To the Editor:
Recently we have been hearing comments that the death toll from the Corona Virus could be over stated. I wondered how or why that would happen. After doing a little checking I learned why this is the case. It seems that a hospital is reimbursed an average of $5,000 for a patient diagnosed with pneumonia. If that same patient is diagnosed with Corona Virus the hospital receives an average payment of $13,000 and if the patient is put on a ventilator the average payment goes up to $39,000. I am not implying that doctors purposely misdiagnose their patients. On the contrary, the CDC has put out guidelines opening the door for doctors to use discretion when weighing the facts. Even without lab results confirming the Corona Virus diagnosis the Doctor may list the disease as Corona Virus. And with a major financial incentive why wouldn’t the Corona Virus take center stage.
The other question I have is why we are now told to wear a cloth face mask. “While masks may block some droplets, Dr. Fauci Said, they do not provide the level of protection people think they do. Wearing a mask may also have unintended consequences: People who wear masks tend to touch their face more often to adjust them, which can spread germs from their hands. When Dr. Fauci first announced the need to lock down the country the death toll estimate was 2.2 million people in the United States could die. The number was later reduced to between 100,000 and 200,000, and that number was later reduced to around 60,000. The politicians have told us we must sequester at home, close all our non essential businesses close are schools, we are not allowed to go to church, or the theater, or the ball game or, anything else that brings people together. We are releasing criminals while arresting law abiding citizens who just want to support their family. Our rights are being trampled on without a legislator ever voting on a bill to empower the governor to exercise such authority.
There were 61,000 deaths from the flu during the 2017-2018 flu season in the United States. Strange that the press did not even mention it. I guess they were to busy trying to convince us that President Trump colluded with the Russians. So now the question is who do you believe? The press that has been lying to us for the past three years or Doctors who keep changing their mind regarding the severity of the Virus. Are we being lead like a bunch of Lemmings down a false trail? Finding facts defining the extent of the Corona Virus is not difficult. Take the time to question what you hear and decide for yourself what the truth is. Don’t be a Lemming.
David Johnson,
Fillmore Ca 93015

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To the Editor:
A family member who consumes primarily conservative media said just 13 days ago “The U.S. death toll will never reach 100,000” while making an argument against physical distancing and comparing Covid19 with the 1968 “Hong-Kong Flu.”
I don’t know what conservative media host my family member got this comparison from but a simple internet search combined with a little thinking-for-yourself would quickly reveal the reasons why we need physical distancing for Covid19.
The Hong-Kong Flu was in the U.S. for 2 years and killed approximately 100,000 Americans.
Covid19 has been in the U.S. for only 5 months and we've already hit the 100,000 dead Americans mark, AND, most of the country has been physically distancing.
If we didn’t do, and don’t continue to do, any physical distancing, over the next year and a half, several models show approximately 2.2 million Americans will be dead.
For people who like to compare Covid19 to the annual seasonal flu or automobile accident deaths, here’s a comparison for you. After 2 years of Covid19, with no physical distancing, we would have more dead Americans than The Revolutionary War, The War of 1812, The Indian Wars, The Mexican War, The Civil War, The Spanish-American War, World War 1, World War 2, The Korean War, The Vietnam War, The Persian Gulf War, and The Global War on Terror COMBINED, and then take that number and multiply it by 2.
I recognize people are being harmed financially, but you need to have a life to have a livelihood.
Let’s all pressure congress and disinfectant-huffer Don in the White House for more financial relief to all who need it.
Scott Duckett,
Fillmore