PLAYPEN: Covid-19 Everything Political

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

Meaning what, he's not American enough for you?

Becoming American does not magically erase your background or family influence.

If you follow American politics, you'd know (but I assume you actually do know) that politicians pander specifically to certain races and ethnicities. They are talking about winning the black vote, the Latino vote, etc. They are addressing them as a group that is supposed to behave identically based on their ethnicity or race. As I mentioned in my previous post, Biden said: "If you don't vote from me, you ain't black."

[hogloff]

Meaning what, he's not American enough for you?

He's just as American as Slobo.

[Chris Kern]

What are the US excess death figures?

Here in the UK, the official Covid death toll is 40,000, but the excess deaths for this period (compared to previous years) is 62,000.

Good question, but one which is not easy to answer.  Obviously, it is higher than the number of reported deaths from individuals who tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus (currently 108K).  Due to the distributed nature of the reporting in the United States—i.e., each state keeps its own records—as well as delays in reporting which vary among jurisdictions, the federal government does not appear to be able to offer a reliable summary estimate yet.  More information about the current reporting and methodology is available here.

[BernardLanguillier]

Not the problem that I created. If it is a problem, it exists, with or without people acknowledging it. And by "problem" I do not mean characterizing it, but heaving a heard mentality: like all Mexicans and blacks should vote Democrats. "If you are not voting for a Democrat, you ain't black" as Biden said.

Again, you think Mexican vote left, you think he is mexican so he votes left. And if he votes left he is going to use this opportunity for a political attack.

You are not even admitting the possibility that he may he criticizing Trump because Trump, once again, acted nowhere near the way a President is expected to act in such circumstances.

More preconceptions not being challenged by obvious facts.

Cheers,
Bernard

[JoeKitchen]

What are the US excess death figures?

Here in the UK, the official Covid death toll is 40,000, but the excess deaths for this period (compared to previous years) is 62,000.

https://www.ft.com/content/3c53ab12-d859-4ceb-b262-f6a0221ca129

What do you mean by excess deaths?  Like the deaths we typically have? 

[elliot_n]

What do you mean by excess deaths?  Like the deaths we typically have? 

Yes, if you follow the link Chris posted, the CDC goes into some detail. They estimate US excess deaths for 2020 in the range 96,644 - 128,939. This suggests that your Covid death stats are quite accurate.

[Chris Kern]

Yes, if you follow the link Chris posted, the CDC goes into some detail. They estimate US excess deaths for 2020 in the range 96,644 - 128,939. This suggests that your Covid death stats are quite accurate.

But note that the estimates are constantly changing as late reports trickle in from various jurisdictions.

If memory serves, it typically takes the federal government quite a few months to produce a reliable estimate of seasonal 'flu deaths.

[elliot_n]

But note that the estimates―are constantly changing as late reports trickle in from various jurisdictions.

If memory serves, it typically takes the federal government quite a few months to produce a reliable estimate of seasonal 'flu deaths.

Yes, so the current official death toll of 108,000 is likely to be an underestimate, but perhaps not massively so.

[JoeKitchen]

Wow!  Telling it like it is! 

Senior Democrat caught on hot mic at protest saying 'if I didn't have a primary I wouldn't care'

As I said, total leadership vacuum across the board at this point. 

[Alan Klein]

Well America has said "screw the pandemic" for the most part and have gotten back to the very important business of burning down cities and stealing stuff.

People are out of work and bored.  They've been cooped up.  Plus the weather is nice.  It's Spring.

[Alan Klein]

Italy, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands and France have now significantly fewer new cases and deaths than before. Most East European countries show even lower numbers.

Our New Jersey town is down to two or three cases a day after running up around a thousand total since this began. The siege seems to be ending.  Of course, none of us know what's around the corner.

[Alan Klein]

Again, you think Mexican vote left, you think he is mexican so he votes left. And if he votes left he is going to use this opportunity for a political attack.

You are not even admitting the possibility that he may he criticizing Trump because Trump, once again, acted nowhere near the way a President is expected to act in such circumstances.

