Calgary Herald

Kenney seems to forget that people are not statistics

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Statistics have been used by many to distort the truth and provide misleading informatio­n. Using statistics, when it comes to virus death rates, is a blatant abuse to push the narrative that the situation is under control.

Recently, Premier Jason Kenney said that “the average age of death from COVID in Alberta is 83, and I’ll remind the house that the average life expectancy in the province is 82,” and that the chance of someone under the age of 65 dying from COVID-19 is 0.006%. All valid statistics but a terrible misuse of numbers that provides a false sense of security and a careless attitude.

As I am in a vulnerable demographi­c, if I get the virus, I may die. If I get the virus, I may pass it on to my in-laws, who may die because they are older than 83. If I get the virus, I may pass it on to you and you have a 3 in 50,000 chance of dying. How do you feel about that statistic now?

By using statistics in this way, Kenney and others are saying to me “You are not a person, you are a statistic,” but my obituary will not read, “Here lies a statistic.”

Leon Cygman, Airdrie

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