As a killer of Americans, Covid lags far behind heart disease and cancer, according to CDC data.
Assuming that Covid has been highly active in the United States for about two and a half months (February, March and half of April), we can get a fairly good estimate of the total number of deaths to be expected in that period based on 2017 and 2018 figures.1 We get that by 2.5(2810000)/12 = 583000 for 2017 and 2.5(2840000)/12 = 592000 for 2018. Taking the average, we have 587,000 deaths as a very plausible number for a 2.5-month period.
The number of Covid deaths in America so far is 26,000. And 26,000/587000 is about 4.4 percent. That is, Covid is among the top killers of Americans, placing just ahead of flu/pneumonia with a 2 percent rate. The following percentages come from Medical News Today1, which gleaned them from the CDC's 2017 data.
Covid lags far behind heart disease, which accounts for 23.5 percent of deaths yearly in America, and cancer, which accounts for 21.3 percent. Accidental deaths, at 6 percent, outpace Covid. Also ranking ahead of Covid is chronic lower respiratory disease (COPD, bronchitis, emphysema, asthma) at 5.7%, and stroke and cerebrovascular disease at 5.2 percent.
Covid appears to nudge ahead of Alzheimer's, with its 4.3% rate. It also outpaces diabetes (3%), kidney disease (1.8%) and suicide (1.8%).
It is reasonable to believe that the Covid percentage is not exactly as calculated. But, there is no chance the actual percentage is anywhere near the percentage for the top killers of Americans: heart disease and cancer.
So there is a serious question as to whether a disease that is far less of a killer than other causes of death ought to be viewed as a threat so menacing that society must be shut down. Society doesn't close down for any of the other top killers of Americans.
1. CDC: In 2018, a total of 2,839,205 resident deaths were registered in the United States—25,702 more deaths than in 2017.
2. Top causes of death in America
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/282929#kidney-disease
Assuming that Covid has been highly active in the United States for about two and a half months (February, March and half of April), we can get a fairly good estimate of the total number of deaths to be expected in that period based on 2017 and 2018 figures.1 We get that by 2.5(2810000)/12 = 583000 for 2017 and 2.5(2840000)/12 = 592000 for 2018. Taking the average, we have 587,000 deaths as a very plausible number for a 2.5-month period.
The number of Covid deaths in America so far is 26,000. And 26,000/587000 is about 4.4 percent. That is, Covid is among the top killers of Americans, placing just ahead of flu/pneumonia with a 2 percent rate. The following percentages come from Medical News Today1, which gleaned them from the CDC's 2017 data.
Covid lags far behind heart disease, which accounts for 23.5 percent of deaths yearly in America, and cancer, which accounts for 21.3 percent. Accidental deaths, at 6 percent, outpace Covid. Also ranking ahead of Covid is chronic lower respiratory disease (COPD, bronchitis, emphysema, asthma) at 5.7%, and stroke and cerebrovascular disease at 5.2 percent.
Covid appears to nudge ahead of Alzheimer's, with its 4.3% rate. It also outpaces diabetes (3%), kidney disease (1.8%) and suicide (1.8%).
It is reasonable to believe that the Covid percentage is not exactly as calculated. But, there is no chance the actual percentage is anywhere near the percentage for the top killers of Americans: heart disease and cancer.
So there is a serious question as to whether a disease that is far less of a killer than other causes of death ought to be viewed as a threat so menacing that society must be shut down. Society doesn't close down for any of the other top killers of Americans.
1. CDC: In 2018, a total of 2,839,205 resident deaths were registered in the United States—25,702 more deaths than in 2017.
2. Top causes of death in America
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/282929#kidney-disease
No comments:
Post a Comment