Drowning in Coronavirus Research, Part 55

A pretty random catch-up.  First up, people have begun to catch on that lockdowns, mask mandates, etc. don’t make much difference.  Here is a story trying to figure out how in the heck with California’s uber-aggressive approach did cases surge so much.  (Cal. Story)  As the story notes, maybe those tactics don’t work and aren’t smart.  Ya think?  And it is fundamentally unfair for wealthy professional people to get to work from home while poorer and minority workers go to their jobs and build population immunity.

My sarcastic good news from the lockdowns item for the day is about overdoses, which have risen rapidly.  The Washington Post has even noted this.  (Post Story)   “Nationwide federal and local officials are reporting alarming spikes in drug overdoses”, the story says.  Overdoses rose 18% in March year-over-year, 29% in April and 42% in May.  The increase is accelerating.  Economic harms and isolation are believed to be primary causes.  I will say it again, when it is all totaled up, the lockdowns will kill more people than coronavirus, and the lockdowns are killing far younger people than coronavirus, people who should be in the primes of their lives.

Sweden reports on its problems in long-term care settings, including in a person’s home.  The problems weren’t unique to Sweden.  Among all old people, living with a person of working age, was associated with a greater risk of dying of coronavirus than only living with older people.  Living in a care home had a four times greater risk for an elderly person.  And living in a higher density neighborhood also was associated with greater risk.  (Sweden Study) 

More lockdown-associated news.  You may recall that childhood vaccination rates fell dramatically as the lockdowns were put in place.  In follow-up study, the CDC finds that while rates have rebounded somewhat, they are still below normal levels.  (CDC Study)