It’s comically disappointing, the frequency of people immediately explaining away potential good news about COVID-19. And often, it’s manifested as making excuses for why bad news is preferable. There is no critique or consideration. Just the go-to assumption any chance to help people feel safe is less important than keeping people feeling scared.

My fave this week is being told Facbook factcheckers have a “huge backlog” which is why for three days exciting news that the CDC revised COVID-19 deaths downward wasn’t contested. FB factcheckers were too busy to factcheck the most exciting revelation about inflated COVID-19 deaths to date, subsequently producing millions of posts on the platform? Nonsense. Facebook factcheckers have time to investigate published blatant hyperbole as false information. I’m certain millions of posts about COVID-19 and the CDC gets pushed to the front of the line, like walking into the ER because a rattlesnake bit you in the eyeball.

So the “6%-9200” news is being chalked up to misinterpretation of newly released CDC data, but can it be blamed? The ICD-10 code used to record COVID-19 deaths already includes faulty reporting. U07.1 allows for “probable” or “presumed” COVID-19 deaths “with or without laboratory confirmation.” Of course there is excitement that the CDC might just have revised and corrected the COVID-19 diagnostic criteria.

My question is, why are people so excited to explain away immediately any good news about COVID-19 not being as scary as we’re led to believe? Those rapidly-expanding explosive infections on your face that aren’t responding to high dosages of antibiotics? Good news. It’s just acne and we revised our diagnosis. There’s no need to amputate your head after all. Good news!

This doesn’t make any sense, shunning a reeximination of COVID-19 diagnostic validity. Any chance to move past this restrictive COVID-19 culture is cause for celebration, not a justification for further condemnation.

What do people have against others seeking out a reason to have hope? It’s senseless. Just senseless.