COVID-19 News

[EmDeemo]

"Dicey R Us"
I made sure I had a solid grip on my cane as I spoke (and I had a bunch of citizens to back me up).

EDIT: Well, someones had a word and got thru to him at last...

Trump cancels Republican convention in Florida as virus soars

Trump scraps Republican convention in virus 'flare-up'

The president says he told his team "it's not the right time" for a "big, crowded convention".

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Tranquility]

The new boss is like the old boss, even when the old boss is still the same boss.

It doesn’t take a genius to set up a nationwide network of testing sites, commence a small number of moderately sized treatment efficacy tests on a population desperate to participate in them, import any and all interesting drugs (now numbering approximately 110) from around the world for inclusion in these tests at these sites, and swiftly get into circulation anything that remotely passes muster. Yet, after three years, you have established only a system of waste, chaos, and uselessness.
--An Open Letter to Dr. Anthony Fauci


For masks, if you're looking to try and protect yourself and not just others:
COVID-19 and use of non-traditional masks: how do various materials compare in reducing the risk of infection for mask wearers?

If you don't want to read the article, here's a picture:

 

[florduh]

The new boss is like the old boss, even when the old boss is still the same boss.

It doesn’t take a genius to set up a nationwide network of testing sites, commence a small number of moderately sized treatment efficacy tests on a population desperate to participate in them, import any and all interesting drugs (now numbering approximately 110) from around the world for inclusion in these tests at these sites, and swiftly get into circulation anything that remotely passes muster. Yet, after three years, you have established only a system of waste, chaos, and uselessness.
--An Open Letter to Dr. Anthony Fauci

Yep, history tends to rhyme. Saint Reagan, our last Celebrity President, oversaw 89,000 deaths during the AIDS epidemic. Our current Celebrity President has overseen 146,000 deaths (and counting) during the COVID epidemic. Both Celebrity Administrations thought their respective plagues were laughing matters too.

 

[EmDeemo]

Yep, history tends to rhyme. Saint Reagan, our last Celebrity President, oversaw 89,000 deaths during the AIDS epidemic. Our current Celebrity President has overseen 146,000 deaths (and counting) during the COVID epidemic. Both Celebrity Administrations thought their respective plagues were laughing matters too.

At this point, I think even Kanye would be a better bet than El Trumpo. He's certainly better at business, and has shown a modicum of compassion.

Plus, addressing the nation would finally have some sick beats behind it

 

[florduh]

At this point, I think even Kanye would be a better bet than El Trumpo. He's certainly better at business, and has shown a modicum of compassion.

Plus, addressing the nation would finally have some sick beats behind it

Kanye West is a very talented insane person. But he is an actual self made billionaire, so that would be new.

 

[Tranquility]

Yep, history tends to rhyme. Saint Reagan, our last Celebrity President, oversaw 89,000 deaths during the AIDS epidemic. Our current Celebrity President has overseen 146,000 deaths (and counting) during the COVID epidemic. Both Celebrity Administrations thought their respective plagues were laughing matters too.

Call Trump up, he might hire you as identifying him with Reagan goes right in the ad. But, note Faucci was the guy in charge then as now on the real actions government took. Do you have a cite for this administration making light of Covid? It seems like it's been in the lead for most every action thought good. Just because he's not doing your plan does not mean he thinks it a laughing matter.

As to Faucci, remember during the Obama Administration when a executive order was passed in regards to a series of errors by U.S. biolabs? Working on scary things like bat flu was not allowed here. (Kinda At least their funding was removed.) Faucci had this awesome Coronavirus he wanted to continue work on so, in either a prescient good move or a pandemic-creating bad one (Maybe, we still don't know where it's from.) he took the work to China. Wuhan labs. Black gold, Texas tea.
Why US outsourced bat virus research to Wuhan

Some explanation of the specifics. But, regard the warning and note there is no link to OUR Coronavirus. It just is here to show why Faucci was so interested. It took his work on AIDS and combined it with Corona to create a chimeric virus. The warning before the article:
Editors’ note, March 2020: We are aware that this story is being used as the basis for unverified theories that the novel coronavirus causing COVID-19 was engineered. There is no evidence that this is true; scientists believe that an animal is the most likely source of the coronavirus.
Engineered bat virus stirs debate over risky research
--------------------
Here you go @florduh you'll like most of these.
26 Florida COVID Memes You (dont) Want to Share With a Friend

 

[florduh]

Do you have a cite for this administration making light of Covid? It seems like it's been in the lead for most every action thought good. Just because he's not doing your plan does not mean he thinks it a laughing matter.

