COVID-19 (f/k/a "the Coronavirus")

[GooooMarquette]

The problem is that everyone's definition of what it means to be let out of this is so different.

Yes...but taking responsibility for both the good and the bad would be a reasonable place to start. If he would simply admit his mistakes, and then stick with the three-phase plan he announced last week, it would go a LONG way toward quelling some of the critics. I will be the first to give him credit if he takes this approach. Not as good as putting CDC in charge, but it would be a reasonable back-up plan that I would support.

The problem is that he announced the three-phase plan one day, and then encouraged protests against it the next....

[Jockey]

"I don't take responsibility at all."

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Yes...but taking responsibility for both the good and the bad would be a reasonable place to start. If he would simply admit his mistakes, and then stick with the three-phase plan he announced last week, it would go a LONG way toward quelling some of the critics. I will be the first to give him credit if he takes this approach. Not as good as putting CDC in charge, but it would be a reasonable back-up plan that I would support.

The problem is that he announced the three-phase plan one day, and then encouraged protests against it the next....

And let's be honest - the bar for giving him "credit" at this point is absurdly low.

And for you whiny little babies that complain about "politics" at this point that's nothing more than a deflection of the sheer incompetence  and lunacy we've seen and continue to see.  Accept it for what it is.

Anyone who tries to defend his volley of "liberate" tweets a day after announcing reopening guidelines is basically a cult member.

And if your only weak-ass response is "ban dis guy" you're an embarrassment that doesn't have a leg to stand on.

[The Sultan]

The Atlantic nails it.

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/06/underlying-conditions/610261/?utm_source=twitter&utm_content=edit-promo&utm_medium=social&utm_term=2020-04-20T11%253A00%253A55&utm_campaign=the-atlantic

We Are Living in a Failed State
The coronavirus didn't break America. It revealed what was already broken.

"When the virus came here, it found a country with serious underlying conditions, and it exploited them ruthlessly. Chronic ills—a corrupt political class, a sclerotic bureaucracy, a heartless economy, a divided and distracted public—had gone untreated for years. We had learned to live, uncomfortably, with the symptoms. It took the scale and intimacy of a pandemic to expose their severity—to shock Americans with the recognition that we are in the high-risk category.

The crisis demanded a response that was swift, rational, and collective. The United States reacted instead like Pakistan or Belarus—like a country with shoddy infrastructure and a dys­func­tional government whose leaders were too corrupt or stupid to head off mass suffering. The administration squandered two irretrievable months to prepare. From the president came willful blindness, scapegoating, boasts, and lies. From his mouthpieces, conspiracy theories and miracle cures. A few senators and corporate executives acted quickly—not to prevent the coming disaster, but to profit from it. When a government doctor tried to warn the public of the danger, the White House took the mic and politicized 
the message.

Every morning in the endless month of March, Americans woke up to find themselves citizens of a failed state. With no national plan—no coherent instructions at all—families, schools, and offices were left to decide on their own whether to shut down and take shelter. When test kits, masks, gowns, and ventilators were found to be in desperately short supply, governors pleaded for them from the White House, which stalled, then called on private enterprise, which couldn't deliver. States and cities were forced into bidding wars that left them prey to price gouging and corporate profiteering. Civilians took out their sewing machines to try to keep ill-equipped hospital workers healthy and their patients alive. Russia, Taiwan, and the United Nations sent humanitarian aid to the world's richest power—a beggar nation in utter chaos."

[tower912]

Fake news.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

The Atlantic nails it.

The Atlantic is always a great read.  Always well researched in depth articles on subjects you never thought would be a subject.

[forgetful]

Every morning in the endless month of March, Americans woke up to find themselves citizens of a failed state. With no national plan—no coherent instructions at all—families, schools, and offices were left to decide on their own whether to shut down and take shelter. When test kits, masks, gowns, and ventilators were found to be in desperately short supply, governors pleaded for them from the White House, which stalled, then called on private enterprise, which couldn't deliver. States and cities were forced into bidding wars that left them prey to price gouging and corporate profiteering. Civilians took out their sewing machines to try to keep ill-equipped hospital workers healthy and their patients alive. Russia, Taiwan, and the United Nations sent humanitarian aid to the world's richest power—a beggar nation in utter chaos."

