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Is the coronavirus being blown out of proportion? Dr. McMahan says no

Allen County Health Commissioner Dr. Deb McMahan joins.

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29 comments

Doc "Holliday" Brown March 12, 2020 at 4:42 pm

This virus is being blown totally out of proportion. More people suffer and die from the flu and other medical issues. The media is doing their best to scare folks far more than they should be. The news media needs to be ashamed of their scare tactics with this virus. IF folks were dying left and right, the yes, we should be scared to death.

in a few weeks, this will all be over with and the news media will have another issue to deal with. Give it a break news media!

Darrin Wright March 12, 2020 at 4:56 pm

Hi there,

We’re not telling ANYONE to be afraid. We are merely passing along what medical experts, local government officials, and even the President of the United States are all saying.

Do you really think we have any control over them? If you have an issue with the reactions to the virus, I would encourage you to reach out to them as well. We’re doing our jobs; passing along the info to you. What you do with it is entirely up to you.

Thank you for reading and listening.

Steve March 12, 2020 at 5:21 pm

So how come there aren’t daily/hourly reports about flue contaminations or deaths that far out way the coronavirus? Selective reporting is still irresponsible even if you are technically reporting facts. Don’t hide behind “just doing my job”. This hysteria over spun news is going to drive us into a recession. People are going to lose their jobs. But then again, that’ll just be another story you can throw around

Darrin Wright March 12, 2020 at 5:25 pm

We’ve reported on flu deaths. We did so at the onset of the flu season and whenever it’s been pertinent.

This is a new virus that requires quarantine. The flu is neither of those.

If you think we actively hope for a recession or for people to lose their jobs just for the sake of something to write about, I don’t know what to tell you other than that I hope you have a nice day and that if you’re unhappy with the job we’re doing, or that I as News Director am doing, feel free to contact my supervisor at ragz@federatedmedia.com.

travis March 17, 2020 at 10:01 am

exactly. most of this is ridiculous and hype. I can see perhaps closing schools for maybe 3 weeks and telling people to wash their hands and be aware. but closing down restaurants, suspending seasons and canceling the NCAA basketball. Stopping all after school sports? Come on. This is such an outrage and unjustified.

Thomas March 19, 2020 at 3:37 am

totally agree Steve, this hysteria is literally pushing us into a recession, and it has been entirely media fueled. its horrible.

Danny Pendergrass March 18, 2020 at 10:18 pm

Are you saying that if President Trump says it, that it must be true? More people die from things like automobile accidents, flu, and other miscellaneous ailments and accidents that have of the coronavirus yet they remain just a fact of life. The press/media is as much as fault as known liars in spreading panic. Shame on you all.

Darrin Wright March 19, 2020 at 4:21 am

Not what I’m saying. What I’m saying is we are just reporting what officials are passing along. If you don’t believe it, that’s fine. Take it up with them.

If we’re not doing a satisfactory job, also feel free to look elsewhere. I completely understand.

Steve March 20, 2020 at 6:55 am

Amen…

Shann Turner March 12, 2020 at 6:53 pm

Agree completely!
Be smart and sanitary!!!
Media is out of control!
Around the world approximately 3,287 people die in auto accidents every day.

Julie Palu March 20, 2020 at 2:37 pm

My mom and dad live in an apt in a retirement home. They live 7 miles away from the man who died of Corona Virus. They live in Bellevue, Wash. They are mentally with it. I told my dad they expect this to go on til August
He said he doesn’t seeing this lasting that long. I trust what he says. He is the smartest man I have ever met. There are no changes at their retirement home except stronger sanitary conditions. Believe everything you see do not believe everything you hear!

Philo March 12, 2020 at 5:52 pm

This is total garbage! The people at risk are people like me who know already how to protect ourselves. I’ve been dealing with immunity issues, know just what to do NOTHING HAS CHANGED FOR ME AND OTHERS just like me. Nursing homes are easy to contain. Shutting down businesses and travel is going to be the real virus and yes, the media is completely out of control and so obviously wants to push the country into a deep recession I guess so they can plaster the airwaves wall to wall with nothing but more bad news. They don’t give a rip that the stock market has crashed and everything else along with it, no they have to make things 1000 times worse. Im retired, am not invested myself so am not directly affected, but I can see this is going to really hurt everybody what they are doing. The only containment that is needed is the media, they need to be quarantined forever. I’m sick to death of the media death squad.

