Internationally we have the highest number of COVID deaths of any nation. 900,000 is not a number to be proud of. Yes, a significant percentage of those deaths came from the elderly, but is that supposed to make us feel good?
The fact that we have 15% of all COVID deaths in the world and only 4.25% of the world's population is another indicator for how our nation has fared in responding to the pandemic. With all the vaccines available and now anti-viral medications, we are still lagging. Folks, we are not bowling, where high score wins!
Still today the huge majority of hospitalizations and deaths are occurring to people who are unvaccinated.
Get vaccinated, get boosted if you have not done so. I just spoke to a friend who's son had the J&J vaccine, but still caught COVID and got very ill, not hospitalized, but was flat on his back for three weeks.
The case numbers are going down, but the death rate is a lagging indicator. We can be assured that we'll easily hit 925,000 deaths just from this last surge in cases. Then, even with a reduced death tally of 1,000 or less of deaths a day, we'll be racking up new death records for the pandemic. One million deaths is clearly going to happen.
Eric Holdeman is a contributing writer for Emergency Management magazine and is the former director of the King County, Wash., Office of Emergency Management.
