Unreported Truths About Covid-19 and Lockdowns: Combined Parts 1-3: Death Counts, Lockdowns, and Masks

by Alex Berenson

Several different and plausible explanations for the Sunbelt spike have been offered – including the heavy use of air conditioning, young people deciding not to protect themselves because they now know they are at low risk, and possibly even some importation of cases from Mexico. That confused reality has not stopped media outlets from insisting that the end of lockdowns must have been responsible for the rise in infections – even though the rise began between five and eight weeks after the lockdowns ended. Even more importantly, the media has largely failed to report that the Sunbelt spike in hospitalizations is over. Arizona, Florida, and Texas have all seen big drops in hospitalizations in late July. The drop is most stunning in Arizona, where cases peaked first. Between July 13 and August 3, hospitalizations fell to just over 2,000 – a drop of almost 50 percent. In Texas, hospitalized Covid patients fell from their July 22 peak to under 9,000 by August 3, a drop of almost 20 percent. In all three states, hospitals were stressed, but none faced overrun and the overall quality of care either Covid or other patients received appeared unaffected. Further, in all three states, the drop in hospitalizations came despite the fact the states did not reimpose widespread lockdowns, though they did take minor steps to slow the spread of the virus and reduce the strain on hospitals. Arizona closed gyms and bars, for example, while Florida closed bars and Texas postponed elective su...