By CM Strawn 3-18-20

         Panic over COVID-19 (coronavirus) is out of proportion to the illness. The reality is that this virus is a mild respiratory ailment.

         Over 90% of all cases are mild and cause no serious problems. The most vulnerable are the elderly, those people with serious medical problems and compromised immune systems.

         The younger and healthier the person is, the fewer effects they will feel. Some have tested positive for the coronavirus and barely had the sniffles.

         The irrational fear surrounding the coronavirus is causing severe damage to the world economy. There are millions of people who have been impacted economically. The financial suffering will be felt far longer and much deeper than the effects of COVID-19.

         People are far safer from coronavirus than from the flu. Influenza is more deadly and will continue to kill more people than coronavirus ever will.

         Total number of flu cases in the US from October 2019 to March 2020 is between 36 and 51 million. The number of deaths during that period between 22,000 and 55,000.

         Worldwide, the number of flu cases is 3-5 million and there are between 250,000 and 500,000 deaths. Since the flu is such a problem worldwide, why is it not also called a pandemic?      

         As of 3-18-20, there have been 9,238 cases of coronavirus in the United States and 150 deaths. Worldwide, there are over 218,700 cases and over 8900 deaths.

         This hardly rates the current level of madness. Panic buying of toilet paper, hand sanitizer and bottled water has gripped the country.

         The morbid obsession of this virus is product of the Mainstream Media (MSM). For political reasons, the pandemic narrative is being driven to hurt the current occupant of the White House. As a result, the world economy is in steep decline and suffering from what can be described as a temper tantrum of sore losers.

         A good thing that will result from the current crisis is a drop in the number of influenza cases. Healthy practices of handwashing, social-distancing and elbow-bumps adopted because of the COVID-19 scare will prevent future flu infections.

         With a healthy population, what will the health care industry do?