Pandemic or Plandemic? What are we so scared of in 2020?
Pandemic or “plandemic:” in 2020 we are facing the health crisis of our lifetime. Or are we?
If you go on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube in 2020, the chances are very good you’re going to come across lots of conflicting information. Is it a pandemic or a “plandemic?” Opinions abound!
First of all, what is a pandemic? Why isn’t it just called an epidemic?Let’s look at definitions. Wikipedia defines an epidemic as “the rapid spread of disease to a large number of people in a given population within a short period of time. For example, in meningococcal infections, an attack rate in excess of 15 cases per 100,000 people for two consecutive weeks is considered an epidemic.”
On July 17th, 2020, the number of SARS CoV2 (COVID-19) infections per 100,000 in the United States was almost 1200. That’s according to Worldometer on that day. So that definitely qualifies as an epidemic in the United States!
Canada had 290.5 infections per 100,000. While lower, that also qualifies as an epidemic.
So Canada and the United States, according to the given definition, are both experiencing an epidemic in 2020. But what then is a pandemic?
To be consistent, let’s again go to Wikipedia. Their definition is in agreement with the dictionary. “A pandemic is an epidemic occurring on a scale that crosses international boundaries, usually affecting people on a worldwide scale. A disease or condition is not a pandemic merely because it is widespread or kills many people; it must also be infectious.”
Merriam Webster’s description is very helpful: “An epidemic is defined as “an outbreak of disease that spreads quickly and affects many individuals at the same time.” A pandemic is a type of epidemic (one with greater range and coverage), an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area and affects an exceptionally high proportion of the population. While a pandemic may be characterized as a type of epidemic, you would not say that an epidemic is a type of pandemic.”
So by definition, if the data we have been provided by various organizations is correct, SARS CoV2 is a pandemic. It has reached every continent except Antarctica. It has infected virtually every country in the world, and almost all of them have in excess of 15 cases per 100,000.
What is going on in the USA??
A really strange thing has happened in 2020, something that will likely have anthropologists scratching their heads in the future, if we make it that far on this planet. An alarming number of Americans are denying that there is a pandemic, instead labeling it a “plandemic.”
What does this recently coined word mean?
Once again, we go to Wikipedia for their definition: “Plandemic (Portmanteau of “plan” + “pandemic”) is a 26-minute conspiracy theory video, first posted to social media on May 4, 2020, promoting falsehoods and misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic. The film was produced by Mikki Willis’s California-based production company Elevate. Willis has produced other conspiracist videos in the past.”
The idea, of course, is that there is a secret cabal of left-wing politicians, incredibly wealthy New World Order types and just plain nasty people who have created the entire ghastly business so they can control you. What is terribly unfortunate about all this is that there IS a conspiracy, but it’s not the one they are claiming. The real conspiracy is about getting you to believe the lies spread by this work of fiction without doing even the most basic of research.
Reality Check
It’s time for a reality check. I just received word, yesterday, that someone in the church our family attends in southern Idaho just tested positive. A friend of my mother just lost her brother after a horrible battle with the disease in a Victoria, BC hospital. A friend in Arizona just lost a grandmother to the disease. It was brought home before anyone had symptoms by a frontline healthcare worker who was exposed in a hospital. I could go on. I know many people who are battling it, and knew some who didn’t win.
SARS CoV2 is a pandemic. It is worldwide, and it is making some people very sick. Some aren’t making it. No one knows how it will affect them if they get it. Some who got caught up in the wild conspiracy theories and refused to take a few simple precautions are now dead. That’s the reality of it. It’s not a joke, not a hoax.
Worse, it hits people harder who have compromised immune systems. Those of us with chronic Lyme Disease or some other chronic ailment are at real risk. People over 65 are in a much higher risk category. People who refuse to follow protocols like social distancing and wearing masks when among other people are putting others at risk. What has happened to “Love thy neighbour as thyself?”
It’s a pandemic
Yes, it’s a pandemic, not plandemic. It’s not some crazy conspiracy to bring down a US president. It is a worldwide health problem that is very contagious. Most who get it survive, but many do not.
But we can all do our part to help. We can wear masks in public. We can wash our hands. We can stay home when we’re sick.
Those of us who have chronic illnesses need to be careful. But we can help our bodies prepare for the possibility of being exposed by eating well and supplementing with anti-inflammatory compounds such as curcumin, bromelain, melatonin and others. Please do your research and be as safe as you can!
More information on Lyme and related diseases can be found on LymeClinics.com and The Lyme Files.
Your comments are welcome!