Victor Davis Hanson // National Review
We are a few days away from a rendezvous with some tough conclusions about COVID-19.
A number of concurrent developments are coming to a head. Most will bring light where so far there was only heat.
Greater information about the virus might cause as much acrimony as conciliation. Some experts will be discredited, others reaffirmed.
Antibody testing is expected to get under way shortly. Soon, several representative studies will give the country an accurate idea of how many Americans have been infected in the past few months.
With a more trustworthy denominator to compare against known deaths, we will finally learn just how lethal the virus is and whether comparisons to a severe annual flu are legitimate or still inapplicable.
Likewise, there will be greater precision in distinguishing those whose deaths were exclusively virus-related from those who were afflicted by serious chronic illnesses along with the virus. That will also help provide better data about the actual toxicity of the virus.
Discussion (2)
Join the conversation. Logged in subscribers avoid the Captcha verification and get priority commenting approvals. No vulgarity, links, or code allowed.
Holy cow.... A rational overview....surprise, surprise
Great article Victor! I recall hearing somewhere long ago that the definition of an expert is anyone who's more than 25 miles from home. In other words, it's usually only those who are close by that realize how often wrong the so-called expert can be - but those in other towns have no idea. I'm a so called expert in civil and environmental engineering with advanced degrees and state licenses, and have found myself being blatantly wrong on many things. But it usually takes a while for my ego to succumb to humility, which isn't easy, but is getting easier with age and maturity. Based on my own personal observation, I don't think I could say the same for the medical profession. Talk about egos.