News Article: Good luck dealing with a pandemic, depending on this administration...

[Bama 8Ball]

The simple fact that it is sporadically popping up with no apparent cause in California should warrant some serious concern.

Yep. Its also promising (right now, at least) that it isn't greatly affecting kids. When/ if kids start getting hit hard... well I just pray it doesn't go there

 

[NationalTitles18]

It does for me. I just returned from a business trip there. I think that @NationalTitles17 lives there

Not in the immediate vicinity of either community acquired case. That's all I can say for now.

 

[TexasBama]

The simple fact that it is sporadically popping up with no apparent cause in California should warrant some serious concern.

Also in Oregon

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/02/28/coronavirus-live-updates/

 

[NationalTitles18]

Also in Oregon

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/02/28/coronavirus-live-updates/

Well, I hope this turns out better than expected. This patient visited an elementary school in the Portland area, whatever "visited" means. Teacher? Parent? What?

 

[B1GTide]

Trump again called this a hoax and blamed it on the democrats.

Idiots

 

[TIDE-HSV]

Trump again called this a hoax and blamed it on the democrats.

Idiots

Yep...

Politico

 

[92tide]

it's almost lik

Trump again called this a hoax and blamed it on the democrats.

Idiots

do you have definitive evidence that it isn't a hoax? otherwise the reality of it is just speculation

 

[NationalTitles18]

Sidelining Scientists Can Only Make COVID-19 Worse

We need to hear about the risks directly from the experts, not through the filter of politicians

blogs.scientificamerican.com

In 1918, World War I was raging, and the Spanish flu arrived on American shores. But the Sedition Act banned communications that might undermine the war effort, including information that might slow down the movement of people or goods.

In that political climate, “public health officials, determined to keep morale up, began to lie,” wrote John Barry in Smithsonian magazine. “Each day the disease accelerated. Each day newspapers assured readers that influenza posed no danger.” Congress repealed the Sedition Act in 1920, but the damage was done. Hundreds of thousands of people in the United States would eventually die from the disease.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are now well practiced at risk communication. A 65-page manual details how the agency should communicate during a health crisis like the one we currently face. That’s why it’s so troubling that the White House has taken over communication around the coronavirus COVID-19.

While this move would be worrisome under any president, this administration creates unique challenges. Under this president, global disease surveillance systems were weakened, research programs were abandoned, and senior global health experts left the government. The president’s budget requests routinely seek extreme cuts at federal health agencies, including CDC. In the midst of this leadership vacuum, the president will say whatever he wants about virtually any topic without evidence, sometimes even contradicting the experts standing at his side.

If you’ve heard Mulvaney’s name connected to science before, it may be from the SharpieGate fiasco. After the president erroneously told the public that Hurricane Dorian would hit Alabama, Mulvaney silenced scientists at the National Weather Service and forced the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to put out a statement suggesting the president was right and the weather forecasters were wrong. When the science doesn’t reinforce the president’s message of the day, shut it down.

The president doesn’t even seem clear on why we have scientific experts on staff in the federal government at all. Asked about proposed cuts to CDC and other public health programs, he replied, “I'm a businessperson. I don't like having thousands of people around when you don't need them. When we need them, we can get them back very quickly.” That’s not how it works; you can’t prepare for a crisis after it’s underway.

There are no red and blue coronaviruses. The political makeup of a state will not influence whether you or your family will get sick. The politicization of information about COVID-19 will make people less trustful and compromise compliance with public health advice. And the only winner is the virus itself.

Over the last few days I've become livid at this administration's handling of the response to this threat. There is a problem with the administration's trustworthiness, particularly where science and public safety and well-being intersect. The president is playing a dangerous game that is very likely to cost lives. How many? No way to know.

Is this speculation on my part? Yes, but grounded in reality, unlike some speculation. The president putting politics ahead of science, with forcing public health professionals to delay releasing important information, with the president spouting nonsense about the threat, with the president hampering the professional response in several ways as noted in the article - it should be obvious that a truthful and well reasoned approach backed by scientific evidence is needed but is being undermined by the president. How will that cost lives? By calling it a hoax he begs people to not take it seriously and to not trust public health officials. That will likely translate to more people infected and more delaying treatment until in more serious condition, and other problems. If you can't understand why it's a problem don't bother joining the discussion because I can't help you.

This virus does not care what party you vote for or your religion or anything else. It will not be confined to the west coast states. It doesn't care if you believe it's a hoax. It will infect a large number of people. Some will die. We have great doctors and nurses and other professionals that will do a great job. If one person dies because of a poor response that will be one too many. If it's someone in your family, well, that's a tragedy. History tells us that we are in for some rough times.

I hope this thing blows over without much damage and this virus is viewed as a "dud". But this is a bit like a tornado - if you aren't close to where the forecast was right you tend to think it was wrong. If one tears down your street it's devastatingly right.

