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Reports of protests are overblown. A few incidents around the country, but nothing major.

5 (45.5%)

A few major incidents in capitals, but nothing much in DC.

5 (45.5%)

A major incident in DC, but nothing much around the country.

0 (0%)

More than 10 capitals have major upheavals, but nothing much in DC.

0 (0%)

A major incident in DC plus more than 10 capitals with significant upheavals.

1 (9.1%)

More than half the capitals around the country have problems with protesters, but DC is quiet.

0 (0%)

DC has major problems, while more than half the capitals around the country also have considerable trouble with protesters.

0 (0%)

Huge disruption to the day.

0 (0%)

Total Members Voted: 9

Voting closed: January 19, 2021, 10:49:21 PM

[LarryBnDC]

I forget if I linked to this before:
Testing blunders crippled US response as coronavirus spread
Should be mandatory reading, with the timeline of what went wrong.

Be interesting to find out how/why the normally solid CDC flailed.

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/3/23/21190713/coronavirus-trump-china-cdc-embed-quick

[bodiddley]

Ok, so maybe health care and the CDC weren't high priorities for the Trumpeters.

More embarrassing news, that.

But I'm still wondering:

1) why the CDC didn't simply use the German test which was available?  And instead wasted time developing their own test.

2) how the CDC botched their test to begin with.  Supposedly it only tested for coronavirus and not this specific covid-19, so a lot of test results were coming up inconclusive (showing one virus gene present and absent, when both genes should be there for covid-19).  That seems to be what went on, according to some reports.

3) why they didn't use the German test after their test was botched, instead of wasting more time.

4) why the CDC sent an equal number of tests/kits to each state instead of sending them to areas affected and those states with large populations and most exposure to int'l travelers.

5) Also, since there weren't enough test kits and shortages of some reagent chemicals, why didn't they also approve the China or Singapore blood tests which check for antibodies and are easier to test (though more hassle to get the sample). 

[LarryBnDC]

Ok, so maybe health care and the CDC weren't high priorities for the Trumpeters.

More embarrassing news, that.

But I'm still wondering:

1) why the CDC didn't simply use the German test which was available?  And instead wasted time developing their own test.

2) how the CDC botched their test to begin with.  Supposedly it only tested for coronavirus and not this specific covid-19, so a lot of test results were coming up inconclusive (showing one virus gene present and absent, when both genes should be there for covid-19).  That seems to be what went on, according to some reports.

3) why they didn't use the German test after their test was botched, instead of wasting more time.

4) why the CDC sent an equal number of tests/kits to each state instead of sending them to areas affected and those states with large populations and most exposure to int'l travelers.

5) Also, since there weren't enough test kits and shortages of some reagent chemicals, why didn't they also approve the China or Singapore blood tests which check for antibodies and are easier to test (though more hassle to get the sample).

Because this guy is running the CDC.

“First, I want to thank you for your decisive leadership in helping us, you know, put public health first. Also want to thank you for coming here today and — and sort of encouraging and bringing energy to the men and women that you see that work every day to try to keep America safe. So I think that's the most important thing I want to say, sir.”
— Robert Redfield, Director CDC

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/487068-trump-coronavirus-response-seen-as-threat-to-cdc-confidence

Who is Robert Redfield? This guy.


Despite clearing him, military investigators chastised Redfield for having a “close relationship” to a nonprofit called Americans for Sound AIDS/HIV Policy (ASAP) “to a degree that is inappropriate.” ASAP, now known as the Children’s AIDS Fund, was founded by evangelical Christians; it has championed abstinence-only education as a method of combating HIV and other approaches grounded more in religious belief than scientific evidence.


https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/03/trumps-pick-for-cdc-director-is-experienced-but-controversial/556202/

[josh]

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/21/coronavirus-trading-house-senate-140260

More stock trades based on knowing more than the public - these were by aides, not elected officials.

[FlyingVProd]

We need to all work together, and all of the doctors and researchers need to share information freely on the world wide web, and we need to make sure that people get what they need as best as teamwork can make it happen.

When the vaccine comes out it needs to go quickly to everyone for free like with Jonas Salk and the Polio vaccine.

Now is not a time for people to be greedy. And the states need to work together, and the nations need to work together.

We also need to retain our liberty as much as possible during this crisis, and the cure must not be worse than the disease. And we did say, "Give me liberty, or give me death." Americans will live free or die.

The best case scenario is that our research hospitals get a handle on this thing quickly, and share their findings freely with the world on the world wide web.

Salute,

Tony V.

[josh]

General Electric has already doubled its ability to make ventilators -- and the company plans to double that production capacity again by the end of June.