40% of Americans haven't woke up, and don't see this as true. Or if they do see it, they have decided it is all the prior administrations fault and the deep-state. So the nation is still divided and broken.

[GooooMarquette]

The Atlantic nails it.

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/06/underlying-conditions/610261/?utm_source=twitter&utm_content=edit-promo&utm_medium=social&utm_term=2020-04-20T11%253A00%253A55&utm_campaign=the-atlantic

We Are Living in a Failed State
The coronavirus didn't break America. It revealed what was already broken.

"When the virus came here, it found a country with serious underlying conditions, and it exploited them ruthlessly. Chronic ills—a corrupt political class, a sclerotic bureaucracy, a heartless economy, a divided and distracted public—had gone untreated for years. We had learned to live, uncomfortably, with the symptoms. It took the scale and intimacy of a pandemic to expose their severity—to shock Americans with the recognition that we are in the high-risk category.

The crisis demanded a response that was swift, rational, and collective. The United States reacted instead like Pakistan or Belarus—like a country with shoddy infrastructure and a dys­func­tional government whose leaders were too corrupt or stupid to head off mass suffering. The administration squandered two irretrievable months to prepare. From the president came willful blindness, scapegoating, boasts, and lies. From his mouthpieces, conspiracy theories and miracle cures. A few senators and corporate executives acted quickly—not to prevent the coming disaster, but to profit from it. When a government doctor tried to warn the public of the danger, the White House took the mic and politicized 
the message.

Every morning in the endless month of March, Americans woke up to find themselves citizens of a failed state. With no national plan—no coherent instructions at all—families, schools, and offices were left to decide on their own whether to shut down and take shelter. When test kits, masks, gowns, and ventilators were found to be in desperately short supply, governors pleaded for them from the White House, which stalled, then called on private enterprise, which couldn't deliver. States and cities were forced into bidding wars that left them prey to price gouging and corporate profiteering. Civilians took out their sewing machines to try to keep ill-equipped hospital workers healthy and their patients alive. Russia, Taiwan, and the United Nations sent humanitarian aid to the world's richest power—a beggar nation in utter chaos."

Sad but true. This country has had issues for years. Then we elected a President who wasn't built to deal with a crisis and are suffering as a result.

And before the Trump defenders blast this as partisan, I give you Bush. He was far from a perfect President, but I viewed his initial response to 9/11 as confident, unifying, and just what we needed in a moment of crisis. Trump, on the other hand, used this crisis as just one more reason to divide the country into blue and red.

[Galway Eagle]

Sad but true. This country has had issues for years. Then we elected a President who wasn't built to deal with a crisis. And we all are suffering as a result.

And before the Trump defenders blast this as partisan, I give you Bush. He was far from a perfect President, but I viewed his initial response to 9/11 as confident, unifying, and just what we needed in a moment of crisis. Trump, on the other hand, used this crisis as just one more reason to divide the country into blue and red.

Agreed about Bush re 9/11... Katrina not so much.

[GooooMarquette]

Agreed about Bush re 9/11... Katrina not so much.

Affirmative.

My point in complimenting Bush's response on 9/11 was simply to deflect the inevitable criticism that I am being overly partisan.

[forgetful]

Agreed about Bush re 9/11... Katrina not so much.

Agreed on both parts. Reading the post-mortem on Katrina suggests we never learned our lesson regarding major catastrophe's.

https://www.cato.org/blog/hurricane-katrina-remembering-federal-failures

Essentially all the same federal failures for COVID-19. Just at a much larger economic cost, and loss of life.

[wadesworld]

Nearly 1 in 4 Covid 19 deaths worldwide has come in the USA.

