Who made a percentage comparison between population of 1918 and the population today? On a percentage basis, sure the Spanish Flu was much worse. But in a absolute basis, 637,000 people dying of one disease in the U.S. is not chump change.

Here is something else, on an absolute basis:

**The number of dead during the 1918 pandemic is estimated to be as high as 100 million people the world around. So far, in the 21st Century, the number of worldwide cases is 208,656,464. And, so far, the number of deaths the world around is only 4,382,979.
---------------------------------------------------------------

OK. Now we can go back to percentages:

1918 U.S. deaths of 675,000 vs. 100 million deaths worldwide = .00675 %.

However, in today's market, the US currently has 637,000 deaths compared to 4,382,979 deaths around the world. The US represents 14.5 % of worldwide Covid 19 deaths.

So, as a percentage of world wide deaths today, especially when compared to 1918, the US has really knocked it out of the park with its 14.5% number.

That percentage puzzles me. How did we get to 14%? Are we just a bunch of overweight fat fucks who sit around watching too much TV? Were we basically a bunch of sitting ducks all lined up just waiting for Covid.
========================================

India, with 432112 dead comes in at .098 % of world wide deaths.

Brazil 569,581 dead. .129%

Mexico is about 5% of worldwide deaths.

Buy one of those cheap BinaxNow at home tests. Like $20 for two tests. Just peace of mind if you want it.

Boosters after 8 months from original vaccinations:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/6abc.com/amp/covid-booster-shots-vaccine-shot-timing-8-months/10956154/

India and Brazil have wrong decimals.

Odds are, numbers are incorrect. With China and India having populations over entire world of 1918, only 5k and 432k deaths respectively?

Umm, cottonm4 did right here.

He talked about how we're about to surpass the number of deaths we had for the Spanish Flu. That then progressed to a discussion on percentages and such. I probably shouldn't have quote-replied you specifically. I was simply quoting your post because you were talking about the total number of US deaths to covid. That's all.

Not sure why I got all the downvotes. Literally everything I wrote was accurate. Maybe it was because I quoted gizzard instead of cotton? Either way, I wasn't trying to downplay the current pandemic or anything. I was just pointing out that a total raw-numbers comparison of deaths between the two pandemics doesn't tell the whole story.

It's very easy for data and charts to be accidentally misinterpreted, or even intentionally twisted. Which can lead to false conclusions and/or bad responses. So people need to really be careful drawing conclusions and make sure that they understand the data. A lot of people seem to be running around half-cocked since the pandemic started.

Contrast the US and UK with New Zealand!

"New Zealand enters nationwide lockdown over one Covid case"
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-58241619

Here, cases are 'stable' (not decreasing) at 30,000 per day as lockdown has ended and everything is back to normal, right? Hmmm. I predict new variants and the need for boosters, and dare I say some social distancing again. Worst case scenario a vaccine-immune variant, which will 'do a Delta' around the world again.

We'll be lucky if this is over (to a reasonable level) before end-2022 IMO. I'd prefer 'more New Zealand' from my government!

Ok I see now. Yeah I saw you quote me and was very confused.

To your point, yes the Spanish Flu was worse than COVID for several reasons but I certainly don’t think that is a reason to discount COVID.

It’s really amazing to me that people try to make an argument of “well, 0.2% of the population isn’t all that much”. What??? Almost 700,000 dead in 18 months. That’s more Americans than died in any war we have fought. Only 2,996 Americans died in the 9/11 attack, I have NEVER seen someone talk about what a low percentage of the population that was.

COVID is here, it’s a problem and it is killing people. I’m sorry if it inconveniences some people who don’t want to wear a mask but people are literally dying every day and the REALLY sad part is the deaths would be largely preventable if people would actually listen to the doctors and scientists instead of believing misinformation they read on the internet.

Seriously, if you had to have your appendix removed would you go to a doctor or read a blog post about it and give it a go yourself?

If someone were to trust the science and doctors that can't possibly ever be bought and paid for or wrong, which of the mystery cocktails would be the safest and most effective, and why? Asking for a few friends.

I don't know you personally other than here on Pinside, so take my opinion for what it is, but go to the doctor and just get checked out please. Any fever that lasts 3-4 days is worth having a doctor look at because it could signal a bigger infection or something is going on.

Could we ask our Florida Governor to do a Public Service Announcement, with our Former President, Celebrating his
effort to create Vaccines in record time, to take the vaccine?

My question further is if this was to happen, how many people would change their view?
(Likely the ansewer here is very little, but think of the masses)

I've had covid and recovered. I have built up anti-bodies. Our doctor says we do not need the vaccine and i agree. Plus if you take a covid test they use the same test for the delta variant. What's the difference between the two ? survival rate is over 99%. What happen to all the normal flu deaths. Hmmm don't hear much about that do we.

Pretending that 700,000 dead Americans is no big deal - cause, (wildly inaccurate) percentages!!!! - is real "black heart" stuff if you ask me.

