Zero.
Everyone in Allegheny County — especially the local media — needs to know that number.
0.
That’s how many people in Allegheny County under 20 years of age have died of Covid-19 — in four months.
Here’s another number you should know — one that the local panic media might want to mention now and then in their breathless daily stories about the “alarming” rise of new positive Covid-19 cases reported among the young:
12
That’s how many of Allegheny County’s 1.3 million people under age 60 have died of (and/or with) the coronavirus. Total. In four months. For the math impaired, that’s 1 death a week.
There haven’t been more than 2 deaths in a day in the county since May 21.

If you think the tragic deaths of those 12 youngish people justified shutting down most of the economic and social life of the county for three months, or justify shutting it down for one more day, then you’re ready for a brilliant career in politics or what’s left of the legacy media.

Pittsburgh, the city the pandemic barely visited.

While we’re at it, here are two other numbers you should know that provide what journalists call ‘perspective’ or ‘context.’
187 and 147.
187 is the official total of C-19 deaths in the county, as of July 3. In four months. 187 tragedies. (81 percent were age 70 or older. Nearly everyone was already very sick or obese.)
147 is the official total of those 187 deaths that occurred in nursing homes and long-term care homes.
For the math impaired, that means 78 percent of C-19 deaths in the county occurred in nursing home/care facilities — almost twice the nationwide average, btw.
To put it differently, that means 40 of the people who died of C-19 in Allegheny County since the war on the coronavirus was declared in March DID NOT reside in a nursing home or care facility.
A tip to the journalists running the local print and electronic media: That’s pretty scandalous.
In your daily reports of ‘alarming’ spikes in new infections, you might want to stress that the most dangerous place to be in Allegheny County has been a nursing home, not a crowded singles bar or a backyard cookout for more than 10 family members.
And instead of doing any more ‘shame’ stories about people not wearing masks when they serve you a pizza or take out their trash, the local media might want to question the people in charge a little more aggressively and do some investigative journalism.

Updates, as of July 7:

Of the state’s 6,746 deaths, the state health department says 4,593 were people residing in nursing or long-term care facilities.

The daily numbers of deaths in the state jump around because of when and how deaths are reported.

But on July 2, there were 2 Covid-19 deaths reported in the entire state. On July 5, there were 3.  On July 6, there was 1 and on July 7 there were 33.  https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/disease/coronavirus/Pages/LTCF-Data.aspx187

For Allegheny County, health officials say as of July 6 there have been 190 Covid-19 deaths recorded since March 14. On July 6 officials added 6 more deaths to the total, but they were not new cases.

The 6 additional deaths, taken from the state’s Electronic Data Reporting System, occurred between April 5 and June 13.

That means they have no relevance to the current daily death rate in Allegheny County, which has fallen to nearly zero despite the rising number of new cases each day (200-plus).  Each of the six newly reported deaths was over 65 years and older.

Here are the county numbers from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, as of July 3:
 
• 20-29: 1 (1%)
• 40-49: 2 (1%)
• 50-59: 9 (5%)
• 60-69: 23 (12%)
• 70 and over: 152 (81%)
Cases by gender:
• Female: 1,711 (52%)
• Male: 1,569 (48%)
Deaths by gender:
• Female: 111 (59%)
• Male: 76 (41%)
Nursing and personal care homes:
• 46 facilities, 540 cases among residents, 161 cases among employees, 147 deaths (no change)

 

 

64 Comments

  1. DNixon on July 5, 2020 at 9:41 pm

    This seems pretty irresponsible for anyone to make this sort of statement. Let me ask you this will you be printing a retraction in the next weeks weeks as numbers climb? It would be amazing to have it just vanish some how
    i just don’t see that happening .

    • donnafalsetto on July 6, 2020 at 8:20 am

      All he did was report facts. Why is this irresponsible?

      • Doug Brockman on July 8, 2020 at 11:55 pm

        Welcome to the zero risk society

      • Peggy on July 9, 2020 at 8:26 am

        Because all DNixon does is continually watch all of the news channels to keep the fear going.

