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dcba
Therefore they didn't see the point in making massive orders of masks when it was still doable. Guess what happened next? Our beloved leaders explained to us that masks are useless and even dangerous.
Can you imagine a general leading his army to war without guns then explaining that guns are useless in a conflict...? Nurses and docs in hospitals have NO masks, they take huge risks doing their job.

You should ignore people that tell you to not wear a mask that is designed to protect your health, no matter what their title is. It's preposterous.

The lack of critical thinking skills in the media and among politicians is shocking sometimes.

It's like a Sci Fi movie. I am watching President Trump's daily briefing and he has freed up the national supercomputing resources so that they can be used to do research into the virus.

[www.top500.org]

Came across this. It is among the reasons the US is where it is today with this pandemic...



U.S. axed CDC expert job in China months before virus outbreak
EXCLUSIVE-U.S. axed CDC expert job in China months before virus outbreak 
by Reuters 
Sunday, 22 March 2020 20:02 GMT 

WASHINGTON, March 22 (Reuters) - Several months before the coronavirus pandemic began, the Trump administration eliminated a key American public health position in Beijing intended to help detect disease outbreaks in China, Reuters has learned. 

The American disease expert, a medical epidemiologist embedded in China's disease control agency, left her post in July, according to four sources with knowledge of the issue. The first cases of the new coronavirus may have emerged as early as November, and as cases exploded, the Trump administration in February chastised China for censoring information about the outbreak and keeping U.S. experts from entering the country to help. 

"It was heartbreaking to watch," said Bao-Ping Zhu, a Chinese American who served in that role, which was funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 2007 and 2011. "If someone had been there, public health officials and governments across the world could have moved much faster." 

Additional CDC information:
Here and here



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2020-03-23 01:03 by curt.

Stay-at-home orders in Louisiana today, not before time.

Greece is now under lockdown. 'Only movements that serve specific needs or for work are allowed and a permit is required'.

I wonder if casting blame about past f8ck-ups matters at this point. By now we all know we all royally messed up. Hopefully we will have a chance to apply new lessons learned soon, one day.

Corona truly brings the best out in Europe.

Czechia and Poland confiscated masks and ventilators that China had donated to Italy and distributed them to their own hospitals. Czechia meanwhile agreed to pass on 100.000+ masks to Italy after some NGO could provide evidence they were indeed marked as humanitarian help for Italy.

Germany blocked a shipment of masks to Austria that had been ordered and paid earlier.

Let's see what will be next.

[www.repubblica.it] [www.rfi.fr] [www.china.org.cn] [kurier.at] [www.heute.at] [www.diepresse.com] [www.heute.at]

Just watched daily US task force news conference. Contrary to the WHO, they are telling people testing not that important. It's a total smoke screen to cover up their screw ups (putting it lightly). At this point, I trust the WHO more than the CDC or US government which is a sad state of affairs. Our governor Inslee is doing a good job though. Things are getting really scary here.

THE AUSTRALIAN --- 23 March 2020



ROCKMAN

Here in the U.K., we had some nice weather this past weekend. So what happens? Large crowds gather in parks and seaside towns all over the country. There is a large ignorant element of the population here who are blithely carrying on as normal, even treating the time off work as a ‘bonus holiday’.
At his press conference today, the PM repeated his social distancing advice given previously and stated that further controls may be needed if people fail to do so. That can only mean a lockdown and I think it needs to happen and very soon. Far too many stupid people here ruining it for everyone else with their ignorance, selfish and stupidity. The panic buying and hoarding continues apace.

Well I've been sick, and when realising it, I didn't walk out of the door, to not make other people ill. I don't mind. The only thing to complain about is that I can't really caste me Emmentaler cheese.

Mainly in the interest of looking for any hopeful information, this is an interesting and somewhat optimistic view from this expert.
Also, this is copied from The Seattle Times, not a tabloid.

Why this Nobel laureate predicts a quicker coronavirus recovery: ‘We’re going to be fine’

"Michael Levitt, a Nobel laureate and Stanford biophysicist, began analyzing the number of COVID-19 cases worldwide in January and correctly calculated that China would get through the worst of its coronavirus outbreak long before many health experts had predicted.

Now he foresees a similar outcome in the United States and the rest of the world."
[www.seattletimes.com]

Thanks MisterDDDD, That’s an encouraging read!

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MileHigh
It's like a Sci Fi movie.

I like reading science fiction books and enjoy watching sci-fi flicks, but don’t want to live in them particularly...

