Good COVID-19 news does not sell

Authored by Mike Geraty

The number of COVID-19 cases and deaths constantly flashes across TV screens throughout the U.S. and abroad. The coronavirus is still spreading. Bad news sells. What does not get much press is the number and rate of recoveries. Why? Good news does not sell. As public sector entities focus on reopening, recovering, and resetting from the pandemic, they must remain vigilant of the data.

As of Friday, Sept. 25, 2020, there were more than 32 million global cases of COVID-19 affecting 0.41% of the world’s population. There were almost seven million cases in the U.S. (22% of the total cases) affecting 2.09% of our population. It is sobering to consider that 2.09% of the world’s population could mean upwards of 163 million cases. Projections like this gain attention.        

Federal guidelines for reopening call for a downward trajectory of documented COVID-19 cases within a 14-day period. The number of cases today is compared to the number of cases two weeks ago. There was concern that Fourth of July celebrations would result in a spike in cases. Sure enough, two weeks later the U.S. 14-day case rate rose to 31% from 26%. Currently, the 14-day case rate stands at 9%. Globally, the 14-day case rate is 14%.

The number of fatalities from the coronavirus will likely surpass one million next week. The number of deaths represent 0.01% of the world’s population. The case fatality rate stands at 3.1%. At present, there are about 5,000 deaths per day from the coronavirus. There have been more than 200,000 deaths in the U.S. (21% of the total cases) affecting 0.06% of our population. Our case fatality rate is 2.9%. It is disturbing to think that 0.06% of the world’s population, approximately 4.76 million people, could die.

To date, there have been more than 22 million recoveries from COVID-19. That is a global case recovery rate of 69%. In the U.S., there have been 2.67 million recoveries, or a 39% case recovery rate.

It is crucial to follow the guidelines and scrutinize the data.

For more information, or to learn how Baker Tilly Investment Services specialists can help your organization, contact our team.