The Great Barrington Declaration

As someone who is now 76 years old -- and believe me. I really didn't intend to live this long -- I find myself thinking of the way our nation and much of the world has dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic. A week or so ago, just out of curiosity, I visited the CDC's website and took a look at generational deaths and death rates resulting from this virus. Their website provides a great deal of data covering the period from February through early October. One of the more interesting data sets includes the number of COVID-19 deaths by age group. Interestingly, the death rate among the young (under 25) is lower than that for both influenza and pneumonia. This morning I revisited the website and converted some of their data to a simple spreadsheet:

The following, which only reflects Feb 1 through June 17, shows the death rates associated with COVID-19. Due to the increased use of effective medications and other therapies, these rates have actually decreased substantially in recent months. Other differences reflect changes in how deaths are attributed to COVID-19.

The following data is from a Swiss team and shows worldwide death rates by age.

All of this got me thinking and I came to a rather unsettling conclusion. We have shut down major sections of our economy, put millions of Americans out of work, permanently destroyed hundreds of thousands of small businesses, and we have done all of this to protect people like me. Since the death rates for the young -- and that seems to include those under 60 -- are very low, lower indeed than many other causes of death, why have we punished them when us older folks are the ones at risk? Wouldn't it be much more sensible to devote all those trillions of dollars -- actually it would have cost far less -- to ensuring our elderly are protected from the virus, while permitting the rest of the population to get on with their lives? 

Of course, New York's Governor Cuomo did exactly the opposite. He and a handful of other incompetent politicians took inexplicable actions that ensured thousands of elderly would die. If the CEO of a private corporation had been responsible for anything similar, he'd be tried for mass murder.

Anyway, while pondering all the idiocy and evil in the world, I heard about a group of well-respected epidemiologists, scientists, and medical professionals who apparently have come to similar conclusions. Of course, their conclusions are based on solid science while mine are based on hunches and my firm belief that politicians are rarely correct. It is indeed rare when the personal ambitions of a lifelong politician also promote the good of the people. 

One thing we should all realize: science is never settled. As we learn more, the science always changes. It’s about time, then, for the politics finally to catch up with the science. Every American should read the Great Barrington Declaration, a statement drafted and signed by epidemiologists, and other doctors, medical professionals, and health officials from around the world. It states what the science has been telling us for months, and encourages government leaders to take those immediate steps that will both protect the vulnerable yet allow society to flourish once again. If you haven’t heard of the declaration, published on October 8, that’s probably because it doesn’t fit well with the idiocy pushed by mainstream and social media organizations. 

It’s not long but demands a read by anyone concerned for our nation’s health. Here’s the link: Great Barrington Declaration

Now, go ahead and enjoy your life. Be careful but don't be crazy.

God's peace....Faith over fear, always.