This message is quite educational. The doctors presenting the material state that their goal is to present the science and follow the numbers. Their data is from the CDC and WHO, and their anecdotal accounts are from their daily experience in California as medical doctors. They clearly state that their goal is not to assign blame or decide who is right and wrong but simply to present the data and extrapolate that data. Here are a few takeaways...listen if you can.
The pattern of COVID-19 is millions affected, small amount of death. Every death is of course tragic and significant. We want the goal to be zero deaths.
In California, you have a 0.03 chance of dying from COVID-19. If you contract the illness you have a 96% chance of recovering with no continued health complications from contracting the virus.
In New York, you have a 0.1 chance of dying from COVID-19. If you contract the illness you have a 92% chance of recovering with no continued health complications from contracting the virus.
We have no studies to indicate what happens when we quarantine healthy people. In every other major outbreak of illness, it is only the sick who have been quarantined.
We do, however, know what happens to our immune system when it is unable to come into contact with viruses and bacteria. Our immune system drops/decreases. The way we build immunity is to be exposed to germs. This means that the longer the healthy are quarantined, not being exposed to "normal" pathogens, the weaker the immune system becomes. Additionally we know that Americans are reporting taking extra or new steps to disinfect their homes (repeatedly wiping down countertops, washing hands when they haven't traveled outside of their home, etc) What will happen when we are released from quarantine? Science dictates that the incidence of disease will rise (all sorts of diseases, viruses, colds, flus, etc). This is of grave concern considering that many hospitals are not operating at full staffing.
Here are some other considerations raised by the doctors...
1. Incidences of suicide, spousal abuse, molestation and suicide are rising daily.
2. Patients with other non-related health conditions are reporting that they fear going to the hospital or to their doctor for fear of contracting COVID-19. Patients with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart conditions, etc are not being seen regularly like they normally do and should.
3. People with life-threatening illnesses are waiting to seek treatment (think chest pain/heart attack symptoms) because they fear contracting COVID; are intimidated by what they need to do to correctly seek treatment (gloves, masks, distancing, etc); and/or they don't want to overwhelm their local medical team because they are being told that hospitals do not have the capacity to treat them.
4. The doctors also mention the economic devastation that we know is happening.
Moving into their opinions based on the science....
1. There is no scientific reason to impede Americans' constitutional rights (their science basis is how similar COVID-19 is to the seasonal flu).
2. They believe the instances of alcoholism, child abuse, etc (as mentioned above) are a far more serious threat to the health and well being of the American public because these conditions create a lifetime of devastation, a lifetime of repercussions as opposed to the temporary condition of COVID-19. This of course does not account for deaths due to COVID-19.
3. Should we reopen stores? "emphatically yes"
4. Do we need to shelter in place? "emphatically no"
5. Do we need to continue testing? yes
6. We need to quarantine the sick, not the healthy.
7. We need to get our doctors and nurses back to work so they are ready to handle the influx of illness that our society is going to see.
8. These docs are not wearing masks or gloves. Why? They, as healthy people currently, believe that exposure to germs is good and healthy.
9. If we don't lift the ban, why not? There is no data to support continuing the ban.
10. Inconsistencies abound. There is no science to support big businesses being open and small businesses being closed.
11. Schools and other large venue areas should slowly begin to reopen immediately.
12. This will mutate and becomes less virulent.
13. Their opinion is that many deaths being reported as a result of COVID-19 are not actually due to COVID-19. Instead, the patient had an underlying condition, such as COPD or heart disease. There were "co-morbidity" factors attributed to the death. COVID-19 alone did not kill the patient.”