      • Melissa on July 17, 2020 at 3:55 pm

        You didn’t cite your sources. I’m curious. As i don’t believe anything from anyone anymore unless you are up front with where and when and how you got your numbers.

        • Cindy L. Reckhart on July 19, 2020 at 1:07 pm

          I looked quickly for source girls and found: Pittsburgh Post Gazette, PA Electronic Data Reporting System, Allegheny Co. Health Officials, and a specific state web page …health.pa.gov etc.

    • DKirkland on July 6, 2020 at 9:02 am

      “Irresponsible” are you kidding me. Since when is citing the truth irresponsible? Did you pay attention to this? 87% of the deaths in your county occurred in nursing homes where they were forced to admit Covid positive residents by the Governor and health secretary after she conveniently removed her own mother from a assisted living facility. This Tyrant (Governor) has destroyed businesses and lives while allowing and personally participating while hundreds of thousands of people protested/rioted all over the state all for political reasons. He should be in jail and you call this writer irresponsible. Wow just wow the level of stupidity is breath taking.

      • Ray Makara on July 8, 2020 at 3:44 pm

        DKirkland…”Since when is citing the truth irresponsible?”. When it doesn’t fit the narrative of what they hear/see/read on CNN, MSNBC, CBS, ABC, NBC, NYTimes, Washington ComPost, and the rest of the MSM. To some people (not mentioning any names or political Parties, wink, wink), facts and truth get in the way of what they’re told to believe.

        • Tom Pastor on July 12, 2020 at 7:08 pm

          Logic is an enemy and truth is a menace.

    • PJD on July 6, 2020 at 9:16 am

      Telling the truth is irresponsible? Failing to listen to emotionally driven agit-propaganda idiocy is worthy of a retraction?!? Those are the numbers right now. Even if they change, why in the hell would be required to print a retraction of what is true right now? I do not think that someone as mentally impaired as you should be publicly posting his thoughts on any matter – ever.

    • Becky on July 6, 2020 at 9:44 am

      Agree 100%

    • JDangelo on July 6, 2020 at 10:52 am

      Why do you call the statistics “irresponsible”. What is your basis for such an accusation? Please explain your level of expertise or where and what your statistics are.

    • Ed on July 6, 2020 at 11:38 am

      The irresponsibility lies with the fear that has been spread by the media. Not everyone will get this and if you do get it it might be no worse than a common cold.

    • Keith on July 7, 2020 at 5:41 am

      Facts,in context, is called responsible reporting.

    • DB on July 7, 2020 at 11:44 am

      Math doesn’t lie!

    • Scott on July 7, 2020 at 1:07 pm

      More fear mongering from the uneducated.
      Death rate has been falling nationally for weeks.
      CDC is close to removing COVID-19 from the epidemic list as deaths continue to drop.

    • Rico on July 7, 2020 at 1:14 pm

      DNixon. America’s finest social justice epidemiologist. Way to go, champ! Where’s your article so we can compare this with what you wrote?

    • tip66 on July 7, 2020 at 1:17 pm

      You have to from Pittsburgh and read the Post Gazette . LOL

    • markmurraybooks on July 7, 2020 at 1:25 pm

      How about you being completely and totally irresponsible in researching the truth and facts, DNixon? Have you actually done the research on the massive declining deaths across the United States since April? How about the massive amount of testing being done? More tests = ??? If you can’t answer that, you’re not only being irresponsible about all lives, you’re extremely ignorant.

      The good news is that ignorance can be corrected. Let me help you. More tests = more people showing Covid positive. That NEVER equals covid deaths. Now, go look at Covid deaths. Downhill trend for months. While the testing has been increased, the results have, of course, shown more positives. But that did NOT equate to deaths.

      So, now, with the US lockdown because of irresponsible people like yourself, the number of suicides has gone up, the number of attempts have gone up, the number of people who COULD have gone in for prescreening to catch cancer/etc dropped to zero. How many of those people will die because of your irresponsibility? Those deaths are on your hands. Each and every one of them because of your irresponsibility to look at, search for, and find the truth. Instead, you seem to want to read the media’s hysterical blurbs and then reach some irresponsible decision about masks/covid/etc.

