Biblical and Constitutional Politics

Different Perspective in Dealing with the Coronavirus

(Had Either COVID-19 or the Flu and Mostly Recovered in 35 Hours)

Part Two

By Gary F. Zeolla

      This article is continued from Different Perspective in Dealing with the Coronavirus (Had Either COVID-19 or the Flu and Mostly Recovered in 35 Hours) Part One.

Different Perspective

      I have been so detailed in my experience, as it illustrates a couple of points I have been trying to make throughout the Coronavirus section of my politics website.

      The first point is, I have a completely different perspective than the authorities as to how best to deal with the CV crisis. The approach of the authorities is to restrict people’s movements and freedoms, so that no one gets infected with the CV. It is a shotgun approach that treats all people the same.

      My approach is to encourage those who are able to engage in healthy habits, so that if or when they get infected, they do not experience adverse consequences. But then for those who are at high risk, they need to self-isolate or take whatever precautions are necessary to not get infected. But for those of us who are healthy, such draconian approaches simply are not necessary.

      The elderly are of course the most at risk, especially those in nursing homes, who most certainly have other high risk conditions beside just their advanced age. Here in PA, fully half of our deaths from the CV have been among those in nursing homes. And here in my home country of Allegheny County, 43 of the 67 deaths have been among those in nursing homes (as of 4/21/20).

      If we had concentrated our efforts on protecting that precious but vulnerable population in nursing homes, our deaths would have been much lower. Instead, the authorities spread out resources across the county and state, trying to protect those who did not need protected, while not giving due attention to those most at risk. The same situation is seen in other states. For instance, “Rhode Island … with nursing home residents accounting for more than 90 of the state’s 118 deaths” (Trib. Governors).

      Now to really get myself into trouble. There are also of course some who are not elderly but who are still at high risk. But in most all of those cases, that is due to their own lack of self-responsibility. I say that as every time I have seen a picture on the news of someone who has died from the CV who was not elderly, they have been significantly overweight.

      I stated previously that hypertension and diabetes are two of the major risk factors to have adverse consequences from the CV. You could add heart disease to those two, though that is often caused by one or both of them. But all of these conditions are lifestyle related, most often caused by being overweight.

      Those who have been ignoring the advice of health officials for years or decades and have put themselves a high risk, have them self-isolate. But don’t punish those of us who have been responsible and have been taking care of ourselves by forcing all of us to self-isolate as well.

      The main exception from this observation is those suffering from asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Those conditions increase CV adverse consequences risk but are not lifestyle related. But still, they know who they are and can take needed precautions. But that does not mean we all need to be so “protected” and to lose our freedoms.

Inflated and Deflated Numbers

      The second implication of my experience has to deal with the fact that I was not tested for the CV. My situation was not unique. Thousands upon thousands of Americans over the past few weeks have probably had an experience similar to mine. They were sick for a day or two, but their symptoms did not warrant getting tested. But like me, they might have had the CV. But since we were not tested, we are not counted as CV cases.

      This lack has two effects. First, it lowers the denominator when figuring the death rate of the CV. Remember, it is deaths/ cases. The higher the number of cases, the lower the death rate. But if thousands upon thousands of Americans have had the CV and recovered that are not being counted in that denominator, it inflates the death rate well above what it truly is.

      Second, the lack of testing those who do not have severe symptoms lowers the total number of recovered. If that number were accurately known, and broadcast in the media as much as they broadcast the number of cases and deaths, Americans would begin to realize the CV is not something to be feared.

      This disparity between truth and perception becomes greater due to how deaths are now being counted. Dr. Deborah Birx, in a task force briefing last week, confirmed a supposition I made in my article Nursing Home Deaths. She said that in American, we are counting everyone who dies with the CV as someone who died from the CV. But as I explain in that article, often the two are not equivalent. But I should mention, Dr. Birx said that people like me who claim that practice is faulty and is inflating the numbers are pushing a “conspiracy theory.”

      Be that as it may, add to this the fact that, at the CDC’s orders, hospitals are now counting anyone who dies in the hospital as a CV death, even if that person had not been tested as positive for the CV. It only needs to be “assumed” it was COVID-19 related or that COVID-19 “contributed” to the death.

      It also sounds like they are now conflating seasonal flu and COVID-19 deaths, with both being reported as the latter. That was seen during Saturday’s (4/18/20) task force briefing, where Dr. Brix showed a chart listing “respiratory infection” rates that included both the seasonal flu and COVID-19.

      Add these inflated number of deaths to the deflated number of cases, and the death rate is greatly exaggerated. These inflation and deflation of numbers making the CV look more severe than it really is has been happening not just here in the States but around the world.

