Experts agree: More research needed on certain column topics | Sam Venable

Medical researchers are starting to remind me of sports analysts.

Both feed tons of statistical data into a computer, push the “on” button, go to lunch, come back half an hour later, push the “off” button, retrieve all that cogitated information, and then draw a slew of conclusions, correlations, connections and conjectures.

I’m kidding, of course.

There’s no way that much number-crunching can occur over the course of a simple lunch. At minimum, 90 minutes of cocktails and a five-course banquet are required. But you catch my drift.

In sports, this results in stunning revelations like “most touchdowns ever scored by a right-handed rookie quarterback throwing passes of 25 yards or longer to a left-handed veteran wide receiver who breaks four or more arm tackles enroute to the endzone.”

Medical findings are more rational, yet equally insightful. COVID-19 deaths among members of the two major U.S. political parties, for instance.

In two studies released last year, both the medical journal Health Affairs and the National Bureau of Economic Research reported that Republicans succumbed to COVID at a much higher rate than Democrats. In one case, 153% higher.

No, this doesn’t mean COVID cooties intentionally target reds over blues. It does indicate, however, that more Dems availed themselves of vaccines, and practiced masking and social distancing, at a higher rate than Repubs. Makes perfect sense, given how partisan this issue has become.

On the other hand, I’ve scratched a groove in my head trying to understand a COVID study between vaccine-takers and car accidents. And I promise I’m not making this up. The results were announced last month in the American Journal of Medicine.

Seems that unvaccinated drivers were 72% more likely to be involved in a severe crash (at least one person taken to the hospital) than those who’ve been jabbed. Possible reasons included misconceptions of daily risks, vaccine misinformation, faith in natural protection, distrust of the government, poverty and personal beliefs.

I bring all this up because yet another subvariant of the Omicron variant has been identified by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

You are free to sigh or scream. Or both.

Again, I’m not making this up. It was announced the first week of January. This new one is called “XBB.1.5.”

Maybe by this time next year, medical researchers and sports analysts will have pooled their research resources and can quantify the impact “XBB.1.5” had on the point spread, popcorn sales, halftime band performances, and price of souvenirs at all bowl games in the College Football Playoff.

Sam Venable’s column appears every Sunday. Contact him at sam.venable@outlook.com.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Sam Venable: Experts agree: More research needed on certain topics