President Trump calls coronavirus 'kung flu'

Trump says he 'jokingly' said less testing would mean less coronavirus cases

As to Faucci,

Sorry, I'm really not interested in TrumpWorld's bizarre obsession with discrediting Fauci. Nor do I know what the purpose is exactly. It sure doesn't make the Administration look any better, given that Fauci is their NIH Director and on the WH taskforce.

Also it wasn't very honest to post ACT-UP's open letter to Fauci in regards to the AIDS epidemic response without including the end of the story. Here's what ACT-UP says about Fauci today:

“Ever since the 1990 demonstration, we’ve been partners in fighting illnesses and diseases, and our enemies now are hesitant politicians and anti-science radio hosts,” he said. “We are now Fauci’s great defenders against the anti-science. And the world is better for it.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2020/05/20/fauci-aids-nih-coronavirus/

 

[EmDeemo]

Call Trump up, he might hire you as identifying him with Reagan goes right in the ad. But, note Faucci was the guy in charge then as now on the real actions government took. Do you have a cite for this administration making light of Covid? It seems like it's been in the lead for most every action thought good. Just because he's not doing your plan does not mean he thinks it a laughing matter.

As to Faucci, remember during the Obama Administration when a executive order was passed in regards to a series of errors by U.S. biolabs? Working on scary things like bat flu was not allowed here. (Kinda At least their funding was removed.) Faucci had this awesome Coronavirus he wanted to continue work on so, in either a prescient good move or a pandemic-creating bad one (Maybe, we still don't know where it's from.) he took the work to China. Wuhan labs. Black gold, Texas tea.
Why US outsourced bat virus research to Wuhan

Some explanation of the specifics. But, regard the warning and note there is no link to OUR Coronavirus. It just is here to show why Faucci was so interested. It took his work on AIDS and combined it with Corona to create a chimeric virus. The warning before the article:
Editors’ note, March 2020: We are aware that this story is being used as the basis for unverified theories that the novel coronavirus causing COVID-19 was engineered. There is no evidence that this is true; scientists believe that an animal is the most likely source of the coronavirus.
Engineered bat virus stirs debate over risky research
--------------------
Here you go @florduh you'll like most of these.
26 Florida COVID Memes You (dont) Want to Share With a Friend

All this whiplash much be hurting your neck, surely?

Trump, until just the last few weeks, has been downplaying this disease at every step, until there is a enough noise to show that he cant, then he does something.

And how are you saying Fauci is in charge of operations but a few posts back the idea of any one actually being in charge of this was a nonsense because of the separation of the fed govts branches and the states? Rhetorical. I know the answer. Pivot on a dime.

Disingenuous.

 

[Tranquility]

Here's a fantastic site that has a lot of debunking of Covid conspiracies. It also helps with general fake news AND you can sort by RED feed, BLUE feed and CORONA virus feed.

Coronavirus | Lead Stories

Every coronavirus-related fact check we have done

leadstories.com

My letter on Fauci was just to show that government is government and people bitch about the same things always. ( The new boss is like the old boss, even when the old boss is still the same boss.) There is a lot to learn about how things are done and why we are here when you read about the issues regarding studying coronaviruses in the lab. Here's the one that led me to the above linked site (For those who demand the end of the story up front," Bottom line: the research discussed in the 2015 opinion piece from The Scientist does not relate to this current Wuhan coronavirus outbreak." Fauci, on the other hand:
Fact Check: 2015 Article About Lab-Made Coronavirus Triggers Debate

Edit:

All this whiplash much be hurting your neck, surely?