      But if the true number of CV deaths and cases were to be known, we would probably find the death rate of the CV to be about the same as for the seasonal flu, especially since the seasonal flu death rate is now being depressed due to flu deaths being counted as COVID-19 deaths.

      What all this means is, we are being sold a bill of goods exaggerating the mortality of COVID-19, all to scare us into accepting the draconian measures designed to prevent all people from being infected. But if it not near as lethal as we are being told, then those measures and our loss of freedom were totally unnecessary.

Flatten the Curve

      We were told that we needed to abide by the social distancing, self-isolation, and accept the closure of businesses in order to “flatten the curve.” We were also told that up to 2,250,000 Americans would die if we did not do so.

      However, “flatten the curve” was never intended to reduce the total number of infections and only indirectly the number of deaths. A flattened curve as opposed to a spike will still have the same number of cases overall. It will just spread the cases out over a greater period of time. That would keep our healthcare systems from being overwhelmed. Only indirectly would that reduce the number of deaths, due to hospitals not having to ration care.

      However, except for New York City, our healthcare system has not gotten overwhelmed. There are in fact plenty of empty beds throughout the country due to elective surgeries being canceled in most states. That cancellation of elective surgeries has caused great economic hardships to many hospitals.

      Even in New York City, after all the hoopla over moving the USNS Comfort into New York Harbor, it has remained mostly unused and unneeded. And the Javits Center, which the Army Corp of Engineers converted into a 2500 beds hospital, only used 1000 of those beds. The mainstream media has tried to spin these empty beds in these two facilities into something negative, saying it is due to incompetence in moving patients. But in fact, they remain mostly empty due to lack of need.

      There has also not been a shortage of ventilators, despite the boisterous and overblown cries about their need. We now in fact have such an overabundance of ventilators that we are sending them to other countries.

      Both Republican President Donald Trump and Democrat New York Governor Andrew Cuomo agree on the preceding points. Both have emphasized there have been plenty of hospital beds and that everyone who needed a ventilator got one.

      When people gave their dire predictions, they forgot that here in America, we have the greatest healthcare system in the world. We do not have a fragile socialist system like Italy. It collapsed under the weight of the 2017-18 flu season, so it was no surprise it did so again under the weight of COVID-19.

      But in 2017-18, we had no problems dealing with that most severe flu season in forty years. In fact, we went through it with no dire consequences to our healthcare system and no draconian measures taken. As a result, most of us didn’t even realize it was such a severe season, even though an estimated 61,000 - 80,000 American died from it.

      The only areas in which there has been shortages now has been with testing and personal protective equipment (PPE). But both of those are being solved by ramped up production, though admittedly too slowly. Hence, my frustration with not being able to get tested, and the frustration of many healthcare providers with not having sufficient PPE.

      In any case, we are now told the projected number of deaths in America is “only” 61,000. That is still a large and sad number, but it is along the lines of how many die each year due to the seasonal flu. This flu season, as of April 4, 2020, there have been an estimated “24,000 – 62,000 flu deaths” (CDC. 2019-2020).

      But of course, we are being told the reason our healthcare system did not get overwhelmed and for the lowered number of COVID-19 deaths are due to the “Great work the American people have done” (to quote Dr. Birx from the task force briefings). But is it?

      Could it just be that the original models were overblown, and that the CV is now running its course? That could be so because of the aforementioned possible far greater number of Americans who have already been infected and recovered but did not know it. That very well could be the case on the west coast.

      Those three states (CA, OR, WA) did not see the spike in cases that many other states did. That could be due to the CV reaching the west coast far earlier than originally thought, possibly as early as December of last year (2019). Back then, no one was talking about the CV, as we were all too focused on the impeachment fiasco, so anyone who developed flu-like symptoms were classified as being seasonal flu cases.

      The point is, it very well may be that it was not the draconian measures that flattened the curve but just the nature of the virus, of it running its course as we develop herd immunity. I discuss that concept at length in my article Sadness, Predictions, and More on the Coronavirus.

Conclusion and a Warning

      Friday and Saturday are days off from my lifting. I am usually busy on Fridays otherwise, but Saturdays are my rest day. As such, the timing worked out well. I developed symptoms right after my workout on Thursday. I was sick that evening through the next day. Saturday, I was symptom free, but the day of rest helped me to recovered from whatever I was infected with.

      Consequently, I was able to work out on Sunday as normal despite the slight headache and feeling more fatigued than usual. I then worked out on Monday as usual without any symptoms. As such, I did not miss a workout from the infection. As I finish this article on Tuesday (4/21/20), I am still feeling fine.

      But it would be nice if I knew for certain what the infection was, if it were the COVID-19, the seasonal flu, or something else. But no matter, as I will continue to follow my healthy habits, and God-willing, if I still have an CV infection in my future, I will recover from it as easily as I did this one.

