I have read and enjoyed many fiskings of articles over the years, but I’ve never done one myself. That changes today. I ran across this article from ABC News and the stats professor in me couldn’t resist (if you’re wondering, teaching stats really makes me ornery!) There is just sooo much wrong with this garbage, it will require a paragraph by paragraph discussion and fisking. This is the kind of thing I’m talking about when I say that the sole goal of the media, when “reporting” about the WuFlu (or Republicans, or Trump, or those who disagree with Biden, or anything else) is to stoke fear and anger.
All righty then. Let’s get started. My comments are in italics.
As top health officials warn that COVID-19 has become a “pandemic of the unvaccinated,” recent figures from states and cities throughout the United States reveal the extent to which the virus is impacting people who are not fully inoculated.
If it’s a “pandemic of the unvaccinated” then why oh why are places like LA County reinstating mask mandates for everybody including the vaccinated? If the vaccine works, why do the vaccinated fear getting sick? If it doesn’t work, why is the government insisting that we all get vaccinated?
Secondly, what exactly do they mean by “impacting”? Are they getting sick? Are they losing their business because of arbitrary rules in response to this “pandemic of unvaccinated?” (highly likely). What exactly does “impacting” mean in this context. Hard to know.
A stark case in point: During June, every person who died of COVID-19 in Maryland was unvaccinated, according to a spokesperson for the governor’s office. There were 130 people who died of COVID-19 in Maryland in June, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Ah. Maryland. Because everything happening in Maryland can and should be extrapolated to the entire freaking country? 130 people died of WuFlu. Out of how many diagnosed in June? How old were they? How many and what comorbidities did they have?
Here’s an interesting quote from Forbes about the Maryland numbers: “Though Ricci did not specify Maryland’s death toll, data compiled by the New York Times shows 127 of the state’s residents died from Covid-19 in June, a decrease of over 70% from the 458 killed the month prior.” That’s OVER 70% LESS THAN THE MONTH BEFORE. THE DEATH RATE HAS DECLINED PRECIPITOUSLY.
New COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations were also predominantly among unvaccinated people, the state said, at 95% and 93% respectively.
Okay. New cases…are those people actually getting sick? How sick are they getting? Notice they don’t tell us that. What’s the average age of hospitalized patients and those who die? What and how many comorbidities did they have? The CDC data shows that as of today (July 19) Maryland has 16.7 new cases per 100k people over the 7-day period. The infection rate is less than 3%. Maryland is also shown in the CDCs color guide as having among the fewest cases in the US. That suggests that again we have older people with at least one or two comorbidities, as that is the demographic most likely to have the hardest time with the WuFlu.
Other states have reported similar findings while urging people to get vaccinated as the more transmissible delta variant is driving up COVID-19 cases.
In Louisiana, 97% of the state’s COVID-19 cases and deaths since February have been in unvaccinated people, Gov. John Bel Edwards said Friday. Between February and July, unvaccinated people in Louisiana were 20 times more likely to become infected with COVID-19, according to the state health department.
Ehrmergerd! It’s happening in Louisiana too! Louisiana has zero new cases reported for the last two days (which means as of close yesterday), compared to Maryland’s 83, so they seem to be doing better…they do have a higher positivity rate (10-14.6%) with 146 positives over the most recent 7-day period. But that’s per 100k people again. But note here, that the scary 97% of cases and deaths number is “since February.” That’s a hella lot longer spread of time than they reported in Maryland. The vaccine program didn’t really get in gear until late March, so that’s a bit melodramatic for Louisiana.
Those figures were reported as state health officials warned Louisiana is now in a “fourth surge” of the virus; as of Friday, the statewide average daily number of cases per 100,000 residents were up 177% over the past 14 days. The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations also doubled during that time, health officials said.
Again, they reported zero new cases yesterday and the day before according to what the CDC has. As for doubling, going from one to two is a doubling. What are the numbers behind this value?
With the delta variant now the most dominant strain in Louisiana, about 46% of adults in the state are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.
“We only have two choices, we are either going to get vaccinated and end the pandemic or we are going to accept death, a lot of it, this surge and another surge and possibly another variant,” infectious disease specialist Dr. Catherine O’Neal said during a state COVID-19 press briefing Friday.
Well, isn’t Dr. Catherine O’Neal just a little ray of fear-mongering sunshine. Guess what Dr. O’Neal? Death is a part of life. And seasonal illnesses are a part of life. The flu kills roughly 15,000-20,000 people EVERY SINGLE YEAR (until last year when it magically didn’t show up). Again, how old are these people? How many comorbidities…they are leaving out a great deal of information here. But, if they did include it, you might not be as afraid as they want you to be.
In Alabama, over 96% of COVID-19 deaths since April 1 were in unvaccinated people, the state health department said on July 13, for 509 deaths out of 529 total. Over 42% of adults in the state are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.