      Ask yourself why every US State that got caught lying about their number of covid deaths, every single one of those States had OVER estimated. Not a single under estimation. What does that tell you?

      How many people under the age of 40 have died of Covid? I’ll give you a hint. It’s very close to zero. How many over 70 in nursing homes have died? Have you looked? Researched? Why did NY and PA force Covid positive patients back into nursing homes? Isn’t that tantamount to homicide? How irresponsible is that?

      No, I think the irresponsible person here is you. Completely and utterly.

    • The Incredulous Hulk on July 7, 2020 at 1:32 pm

      Is that you, Tony?

    • P Steele on July 7, 2020 at 4:50 pm

      DNixon- Huh? WTH are you talking about? You one of the ones that enjoy the false hysteria? Did facts hurt your feelings again along with the BS lies on most media?

    • Biggie on July 7, 2020 at 5:31 pm

      In the next weeks and weeks and weeks.. like the governor and his clown have threatened for MONTHS AND MONTHS>..

    • Rollininmygrave on July 8, 2020 at 6:16 am

      The uninformed, uneducated, and biased always cry about someone being irresponsible when they report facts that do not correspond to their agenda. I learned a long time ago that reality does not always afford them a truth to their liking. Why would one print a retraction of a fact? Especially when the reason one wants the retraction printed is exactly the fact that needs to happen in the current situation. With this type of virus, you want healthy people to get infected so as to acquire an immunity. That is what prevents it from becoming a greater risk to people in later years and ages. I know DNixon will never retract his opinion in his post because it is rooted in a lack of knowledge and education on the topic and based on a political bias and motive that the current cancel culture and history revisionists seems to enable these days. No facts, just feelings. My grandpa told me feelings are like knees. You fall and get them banged, skinned, and hurt. When the scars cover them the skin is stronger the rest of your life and they stop hurting.

    • STEPHANIE on July 8, 2020 at 10:42 am

      ? THESE ARE THE FACTS. WE ARE SO USED TO BEING GIVEN OPINION THAT WE CANNOT PROCESS FACTS OURSELVES?

    • Kevin Goldman on July 8, 2020 at 9:16 pm

      And if the death totals outside of nursing homes don’t rise will you come back to eat a dish of crow and admit the author is correct?

    • Gene on July 9, 2020 at 1:25 pm

      Facts don’t matter huh?

    • Tbwoods on July 13, 2020 at 9:32 pm

      Yes so you don’t like the facts? You going to alter our economy over fiction? Get a grip.

    • Callie Matti on July 14, 2020 at 8:13 am

      How are these numbers compared to overdose numbers?, category by category?

    • R. R. Reyn on July 18, 2020 at 1:35 pm

      Wait until the Presidential election. If Creepy Joe wins, the C-19 pandemic will be officially over. If not, it will continue to worsen until baraack obaama and his OFA come up with a new attack plan against our President.

  2. Joe on July 5, 2020 at 10:28 pm

    Thanks for the numbers Bill! And Nobody wants to see someone ill.

    We no longer live in the elements but we are still a part of nature. And perhaps this is natures way of saying step off.

  3. Kerry on July 6, 2020 at 7:45 am

    It’s a shame that anyone has to die for any reason. It’s also a fact if life that we will all eventually do it. Crippling an entire economy is asinine and obviously only for political reasons. Why aren’t they shutting down the cigarette manufacturers? Why are we still able to find prescription drugs on the street? Why aren’t they changing the maximum speed limit to 25? Why are window washers still in business? The risk is there and much, much worse than COVID? All of these changes I mentioned, could save countless lives? Why are we not shutting them down or making these changes?

  4. Roberta Mazzarini on July 6, 2020 at 8:09 am

    Finally some truth in journalism. Any more the news is like reading a Grimms fairy tale.

  5. danafaletti on July 6, 2020 at 8:18 am

    Thank you Bill, for reporting the truth! People need to see this and stop listening to ridiculous propaganda.

  6. Becky on July 6, 2020 at 9:43 am

    Perhaps this is a direct result of our response to the situation? Look around at places who are not doing what we are doing?
    For the cause-effect impaired: noting a relationship between actions or events such that one or more are the result of the other or others.