Hello There March 12, 2020 at 6:38 pm

100% blown out of proportion. People are dying every day from billions of other conditions. Coronavirus is one of many. We are so focused on this stupid virus that it’s making our minds ill, I swear. As a human being, you are at risk of catching ANYTHING. So why is it ant different now than it is before? The media is making it seem like the coronavirus is on your doorstep and WILL kill you if you step outside. Like seriously you have a greater chance of a tiger being at your doorstep then the coronavirus. People need to chill. Like look, I don’t want to die or my loved ones. Concern is normal and necessary. But not THIS much. We’re already doing as much as we can researching the virus, so there’s nothing else to do. No need to cancel everything to the point that we have no life. Tbh, it’s just a virus. Most people will die from illnesses and viruses besides the corona virus anyway. It’s a part of life. I’m not saying we should accept dying from the corona virus specifically, but we should accept that as humans we can not prevent death or all illnesses we discover. We are all at risk of dying from something everyday. So don’t let the media cramp you into thinking that you’re suddenly going to catch this coronavirus. I guarantee more people die of the flu still anyway.

Geo March 12, 2020 at 8:04 pm

The numbers are massively inflated and a huge money maker for the media. I’m willing to bet there are a vast amount of cases that are not being shown as data because the amount of people that aren’t even going to the hospital, or reporting it.

They stay at home and get better. These cases are not tracked and not being accounted for. The mortality rate numbers are only based on hospital cases or cases that they can track.

Skewed numbers and the media just runs with whatever they are told without using their brain and their duty as a journalist to report from all angles instead of just repeating numbers.

Ari March 13, 2020 at 2:43 am

The media is completely to blame for this so called pandemic. They hardly ever report deaths only these “infections” . These idiots know this version of the “flu” is far less worse than the real thing.

dennis hendricks March 14, 2020 at 1:33 pm

Agree, blown out of proportion. Also, the president shouldn’t be giving any announcements about this situation. He makes it worse because he makes it about him/not the country and continues to lie to the American people.

Trust God March 16, 2020 at 6:55 am

Totally being blown out of proportion. Why arent people who recover being talked about? The majority of people who are dying are elderly and the people who die that are younger what pre-existing conditions did they have? China doesn’t care about their people, that’s the reason for their high death rates. Over 12k people have died from the flu this season and over 100 children, shouldn’t that be a headline when little children are dying? When H1N1 came through I dont remember the same hysteria from the media. That killed over 12,400 people and over 60million were infected. Was is because there was a different president?

James Owen March 16, 2020 at 4:12 pm

Not to mention restaurants and bars being closed because of a slight virus that killed 3000 in China.
I guess a minor virus means employees in the food industry no longer have bills to pay…

Here is a question:
If all these services shut down, can I just stop going to work too….?

Debbie Trying not be a Downer March 16, 2020 at 6:49 pm

And shutting restaurants and bars down after tonight???. Well didn’t that just create a MASS run in huge crowds to your local establishments to really get that virus going. Get a couple of drinks in these people and they will be kissing everyone in the bar! SHEESH people! There are going to be way more people losing their jobs and houses than people that are being infected! This is either a smoke screen to something really awful or just overblown media hype… Oh wait! It’s an election year… Yeah that’s it! UGH

travis March 17, 2020 at 10:14 am

YES. It’s craziness. Blown up, supersized, overreaction and down right stupidity. It is basically a political game at this point which Trump is being forced to go along with, or so it seems. If he takes the attitude that people our of their minds over this and that is no big deal and overblown by the media he will be crucified by the media and some will say he does not caring for the elderly. So instead we are throwing the economy in the trash and thousands if not 100’s of thousands will be lost in the process. This is totality overblown by leaders and media, some of which are surprising. most of this is ridiculous and hype. I can see perhaps closing schools for maybe 3 weeks and telling people to wash their hands and be aware. but closing down restaurants, suspending seasons and canceling the NCAA basketball. Stopping all after school sports? Come on. This is such an outrage and unjustified. People die everyday from things other than this, in fact hundreds every day, from heart disease, murders, stroke, cancer. I even read 40,000.00 die from car crashes every year in the country, according to the latest numbers. Do you want to report every time someone passes away from something? Where has all common sense gone!

Steve March 20, 2020 at 8:45 am

Common sense went away a long time ago…..things change fast just wondering if you still feel the same 3-4 days later. I am convinced there’s something not right about this situation, I’m not sure who or what is the end game to this but people are acting like the numbers will just keep rising until the planet has it….Did you folks know in the Korean War the Chinese Govt was just about to launch a new weapon? It was a project to create Mass Hysteria in the USA, the weaponization of misinformation. Course, we took the concept and highly tuned it….

Robert weeks March 17, 2020 at 2:00 pm

Yeah the media is just reporting what the politicians say and stuff like that. Only thing is they reporting it every 15 minutes around the clock.I would think that you’re much much much more likely to get out here and have a car wreck and get killed then to die from the coronavirus. I bet more people have been struck by lightning in the last month then have got the coronavirus.. I think people should wash your hands and take precautions. But I know the major news media is just eating this up they’re loving it.

