or two Anthony Fauci has changed his stance on kids in school, he is now saying kids should be in school, weird.
I am not downplaying the 266,xxx deaths, it’s horrible, just saying there is another side to the pandemic for the vast majority who we can’t work or go to school or socialize and live and it deserves our attention.
If were going to discuss deaths, albeit with much controversy, there have been studies in recent years that have shown medical error to be the cause of 250,000 people per year in America. One of those studies can be found on the same site mentioned in this article, John Hopkins Medicine site.
I don’t want to be critical of health care professionals but they’re human they make mistakes just like everyone else, that combined with the underlying health conditions that people may or may not know they have don’t help, patients that don’t care about their own health doesn’t help, their work loads and stress doesn’t help.
Maybe an article can be written on the impacts of those who won’t get sick, the ones who not only lose their jobs but lose their livelihoods, everything they’ve worked so hard for all their lives, that’s tragic too is it not?
Can you guys pat yourselves on the back even harder??? It is just weird that I do no know of one person in my sphere that has got it or worse have died. Not one.
My parents are 83, one has a heart condition and other underlying conditions. The other parent has had breast cancer, twice. She is also diabetic, with other conditions as well. My father was in the hospital for a week in February, and my mother and I would walk in and out of the hospital all day long. No Rona.. They go out and about, grocery shopping, eating out, going to the mall. All members of our family visit them, no masks – no Rona…
Are we just lucky? Yes, we are – we have not lost one moment of this year worried someone was going to die – we lived our lives, very happy and continent. But go ahead and put a big thumbs down and berate me. There are ALWAYS two sides to a story – always….
Mono Person
Well,good for you !!
All about “ME.ME.ME”and your family and circle of friends.
My neighbors living next door to me,a really good family and someone that employs me for work throughout the year,they are not so fortunate as you are
He is related to the the man that was the early COVID death in Mono County.
And a couple days ago,it didn’t happen in our area,but his Dad’s Brother died from COVID
Both were healthy people.
.How’s that for the OTHER side of the story.
The side that ISN’T about yourself ?
Hey, Governor Newsome feels the same way as I do!! French Laundry…. and I love poking the liberal bear – you all are so “in line” with the hypocrisy.
I too am glad that you and your family are well. You are indeed fortunate. Unfortunately, there
are about a quarter million Americans who would also like to congratulate you, but they can’t. Enjoy your holidays.
Same with Governor Newsome!
It still shocks me how many people don’t take Coronavirus seriously until it directly and detrimentally affects them or a loved one. So Mono, how about you give us all an update in another 30 days, and then again in 60 days. Let’s see if all the good luck and health for you and yours continues throughout the holidays and all the traveling and spreading of germs going on.
Are you checking on Governor Newsome health too?? Yeah…
Yes Mono. I am watching to see if Newsom’s dinner party at the French Laundry gets linked to cases. Just as I watched and followed the White House super spreader events. Just as I was recently appalled to see a local city council member on the front page of a local paper, unmasked and shoulder to shoulder with an elder to “honor” his 100th birthday . It was not the first time some local leadership has been shown in public in the media unmasked.
How many lives, businesses, livelihoods, school learning hours, etc. could be saved if all our public officials modeled safe and exemplary behavior in the face of this pandemic? Everyone from the Whitehouse and State Governors on down to city and town council members, county supervisors, law enforcement, chamber of commerce representatives and school board members.
As for checking on your health – you offered it up in a tone deaf comment to tell your side of the story. Lord forbid you or a family member has a non-COVID medical emergency but can’t get the care needed in time due to an overflowing hospital and overtaxed medical staff.
Your logic is so interesting; implying that “the ‘rona” isn’t that big of a deal and that public health experts and the medical profession must be making more out of this than is needed, as you have from the very beginning of this pandemic. But I wonder: how do you know that your father really has heart disease and your mum has had cancer, TWICE no less, PLUS diabetes? Are you certain their doctor(s) know what they’re talking about or what they’re doing? What evidence have you relied on that you actually believe these diagnoses? It is just weird that no one in my “sphere” has had heart disease, breast cancer, or diabetes. Not one! And I haven’t worried in the least that I’ll get them either!
This is by far, the most informative, simplistic explanatory article that I have personally read since this virus came about. It showed me that my thinking was completely incorrect about the possibility of those that are “at risk” of being infected, especially those of us that have underlying health issues. I have been relatively healthy my entire life, I’m 62, and up until a year and a half ago, had never spent the night in a hospital, or even had any regular check-ups. I had my colon cancer removed almost a year ago, and thought I was just another healthy guy who had nothing to concern me as far as contracting this bug, but there it was, #1 on the list. I used to get (slightly) annoyed when a clerk would ask me to mask up, but the reality is, it’s the new normal. The sooner we can all get on board and realize the severity of this thing, the sooner we can beat it .
Rick, I have to admit, I got a good laugh out of “This is by far , the most informative, ‘simplistic’ (yikes) explanatory article that I have personally read…” Being simplistic isn’t something I’ve very often been accused of! But I’ll accept it. If the article was helpful, then I achieved what I set out to do. The problem that I see is that, while many appear ready to throw those with underlying medical conditions under the bus, they don’t appear to realize just how many people they are actually talking about. It’s not just the elderly.
Thanks for commenting. Hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving holiday.
Charles James
The thing is….IMO…the people refusing to or making a fuss about wearing a mask,many of them don’t care about others,only about themselves,feeling,saying and acting like their “rights”are being taken away.
And it makes (made) it easier for them to do it when FORMER political figures in high places were telling them that,saying masks don’t help,that the whole pandemic is a “hoax”,and the only thing that matters is getting things back to normal ASAP,so the economy and stock market will flourish.
As if nothing ever happened in 2020 March,and is still happening,with thousands of positive COVID cases and deaths Nationwide everyday to this day,with many doctors expecting it to get even worse.
I also think your reporting of this in our area is not only very informative,but a much needed news source for us living in Inyo and Mono Counties.