ddb wrote: "A state free and healthy."
I am not looking to get into a war or words with you or the people opposing you in this thread but I think too many people are missing the bigger picture.
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ -- not even saying the data from this website is perfect but it is a somewhat respected website that is publicly available and it is a website that I have used before so I am staying consistent.
As of yesterday....
China 3 deaths per million (Even if we believe China is undercounting by a factor of 25, still an extremely low death count)
Japan 146 deaths per million. 18,359 deaths. -- high vaccination rate but death rate was super low in comparison to the US even before vaccinations and some of their high vaccination rates is probably due to having an older population.
Sweden 1484 deaths per million --
United States 2406 deaths per million
Florida 2,865 deaths per million 61,539 deaths.
New York 2987 deaths per million
Peru 5,984 deaths per million
More people have died in the state of Florida of covid than have died in Japan and China combined of covid. That simple stat should give you pause that Florida isn't "healthy" and the people that oppose and agree with you pause.
Being objective, Florida's overall policies which do strongly encourage vaccines for the older people and other policies to lower the amount of covid deaths will probably end up working better than most US states even though their death rate is moderately higher than average and Florida does have the advantage of being a warm weather state. Covid spreads much less outdoors but yes I know when it gets really hot in some of those southern states, people flock indoors. There are so many different factors since Florida is a state that many older people go to retire. But overall, the US has failed at handling covid. With 20/20 hindsight it was going to be a sh*tstorm even if the US handled it perfectly since the US population as a whole is unhealthy. The US has done a "good job" with vaccines and therapeutics but an F- job and that is being very generous addressing the root causes why the US population is so vulnerable to covid.
Even though I am vaccinated, I actually disagree with nearly all -- not all --- vaccine mandates that are applied outside of health care. As a general rule in a situation like this where a vaccine or drug hasn't been proven over the long run, inform people in an unbiased manner and let them make their decision. What is best for a 29 year old elite athlete in tremendous cardiovascular shape, may be different than someone even 32 and obese. I don't think the state of NY/NYC should be preventing Kyrie Irving from playing basketball but the Nets/NBA allow him or any other unvaccinated player to play should be willing to refund courtside season ticket holders near the bench. That being said, there isn't a single state in the continental USA that is "healthy".
That is the core of the problem and a big part of the reason why the US/similar nations have so many deaths in comparison to nations with much fitter populations. Peru is an obese country...surprise surprise they have a ton of deaths as well.
I first said it a long time ago but the US needs to be more focused on obesity when tackling covid than any other factor. Nearly eighty percent of covid deaths have obesity as a factor if not the main factor. This does NOT mean covid isn't a serious illness that may end up killing over 100 million before I die for all I know but since it is serious, why drop the ball on the best way to attack it. Eighty percent is a crazy high figure which may be a dramatic underestimate if anything since it doesn't account for how obese people are much more likely to spread covid. Absolutely crazy high and as some doctors/scientists have stated, it is alarming that the role of obesity is almost being reported on as just another item/a mere footnote. Fight obesity as the "first line" of defense against covid and many other diseases since in the medium to long run, it will make the biggest difference by far.
Unless we fight obesity with covid and eat healthier, as a nation we are going to continue to get our asses kicked and have an overly expensive health care system.
