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Can government COVID data be trusted?
Attorney General Todd Rokita casts doubt on the validity of state COVID data, insinuating that the reporting has been politicized by officials, hospitals and the “left-wing” media by inflating the numbers. Of note, Indiana’s current data trends are almost identical to those of most states.
Rokita is the one politicizing COVID, joining with other conservative-minded COVID-pandemic minimizers.
Rokita does give some good advice: “I think the best advice is, don’t listen to politicians. … Listen to your doctor.” Correct. Don’t listen to Rokita because his COVID rhetoric isn’t based on concern for Hoosiers’ health but on garnering attention for his higher political aspirations.
Questioning the integrity of Gov. Eric Holcomb and the Indiana State Department of Health is an enormous insult. His statements provoked Holcomb out of his normally non-confrontational demeanor into a rare but justified reprimand of a fellow officeholder.
Rokita’s disinformation goes further. He questions whether the vast majority of those hospitalized for COVID are unvaccinated. He states hospitals are overwhelmed with COVID because health care professionals are unwilling to come to work because of vaccine mandates.
Really? More than 90% of COVID hospitalizations and deaths are accounted for by unvaccinated patients. The shortage of health care workers is due to sickness with COVID, exhaustion, frustration and demoralization. Many forsake the hospital setting for less stressful and safer opportunities. Only a small fraction of workers leaves their jobs because of vaccine mandates (Indiana University Health, 0.3%; all workers nationally, 5%)
As a former state health commissioner, I can assure that our COVID numbers are accurate and that there is no conspiracy to alter them. I know how data is collected, and any attempt to report data dishonestly is never considered—even when the data might not be advantageous to a governor’s administration.
Here’s Indiana’s pathetic situation: Daily COVID cases are exponentially intensifying and are at an all-time high (15,000 per day). Hospitalizations are the highest since last winter (3,200). Our testing positivity rates are nearing all-time highs (24%). Meanwhile, Indiana’s immunization rate is eighth-lowest in the nation (52%).
Yet, Rokita grandstands about widespread inflation of COVID numbers through lack of data transparency and holds that many are dying “with” COVID rather than “of” COVID. His examples are purely anecdotal. True, the distinction can be tricky at times. Respiratory viral infections like influenza and COVID can acutely exacerbate chronic preexisting conditions like renal failure, heart and lung disease, and diabetes. The instigating event many times is the viral infection, even though the patient might die of their chronic disease.
Did the COPD patient with COVID die of respiratory failure from the COPD or from COVID? Typically, attributing the death to the chronic disease underestimates the role of the virus. The overwhelming number of COVID cases and the associated soaring hospitalizations and deaths during the pandemic make the real situation obvious. COVID has killed millions of people.
Rokita’s accusations are absurd. As Huntington County Health Officer Matthew Pflieger said, “I would not know how to make these numbers up. If he’s saying there is a conspiracy going on, then … millions of health care workers are in on the conspiracy.”
Rokita should stay out of public health issues. His words are harmful, irresponsible and unconscionable. He needs lessons in professionalism and integrity.•
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Feldman is a family physician, author, lecturer and former Indiana State Department of Health commissioner for Gov. Frank O’Bannon.
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Please do research for your next editorial. Even Fauci admitted the following-
“He added that some children who are currently listed as being in hospital with COVID may actually be receiving treatment for “a broken leg or appendicitis,” rather than for a severe reactions to the virus.”
Newsweek: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.newsweek.com/fauci-children-hospital-covid-omicron-1664676%3Famp%3D1
As a physician facing this pandemic for the past 2 years I can tell you that Dr Feldman is entirely correct. The patients in my hospital’s ICU and dying of COVID-19 are almost exclusively unvaccinated. As Dr Feldman also states vaccine mandate have caused very few caregivers to leave their jobs. They are leaving over exhaustion and frustration from caring for the unvaccinated who have had ample opportunity to take this lifesaving vaccine. They are tired of now being subjected to abuse by these same persons and their families while trying desperately to save their lives. The politicization of vaccination has been promulgated by the right, not the left, and Rokita is a prime example of this. The man has no idea what he is talking about.
Dr. Paul are seeikg any patients dying from remdisivir or renal failure from remdisivir? Are you seeing increase in blood clothes, myocarditas, seizures, vaccine autoimmune deficiency, paralysis or reporting any vaccine adverse reactions to VAERS?