    Just wait all of those travelers will make the numbers go up – we WANT them to stay down and that’s why we are doing what we are doing- it’s working!

  7. aloysius533 on July 6, 2020 at 10:27 am

    Our numbers are so low because we did the shutdown. Why don’t you do your back of the envelope analysis somewhere like Miami-Dade County and see what turns up.

    • Bill Steigerwald on July 6, 2020 at 10:51 am

      If you believe the myth that the shutdown is why SW Pa/Pittsburgh’s fatality numbers are so low, I can’t help you. Every city/county/state in the country has had different degrees of pain. But what isn’t different here and elsewhere is that very old people and already very sick people are suffering most and that a disproportionate percentage of deaths (40 percent) have occurred in nursing homes and long-term care facilities (most of which around here have been tightly shut down since early February). I don’t have specific C-19 info on Miami-Dade County. Look it up yourself and do your own back-of-envelope analysis. http://www.floridahealth.gov/newsroom/2020/07/070420-1329-covid19.pr.html But to date for the state of Florida, of the 3,700 deaths, 1,921 were staff or residents of a long-term care facility.

      • Tom Natali on July 6, 2020 at 1:04 pm

        Good Lord, can someone please get to the bottom of what’s really going on already? I get what you wrote, but its not good enough to draw any firm conclusions. That’s why you keep getting the same old arguments.

        I don’t have the answers or the time, but if you (or anyone) really want to help put things into perspective and understand what’s going on, here are my top three questions that need answered:

        HOW MANY HAVE BEEN INFECTED? – Over x period of time, how many people in a specific geographic area have been infected by the Covid virus? If you can find a RELIABLE number, please post it. I think this is what is called the disease “burden” or something. The number CANNOT be based ONLY on the number of positive tests – using this number will greatly skew the conclusions. Also, the old projections – the ones floated back in March – are way too conservative. Since you cannot test everyone in a certain area, the number must be obtained from a statistical analysis. So, has anyone actually done a reliable study??? If so, let’s see it, If not, why?? We are significantly impacting lives with the shutdown, certainly this should be on the top of every governor’s priority list!!
        HOW MANY HAVE DIED? Over the same x period of time in the same geographical area, how many people died from Covid – and actually died from Covid – not died and just happen to have had Covid. Covid has to be the cause of death. Why it ever was reported otherwise is just wrong. Example – ( https://www.inquirer.com/health/coronavirus/spl/pennsylvania-death-count-changes-confusion-coroanvirus-20200423.html )
        HOW MANY HOSPITALIZED? – Over the same x period of time in the same geographical area, how many people were hospitalized from Covid – and of those hospitalized, how many lived and how many died?

        Anyone have these numbers and are the sources reliable? Let’s see them! Once you get them, you can make some good conclusions about the disease – e.g. per CDC numbers, the death rate of those infected with the Flu is no more than around 0.16% ( https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/preliminary-in-season-estimates.htm ). The Covid death rates are all over the place and the numbers used to calculate them are questionable. If Covid’s rate is similar to the flu, then why are we doing what we are doing. If Covid is much much higher, then maybe we need to do what we are doing.

        BTW, Isn’t there any real medical researchers and real reporters in Pittsburgh that can answer these questions???? I have a job and family to take care of, I don’t have time to do this BS! This may be the last time I read something my wife sends me.

        • Bill Steigerwald on July 6, 2020 at 2:05 pm

          I feel your pain(s). There are lots of unanswered/unanswerable questions about the C-19 numbers and everything else. The experts, the CDC especially, the WHO, etc., are all over the place. Try reading any random CDC page without screaming — the unrelenting bureaucratic mumbo-jumbo and lack of clarity and fuzzy data about infection rates, fatality rates, efficacy of masks, etc. etc., is absurd. You’ll learn nothing for sure. Yet the people in charge of our lives have been making hugely important decisions based on this dubious and often erroneous info. Meanwhile, the media push the panic, ask few questions, ignore the falling death rates, rarely point out that 99.something of everybody infected will not die. The media also almost always accept the insane and arbitrary and sweeping edicts of the nanny governors and county execs who try to make it seem like everyone everywhere is equally at risk of getting seriously sick with C-19, when it’s never been true. As for the local media, they’ve been breathlessly reporting the rising infection cases and parroting the need for masks when you take out the trash while ignoring the falling numbers of hospitalizations and deaths. I used to be a journalist/op-ed guy who got paid to rant like this about the failings of the media and government experts and politicians. Now I do it for nothing because I can’t help it. The accurate/reliable info you seek might be out there, but you have to seek it yourself. Try @AlexBerenson on Twitter. He’s ex-NY Times, smart, relentlessly skeptical and has made himself rich criticizing the C-19 experts, policies and media coverage. The Nanny Panic Media hate him, of course. Good luck.