Way worse than a mean tweet about Lindsay Graham. But I guess people are sensitive about different things.

On the lighter side, saw this and made me laugh. Although it's 40 years for me.

Screenshot_20210817-091345_Instagram (resized).jpg

It's a funny coincidence to me that the 1918 pandemic popped into the thread again. Last week I re-watched the documentary published before covid (link:

) because I wanted to chew a bit about what lessons may be offered from history in light of over a year of living in our current 2020+ pandemic. There's lots of good info in the documentary including plenty of photographic examples and commentary on conditions (and world events) that enabled spreading and mitigation attempts ("don't spit", masks, etc.). What I found most interesting this time through was the discussion of how the waves came and went when watched locally, but with a world-view they really just moved back and forth between the continents. Certainly parallels what we see today.

I thought about bringing up 1918 in a posting but didn't want to join the "here's a link, lets see who bashes me" foray. Doing so now because it seems germane to recent posts. I'm not fighting others; I'm avoiding an infection.

-Rob
-visit https://www.kahr.us to get my daughterboard that helps fix WPC pinball resets or my replacement LED display boards for model 78, D, E, H, & S Skee Ball

Pretending that 700,000 dead Americans all absolutely without question died from covid and not the flu or pneumonia or any other causes including car crashes sounds like real herd mentality if you ask me. And who said any death wasn’t a big deal?

What sort of numbers would it take before you consider the pandemic a "big deal"? 100; 100,000; 500k; 700k? More?

A lot of people are dead and gone. You can't deny that. Several people have posted here on the forums about friends and family who had died because of it. You can't fake the sheer number of people that the virus has directly affected.

It's tragic and in many cases could have been preventable if people didn't act in selfish ways to put their own interests, political beliefs, petty desires, and willful denial/ignorance above the lives of others.

Aren’t you the dude that didn’t know how to calculate a percentage???

Yeah, maybe can the attitude then.

You should read the NEJM article I linked several days ago that showed increased immune response in patients who already had COVID and then got vaccinated.

Are we really back to the flu conspiracy theory? Again, go back and read my responses to this misinformation months and months ago.

Yeah, accurate simple math is true "herd mentality" stuff!!!

Both Trump and DeSantis have said to get vaccinated, but if you blinked or were cleaning out your ears at the time. you would have missed it. The "get vaccinated" is added almost as a tag line after all of the " I know my rights" mantra.

And if they did shout it from the rooftops, would people listen?

609dd8b0-8547-4c6c-8df9-b98e254160e4.sized-1000x1000 (resized).jpg

Hmmm,all doctors in my state and 49 others and every country in the world for the most part are all liars ?wow the biggest conspiracy theory ever.Please pass me the tinfoil so I can make a hat.

Man, I'm so tired of everyone in this country who thinks they are an expert on something without having the slightest bit of training or knowledge, let alone evidence. It's exhausting. The entitled arrogance and ignorance is just overflowing, and I'm sure it's always been here but is vastly heightened by everyone having a platform now.

Oh shite, here we go again:

https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/17/us/texas-covid-surge-mortuary-trailers/index.html

Any discussion of the relative “deadliness” between the 1918 flu and Covid needs to take into account the tools modern medicine has that they didn’t have (or in some cases had, but didn’t use yet) back then such as ventilators, oxygen therapy, and various antiviral drugs. Without those tools, we’d be looking at a much higher death rate for Covid overall.

This article was written in 2019, so “just” comparing the seasonal flu that year to the 1918 pandemic, but I found it a really interesting article in light of the discussions that we’ve been having in this thread.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/healthblog.uofmhealth.org/wellness-prevention/think-flu-season-bad-flash-back-100-years%3famp

Thanks for the input guys, sometimes it's hard to step out of my caveman mentality. Sorry if I missed anyone, I'm still really woozy

Fortunately I live in an affluential community and testing was quick and easy. Yesterday, after reading your encouragement, I called my doctor and was given two phone numbers to call. Within a hour I was at my local hospital and a nurse came out to my car and I self administered a nasal swab under her supervision. Results for Covid should be later today.

This morning I did a phone call triage with another hospital department and I'm waiting on a call back to schedule another drive though test. I expect to make my appointment in another hour or two with results tomorrow.

EDIT: Spoke to Doctor and this is just another test for Covid and not what I originally thought. I will make second appointment in a couple of days and only if necessary.

I was reluctant to comment in this thread yesterday but now I'm glad I did. Thank you for the thoughtful replies.

I have a huge problem with people attributing believing in science and data as a herd mentality. This is like saying "Believing in gravity and the earth being round without question sounds like real herd mentality if you ask me." And I just don't understand trying to minimize the impact of the virus on people's lives, health and the economy. What's your motivation here trying to get people to doubt the American death count, the doctors and coroners? Is it part of the whole shun what the experts say, embrace what some guy on the internet says movement?

Just when you thought Texas Death Metal band The Mortuary Trailers' career was slowly fading into obscurity, the band has returned with a second album of death and destruction that's a potent reminder of the realities of man's inability to cope with the basic requirements of surviving a global pandemic!

