Has the U.S. been doing a good job with Covid-19? Not really

Posted 15 May 2020 at 9:49 am

Editor:

A medical acquaintance, with whom we consulted about the NY Health Plan, told what he called a “cautionary tale.” Patients of his were saying that the Covid-19 scare was a “hoax.”

He contracted the disease, ran a very high temperature for 10 days. He lives by himself, his family living thousands of miles away. “I was very frightened. I’m still very weak.” “I’m here to tell you: this is not a hoax.”

According to the CDC, the US, as of 5/13/20, has 1,364,061 reported cases and 82,256 deaths. We’re about 1/18th of the world’s population. Yet we have close to a third of the cases, and more than a fourth of the deaths, world-wide.

There are those who claim we’re doing a good job. Compared to whom?

Now maybe our percentages are high, because we are testing more? And we are. But according to Worldometer, there are 41 nations testing at a higher rate per populaton. And according to another source, South Korea had done nearly a half million tests, before we got started.

Maybe, if some of us hadn’t been minimizing and calling it a “hoax,” we could have saved many lives and even somewhat spared the economy, the implications of which will take even more lives, especially among the poor and elderly, who will lose incomes and homes.

How is this “Pro-Life?”

Bob Golden

Kent