[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by Mumbles

I have to disagree with you based on all the stats that come from the REAL experts on this. We are anticipating having 300,000 (probably inflated) more deaths by year's end. Since we know for absolute certain that most of our influenzas over the past 40 years have an AVERAGE death result of about 50,000 per FULL SEASON, moving from 165,000 today to 300,000 -- in just 4 months-- tells me everything I need to know about the value of self-protection, distancing, and the like.

Nor can one say factually that 99% of those infected survive it. Further, though I can't tell you the numbers of people that will be ill the rest of their lives from having "survived" this virus, I certainly wouldn't want to be one of them, and I strongly suspect you and I would agree completely about that.

This IS an extremely dangerous virus. Maybe most of us in The Villages endure incredibly harsh measures to remain untouched, others have not. That some of us are still alive may be a) a function of our protecting ourselves or b) a gift from above.

A couple I have been told about developed the virus not long ago. The husband is in ICU with double pneumonia; the wife is contained in her home. They had lots of friends come to their home without masks, most of them, on a regular basis over the past month or so. Now, those others have insulated themselves in their homes and are not seen out and about. I suspect they are horrified about all this. It would be amazing if nobody else in that group develops the virus. And since they are older people, they are more likely to suffer the ravages of Covid-19 than you or I who are highly protective of ourselves. What do we chalk it up to if some pass on?

So, no, the Covid-19 is not a stage 4 cancer, it is not a burst appendix, it is not a near-fatal car crash. But it IS an influenza to die for.

Very well said