Coronavirus Hysteria Worse Than the Disease

I’m pretty sure that I am going to be correct about the Coronavirus: This hysteria is more dangerous than the disease. Sure, Coronavirus or COVID-19 as it is also called, is disturbing and scary. But when you consider how many people are likely to die, and who is likely to die, compared to the statistics in mortality for so many other conditions and diseases, this is mass craziness in terms of fear.

Coronavirus has caused a fear contagion

Coronavirus has caused a fear contagion. The fact that it is a “pandemic,” only means that it exists around the world. This is a health care crisis that has now precipitated an economic crisis because of lack of perspective. What’s needed now is not simply new fiscal policy or monetary policy, but a simple announcement from the House Democrats and the White House that the federal government will bring to bear its resources to create a comprehensive “Manhattan Project” to combat COVID 19. In addition, the federal government ought to backstop anybody in the United States who seeks treatment to make sure that care is free to them in this period of national emergency. (Quick note, I am a financial advisor and nothing in this article ought to be construed as investment advice. Investing involves the risk of loss). If the House Democrats and the White House were to come together, I believe the stock market could recover some of its recent losses, and normal economic activity could begin to resume. This is not the time for political recriminations; this is the time for good will and to pull together as a nation and as an American people. Here’s what I need to tell you about perspective in terms of impact of the Coronavirus:

---

Unfortunately we have become a diminished people, no longer able to face reality and difficulties. It’s a kind of national cowardice

As of March 12, 2020, there have been only 37 people to die from Coronavirus in the United States. As of March 10, 2020, only 32 people had died from Coronavirus. Of those 32 people, about 24 of them died in a nursing home in Washington State. That means in those two days, only five more people had died from Coronavirus. Is this enough of a reason to bring economic activity to halt? I don’t think so. Normal Americans are able to cope with these types of risks and displacements. Unfortunately we have become a diminished people, no longer able to face reality and difficulties. It’s a kind of national cowardice. Let me say this clearly: life is inherently dangerous, and none of us are going to get out alive. Let’s talk about other causes of preventable death and see how much significantly greater they are than Coronavirus is likely ever to be. The following are the most recent figures that I pulled from reputable internet sources, such as the Centers for Disease Control.

• People killed in car accidents each year in the United States: 35,000.
• People killed by influenza last year in the United States: 35,000. The year before that 61,000 people died from the flu.
• Number of people that die of heart disease in the United States each year: 650,000.
• Number of people that die of cancer each year: 610,000.
• Number of people that die from smoking each year: 485,000.
• Number of people that die from alcohol-related deaths each year: 88,000.
• Number of people killed by accidents and unintentional injuries each year in the United States: 170,000.

In 1918, 575,000 people in the United States died from influenza. We have been here before, and obviously we don’t want these types of deaths to happen again, but it seems extreme to think that this virus which does not appear to be all that lethal to healthy people will cause this type of catastrophe.

---

Support Canada Free Press

---

Elderly and people with compromised immune systems

Coronavirus is something of which to be concerned, of course. But unfortunately, the only people that are going to die from it are the elderly and people with compromised immune systems. That’s sad and unfortunate, but for the overwhelming majority of people perhaps 80 percent of those with Coronavirus, they will experience only minor symptoms. People in health care tell me that we have to “flatten” the curve on who gets affected by Coronavirus, so that hospitals can take care of the sick and we can slow the pace of infection. But what’s really needed is to lower the fear, and not close arenas and theaters, and instead believe we can handle this and mostly live our lives as normally as possible, and take reasonable precautions, such as washing one’s hands often. I know it’s me and I have a conservative bias, but it’s the brand conscience NBA, the leading Social Justice Warrior league in the country that started the trend of capitulation. All of a sudden every other sports league had to follow suit. New York Governor Mario Cuomo then shut the lights on Broadway until April 12. Before that New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio stopped the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which has taken place for 258 years. This is hysteria. This is madness, compared to the magnitude of other preventable deaths. If people are afraid they shouldn’t attend these events. Let the rest of us live our lives, and take the normal risks of living.