TO DIE OR NOT TO DIE—The Danger of Binary Thinking

Mercifully, deaths and hospitalizations did not chase the summer surge of COVID19 cases. A better understanding of how to treat patients contributed to fewer deaths, but the general consensus from the public health community mostly attributes the divergence of cases and deaths/hospitalizations to the demographic infected over the summer. Younger…and less vulnerable to severe complications, combined with more testing. Not the level of testing we need, but better.

That said, we’re still hitting between 800-1000 deaths per day, which is no cause for high-fives. Not 6 months into this pandemic. It wasn’t acceptable 3 months into the pandemic.

But here we are, on the cusp of the next wave of REOPENING BARS, RESTAURANTS, MOVIE THEATERS, GYMS to higher capacity (because that worked out well for Florida, Texas and Arizona back in May), SCHOOLS GOING BACK IN FULL SESSION and MASK MANDATES BEING REEVALUATED in states “doing well,” because why keep it that way?!

And the death spiral continues. CLICK HERE TO READ A FASCINATING ARTICLE about why we’re swirling the drain.

But I digress. I started this post for the express purpose of demonstrating why BINARY THINKING ABOUT THE PANDEMIC IS DANGEROUS. Unfortunately, COVID19 isn’t a black and white situation.

It isn’t simply a matter of DEATH OR LIFE and nothing in between. It’s more a matter of DEATH—LIFE OF MID TO LONG TERM HEALTH COMPLICATIONS—LIFE.

SOME THOUGHTS AND DATA ON THE DANGER OF BINARY THINKING AND LONGER TERM COMPLICATIONS OF COVID19

OVERALL RISK:

Thread on the fallacy of Binary Outcomes

From ‘brain fog’ to heart damage, COVID-19’s lingering problems alarm scientists

COVID-19 (coronavirus): Long-term effects

Persistent Symptoms in Patients After Acute COVID-19

Use of “normal” risk to improve understanding of dangers of covid-19

YOUNG PATIENTS:

Clinical Outcomes in Young US Adults Hospitalized With COVID-19

Young people killed by COVID19

What Young, Healthy People Have to Fear From COVID-19

Persistent Lung Damage Improves Gradually After COVID-19

HEART RISKS: