Sensationalizing the statistics

I sympathize with all those who are suffering and/or who have died from the coronavirus, including grieving family members. I too am in a high-risk category so am taking extra precautions and have concerns for my own health. But why the steady beat of nonstop fearmongering among the media and too many politicians? Headlines and talking points continue to play up the negative, only further exacerbating a sense of panic and in some cases despair among the population.

A clear example is the Daily Herald's own March 27 front-page headline: "Illinois cases up 36%." While that might be technically accurate, I suspect a headline that read "Cases up by 673" or even more specifically, "Increased Cases Represent 0.000052% of Illinois population" just would not get the same attention. Or, how about "0.000002% Total Deaths in Illinois."

Those who want to continue sensationalizing know these numbers are so small that they are statistically meaningless. While again I offer my condolences for the loss of lives, along with the pain and suffering of thousands in Illinois and across the country, I think it's time to begin reporting these statistics in perspective and now.

Mary Doetsch

Wheeling