VIEW VIEWPOINT
Virus Deaths
Kerby Anderson
How many Americans have died of the coronavirus? You would think the answer to that question would be fairly simple. After all, we have the bodies in morgues and funeral homes that we can count. That is true. But how many of those people died of the virus becomes a more difficult question to answer.
Most media reports argue that we have a significant undercount, even in this country. It isn’t because government officials are trying to hide anything. It is due to the widespread lack of testing, especially in the early weeks of the outbreak. Also, people dying at home usually aren’t tested. And even some who die at a hospital or nursing home may not be tested because medical examiners are overburdened in many of the nation’s hot spots.
In order to counter this disparity, New York City last week decided to add 3,700 people to its death tolls. They “presumed” they died from the virus. That addition increased the US death toll by 17 percent. And it is worth mentioning that Ohio also has included people in their death toll who they have “suspected” of having the virus.
Is it possible that instead of an undercount, we might have an overcount? Dr. Anthony Fauci has dismissed this concern as merely a “conspiracy theory.” But Dr. Deborah Birx explained in a recent press briefing that people are counted as victims of the pandemic if they tested positive for the coronavirus, even if something else caused their death.
This raises an important distinction between dying from the virus versus dying with the virus. And I’m not just playing with prepositions. If you died of cancer or a heart attack but also tested positive for COVID-19, you are listed as a victim of the pandemic.
As you can see, getting an accurate number of coronavirus deaths isn’t so easy.
Listen to this Viewpoint
Viewpoints
View All
Place For Prayer
Some people might wonder why we need a law that protects the right of houses of worship to use their facilities for religious purposes. But we do. And we have one: RLUIPA, the Religious Land Use and I...
AI’s Boom and Doom
Perhaps you have noticed AI’s boom and doom. One minute, investors were talking about the wonderful benefits of artificial intelligence and encouraging potential investors to throw their money at AI d...
Social Security
Most federal reports are unfortunately greeted with a yawn. But the report from the trustees who oversee Social Security deserved more attention than it received.
Take Action
View All
Protect Privacy Against Flock Cameras
Flock cameras are everywhere. While one camera is a tool, the more than 100,000 AI-powered cameras now posted around our nation are a new layer of dig...
Support the Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Act
The abortion pill harms women and kills unborn children. Congress must act.
