[NobleFree]

“Early results from deCode Genetics indicate that a low proportion of the general population has contracted the virus and that about half of those who tested positive are non-symptomatic,” said Guðnason.

You're right - journalists misunderstand simple numbers, again. The current numbers from https://www.covid.is/data make the infection rate 4.8%, which using the blogger's arithmetic would make the mortality rate about 0.04%. (I've pointed out the problem with the arithmetical approach in post 59.)

[Mr Rogers]

The problem is some journalists - or bloggers - have turned “half of the positive tests had no symptoms” into “half of the population [or half of all tested] has it without symptoms”.

I find it comforting to know about twice as many have it as show symptoms. That would cut the rate of hospitalization / death in half because it would double the denominator. I think it is obviously more dangerous than the flu, but I don’t think it is so much MORE dangerous as to justify shutting down the USA for months.

BTW - a friend of mine died from it in March. He had a number of serious health issues but was active and enjoying life. He collapsed one afternoon and was diagnosed shortly after arriving at the hospital. He was intubated within hours and never regained consciousness.

It is serious, but not IMHO serious enough to justified shutting down the entire economy.