1. Use a test that detects fragments of the virus and then designate every positive test as a "case." 2. Test at a massive scale, including people who are asymptomatic.
1/4
3. Issue guidance that every death with a positive test should be counted as a COVID death.
These are surveillance tools that have morphed into tools for control of every part of our lives.
2/4
Now that the metrics are being used as evidence that we need to stay locked down and wear masks, we need more accurate tests (lower cycle threshold) and more scrutiny of primary causes of deaths.
3/4
The number of people who died after a positive test is irrelevant.
What we need to know is how many people are dying who wouldn't already have died in the next couple of months - and we need to know more about why COVID killed them when so many illnesses are mild.
4/4
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When evaluating the COVID death toll, it's important to understand that all deaths within 30 days of a positive COVID test are considered COVID deaths unless exclusion criteria are met (trauma, suicide).
Everyone in the hospital or long-term care is tested.
Source: Email from FDOH administrator: "1) If an individual had a positive COVID-19 (antigen, PCR) test after January 19, 2020 and the medical provider signing certificate considers COVID-19 to have contributed to their death months later...
"—it would be considered a COVID-19 death even if past 30 days of testing.
2) All deaths that occur within 30 days of COVID-19 positive result are considered a COVID-19 death—unless one of the exclusion criteria are met (i.e. trauma, suicide)"
Reporter: Should medical procedures require a negative PCR test?
Dr. J. Bhattacharya: “I think that depends on the infrastructure of the hospital. If you suspect someone has COVID, for instance, they’re symptomatic… you absolutely should take precautions…
1/5
"Let’s say I need an eye surgery. Do i need a negative PCR? I’m completely asymptomatic… No, I think the answer is no… because they’re very unlikely to be passing the infection on to people, and the people that are going to be treating them will all have PPE, all of them...
2/5
"—effective PPE, much more effective than the general public… I can understand hospitals that might want to do it, but to require that that happen for every single person… The reason I say that is that there are costs to that...
3/5
Peaks are 7/23 (220), 7/30(221), & 8/4 (225); the 7-day moving average peak is July 25/26 (209), with a second peak on August 5 (213).
The peak of July 25 hasn't moved since I started reporting it on August 27. The 2nd peak appeared on Sept 11, and it hasn't moved, either.
2/7
Yesterday's deaths (as best we could find them - read bottom of the chart for more details):
Median age: 74
Minimum age: 41
Maximum age: 101
72% are 65 or older