My friend Andrew Parker is an attorney and proprietor of the weekly Victory Hour show on AM 1280 in the Twin Cities. Andy had me on this spring to talk about the epidemic in Minnesota. This past Sunday Andy devoted the show to the subject with Minnesota Senator (Dr.) Scott Jensen, who has distinguished himself as a voice of reason on the subject. I wrote about Dr. Jensen earlier this month here (July 6) and here (July 7).
Dr. Jensen is not standing for reelection to the Minnesota Senate, where he forms part of the narrow Republican majority that has saved us from complete domination by Governor Walz and his compatriots on the lunatic left. Dr. Jensen appears at about 11:00 of this week’s show, which I have embedded immediately below (h/t Clark Griffith).
Speaking from the twin perspectives of a physician and officeholder, Dr. Jensen addresses the complaint filed against him with the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice at about 45:00, the question of masks at about 53:00, and the issue of school reopening at about 57:00. The common theme is the panic fomented by the authorities. The discussion throughout is illuminating.
Yesterday the authorities attributed the first death in Minnesota to anyone under the age of 20. The case involved a 9-month old infant who died at home and tested positive for COVID-19. The news accompanied a report of 922 new cases. Cue the hysteria.
The median age of new cases, however, continues to decline. It is now down to 37.0. Because the disease is less of a health risk to those in younger demographic groups, I think this is a good thing. All those who remain at serious risk as a result of significant underlying medical conditions should be warned so that they can look out for themselves.
Since I last reported on Saturday, the authorities have attributed five (7/18), three (7/19), and four (7/20) new deaths to the epidemic. Of 1,545 total deaths attributed to COVID-19 in Minnesota, 1,187 have occurred among residents of long-term care facilities. That is a hair short of 77 percent of the total. At this point hospitalizations continue at a level that would be more or less indetectable under other circumstances.
I have embedded yesterday’s press briefing conducted by the Minnesota Department of Health below. Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm and Infectious Disease Division Director Kris Ehresmann discuss the number of new cases beginning at about 8:00. Questions are driven by the infant death that led the local news yesterday. At about 30:00 a reporter asks whether the infant died “from” COVID-19 or “with” COVID-19. I am not sure I understood the answer. Suffice it to say that the discussion in the briefing is not quite as illuminating as the Parker/Jensen interview.
