Health
Why are some people still denying the seriousness of COVID?
On Wednesday, more than 100,000 people were hospitalized for the coronavirus. On the same day, 2,804 COVID-19 deaths were recorded, the highest number of the day. Still, many people think the virus is no worse than the flu. I wanted to understand why.
So I asked.
About 200 people wrote to me. I read each and shared it with journalists reporting on the pandemic.
Many believe the virus is genuine, but said they are worried about their work, their bills, and how shutdowns aren’t being processed consistently. Others beg for people to stay home, but are later angry with the politicians found at the event. They do not deny the severity of the virus, they are dissatisfied with the reaction of the country.
Then there are those who really believe that the virus is “not worse than a cold” or “another strain of the flu” is a “kneeling sheep” that is overly panicked.
Annoying commonality of this group: Not so bad as they have beliefs based on false information, social media rumors, or the fact that they don’t personally know who has COVID-19. ..
I say this constantly: our job is to spread the truth. Many letters repeated the same false claims, the same bad information. So I asked a team of health journalists to take the most stubborn misunderstandings and correct the record. Alright, let’s go.
Claim: The number of cases of COVID-19 is swelling due to repeated examinations. For example, if someone is tested for 7 consecutive days and is positive each time, they are all counted.
truth: No matter how many times the test is positive, the official number will only count once. “All positive COVID-19 cases have been reported to the state health department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” reports health writer Ken Alltucker. “Labs, clinics, emergency medicine, and other testing sites collect personally identifiable information such as zip codes and dates of birth, which allows public health agencies to track results and contact individuals. You can track ahead.
“According to the case definition of the State and Territory Epidemiologists Council adopted on August 5, a person who is positive is classified as a single case, even if it is positive multiple times. . “
And what about those who test positive and then negative? Can they be counted?
“It’s common for someone to use a lab test to test positive. When that person is retested (for example, after a week or two) and becomes negative, there are no detectable levels of the viral genetic material. Means, “says Alltucker. “It doesn’t mean it was a fake incident. They were positive, the virus was shed, and the detectable levels disappeared.
“Even in such a scenario, it counts as a total case.”
Claim: Most people who die of COVID-19 are elderly. Young people don’t have to worry. “The real question for me isn’t why so many people take this seriously,” said a 34-year-old man from New York.
truth: As of December 2, more than 50,000 people under the age of 64 have died of COVID-19, according to the CDC.
“Elderly people are at increased risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19,” Alltucker said. “But others with underlying health conditions such as heart disease, cancer, obesity, and diabetes are also at increased risk of illness and death.
“The mortality rate of young adults is much lower, but studies show that it is not without risk. A recent preprint study by Harvard and Yale researchers found that COVID-19 was the leading death in adults aged 25-44 years. We found that the cause was more than an overdose of opioids. “
Also, young people can be infected with COVID-19, but have no symptoms. And they can infect more vulnerable populations with the virus.
Claim: Hospitals are inflating the death toll of COVID-19 to earn more money.
truth: The hospital receives an additional payment from Medicare to treat the influx of COVID-19 patients as part of the Coronavirus Relief Act. However, this has nothing to do with the death classification method, and doctors are angry with the accusations.
“Hospitals may receive more money for COVID-19 patients, but doctors are paid the same regardless of treatment, and it is not the hospital manager who ultimately proves the cause of death. I’m a doctor, “said director Dr. Mangara Narashinhan. The head of critical care services at Northwell Health in New Hyde Park, New York, told health reporter Adriana Rodriguez.
“We’re fighting this fight every day, so we want to strangle people who say (COVID-19 numbers are exaggerated),” said Narasimhan.
Dr. Amesh Adalja is an infectious disease specialist and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. He told Rodriguez that the extra 20% bump would not compensate for the rescheduled or canceled procedure due to the influx of COVID-19 patients. The hospital is still losing money.
“I’ve filled out hundreds (death certificates) in my career. It’s insulting that people, including the president who made the same comment, think we’re (misclassified death certificates). “Adalja said.
Claim: Looking at the number of COVID-19 deaths compared to the US population, it’s a very small percentage, not enough to worry about. “There aren’t enough illnesses and deaths to impress much of the population,” wrote a Cleveland man.
truthRodriguez said on Wednesday, “It may seem that nearly 270,000 deaths are not that high compared to the 330 million people living in the United States, but it could still be alive without COVID-19. Claims that there are 270,000 more people. ”
“The number of deaths currently occurring is unusual. It’s not normal,” he said. “If this isn’t a big deal, why is there a morgue in El Paso?”
Claim: The virus does what it is trying to do. You can’t stop it. It cannot be slowed down. You need to run the course. Protect the vulnerable and let everyone else live.
truth: Patient safety reporter Karen Weintrobe takes up this. We are not helpless, she says.
“Today, scientists don’t know everything they want, but they have a good understanding of the virus to control it,” she said. “For example, the virus that causes COVID-19 is clearly a respiratory virus, so people are infected primarily by inhaling it. Therefore, avoid approaching those who are exhaling virus particles. If you can, you won’t get infected. This scientific knowledge gives us the power to protect ourselves. “
What about protecting the vulnerable and keeping everyone else alive?
“It’s an enviable idea,” she said. “And, unfortunately, it was essentially an attempt in the United States, Brazil, and several other countries with disastrous consequences.
“You’re probably in close contact with someone, even if you’re young, healthy, not overweight, and not part of a black or Native American, or other high-risk group, or one or two steps from someone. Roughly 40% of the American population is obese and is over 65 years old or has a medical condition that tends to be at increased risk of serious COVID-19 infection. “
When the USA TODAY editorial board recently met with infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, he was fed up with people who didn’t take the virus seriously. “This is the real thing,” he said.
“And when people are rushing to the hospital and dying at a rate not seen with this kind of illness for 102 years, if people don’t think it’s a reality, it’s a stimulus. Hope it’s enough. We stop by as a country and say, “Hey, you guys, we have to start talking to each other about what this disparity is between us.” “
So we talked, we know which major factors contribute to the division: false information. Conspiracy theory. Social media rumors.
And we asked. I hope the denials do the same.
The CDC predicts that the United States could reach 450,000 deaths by February.
Nicole Carroll is the Editor-in-Chief of USA TODAY. Contact her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter.
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