[stan the man]

Originally Posted by PugMom

says who?

👍play on numbers

[stan the man]

Originally Posted by rlcooper70

You are minimizing the virus ... perhaps that is why it is spreading so quickly. Very sad.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 vs. the Flu | Johns Hopkins Medicine

[jswirs]

Originally Posted by Choro&Swing

Thanks for the link. (For those who haven’t looked, it says
38 million to 54 million flu illnesses this season.
18 million to 26 million medical visits for flu this season.
400 thousand to 730 thousand hospitalizations for flu this season.
24 thousand to 64 thousand deaths from the flu this season.
It also says this: “ How does the number of flu hospitalizations estimated so far this season compare with previous end-of-season hospitalization estimates? The number of hospitalizations estimated so far this season is lower than end-of-season total hospitalization estimates for any season since CDC began making these estimates.”

By contrast, the current count of Coronavirus cases in the U.S., as of this moment, is 105 THOUSAND, with under 1,800 deaths. This disease has the possibility of being gigantic, and certainly it is leading to problems at hospitals in a few cities, but it may also end up being a relative flash in the pan compared to what the flu does yearly. Wouldn’t that be terrific?

Perhaps we are right to be extremely cautious. I’ve been in voluntary quarantine for three weeks now, apart from a few trips to stores (not for toilet paper). I applaud The Villages for shutting down restaurants, pools, recreation centers, etc. That will save lives! And stop complaining about losing your Amenity Fees. The extra cost of running the place right now far surpasses the cost of amenities at normal times.

Why are we in panic mode? Primarily television news, whatever your favorite channel may be. For example, I get my weather news from a very accurate source called WeatherUnderground.com. Say there’s snow in the forecast in New York City. Weather Underground says 1-3”. The television weather people say “This could be the worst storm ever for this date! Experts say we could get as much as 18” of snow! Emergency teams are getting ready! Stay home, whatever you do! Stay tuned for more storm information after these local advertisements that are going to bring us many thousands of dollars!” And New York gets 1” of snow. Weather Underground was right. Do the television news teams offer a profound apology? No way!

What I’m saying is that rumors of epidemics and storms and terrorist events keep people glued to the news channels, so the television news gives us what we want in order to maximize profits, even if what they tell is is highly exaggerated.

One thing I’m sure of is that the social distancing we are practicing right now will save lives: not only deaths from the Coronavirus but deaths from the flu. Quite possibly many thousands of deaths from the flu. Maybe even more deaths from the flu than from the Coronavirus. I’ll bet we could save thousands of lives a year if we did this every flu season. I think it’s quite possible that there are far more people right now in The Villages with the flu than with the Coronavirus, and there may be many more deaths in The Villages this year from the flu. Yet we don’t panic about that. We just get our vaccines and avoid other people when we get sick.

Am I scared? Well, yes! Am I doing what it takes to stay alive? You bet! Are we unduly terrified? Probably. Are we doing the right thing? Maybe. But is our panic damaging our economic structure and my retirement funds? Sure is! Is it causing economic hardship to millions? Yup! Is it adding immense amounts to the national debt (that WE owe!)? Yes.

Yesterday I talked with my 91 year old father on the phone. He lives in Denver. My sister lives in Tucson. He said her daughter (his grand-daughter) had called, sobbing, because she had just driven my sister to the emergency room of a local hospital, and she had been explaining where to find her will and her passwords and who to call when she died. My sister was sent to a triage tent. Then she was sent to the emergency room. Her daughter wasn’t let into the emergency room, so she was waiting in the car, sobbing to my dad. My sister’s symptoms were a running and clogged up nose, a fever, a wet cough, and body aches.

Did you catch that? Are you up on Coronavirus symptoms, or are you among the panicking sheep? My dad knew instantly that my sister did not have the Coronavirus, and so did I. The symptoms are wrong. While her daughter was still on the phone to my dad, my sister came out, knocked on the car window, and said, “Let’s go home.” The emergency room nurse said she had a heavy cold or a mild case of the flu. If my sister hadn’t panicked and had known the symptoms, she would have stayed home and not been part of the problem in the hospital. She also could have saved the health care system (us) a lot of money in hospital costs.

How many of the people in The Villages who got tested for the Coronavirus this week didn’t need to be?

You are so very right, you echo my sentiments exactly! It's so very sad that so many people, or shall I say sheeple, are so easily lead down the path of panic, and believe everything they hear on the panic producing news media.

[Velvet]

‘That is the big difference that some people don't get NO VACCINE’ - For Covid

And... no cure.

[davem4616]

Originally Posted by Brownmoose13

Why does the media ignore these numbers?

2019-2020 U.S. Flu Season: Preliminary Burden Estimates | CDC

because they don't care...the media is about selling advertisements, they charge for commercials on the basis of how many people are watching their show....it's not about truthful, vetted reporting...it's about ratings

it's a lot like watching professional wrestling...it's entertaining, looks real, but it isn't

[Sjshanl]

It’s called “normalization of deviations “ , or in other words, we’re so used to it that it doesn’t bother us, and the media doesn’t get any attention from it.

[Bucco]

Originally Posted by davem4616

because they don't care...the media is about selling advertisements, they charge for commercials on the basis of how many people are watching their show....it's not about truthful, vetted reporting...it's about ratings

it's a lot like watching professional wrestling...it's entertaining, looks real, but it isn't

A. They are not being ignored in any way and would need you to make a case that they are being ignored, because probably daily they are referenced.

B. Whoever you refer to as the media (not exactly a specific case is it) does a great job in reporting news which is their job. Now, the fact you do no like it does not make it untrue.

C. General attacks like you make, I realize is becoming "par for the course" and I guess my stubborness on this subject is that demeaning of the press is a true indicator of misinformed electorate and big problems in the future. "media" does not make the news but used video, tapes, quotes etc. to keep us informed.......not liking it does not make it untrue of a hoax, or fake, as has been proven over and over and over again over the past few years.

I would never attack anyone or anything with NO validation, which you do here......and just an add......there is no comparison whatsoever between the seasonal flu and corona.

[LiverpoolWalrus]

Originally Posted by Choro&Swing

38 million to 54 million flu illnesses this season.
18 million to 26 million medical visits for flu this season.
400 thousand to 730 thousand hospitalizations for flu this season.
24 thousand to 64 thousand deaths from the flu this season.

By contrast, the current count of Coronavirus cases in the U.S., as of this moment, is 105 THOUSAND, with under 1,800 deaths. This disease has the possibility of being gigantic, and certainly it is leading to problems at hospitals in a few cities, but it may also end up being a relative flash in the pan compared to what the flu does yearly. Wouldn’t that be terrific?

Why are we in panic mode? Primarily television news, whatever your favorite channel may be. For example, I get my weather news from a very accurate source called WeatherUnderground.com. Say there’s snow in the forecast in New York City. Weather Underground says 1-3”. The television weather people say “This could be the worst storm ever for this date! Experts say we could get as much as 18” of snow! Emergency teams are getting ready! Stay home, whatever you do! Stay tuned for more storm information after these local advertisements that are going to bring us many thousands of dollars!” And New York gets 1” of snow. Weather Underground was right. Do the television news teams offer a profound apology? No way!

What I’m saying is that rumors of epidemics and storms and terrorist events keep people glued to the news channels, so the television news gives us what we want in order to maximize profits, even if what they tell is is highly exaggerated.

...He said her daughter (his grand-daughter) had called, sobbing, because she had just driven my sister to the emergency room of a local hospital, and she had been explaining where to find her will and her passwords and who to call when she died...My sister’s symptoms were a running and clogged up nose, a fever, a wet cough, and body aches...The emergency room nurse said she had a heavy cold or a mild case of the flu.

Great post, ChoroSwing (excerpted here). Perfect example of how terrified some people are. And I couldn't agree with you more that TV news shows are to blame. That's right - "they give the people what they want" so they'll continue to watch the advertisements. But that raises the question, why do people want to be frightened? Are we that starved for entertainment? The grossly exaggerated weather reports you cite are a classic example. Hurricane coverage is another. I for one refuse to be manipulated by TV news so I don't watch it. Ever. I get news from other less sensationalistic sources.

All that said---(Other posters please note I'm stating this up front so no need to lecture this info back at me.) The fatality rate of Covid-19 is much higher than the flu and way more contagious, so we do need to take common sense precautions. I did some quick calculations from the posted data and flu's lethality rate using both ranges is way less than 1%. It appears, for now anyway, Covid's is somewhere around 3%. Granted the Covid statistic could adjust downward quite a bit as more and more people are tested.

