Owen wrote: “It’s essentially normal for old folks to have these comorbidities so saying old folks with them die from the virus is saying nothing additional to . . . old folks more often die of the virus.”
Or, more succinctly ‘It’s essentially normal for old folks to die of something.’
It’s normal for old folks to die of something? Yes, it is. 3 million die in the US each year, in normal years, and 65+ people are 2 million of that . . . in a normal year.
Excess Deaths this year are averaging well past that. That’s deaths of all causes, some from not getting treatment for fear of the virus at the hospital — and some from having the virus that killed them quickly untested.
Regardless, US death count attributed to the virus is 200K and almost all of them 65+. Excess Deaths this year, above normal years, are actually higher than 200K (most likely from untested folks who died quickly and there was no point in testing a corpse).
Higher than 200K = 10% of senior deaths above a normal year.
So yes, they do die of something. In a normal year that something gets 2 million. This year an additional 10%, and the year is not done. The graphs look like 15% by 1 Jan.