COVID-19 Coronavirus UPDATES, BANS, CLOSURES, ADVISORY, etc.

Red Leg said:

The American media - particularly our friends at Drudge, CNN, and MSNBC - covering the pandemic.

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...and the rest of the human population that has figured out to wash their hands and turn off the media.

Chago said:

Ok and where is your source for this garbage? I'll tell you mine. Hi, my actual name is Drago. And I'm the director of global sales for one of the few companies who manufacturers the test kits and various other med devices that are being used to combat Covid 19. Once again stop reading headlines. I can assure you the United States is buying more test kits and equipment then 3/4 of Europe combined. And no I am not american if you think I'm being biased. Nor do I live in the US. For the third time. Stop reading headlines and repeating it as news. This is exactly why the world has the problems it has now. While taking a shit people scroll through social media. Read and headline. And repost it or talk about it. When 90% of it is garbage information.

And don't forget USA has been testing like this for about 2 weeks. Europe has been for over 6 weeks. Asia for 3 months. If that doesn't mean anything to you. Well sir you probably rode the short bus to school and had supervised lunches.

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wesheltonj said:

And where are these test kits supposed to materialize from?

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According Chago he has already sold a metric ton to the US.

StephenZambia said:

Not reading headlines, or news.
If the US is buying tests NOW it means they haven't done the tests yet. I said the US was behind, here is an overview of number of tests as of March 20, the US was way behind. As I said, the US has been picking up pace in testing (as reflected by your claims about how much tests they are buying NOW), but it was slow to start (maybe you fell of the bus before you got to reading that part).

https://ourworldindata.org/covid-testing#covid-19-test-coverage-estimates-as-of-20-march
As of March 19/20:
UAE at the time did >12,000 per 1,000,000 people.
South Korea >6,000
Australia >4,400
Germany ~2,000
Austria >1,700
UK ~950 (and there are lots of complaints in the UK about the lack of testing
US ~313...

Since the US has picked up its pace in testing, and they might be buying by far the most tests now, that doesn't mean they have done most testing of all countries so far. They will probably get there though.

This source (https://www.businessinsider.com/number-of-coronavirus-tests-in-each-us-state-map-2020-3?op=1&r=US&IR=T) published on March 24 says 290,000 tests have been performed in the US, up from 10,000 on March 12, so about 1,000 tests per million people.
The most up to date data on testing in the US is collected on this website: https://covidtracking.com/data/
(a page solely dedicated to how many tests are being performed per state). As of 3/28/20 12:22 ET they had recorded 672,449 tests.
The UAE had done over 10,000 tests already for every 1,000,000 people on March 20 (likely much higher now as they haven't stopped testing). If the US would have the same test rate they would have done over 3 million tests. They are far from that.
In fact, with about 675,000 tests done, that's about 2250 tests per 1,000,000....about where Germany was on March 20 (and they've continued tested, as have many other countries), but still below Australia, South Korea and UAE. In absolute numbers they might have done the mosts tests now (but don't discount China), but that would be a poor reflection of the effort of the country to check on the health of its citizens.

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Yes exactly. This conversation began with people debating why the USA was so bad due to confirmed cases alone and not considering how the world is testing. I had said they are not worse they are just mass testing more accurately. And again your skewing the data. Your taking data from March 20 which was 8-9 days after USA began heavily testing. And comparing it to countries who have been testing for months. USA did not start off slow, they started when it started to become an issue here. It's clear the virus has spread from east to west across the globe. Europe being hit well before north america. USA now has tested over 3 million people which is 1% of the population. Remember when fake news posts number of tests. It's number of results. So there are days worth of tests that have been taken on top of that. So based on your data above USA is at 10,000 per million after 2 weeks!!!! Those above countries are less than that after months of testing. Key piece of data here is timing.

If I test my entire countries population in 1 week. Or 1 month. Which is more accurate? Entire population tested for a contagious virus with a 10 day incubation period. Which is more accurate? The answer is the one week, because people are going to further spread the virus. So the shorter the time period the tests are done the more accurate it is. So again. To the original point I made. The USA cases are far higher then other countries. Because they are mass testing aggressively.

Other countries are testing for example 100 people per day. And if it shows only 20 new cases today. We will report that. And tomorrow we will test another 100. The USA has conducted millions of tests in a 14 day window. Get a real snap shot or as close as they could to what this virus is actually doing. I would bet my house. Italy and china are both close to 1million total cases. But have reported either incorrectly or did not test. And you will see when this is all said and done. The USA on all the counting websites. Will have more cases then most countries combined. And it will have nothing to do with trumps plan or the health of Americans, or USa waiting too long etc. No it will only be because there numbers are the closest to being accurate. As everyone else is not testing unnecessarily. Now as much as I said USA is most accurate. That doesn't mean I think it's necessary. But for the sake of this argument and everyone comparing countries based on total cases. It's flawed argument as no two countries are testing the same way.

