It matters in degree. 144% of deaths nationwide is different from 144% in some cherry-picked locations. It is important if you are claiming "significant loss of life" to not use manipulated numbers.
I cited not just the 144% as generic stat but actually made sure to include specific numbers for context.
(3520 deaths in 2019, 8587 deaths in 2020). So, 5067 more deaths.
if anything, I understated the death toll.
I don't know if that study cherry picked locations due to political slant, or whether they just picked the locations where they could get the verified data points they need - but even if they did do so out of political bias that still does not imply to me that COVID is something we can just completely ignore and stop all testing, contact tracing and other precautions.
All I am arguing for here is that government policy should find a middle ground between nuking economy and just ignoring the disease entirely.
It doesn't really matter if the intent was political or not. I'm just saying that claiming large changes in samples that may not be typical muddies the waters.
Covid is out there and the toothpaste can't be put back in the tube. The mortality rate is also really quite low. Protect the vulnerable (who you could probably put in 4 star hotels for what the shutdowns are costing) and let the rest of us get back on with the essentials of life.
Protect the vulnerable (who you could probably put in 4 star hotels for what the shutdowns are costing) and let the rest of us get back on with the essentials of life.
It matters in degree. 144% of deaths nationwide is different from 144% in some cherry-picked locations. It is important if you are claiming "significant loss of life" to not use manipulated numbers.
I cited not just the 144% as generic stat but actually made sure to include specific numbers for context.
if anything, I understated the death toll.
I don't know if that study cherry picked locations due to political slant, or whether they just picked the locations where they could get the verified data points they need - but even if they did do so out of political bias that still does not imply to me that COVID is something we can just completely ignore and stop all testing, contact tracing and other precautions.
All I am arguing for here is that government policy should find a middle ground between nuking economy and just ignoring the disease entirely.
It doesn't really matter if the intent was political or not. I'm just saying that claiming large changes in samples that may not be typical muddies the waters.
Covid is out there and the toothpaste can't be put back in the tube. The mortality rate is also really quite low. Protect the vulnerable (who you could probably put in 4 star hotels for what the shutdowns are costing) and let the rest of us get back on with the essentials of life.
agreed on that