5 ms·

COVID-19 is causing strokes in young people [1]. While young people are hospitalized at a lower rate, it still happens. Texas, which has until recently been "re

COVID-19 is causing strokes in young people [1]. While young people are hospitalized at a lower rate, it still happens. Texas, which has until recently been "reopening", with no mask requirements, has a very high rate of infections. Using Travis county as an example, ~30% of cases are in the 20-29 age bracket [2]. It would be disingenuous to imply that young people are isolated from the rest of society and not spreading the disease to older people who are more likely to die. In 2-3 months, 132,000 people in the US have died from COVID-19 complications. The CDC estimates yearly flu deaths at 12,000-61,000 [3]. Further, we are now seeing a huge increase in the rate of cases in states which have had lax distancing and quarantine policy--see Travis county data again for example. Is a year of in-person class worth the risk? Hard to say. No reason to dismiss legitimate concerns as "hysteria", though. 1. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/14/health/coronavirus-strokes.html https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/14/health/coronavirus-stroke... 2. https://austin.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/39e4f8d4acb0433baae6d15a931fa984 https://austin.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#... 3. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/index.html

rpiguy 6y ago
Look there are two groups in the US. A risk taking group that sees the COVID-19 death rate as acceptable and not nearly bad enough to stay locked down. They believe that the purpose of the lock down was to "flatten the curve," particularly the death rate, and not to "stop the virus." The other group wants to "stop the virus" and does not accept the risk of death of others. There is no bridging the gap with data, it is a value judgement. You can't argue someone out of their values. You especially will not be able to convince the risk takers, because they are risk takers, and the mortality of this virus is so low that a huge number of people don't personally know a single person who has died from it. Perception matters a lot. If COVID-19 had a 10% death rate, or killed children like Tuberculosis, you could more easily argue down the risk takers. According to CDC data, 81% of deaths from COVID-19 in the United States are people over 65 years old, most with preexisting conditions. If you add in 55-64-year-olds that number jumps to 93%. For those below age 55, preexisting conditions play a significant role, but the death rate is currently around 0.0022%, or one death per 45,000 people in this age range. Below 25 years old the fatality rate of COVID-19 is 0.00008%, or roughly one in 1.25 million. These are odds any risk taker would take.
- goldforever 6y ago
  Preach!
- echelon 6y ago
  This accounts only for death. The virus is leaving some unfortunate people with long-term pulmonary, cardiac, kidney, and/or liver damage. Some are even developing diabetes symptoms after the infection subsides. We seriously need to consider long-term damage to health as part of the equation. I would like to see the statistics on these reports, not just mortality rate.
  - claudeganon 6y ago
    There’s already evidence it causes immune system disregulation, similar to HIV: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/26/health/coronavirus-immune-system.html https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/26/health/coronavirus-immune... The idea that we know anything meaningful about what impact COVID will have on people’s long term health is foolhardy to the extreme. Extreme precaution is the only reasonable path in the face of these kinds of unknowns.
  - postalrat 6y ago
    How often does covid leave people that type of damage? I've heard of individual cases but haven't seen how rare or common it is.
    - YZF 6y ago
      I think this is still under study. I've heard a number of 67% of mild/asympotmatic cases having evidence of lung damage (https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/06/23/864536258/we-still-dont-fully-understand-the-label-asymptomatic https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/06/23/8645362... says 57%). I also saw an interview with an Israeli Dr. who is doing a study (that study is in progress) who said significant numbers suffer from symptoms like fatigue, shortness of breath (I think this may be the same one: https://www.timesofisrael.com/its-frightening-doctors-say-half-of-cured-covid-patients-still-suffer/ https://www.timesofisrael.com/its-frightening-doctors-say-ha... ). I think the bottom line is we don't know for sure but if needed a little more evidence this isn't just a walk in the park I think we got some.
goldforever 6y ago
Then U stay home!

rpiguy 6y ago

Look there are two groups in the US. A risk taking group that sees the COVID-19 death rate as acceptable and not nearly bad enough to stay locked down. They believe that the purpose of the lock down was to "flatten the curve," particularly the death rate, and not to "stop the virus." The other group wants to "stop the virus" and does not accept the risk of death of others. There is no bridging the gap with data, it is a value judgement. You can't argue someone out of their values. You especially will not be able to convince the risk takers, because they are risk takers, and the mortality of this virus is so low that a huge number of people don't personally know a single person who has died from it. Perception matters a lot. If COVID-19 had a 10% death rate, or killed children like Tuberculosis, you could more easily argue down the risk takers. According to CDC data, 81% of deaths from COVID-19 in the United States are people over 65 years old, most with preexisting conditions. If you add in 55-64-year-olds that number jumps to 93%. For those below age 55, preexisting conditions play a significant role, but the death rate is currently around 0.0022%, or one death per 45,000 people in this age range. Below 25 years old the fatality rate of COVID-19 is 0.00008%, or roughly one in 1.25 million. These are odds any risk taker would take.

goldforever 6y ago
Preach!
echelon 6y ago
This accounts only for death. The virus is leaving some unfortunate people with long-term pulmonary, cardiac, kidney, and/or liver damage. Some are even developing diabetes symptoms after the infection subsides. We seriously need to consider long-term damage to health as part of the equation. I would like to see the statistics on these reports, not just mortality rate.
- claudeganon 6y ago
  There’s already evidence it causes immune system disregulation, similar to HIV: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/26/health/coronavirus-immune-system.html https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/26/health/coronavirus-immune... The idea that we know anything meaningful about what impact COVID will have on people’s long term health is foolhardy to the extreme. Extreme precaution is the only reasonable path in the face of these kinds of unknowns.
- postalrat 6y ago
  How often does covid leave people that type of damage? I've heard of individual cases but haven't seen how rare or common it is.
  - YZF 6y ago
    I think this is still under study. I've heard a number of 67% of mild/asympotmatic cases having evidence of lung damage (https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/06/23/864536258/we-still-dont-fully-understand-the-label-asymptomatic https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/06/23/8645362... says 57%). I also saw an interview with an Israeli Dr. who is doing a study (that study is in progress) who said significant numbers suffer from symptoms like fatigue, shortness of breath (I think this may be the same one: https://www.timesofisrael.com/its-frightening-doctors-say-half-of-cured-covid-patients-still-suffer/ https://www.timesofisrael.com/its-frightening-doctors-say-ha... ). I think the bottom line is we don't know for sure but if needed a little more evidence this isn't just a walk in the park I think we got some.

goldforever 6y ago

Then U stay home!