Standard Velocity said:

According Chago he has already sold a metric ton to the US.

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Trucks are leaving every single day. At this point the next hospital or government that orders will be receiving in mid June. By this coming Friday I'm positive it will be July.

Spain, after two weeks of lockdown, the government has decreed a further two weeks of total lockdown, where only essential production and services are allowed to operate.

Nyati said:

Spain, after two weeks of lockdown, the government has decreed a further two weeks of total lockdown, where only essential production and services are allowed to operate.

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Ya I fear this goes on for much longer. That's why I don't believe china at all. They are making there numbers low by not testing. And pretending like ohhhh we shut this down in a month. I don't know why all of you are struggling for a year.

I’m quickly growing weary of all the changing metrics when it comes to testing. First it’s just about how many were tested, then is becomes about how many per million have been tested, now I see it reported as % of total population tested with news agencies picking small countries to compare to the USA. For example the Washington Post reports the US has tested .2% of its population and Norway (??) 1.5%.
What in the actual hell type of comparison is that? We’ve got 67x the population in 25x the area. Do these morons actually think that those two factors do not present serious challenges?

our testing was late in starting, yes, but To act as though all OTHER things should be equal is disingenuous at best.

Lies, damned lies and statistics and 95% of what's in the media fits the former.

Jfet said:

...and the rest of the human population that has figured out to wash their hands and turn off the media.

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My father took me to see this when it came out in 1964 (I was 12). One of my all time favorites, and as a gift to civilization it was remastered in Bluray HD for its 5oth anniversary. Virtually all of them gone except Michael Caine. Magnificent movie.

It would seem Gov Whitmer is also more interested in establishing her anti-Trump bonafides - that Vice Presidency is hanging out there after all - than using established drugs to save lives. This admonition was in a letter that went out to medical professionals within the state of Michigan four days ago. Fortunately, a number of hospitals are apparently ignoring it.

Whitmer sent a letter to medical professionals on March 24:

Prescribing hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine without further proof of efficacy for treating COVID-19 or with the intent to stockpile the drug may create a shortage for patients with lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, or other ailments for which chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are proven treatments. Reports of this conduct will be evaluated and may be further investigated for administrative action. Prescribing any kind of prescription must also be associated with medical documentation showing proof of the medical necessity and medical condition for which the patient is being treated. Again, these are drugs that have not been proven scientifically or medically to treat COVID-19.

Trump made her angry, hurt her feelings and she is going to retaliate by killing some of her citizens. Only in America.

What is particularly obscene to me is that she orders suspension of use while cloaking it in an accusation against her own medical professionals.

Rather different than her NY and fellow Democrat counterpart who is sitting on a powderkeg and employing every tool in the shed to include an aggressive treatment protocol using chloroquine.

Red Leg said:

It would seem Gov Whitmer is also more interested in establishing her anti-Trump bonafides - that Vice Presidency is hanging out there - than using established drugs to save lives. This admonition was in a letter that went out to medical professionals within the state of Michigan four days ago. Fortunately, a number of hospitals are apparently ignoring it.

Whitmer sent a letter to medical professionals on March 24:

Prescribing hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine without further proof of efficacy for treating COVID-19 or with the intent to stockpile the drug may create a shortage for patients with lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, or other ailments for which chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are proven treatments. Reports of this conduct will be evaluated and may be further investigated for administrative action. Prescribing any kind of prescription must also be associated with medical documentation showing proof of the medical necessity and medical condition for which the patient is being treated. Again, these are drugs that have not been proven scientifically or medically to treat COVID-19.

Trump made her angry, hurt her feelings and she is going to retaliate by killing some of her citizens. Only in America.

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Her approval ratings have actually been up over the last few weeks with her perceived handling of the virus. Now she has changed focus though. If she keeps bashing Trump instead of doing her job that is likely to be a short lived increase.

Am I the only one who thinks our testing protocols are mixed up? Almost every country which is testing is testing people who are showing signs of sickness. Makes sense? Maybe, but . . . we've learned that many, many people who actually have Covid-19 will be completely asymptomatic. These people will not be tested under current protocols, yet they can spread the virus as easily as someone who is showing symptoms. Equally, we are told that people can shed the virus for up to 48 hours before symptoms begin to show. Again, these people can spread the virus before they are tested.

I'm not a doctor, nor a public health expert. But it does strike me that testing only sick people is a sure way of ensuring a continued supply of sick people.

Have I missed something?

Red Leg said:

My father took me to see this when it came out in 1964 (I was 12). One of my all time favorites, and as a gift to civilization it was remastered in Bluray HD for its 5oth anniversary. Virtually all of them gone except Michael Caine. Magnificent movie.

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Hey Joe same ...first film I can remember going to see...and yup great film....apologies all for slight detour....

Jfet said:

...and the rest of the human population that has figured out to wash their hands and turn off the media.

