They're pretty sure that the death rate figures are artificially depressed in the US as well--the article I saw yesterday said that the actual infection rate is probably between six and twenty-four times what's been reported, depending on which state you're in. (Our data are collected state-by-state, and the testing rate varies widely within the US.)
I also saw something yesterday (pre-print, standard disclaimer) an ecological study that had started with "are fermented foods protective?" and included yogurt as well as kimchi and sauerkraut. And found that places where people eat more head cabbage [sic] and cucumber, fermented or not, seem to have lower death rates; on the same ecological/correlation level, eating lots of broccoli and lettuce may be connected to a higher death rate; and yogurt isn't mentioned again in what's visible outside the paywall, which surprised me a little.
I think at least some of it is culture. As the posters on the local buses now say, "Public health is a public responsibility." That should be an uncontroversial reminder, along with "you need to wash your hands for 20 seconds to get them properly clean" or that getting enough sleep is good for health. But Americans and maybe Britons seem to be allergic to the idea of public responsibility. [I blame the right wing, Reagan and Thatcher and all their ilk.]
no subject
I also saw something yesterday (pre-print, standard disclaimer) an ecological study that had started with "are fermented foods protective?" and included yogurt as well as kimchi and sauerkraut. And found that places where people eat more head cabbage [sic] and cucumber, fermented or not, seem to have lower death rates; on the same ecological/correlation level, eating lots of broccoli and lettuce may be connected to a higher death rate; and yogurt isn't mentioned again in what's visible outside the paywall, which surprised me a little.
I think at least some of it is culture. As the posters on the local buses now say, "Public health is a public responsibility." That should be an uncontroversial reminder, along with "you need to wash your hands for 20 seconds to get them properly clean" or that getting enough sleep is good for health. But Americans and maybe Britons seem to be allergic to the idea of public responsibility. [I blame the right wing, Reagan and Thatcher and all their ilk.]