Not a nothing burger but also not unprecedented

WestlinnDuck

Population of the US in 1958 was about 173 million. We tolerated a 116,000 dead Americans from the Asian flu. That equates to about 221,000 dead Americans with a 330 million population. Dr. Fauci should be in jail along with our MSM which has done nothing but spread fear and panic. Take care of our elderly and let the counselor hide under his bed and get this thing opened up.



https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2020/05/is-the-coronavirus-unprecedented.php



IS THE CORONAVIRUS UNPRECEDENTED?

Over and over, we see it asserted that the Wuhan epidemic is an “unprecedented” public health crisis. In what sense is that true? Certainly the reaction to COVID-19 is unprecedented; never before have we substantially shut down our country as a public health measure. But is the virus itself really unprecedented in its lethality or its impact on public health?

A reader writes:

I’m surprised that so little has been written about what, if anything, we can learn about the present moment from comparison / contrast with the pandemics of 1957-8 and 1968. It seems all the interest has focused on 1918-19.

I’m just now learning about these mid-20th century pandemics. I’ve been reading and consulting the sources referenced on this this CDC site.

* In 1968, I see, for example, “The estimated number of deaths was 1 million worldwide and about 100,000 in the United States. Most excess deaths were in people 65 years and older.”

* In 1957-8, the virus was “first reported in Singapore in February 1957, Hong Kong in April 1957, and in coastal cities in the United States in summer 1957. The estimated number of deaths was 1.1 million worldwide and 116,000 in the United States.” From further reading, it seems this strain of flu was not often fatal in children, but was very dangerous for the elderly, those with other health problems, and for pregnant women.

The 1957-58 virus was known as the Asian flu, while the 1968 version was called the Hong Kong flu. I was a college student in 1968, and I have no memory of any widespread concern about the flu virus at that time. Certainly no one proposed shutting down schools, businesses, travel, and so on.

doogie

Subtract the nursing home patients and rerun the numbers.

Now, subtract those with pre-existing conditions and rerun em again.

Nothingburger.