Your commentary in the graphs don't tell the whole story. I don't recall a lot of protests in FL and TX, yet their cases skyrocketed.
Seattle had so much protesting that they created a continuous protest in the CHOP. Cases have gone up, but a lot of that is attributed to agricultural counties in eastern WA.
CA had its share of protests, but they also had an explosion of new cases in Imperial County.
I live in Tampa. We had two weeks of protests, shopping plazas being burned, major intersections and interstates being blocked, looting, rioting, and - worst of all - fake calls to 911 to draw a police response, only to have the officers ambushed. Within two weeks, my county’s cases spiked dramatically.
Serious question about masks. Assuming they are effective, then it seems like people who want to protect themselves will wear them and be protected and those who don’t feel the need to wear them are only affecting themselves. If masks are effective and you are wearing one, why does it matter if I’m not? You are protected from me by your mask and I have assumed the risk of infection from other non-masked people. Seems like personal choice works for everyone with each deciding their own comfort/risk level. And by using the pronouns “you” and “me” I’m speaking generically, not about you and me personally. I just don’t understand why mask advocates care if others don’t wear a mask if they are protected by their own.
No, I am NOT protected by MY mask. I am protected by yours. Or, more precisely, I am somewhat protected by my mask, but I am more protected if you were yours.
We have all seen the graph that shows two people maskless - most spread, one person masked, less spread, both people masked, the least spread.
WEAR YOUR MASK. Do your part. Quit being the first to scream about "muh rights" and the first to scream about your rights and responsibilities.
Good post Erick. No honest person can look at the Corona graphs and conclude that the upward trend did not start around mid-June, about 6 weeks after economies started to reopen. A logical hypothesis is that it is related to people violating common sense social distancing, whether at protest rallies or in bars and other crowded indoor areas. But as you pointed out, too many people in our society are interested more in pushing propaganda than they are in truth.
I was in Germany from January 22 to May 26, having extended my trip a couple months because of the Corona chaos. I know firsthand what the Germans did to control the Corona virus and it worked pretty well to bring the virus under control. Although the methodical Germans were not able to eliminate the virus, they have been able to keep the new cases and new deaths at a relatively stable low level. That is about the best that any country can do, because once the virus starts spreading, it is virtually impossible to stop without some kind of rapid peak in cases/deaths.
The Germans did what the US did early on, shut down as much as possible, encouraging people to work from home, and to rigidly practice social distancing. But the Germans were allowed to walk freely outside and I spent a good bit of time on daily walks with my wife, keeping a reasonable social distance from anybody but her. The Germans started opening up their stores about a week after Easter, but required customers to wear masks in doors, maintain social distancing, and installed plastic guards around their registers. The Germans recorded new cases per the last 7 days per 100K residents for each of their LandKreis’s (typically between a US zip-code and a US county in size). The Germans were smart enough to recognize that Corona risk was not uniform everywhere and so they put their efforts into controlling local hot-spots to limit outbreaks. The Germans didn’t focus on total cases, because after two weeks old case numbers are virtually irrelevant, since positive cases are either no longer infectious or isolated in either a private quarantine or in a hospital. The Germans found that most of their hot spots developed in places where social distancing was virtually impossible, like meat packing plants where foreign workers lived in dormitories. The Germans kept their schools and barber shops and restaurants closed for a few weeks longer until they verified their new case numbers were relatively stable after which they opened them up, but always with regulations for social distancing, and wearing masks where social distancing isn’t possible (like on public transportation).
In contrast, the US tried to force a one-size-fits-all-glove on everybody, when it was not necessary. The US is still focused on total cases and total deaths even though these numbers are virtually irrelevant to stopping the spread of Corona. The only sure way to stop Corona is to stay away from people who have it, which means tighter controls in regions that have a higher incidence of Corona cases. It is illogical to argue that masks don’t help stop the spread, because even if they are not 100% effective, they are inarguably better than no protection at all. But far too many people in the conservative camp are intent on arguing that masks do nothing and that social distancing is worthless. On the other hand, the media representing the progressive left seems intent on shutting down the whole economy again, which is not what Germany did to control its spread. Given the current outbreaks in mid-summer in southern states the early hypothesis that Corona will not spread in hot weather doesn’t seem to have much merit. As with the early hypothesis about a high-death-rate and lack-of-need-for-wearing-masks, we now know much more about Corona than we did in March. But the benefits of knowledge only apply to people who are willing to accept it and use it. And that comes down to individual responsibility.
Eric, regarding the graph - don't make the mistake that many medical doctors do with ads from big Pharma - correlation does not imply causation. Many things correlate that have no bearing on each other.
Great article that provides a balanced and common sense view of the current state. I continue to broaden and learn as I read information like this to be a better educated and knowledgeable individual.
Eric, don’t always agree with you, but very much enjoy your view. Keep going!
Your commentary in the graphs don't tell the whole story. I don't recall a lot of protests in FL and TX, yet their cases skyrocketed.