Trump, until just the last few weeks, has been downplaying this disease at every step, until there is a enough noise to show that he cant, then he does something.

And how are you saying Fauci is in charge of operations but a few posts back the idea of any one actually being in charge of this was a nonsense because of the separation of the fed govts branches and the states? Rhetorical. I know the answer. Pivot on a dime.

Disingenuous.

The logic escapes me. There are many levels of "in charge". There is a federal response. The issue gets to what parts can be enforced by law. I'm not sure why you want to challenge my factual statements on basic constitutional theory.

The Media and the Virus
...
That story is one of compounding failures. During the early stages of the unfolding crisis, the WHO failed to take the coronavirus threat seriously, to question China’s official claims about its outbreak, and to coordinate a global response. In January, February, and early March, while the WHO was still declining to label the coronavirus a pandemic—partly because that label carries, according to Tedros, “significant risk in terms of amplifying unnecessary and unjustified fear and stigma”—the American media were also failing, systemically, to sound the alarm.

As it unfolded in the media, the story of the pandemic was initially that of a nonevent. On January 31, Vox ran a supposedly comprehensive “explainer” about the coronavirus. There was no need for Americans to wear protective face masks, Vox said, and “really no reason to worry.” On Twitter, Vox was still more blunt: “Is this going to be a deadly pandemic? No.” The hectoring tone and sham certitude are Vox specialties. But Vox wasn’t alone in dismissing the virus. USA Today, the Washington Post, Canada’s National Post, and many other outlets treated the Wuhan virus (as it was then known) less as a matter of objective concern than an instance of mass hysteria.
...

But, the probable REAL issue being discussed is politics:
The Coronavirus Is Deadliest Where Democrats Live
...
The devastation, in other words, has been disproportionately felt in blue America, which helps explain why people on opposing sides of a partisan divide that has intensified in the past two decades are thinking about the virus differently. It is not just that Democrats and Republicans disagree on how to reopen businesses, schools and the country as a whole. Beyond perception, beyond ideology, there are starkly different realities for red and blue America right now.

Democrats are far more likely to live in counties where the virus has ravaged the community, while Republicans are more likely to live in counties that have been relatively unscathed by the illness, though they are paying an economic price. Counties won by President Trump in 2016 have reported just 27 percent of the virus infections and 21 percent of the deaths — even though 45 percent of Americans live in these communities, a New York Times analysis has found.

The very real difference in death rates has helped fuel deep disagreement over the dangers of the pandemic and how the country should proceed. Right-wing media, which moved swiftly from downplaying the severity of the crisis to calling it a Democratic plot to bring down the president, has exacerbated the rift. And even as the nation’s top medical experts note the danger of easing restrictions, communities across the country are doing so, creating a patchwork of regulations, often along ideological lines.
...

 

[florduh]

The Coronavirus Is Deadliest Where Democrats Live
...
The devastation, in other words, has been disproportionately felt in blue America,

Correlation vs causation games can be dangerous. For example, I could say "every time America elects a Celebrity President, we experience a pandemic that kills tens of thousands of Americans, therefor Celebrity Presidents are bad". Not sure that would be fair though.

 

[Tranquility]

Correlation vs causation games can be dangerous. For example, I could say "every time America elects a Celebrity President, we experience a pandemic that kills tens of thousands of Americans, therefor Celebrity Presidents are bad". Not sure that would be fair though.

The point of the article in the New York Times was to show there was an actual difference in the cost of Covid infection between different political groups and how that might affect their opinion on matters. It was NOT to show republicans did it better. I'm not sure they did do it better. There's a lot of time, infection and data that need to come in before anyone determines what path was best.

But, those who get punched in the face the hardest usually take the risk more seriously. Maybe that's why there's such a political divide.

 

[Gunky]

-snip-

Trump, until just the last few weeks, has been downplaying this disease at every step, until there is a enough noise to show that he cant, then he does something.

-snip-

And even now, doing something amounts to damn near nothing. He has restarted the briefings, this time starring Donald J. Trump and excluding anyone with medical expertise. Whoop-tee-doo! That'll help.... Not.

