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Sorry it's an emotional issue for you. Here's a screenshot of the data from my spreadsheet. Feel free to check it against the CDC data source that I linked in my original post.

You posted data that omits much of the latest wave of deaths and dismiss the correction as being irrelevant. I know you are on the side that is trying to minimize this virus. That's fine, but at least present the latest facts and not conveniently omit data that weakens your argument and call it irrelevant. I understand that statistically speaking, 20,000 lives is not very significant. At the same time, the United States as a whole lost a much more "irrelevant" 2,997 lives on September 11 and that has led to immense loss of freedom, countless tax dollars wasted on military spending and and subsequently 6,700+ servicemen losing their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. Not sure why we are so amenable to the loss of freedom due to such an "irrelevant" incident that many choose to "never forget".

I chose the latest summary data the CDC has, XC. I am on the side of telling the truth. End of story. If it upsets some people's apple carts, I am really sorry. 1.5 million people have died since COVID-19 began, the numbers increasing rapidly the older you are. 135K of those are due to the virus itself.

And per official CDC data, those under 25 have nearly zero chance of dying from COVID-19. You'd think that, at least, would be good news.

Also, I would like to remind you that I’ve been reporting here — in agreement with the majority position — that overall corona deaths have seen a dramatic increase since the start of July. Here’s hoping that trend comes to an end soon.

mustangxc wrote:Amazing how we can all go on with our lives if people just put in a minimal amount of effort to curtail the spread!

Or it just runs its course through the vulnerable like virtually every other virus has without masks.

gostangs wrote:

mustangxc wrote:Amazing how we can all go on with our lives if people just put in a minimal amount of effort to curtail the spread!

Or it just runs its course through the vulnerable like virtually every other virus has without masks.

He pointed to cases, not deaths so not quite.

gostangs, I'm estimating that in Texas about 16% of the population has been infected.



And a few days ago, it really looked like we were headed into serious territory in a hurry -- 300 to 500 deaths per day kind of serious. But we've averaged 165 deaths per day since then. Could be a blip. Or it could be that this thing is beginning to play itself out. Guess we shall see.

ponyboy wrote:I chose the latest summary data the CDC has, XC. I am on the side of telling the truth. End of story. If it upsets some people's apple carts, I am really sorry. 1.5 million people have died since COVID-19 began, the numbers increasing rapidly the older you are. 135K of those are due to the virus itself.

And per official CDC data, those under 25 have nearly zero chance of dying from COVID-19. You'd think that, at least, would be good news.

Also, I would like to remind you that I’ve been reporting here — in agreement with the majority position — that overall corona deaths have seen a dramatic increase since the start of July. Here’s hoping that trend comes to an end soon.

It's a neat defense that when someone calls you out for using erroneous data it's automatically "wow so emotional" as if it was a matter of feeling that you left something out. One could say that you had your own feelings hurt by facts and your response of ad hominem is one of feeling. Let's just all calm down and stop using "feelings" as anything and stick to data. If you get a truth incorrect and someone corrects you, think back to you saying "I am on the side of telling the truth." and imagine telling someone a fact then calling you emotional for using a fact. Empathy.

Edit: this was not saying anything was done on purpose. Accidents happen.

Back to facts: people die but adding the deaths from COVID doesn't replace deaths, it's cumulative. People die from all those things and additionally a bunch of new unnecessary deaths got added on top of that. There is so much extra pain from deaths and side effects that could have been avoided but the whole spectrum of gov botched it.

Yep, good advice, m. Appreciate it.

ponyboy wrote:... If you're marked to die -- and I hope no one here is -- your overall chance...

Huh? Marked by whom?

How do you know when you're marked to die? Should those people start driving drunk and stop wearing seatbelts?

I don't mean to make light of the situation at all - it's scary as hell. But masks, etc., are for those around us, like not driving drunk, as much as for ourselves.

Cases have dropped a little, which is encouraging. In many other states, those numbers have surged back up, and this is far from over. Hope it doesn't happen here.

ponyboy wrote:Interestingly irrelevant.

By the way, all I've shown is that mortality risk is nearly zero.

With all due respect, there are more than 150K families in this country who would argue that "nearly" isn't good enough. Honestly, I don't think anything about this can be termed "irrelevant."

I created this chart this morning from the CDC cumulative data through 7/25/20

Dement-ed wrote:

ponyboy wrote:Interestingly irrelevant.

By the way, all I've shown is that mortality risk is nearly zero.

With all due respect, there are more than 150K families in this country who would argue that "nearly" isn't good enough. Honestly, I don't think anything about this can be termed "irrelevant."

I understand and you're right: Lives are precious. My "irrelevant" comment was in response to a charge that I was playing with data to prove a point.

Scary times. Schools are reopening and immediately sending kids home as Trojan horses to infect the rest of their families. The youngest of folks probably don't grasp the importance all the containment procedures, masking up, distancing etc. The kids will likely not die but their families could and then the long term effects are yikes.

The benefits of me living solo and no kids? #ForeverAlone

This thread shouldn't be separating us. The risks to students, teammates, community and families is reason enough to be much more disciplined in our response and behaviors.

Although the very young (less than 10 years) are less susceptible to the worst effects of the coronavirus, each subsequent age cohort is increasingly at risk for adverse effects and being communicable. Having college students congregate increases the rate of spread.

In addition to spreading to family members and those we are in close contact with, we underestimate or ignore the threat to our healthcare delivery system, care givers and essential workers. In hospitals today, our front line medical workers (candidly, heroes) are being worn out. 12 hour days, six days a week, they are at risk for themselves and their own families.

For these reasons and many others, we need to respect the call to action, including social distancing, masks, sanitation efforts and no group meetings. If we do that, we can make progress and begin the long journey to a new normal and, hopefully, a proven, safe and effective vaccine. A vaccine that the vast majority (90%) actually willingly accept. Absent any of the above, we will only prolong the isolating steps and sacrifices we have taken so far; which must persist because of apparent cultural resistance by too many.

https://www.si.com/college/2020/08/05/c ... s-opt-outs

You are certainly entitled to your opinion that 16% of Texans have had the disease. And that no young people get sick, get hospitalized, have long term conditions, and die. And that those young people aren't going to infect their parents, coaches, or professors.

The problem is that if you are wrong, it is going to cost a lot of deaths, a lot of hospitalizations and conditions that can impact a career.

If we are wrong, fans lose entertainment and some other people lose some money.

If I am wrong, I am more than happy to come here publicly and apologize for raising unwarranted concerns.

If you are wrong, I hope that you will apologize for the death, hospitalization, and long term impacts that could have been avoided if Texas had followed the advice of the scientific community.

I suspect you wont, however, because you aren't speaking out about the thousands of Texans who have already died because Abbot ran against the advice of the CDC, opened the state up too quickly, and didn't mandate masks. Even though we can all see with the drop in cases and hospitalizations the clear impact that mandate on July 2 had, and we will most likely see a bigger impact on the reduction of deaths next week.