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Looking at numbers of cases alone, in my mind, does not tell the whole story. If my math is wrong, which it might be, that figure is .29% of the population of the USA. Italy's number is 1.4%, Spain 1.6% and Germany is .6% of their population. Not including China, these are the countries with the highest numbers of cases. Just my thoughts.

spike.t said:

Hey Joe same ...first film I can remember going to see...and yup great film....apologies all for slight detour....

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Went with my dad as a kid . . . Great movie. One of the things that made me want to go to Africa. Visited Rorke’s Drift on a hunt. Apologies for the detour as well!

3/28/2020 5pm as per the JohnsHopkins Corona website, the US has 121,177 confirmed cases and 2010 deaths. Is this just the tip of the iceberg? If the normal, seasonal flu kills 24-62k in 6 months, we've got a ways to go with this.

From the CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/preliminary-in-season-estimates.htm

Red Leg said:

It would seem Gov Whitmer is also more interested in establishing her anti-Trump bonafides - that Vice Presidency is hanging out there after all - than using established drugs to save lives. This admonition was in a letter that went out to medical professionals within the state of Michigan four days ago. Fortunately, a number of hospitals are apparently ignoring it.

Whitmer sent a letter to medical professionals on March 24:

Prescribing hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine without further proof of efficacy for treating COVID-19 or with the intent to stockpile the drug may create a shortage for patients with lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, or other ailments for which chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are proven treatments. Reports of this conduct will be evaluated and may be further investigated for administrative action. Prescribing any kind of prescription must also be associated with medical documentation showing proof of the medical necessity and medical condition for which the patient is being treated. Again, these are drugs that have not been proven scientifically or medically to treat COVID-19.

Trump made her angry, hurt her feelings and she is going to retaliate by killing some of her citizens. Only in America.

What is particularly obscene to me is that she orders suspension of use while cloaking it in an accusation against her own medical professionals.

Rather different than her NY and fellow Democrat counterpart who is sitting on a powderkeg and employing every tool in the shed to include an aggressive treatment protocol using chloroquine.

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Trump should announce that Oxygen is the cure. Anti Trumpers will suffocate themselves.

Hank2211 said:

Am I the only one who thinks our testing protocols are mixed up? Almost every country which is testing is testing people who are showing signs of sickness. Makes sense? Maybe, but . . . we've learned that many, many people who actually have Covid-19 will be completely asymptomatic. These people will not be tested under current protocols, yet they can spread the virus as easily as someone who is showing symptoms. Equally, we are told that people can shed the virus for up to 48 hours before symptoms begin to show. Again, these people can spread the virus before they are tested.

I'm not a doctor, nor a public health expert. But it does strike me that testing only sick people is a sure way of ensuring a continued supply of sick people.

Have I missed something?

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Here in the US, the issue is the number of test kits. Only two weeks ago, the state of TN had a grand total of 85. So testing had to be prioritized. We now have several several thousands of test, but still not nearly enough to test even those who are showing symptoms.

At our office of 19 employees, two left sick, and both subsequently tested. Both were negative, one with a return case of pneumonia, one with a sinus infection. Again, if there were 300 million test kits available, the other 17 of us should have been tested prior to the negative test for our fellow employees results. But there are not enough test. So we quarantine the two sick for 14 days regardless, and monitor the remaining 17 for any symptoms while keeping social distances and washing hands and using hand sanitizer.

What folks seem to be missing in all the measures of lock down is that if we do not take drastic measures, the virus continues to spread exponentially. As the virus spreads, the healthcare system is over taxed. Now if I have an emergency not related to Covid 19, all the ICU space, all the hospital beds and rooms, all the healthcare professionals are tied up with Covid 19. No, Covid 19 is not fatal to all but a small percentage of patients. However, it is the large numbers and it still requires great resources to treat. Thus the paradox. I can’t be treated promptly for my broken arm, heart attack, car wreck or pneumonia because all the resources are now treating the folks who maybe refused to take measures and treated this virus like it was an overblown cold.

Think of it this way. Nashville is on the border between Kentucky and Tennessee. Tennessee has a helmet law for riding motorcycles. Kentucky does not. 90 percent of head trauma cases for motorcycle wrecks at Nashville hospitals come from KY. So why is it fair that all the resources, OR rooms, neurologist, ICU rooms at Nashville hospitals tied up with accident cases from another state that will not do something so fundamental as enact a helmet law? Am I to be denied treatment for my head trauma issue just because of ignorance of others from another state?

In the same sense, if we do not act now to decrease the spread of the virus, then we are just putting all our healthcare resources at risk such that if we really need them in our time of need, they may just not be available.

Just my licked downed 2 cents worth.

I telecommute for my job. Sometimes I don't see anyone from the company for months at a time. I work alone, and only come in contact with a few people during the work day. They now have a new policy, that I need to call in every morning to confirm that, I, or my household is not ill, or have any symptoms.