RE:All These Why Now Question? Seriously?Let’s keep the ‘second wave’ in perspective.
From Dr. Redford, Head of CDC in U.S:
In 2018, almost 80,000 people died in the U.S. from influenza.
Redfield blames the high covid19 US death rate on two factors: a lack of funding for public health organisations such as the one he runs; and high levels of underlying health conditions such as obesity and diabetes. “What this outbreak has shown is that the underlying occurrence of some key co-morbidities in the American public is greater than it should be,” he said. “We need to work to try to develop programmes that help improve the public health of America.”
From New York Governor one week ago.
Where are the increase in covid-19 coming from? All across the USA, it’s in low-income communities. Lower income communities, communities of colour (African-Americans, Latinos), a higher percentage test positive, about 27 percent compared to compared to the NYC general population rate of nearly 20 percent. In some areas, for example in the Bronx, 34 percent of the community tested positive. In one area within the Bronx it was 43 percent. This is where the new cases are coming from. Hospitalization rate is double for these areas than that of the general population. In the U.S. cases are increasing but that is because they are doing more testing. Of those who are being tested fewer are testing positive.
In Canada,
Public-health messages about staying home, which are aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19, have largely ignored the realities faced by low-income workers, people who are homeless or other at-risk groups, said Andrew Boozary, a doctor who is executive director of health and social policy at University Health Network. He also works with Toronto’s Inner City Health Associates, a group that provides care to people living on the street and in shelters.
“Physical distancing is a privilege by postal code,” he said. “We’re seeing a public-health message that is speaking to a certain part of the population. There’s a completely separate curve that is … facing most of the cases and deaths now.”
A recent Toronto Public Health analysis of COVID-19 cases in the city showed that neighbourhoods in Toronto with the lowest incomes, highest rates of unemployment and highest concentrations of newcomers consistently had twice the number of cases of COVID-19 and more than twice the rate of hospital admissions.
Last time I checked these groups, along with those in long-term care facilities, typically don’t fly. Yes, they need to be protected, through better gov’t policies (testing, tracking and isolation) but it shouldn’t stop the rest of us – and it won’t – from returning to our normal way of living, second wave or not.