[Bucco]

Originally Posted by LiverpoolWalrus

Great post, ChoroSwing (excerpted here). Perfect example of how terrified some people are. And I couldn't agree with you more that TV news shows are to blame. That's right - "they give the people what they want" so they'll continue to watch the advertisements. But that raises the question, why do people want to be frightened? Are we that starved for entertainment? The grossly exaggerated weather reports you cite are a classic example. Hurricane coverage is another. I for one refuse to be manipulated by TV news so I don't watch it. Ever. I get news from other less sensationalistic sources.

All that said---(Other posters please note I'm stating this up front so no need to lecture this info back at me.) The fatality rate of Covid-19 is much higher than the flu and way more contagious, so we do need to take common sense precautions. I did some quick calculations from the posted data and flu's lethality rate using both ranges is way less than 1%. It appears, for now anyway, Covid's is somewhere around 3%. Granted the Covid statistic could adjust downward quite a bit as more and more people are tested.

With such serious allegations you are making, I am assuming that there will be an edit to your post allowing specific examples of what you say......that the media ""they give the people what they want" so they'll continue to watch the advertisements."

I will look forward to substantiation for such serious allegations that you are making.

Some networks are dispensing advice on medication which I find VERY SERIOUS are ignored by you....I find that interesting.

To be fair they are not dispensing this as part of a news program, but it is irresponsible and I hope nobody in your family takes their advice....call your doctor.

But anyway...serious allegations require substantiation.

On the weather which is not the subject of the thread, but suggest you read a bit as to why....safety....for the most part. Maybe never helped you but the hyper on hurricanes for example has saved many lives and also provided impetus to improve and narrow down those forecasts. They are also a great service to those who provide protection for us.....a huge service. If you get upset at the guy or gal providing that service because it did not affect you, think of the potential lives saved.

[LiverpoolWalrus]

Bucco, thanks for your feedback. I think it's common knowledge that TV news is a commercial business funded by advertisements. As such, their model is to maximize viewership. Nonetheless, I agree that's not "substantiating an allegation" so if in your view my opinion about funding for TV news rises to the level of an "allegation," I guess I'm guilty as charged. To that I would say that in my view, an example of an "allegation" would be something like "TV news ruins lives" - which is nothing like what I said.

Saying, as I did, that TV news gives people what they want, is nothing more than an opinion, especially since continued viewership would indicate there is some credence to my opinion. And there is nothing negative about it, unlike an "allegation." If you're disagreeing that people watch TV news so that they can see advertisements, I can understand that, as I don't think that's the case. I'd be surprised if people watch TV news for the advertisements, but they are seeing them anyway, and that's what the TV news shows want in order to survive.

In any case, as requested, here's a bit of "substantiation" from the good people at the Neilsen TV ratings service: Research Study Shows TV Viewers Really Do Watch Commercials – Nielsen

I appreciate your concern that I might not be getting all the news I need to protect myself and my family. Rest assured I am. And I'm rigidly adhering to CDC's guidelines, just for the record. The thought of possibly infecting someone else while being unaware I could be infected is a very sobering one, and a very unpleasant one at that. It is not something I want to risk doing.

Point taken about weather and hurricane news coverage. I'm sure it sometimes saves lives. It's just my opinion that it's sometimes exaggerated, but you're right, not always.

[Moderator]

Please stay on the topic of CDC Covid-19 numbers vs. seasonal flu numbers. Further discussion of other topics will be deleted. You are free to start another thread on other topics if desired.

Moderator

[knippme]

Thank you for your post.

[Starfire]

The death rate for Convid-19 is totally unknown because we have no idea exactly how many people are actually infected!!!!

My daughter, who works at a hospital, informs me that there are not enough test kits to test everyone who has symptoms (Not surprising since we started with ZERO test kits due to this being a NEW virus). Thus, only those who are so sick as to be hospitalized are being tested. The rest of the patients are being sent home to recover on their own.

The problem is, the only way to have a CONFIRMED case of Covid-19 is to have the test performed. Thus, there is a huge under-reporting of the number of cases. This would indicate that the death rate from Covid-19 is actually much much lower than is currently being reported.

PS: Everyone will get this over the next few years. It is just a matter of time (kind of like the flu).

[Sparky25]

The villages daily Sun reported that last week 630 people were tested for the virus and only 20 came back positive. I wanna know what about the other 610 people who were tested and who had symptoms, what the heck did they have? Did they have the flu or something else I was contagious? I hope they still like themselves in their house for 14 days.

[LiverpoolWalrus]

It's well established that stress and anxiety cause illness.

Illnesses Caused by Stress

The Relationship Between Anxiety and Illness