In the beginning of pandemic we were told that the flu kills more than COVID-19 when in fact the coronavirus has killed four times as many as the flu and pneumonia combined.

According to WOOD, so far the deaths in Michigan from COVID-19 through October are at 5,872 with the flu and pneumonia causing 1,529 deaths.

When the pandemic first started it was winter in the Western Hemisphere and places like Australia saw a huge reduction in flu deaths because people were trying not to catch COVID-19 and wearing masks, social distancing and washing hands frequently, that brought the flu number of deaths way down. Hopefully that will be the same scenario here in America.

Unfortunately here in Michigan the flu death numbers so far for 2020 have on pace with the previous years and that is not good. Hospitals are already in West Michigan getting close to capacity and we still have December, January, February & March to deal with for flu season.

So far the leading causes of death for Michiganders for 2020 so far are heart disease at 20,678 deaths, cancer at 7,477 deaths, COVID-19 at 5,872 deaths, COPD at 4,556 deaths and stroke at 4,500 deaths.

Experts at the University of Michigan are predicting that COVID-19 will surpass cancer deaths for the year in 2020.

There have been very clear guidelines put in place ever since the pandemic started with wearing a mask, social distancing and keeping your hands washed frequently. These are all simple tasks yet so many people are not doing this which means the virus will continue to spread.

Rather than wait for an alleged vaccine, people should adhere to the health guidelines. Following those guidelines during the winter months and flu season could be huge in saving lives here in Michigan.

People need to quit listening to politicians who are not concerned about your health but their power, and people need to listen to medical experts and epidemiologists who specialize in these types of health issues. You don't have a gardener fix your car, why would you take medical advise from anyone who doesn't specialize in the health departments.

Here are some tips for self-care during the pandemic:

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