We are just beginning to see the effects of the shortsighted policies we were forced to follow in the name public health as the nation slowly recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic nightmare that we have endured for more than two years.
It would be reasonable to assume that public health policy would promote or protect some kind of health. Unfortunately, the government can make words mean less than they should.
Public health policy was characterized as “a lot of throwing out the baby with the bathwater” in the rush to stop the spread of COVID virus. In the initial stages of the pandemic, officials had no idea what they were dealing. This was understandable and tolerable. However, the pandemic became more about preserving lives than defending power.
For example, school shut downs. Teachers’ unions worked tirelessly to keep schools open, acting as though they were fighting for their lives in the Battle of Fallujah. The consequences for the children were not considered. We are only beginning to see the extent of the damage done. It is unlikely that post-mortem news about this subject will improve.
We have the first numbers available about non-COVID issues such as alcohol-related deaths.
Many reports suggest that Americans drank more to deal with stress from the pandemic. Intense drinking and emergency room visits for alcohol withdrawal increased. The new report revealed that alcohol-related deaths from liver disease, accidents and other causes rose sharply to 99,017 in 2020 from 78,927 in the previous year. This is a 25 percent increase in deaths in one year.
This compares to an average annual increase in alcohol-related death of 3.6 percent between 1999 and 2019. The death rate has been increasing in recent years but it increased by only 5% between 2018 and 2019.
Who would have thought that putting people in prison, depriving them of contact with their dying loved ones and bombarding them daily with predictions about imminent death would encourage more people to drink? A friend of mine was a nurse and alerted me to the problem several months back. She told me that alcohol-related liver problems were increasing at her large hospital after pandemic restrictions had eased.
During the first year, two already serious health issues–stroke and disease–also experienced increases.
According to the analysis that was based upon data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, overall, the U.S. death rate rose 15.9% in 2020.
Since long, heart disease has been the leading cause of death in the United States. Stroke is the fifth most common cause of death.
Ronald Reagan, the legendary American President, famously stated: “The nine most frightening words in English are, ‘I’m from the government, but I’m here to help.'”
Anecdotally I witnessed what quarantine did my mother. She flew to Phoenix in February 2020 to visit my aunt. After visiting, she rented a car, and drove down to Tucson for a few days to see me. She drove around the area to visit friends and enjoyed a few happy hours. As an independent, 81-year old woman, it was a great time.
Her physical condition worsened after she sat at home for the first year of COVID. There was nothing else except loneliness and inactivity. We tried to reverse the trend for more than two years, but it was not working.
Also, think about the emotional and long-term effects on loved ones who can’t be there for their dying loved ones. It was very brutal. I know of two people who experienced it.
Researchers will need to study the full impact of Covid-19 over time, including the physical and social effects on other diseases as well as the damage it caused. Many people couldn’t or refused to go to hospitals or doctors for other health issues than Covid-19 during the pandemic. Many died at home or were too late to get to the hospital. Many people are under extreme stress and haven’t been as active or kept up with their medical and social routines.
These numbers are not valid for 2020. Many places saw lockdowns and school closings that extended into 2021, especially those controlled by leftist government fetishists.