We have handled this perfectly. There's clearly no need for more social distancing. Open this country back up.

[JWags85]

Nearly 1 in 4 Covid 19 deaths worldwide has come in the USA.

We have handled this perfectly. There's clearly no need for more social distancing. Open this country back up.

This isnt a defense of the handling, but thats a misleading clickbait statistic.  The US is the 3rd most populous country in the world.  The most populous is clearly lying and under-reporting their deaths and the second lacks the testing to provide accurate numbers.  So naturally the US is going to have a high proportion of all deaths.  When looking per capita, the US (122 per 1MM) is well behind France (305 per) and Italy (350 per) and Spain (~300 per), significantly behind the UK (225 per), and also behind places like Sweden (155 per).

[ZiggysFryBoy]

This isnt a defense of the handling, but thats a misleading clickbait statistic.  The US is the 3rd most populous country in the world.  The most populous is clearly lying and under-reporting their deaths and the second lacks the testing to provide accurate numbers.  So naturally the US is going to have a high proportion of all deaths.  When looking per capita, the US (122 per 1MM) is well behind France (305 per) and Italy (350 per) and Spain (~300 per), significantly behind the UK (225 per), and also behind places like Sweden (155 per).

I wouldn't trust any numbers from Russia either.  Sounds like they are getting hit hard now.

[Hards Alumni]

I wouldn't trust any numbers from Russia either.  Sounds like they are getting hit hard now.

^

[TSmith34, Inc.]

I don't think China's numbers are right, or Russia's numbers are right, or Iran's numbers either for that matter. I also don't think our numbers are right, or Italy's, or anywhere else's for that matter, though not for the reason the first group of country's are wrong.

Simple statistics seem to indicate that we are undercounting COVID deaths by roughly 50%. Not maliciously, but because we haven't tested enough and there is little time or desire to test someone after they have died. I spoke to a nurse the night before last and she said 10 people died during her shift but none were included in the official COVID stats.

Here is the repost of the article comparing prior year deaths in various locations around the world vs. this year, and comparing those to official COVID deaths:https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/more-on-excess-mortality-and-covid19s-hidden-toll

[wadesworld]

I don't think China's numbers are right, or Russia's numbers are right, or Iran's numbers either for that matter. I also don't think our numbers are right, or Italy's, or anywhere else's for that matter, though not for the reason the first group of country's are wrong.

Simple statistics seem to indicate that we are undercounting COVID deaths by roughly 50%. Not maliciously, but because we haven't tested enough and there is little time or desire to test someone after they have died. I spoke to a nurse the night before last and she said 10 people dies during her shift but none were included in the official COVID stats.

Here is the repost of the article comparing prior year deaths in various locations around the world vs. this year, and comparing those to official COVID deaths:https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/more-on-excess-mortality-and-covid19s-hidden-toll

Exactly. Yes China's numbers are misleading. So are the USA's. Despite our fearless leader's statement that anyone who wants a test can get a test, that's not close to the case.

[GooooMarquette]

Exactly. Yes China's numbers are misleading. So are the USA's. Despite our fearless leader's statement that anyone who wants a test can get a test, that's not close to the case.

Yep.

China and Russia are underreporting, but that is probably intentional. The US is underreporting because we simply don't have anywhere near the number of tests we need.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

I had no idea about this individual.  An American on the front lines at the WHO.  What a quote. 

"This is the first pandemic in history that we will be able to control. We've seen this. It's going to be difficult. Stick with us, stick with the science and be patient with your governments and your leaders about the next steps, because the public health measures that are put in place, these lockdowns that are put in place are difficult," she said. "We're all going to get through this. We're all going to be OK, and we will try to save as many lives as we can."

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/493714-exclusive-meet-the-top-american-fighting-covid-19-at-who

[JWags85]

I had no idea about this individual.  An American on the front lines at the WHO.  What a quote. 