Now that community transmission in the US is confirmed we should all be a little more cautious. There's no reason to panic but there is reason for concern and being just a little more careful.

There is no vaccine. There is no cure. There is no approved or known treatment that lowers your chance of getting severe illness if you contract the virus. The only treatments are supportive. No one has immunity.

Take care of yourselves. Pay attention to what's really happening. Don't listen to charlatans. Listen to doctors, nurse, and scientists. Demand your government have your best interests at the forefront of its actions, including how it communicates about this issue.

 

[B1GTide]

The downturn of our economy has begun. Americans are now canceling domestic travel. Companies are canceling conventions and large get togethers. Individuals are canceling vacations. Businesses are pushing employees toward webex type conferences to avoid travel. Places like Disney World are already seeing lower crowds. This is how the post-9/11 recession started.

All of this means that people are afraid to be around crowds. This will result in lost jobs very quickly if this doesn't turn around. Add this to the constraints on imports from Asia and we need to hope for good news soon.

 

[NationalTitles18]

First death from coronavirus in the United States confirmed in Washington state | CNN

A patient infected with the novel coronavirus in Washington state has died, a state health official said Saturday, marking the first death due to the virus in the United States.

www.cnn.com

 

[NationalTitles18]

Lemon slams Trump administration for reaction to coronavirus - CNN Video

CNN's Don Lemon breaks down the "lackluster response" from President Trump and White House officials to coronavirus and massive losses in the stock market.

www.cnn.com

 

[Go Bama]

Good article on what you need to do to prepare.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/02/26/how-to-prepare-for-coronavirus/?arc404=true&itid=lk_inline_manual_8&itid=lk_inline_manual_11&itid=lk_inline_manual_10

I'm not sure why this link is not posting with the title. Basically the article says it's not necessary to wear a mask unless you are sick, wash your hands for 20 seconds after using the bathroom, being in a public place, sneezing or coughing, before eating, etc. Get a flu shot so that if you get symptoms it will help in diagnosis of COVID-19.

A mask is not dense enough to prevent the airborne virus from entering but it will prevent water droplets from escaping when you sneeze or cough.

 

[Bazza]

View attachment 6242

 

[NationalTitles18]

Oregon coronavirus case shuts Lake Oswego elementary school

A Lake Oswego school employee, who lives in Washington County and is currently isolated at Kaiser Permanente Westside Medical Center in Hillsboro, contracted Oregon’s first apparent case of coronavirus.

www.oregonlive.com

A Lake Oswego elementary school employee contracted Oregon’s first apparent case of coronavirus, causing the closure of the 430-student school as health officials try to figure out how many people may have been exposed.

Here we go.

 

[NationalTitles18]

President Trump confirms 1st known death in US from coronavirus

A high school student in Washington is the latest coronavirus case and the University of Connecticut takes action.

abcnews.go.com

A high school student in the state of Washington is the latest U.S. resident to preliminarily test positive for the coronavirus and is part of a growing group of victims that were diagnosed with COVID-19 due to community spread.

Health officials in Snohomish County, Washington, said the student became ill Monday with a fever, body aches and a headache. He was seen at two different clinics in the county, however, as the student felt better, he attempted to return to Jackson High School on Friday.


Coronavirus test results for the student, officials said, then came back "presumptive positive," and the student returned home before attending class.

Let's all hope this turns out to be not much.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

SIAP - Israeli vaccine

 

[Jon]

The downturn of our economy has begun. Americans are now canceling domestic travel. Companies are canceling conventions and large get togethers. Individuals are canceling vacations. Businesses are pushing employees toward webex type conferences to avoid travel. Places like Disney World are already seeing lower crowds. This is how the post-9/11 recession started.

All of this means that people are afraid to be around crowds. This will result in lost jobs very quickly if this doesn't turn around. Add this to the constraints on imports from Asia and we need to hope for good news soon.

I am seeing it in my business. We've turned International meetings to Virtual, curtailed travel to Asia, Italy and a few other locations. Enacted mandatory self quarantine for anyone that has had to travel to affected areas, etc. But since we are still in the Hardware business we are starting to see delays and the lead times on components is getting longer and longer. I am software so it only has a marginal effect on me, so far, but I already have project implementations delayed as the Hardware for my Software is constrained. Anyone who thinks this isn't going to affect the rest of the economy is a daft fool.

 

[NationalTitles18]

SIAP - Israeli vaccine

As I said in the other thread - if they are on target with the vaccine it will take 6-12 months for availability.

 

[Jon]

SIAP - Israeli vaccine

forgive me for being skeptical

not that they will have a working vaccine

but of a 90 day regulatory evaluation being sufficient

yikes

 

[NationalTitles18]

forgive me for being skeptical

not that they will have a working vaccine

but of a 90 day regulatory evaluation being sufficient

yikes

That evaluation will consist of "is it safe" and "does it have potential to offer protection". We won't know until some time has passed how effective any vaccine will be.