I think it’s more like a Mystery/Thriller. Science Fiction portrays things that defy scientific logic. The apocalyptic scenario we are witnessing now is entirely possible, and obviously all too real.

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grzegorz67
Here in the U.K., we had some nice weather this past weekend. So what happens? Large crowds gather in parks and seaside towns all over the country. There is a large ignorant element of the population here who are blithely carrying on as normal, even treating the time off work as a ‘bonus holiday’.
At his press conference today, the PM repeated his social distancing advice given previously and stated that further controls may be needed if people fail to do so. That can only mean a lockdown and I think it needs to happen and very soon. Far too many stupid people here ruining it for everyone else with their ignorance, selfish and stupidity. The panic buying and hoarding continues apace.

The same selfish stupidity occured in the NL this sunny weekend. Yesterday already police started blocking roads leading to the coast and several coastal towns have closed parking lots to give those egocentric people a hard time. In Belgium already considerable fines are given to those who move around against the rules.
Those kinds of people have (a will) be(en) around no matter what happens.
Luckily it's still a decent majority that carries the burden of the human race:

The salt of the earth ...

I don't know if anyone else has noticed but the leading worldwide "communicable disease" expert is Didier Raoult [expertscape.com] and it seems to me he wears Keith's SKULL RING ! Is that encouraging or what ? ;-)

More importantly he's been advocating the use of the Hydrochoroquine+Zithromax treatment and has led a promising (but limited to 24 patients) study.



--------------
IORR Links : Essential Studio Outtakes CDs : Audio - History of Rarest Outtakes : Audio

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gotdablouse

More importantly he's been advocating the use of the Hydrochoroquine+Zithromax treatment and has led a promising (but limited to 24 patients) study.

A 24-patient study isn't worth mentioning at this point, let alone advocating.

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crholmstrom
Just watched daily US task force news conference. Contrary to the WHO, they are telling people testing not that important. It's a total smoke screen to cover up their screw ups (putting it lightly). At this point, I trust the WHO more than the CDC or US government which is a sad state of affairs. Our governor Inslee is doing a good job though. Things are getting really scary here.

Michael Gove (Euro skeptic) UK Minister at the height of the Brexit saga famously quoted re economic predictions: 'People have had enough of experts'.

I would ALWAYS trust organisations like the WHO over Governments/Politicians.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2020-03-23 11:20 by jlowe.

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georgie48

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grzegorz67
Here in the U.K., we had some nice weather this past weekend. So what happens? Large crowds gather in parks and seaside towns all over the country. There is a large ignorant element of the population here who are blithely carrying on as normal, even treating the time off work as a ‘bonus holiday’.
At his press conference today, the PM repeated his social distancing advice given previously and stated that further controls may be needed if people fail to do so. That can only mean a lockdown and I think it needs to happen and very soon. Far too many stupid people here ruining it for everyone else with their ignorance, selfish and stupidity. The panic buying and hoarding continues apace.

The same selfish stupidity occured in the NL this sunny weekend. Yesterday already police started blocking roads leading to the coast and several coastal towns have closed parking lots to give those egocentric people a hard time. In Belgium already considerable fines are given to those who move around against the rules.
Those kinds of people have (a will) be(en) around no matter what happens.
Luckily it's still a decent majority that carries the burden of the human race:

The salt of the earth ...

Holiday areas like Cornwall, Wales and the Highlands of Scotland are getting flooded with the owners of campervans and holiday cottages, intending to sit out the virus away from the big cities. But remote areas have fewer shops and fewer hospitals - please leave them for the locals!

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grzegorz67
Here in the U.K., we had some nice weather this past weekend. So what happens? Large crowds gather in parks and seaside towns all over the country

I hope don't see in U.K. what see in Italy....this Virus is a Killer
In Italy today all cloused, open only work necessary (pharmacy,alimentar, telecomunication,ecc.)
In some city military controll with police
Sici

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Aquamarine

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gotdablouse

More importantly he's been advocating the use of the Hydrochoroquine+Zithromax treatment and has led a promising (but limited to 24 patients) study.

A 24-patient study isn't worth mentioning at this point, let alone advocating.

I think I see where you're coming from, don't let it blind you...In any case as you can see the guy is not a joker, it's a start and there are some other informal reports, including a French GP who self medicated. In any case this drug is well known and has been used for 50 years (I took it for 4 months when I was in the Navy) so it's not like some crazy experiment.

