Coronavirus pandemic? Compared to what? – IOTW Report

Coronavirus pandemic? Compared to what?

“The U.S. has seen 41 deaths from the Coronavirus. 22 of those deaths occurred in one poorly run nursing home outside of Seattle. Another 9 deaths occurred in the rest of Washington state, leaving 10 deaths (4 in California, 2 in Florida, and 1 in each of Georgia, Kansas, New Jersey, and South Dakota) spread throughout the rest of the approximately 329 million residents of the United States. This represents roughly .000012 percent of the U.S. population.


Much has been made of the “exponential” rate of infection in European and Asian countries—as if the spread of all transmittable diseases did not develop along geometric, as opposed to arithmetic, growth patterns. What actually matters is whether or not the growing “pandemic” overwhelms our ability to ensure the well-being of U.S. residents with efficiency and precision. But fear of the disease, and not the disease itself, has already spoiled that for us. Even if my odds of dying from coronavirus should suddenly jump ten-thousand-fold, from the current rate of .000012 percent across the U.S. population all the way up to .12 percent, I’d happily take those odds over the destruction being wrought on the U.S. and global economy from this unbridled panic.


By comparison, there were 38,800 traffic fatalities in the United States in 2019, the National Safety Council estimates. That represents an average of over one hundred traffic deaths every day; if the press catalogued these in as much painstaking detail as they have deaths from coronavirus, highways nationwide would be as empty as New York subways are now.” – Heather Mac Donald

ht/ c. steven tucker

22 Comments on Coronavirus pandemic? Compared to what?

  1. Well there are 87 deaths in US now, and # of cases jumped more than 25% today (about 1,000) – which I bet is partially due to test kit availability. Regardless, I ain’t panicking.
    My community, on the other hand… Peoples’ Republic of Santa Monica has ordered all restaurants closed until end of March, deliveries are okay but no sit-down. I am guessing this means coffee shops too. There have been a couple of cases here.

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  2. this is a sneak-preview of what’s going to happen to us(US) sheeple when the D’rats get in charge

    … scarcity, long lines, shelves empty … in just one long weekend they’ve locked us down without a bit of protest, & declared absolutism, once again, in the ‘land of the free’

    Venezuela is our near future … King George III is laughing in his grave

    btw, according to the CDC, in 2018 there were 61,000 US deaths due to flu

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  3. PEOPLE NEED TO BE QUARANTINED FROM DRIVING!!

    BTW, HOW MANY GUN DEATHS IN CHICAGO THIS MONTH?? MEDIA’S BEEN SILENT…

    …MY DATING LIFE WAS MUCH RISKIER!!

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  4. The disease is real, but equivalent to or less important than the flu. Ask yourself why everyone is in a panic—-the media. This is one big fraud, fight back.

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  5. This accomplishes stuffing that ridiculous Impeachment down the memory hole very effectively.

    Also, even IF any Deep Staters were made to face Justice, who would notice? Comey? Comey?!

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  6. What the hell is next!? Shooting people over 60 who are out and about?

    This seems to me to be the progression from the latest Millenial trend of “Okay, Boomer” and the recent jump to “Boomer Remover.” Assholes.

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  7. The U.S. is REACTIONARY when it comes to natural disasters, not careful planners.

    Hurricaines, tornadoes, wildfires, diseases, we just SUCK at it each and every time.

    Each state should have huge reserves of emergency shelter, food, water, medical supplies, flood and fire fighting options ready to be deployed at the drop of a hat.

    What historically happens is people stand around, watch the disaster unfold, then beg gov’t for help, then its a Chinese fire drill to fulfill those needs we already know they need.

    Coronavirus is just emergency Groundhog’s Day.

    Not Trump’s fault, but laws and supplies should be activated at the push of a button, and wheels go in motion every time. We stand around, talk, wait wait wait, political grand standing, argue about relief bills packed with political pork, and eventually get back to governing.

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  8. Disgusting scumbag democrat media (Fox News included) has finally done to Trump and the American people what they’ve been trying to do since we went off the reservation and voted for some common sense.
    There will be Hell to pay for this treason.

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  9. we’re less than 12 hours away from polls opening in Ohio’s primary election, and we have no freaking idea if we can or not. Summit County BOE says election has been postponed. Courts in Franklin County say, no no no, we aren’t postponing anything.

    FUCK YOU MIKE DEWINE. Fuck you and everything you stand for, you worthless rino piece of shit.

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  10. Handy, imo, President Trump is going along to no small degree to give demrats nothing substantive to point to for a failing.
    When this passes, and the economy rebounds because teh structure is still sound, President Trump will look even better.

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  11. At this point, the body count doesn’t matter; Corona virus has fulfilled it’s mission, the destruction of our booming economy. I wonder if any democrat congress critters had any meetings with Chinese officials late last year?

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  12. When the fear of the pandemic finally subsides, we’re going to live with the wrecked economy for a very long time. In my mind, this “pandemic” simply shifted the insolvency collapse of ~2025 to the present.

    If we don’t change our banking system and phase out Federal entitlement programs, the 2020’s truly will mark the beginning of the end of everything we know.

    (1) Abolish the FED and institute a Unites States National Bank that is chartered – by law – to regulate our money supply with strict, mark-to-market accounting and zero inflation. (And by the way, don’t just “abolish the FED,” break it up, confiscate it and then ban it forever. You don’t think the United States has the power to do that? Think again!)

    (2) Optionally (because it’s very difficult!), as per our Constitution, resume gold and silver (and other precious metals) coinage as the nation’s long-term money with U.S. Currency Notes drawn against such coinage and reserves. (How to simultaneously phase-out Federal Reserve Notes needs to be solved in any case…)

    (3) 10-year phase-out of Medicare and Medicaid. 20-year phase-out of Social Security just like Barry Goldwater suggested in 1964.

    (4) Eliminate most Federal “Departments” (Education, Energy, etc.) and cut our Federal spending – and workforce – at a programmed rate over a period of say 10 years.

    Could we really do this? Yeah, we actually could – but I don’t think we will. So, I’m helping my kids and my grand kids raise their own food and live on the land.

    Because in 10-20 years, we could be just an agrarian society again. This isn’t “pessimism.” It’s Grandpa helping his progeny survive regardless. I suspect I’m not alone tonight.

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  13. As far as testing goes, there are a lot of false positives, as well as false negatives. Many people who tested positive show no symptoms, and many who tested negative for coronavirus have flu-like symptoms. I have never worn a tin-foil hat, but damn if this doesn’t reek of a conspiracy.

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  14. @AbigailAdams March 16, 2020 at 9:17 pm

    > This seems to me to be the progression from the latest Millenial trend of “Okay, Boomer” and the recent jump to “Boomer Remover.” Assholes.

    Since it is a certain demographic that denies — aggressively opposes — the Day of The Rope, a Day of The Pillow consolation prize is not too much to ask.

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