Deaths due to the COVID-19 virus, either directly or indirectly from complications related to other health issues, have been nothing less than tragic worldwide. The numbers have been and will continue to be climbing. Alarming as that may be, those numbers should be put into perspective.
The world population is approaching eight billion. Virtually every person living today will be dead by the year 2120, if not sooner. But for variations in individual age groups, you could expect about 1 percent of the world population to die annually from some cause or other. Due to disease, accident, warfare or hunger 80 million persons, more or less, will perish annually until 2120. Only a scarce few of our number will continue to draw breath past 2120. Add to that total any humans born during the next 100 years who do not survive until 2120.
How many will succumb to the current pandemic? An accurate numerical comparison to a yearly average death count is obviously not possible yet.
With around 330 million people in the United States, over 3 million would likely die from some cause this year, COVID-19 pandemic or not. Fortunately, well under 1 percent in pandemic related deaths have occurred through October in the United States. Could it be worse? Ultimately you are responsible for your own health.
We all die sooner or later. Be safe. Aim for later, not sooner.
Bob LaMettry, Grand Marais
Leave a Reply