      However, I fear what our country won’t recover from is the loss of freedom and destroyed economy that has resulted from the draconian measures enacted due to inflated fears about the CV. Worse is next year, when the seasonal flu rolls around again, just wait for the authorities to tell us it is going to be a more severe season than usual, so we need to do all of the social distancing, self-isolation, and business closures all over again. Now that we accepted such measures, they just might become routine every flu season.

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References:

The daily Coronavirus task force briefings, plus:

Symptoms of COVID-19:

      CDC. Symptoms of Coronavirus.

      Healthline. How Does COVID-19 Differ from the Flu?

      Healthline. Signs and Symptoms of Coronavirus (COVID-19).

      Los Angeles Times. Coronavirus symptoms: What to look for if you think you might be sick.

      Patient. Coronavirus: what are asymptomatic and mild COVID-19?

Boosting the Immune System:

      Adrenal Fatigue Solution, The. Can Faith Help Us Cope With Stress?

      Daily Mail. Why you should STOP ‘stockpiling’ booze.

      Harvard Medical School. Exercise is an all-natural treatment to fight depression (Exercise is as effective as drugs in some cases).

      Harvard Medical School. How to boost your immune system.

      Insider. 5 things that can help to boost your immune system during the coronavirus outbreak, and 5 that won’t.

      NCBI. Alcohol and the Immune System.

      NCBI. Is Exercise a Viable Treatment for Depression?

      People’s Pharmacy. How Does Sunlight Boost the Immune System?

      Post Journal, The. Study Finds Churchgoers Are Less Stressed, Happier In Life.

      Psychology Today. 6 Ways to Arm Your Immune System to Fight Coronavirus.

      Trib Live. Harmar closes township parks, soccer complex because of coronavirus.

      Trib Live. Trump consults faith leaders on phased-in reopening.

      Trib Live. Pennsylvania to reopen some liquor stores for curbside sales.

      Trib Live. Quarantine 15: Stop the weight gain with a few painless steps.

      USA Today. Drinking alcohol may heighten risk of getting coronavirus, WHO suggests.

      USSA News. Study Finds Doing This Regularly Is Likely To Prevent COVID-19 Hospitalization.

      Wave III Baylor Religion Survey.

      Web MD. Binge Drinking May Weaken Immune System.

      Web MD. Exercise Is the Immune System Booster You Need Right Now.

Seasonal Flu Stats:

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

      CDC. Estimated Influenza Illnesses, Medical visits, Hospitalizations, and Deaths in the United States — 2017–2018 influenza season.

      CDC. Summary of the 2017-2018 Influenza Season.

      CNN Health. Flu season deaths top 80,000 last year, CDC says.

Asymptomatic Cases of COVID-19:

      Quora. Could you get sick with a mild case of COVID-19 and fully recover without even realizing you were ill?

      Trib Live. Coronavirus infections could be much more widespread than believed, California study suggests.

      Trib Live. Reports suggest many have had coronavirus with no symptoms.

Herd Immunity:

      Daily Caller. Sweden Refused To Shut Down Its Economy Over Coronavirus — Is It Working?

      Forbes. Sweden Continues With Controversial Coronavirus Strategy: Is It A Big Mistake?

      Fox News. Will ‘herd immunity’ work against coronavirus?

      Health. What Is ‘Herd Immunity’ and How Can That Stop the Coronavirus?

      National Review. Coronavirus: The California Herd.

      Real Clear Science. The Science Behind Sweden’s ‘Relaxed’ Coronavirus Strategy.

      Times of Israel. Top Israeli prof claims simple stats show virus plays itself out after 70 days.

      Townhall. Israeli Professor Shows Virus Follows Fixed Pattern.

COVID-19 Deaths Count:

      Off Guardian. ISS Report: 99% of Covid19 Deaths had Pre-existing Serious Illness.

      Trib Live. PA deaths from coronavirus jump to 1,112, the result of reporting changes, officials say.

      Washington Post. Which deaths count toward the covid-19 death toll? It depends on the state.

      Western Journal. CDC Tells Hospitals To List COVID as Cause of Death Even if You’re Just Assuming or It Only Contributed.

US vs. Other Healthcare Systems:

      DOD. Corps of Engineers Converts NYC’s Javits Center Into Hospital.

      New American. Italy: The Real Reasons a Chinese Virus Is Ravaging a European People.

      Politico. Javits Center and USNS Comfort have a combined 110 patients.

Creationist Diet
Second Edition
A Comprehensive Guide to Bible and Science Based Nutrition

Different Perspective in Dealing with the Coronavirus (Had Either COVID-19 or the Flu and Mostly Recovered in 35 Hours): Part Two. Copyright © 2020 by Gary F. Zeolla (www.Zeolla.org).

The above article was posted on this website April 21, 2020.

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