CLEVELAND AND RUTHERFORD COUNTY HEALTH CARE IS THE MOST DEADLY IN NORTH CAROLINA IN THIS COVID PANDEMIC!!! OFTEN BY WIDE MARGINS!!!!
NCDHHS Records
County #Cases Deaths Notes
Cleveland 8,706 174 Baseline Data
Lincoln 7,172 43 Almost as many cases/way less deaths
Rutherford 5,802 155 About the same death per cases
Catawba 14,281 207 Almost twice the cases/less death ratio
Burke 7,728 90 Almost the dame cases/about half the deaths
Gaston 19,855 289 Twice the cases/much less death ration
Cabarrus 14,625 175 Almost twice the cases/almost same deaths
Alamance 12,892 169 Half again number of cases/same deaths
Caldwell 7,352 31 Almost same cases/WAY less deaths
Cumberland 17,960 158 Twice the cases/about same deaths
Durham 17,980 158 Twice the cases/about same deaths
Forsyth 25,473 255 Three times the cases/much less death ratio
Guilford 31,738 360 Almost 4 times the cases/twice the deaths
Iredell 12,549 133 half again the cases/less deaths
Johnston 14,363 130 Almost twice the cases/less deaths
Mecklenburg 78,778 690 Almost 9 times the cases/only 4 times the deaths
Wake 58,308 398 Over six times the cases/just over twice the deaths
Union 16,646 130 Almost twice the cases/way less deaths
But, me being me, I decided to look even further into the records. Just how much more deadly is COVID relative to other causes of death in Cleveland County? What else might I stumble across? I started by looking into mortality rates for Cleveland County in 2019. The last full year without COVID. I was shocked AGAIN by what I found.
And, there it was. the 2019 Cleveland County Community Health Assessment. Right below the COVID-19 Information on the Cleveland County Public Health Center Website Home Page. Click on the link and you pull up a 95-page document with all kinds of information amidst a large dose of political correctness and cover-up.
The “telling part” of chaos and turmoil within the Health Department right before COVID hit and during the shut-down of Cleveland County Schools began right there in the first paragraph of the Executive Summary. But you have to have some broad experience, as I have, with observing how the various Cleveland County governmental agencies operate, with a large dose of corruption and cover-up, to figure it out.
That first paragraph of the Executive Survey describes(covers-up) how the 2019 Assessment was delayed because of the “Retirement” of Health Department Director Dorothea Wyant, which caused the Health Department staff and leadership to concentrate on finding a replacement Director. The fact is a Federal Lawsuit for sexual harassment caused the firing (also officially called a retirement) of one high level Health Department employee with close relations with certain County Commissioners, and a forced early retirement for Wyant. The Federal Lawsuit named as defendants: All the County Commissioners, County Manager Brian Epley, Health Department Director Dorothea Wyant and Sam Lockridge. It is certain that all Health Department employees came under scrutiny, with expectations of being fired from their job, if they told what they knew about the situation. Especially if they secretly told me about the situation and were found out. But I protect my sources by every means possible.
Another “telling part” of that First Paragraph was the watered-down description of how the Health Department was also limited by the shutdowns caused by the COVID pandemic. Not mentioning the dirty politics at the State and National level to close schools in order to destroy the ability of the US workforce to go to work-which destroyed President Trump’s record good economy and unemployment. All the way up to the November elections. Remember, Cleveland County Schools were shut down when COVID cases were ZERO and no data was purposely and selectively NOT collected for the purpose of restarting schools. Which is the situation we find ourselves in at this very moment. Poor, misleading and conflicting data.
Further reading into this 95-page 2019 assessment document did include lots of information about mortality (deaths) before COVID. Heart diseases and heart attacks, cancers of all kinds, respiratory disease, the flu and pneumonia. hypertension, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, unintentional injuries, etc. According to the Assessment, page 26, Cleveland County experienced a total of 5,969 deaths from 2013 to 2017 with a death rate calculated to be 1230.2 per 100,000 residents. And a State Rate of deaths per 100,000 was calculated to be 878.2. Significantly lower death rates than Cleveland County. Which supports previously noted COVID data for the Counties showing Cleveland County to be No 1 in deaths or thereabouts.
Since Cleveland County has slightly less that 100,000 residents, the Death Rate per year (without COVID) would be 1,230 deaths per year. 172 COVID deaths would be an increase of about 14% total deaths in Cleveland County. Much less if you consider flu cases (and deaths) have dropped significantly
Now, since COVID deaths in children has been shown to be close to ZERO, wouldn’t data regarding COVID deaths in children in Cleveland County be very important in determining whether or not to restart schools. Wouldn’t COVID deaths among teachers be very important in restarting Cleveland County Schools. Yet, this very important information is missing from the “Metrics” in restarting school.
Also, throw in the 2019 assessment that reading proficiency of third graders in Cleveland County is only 56.8 percent and the goal is to raise that to 80% by 2030. Knowing that the third-grade reading proficiency can only go down due to the COVID school shutdown, and 56.8% proficient is pathetically low to begin with, it is obvious that Cleveland County School student education is likely “stunted” even more for this generation of children. And, we are getting further behind every day of this school shutdown.
So, what’s to do?
The best option is to restart all schools through all grades this coming Monday Morning. Run schools through the summer and next summer too. But CCS School Board Chairman Robert Queen says Tim Moore says that it would take until December (almost a year) to get legislation passed to change the School calendar.
Again, So, what to do? It is time to think outside the box!!
