Still Not Scared By BA.2? Maybe The ICU Stats Will Scare You...Nah....
Still Not Scared By BA.2? Maybe The ICU Stats Will Scare You...Nah....
When People Are Not In Hospital It's Not A Crisis
One is almost tempted to feel sorry for the hapless “journalists” in the corporate media who are tasked with perpetuating the Pandemic Panic Narrative (note that I said “almost”…and then reality set in…).
What must it be like to have to write drivel like this…
People may want assurances about the virus and what's coming next, but they are hard to find in the data. Instead, the numbers point to a murky, unclear picture on Covid, particularly looking at case counts and hospital occupancy.
At this point in the pandemic, hospitalizations are probably the most solid measure of where the nation is on Covid and currently they are still low nationally. Hospitalizations are up very slightly from last week, but still nearly at the lowest they have been in 21 months and nowhere near previous spikes.
…and still be wrong?
The data has always been clear. It's the Pandemic Panic Narrative that has been murky and unclear—not to mention untrue.
The ICU Stats In Texas Are Clear
To illustrate the clarity of the data, let us begin with the Texas ICU data.
Total ICU beds: 6,084
Total Non-COVID ICU beds occupied: 4,920
Total COVID ICU beds occupied: 221
Total ICU beds unoccupied: 943
The data is clear and unambiguous. ICU occupancy due to COVID-19 is 3.6% of total ICU capacity in Texas. ICU occupancy due to COVID-19 is 4.5% of ICU occupancy due to all other causes in Texas. ICU occupancy due to COVID-19 is 23.4% of unused ICU capacity in Texas.
COVID-19 clearly neither sounds nor looks like a crisis for Texas ICUs.
The ICU Stats In New York Are Clear
To confirm the clarity of the data, let us continue with the New York ICU data.
Total ICU beds: 4,450
Total Non-COVID ICU beds occupied: 2,295
Total COVID ICU beds occupied: 182
Total ICU beds unoccupied: 1,273
The data is again clear and unambiguous. ICU occupancy due to COVID-19 is 4.1% of total ICU capacity in New York. ICU occupancy due to COVID-19 is 7.9% of ICU occupancy due to all other causes in New York. ICU occupancy due to COVID-19 is 14.3% of unused ICU capacity in New York.
COVID-19 clearly neither sounds nor looks like a crisis for New York ICUs.
The ICU Stats In California Are Clear
Just in case the third time really is the charm, let us conclude with the California ICU data.
Total ICU beds: 6,673
Total Non-COVID ICU beds occupied: 4,520
Total COVID ICU beds occupied: 172
Total ICU beds unoccupied: 1,981
The data is still clear and unambiguous. ICU occupancy due to COVID-19 is 2.6% of total ICU capacity in California. ICU occupancy due to COVID-19 is 3.8% of ICU occupancy due to all other causes in California. ICU occupancy due to COVID-19 is 8.7% of unused ICU capacity in California.
COVID-19 clearly neither sounds nor looks like a crisis for California ICUs.
Neither Fear, Nor Apathy, Nor Uncertainty
The COVID-19 pandemic has not “entered a new phase", it has ended. This conclusion is driven neither by fear, nor apathy, nor uncertainty, but is the inevitable result of reality setting in.
COVID-19 is a real disease caused by a real pathogen. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is a real pathogen that is really endemic and here to stay.
The COVID-19 disease brought on by SARS-CoV-2 infection is not a real public health crisis. It is not a problem for hospitals. It is not a problem for ICUs. As I have observed previously, it has never been a problem for hospitals or ICUs.
COVID-19 is real. For some patients it is a real problem, even a life-threatening one. Yet for the community and for the country it is not a problem, certainly not at the present time.
Only for the corporate media is it a problem, who have nothing left with which to perpetuate the Pandemic Panic Narrative.
In 2014 the Smith /Mundt Act was undone by Obama.
It was in place so the USA wouldn’t have media propaganda like Nazi Germany.
Remember politicians truly believe we are too stupid to understand facts.
Covid proved them correct.