Straight Talk | Hear about Johns Hopkins COVID study?

ROGER MONROE

It was shocking to learn the country’s major news networks and newspapers failed to report results of the Johns Hopkins University meta-analysis coronavirus study regarding the effects of the ordered lockdowns. Of course, if the national media doesn’t cover the story, neither will local TV outlets like Channel 25, 19 and 31. Chances are some readers of this column may have missed it, too.

First, let me explain a meta-analysis. That’s when a group of specialists review and analyze a series of studies to reach a consensus based on the statistics and conclusions reached by researchers. Analysts at Johns Hopkins reviewed 26 studies concerning the use and results of governmental strategies in the war against the virus. The Hopkins meta-analysis came to the conclusion that government lockdowns only reduced mortality by 0.2% in the U.S. and Europe. Those lockdowns included school shut-downs, business closures, and even mask mandates. In other words, people like Dr. Anthony Fauci and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo along with others pronounced they had saved millions of lives with their mandates. Producers of the meta-analysis wrote, “We find little evidence that mandated lockdowns had a noticeable effect on COVID-19 mortality rates.” Even more shocking are results of studies that looked at lockdowns combined with shelter-in-place mandates that caused an increase in virus deaths by 2.8%. The Johns Hopkins officials said further, limited gatherings, permitted by mandates, may also have led to increased mortality.

Here’s more bad news, some of which have been reported by the media. Researchers concluded lockdowns reduced schooling and were associated with an increase in crime, suicide, and drug overdoses. From May, 2020, to April, 2021, there were 100,306 drug overdoses, a 28.5% increase over the 78,056 the previous year. Ninety-seven percent of teachers surveyed said their students have experienced learning loss during the pandemic.

“Those costs to society must be compared to the benefits of lockdowns, which our meta-analysis has shown are marginal at best,” the report stated. “Such a standard benefit-cost calculation leads to a strong conclusion: lockdowns should be rejected out of hand as a pandemic policy instrument.”

Yet, as this newspaper goes to press, multiple states are still in a lockdown mentality “despite the science” offered by the report. By the way, there are reports some at Johns Hopkins attempted to keep the report secret. They did not want it published. Why?

Praise for Peoria Police and its Chief

I’ve been around Peoria for more than 65 years, born, raised and educated here, save for two years in the U.S. Army and a short time helping to put a new radio station on the air in Jacksonville, Ill. I’ve never seen a new police chief in the city make such a quick and meaningful impact on the community as Eric Echevarria.

Hired in June of last year from the police department in Elgin, Echevarria soon put together a team of law enforcement professionals to reduce crime in Peoria. In a continuing sweep of virtually all parts of the community, this team has made multiple arrests, confiscated many guns, drugs and paraphernalia, and stolen vehicles, while making life difficult for the bad guys. And they’re not done. Far from it.

The sweeps are ongoing. Bad guys riding in cars with loaded guns will become a thing of the past because they never know when officers will stop them for a minor traffic violation or because they recognize a wanted criminal in the vehicle.

We salute all those involved in this cooperative series of actions to make Peoria a better place to live, work and raise a family.

A Note of Remembrance

Feb. 9 was Alicia Butler’s birthday. Regular readers of this column plus thousands of others knew Alicia. She attended Bradley University, was active in her sorority, loved the school and its athletic teams, was active in many organizations and causes, and was a happy person to be around, except when her beloved high school, Central, lost a game, especially if the officiating was controversial. Alicia served as a member of the Peoria School Board for one term. I was thrilled, as were others on the morning radio show, to have her as a regular member of our broadcast team.

Alicia was extremely intelligent, witty, quick to smile and laugh, and could give and take. She loved and took great care of her mother until her own untimely death. Few, if any, knew of the medical issues she was battling. Only after her death did we learn of her quiet battle.

Michael Jackson sang a true, but sad song, “Gone Too Soon.” It could’ve been written about Alicia.

Final Note

Peoria at one time had two great newspapers for which I was a carrier at the same time. I delivered the morning Peoria Star and in the afternoons the Peoria Journal Transcript. In recent years it has deteriorated in quality and quantity. Today, only a morning paper exists, and it barely resembles a daily newspaper. Now we learn it will no longer publish a Saturday paper after March 16. That’s sad news.