I
am fully aware that many of you are following the table I previously provided
with projections of the infected by date for the United States. Yes, the
numbers are still tracking very closely to those projections. While the mortality
rate among those infected is much higher than the common flu (between twenty
and thirty times higher,) there are still some numbers that I think we all need
to keep in mind.
I
am going to use round numbers here to make it easier. There are about
330,000,000 (that’s three hundred and thirty million) people in the United
States. Right now, the numbers of infected are about 3,000 (three thousand.)
The number that have died from the coronavirus is about 60 (sixty.) So, let’s
do a little math:
(3000 / 330,000,000) X 100 = .00091% of the population
infected with COVID-19, that we are aware of.
(60
/330,000,000) X 100 = .000018% of the population
that have died due to COVID-19 that we are aware of.
I
am in no way saying that we should take this disease lightly. I’m saying that
reasonable precautions as outlined by Federal, State, and local governments
need to be followed. If we do not begin to ‘flatten the curve’ it will become
much worse in short order.
I
am also trying to convey that panic buying is stupid. Exactly how long do you
believe you will need to be isolated? Long enough to use up a pallet of toilet
paper? I sincerely doubt it. This isn’t about a breakdown of our society, no
matter what you might be hearing from other sources. Congress just passed and
the President signed a bill to help people to still get paid, for the poorest
in our communities to still get food, and for everyone that needs it, to get the
coronavirus test for free.
I
am not going to repeat all the instructions on how to prevent contracting the
coronavirus. Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you have probably heard
them at least a few dozen times. What I’m going to say is FOLLOW those
instructions.
To
all the naysayers out that that still believe COVID-19 is no worse than the
common cold or the flu, you are wrong. I hope you don’t wind up dead wrong.
Stay
calm. Stay safe. Flatten the curve.
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