Dear editor,
I noticed stories the last few days mentioned that deaths from Covid in the U.S. had surpassed those of the Spanish flu during World War I. Each being in the neighborhood of 675,000.
That is a nice comparison, except it is rather meaningless when populations of the nation during the two pandemics are noted.
In 1918, the nation’s population was a touch over 103 million; today, it is in excess of 333 million, and probably more when undocumented “residents” are thrown in.
This is not meant to degrade the seriousness of Covid, but I think the comparison must be accompanied by population numbers to have any logical mathematical meaning. Which, I might add, does not make the Spanish flu any less of a tragedy, rather more so for the time being compared to Covid.
However, if the trend of people to ignore vaccination opportunities continues, Covid may well claim more lives “proportionately” than the Spanish version.
Thanks for permitting me to having a few words.
Bob Johnson, Humboldt
