Reece Gardner: It is time to reopen
While one casualty from the Coronavirus is one too many, it is important that we receive accurate information about the true nature of the plague. In a recent conversation with Congressman David Rouzer, he expressed concern about the questionable reporting in some areas about the Positivity Rate for the Coronavirus.
An example of this questionable reporting came out last week when The Federalist reported that Florida labs incorrectly reported a 100% Positivity Rate for these tests when in actuality the positive rates for most testing centers were often under 10 percent. When Fox35 News contacted the labs about this inconsistency, several of them confided that the numbers were inaccurate. Orlando Health, for example, had reported a 98 percent Positivity Rate. Over 200 testing centers in Florida reported 100% Positivity Rates.
Apparently, in most of these cases, the testing centers just failed to include the number of Negative Test results, which resulted in the unrealistically high rates of positive cases. Hendry Regional Medical Center reported 164 positive tests and only two negative ones, for a Positivity Rate of 99 percent. Continuing its investigation, Fox 35 News contacted the Orlando Veterans Affairs Medical Center, which had reported that 76 percent of its cases were Positive, when, after including the Negative numbers, the overall positive rate was only six percent.
And look at what the State of Virginia is doing with this situation. During a Covid-19 briefing last week, The Virginia Dept. of Health announced it will now count the number of Positive Virus Tests instead of the actual number of people who test positive for the Virus. This means that if one person is tested 3 times and all three tests come back positive, it counts as THREE different cases instead of just one. After this implementation, the State saw a historic increase in testing numbers this past Friday, jumping 15% in 24 hours, and obviously the change in methodology is behind the spike.
Dr. Daniel Causey, Virginia Secretary of Health & Human Resources said, "You need to know the exact number of TESTS, not the number of PEOPLE who had the tests." Really? Folks, a lot rides on the accuracy of these reports. These numbers can play a big role in how government at all levels handles the reopening of our economy, our schools, our travel, our FREEDOM. It is time to REOPEN!
Now for a little "play on words:" Whenever I find the key to success, someone changes the lock; To err is human, to forgive is NOT a company policy; The road to success seems always under construction; Alcohol doesn't solve any problems but, if you think about it, neither does milk; In order to get a loan, you first need to prove you don't need it; And, if at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you ever tried. Have a REALLY GREAT day!
