I Admire Common Sense

I get deeply frustrated by wannabe statisticians who in the current pandemic would have us believe you are unlikely to contract the Covid-19 virus. Some would try to pedal statistics to have us believe there is an infection rate of under 10%. I wish it were true. To be fair, in less populated and self-controlling areas, this statistic might be true. But in densely populated areas, such as vibrant cities, to suggest the rate of infection is 6-9% is unhelpful to say the least. It is not alarmist to share with you, in case you didn’t already know (which most common sense minded people already do) that if you come into close contact with anyone carrying the virus, the risk of transfer is high. Even if they are asymptomatic.

I invite any such relaying “statistician” to contact the relatives of the late occupants and staff of Holyoke Soldiers Medical Center in Massachusetts and pedal their inane statistics. Unfortunately, the worn adage “There are lies, damn lies, and there are statistics” needs to be dusted off and shoved under some noses. But, they won’t listen, will they? No. Unfortunately not.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/holyoke-soldiers-home-massachusetts-veterans-coronavirus-deaths/2020/04/10/8912d062-7b3d-11ea-9bee-c5bf9d2e3288_story.html

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4meAndyou · F

Unfortunately, since I don't subscribe to the Washington Post, I am unable to read the article, but since I live in Massachusetts, and since I have a veteran friend who almost entered a veterans care home at one time in his illness, this is of personal interest.

I have heard some things about this issue. Almost half of the covid19 deaths in the state of Massachusetts have occured in long term car facilities, because they are not properly regulated, and many of them are filthy pest holes.

The veterans home is even a worse case, because there are rumors that over 2003 veteran medical workers who tested positive for covid19 were forced to return to work by the Veterans Administration.

We all know, now, that medical workers from Wuhan were tracking the virus into and out of the medical facilities on the bottoms of their shoes. And we also know that shoe coverings are not part of standard PPE for medical workers, anywhere.

Valentine · M

@4meAndyou I don’t subscribe either but I could get through to the article? As far as I could tell (caveat, caveat!) this was a well run center.

4meAndyou · F

@Valentine The Holyoke center was completely unprepared for covid19, according to what I read in another article written on February 27th. So many of their staff became ill that the residents were almost stacked on top of one another, thus ensuring the rampant infection rate that followed.

Valentine · M

@4meAndyou Yes, unfortunately this is probably the case. My point (passionately held!) is that if people were aware of the potential risk, they would take appropriate measures at all levels. My reason for profiling the Holyoke center was to show that there are many pockets where grief could be avoided if people didn’t blindly follow commercial pressures.

4meAndyou · F

@Valentine That is likely true. Ignorance of this virus and the many ways it can spread has been one of our worst enemies in combating it.