      • Jennifer Schmidt on July 6, 2020 at 8:18 pm

        Just curious.. do you have the blood type of those who died or bad cases?

    • Tbwoods on July 13, 2020 at 9:35 pm

      How do you explain the facts of 0 employees at the Lowe’s store in Monroeville PA contracted the virus even though they’re exposed everyday and their parking lot is jammed? How do you explain there has only been one death in Westmoreland County in the past six weeks?

  8. Daniel on July 6, 2020 at 11:27 am

    Yeah, go fuck yourself Bill. Especially when most of the new cases have involved those NOT in nursing homes (unless you see a lot of 31 yr olds in nursing homes).

    • Bill Steigerwald on July 6, 2020 at 12:11 pm

      Nice argument, Dan. When will you be getting your driver’s license?

    • Anne on July 8, 2020 at 12:38 pm

      Daniel, by “new cases” do you mean positive results? Because if so, you can stick that in the diaper you are clearly wearing because positive results and death are not the same. It’s not that difficult a concept, almost 3 million infected in the US with 95% getting sick (or showing no symptoms at all) and fully recovering (even the CDC confirms those numbers). Obviously your “fuck yourself” to Mr. Steigerwald is an example of how easily the media can manipulate an ignoramus. What a sad testimony to your generation. Pick up a book, they come in hard copy or paperback and are full of words.

  9. Bonnie Jackson on July 6, 2020 at 2:28 pm

    The media is in the business to make money. Shock and awe makes you continue to tune in thereby making them money. Look at the actual numbers yourself. Less than 1/2% of the county’s population of 1,200,000 has been infected. Allegheny County has a very informative website to check out:
    https://www.alleghenycounty.us/Health-Department/Resources/COVID-19/COVID-19.aspx

  10. Adam on July 6, 2020 at 3:22 pm

    Wonderful article. Eliminate the unnecessary fear for the young and healthy. Though intimidating for the elderly, this is not the plague.

  11. Timothy Protzman on July 7, 2020 at 12:11 am

    What a refreshing article! Truth from a reporter! Bill, you’re one of the old school guys, I remember reading your stuff many years ago. You of all people should know investigative journalism is dead, today’s reporters push their feelings at you instead of reporting the facts. Bought and paid for media, and an all out push to get Trump, ever since he upset the apple cart in 2016. I have all but quit watching the news, all of it, as you can’t get any straight information anymore. Thanks for sticking to your guns Bill and reminding us what journalism is supposed to be all about. Nice to see!

  12. Cheryl on July 7, 2020 at 6:53 am

    The CDC in the beginning said anyone with family in nursing homes or assisted living should think about taking them home until this is under control. We had patients families do just that.

    • Bill Steigerwald on July 7, 2020 at 7:22 am

      The best-run nursing and long-term care facilities were locked down in February. Staff was tested daily, family couldn’t visit and residents like my 99 year old aunt were confined to their rooms and their meals were brought in. Clearly, badly run facilities killed a lot of old folks before their time — here and around the USA.

      • Anne Malcolm on July 7, 2020 at 5:41 pm

        I disagree with not allowing specific family members to visit their loved ones in nursing homes. My husband was locked in for nearly 3 months without a loving embrace or touch from me. He ended up dying in hospital from pneumonia on June 24.