 

[florduh]

But, those who get punched in the face the hardest usually take the risk more seriously. Maybe that's why there's such a political divide.

That's likely very true. Though several polls I've posted show a majority of rural residents and Republicans support mask mandates, though at a lower rate than the population as a whole.

 

[Tranquility]

And even now, doing something amounts to damn near nothing. He has restarted the briefings, this time starring Donald J. Trump and excluding anyone with medical expertise. Whoop-tee-doo! That'll help.... Not.

People: "DO SOMETHING!"
Trump: Something.
People: "No, not that."

List: 74 actions taken by Trump to fight virus and bolster economy

That's likely very true. Though several polls I've posted show a majority of rural residents and Republicans support mask mandates, though at a lower rate than the population as a whole.

Read the article. It's not just masks. The graphic won't link but, note the chart on "Average change in weekday travel in counties with suburban density".

 

[florduh]

New Zealand beat Covid-19 by trusting leaders and following advice – study

The secrets to New Zealand’s success at eliminating coronavirus has been revealed by university researchers, who have found compliance with basic hygiene practices and trust in authorities was at nearly 100%.

Researchers at Massey University interviewed more than 1,000 people post-lockdown, to investigate how New Zealanders responded to the pandemic.

“We came together as a country, in part because we believed in our political and health experts to deliver and they did,” said Dr Jagadish Thaker, a senior lecturer at the school of communication, journalism & marketing at Massey University.

“Simple, clear health messages, communicated with kindness and empathy, resonate with people, even when they are demanding tough changes.”

 

[Siebter]

People: "DO SOMETHING!"
Trump: Something.
People: "No, not that."

Timing is crucial here. If you ask me to feed your cat while you're on vacation, it won't make things better to start doing so when the cat is already dead.

 

[Gunky]

The U.S. now has 4 million cases. 15 days ago, it was 3 million. This is so not under control. It happened under Trump's watch. By any measure the federal response has been a freaking dog's breakfast of a disaster. Even yesterday Trump once again said if we test half as much we'll have half the cases. That is quite insane.

The death rate for people in my age group who contract the disease is over 10%. Not happy about this situation.

 

[EmDeemo]

The logic escapes me. There are many levels of "in charge". There is a federal response. The issue gets to what parts can be enforced by law. I'm not sure why you want to challenge my factual statements on basic constitutional theory.

Its quite clear. When I was talking about someone being "in charge" I was wrong because 'basic constitutional theory'. However, when the target suits you, its perfectly acceptable to label someone as in charge.

Timing is crucial here. If you ask me to feed your cat while you're on vacation, it won't make things better to start doing so when the cat is already dead.

Yup, and what that 'something' is.

While the cats alive, there isnt much point trying to feed it hamster food... not unless I have shares in hamster food and you have a lot of cats, anyway!

 

[macbill]

AP-NORC poll: Nearly half say job lost to virus won’t return

Nearly half of Americans whose families experienced a layoff during the coronavirus pandemic now believe those jobs are lost forever, a new poll shows, a sign of increasing pessimism that would translate into roughly 10 million workers needing to find a new employer, if not a new occupation.

 

[Tranquility]

Its quite clear. When I was talking about someone being "in charge" I was wrong because 'basic constitutional theory'. However, when the target suits you, its perfectly acceptable to label someone as in charge.

Yup, and what that 'something' is.

While the cats alive, there isnt much point trying to feed it hamster food... not unless I have shares in hamster food and you have a lot of cats, anyway!

Federal and state have different functions in general. A governor is in charge of his state. If there is something like a pandemic, he is in charge of basic police actions in the state like shutting down businesses. The feds tend to have greater resources to determine best actions/science and advise the states on what it thinks the best action is. They coordinate national resources for the states to use.

The president is "in charge" in the country and the governors are "in charge" in their states. The president is "in charge" of the administration (At least by unitary executive theory.) but Fauci is "in charge" of he National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

It's like, I'm "in charge" in my house. I am the decider for all the important things like if the country goes to war or if we should put a man on mars and my wife is "in charge" for all the little decisions like which car to buy, where we should live and what's for dinner.