"This is the first pandemic in history that we will be able to control. We've seen this. It's going to be difficult. Stick with us, stick with the science and be patient with your governments and your leaders about the next steps, because the public health measures that are put in place, these lockdowns that are put in place are difficult," she said. "We're all going to get through this. We're all going to be OK, and we will try to save as many lives as we can."

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/493714-exclusive-meet-the-top-american-fighting-covid-19-at-who

American or not, I'm gonna take anything the WHO says with as much of a grain of salt as with the WH.

[forgetful]

I had no idea about this individual.  An American on the front lines at the WHO.  What a quote. 

"This is the first pandemic in history that we will be able to control. We've seen this. It's going to be difficult. Stick with us, stick with the science and be patient with your governments and your leaders about the next steps, because the public health measures that are put in place, these lockdowns that are put in place are difficult," she said. "We're all going to get through this. We're all going to be OK, and we will try to save as many lives as we can."

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/493714-exclusive-meet-the-top-american-fighting-covid-19-at-who

Personally I also like this quote from Jan. 14th from her.

"The speed with which we were able to do that with all of our partners helped the world prepare," she said. "We worked with U.S. CDC from day one. Even before that, because they were working with us on Ebola."

It is true, they figured this one out with unprecedented quickness. It just didn't matter. This virus spread differently, could hide undetected for up to 2-weeks, and had a large number of asymptomatic people.

It also shows, that the technical lead, seeing all data, was an American, sharing info directly with the CDC.

[GooooMarquette]

I had no idea about this individual.  An American on the front lines at the WHO.  What a quote. 

"This is the first pandemic in history that we will be able to control. We've seen this. It's going to be difficult. Stick with us, stick with the science and be patient with your governments and your leaders about the next steps, because the public health measures that are put in place, these lockdowns that are put in place are difficult," she said. "We're all going to get through this. We're all going to be OK, and we will try to save as many lives as we can."

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/493714-exclusive-meet-the-top-american-fighting-covid-19-at-who

Interesting...and pretty damning for the CDC that it was embedded and involved from the beginning, and yet messed up its test development efforts so badly. If CDC had developed and rolled out a test in late January or early February (when other countries were already successfully testing for the virus), we would be in a very different place than we are right now.

I don't know if was just CDC's screwups,  or if the Trump administration's very public anti-science stance also played a role in disempowering them, but something is severely wrong there...

[forgetful]

Interesting...and pretty damning for the CDC that it was embedded and involved from the beginning, and yet messed up its test development efforts so badly. If CDC had developed and rolled out a test in late January or early February (when other countries were already successfully testing for the virus), we would be in a very different place than we are right now.

I don't know if was just CDC's screwups,  or if the Trump administration's very public anti-science stance also played a role in disempowering them, but something is severely wrong there...

Doesn't help that they put a person in charge of testing who was fired from his previous job for over promising and under delivering in efforts to promote himself.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/20/politics/brett-giroir-coronavirus-vaccine/index.html

[Jockey]

Doesn't help that they put a person in charge of testing who was fired from his previous job for over promising and under delivering in efforts to promote himself.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/20/politics/brett-giroir-coronavirus-vaccine/index.html

Wonder why he was hired?


Citing a local newspaper that reported on Giroir's annual evaluation, the Post said Giroir received a performance evaluation that "said he was 'more interested in promoting yourself' than the health science center where he worked. He got low marks on being a 'team player.'"


These creeps stick together.

[WarriorDad]

Nearly 1 in 4 Covid 19 deaths worldwide has come in the USA.

We have handled this perfectly. There's clearly no need for more social distancing. Open this country back up.

We also have the second lowest mortality rate in the industrialized world for COVID 19 per capita.  Only Germany is better.  There are many countries, both conservative and progressive, with universal health care and without, with their own experts that are having problems, too.   Per capita is the correct way to look at this data.

Do you honestly think in an election year that someone else would have shut things down quicker?  I do not.  Can provide examples from both sides that show that to be true.