Are Coronavirus Patients Being Murdered in New York City?

Point number one:

I don't know who this lady is in the video. I wish I did, but I have no idea.

She sounds entirely credible. What I mean is, she's either an incredibly good actor and able to memorize medical jargon and spew it double-time in a totally natural fashion, or, more likely, she really is what she says she is.

Point number two:

The lady in this video is NOT "Karlee Sunshine."

It's an important point to make. You see, "Karlee Sunshine" is a flat-earther with about 3,300 followers on YouTube. And if you don't know, I'm not exactly a fan of the "flat earth theory." I've written about it elsewhere on the blog, if you're curious. 

Point number 3:

I don't want to get too carried away on the fact that the woman who posted the video is a "flat-earther."

I know some of my readers lean that way and I don't want them to miss the fact that on the topic in this post, we're probably much on the same page, whether planted on pillars or floating on a ball in space.

Anyway.... As I often say, even a broken clock is right twice a day. And just because I think the person who posted this video is waaaaay off on the configuration of the earth, it doesn't mean I can dismiss what this other lady says about Covid-19.

And I have no reason to expect that the lady in the video is a flat-earther. But it's irrelevant to the point. So please set that aside, no matter your beliefs on Karlee Sunshine, ok?

But is it fair to call this "murder?" Is it even fair to call it "negligent homicide?"

Well, let's explore that a bit, shall we?

Because the problem is that even though the numbers seem to be coming out in some places indicating that the original models about the mortality and hospitalization rates on this thing were likely highly flawed, it's still NEW GROUND.

This is, after all, called a "novel virus" for a very good reason.

There is a very thoughtful post on "MedScape" about this whole issue and how doctors are discovering that the treatment protocol for Covid-19 is turning out to be a much different animal than they thought at first.

You can click on this screenshot below to watch the video and read the transcript.

So what is the takeaway from this?

I guess the first thing I would say is that it is often said in military circles, “No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy.”

Listen to this video collective and analysis from the New York Times. Very informative about what is going on in treatment and the concerns from all sides of the "medical fences."

So, when all is said and done, is it fair to label this as "murder?" Or even "negligent homicide?"

Well, as far as the murder accusation goes, let's just say, "no."

It's an unfortunate thing she said that. You see, the biggest problem is that 

murder implies intent. And that is a pretty heavy accusation, now, isn't it?

So, what about negligent homicide?

Well, maybe. But who are you gonna charge?

Who is in charge? How much pressure are they under? If you were fearful for your own life in a situation with a pandemic like this, do you think you would always get everything right? Woud you never get scared? Would YOU never make a bad decision while running on a chronic lack of sleep and constant adrenaline and caffiene for weeks on end?

This is a war. And every battle plan works like magic until the first shot is fired.

It's maybe not a cops and robbers movie. The action isn't always split-second like in a good made-for-Netflix drama series.

But the medical professionals are overworked and under-slept. They have to answer for every intubation and every death. And often, the people on the floor maybe DON'T care.

Maybe some of the medical professionals are not really all that professional.

I don't know. I have to say what this lady says in this video is plausible; I have to allow for a reality that says some of them don't care.

But, as is usually the case, those front-line workers are not the ones who make the executive decisions. Often, they're following orders. Sometimes, there aren't enough of the right people around to make the decisions.

And sometimes, decisions are driven by fear, by ego and by protocols that don't fit a novel virus.

And sometimes, years of neglect in a system set it up for a fall.

Maybe the Bronx situation with Covid-19 is a result of poverty and neglect.

There is an article at ABC News entitled, "Poverty, pollution and neglect: How the Bronx became a coronavirus 'formula for disaster.'"

The Bronx has the highest fatality rate per capita in New York City. It's just a fact. And the Bronx is very poor. (And it's highly populated by minorities. So there are going to be some people who go there, too, which is too bad. Because this isn't about race. But it is about poverty and years of bad management, maybe?)

From the article....

The first thing Dr. Ernest Patti noticed when he stepped into the emergency department at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx for his weekend shift was the sound. An unusually loud cacophony of beepers, alarms and the mechanical gasps of ventilators filled the air.

The morning before one shift, he recorded a video on his phone where he appears shaken and can be heard saying, "We're gonna have to decide who gets one and who doesn't." The hospital managed to make it through the weekend with enough ventilators and has since been sent more, Patti said. But the ordeal left an indelible mark on him.

That's some pretty heavy stuff. There ARE some places where they are overwhelmed and under-equipped.

More from the article.

"Are we shocked that the rates are higher in the African American [and] Latino community? We know that there's inequality in the health care system. We know that the poorer communities often pay the highest price for these types of emergency situations because they're really just bringing to light that systemic racism and discrimination in the system."

So, let me give you the "Cogny Mann" take on the "murder" charge.

This isn't a time to get angry at anyone. It's time to get angry with the situation, and to be as supportive as we can.

You might be a little "uncaring" or neglectful, too, if you were in their shoes.

Be thankful for good healthcare if you have it. Learn to be less judgemental about those who might not always get it right.

What this lady is talking about in this video seems to be real problem. But God help us all if we don't see a time when we need to BE THE CHURCH.

If you read my blog, you'll know that I always want to make room for God to show Himself strong. I'm a firm believer that prayer changes things.

No. It's NOT murder. But it IS killing people. 

But this isn't a time to judge. You don't stand in their shoes. But you can get on YOUR knees. And pray.