New Zealand beat Covid-19 by trusting leaders and following advice – study

The secrets to New Zealand’s success at eliminating coronavirus has been revealed by university researchers, who have found compliance with basic hygiene practices and trust in authorities was at nearly 100%.

Researchers at Massey University interviewed more than 1,000 people post-lockdown, to investigate how New Zealanders responded to the pandemic.

“We came together as a country, in part because we believed in our political and health experts to deliver and they did,” said Dr Jagadish Thaker, a senior lecturer at the school of communication, journalism & marketing at Massey University.

“Simple, clear health messages, communicated with kindness and empathy, resonate with people, even when they are demanding tough changes.”

New Zealand may be the model for how to have handled it well. May be. We'll see. But, I'm not sure a remote island with a fairly homogeneous population with low density living and the highest life expectancy in the world has addressed the same struggles others have in the pandemic.

Timing is crucial here. If you ask me to feed your cat while you're on vacation, it won't make things better to start doing so when the cat is already dead.

Timing is crucial, sure. Sometimes, it's backwards. Sometimes it's just about showing how correct we are even if we don't really believe it.

 

[EmDeemo]

" Coronavirus continues to be highly politicised. Today, US media is reporting that some of the new guidance on reopening schools from public health body the CDC was actually written by White House officials rather than experts "

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-53522389

 

[florduh]

Timing is crucial, sure. Sometimes, it's backwards. Sometimes it's just about showing how correct we are even if we don't really believe it.

Karol's tweet belongs in the Fake News thread. The intellectually dishonest attacks on Fauci continue.

The lady is his wife.


"The other person is a very close friend of mine. John, I think this is sort of mischievous with this thing going around. I had my mask around my chin, I had taken it down. I was totally dehydrated and I was drinking water trying to rehydrate myself. And by the way, I was negative Covid literally the day before.

So I guess if people want to make a thing of that, I wear a mask all the time when I’m outside. To pull it down, to take some sips of water, and put it back up again, I guess if people want to make something about that, they can. But to me, I think that’s just mischievous."

Did Fauci Lower His Mask at a Baseball Game?

The White House Coronavirus Task Force leader has been highly scrutinized throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

www.snopes.com

 

[Tranquility]

I am appalled he has put his own opinion over what to do rather than listen to the words of experts like himself. Just because he claims a reason or excuse does not make the picture or the sentiment fake. (Where do I buy one of the cool water bottles he's drinking from? It looks just like a phone!) For more hilarity like the Doc wearing the mask below his nose, see Dr. Fauci Violated D.C. Mask Mandate During the Nationals Game [UPDATED]

As to other news, modeling was wrong AGAIN.
The Models Were Wildly Wrong about Reopening Too

The May 24 models predicted disaster with reopening. Here are a few of the predictions based on differing levels of opening movement.

Now, look at the little red dot that was the actual count in mid July.

 

[florduh]

I am appalled he has put his own opinion over what to do rather than listen to the words of experts like himself. Just because he claims a reason or excuse does not make the picture or the sentiment fake.

Your comment, Karol's dipshit tweet, and your subsequent comment are all Fake News. Incredibly dishonest Fake News.

From Snopes:


"It should also be noted that a water bottle can be seen directly in front of Fauci, and that the NIAID director and his guests are sitting outside. In many cities where restaurants and other businesses have reopened, people are allowed to remove their masks when they are eating or drinking. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also notes that outdoor activities, such as attending a baseball game in an open-air stadium, is safer than indoor activities.

The above-displayed photograph shows Fauci outdoors with his wife and a close friend while he was presumably drinking a bottle of water. Although wearing a mask at all times is certainly the safest option, it doesn’t appear that Fauci was acting contradictory to the recommendations offered by himself, the NIAID, or the CDC."

He followed his own guidance. Your intellectually dishonest attack is completely without merit.

 

[Gunky]

" Coronavirus continues to be highly politicised. Today, US media is reporting that some of the new guidance on reopening schools from public health body the CDC was actually written by White House officials rather than experts "

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-53522389

The Trump administration has long had Lysenko-ist tendencies,