In other news Spanish numbers are "strange", after death numbers that were spiraling out of control (105/193/262/288/391), they have reported "only" 31 deaths for the last 24 hours. It makes no sense...

--------------
IORR Links : Essential Studio Outtakes CDs : Audio - History of Rarest Outtakes : Audio

Lost Sense of Smell May Be Peculiar Clue to Coronavirus Infection

“We really want to raise awareness that this is a sign of infection and that anyone who develops loss of sense of smell should self-isolate,” Professor Claire Hopkins, president of the British Rhinological Society, wrote in an email. “It could contribute to slowing transmission and save lives.”

[www.seattletimes.com]

People are told to stay at home in order to protect lives:

- Miami Beach USA Spring breakers
- Milan Italy with roadblock and shutdown

The Virus Can Be Stopped, but Only With Harsh Steps, Experts Say - New York Times



Spring breakers this month in Miami Beach, where there wasn’t much social distancing
Credit: Scott McIntyre for The New York Times



Police officers enforced stay-at-home rules on Friday at a roadblock in Milan
Credit: Alessandro Grassani for The New York Times

Bjornulf



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2020-03-23 14:09 by bv.

Same stupid people here in Holland as in Miami Beach

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bv




Police officers enforced stay-at-home rules on Friday at a roadblock in Milan
Credit: Alessandro Grassani for The New York Times

This pic shows Piazza 24 maggio (on May 24 1915 Italy declared war to Austria and "officially" entered WWI) and is the heart of the Navigli area (I used to cross this very road every day to go to work)

Judging from the shadows, the picture was shot in the afternoon. Under normal circumstances on any other Friday this would be one of the most crowded sites in Milano …

C

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Harm
Same stupid people here in Holland as in Miami Beach

I don't think it is appropriate to say that people don't stay at home because they are "stupid".

I think it is more the result of too many cries for wolf (as in Aesop's old fable) by news media and authorities that turned out to nothing.

After so many false alarms or over exaggerated alarms, people very simply don't trust official statements anymore.

Only one month ago all Italian media gave huge result to a polemic between two well respected doctors, one claiming that Corona Virus will develop in a killer pandemic, the other one claiming that Corona Virus was only a little more serious than a common flu.

C

A person in Norway tested positive last week, and were asked to go into quarantine at home for 14 days. On Saturday this person went out to party. The person has been given a fine of NOK 20,000 i.e. USD 2,000. Alternative 40 days in jail. Some people are simply ignorant and selfish.

Bjornulf

It looks like that most of the countries, at least in Europe, are taking the pandemia seriously. However, there are some exceptions even here in Europe.

First, Belarus seem to have a path of its own. The 'president' (=dictator) Lukashenko sees that the 'hysteria' is worse than the health risk. Usually it is assumed when there is a stronger central administration, even the means of dictorship available, it is easier and quicker to do some strong decisions and moves (that not so easy in traditional liberal democracies). To an extent, that happened in China. And in a theory, one might think that closer a country is to a dictatorship, declaring an emergency would just tighten up the power, and theryby 'rightfully' lessen people's rights and freedoms. Interestingly, it doesn't go like this in practise. In Belarus authorities (Lukeshenko) seem to see such a move as a thread to one's power (the effects to economy would cause a mass criticism, etc.), and tries as much as possible to maintain the normal social order. So Lukeshenko's advice (rule) to fight the corona would make believing on sudden miracles (a'la Trump) look like rational moves: he has said that 'sauna and vodka' helps, and, more 'working in a rural country side, in fields doing agriculture, etc', would do be enough to kill the effects of the virus. Go figure.

Then, secondly, there is the case of Russia. A big mystery, like that huge country always is. The numbers of Russia are suspicious, to put it mildly. The amount of affected is close to their tiny neighbour Finland and none dead yet. Russians had as much vacations in the same Northern Italy/Austria skiing resorts as did the many other countries into where the corona virus has spread. Although there are restrictions for foreigners to visit Russia, the Russian citizens themselves can travel abroad as normal (like they do, as it is a tourist season), and there aren't many measures in everyday life in Russia. Life goes pretty much as normal. They did close quickly the borders to China, like the US did, but as we know now from the US example that that alone is not enough. This starts to remind me of the old Soviet days when Kreml decided what is real and what is not. Like they did with HIV-virus back in the day, by declaring it as just a Western problem, not affecting to Soviet Union.

I am afraid that there is a human catastrophe lurking both in Belarus and in Russia.

- Doxa



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2020-03-23 15:49 by Doxa.