Ok, what did my sister die of? You obviously believe medical examiners are forging death certificates. So why did she die? Car crash? Herd mentality?

Haha! Unfortunate example..
https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/news/20180925/antibiotics-may-cure-appendicitis-without-surgery

Not saying anybody is right about corona, but a lot of people related to appendectomies made a lot of money over the years.
Want to suffer for days taking antibiotics and maybe die? No thanks.
Want to get cut open, maybe die from the anesthetic, and have a hard time moving for days? Ah.. umm.. what was the other option?
I guess you still have to go to the doctor for the prescription- but who knows maybe large doses of garlic and onion would suffice like Galen of old? Who’ll fund the study? Doesn’t matter, no patient will sign up because all surgeons of the world will pay Facebook to outcast all anti-appendectomists.

Money is powerful, and politics are more powerful. Religion had its day. All we used to have was science. It seems to be the new religion- “we believe in science”. That’s not science. Science always questions. Science gets very little even 99% correct. Something has been universally accepted for decades, some smart ass with a computer approaches it differently and proves it wrong, we learn more.

do some research now. Lots of folks who got vaccine are not only getting COVID but also dying.

bingo

The most laughable part of this is that being a believe-anything youtube conspiracy addict makes you some kind of "free-thinker."

It's a herd mentality. Big, dumb, tinfoil hat wearing herd.

How is it possible we are back to "it's like the flu!" and "my uncle's roommate was eaten by a shark and they said it was COVID" already?

It's like they only made one season of this show and they keep running it over, and over, and over...

https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/17/health/us-coronavirus-tuesday/index.html

Um, DUH !

And then more "bribe" attempts:

https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2021/08/17/harris-county-judge-lina-hidalgo-to-make-major-covid-19-vaccine-related-announcement-her-office-says/

This is not news. Yes there are some cases of mild appendicitis that can be treated with antibiotics and observation. Other cases need urgent surgery to save the patients life.

It takes a doctor to know the difference. That’s exactly why you should listen to the experts on the subject instead of a Google search.

Thanks for illustrating my point.

Ive been puzzled by this too. Anti Science, Anti Knowledge, Anti Medicine rears its head every generation or so.
I dive into everything from Genetics, to too much Sugar, to lack of reading, and Youtube or Facebook educations.
Sometimes, like I think now, It can be tied to Politics, and even Religion.
I know, have heard, and read Anti Science/Mask/Vax information coming from some organized worship.
It seems to come down to how and who we view as "right" along with Power and Money.

It behooves me for people to believe that Doctors. Science and Medicine around the planet, are all "IN" on the scam for a specific Political Party, or a Specific Agenda, that is Money, over the reality of Human Empathy, and care, that our medical professionals address on a daily basis with such grace.
If this was true, than you must believe Doctors are bad for everything, and anything if they are "IN" on this conspiracy.

"Lots of folks" is kind of vague, but there have been plenty of reports in the past month of vaccinated people getting Covid, and a handful even dying from it. It's a vaccine, and just like all the other vaccines (and most other medical interventions) it's imperfect.

But since we're doing research now, it's also indisputable that the vaccines substantially decrease a) your likelihood of contracting Covid, b) your likelihood of requiring hospitalization if you do get Covide, and c) your likelihood of dying of Covid. All as compared with skipping the vaccine.

Glad to hear you are getting it checked out. Even if it's nothing, I get the feeling that a lot of us are lucky and have access to great doctors. Take advantage of it.

Governor of Texas just tested positive. Anyone know if he was vaccinated?

Do some research now. A lot of people who don't drive too fast, don't stop at red lights and don't wear seatbelts are not only having accidents but also die because of it. Let's all just drive too fast, ignore red lights and stop wearing seatbelts! What difference will it possibly make if some have accidents and die no matter what?

Yes he is and no symptoms.

Yeah, he was vaccinated and he's getting the monoclonal antibody treatment. These guys only preach stupidity. They don't actually practice it.

Yes, he was vaccinated. This appears to be a breakthrough case.

One of my concerns is the censorship (not here) specific to the discussion of side effects and effectivness of various alternative treatments. Just mentioning certain words will get you banned on other popular platforms. I'm sure some will say that there are limits to the freedom of speech or that private firms can do what they want. I get that, but my experience is that the good guys do not prevent open discussion.

I've heard that 94% of Covid deaths include at least one additional comorbidity and that the overall annual per capita death rate has not changed in an amount that is statistically significant. If this bad information, please point me to the correct data from a reliable souce.

There is a cdc vaccine side effect database showing thousands of deaths after the vaccine. Some are saying that anyone can submit anything in this system and that the deaths do not mean the vaccine was the cause. There are some that believe the vaccine is the cause. When there is no clear proof either way, doesn't it make sense to at least consider both possibilities?

In general, i feel overloaded by conflicting information and by angry people from both sides that each insist they are correct.