A truer calculation of virus ‘death rate’ could deter coronavirus protests | Letters
There are two main categories of COVID-19: total confirmed cases and yet-to-be-confirmed cases.
The former we read about daily while the latter consists of those who have had the virus and did not know.
Looking at what data we have, the total confirmed case can be grouped as active cases, recovered cases and deaths.
Since the outcome of active cases will take weeks to quantify and is still growing, comparing strictly the recovered cases to the deaths reveals what is not being reported on TV or in the newspapers.
As of April 29, MSN reports that of the 1,035,045 total cases in the U.S., there have been 118,228 recoveries and 58,964 deaths. That means that as a whole, those who have died are 33% of the total of recoveries and deaths.
As such, the “death rate” is slightly higher than 33%.
Another way to look at this is that for every two people who have recovered, one has died.
So while we read or hear about the total cases and deaths in the newspaper, online or on TV, the perception given is that the death rate is much lower.
For example, on April 29, MSN reports 192 deaths for 5,543 active cases for South Carolina. This appears to be a death rate of 3%.
The report for Georgia on the same day is 1,036 deaths for 23,818 active cases or slightly above 4%.
Would reporting the current “death rate” be a deterrent to the protests to reopen for business, the actual opening of non-essential businesses or those neglecting social distancing?
Michael A. Collins
Bluffton
We’re better off without the meat
America is one of the sickest nations on the planet and Donald Trump wants to keep the meat-packing plants delivering the goods.
Meat? The livestock industry is one of the main reasons our people and environment are so vulnerable to disease.
With estimates that it takes 2,500 gallons of water, 12 pounds of grain, 35 pounds of topsoil and the energy equivalent of one gallon of gasoline to produce one pound of feedlot beef, the question is, “Why are we not just eating the grain and drinking the water?”
Add the injected chemicals and antibiotics, the inhumane housing and slaughter of these poor animals before they get to the meat-packing plants, and ask, “Why are we protecting such a unjust and unnecessary practice?”
Fifty years ago, a young housewife, Frances Moore Lappe, was disturbed with waste of resources and pollution of the land in growing animals for food. She wrote a small recipe book entitled “Diet for a Small Planet” advocating a plant-based diet to help solve problems of world hunger and environmental degradation.
Many of us cherished her book and eliminated the “middleman meat” in our diets. It’s good reading today.
Debby Boots
Hilton Head Island
It’s not too late for Census 2020
Census Day was April 1, so you might have thought that the deadline for being counted had passed. It is important, however, for everyone who has not responded to know that it is not too late to be counted.
April 1 was a key reference date for the 2020 Census – not a deadline. The Census Bureau uses this date to determine who is counted and where you were living as of April 1, 2020, including everyone who usually lives and sleeps in your home.
How you respond to the census will help determine how billions of dollars in federal funding will flow into states and communities each year. The results will also determine how many seats in Congress each state will be allocated for the next 10 years.
You should know that the Census is mandated by the U.S. Constitution in Article 1, Section 2. And, that the U.S. has counted its population every 10 years since 1790.
By law, the Census Bureau cannot release any identifiable information about you, your home, or your business, even to law enforcement agencies. That’s protected under Title 13 of the U.S. Code.
Also know that you do not have to complete the 2020 Census to receive a stimulus check.
So be counted by responding:
▪ Online at https://2020census.gov.
▪ By calling 844-330-2020 for English and 844-468-2020 for Spanish and 12 other languages from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m.
▪ By mail if you received the short questionnaire.
Joan Kinne-Shulman
Hilton Head Island
The writer is vice president of the League of Women Voters of Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Area.
Give Trump credit he’s due
It was a welcome change to read the recent letter, “All too eager to blame Trump.”
There may be many reasons for your letter writers to dislike President Donald Trump, but there are many more reasons to like Trump. They may find reasons to like the president if they would verify the statements they make about the president that form their opinions and inaccurate conclusions.
I read in dismay the disrespect for Trump and the refusal of letter writers to acknowledge the good that he has done for our country.
How many people are aware that Trump has not taken a personal salary since 2017 for his service as president? He has pledged his salary for government projects and departments. This is just one unselfish act on the part of this president.
Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and their COVID-19 team of specialists have done a remarkable job developing strategies to combat COVID-19 and filling the demands for ventilators, masks and other supplies where needed.
The information given to the president and his team of experts is the basis for the recommendations of Drs. Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx and the president. Trump acknowledges the hard work of his team and everyone throughout this country in the many fields of expertise working together to save lives, including us, the American people.
The COVID-19 virus is an open door to socialism. We as a nation, must pray to God for an end to this virus and the preservation of our republic.
Florence Tarantino Wilkins
Hilton Head Island
Trump has long been the epitome of sleaze
Hatred is an ugly word and few want to admit to the discomfort and division it invokes. Loath, despise, intense dislike, maybe? Call it what you may, there have been “Trump haters” long before Donald Trump became president because he has been the epitome of sleaze, superficiality, and stupidity for decades.
Just the sight of him and the sound of his voice makes many Trump haters sick to their stomachs, but we’re trapped.
Our quandary is how anybody would accept and support such a goofball.
Do they ever question the time he spends watching TV, tweeting, conducting self-focused rallies, playing golf, and dining at Mar-a-Lago? He is not doing the demanding work he signed up for – unless being a disruption is what they had in mind.
And, even more distressing is his divisive hold on our country. Why do Trumpers persist in proponing a president that over half of his constituents find odious? There are so many other qualified, experienced, presidential possibilities to lead the country – even Republican ones – we could all respect.
As one who could never abide Trump and visibly cringes for our country – and our national and international stature – every time he performs his buffoonery, I prefer to call myself a “Trump realist” – one who relies on the massive facts and evidence to form my assessment.
To add: “Make America Great Again” is an empty slogan. It can only motivate supporters who like sound effects and don’t require a genuine performance.
Kate McClintic
Beaufort