Not ‘harmless’

President Donald Trump claims “99 percent” of COVID-19 cases “are totally harmless.” This is false. In fact, even asymptomatic cases are not “harmless.”

All COVID-19 cases are contagious. A person with an asymptomatic case will spend about two weeks spreading the disease unknowingly to potentially everyone they interact with. Those they give it to will pass it to others, who pass it to others, who pass it to others. One case becomes 10, becomes 100, becomes 1,000.

Some will die, more will survive painful hospitalizations, even more will recover slowly at home, and many more will be asymptomatic and continue to spread the disease. That’s how it wins.

Out of one “harmless” case will have come much heartache and despair. It’s not so harmless after all.