Much panic over the COVID-19 pandemic exists, partly caused by government bureaucrats, media, and even medical folk. Communists and Fake News are the worst offenders, but good guys are also making mistakes and spreading misinformation. Though many are bewildered, frightened, losing sleep, or sinking into depression, there are reasons to be more optimistic.



Incomplete statistics

When authorities give you statistics, there are a few elephants in the room. You can see a popular site showing total global cases of COVID-19 here (screenshot from today here). The “total global cases” at the time of writing is 720,117.

The real number is much higher because many cases are not listed. For example, a neighbor three doors down from you develops a slight fever and a dry cough. Instead of contacting his doctor, he keeps working, and recovers without any trouble, never knowing that he had COVID-19. How about third world countries? How many Chinese people said nothing about having the disease? How many were not even aware of this themselves? Many people are asymptomatic (carriers of the illness who experience no symptoms). Then there is the fact that communist regimes rarely tell the truth about such stats, regardless.

According to government figures, China has 82,122 cases today. Perhaps it is closer to a million.

Today America is supposed to have 140,866 cases, with 2466 deaths. Perhaps there were 600,000 cases. Many did not bother to tell anyone they were a little short of breath, with a dry cough. They recovered and said nothing. Some self-isolated and went through the disease without bothering hospitals. How many called hospitals but were given the runaround?



Scene: Fred sits in his home on a stained couch, under a wall-mounted moose head, on the phone.

Hospital nurse: COVID-19 Help Line. How can I help you?

Fred: I may have the friggen coro… coronvi… coro…

Nurse: Whaddya symptoms?

Fred: I gotta temperature, dry cough, a little short of breath, and –

Nurse: Fever?

Fred: Some, yeah.

Nurse: Age?

Fred: Forty-three.

Nurse: You don’t sound too bad. I think, in your case, it’d be best if you can self-isolate.

Fred: Don’t you have a goldarned drive-through test place?

Nurse: Not here, sir. There is one fifty miles north if you wanna go there.

Fred: No way. I’ll just self-isolate and –

Nurse: Give us a call if it gets much worse. If breathing becomes more difficult or your fever gets worse, call us.

Fred: Okay, and, er –

Nurse: Good luck. Bye now.

Fred self isolates and recovers. Nobody tests him, so he never appears on a government list. How many others are missing from such records, and why is this good news for you?



Good News

It means the percentage of deaths is less than the reported figure. Death stats are reasonably accurate. When someone in the West dies, deaths are recorded efficiently, rather than being fobbed off by busy bureaucrats. What is not verified efficiently is how many people get sick. Governments significantly underestimate that figure.

If American cases actually equal 600,000, and current deaths accurately number 2466, then the percentage of deaths would be closer to .4%, which is one person in 250.

Many people today think the figure is more like 3%, which would be much worse. One in 250 is not so bad, so cheer up.



Besieged doctors

But wait, doctors are on TV describing carnage in their hospitals. True, but consider the numbers. 04% of 330 million equals about 1.3 million deaths. There are about a million hospital beds in America. If you add all the millions of cases that will recover, you can see hospitals will be overrun. From the point of view of doctors and nurses, it would seem like WW3. They have never lived through a pandemic, so it is all new to them. That does not change your statistic, which may be closer to 1 in 250. If you are young, the figures are much better again.



Needless Economic Panic

Many think this will bring about a Great Depression or a recession, but that will not happen for two reasons. Firstly, when the Great Depression occurred, we did not know how long it would last. In this case, we understand the pandemic will run its course in a few months. Secondly, everyone is affected, not just business. As a result, we all go into a kind of hibernation. Banks do not demand mortgage payments because they do not want to repossess every house they helped buyers purchase. In a recession, banks repossess because they cannot see any light at the end of the tunnel. In this case, they can, and it’s only a few months long. So there will be no recession or depression. Remember, as the disease makes its way through, it creates millions of immune people, who go back to work.



Libertarian Worrywarts

Libertarians worry that governments providing financial aid equals a welfare state, but there is a difference. Look at it this way; governments know very well they tax way too much. The way they tax companies and businesses is downright shameful. Remember, companies and corporations pay the income taxes their workers think they pay. The quantity of tax government wrings out of employers is not much different from mafia extortion. You pay protection so the cops won’t kidnap you, steal your business, and put you in prison. In times of pandemics, the government shows how guilty it is, by handing back some of the loot they purloined, knowing that if they do not, businesses might die. That would not be good for them. They need their cash cows alive and kicking, to keep their protection rackets going.



Other Fatalities

Another point is that while we concentrate on COVID-19, we forget about all the other deaths that go on. These include heart disease, cancer, car accidents, bronchitis, emphysema, asthma, stroke, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, influenza, pneumonia, kidney disease, and suicide.

Although they add up to more deaths than coronavirus, every single year, most of us do not lose much sleep over it because the media does not rant about this 24 hours a day, as they do with COVID-19.

Heart disease alone kills one in four Americans, yet we see little panic over it.



Solutions

You already know about social distancing, isolation, and other safety measures. What else can you do to get through these difficult times? For one thing, you might try watching and reading less news. Those panic merchants will only have you strung out and bug-eyed by the end of each day. Read and watch more comedies, adventure stories, fiction, and nature documentaries. Take up hobbies, and do not forget to exercise each day.