Seattle had so much protesting that they created a continuous protest in the CHOP. Cases have gone up, but a lot of that is attributed to agricultural counties in eastern WA.
CA had its share of protests, but they also had an explosion of new cases in Imperial County.
Quite frankly, it's simplistic.
I live in Tampa. We had two weeks of protests, shopping plazas being burned, major intersections and interstates being blocked, looting, rioting, and - worst of all - fake calls to 911 to draw a police response, only to have the officers ambushed. Within two weeks, my county’s cases spiked dramatically.
From major depression and cynicism to hopeful optimism...what a switch! You feeling ok, Erick?
Serious question about masks. Assuming they are effective, then it seems like people who want to protect themselves will wear them and be protected and those who don’t feel the need to wear them are only affecting themselves. If masks are effective and you are wearing one, why does it matter if I’m not? You are protected from me by your mask and I have assumed the risk of infection from other non-masked people. Seems like personal choice works for everyone with each deciding their own comfort/risk level. And by using the pronouns “you” and “me” I’m speaking generically, not about you and me personally. I just don’t understand why mask advocates care if others don’t wear a mask if they are protected by their own.
No, I am NOT protected by MY mask. I am protected by yours. Or, more precisely, I am somewhat protected by my mask, but I am more protected if you were yours.
We have all seen the graph that shows two people maskless - most spread, one person masked, less spread, both people masked, the least spread.
WEAR YOUR MASK. Do your part. Quit being the first to scream about "muh rights" and the first to scream about your rights and responsibilities.
Good post Erick. No honest person can look at the Corona graphs and conclude that the upward trend did not start around mid-June, about 6 weeks after economies started to reopen. A logical hypothesis is that it is related to people violating common sense social distancing, whether at protest rallies or in bars and other crowded indoor areas. But as you pointed out, too many people in our society are interested more in pushing propaganda than they are in truth.
I was in Germany from January 22 to May 26, having extended my trip a couple months because of the Corona chaos. I know firsthand what the Germans did to control the Corona virus and it worked pretty well to bring the virus under control. Although the methodical Germans were not able to eliminate the virus, they have been able to keep the new cases and new deaths at a relatively stable low level. That is about the best that any country can do, because once the virus starts spreading, it is virtually impossible to stop without some kind of rapid peak in cases/deaths.
The Germans did what the US did early on, shut down as much as possible, encouraging people to work from home, and to rigidly practice social distancing. But the Germans were allowed to walk freely outside and I spent a good bit of time on daily walks with my wife, keeping a reasonable social distance from anybody but her. The Germans started opening up their stores about a week after Easter, but required customers to wear masks in doors, maintain social distancing, and installed plastic guards around their registers. The Germans recorded new cases per the last 7 days per 100K residents for each of their LandKreis’s (typically between a US zip-code and a US county in size). The Germans were smart enough to recognize that Corona risk was not uniform everywhere and so they put their efforts into controlling local hot-spots to limit outbreaks. The Germans didn’t focus on total cases, because after two weeks old case numbers are virtually irrelevant, since positive cases are either no longer infectious or isolated in either a private quarantine or in a hospital. The Germans found that most of their hot spots developed in places where social distancing was virtually impossible, like meat packing plants where foreign workers lived in dormitories. The Germans kept their schools and barber shops and restaurants closed for a few weeks longer until they verified their new case numbers were relatively stable after which they opened them up, but always with regulations for social distancing, and wearing masks where social distancing isn’t possible (like on public transportation).
In contrast, the US tried to force a one-size-fits-all-glove on everybody, when it was not necessary. The US is still focused on total cases and total deaths even though these numbers are virtually irrelevant to stopping the spread of Corona. The only sure way to stop Corona is to stay away from people who have it, which means tighter controls in regions that have a higher incidence of Corona cases. It is illogical to argue that masks don’t help stop the spread, because even if they are not 100% effective, they are inarguably better than no protection at all. But far too many people in the conservative camp are intent on arguing that masks do nothing and that social distancing is worthless. On the other hand, the media representing the progressive left seems intent on shutting down the whole economy again, which is not what Germany did to control its spread. Given the current outbreaks in mid-summer in southern states the early hypothesis that Corona will not spread in hot weather doesn’t seem to have much merit. As with the early hypothesis about a high-death-rate and lack-of-need-for-wearing-masks, we now know much more about Corona than we did in March. But the benefits of knowledge only apply to people who are willing to accept it and use it. And that comes down to individual responsibility.
Eric, regarding the graph - don't make the mistake that many medical doctors do with ads from big Pharma - correlation does not imply causation. Many things correlate that have no bearing on each other.
That's kinda the point. People look at the graph and presume the thing they don't like caused the growth in the virus.
Great article that provides a balanced and common sense view of the current state. I continue to broaden and learn as I read information like this to be a better educated and knowledgeable individual.