GE Healthcare made the announcement Tuesday, saying it's working "around the clock" to make the sophisticated air pumps that help critically ill coronavirus patients breathe.

Separately, GE (GE) is teaming up with Ford (F) to build a simplified version of GE ventilators.

"We are encouraged by how quickly companies from across industries have mobilized to help address the growing challenge we collectively face from Covid-19," GE Healthcare CEO Kieran Murphy said in a statement.

To meet demand, GE has added manufacturing lines for ventilators and increased the number of shifts. The company is also hiring more manufacturing workers.

GE Healthcare also released guidance Tuesday to medical workers explaining how to use the company's existing anesthesia machines for patients that require ventilation.

This is all both great news and terrible news.

I love the collaboration. I love that GE is working so hard to get these ventilators out so quickly.

But, for example, NYC needs 33,000 ventilators now!

Mike Pence said he can send them 2,000 this week and 2,000 more next week.

“I appreciated the conversation for sure and I will certainly be following up with the White House. But I’m waiting for a real answer of when exactly we’re going to get each kind of supply, each kind of equipment,” he said. “I heard good intentions — which I appreciate — but I want to see the real thing."

As of Sunday evening, there are 10,764 positive cases of COVID-19 and 99 fatalities. At least 1,800 people are hospitalized, with 450 of those individuals in intensive care.

De Blasio has repeatedly attacked Trump for not invoking the Defense Production Act to force private companies to make more supplies. He has called on the federal government to supply three million N-95 masks, 50 million surgical masks, 15,000 ventilators and 25 million sets of gowns, gloves and other protective equipment.

and

Vice President Pence said Tuesday the federal government sent 2,000 ventilators from the national stockpile to the state of New York, which has become the epicenter of coronavirus in the U.S., and vowed to send 2,000 more on Wednesday.

“I just received word, and the challenge the state of New York faces. Earlier today, FEMA, from the national stockpile, shipped 2,000 ventilators to the state of New York,” Pence said during Fox News’ virtual coronavirus town hall Tuesday.

[josh]

So... what I want to know is:

a) How many of each item do we have in the National Stockpile?

b) Why the FUCK are we holding anything back in that stockpile at this point? What is to be gained?

c) And WHY ON EARTH are they only sending them to NYC now?!

[bodiddley]

Reportedly the longest documented incubation period was 21 days for one Chinese male.  But some suspect he might have had a second interim contact that was either ignored or went unreported.  Hard to completely isolate for 3 weeks.

China is lifting it's mandatory lockdown and travel ban from Hubei Province.  Such measures will remain in place for Wuhan city for another two weeks.

India beginning a 3 week nationwide lockdown.  World's largest quarantine ever.  India has nearly the population of China, over 1.3B.  Set to pass China in population around 2027.

[josh]

A reason for my cup's being "1/32 full" is this:

I shared previously that our Day 82 had as many deaths as the Swine Flu epidemic did on their Day 138.

Today is Day 84. We're not done yet, but we already have slightly more deaths than their Day 144.

And the Dolt-in-Chief is talking about undoing the restrictions by Easter.

[kiidcarter8]

Meanwhile, it looks as if some doctors are hoarding the supposed cure, to the point of writing prescriptions for themselves and family members. It's so bad in some states that the government is taking action.


Why would they do that without any "evidence"?

[josh]

Meanwhile, it looks as if some doctors are hoarding the supposed cure, to the point of writing prescriptions for themselves and family members. It's so bad in some states that the government is taking action.


Why would they do that without any "evidence"?

"evidence" = evidence, in this case, asshole.

Because better some hope than none and since the Federal government and their state governments are doing next to nothing in places like Texas and Oklahoma, they are doing the best they can. It's not like they can get a real cure or a vaccine.

Jerk.

[facilitatorn]

A reason for my cup's being "1/32 full" is this:

I shared previously that our Day 82 had as many deaths as the Swine Flu epidemic did on their Day 138.

Today is Day 84. We're not done yet, but we already have slightly more deaths than their Day 144.

And the Dolt-in-Chief is talking about undoing the restrictions by Easter.

It’s a new approach to voter suppression but very in line with everything else that animates the republicans these days.

[facilitatorn]

http://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/03/trump-plan-opening-coronavirus-easter.html

“ What’s a little more American carnage next to the need to protect the presidential ego?”

[josh]

http://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/03/trump-plan-opening-coronavirus-easter.html

“ What’s a little more American carnage next to the need to protect the presidential ego?”

The stupidest part of his "plan" to open by Easter is that the stated goal of getting the economy going will be thoroughly undermined by returning us to "open for business."

But since that isn't really his goal...

[josh]