More preconceptions not being challenged by obvious facts.

Cheers,
Bernard

That's why he was elected president.  Because people are tired of the same politicians who promise and promise and do the same thing.  He's anti-establishment.  Well, on the surface anyways. 

Of course the sheriff has a tough job.  On the one hand he's expected to keep the peace.  On the other hand, he has to satisfy the public who votes for him or the person who gave him his job.  So he's trying to "cool" things off by playing it both ways. The president's comments make that harder for him.  Well, he was the one who wanted to be in charge, just like Trump.  If you don;t like the heat, stay out of the kitchen.   Likewise, the avearge cop on the beat is faced with the same dilemma.  They have to act, sometimes very tough, to keep the peace and protect the public and themselves.  Yet, they are expected to act like politicans making nice with the public.  No matter what they do, they get it in the neck too just like that poor fellow who was killed.  A thankless job.  Damned if you do; damned if you don't.

[Alan Klein]

But note that the estimates are constantly changing as late reports trickle in from various jurisdictions.

If memory serves, it typically takes the federal government quite a few months to produce a reliable estimate of seasonal 'flu deaths.

I'm sure death counts are inaccurate in most countries. Even statistics for the seasonal flu are all over the place years later when they've had time to total them up more accurately.  Here are American stats.  Note that even the earlier years have ranges that are quite substantial.
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/past-seasons.html

[faberryman]

Trump claims he only went into the underground bunker on Friday to "inspect" it.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/03/george-floyd-protests-trump-claims-he-went-to-white-house-bunker-for-inspection.html

I am not sure why Trump would be inspecting it. Seems like that would be someone else's job.

[Chris Kern]

Here are American stats.  Note that even the earlier years have ranges that are quite substantial.

That's because the federal government is only able to estimate the number of seasonal influenza deaths.  Most people who get the 'flu in the United States aren't tested for the presence of the virus, so statistical modeling techniques are used to determine how many people actually died in a particular season.  In other words, 15K deaths among individuals who tested positive for influenza might produce a computed estimate of 45K deaths attributable to influenza.

So far for COVID-19 infections, we have 108K deaths from individuals who tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, but only preliminary statistical modeling estimates based on incomplete collected data of the total number of people who have died.

[John Camp]

They know the total is quite a bit higher than the 108,000 reported on Worldometer -- the "excess deaths" computations show that. That's been reported in several places over the last few days.

As far as the Houston police chief and Slobo are concerned, they are both full, card-carrying, fellow-traveling, Americans, same as I am, and I was born here. There's no difference. As a famous right-winger once said, "You can't go to France and be a Frenchman, you can't go to England and be an Englishman, but you can come to America and be an American."

Or something like that. (I may have  my Frenchman and Englishman turned around.)

[John Camp]

One of the things that we (and by "we," I especially mean older people like Alan and I) can't lose sight of, is that the virus can still kill us, even as people are running in the streets and opening shopping centers and restaurants. The numbers of US deaths, according to the charts on the front page of the NYT, have started to turn up again.

[James Clark]

One of the things that we (and by "we," I especially mean older people like Alan and I) can't lose sight of, is that the virus can still kill us, even as people are running in the streets and opening shopping centers and restaurants. The numbers of US deaths, according to the charts on the front page of the NYT, have started to turn up again.

That's obviously because of the protests, dontcha know?

(But seriously - save this for posterity - if the trend accelerates the usual suspects will be pinning it on liberal protesters, wholly ignoring the fact that it's a lagging indicator that will tie directly back to the push to "liberate Michigan'" get haircuts, and go to bars.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

... As far as the Houston police chief and Slobo are concerned, they are both full, card-carrying, fellow-traveling, Americans, same as I am, and I was born here. There's no difference....

Thank you. However, I never meant to claim otherwise, just that we carry our heritage with us.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

... You are not even admitting the possibility that he may he criticizing Trump because Trump, once again, acted nowhere near the way a President is expected to act in such circumstances...

But he is acting the way I expect him to act.