Jarring numbers for how dangerous coronavirus has been for older Ohioans, and how few younger people have died cleveland.com My letter to Wall Street Journal sports writer Ben Cohen regarding his recent article on basketball’s inherent viral transmission dangers. “Mr. Cohen, A good article with great background on the origins of the game of basketball. However, a scare article like this one ought to demonstrate a little more balance and remind us that the virus known as COVID-19 is eminently survivable for the young heathy athletes playing basketball. Your example of a deadly transmission amongst a Washington choir omitted relevant details like age. “Among the 61 choir members who attended the March 10 practice, the median age was 69 years (range = 31–83 years).” Not surprising, of course. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6919e6.htm There is no doubt that respiratory viruses will be much more readily transmitted in close quarters like a choir practice or a basketball court. But leaving out the age factor was irresponsible or worse. At a time when we need facts to lead us, you omitted the most relevant information that young athletes have a very low mortality rate from this virus. In Ohio, the young adults show the following: Age 20-29 – 2,657 cases, 113 hospitalizations (4.3%), 1 death (0.04%). (https://www.cleveland.com/coronavirus/2020/05/jarring-numbers-for-how-dangerous-coronavirus-has-been-for-older-ohioans-and-how-few-younger-people-have-died.html (That’s a death rate of just 4 per 10,000 cases for people in their twenties and we don’t even know if that person had an issue with obesity or some other co-morbidity.) We need to let the young live their lives without fear while we protect the old from either playing competitive sweaty basketball or singing in church choirs! We now know this is an old person’s disease. Thanks for reading! John Ramsey”