Some things to think about

All I am saying is that the number of known deaths is 5% of the number of KNOWN cases.

Of course that is 5%.  Just don't use that then to extrapolate out in future arguments.  To even think Covid kills 1 of 20 people that get it is ludicrous and you know that.  You are too smart to think otherwise.  That is fear mongering stuff. 

The numbers come from John Hopkins. The death rate currently stands at just over 5% of positive cases in the US.  Sure, not everybody has been tested, but fatalities from COVID-19 are being intentionally underreported in many states.  They are doing this because they don't want to follow their own guidelines on phased reopenings. Those are the numbers like them or not. It sure is better than just making something up.

You also have to have to look at the number of people that are hospitalized for weeks and weeks some of which are reporting hospital bills over a million dollars. When you add in those left with vascular and organ damage, you are really rolling the dice. I am not sure dying isn't the better outcome vs a lifetime of suffering from vascular disease and organ damage. 

The real shame is going to be when conservative austerity fetishists come back out of the closet after Biden wins. They are going to howl and complain that we can't afford to pay the future healthcare costs and income replacement of all these people that served as sacrificial lambs and ended up with lifelong disabilities.  All so conservatives could get a haircut and not have to wear masks in public. If you are going to open everything up at least mandate you have to wear masks when people go out in public. 

I don't need or want to "fear-monger." The truth is scary enough as it stands. One in twenty have died. That might be a greater or lesser number in the future. You don't know, and neither do I, whether the death rate will increase, decrease, or stay the same. So if I'm extrapolating, as you put it, using the current figure is as good as any.

I am assuming that the Trump hate rally, being almost a perfect storm of the absolute worst conditions you could have for a super-spreader event, will result in the same casualty rates as other recent mass gatherings--and some of those were outdoors and people were moving around. So the infection rate might be even higher than 50%--and there's no reason to think that the death rate would then be lower. I mean, look at the folks who attend Trump's rallies. They're not exactly the picture of physical fitness or in the prime of life.

   "after Biden wins."     -----    This comment gets today's award as the dumbest post of the day.

  What a novel idea!

That does take the day award David.

Mark, if you really think it is 1-20  I can't argue w you because you have your head buried up your caboose.  Pretty much like most liberals do.  Could you get all the way through the article I pasted about how many people have this and never knew it?  That adds to the denominator genius. A LOT!  Again, I work w 65 very liberal Drs and they would all laugh at your 5% number.  Those are KNOWN cases in the $2M figure like Kevin pointed out.  Are you reading any other posts?  Expand your thought process to what the real positives could be.  It will come out in studies later in the year.  

Corona death rates are .05% - 1%. 

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/05/28/863944333/antibody-tests-point-to-lower-death-rate-for-the-coronavirus-than-first-thought

Thank you Boilerman!   Some sanity here.

Jerry, you've learned to imitate our other Trumper posters in saying that those who disagree with them are insane and in lavishing fawning praise on those who say things they want to hear.

Your point of view is anything but superior to that of others. It's charitable to call it equal.

Besides...who cares what the exact number is? It's a contagious, deadly disease that has killed over a million people. Does it matter that much if it's 1,030,517 or 1,288,032?