Posted by:
Free Man
(
)
Date: May 10, 2020 07:47PM
I keep hearing about virus deniers.
I don't know any virus deniers, but I do know many who deny that we've had deaths in the past, as they don't want to talk about them. When 80,000 died of influenza a couple years ago, why didn't we read horror stories like the one in the OP?
I assume now every winter we will be shut down and will be fed constant stories of death, right?
I know many in denial of recent serologic surveys that show many more have been infected than previously thought, making the fatality rate lower - around that of influenza. Many also want to deny there might be inflation of the death count, as government pays more for covid patients. Believe one number, deny another.
I also know many deniers of the economic impact of the shutdown. They don't believe there are 30 million unemployed, and that suicide rates go up 1% for each of those millions.
I also know many who deny that people will starve, as now there are estimates of around 300 million by the end of the year.
https://qz.com/1850947/the-deadly-consequences-of-the-covid-19-economic-shutdown/quote
A recent New York Times article quoted a Delhi, India worker stating, “Instead of coronavirus, the hunger will kill us.” The piece reported that around 265 million people around the world could face starvation by the end of the year, and that measures like strict stay-at-home orders are “drying up work and incomes, and are likely to disrupt agricultural production and supply routes.” As bad as millions of people starving to death may be, it’s only one of many other consequences that are likely to arise from a prolonged total economic shutdown.
end quote
See the above article for more impacts of the shutdown.
Denial about people dying at home due to shutdown and untreated medical problems.
Then there are those who deny that rural hospitals are threatened to close due to restrictions, as I just watched this morning.
There are those who deny that businesses will permanently close, as we've seen locally.
Then denial about revenue for state and local governments and schools being severely reduced, and inability to provide public health and other services.
Of course, the answer to all these problems is the federal government printing money and throwing that around. And then there's denial about the consequences for that, and how it affects the poor disproportionately.
Our WA governor is one of the deniers, as he now thinks we can wait a couple more months to re-open. Initially we were told to just do it a few weeks, to flatten the curve, but now if you have any cases, stay closed. As with many of our wars, mission creep, as those in power can't let go.
Our area has little going on - 500,000 population in our county and only a couple new cases a day. 600 bed capacity hospitals, with 10 covid patients - hardly overwhelmed.
Many want to deny any difference in region, and consider Wyoming to be the same as New York in potential for death.
Some are saying the virus might be around a couple years. Are you a virus denier if you don't want to be out of work that long?
The deniers think food will magically appear on the shelves, and the power will stay on, without people going to work. Or do they not actually believe in staying home? Apparently they think they can go to the store.
Many of us who are not in denial are looking for ways to prevent death and destruction from the shutdown, while minimizing the impact of the virus.
There are many ideas out there proposed by leading epidemiologists from the start, to prevent deaths from the shutdown, but too many in denial to listen.