Again, note the moving timeline. We had to go back to February to scare you folks in Louisiana, but now we’re going to April to get Alabama. Of course, the media knows that southerners are all just dumb-ass rednecks who’ll believe anything they’re told, so we’ll just fly those numbers around like they’re accurate. Alabama had a high in the 7-day moving average of 4,522 cases on Jan. 8 this year. As of yesterday the 7-day moving average was 595 cases. That’s an 87% DROP. Yes, it’s up since yesterday, or last week, but it’s nowhere near January and the odds of it getting back up there are low when you’ve got 42% of adults vaccinated, who knows how many with natural immunity from having had the WuFlu? And, again…average ages and comorbidities are left off.
In Los Angeles County, nearly every COVID-19 case, hospitalization and death is in unvaccinated people, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported on July 12. Of the 1,059 new cases reported that day, nearly 87% were in people under the age of 50.
We finally get an age range here. BUT! Notice how they led with the combined cases, hospitalizations, and deaths, and THEN simply noted that CASES were under the age of 50. Tricky that. You’ll likely over look the mash-up in the first sentence, but apply the worst-case scenario of hospitalizations and death to the 87% of cases reported. Those are not the same thing! Still no numbers on comorbidities though.
“The COVID-19 vaccines are the most effective and important tool to reduce COVID-19 transmission and the spread of variants like the highly transmissible delta variant,” Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement.
Okay. Now we get to the eeebil Delta variant. But, “highly transmissible” DOES NOT EQUAL WORSE. Of course there are variants, that’s why the flu shot changes year over year and there have been many years in the past where the shot offered was, shall we say, less than effective against that year’s variant. Doesn’t make the variant more lethal relative to other flu germs, just makes it different. “Highly transmissible” or easier to catch, is not at all the same as “lethal.”
Due to a “rapid rise” in COVID-19 cases in the county, from 210 reported on June 15 to 1,537 two months later — local officials reinstated a mandatory indoor mask mandate, regardless of vaccination status, over the weekend. Over 60% of county residents ages 16 and up are fully vaccinated.
Um, how the hell are we two months out from June 15 on July 19??? And, note, the mask mandate applies regardless of vaccination status with 60% vaccination rate for 16 and up. Lot of faith in that vaccine among LA County health officials!
New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi said the vaccines are “astonishingly effective” while sharing that over 98% of COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths in the city between Jan. 1 and June 15 were in people who were not fully vaccinated. That included 8,069 deaths in people who were not fully vaccinated. Over 64% of NYC adults are fully vaccinated.
Again with the moving dates goal posts. Now we’re looking at six months worth of data and comparing it to a week in Maryland, five months in Louisiana, four months in Alabama, and two weeks or so in LA County (not the whole state either…that would likely make it better). Interesting. The ENTIRE STATE of California reported ZERO deaths for the last two days.
The national picture is unclear, through in mid-June, former White House COVID-19 adviser Andy Slavitt said in an interview with The Washington Post that “98, 99-plus percent of people that are being hospitalized and dying with COVID have not been vaccinated.”
I’ll bet it’s unclear. States are over or under-reporting for a variety of reasons. Go look at the news about NY state where Cuomo suddenly revised all the state’s numbers to make it look better than it was when he was on TV on a nightly basis crying for the cameras and his brother was dramatically climbing out of his basement. I’m really getting tired of repeating this, but um, Mr. Andy Slavitt…can we get average age and number of comorbidities?
As parts of the country with low vaccination rates are seeing outbreaks of COVID-19, “there is a clear message that is coming through,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a press briefing Friday. “This is becoming a pandemic of the unvaccinated.”
This does not take into account what percentage of the “unvaccinated” are naturally immune. Walensky’s own damn bureaucracy says that if you have had Wuflu, you don’t need the vaccine. But, it’s just easier to call them all “unvaccinated.” It’s true, but misleading. But, that’s the point.
“Communities that are fully vaccinated are generally faring well,” she added.
Over 56% of those ages 12 and up in the U.S. are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.
Clinical trials showed that the COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective at preventing serious disease and death. Breakthrough cases — when a fully vaccinated person becomes infected with COVID-19 — are rare after full vaccination; a recent CDC report found that they may occur in just 0.01% of all fully vaccinated people.
There have been a number of other reported side-effects including nasty crap like Guillain-Barre syndrome, blood clots, and a host of other things. And, note that they say the vaccine is effective at preventing “serious disease”…not preventing disease, just serious disease. The smallpox and polio vaccines prevent the disease.
“The message, loud and clear, that we need to reiterate is that these vaccines continue to [provide] strong protection against SARS-CoV-2, including the delta variant,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said during Friday’s White House briefing, calling the delta variant “formidable.” “It’s so important for yourself, your family and your community to get vaccinated.”
Fauci once pushed the idea that AIDS was an airborne disease and wanted to mask up the country. This even after doctors had figured out the blood/bodily fluids transmission. If you’re buying Fauci as an informed expert and not a publicity whore, I have a bridge to sell you.
In the end, this article is a perfect example of how the media and it’s social media partners are trying to sell you a fearful bill of goods. I cannot recommend enough that you should take all screaming WuFlu reports with an entire shaker full of salt. They are designed to frighten you into renewed, unquestioning compliance while giving up all your God-given freedoms. Don’t fall for it.
All the numbers I cited came from the CDC data site.
**Math error for change in Alabama cases corrected.
Image by Hanna Kovalchuk from Pixabay
