I am frustrated. I am tired of being quiet. I am learning and by no means have all the answers, but the way this “pandemic” has been handled seems devoid of reason, so I am amending my weekly Covid Comms posts to include some conversation (with myself, unless y’all jump in the comments). I am posting the two separately, so if you just want the fun and fluffy content, by all means, knock yourself out over here.
If you want some rational discourse around coronavirus, what we know, what we don’t, and what we’re hearing about it, read on.
Do I have any credentials? Besides a background in and commitment to journalism ethics that includes citing sources and seeing all the angles, nope. My heart pulls to both “sides”: I have a friend who if he catches the virus, will almost certainly die—so I am not callous when I speak about the differences between healthy people and those who should be quarantining, because I have to imagine this friend reading my every word. Likewise, I have a friend or two who only wear masks when it’s absolutely required and think this is largely a hoax on all of us—and they make some valid points, and I have to imagine them reading my words as well. So, with that context on my personal rationality, let’s dive in.
This is a great quote about contracting coronavirus:
“If you’re healthy, this is a blip. If you’re an unhealthy individual, it becomes deadly … so for the first time we’re seeing a snapshot into exactly how unhealthy the American population is.”
-John Welbourn on Power Athlete Radio, ep 367 (worth listening to in its 198-minute entirety)
In the same vein, it’s worth remembering that everything we’re doing to combat the coronavirus is about flattening the curve: not truly avoiding getting this highly infectious virus, but as a community trying to not all get it at the same time. But if you’re healthy and do get it? It was extremely likely it was going to happen, and it’s even more extremely likely that you will be fine.
So, sure, wear a mask in case it’s effective (I have yet to see definitive research suggesting it is, and think the dehumanizing effect of masks is far worse but we can explore that further in another convo). But more importantly, eat better—more veggies, less carbs and sugar—and move more, because that’ll build your healthy immune system and that is what is effective at beating the virus. Prevention, not symptom treatment.
“It’s up to you to make lifestyle choices that direct genes toward fat burning, muscle building, longevity and wellness, and away from fat storing, muscle wasting, disease and illness. “
Mark Sisson, check out his full in-depth analysis of epigenetics here.
Now, onto breaking down the fear-mongering we’re continuing to see across media outlets, across the political spectrum. Check this one out:
“Texas has surpassed 200,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, double what was reported less than three weeks ago.” (Austonia daily email // Austonia published an entire article that shared just one single data point WTF)
This headline is SO misleading. “Double” scares you, right? But what even is “less than three weeks ago”?! Is “less than three weeks ago”—yesterday? two weeks ago? 20 days ago most likely because that’s “less than three weeks” but the only way the numbers match up? So at some undefined (not in the article either) point there were less than 100,000 cases, which means that day-over-day or week-over-week the virus infection rate is not even CLOSE to doubling. Mathematically it cannot be. Yet when you read that headline, you get fear-mongered: ah! we’re doubling! Since when?
Lastly, here’s another look at the latest data in Travis County, population 1,273,954, with 12,408 cases and 151 deaths (TOTAL) as reported by Austin Public Health. Percentage-wise, that means .974% of our population has had the virus, and .012% of our city population has died from it. Even if you buy that the rate of contraction is doubling, it’s worth noting that the fatality rate is NOT near doubling.
Nearly everything we read is sensationalized, and I don’t know how else to combat it other than to call attention to it in this small way. Doing the research into the data is exhausting, and even that may be sensationalized—for instance, Austin Public Health data differs from Texas Health & Human Services’ data for Travis County.
As I began this post: I’m not sure what to believe. I’m still being careful, wearing a mask in indoor public spaces and spending as much time outside as I can without melting, but I am also starting to venture out into the world a bit more because I am sure of this: life cannot stay on hold. The social, emotional, psychological, and economic effects are far worse than the effects of the virus.
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