Death in God's Country - part the first

It's clear from The Orange Shitgibbon's behavior that he's still doing the Rural Red State boogie. And they're doing the Trump Tango. And it's also clear that those Empty States are rattling their sabres to end these inconvenient mitigation efforts. So, let's go see what happened with the last major novel virus: 1918 flu.

Here's a report that you ought to read. Failing that, it's written like a newspaper item, with the lede at the top

In urban communities, less than 1 in 100 inhabitants died from Spanish flu in 1918, but in isolated communities up to 9 out of 10 died.

Of course, 1918 USofA is somewhat different from today, but mostly by quantity rather than quality. The dearth of rural healthcare is well documented. There is an increase in reporting of deaths in 'congregant facilities', which was fully predictable, and continues to be reported that the Damn Gummint isn't including these deaths in the published counts.

Even now, some people who die at home or in overburdened nursing homes are not being tested, according to funeral directors, medical examiners and nursing home representatives.
...
But in Wyoming — the only state that had not reported a covid-19 death as of Saturday — Laramie County Coroner Rebecca Reid said she is ready to test anyone with symptoms who dies at home.

"We need an accurate cause of death to give the family some closure and make sure they have been safe," she said. "It's also very important that the public knows the truth."

She has supplies to test five people, she said.

Not to mention what's going on in prisons. Read the real news.