The Official Coronavirus Numbers Are Wrong Due to Flawed Testing Protocols
Posted by freedomforall 4 years, 1 month ago to Government
We know, irrefutably, one thing about the coronavirus in the United States: The number of cases reported in every chart and table is far too low.
The data are untrustworthy because the processes we used to get them were flawed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s testing procedures missed the bulk of the cases. They focused exclusively on travelers, rather than testing more broadly, because that seemed like the best way to catch cases entering the country.
Just days ago, it was not clear that the virus had spread solely from domestic contact at all. But then cases began popping up with no known international connection. What public-health experts call “community spread” had arrived in the United States. The virus would not be stopped by tight borders, because it was already propagating domestically. Trevor Bedford’s lab at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, which studies viral evolution, concluded there is “firm evidence” that, at least in Washington State, the coronavirus had been spreading undetected for weeks. Now different projections estimate that 20 to 1,500 people have already been infected in the greater Seattle area. In California, too, the disease appears to be spreading, although the limited testing means that no one is quite sure how far.
The data are untrustworthy because the processes we used to get them were flawed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s testing procedures missed the bulk of the cases. They focused exclusively on travelers, rather than testing more broadly, because that seemed like the best way to catch cases entering the country.
Just days ago, it was not clear that the virus had spread solely from domestic contact at all. But then cases began popping up with no known international connection. What public-health experts call “community spread” had arrived in the United States. The virus would not be stopped by tight borders, because it was already propagating domestically. Trevor Bedford’s lab at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, which studies viral evolution, concluded there is “firm evidence” that, at least in Washington State, the coronavirus had been spreading undetected for weeks. Now different projections estimate that 20 to 1,500 people have already been infected in the greater Seattle area. In California, too, the disease appears to be spreading, although the limited testing means that no one is quite sure how far.
The article, and ones linked seem to be advocating more regulation, well maybe. But then they say border control will not work. Is there some political point being made here?
They start with a grain of truth: that the CDC (imo, one arm of central control) has not controlled the virus. Then they introduce another plausible idea that they weren't testing enough people to determine whether it was spreading. It wasn't clear who to test and the virus was (apparently) a new one and there wasn't ample data to make an accurate determination. If Obama or Clinton had been president that would have been explained and the administration lauded for their admirable balanced reaction. They then postulate that border control was not an appropriate action and it failed (because it never can work under any circumstances.) As always they want to blame the Trump administration and discard any policy related to closing borders even when it is the obvious rational choice. They should be advocating completely closing the borders now to prevent any additional outside contamination since it is very clear now that such travel always spreads the disease and 14 days in quarantine is not enough to be effective. If the virus is spreading internally, adding more sources of it is foolish. Deal with the spread at home, where it is happening, and don't stress the system further. Instead they want to stress the system until it breaks so they can con the people into giving the socialists control (again, as under Obama and Clilnton.)
The Atlantic magazine are biased toward central control and socialism.
Maybe this virus fizzles out like the others did before.
As for infecting 40 to 70 % of the world population, many viruses do that. We carry a lot of bugs, in peaceful symbiosis with us.
It is when the body's immune balance gets upset by some factors, like it is common in older people, when the virus attacks and becomes lethal.