The Invisible Pandemic: How many people do you know who have died?

I don’t know a single person who has died of this “killer” coronavirus. But a friend of my wife’s says that the daughter of her daughter’s friend knows someone who did die. Which is sad; but not devastating to the fabric of civilization.

If it wasn’t for the 24/7 fear-mongering media this pandemic would be invisible, would it not?

That’s what Professor Denis Rancourt alludes to in an ongoing written debate he is having with Dr. Tim Anderson:

“One reason that we can even have this debate is that SARS-CoV-2 is not particularly virulent, nor is it more contagious than influenza, which is highly contagious. Folks are not dropping in the streets from SARS-CoV-2, not even in the USA. I do not know anyone who knows anyone who has died of this thing, and virtually all of my social contacts report the same.

“If SARS-CoV-2 were evidently deadly, in real observable terms for most people, then the debate would be over. There would be an obvious need to do more than the usual. Likewise, with an exceptionally virulent and contagious pathogen, the effectiveness of various mitigation measures would easily be ascertained. With SARS-CoV-2, the weakness of the pathogen allows for endless debate, spin, and policy uncertainty.”

Denis Rancourt holds B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Physics (University of Toronto). He was a tenured Full Professor of physics at the University of Ottawa for 23 years. You can read Prof. Rancourt’s complete opening statement to the debate on OffGuardian.

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John C. A. Manley About the Author: John C. A. Manley is the author of the full-length novel, Much Ado About Corona: Dystopian Love Story. He is currently working on the sequel, Brave New Normal, while living in Stratford Ontario, with his wife Nicole and son Jonah. You can subscribe to his email newsletter, read his amusing bio or check out his novel.


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