sharon sanders
Editor-in-Chief & President
I have no idea how accurate Florida's numbers are. Based on my experience with Zika in Florida, it is my opinion that, generally, the numbers are reported with the most favorable light shown on them. I have stated this several times before on this site.
Also, in my opinion, political forces that want to prove Florida's open pandemic policy to be "wrong" are motivated to attack that policy. Florida has become a destination state for many who previously lived in severe lockdown states.
Time will tell.
Florida COVID numbers face new scrutiny
Tue, March 30, 2021, 5:00 AM?8 min read
WASHINGTON ? New research published earlier this month in the American Journal of Public Health argues that Florida is undercounting the number of people who died from COVID-19 by thousands of cases, casting new doubt on claims that Gov. Ron DeSantis navigated the coronavirus pandemic successfully.
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In the case of Florida, the researchers say, 4,924 excess deaths should have been counted as resulting from COVID-19 but for the most part were ruled as having been caused by something else, thus lowering Florida?s coronavirus fatality count. That?s possible because people who die from COVID-19 often have comorbidities, such as diabetes and asthma. That leaves some discretion for medical examiners, who have sometimes struggled with conflicting science and been subject to political pressures during the pandemic.
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Tatar?s findings have not been universally accepted. Lauren Rossen, a statistician at the National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who has analyzed excess deaths, told Yahoo News that she saw nothing exceptionally suspicious in the state?s excess death numbers.
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Jason Salemi, an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of South Florida, told Yahoo News that it was wrong to assume that every excess death during the period in question should be attributed directly to those who contracted the coronavirus, especially since people who were never infected may still have been fearful of seeking care for other conditions while the pandemic surged and hospitals filled with COVID-19 patients.
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Weinberger, the Yale epidemiologist, also said that his analysis indicated that Florida?s ?gap? between COVID-19 and excess deaths was about average.
more....
https://news.yahoo.com/florida-covid-numbers-face-new-scrutiny-090058319.html
Also, in my opinion, political forces that want to prove Florida's open pandemic policy to be "wrong" are motivated to attack that policy. Florida has become a destination state for many who previously lived in severe lockdown states.
Time will tell.
Florida COVID numbers face new scrutiny
Tue, March 30, 2021, 5:00 AM?8 min read
WASHINGTON ? New research published earlier this month in the American Journal of Public Health argues that Florida is undercounting the number of people who died from COVID-19 by thousands of cases, casting new doubt on claims that Gov. Ron DeSantis navigated the coronavirus pandemic successfully.
snip
In the case of Florida, the researchers say, 4,924 excess deaths should have been counted as resulting from COVID-19 but for the most part were ruled as having been caused by something else, thus lowering Florida?s coronavirus fatality count. That?s possible because people who die from COVID-19 often have comorbidities, such as diabetes and asthma. That leaves some discretion for medical examiners, who have sometimes struggled with conflicting science and been subject to political pressures during the pandemic.
snip
Tatar?s findings have not been universally accepted. Lauren Rossen, a statistician at the National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who has analyzed excess deaths, told Yahoo News that she saw nothing exceptionally suspicious in the state?s excess death numbers.
snip
Jason Salemi, an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of South Florida, told Yahoo News that it was wrong to assume that every excess death during the period in question should be attributed directly to those who contracted the coronavirus, especially since people who were never infected may still have been fearful of seeking care for other conditions while the pandemic surged and hospitals filled with COVID-19 patients.
snip
Weinberger, the Yale epidemiologist, also said that his analysis indicated that Florida?s ?gap? between COVID-19 and excess deaths was about average.
more....
https://news.yahoo.com/florida-covid-numbers-face-new-scrutiny-090058319.html