        I ask you, why was I not allowed to visit him in his private room and spend time with him in his last weeks? The only “saving grace” was that he was transferred to hospital with fever and breathing difficulty due to pneumonia (he was tested multiple times) where we were allowed visiting hours! So, before he was discharged back to the nursing facility we had two weeks time with him in hospital to love him, talk to him and kiss him. I lay in bed with him and watched a few movies and told him everything that was in my heart. How was I any more of a threat than the random workers at the facility, some of whom have admitted that they are here illegally. Who do they live with? What was their home hygiene? What’s their family living condition that guarantees their right to his room, when they go from room-to-room. If allowed in I would only go to his private room – but I could not enter. I was willing to take daily tests if necessary, be screened for fever, coughs, anything. Instead, so cruel, the last few months of my husband’s life. I am so glad than when he spiked a fever again I insisted they transfer him back to hospital, although they kept trying to keep him there. His second admission he died in my arms. But his last days were so lonely, my heart breaks. He couldn’t not talk and use a phone due to his paralysis. I am angry at the cruelty and lack of compassion. I was LESS of a threat than any of the minimum wage employees at the facility. After he passed, the hospital “allowed” me and our two sons to “have the room as long as we liked.” Sure, after he died, suddenly the “rules” changed. Anyway, RIP, my darling. I only pray you understood why your family never visited.

  13. Keith on July 7, 2020 at 10:10 am

    Great Article! I have been so confused from the start. It feels like there is a big gap between the actual data and how we are reacting to COVID-19. I am one who likes to make informed decision based on data and not just take someones word of what I should do. From the start of this my assessment has been either I am missing critical information or we are overreacting with the shutdowns. It seems like being cautious and personal hygiene for 99% of people would have had the same impact on the virus as shutting down the economy. Everyone only listens to one side of the argument when there are valid points for both shutting down and herd immunity. Looking at actual data would support the herd immunity process with more stringent protocols in place for elderly and comorbidity individuals.

  14. cal clack in Carmel-by-the-Sea on July 7, 2020 at 10:33 am

    “Truth is truth to the end of reckoning.”  > Wm. Shakespeare or “Fact are facts”.

    Since day one when this pathogen was first reported, every news outlet in the world was reporting on cases. So what ? Number of cases to compared to what ? They more believable to compare this to influenza and pneumonia, for instance, but to nothing, that is useless information; it’s fear mongering marketing at its best. It’s boring and useless. It would do America’s decision makers good to read Michael Crichton’s 1969 novel, The Andromeda Strain.

    Look at this pathogen compared to other causes of death, here: https://data.cdc.gov/NCHS/Weekly-Counts-of-Deaths-by-State-and-Select-Causes/muzy-jte6

    Enjoy.

    • Bill Steigerwald on July 7, 2020 at 11:55 am

      Thanks. But I couldn’t begin to make sense of those CDC numbers. Everything the CDC posts, including words and numbers and explanations, are undecipherable to normal people. Lots of fuzzy or preliminary or incomplete data and micro-guidelines. Just trying to find out how many people died of regular flu this season is impossible — yet on C-19 they’re merrily issuing rules and making ‘scientific’ conclusions about how we should live our lives. The CDC is a joke and too few — in any — journalists are smart enough to get it.

  15. Jerry on July 7, 2020 at 1:55 pm

    Investigative journalism?!? Does anyone still do that? Not to throw the baby out with the bathwater, but I seriously wonder how journalism is taught at universities nowadays. I always
    thought the idea was to report facts & save the opinions to the Op-Ed section.

  16. Nicholas on July 7, 2020 at 6:25 pm

    The broader context of COVID-19 numbers is important, but is never mentioned.
    In 2017, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania had 284 deaths from Influenza and Pneumonia.
    https://www.livestories.com/statistics/pennsylvania/allegheny-county-influenza-flu-pneumonia-deaths-mortality

