Florida Is A Case Study In Media-Induced COVID-19 Panic

I & I ^ | July 27, 2020 | I & I Editorial Board

[Hojczyk]

What do all these news accounts have in common?

“Florida Sets Yet Another Coronavirus Record: 173 Deaths In A Day.”

“A record 173 Floridians died from the virus Thursday, an average of more than one every eight minutes.”

“The 134 new confirmed deaths is the second-largest increase on record, coming five days after the largest one-day jump of 156 last week.”

“COVID-19 has ravaged Florida, with more than 237,000 people testing positive and 2,013 dying from the virus in July alone.”

So what characteristic do all of the reports share? They are all false.

It is not true that 173 people died from COVID-19 “in a day” in Florida. Nor did 134, or 156 on previous days.

It is also untrue than 2,013 had died in July when that story was published.

All of these scary headlines are based on the number of deaths reported by the state on any given day. This is not the same as the number of deaths that occurred on those days.

The difference might seem trivial. But it’s crucial because the press is using the timing of Florida’s death reports to whip up a frenzy about COVID-19 running riot in the state.

Take a look at the chart below. The blue bars are the number of deaths reported in four days last week. Notice the sharp uphill climb? That’s the story the press has been telling.

[Trumplican]

I personally know of 11 people who went to testing centers and signed in but left before testing due to long lines. They were all called and told they tested positive.

Don’t believe any of the media lies.

I don’t know ANYONE who has had Covid in FL.

[LeonardFMason]

DeSantis needs to have a presser to INFORM. Don’t minimize. Don’t get defensive.

FACTS and figures only. More Infections than NY. Fine. FLA mortality is 10-15% of New York.

Folks with a survival rate of 99+% are the overwhelming majority of the positive tests.

REPEAT
REPEAT
REPEAT

Call at FAKE News for creating unnecessary panic.

[Sicon]

The question that deserves to be answered is why the mainstream press seems so willing and eager to whip up fear, rather than provide all the relevant facts, in context, so the public can make its own informed decisions about how to respond to this disease.

Because Orange Man Bad. Come on, it isn't exactly a difficult question to answer.

[ocrp1982]

The fact that we have Freepers asking such questions, a group of people who should be well aware of the political climate we are in is truly astonishing.

[FamiliarFace]

I do. My 38 year old nephew by marriage. Lives near Tampa. Went to a bachelor party for one of his best friends 2 weeks before the wedding. Had a sore throat 4 days later. Tested positive (he waited). He got the results within a few hours. He developed chills and body aches, chest congestion, and a slight cough but no fever. He quarantined and my niece dosed him up on zinc, Vitamin D3, and Vitamin C. Ate right and rested. Got in some exercise as he started getting over it. He was sick like any cold or flu, but got better about a week or so into it. He was the only one from the group who tested positive. This was mid June. A distant memory now.

[Mouton]

I don’t know ANYONE who has had Covid in FL.

I do and I don’t have a wide circle of friends. My two neighbors had it, mother and daughter. Father is a doc so no idea what treatment regimen they got but after about a week, they were fine.

My SIL, a para med, got it back in March. Out of work for about 3 weeks but not severely affected. His family not tested but they all had symptoms, wife and 2 young kids.

I do agree, the media is driving this to a panic. Looking at the stats recently in florida, one finds that 45% of deaths occurred in nursing facility between patients and staff. Sad for sure, but when one is in a nursing facility it is not because they are in the prime of health.

Wait till flu season. With no way to discern short of testing why people cashed in, they will all be presumed dead from CCP virus, if Trump is reelected. If not, the panic ends on Jan 1.

[zeestephen]

If we counted influenza and common cold deaths the same way we count COVID deaths, we would have 150,000 flu and cold deaths - EVERY year.

Official CDC Policy - presumed (untested) COVID deaths are counted as confirmed COVID deaths.

Nothing like that applies to influenza or common cold deaths.

Official CDC Policy - 100% of pneumonia + COVID deaths are counted as COVID deaths.

Less than 10% of pneumonia + influenza deaths are counted as flu deaths.

Solution...

Trump must publicly instruct Dr. Fauci to immediately recalculate the number of influenza and common cold deaths with the same method now being used to count COVID deaths.

Americans will be stunned to find out how many people really died from flu and colds on Dr. Fauci’s 36 year watch.

[Pajamajan]

Main stream media=Enemy Of The People.

[webheart]

Testing positive for coronavirus would not faze me one bit. Testing positive for HIV, now that would scare me. Even herpes would scare me. Hepatitis C would scare me. Ebola would scare me. Coronavirus does not scare me.

Mortality is the main concern I have for any illness. Not to say that I want some lingering aftereffects, but that having my lifespan truncated would be the most serious factor. The current coronavirus does not make me fear that my life will be shortened by it. I am even in multiple risk groups for complications. Somewhat overweight, asthmatic with sleep apnea, mid early 60’s. I am totally not scared.

The economic consequences of having given so much control over our society to progressives, that scares me. I am lucky enough that I have been spared the inconvenience of not having enough money to pay the rent and other bills, and I haven’t had to miss any meals, except having to cook them myself. Other people are not so lucky. Progressives seem to love locking down our economy to avoid the inconvenience of a cold or flu. The ones who make such decisions for everyone else don’t get to go out as much, but they still can afford to order in.

[Wiser now]

I will repeat what my daughter told us last week. She works as a nurse at a large hospital in Clearwater FL. They currently have no COVID cases in the ICU. They do have some cases in regular beds, mostly men ages 45-65. They are not overwhelmed, and they have all the supplies they need.

[Sam Gamgee]

Too bad COVID 19 can’t sue like Nick Sandman. Could the office of the governor sue the media for misreporting?

[ripnbang]

I now know of two...both were tested due to upcoming travel or elderly family members coming for a visit and both felt like a cold was coming on. Both had minor symptoms and were almost over the illness before they got their confirmation. That’s it.