By the Numbers

I like facts, and I like the numbers because when designated authorities provide the numbers, it's easy to see that all the hyperbole is a little off the mark for some areas. Like the one I live in. We are currently designated in the "orange" zone, but I can see our county heading to the red or grey zone because of larger places like the "top-four" part of our county.

This page for Simcoe-Muskoka heath unit has a wealth of information (see: Simcoe-Muskoka Health Stats), but the majority of cases are pegged mostly in the southern area of the county - Barrie, Bradford West-Gwillimbury, New Tecumseth, Innisfill, Essa ... areas in the more northern part of the county (like Orillia, Oro-Medonte, Gravenhurst, Bracebridge, Huntsville, etc.) have fairly small numbers of cases, and even less numbers of hospitalized cases.

In fact, the last update (which would have been Friday Nov. 27th as they don't update on weekends) shows only 13 hospitalizations in the entire county.

Dr. Gardner's dire predictions in April forecast upwards of 185 to 2000 deaths in the county (over a 2 year period, but heck, are we still really going to be counting this crap in 2022?) but the chart indicates 52 (though that will probably change after the current weekend).

So how long do they really intend to be counting rates for this?  Let's face it, if it is in fact a virus, it isn't going away, not even with a vaccine.  

The flu has a yearly vaccine, but the flu varieties all still exist, and people still get the flu, and yes, people even still die from the flu. 

When looking at the information provided by our local health unit on the transmission and outbreak types, it's easy to see where care needs to be taken. The general public doesn't have the same high risk as these LTC homes and apparently some workplaces. It would be more helpful if they defined the types of work places more at risk.

Sure, this virus can be worse than the flu for those with previously diagnosed health issues (but then, the same is true for normal flu, right?), but I seriously don't see why we're treating this as a death threat for average, healthy human beings.

Excerpts from Pneumonia Study

It just isn't. The rates of death for folks under the age of 60 are almost non-existent. Yes, some younger people with health issues have died (who knows if it's with or from?)  Whose to say they wouldn't have died if they got viral pneumonia?  

Pneumonia is one of Canada's top killers, according to this study from March 2019. I don't recall the government going to such extreme measures over this, yet every single year people die from pneumonia, and it's one of the top 10 reasons people go to the ER every year (over 135,000 pneumonia-related visits in 2018).

If you take a look at that .pdf study, you'll see one of the info-graphics they use provides the same information for staying healthy or avoiding pneumonia, as the ones currently being used. Okay, not exactly the same actual image (close enough though), however, the recommendations are the same. If it's good enough for pneumonia just to make these "recommendations", without locking everyone up and closing down business', I don't understand why they aren't good enough for our current situation.

It's time to put 2020 and it's health issues in perspective. Yes, it can be a killer for some, but for most it really isn't.

All I want for Christmas is ... well, I dunno about anyone else, but I can't even finish that right now because it would be a really long sentence, but I don't want things you can wrap, or buy ...

In case I don't have time to get back here before the holidays, have a Merry Christmas. Be blessed and well my friends.