Some Americans don’t want to hear that their country is lying to them.  To some Americans, this wreaks of proffering conspiracy theories or political bias, or just plain “bull_ _t” said one antagonist.

That is what I discovered when I sent an email to customers to allay fears over COVID-19 death numbers which are exaggerated to say the least.

I received emails asking which political party I belonged to, to not send any more conspiracy theories, and that I am “bats_ _t c crazy.” Some sent emails that just asked not to receive politically-charged messages.

I described COVID-19 as an “almost harmless virus” and stated if we let it “have its way, the infected develop natural antibodies without the need for a vaccine, and we go on living our lives.”  This statement is based upon reports showing most cases of COVID-19 coronavirus infection produce mild or no symptoms. Machiavelli: The Art o... Boucheron, Patrick Best Price: $6.19 Buy New $5.99 (as of 03:30 UTC - Details)

Being “right” about this is like rubbing salt in a wound.  Yes, mortality numbers are inaccurate, on the high side.  Don’t fall for the fake pandemic.  Some don’t want to hear this.  Do some want to live in fear?  If some individuals want the deaths keep occurring so the current regime in Washington will be unseated.

Higher mortality rate than Wuhan

As of 4/29/2020 there have been 58,964 reported deaths from COVID-19 coronavirus (4/29/2020).  That is ~2 deaths per 10,000 in the U.S., far higher than the deaths reported in Wuhan, China (3,212 deaths for a population in Hubei Province of 58.5 million, or 5.5 in 100,000).

So, what is causing all the horrid deaths where patients die gasping for breath, regardless of arguments over numbers?

In fact, many of the deaths appear to be treatment related (over-use of ventilators).  Doctors are now instilling oxygen by nasal route rather than forcing oxygen by pressure into the lung with better results.

Never question government

A considerable number of Americans naively believe the death numbers issued by the Centers for Disease Control are real body counts.  The CDC that issues these mortality numbers has a history of over-stating deaths caused by infectious diseases in order to scare the public into getting vaccinated, or in this instance, to self-quarantine. The Culture Of Fear: W... Glassner, Barry Best Price: $1.92 Buy New $25.00 (as of 04:07 UTC - Details)

I asked some parties to provide me with contrary evidence and was sent some spotty news reports that were largely predictions, not body counts, that claimed millions of Americans would die from COVID-19 coronavirus. These scary predictive models have been abandoned.

Shall we hold on to unfounded fears to achieve a political end?

The point of my communication was to allay people’s fears, not to engage in politics or conspiracies.

I’m going to reveal an example of the mortality numbers the CDC issues, but that isn’t the point.  It’s not about being right, it is about being politically correct.  This is about what people want to hear, even if it is a life-and-death issue.

We see one political party contriving up a so-called study to show chloroquine, the “President’s drug,” failed to rescue veterans with severe cases of COVID-19 lung pathology.  But the drug was employed too late to make any difference.

Independent investigators outside the political arena say chloroquine works wonders if used early in the treatment regimen.  The authors of the study were not chest doctors (ophthalmologists), the paper was not peer-reviewed or even published, and it was a literature review, not a clinical study.  There was no comparison group. Fear Itself: The Cause... Gordon, Ann Best Price: $23.69 Buy New $16.90 (as of 04:13 UTC - Details)

This prompted esteemed French virologist Dr. Didier Raoult to prematurely release a study of 1061 patients given chloroquine + an antibiotic that claimed 91% effectiveness with zero side effects. Dr. Raoult alleged scientific misconduct in the Veteran’s study.

But his critics dismissed his study because it was pre-press, not peer-reviewed or published yet.  One can see how lives can be lost in the delay of medical review.  Chloroquine is widely used, does have some side effects, but has been safely used for decades to treat malaria.  One would think by the current rhetoric its critics want it yanked by the FDA.

The political polarization over this drug is seen in obviously biased news reports and commentaries that characterize Dr. Raoult as a “barking-mad witch doctor,” leader of the “hydroxychloroquine cult,” who is promoting chloroquine “mania.”  But no slack is being given for researchers like Dr. Raoult who are attempting to fast-track their clinical data in hopes of saving lives.  However, we live an in era where everyone wants to create their own reality.  The anti-chloroquine campaign can go too far – –  like it did for this woman.

Let’s get back to those death numbers. The following chart from the CDC shows a red vertical line to the far-right indicative of a steep rise in COVID-19 deaths.  But looking at another CDC chart that only presents deaths due to pneumonia and influenza and no COVID-19 data, we see that same steep upward line showing a sharp increase in deaths.  So, we must conclude COVID-19 is not causing as many deaths reported.  Here are the charts:

Resistance (At All Cos... Strassel, Kimberley Best Price: $21.36 Buy New $12.04 (as of 04:39 UTC - Details) Everybody is welcome to their opinion.  But everybody is not welcome to change the facts.  I’m relying on CDC data.

We are now treating the fear, not the disease.  Some apparently want to live in fear for fear of what would happen if it is abandoned, if you can figure that one out?  Others want an epidemic to end up achieving a political regime change.  Most of us want to convince others of our world view but now we have a growing practice of not doing business with anybody who doesn’t.  I wonder if this is going to be the deciding point on whether consumers even buy breakfast cereal?  At this point, political correctness predominates over product quality, service or price.  The problem is being apolitical.  That is not good enough either, even if the stakes are life-and-death.