The News That You Don't Hear: COVID-19 lockdowns are killing thousands of Americans

The hysteria drummed up by the mainstream media over COVID-19, in conjunction with the draconian lockdown measures being employed by many governors, is costing thousands of American lives. In light of horrific job losses and a crashing economy, calls to suicide hotlines are up over 40 percent nationwide. Although an increase in suicide calls does not necessarily translate to an increase in deaths, the fact that 132 Americans die by suicide daily is concerning. A 40-percent uptick would mean an increase of 53 deaths per day, if the calls indeed correlate to suicides. This translates to 1,590 deaths per month.

Heart attacks are a major problem as well. Harlan M. Krumholz, a doctor at Yale New Haven Hospital, recently published an article in the New York Times titled "Where Have All the Heart Attacks Gone?," which wondered why hospitals are eerily quiet, save for COVID-19 cases.

Krumholz writes:

What is striking is that many of the emergencies have disappeared. Heart attack and stroke teams, always poised to rush in and save lives, are mostly idle. This is not just at my hospital. My fellow cardiologists have shared with me that their cardiology consultations have shrunk, except those related to COVID-19. In an informal Twitter poll by @angioplastyorg, an online community of cardiologists, almost half of the respondents reported that they are seeing a 40 percent to 60 percent reduction in admissions for heart attacks; about 20 percent reported more than a 60 percent reduction.

Where are all these patients going? Some are dying at home, as is the case in New York City, where paramedics are being directed to leave cardiac arrest sufferers at home if they can't get a pulse at the scene. Those who want to go to the hospital may be afraid to do so

As Dr. Krumholz writes in his New York Times piece:

The most concerning possible explanation is that people stay home and suffer rather than risk coming to the hospital and getting infected with coronavirus. This theory suggests that COVID-19 has instilled fear of face-to-face medical care. As a result, many people with urgent health problems may be opting to remain at home rather than call for help. And when they do finally seek medical attention, it is often only after their condition has worsened. Doctors from Hong Kong reported an increase in patients coming to the hospital late in the course of their heart attack, when treatment is less likely to be lifesaving.

As a result of the crashing economy, hospitals and medical facilities have furloughed doctors and staff, and people who want to seek treatment simply don't have the option. In dozens of states, governors have issued executive orders directing hospitals to stop non-urgent procedures and surgeries, which is devastating the health care industry, forcing pay cuts, layoffs, and financial uncertainty. Ultimately, this is having a negative impact on health and well-being.

I think the net effect is fewer deaths. Economic depression is a health benefit, provided we don’t get to starvation levels.

Shutting down the general economy saves lives. Yes, some are lost that would have lived otherwise. That’s inevitable with a large population and varied causes of death. Moving to air bags saved lives, but killed small people who sit close to the steering wheel.

“It is amazing how many of the old people on FR are so selfish and really don’t give a flying f*&k about anyone else (definitely not all of them though). Certain ones have a panicky fear that is palpable.”

It’s not really an age related thing. I’ve noticed lots of younger folks on social media who get outraged at the mere thought of people doing as they please.

I’m the counter to the scared old person. I’m old, and I am angry to my bones about the loss of liberty, and the stupidity of Americans who cheer on this nonsense.

The context is, I’m older, reasonably high risk. Financially stable, near retirement. I’m not negatively impacted my the lockdown in any major way. And yet, I’m so angry, I don’t have words for it. I don’t want to be angry, but I hate seeing our country destroyed while the morons around us are loving it.

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