Covid-19 Bullshit Exposed in 5 Simple Graphics
COMMENTARY: Words don’t seem to be eradicating these fallacies. Maybe images will help.
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Must choose my words carefully here in describing several, um, untenable untruths circulating from the top down in my beloved country amid a stomach-turning pandemic that’s taken more than 225,000 lives before the viral high season even kicks in to an expected overdrive. Turning to Merriam-Webster for some help:
trope: a common or overused theme or device
tripe: something poor, worthless, or offensive
bullshit: foolish insolent talk
Eh, I can’t decide. So… you’ve likely heard the five bits of viral tripe-trope bullshit below. Words don’t seem to be eradicating them fully, so I offer data and imagery. Before you call me a “fear-mongering, know-nothing socialist,” which I’ve heard a lot lately and respectfully disagree with, please see the included links that offer additional data and science references on each item.
1. Covid-19 is like the flu
As coronavirus infections exploded across the country in recent days, portending an eventual doubling of the pandemic death toll even by conservative projections, a grim milestone slipped by largely unnoticed: Covid-19, known to be five times as deadly as the flu for those who end up in the hospital with it, has now killed more Americans than any flu season since 1918–19 even on a per capita basis. Though a few months ago it seemed unfathomable, it’s fair to say now that if something doesn’t change, we’ll likely challenge the raw total of the flu pandemic of 1918–19, back when we knew a whole lot less about virus protection than we do today.
2. Cases are rising because testing is increasing
President Donald Trump told rally-goers on October 26 that the pandemic “is ending,” and he’s recently said we’re “rounding the corner,” and he’s repeatedly claimed for months that U.S. Covid cases are up just because testing is up. Statistics beg to differ…
