Vastly unequal US has world’s highest Covid death toll – it’s no coincidence | Hacker News Reader

Vastly unequal US has world’s highest Covid death toll – it’s no coincidence

theguardian.com

22 pointsalisonatwork26 comments

> Some 15% to 20% of unvaccinated Americans say they are still interested in getting their shots, Hanage said – they simply haven’t been able to yet.

People have had over a year to get the vaccine. Spare me the “I haven’t had time” argument. In February 2022 if you aren’t vaccinated it’s because you don’t want the vaccine. These people made their choice, as is their right.

Interesting. If they’re poor, you sure they couldn’t just not take time off? The intensely poor work, basically, 365, to have a roof over their head, worse if they’ve got kids.

Oh, and the side effects of the second shot easily take you out day 2.

You’re right. Most people who don’t have the shot probably don’t care and don’t want it; but everyone?

Meijer, Kroger, Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, and I'm guessing other stores, all offer vaccines. I did my 3rd shot on a Saturday morning walking into Meijer, no appt. Even in poor families, they have to go to the grocery store.

No one I know was "taken out" by their multiple vaccines. The worst I heard about was a sore arm the 1st day. Not saying no one was taken out, but making it sound like no one can work the 2nd day is not accurate either.

I posted somewhere else that my personal feeling is that there have been so many outright lies told by the previous administration, overruling scientific advice, conjectures that were not true, as well as the virus itself constantly changing, that a large group of people simply don't trust what they are being told and now have dug their heels in. It's a shame there is such a huge lack of trust in US government agencies, but I can't really say I blame them either; they haven't done a lot to deserve trust.

If you work with your arms and your arm hurts, you cannot work. Vaccine has also other side effects for a couple of days so it's not that simple.

Then I have to wonder at the quality of people over there. I've had 3 shots and none of those shots took me down. In fact I was still able to work.

Are you attempting to compare experiences of people you don’t know because your particular symptoms and experiences don’t line up with yours, *and then judge them on it*? Is this something you do often?

No. That has been my experience myself and of many others I know who had the same.

What did you mean by this part, then?

"I have to wonder at the quality of people over there"

What quality are you speaking of?

Oh, there's so much I could point out but I do hope that your government will one day improve standards sufficiently with regards to pollution, food, health, education and work life balances.

I took all 3 shots as soon as I could, but I still planned to take it on Friday so I wouldn't be affected by it. I'm a SWE who works from home, but I still had to take a day off work after my first shot because I could barely move my left arm.

Not everyone has the same experience as you.

Little to no reaction to the shot can be an indication that you have a weak immune system.

"Quality of the people" has some fun eugenics undertones to it for sure. I caught COVID from my boyfriend who worked in healthcare at the time, before vaccines were available. All three shots put me out for a day or two and I was lucky to have a very accommodating SWE job. Your reaction isn't universal and maybe we should make it easier for working folks to have guaranteed time off? Or invest seriously in our decaying infrastructure, do we think food deserts are easy places to get vaccinated?

America is a thoroughly puritanical country and I wonder if that yoke will ever be removed

vaccine took me out the next day. I felt hungover. certainly not able to do my job.

Luckily I'm a remote swe so my employment arrangement is very accommodating. most people aren't so lucky.

Poor neighborhoods often don't have large chain retailers.

And a lot of poor people are rural.

We’re not talking about a few weeks or a month or two. People have had an entire year to find time to go get a vaccine. I completely the idea that 10-20% of people have been trying to find time for an entire year, but just haven’t been able to make it work. Excuses, or lies.

80% of covid deaths are for people over 65, and 80% of the deaths below 65 involve obesity.

The US is has a very large percentage of obese people compared to other countries.

https://www.everydayhealth.com/news/are-we-fat-think/

Didn’t Scott Adams go viral for pointing this out?

A very cold analysis might show that the early, quick covid deaths were a plus, in that the multiple morbidity individuals didn't place a long term, high cost strain on the Healthcare system.

what is the ratio of obese to low-income people? are they correlated?

Mexico has more obese people per capita than the US and Japan had an older population. Want to compare the US numbers to either of those countries? Then compare per capita healthcare spending.

The US doesn't have a public healthcare system. I don't get why it's so impossible for US residents to accept the consequences of that reality. Epidemics don't give a shit if you don't have paid sick leave and the US remains the only industrial country to not guarantee it.

The Economist’s excess death tracker is an excellent resource on this topic:

https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/coronavirus-excess-...

Which shows, as expected, that the US is far from having the highest per capita excess deaths. It is among the highest in the developed nations, though.

There have been many accusations of health networks assigning Covid as the cause of death to access federal funds. The shortage of staff allowed admins to do this - essentially unfindable crime as it would need tests of exhumed remains or have no way to find ever if the deceased had been cremated? I saw some press on this, but I not know the current state of inquiries (if any ) into this aspect.

Comparison to historical death rates contradict this speculation. See for example the Economist link provided in an earlier comment.

Yes, I see, it does reflect matters. Of course natural deaths embedded in covid would not be seen, but the invoices to the feds would be larger. Obviously a forensic comparison is needed to see if the states really tried to milk the cash cow?

Or we could just not have a for-profit healthcare system and choose a less ridiculous way of allocating public health funds. Seems easier than an inquisition from the crowd that thinks COVID isn't real/is being overblown for nefarious ends.

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