As of 2019, the population of CA was 39.5 million. We’ve had 459,000 total reported C19 cases––including asymptomatic and mild cases––that’s 1% of the total state population. We’ve had 8,451 C19 related deaths in CA––including vulnerable, elderly, & people who were terminally ill with pre-existing conditions––that’s 0.02% of the CA population.

As of 2019, the population of US was 328.2 million. We’ve had 4.36 million total reported C19 cases––including the asymptomatic and mild cases––that’s 1.3% of the total population. 149 thousand C19 related deaths have been reported in the US––including vulnerable, elderly, & people who were terminally ill with pre-existing conditions––that’s 0.05% of the US population.

As of March 2020, the worldwide population was 7.8 billion people. We’ve had 16.3 million total reported C19 cases worldwide—including the asymptomatic and mild cases––that’s 0.2% of the global population. We’ve had 650 thousand C19 related deaths worldwide––including vulnerable, elderly, & people who were terminally ill with pre-existing conditions––that’s 0.008% of humanity.

99.98% of Californians have not died from C19.
99.95% of US have not died from C19.
99.992% of humans have not died from C19.

Including vulnerable, elderly, & people who were terminally ill with preexisting conditions.

Merriam-Webster’s definition of the word “pandemic” reads: “an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area and affects an exceptionally high proportion of the population.”

According to the CDC: “Pandemic refers to an epidemic that has spread over several countries or continents, usually affecting a large number of people.”

The WHO defines a Pandemic as: “an epidemic occurring worldwide, or over a very wide area, crossing international boundaries and usually affecting a large number of people.”

To put this in terms that might make sense, I’m guessing you wouldn’t bother getting a bank account for the interest if 0.008% was the interest rate, would you? Or, on the opposite end of the spectrum, you wouldn’t hesitate to get a credit card if that were the interest rate you’d have to pay on it, would you?

Why are we calling this a pandemic? Is .008% of the population dying truly an exceptionally high proportion of the population? Is it affecting a large number of people?