Update – July 20: After intense scrutiny, Florida officials removed the motorcycle rider from its Covid-19 death count. That said, it makes you wonder how many other deaths from other causes are still being attributed to ‘Covid-19.’
A man who died in a motorcycle accident in Florida was listed as a Covid-19 death, according to a state official, adding to the growing skepticism over Florida’s “record” numbers after hundreds of labs in the state claimed that every person who was tested was ‘positive’ for COVID-19.
The death of the man, who was in his 20s, raised eyebrows with local media who are now questioning how the state is counting Covid-19 cases and deaths.
Fox 35 asked Orange County Health Officer Dr. Raul Pino if the man had any underlying conditions in addition to Covid-19, and was told that he “didn’t have any. He died in a motorcycle accident.”
“We were arguing, discussing, or trying to argue with the state. Not because of the numbers… but the fact that the individual didn’t die from COVID-19… [he] died in the crash,” he said.
Dr. Pino even went further, claiming that, hypothetically, “you could actually argue that it could have been the COVID-19 that caused him to crash,” as if you could even prove that beyond a doubt, especially when it comes to a motorcycle rider.
He didn’t make it clear who was making that argument, but either it was considered by someone with the state or that’s the general attitude of those counting.
Dr. Pino’s honesty is refreshing, and it serves him well during increasing scrutiny over how Florida is counting its “record” case numbers and deaths.
On Saturday, Florida Atlantic University professor Rebel Cole released a list of several labs in the state that reported zero negative results despite over 3,500 COVID tests, which he labeled a “scandal begging for press coverage.”
“333 Florida Covid testing labs reported 100% positive tests today in State Report for 3,528 tests,” Cole wrote on Twitter, noting the number accounted for “34% of today’s 10,360 new cases.”
“Without these,” Cole added, “today’s ‘percent positive’ would fall from 12.6% to 8.7%.”
There’s also similar scrutiny in Texas after it was revealed the state started counting hypothetical “probable cases” in addition to confirmed cases back in mid-May, leading to business lockdowns and face mask requirements due to this ‘second wave’ of Covid-19.
“First, the very nature of the ‘probable’ case definition has the potential to cause a spike in the number of cases, many of which will likely be false positives,” Collin Co. Judge Chris Hill warned. “As businesses, families, and institutions work diligently towards reopening, the artificial increase in COVID-19 cases will undoubtedly increase the anxiety level for many in our community, while leading others to distrust the reports provided by the state health department.”
It’s worth pointing out that Florida is hosting the Republican National Convention.
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