Woke March 19, 2020 at 1:08 am

One thing, check the hospitalization rate for COVID-19 and compare it to the US medical system’s capacity, and then you can say we “don’t” have a problem. Like you all say, people die every day. Just wait until the bodies pile up at medical centers due to lack of service capacity. Look at the equipment shortage now, staff getting sick and there are a lot of people with needs, not “just” the flu. It spreads easily, and does kill the vulnerable. Doctors are dying, but not all; but one thing is certain they can’t work on someone with pneumonia. But what do I know, im no medical doctor. Also, wt f is up with no testing. Now with “increased” measures, .0057% in the US can be tested and they say 70% of us will get it, with no vaccine. Other countries’s hospitals are now sending people away, for no reason the sheep in this coalition are saying. Our per capita hospital bed rate is less then most. May not kill everyone, some cases may be mild, but fact is our country is unhealthy with lots of underlying medical conditions and our system is already encumbered. What happens when China stops sending your prescriptions…because there “bad” practices that got them into this mess. 96% of your safety nets are purchased from China. Only time will tell people, buckle up.

Katherine Whitehouse March 19, 2020 at 1:26 pm

I will go ahead and let you all know the government is up to something this is blown completely out of proportion! !!!
I just read an article about 80 people that died in California from vaping so why aren’t we chasing down vaping stories and telling everyone that vaping kills ppl? Or why do we not make huge news stories about how drinking cause sclerosis of the liver?? And keeping count of how many has died from that?? It’s utter nonsense.
I think the government is trying to get the economy to crash and cause chaos so they can b the hero and save the day and make it a 1 world order and implant chips into everyone. Read revelations this thing world is doomed to fall.
And covid-19 is a complete smokescreen.
While we’re all ‘quarantined ‘ the government is feverishly working behind the scenes on things that we can only imagine.. ..don’t believe and of the media’s rubbish.

James March 19, 2020 at 6:40 pm

Am I supposed to believe things you humans say?

Joyce March 19, 2020 at 8:25 pm

I intend to stay healthy and I intend to live life normally as much as I’ve done in the past. However, I’m traveling, so I don’t really have a home base. But I just don’t buy into this as something that is pandemic. I’m just that kind of girl. Happy and healthy and not buying into the hype.

Steve March 20, 2020 at 7:12 am

I just feel that the media is largely to blame for causing people to act NUTS. Facebook?? My God, I went on there tonight and people were resigned to the fact that they were dying and every single one of us will eventually get it….I said similar things like on here and got told I don’t get it. Hmm… What don’t I get? That it wasn’t gonna come here? No, I knew it would, people would die, etc…but I just don’t get all this hysteria when if it were just the flu not a thing would have been said and as others commented more people die from the flu, wrecks, etc… and I don’t get these people saying we’re all dead men and women walking. Even if u get it, it’s CERTAINLY not a death sentence. Tom Hanks and wife just now left the hospital. They weren’t on life support, she posted about her boredom. So what exactly are we talking about here? It’s not the first pandemic. It’s certainly curable, and a vaccine will be around soon and the heat will help. The numbers will level off. I just don’t understand the people and media screaming FIRE in a theater……::

Levet March 20, 2020 at 3:11 pm

I’m also with all of you who think this world-wide “phobia” is getting out of hand. Why not just let the disease do what it somehow has been set in the world to do? Isn’t it so that if our immune system – after the worst symptoms are over, will be immune to this virus type and then can defend other diseases in the future?
Well, back to why I was searching a forum like this to make a comment on.. what I want the government to tell me.. or whatever agency that has the records.. I just want to know, when all this is over, how many ppl actually had to leave life because of this virus – not ppl with other complications but just the raw incidents.
I hate to be fooled by politicians, you know.. those persons that only in your worst nightmare would be present telling you how much power they have and how much responsibility they therefore ought to reveal – it’s just sickness. I’d rather fall down from the sky (not, but close) than being witness to a shrilling – humanitarian – democratic – puplic elected – political fool or fools (the whole government). I just want to know the trusth so I can justify all that I have to listen to and see through all the media.

Levet March 20, 2020 at 4:00 pm

Correction: “public elected”
But I have to make it clear though.. I understand why we have to take precautions, and of course we could be in danger or cause danger to others by infecting them. But I wish I could make the justification myself, and not let others tell us what to do telling us what they have in mind or what progressions that are under development.
And I’m just going to admit it, I don’t expect a committee including those ministerail persons who already has been announced in the media, evaluating on this whole event late july-august.

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