Covid-19: Crisis in the Eyes of the Beholder
Governor Evers and his health administrators would have us believe we are a state in Covid-19 “Crisis”.
The efforts to maintain as much disruption and fear as possible in the run up to the election have been all too transparent. Data are easily weaponized to mislead. Here are some facts from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services website as of 9/30. It is critical that we understand the facts and make informed decisions about how to conduct our daily lives.
Facts: There have been 122,274 cases confirmed in Wisconsin. Wisconsin’s population is 5.822 million at last count. 21,000 cases (17%) remain active. 1.1% of those who contracted Covid-19 died. 17% of the 122,274 who got the virus were over the age of 60.
What should I make of this? Only 2% of Wisconsinites have contracted Covid-19. The vast majority (82%) have already recovered. We are doing a good job of protecting the elderly, one of the most high risk groups.
Facts: The percent of positive cases reported is artificially inflated by the underreporting of negative tests. The results of people receiving multiple tests over time are counted as individual cases.
What should I make of this? There are gross inaccuracies in reporting positive percentages and total cases.
Facts: Wisconsin “Case Activity” is being reported as “very high”. This is defined as greater than or equal to 350 cases per 100,000 residents. The Wisconsin case number is 511 per 100,000 or .5%
What should I make of this? “Very high” is an arbitrary label for a half of one percent. Case activity is a snap shot in time, fluctuating with sampling methodologies, underreporting of negatives and double counting of the same individual with multiple tests.
Facts: 7,300 cases of the total cases in the state were ever hospitalized. This is 6% of the total. Of those who were 60 years or older, 2.6% who got the virus were hospitalized.
What should I make of this? Evidence tells us that the vast majority of people who get this virus will recover. Most will have mild symptoms or no symptoms.
Facts: There are 11,462 total available hospital beds in Wisconsin. On 9/30 there were 9,529 occupied hospital beds and 1,933 immediately available beds. Of the hospitalized patients, 683 had Covid-19 or 7% of the hospitalized patients. The total supply of ventilators in Wisconsin is 2308. There were 375 patients on ventilators for any reason on 9/30.
What should I make of this? Wisconsin hospitals resumed normal services months ago, including all elective activity such as hip replacements. At this time, hospitals are busy, which is common this time of year, but most of the activity is not Covid-19 related. The governor has stoked fear suggesting that perhaps the excess beds he created at State Fair Park and the Alliant Center may need to be activated. The truth is that hospitals have tremendous ability to create additional capacity through limiting elective
work and other means should that become necessary.