Testing will drive safety statistics

I try not to react to posts with which I disagree, but when Mary Doetsch of Wheeling claimed statistics are sensationalized to create a panic, her post showed a dangerous conclusion that underplayed the risk. The writer used the complete population of Illinois to create her statistics. However, she used the large segment of untested Illinois citizens to make her point.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, the trend within the tested population is that one out of five people tested test positive for the virus. To entirely test the population, given the current rate of testing, it would take over two years to test everyone.

It can also be said that the bulk of the positive cases are concentrated in five northern counties in the state. However, the smaller positive result locations are in counties of universities and large regional employers, a mobile sub-population within the state.

Testing is the key to getting the jobs back in place. Employers and school administrators should be able to test people before they return to work, where positive resulting people can continue on leave until they approved to return by a physician.

James Dixon

Lake in the Hills