Coronavirus deaths could reach 200,000 by early fall, Harvard doctor warns

Roughly half of pneumonia deaths test positive for influenza or the common cold, but less than 10% are classified as an influenza death. Please refer to pages 4-6 of the following link to understand how the CDC requires state officials to fill out a death certificate. COVID-19 always comes out as the “Underlying Cause of Death.” My guess is that the same rule is being followed for all diseases that are positive for COVID-19. But, the link definitively makes the case that the rule is being followed for pneumonia and other acute respiratory diseases. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvss/vsrg/vsrg03-508.pdf

Thanks for the link. Page 6:

An 86-year-old female passed away at home. Her husband reported that she was nonambulatory after suffering an ischemic stroke 3 years ago. He stated that 5 days prior, she developed a high fever and severe cough after being exposed to an ill family member who subsequently was diagnosed with COVID–19. Despite his urging, she refused to go to the hospital, even when her breathing became more labored and temperature escalated. She was unresponsive that morning and her husband phoned emergency medical services (EMS). Upon EMS arrival, the patient was pulseless and apneic. Her husband stated that he and his wife had advanced directives and that she was not to be resuscitated. After consulting with medical command, she was pronounced dead and the coroner was notified. Comment: Although no testing was done, the coroner determined that the likely UCOD was COVID–19 given the patient’s symptoms and exposure to an infected individual. Therefore, COVID–19 was reported on the lowest line used in Part I.

Which presumption also includes the presumption that her husband is accurately recounting what happened.

Because the current total of U.S. coronavirus deaths is around 113,000, that means "sometime in September, we're going to cross 200,000, and we still won't be done," Jha said.

This total over the course of a year was already predicted (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/13/us/coronavirus-deaths-estimate.html) yet even if that figure is reached (which includes liberal attribution of deaths to Covid) then it still leaves the advocated and widely implemented response to be unprecedented.

The Asian flu pandemic of 1957-1958 resulted in a estimated 116,000 deaths (https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/1957-1958-pandemic.html) in America (followed by the Hong Kong flu with about est. 100,000 American deaths in 1968–69), when at about 173,000,000, the population size in 57-58 was rather close to about half of what it is now (330,541,000, rounded figures). Meaning that not only was the infection death rate much higher than for COVID-19, but there would have to be about 200,000 COVID-19 est. deaths to be comparable to the Asian flu relative to the population size. (And over 40% of COVID-19 deaths are those of nursing homes, while almost all are among the aged with preexisting conditions.)

Meanwhile the liberal Newsweek says air pollution kills around 200,000 Americans each year (https://www.newsweek.com/200000-americans-die-every-year-air-pollution-that-meets-epa-standard-1473187) and normally more than 38,000 people die every year in crashes on U.S. roadways. The U.S. traffic fatality rate is 12.4 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants (https://www.asirt.org/safe-travel/road-safety-facts/) with drivers age 80 and older having the highest rates of driver deaths (https://aaafoundation.org/rates-motor-vehicle-crashes-injuries-deaths-relation-driver-age-united-states-2014-2015/) and with the economic and societal harm from motor vehicle crashes amounting to a whopping $871 billion in a single year. (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/motor-vehicle-crashes-u-s-cost-871-billion-year-federal-study-finds) Thus to be consistent wearing N95 masks (mouth condoms) and staying indoors could be required at almost all times, with motor vehicle travel limited to only essential trips (garage-in-place) and a six-car length maintained when doing so, in addition to social distancing year-round. No singing, no visible smiles or expressions, sparse social interacting and rare travel and constant fear of the others outside - welcome to the land of the captives and fearful.

(Note this was set in the WW1 era -Spanish flu - yet when have you ever heard the common sense admonition of getting fresh air to your house during the Covid captivity over 100 year later? Let alone getting fresh air and sunshine. While most infected persons are from those in quarantine, and one study of almost 1300 cases showed only 2 became infected from being outside.)

While some people, including Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, have speculated that these growing numbers are due to more widespread testing, Dr. Ashish Jha, director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, told TODAY on Thursday that this theory doesn't explain the rise in hospitalizations in at least nine states.

Actually I think getting them out in the sun and fresh air would be better for most.

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