COVID Facts YOU MUST KNOW!

This is going to be a short article. I referenced a report from the CDC and a data sheet from First Trust Portfolio's economics staff. Both links are posted at the bottom of the article to review and I suggest you check them out. The facts are in. Depressive disorders and anxiety have increased at an alarming rate since Q2 of 2019 v. 2020. Substance abuse deaths are on pace to reach record highs year over year. All of which coincide with municipal economic shutdowns related to COVID-19 fears.

I have said since the beginning of COVID-19 related shutdowns, we are going to save lives of people dying with the virus by shutting people in their homes. In the same breath, we are going to suffer rippling effects of shutdowns that are going to be far greater.

The CDC ran a survey at the end of June. Between Q2 in 2019 and 2020 the prevalence of symptoms of anxiety disorders is up from 8.1% to 25.5%. That is THREE TIMES higher than a year ago! The prevalence of depressive disorders is even more alarming. In that same period the rate has gone from 6.5% to 24.3% or almost FOUR TIMES higher than a year ago! There are people having to deal with the unexpected and tragic loss loss of a loved one but with the roughly 200 thousand deaths and a population of over 325 million people that is only 0.06% of the population affected. For argument sake, let's say each death touches 100 lives so directly that one would exhibit depressive symptoms. That is 6% of the population. Depressive disorders are up 17.8% from the same time a year ago! Something else must be accounting for the increase.

I said I would be brief so I am going to move on to my final point. San Fransisco has suffered some of the most draconian shutdowns this nation has seen. As a frequent visitor I can tell you the town is nothing without its bars and restaurants. Another anecdotal aside I personally know a handful of people that have fled the city to find less oppressive governments. Overdose deaths in San Fransisco are on pace to hit 675 deaths this year. That is an increase of 234 deaths from overdose in 2019. That number is almost double the 123 COVID-19 related deaths the city has seen.

Continued shutdowns are going to cause rippling effects that will not be able to be undone. I gave you a few examples and in the coming years we are going to hear from real writers that will write volumes on the topic. We have to seriously consider the alternatives and actively petition our state and local governments to act with more common sense.

Chris Barker

Link to First Trust COVID Tracker

Link to CDC Study