  17. Jeff Becker on July 7, 2020 at 6:40 pm

    I enjoy reading the hate spewed from the Left when reporting FACTS! From the first days of the “pandemic” I knew this wold be blown completely out of proportion. I’m disappointed that Republican politicians did not come out more strongly to stop the complete over reaction to this situation. The immune compromised & elderly with 2 or more morbidity conditions should be locked down or have the choice to determine what protective measures they feel appropriate for them to protect themselves. Children, teens, young adults and others aged 30-60 will be virtually unaffected with no or minor symptoms. Yet we placed 20 million out of work, gave up freedom to assemble and worship, dine out, entertain, celebrate, mourn at a funeral and dozens of other freedoms by a County Executive, Mayor or Governor without a vote from state House or Senates! Don’t get me started on the secondary effects of suicides, undiagnosed diseases, increased abuse of alcohol, drugs, spousal abuse and on and on…

  18. Ray Makara on July 8, 2020 at 4:03 pm

    If you’ve noticed, over the past weeks, since states have been opening up and millions more tests are being conducted, the media (including Fox, I’m sorry to say) are focusing on the number of positive cases. They’re not talking about or correlating those numbers to the number of people tested, the number of actual reported illnesses, the number of hospitalizations, the number of ICU admissions, or the number of deaths. They’re only reporting the number of confirmed positives.

    Something else the media isn’t talking about is the inaccuracy of at least one of the C-19 tests. It’s a virus genome test, and it detects genetic traces of the coronavirus in the swab taken. It’s highly accurate, but way too “sensitive”. The issue is that, if a person has been infected with a coronavirus, even a cv cold, and their body fights off the infection and destroys the virus, the remnants of those dead cv cells can still be in the person’s body for many, many months, until the body flushes out all of the dead cells. So that genetic test is producing a lot of false-positives because it’s detecting remnants of a cv infection that is already dead, and may have been from a cv cold the person had last fall or summer.

  19. Boat School on July 8, 2020 at 9:14 pm

    Great job Bill. Joe Friday would be proud

  20. Nicholas R on July 9, 2020 at 6:52 am

    Bill,

    Very useful information, thank you. I will he passing it along to all who will listen. Investigative journalism is not completely dead. We here in Westmoreland County would love to see a similar article!

  21. Sue Bonzo Tuttle on July 10, 2020 at 5:19 pm

    Did you ever notice that they compare numbers of cases by state or country or county but don’t take into consideration the population of those. They should be given in percentages because none of these places have the same population. New York city has many more people than Pittsburgh, but they don’t take that into consideration. The USA cannot be compared with a smaller country by number of cases or deaths.

  22. Whitney Illingworth on July 11, 2020 at 12:04 pm

    That was true in SC at one time, now it is escalating out of control. I know this is true because my daughter is an ICU, RN at the largest hospital in SC. They are completely maxed with staff that are capable of taking care of these extremely ill patients and some are young. Quoted from CDC- South Carolina
    South Carolina has 50,691 cases and 905 deaths, and a 400%+ increase in cases for young adults since June 1st. “We’re going to be worse than New York,” one Charleston ER nurse told The Daily Beast, which notes that the state is reporting more cases per capita than most countries. “But at least in New York, people took the virus seriously. Here, we’re in a war zone that people refuse to accept.” Folks are partying, there are bike shows and beach fests. “We’ve completely lost control of the situation,” one doctor told the Beast. Republican Gov. Henry McMaster reiterated he won’t issue a mask mandate.

    • Bill Steigerwald on July 11, 2020 at 12:44 pm

      It may change, it may get worse. It may do a lot of things. Young people get infected by those under 30 virtually never die. Everything in SC sounds familiar to Pittsburgh — more than 66 percent of deaths over age 70, 35 per cent over age 81. Median age 76. Deaths spiked last week, but they weren’t young people. About 40 percent of deaths from nursing homes, where if run properly and protective of residents, it doesn’t matter what the outside world is doing. Also, South Carolina has 5.1 million people and 929 reported deaths — which is about the same as Allegheny County (pop 1.2 million) with 197. Allegheny County’s daily death rate peaked in early May and has average 2 or less since late May. https://scdhec.gov/infectious-diseases/viruses/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/sc-demographic-data-covid-19

  23. Dave Maloney on July 14, 2020 at 10:32 pm

    Here’s a quick summary: “Old and fat people don’t matter. Just let ’em die already so I can get my Applebee’s Baby Back Ribs! Crissakes, they’re completely dispensible. Take it from me, I’m with the Party o’ Life!”

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