Thank you for your good wishes. I promise not to go on ad infinitum about this, but your response deserves the respect of a reasonable reply.

Flu kills, every year. Thousands. But I never knew anyone who died of the flu. However, I do know people who have died of this disease. And the virus has only been circulating for a couple months (here, in the U.S.).

It's hard for me to imagine that the hospital in Manhattan (New York) where my friend of many years died is in a conspiracy with the hospital in Virginia where my husband's colleague died. It's hard for me to imagine that the hospital in Mineola (New York) from which a friend has just been released, and where his sister died, is in a conspiracy with the Virginia hospital and the Manhattan hospital. And it's very hard to believe that the extremely well-educated physicians in these institutions are not informed about the tests they administer.

These cases are the ones closest to me. There are others. The son of my husband's best friend is recovering. This young man is in his thirties and has access to excellent medical care. A 'confirmed' case, such as his, only exists when a test is positive. Another case, husband of a friend of a friend, father of 3, died a few weeks ago.

In New York, it is very difficult to get tested for this disease, because the tests are scarce. Once diagnosed, a person is often tested again, to confirm a positive reading.

Because of the scarcity of tests and lack of treatment, it is more likely that the number of COVID-related illnesses and deaths are under reported. For example, home deaths in New York City have soared, from an average of 20-25 a day to 200 a day. It's true, someone may be lying about these numbers (they'd have to be in on the conspiracy), to fool us and keep us afraid. But that's really hard to pull off in the U.S., especially in New York. We are skeptical here. We ask questions and challenge authority. It's in our culture. It's certainly in my nature.

By next year, we'll know more about this virus, not only about how it is spread but how to treat it. We'll know more about its origins, and the number of people who made mistakes. We'll know about some of the profiteers and the liars (not all).

You speak from your experience and I speak from mine. These are vastly different, not only in relation to COVID but in relation to so much else in life.

We each speak the truth as we see it. Ah, truth, always a moving target.

Be well and peaceful :)