Just curious, but is it insensitive to coronavirus patients these days to talk about something "going viral"?
We’ve come across a very informative column by Michael Fumento that we predict most certainly won’t be going viral. That’s because his column doesn’t have the approved opposition media hysterical tone with regard to the coronavirus.
Fumento compares coronavirus to the seasonal flu.
The result is encouraging: "Clearly, flu is vastly more contagious than the new coronavirus, as the WHO has noted." That means the total population likely to come down with the coronavirus is smaller than that of the flu.
In addition, Fumento believes "Coronavirus going to hit its peak and start falling sooner than you think." He points to China where at its peak coronavirus was infecting 4,000 new individuals per day. Now that rate is down to "fewer than 200 new cases" each day.
Fumento also cites Farr’s Law, which came as news to us. Good news in fact.
Farr’s Law "states that epidemics tend to rise and fall in a roughly symmetrical pattern or bell-shaped curve. AIDS, SARS, Ebola — they all followed that pattern. As does the seasonal flu each year."
This means once the peak is reached, new cases begin to decline.
The exponential predictions of constantly increasing infection rates only serve to create hysteria, which in the United States is proving to be much more contagious than either the flu or coronavirus.
The coronavirus is really more of a Social Security Flu. "The coronavirus is afflicting high-risk groups: the elderly, those with underlying health conditions like diabetes or heart disease and those with compromised immune systems."
In turn, the death rate also varies with age.
In China, the government reports the mortality rate for those above age 80 was 14.8%, while the death rate for those below age 40 was a fraction of a percent at 0.2. And the AMA found the overall death rate for children age 9 and under was zero.
Overall, the death rate is better than reported, too, "you can’t employ simple math — as everyone is doing — and look at deaths versus cases because those are‐ reported cases. With both flu and assuredly with coronavirus, the great majority of those infected have symptoms so mild — if any — that they don’t seek medical attention and don’t get counted in the caseload."
What is the takeaway from Fumento’s research?
Anyone over age 60 needs to take their own precautions. Stay away from large groups of people. If you must go out wear a mask — a painter’s mask is better than nothing — and rubber gloves. Don’t touch your face and when you get home toss the gloves and mask and disinfect your face and hands.
If your family comes to visit make sure they have no symptoms of any disease.
Limit closer contact to one individual and keep your distance.
Finally, if you do get sick wait until you’re certain it’s serious before going to the hospital. It would be a tragic irony if going to the hospital prematurely was what ended up giving you the coronavirus.
Michael Reagan, the eldest son of President Reagan, is a Newsmax TV analyst. A syndicated columnist and author, he chairs The Reagan Legacy Foundation. Michael is an in-demand speaker with Premiere speaker’s bureau. Read more reports from Michael Reagan — Go Here Now.
Michael R. Shannon is a commentator, researcher for the League of American Voters, and an award-winning political and advertising consultant with nationwide and international experience. He is author of "Conservative Christian’s Guidebook for Living in Secular Times (Now with added humor!)." Read more of Michael Shannon's reports — Go Here Now.