SANITY AMONGST THE HYSTERIA

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.

KM