What are your thoughts on how government is handling COVID-19

[Roselina]

Not sure I understand. If I drive to Heathrow today, will they put me in quarantine for two weeks?

No, but you are not allowed to enter the US, if you‘ve been in a county banned from entry 2 weeks prior to departure. So if you are based in France, you‘d have to actually stay and wain in the UK before you fly. If you‘re an American you can enter, but only if tested before (whatever this means... and you‘d have to find a plane too first).

 

[Roselina]

Can Americans fly to Europe and then back again?

If they find a plane that actually flies, then yes.

 

[Sibsgirl]

Maybe Biden’s campaign strategists should seize on the slogan “Make America Well Again!”

This has been Bernie's slogan for years ...

 

[Loves Vintage]

If they find a plane that actually flies, then yes.

Ok, so makes no sense. And, markets have reacted appropriately. Thank you for clarifying.

 

[diamondsR4eVR]

I find Germany and France pretty good regarding the communication. Matter of fact and science based. No signs of public panic, really. But the geographical proximity to Italy is there and nothing they can control. People were quarantined fast and the first patients who were infected but well were brought to one of the best university Hospitals to conduct a study. The results were communicated. It does help that Angela Merkel has a ph.d. in physics. Science based handling. People were quarantined fast. Only things that were lacking: not forbidding certain mass gatherings early on. France: football game vs Italian club with thousands of Italian supporters. Germany: traditional carnival was not forbidden. People attended a party and got infected. Totally foreseeable...

Having spent a month in Germany several years ago I became a huge fan of Angela Merkel. The states could definitely use our own version of Ms. Merkel. She’s a smart lady and genuinely cares for her people. She’s the epitome imo of public service.

 

[MarionC]

Ok, so makes no sense. And, markets have reacted appropriately. Thank you for clarifying.

So far there are planes. Each airline has very expensive « slots » to maintain, so it’s cheaper to fly an empty plane than lose a slot.

 

[MollyMalone]

Here's the proclamation itself, which was posted last night after the President (mis)spoke about it -- he couldn't even accurately read his speech off the teleprompter:

Proclamation—Suspension of Entry as Immigrants and Nonimmigrants of Certain Additional Persons Who Pose a Risk of Transmitting 2019 Novel Coronavirus | The White House

On January 31, 2020, I issued Proclamation 9984 (Suspension of Entry as Immigrants and Nonimmigrants of Persons Who Pose a Risk of Transmitting 2019 Novel

www.whitehouse.gov

https://twitter.com/x/status/1238106900912316416

 

[asscherisme]

Acutely awful at all levels. IMO.

100% agree.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Here's the proclamation itself, which was posted last night after the President (mis)spoke about it -- he couldn't even accurately read his speech off the teleprompter:

Proclamation—Suspension of Entry as Immigrants and Nonimmigrants of Certain Additional Persons Who Pose a Risk of Transmitting 2019 Novel Coronavirus | The White House

On January 31, 2020, I issued Proclamation 9984 (Suspension of Entry as Immigrants and Nonimmigrants of Persons Who Pose a Risk of Transmitting 2019 Novel

www.whitehouse.gov

https://twitter.com/x/status/1238106900912316416

Sigh, his incompetence would be funny if it weren’t terrifying how horrible he’s been about this whole thing.

 

[the_mother_thing]

In a time of crisis (and I really think everyone should read the Atlantic article from yesterday to understand the risk), I do expect 100 percent reliable facts knowable at the time from the president. Settling for less is what’s permitted so many people to accept this presidency for what it is. To me, the president’s actions thus far are immoral.

Yes, I agree.

Many Americans liked their healthcare and were promised they could keep it ... so let’s make sure we are being fair in our assessment of ‘Presidential facts’, shall we?

 

[MollyMalone]

@the_mother_thing - while at the CDC last Friday, Trump declared, without qualification, "Anybody who wants a test gets a test. That's the bottom line." And "Anybody right now and yesterday -- anybody who needs a test gets a test. They're here. They have the tests. And the tests are beautiful. Anybody who needs a test gets a test." He repeated this "fact" more than once after that

Dr. Redfield eventually interjected that the ordering of a test would be a clinical judgment of the patient's doctor or nurse practitioner (which makes sense; we patients can't expect to walk into Quest and be tested for, e.g., diabetes upon merely our request)

But it wasn't true on Friday that any medical professional anywhere in the USA who thought one or more of their patients should be tested could arrange for prompt testing. And it's still not true today.

 

[missy]

America’s shamefully slow coronavirus testing threatens all of us

The US lags just about every developed country on testing for Covid-19 disease.

www.vox.com

Accurate testing is critical to stopping an outbreak: When one person gets a confirmed diagnosis, they can be put in isolation where they won’t spread the disease further. Then their contacts can be identified and put into quarantine — so that they don’t spread the virus if they’ve become infected, too. That’s particularly important for a virus like this one, which seems able to spread before people show symptoms, or when their symptoms are mild.

Ever since the first case of Covid-19 was detected in the US on January 20, the government’s blunders in creating and distributing diagnostic testing have greatly handicapped our response to the growing pandemic. Eaker’s story is not unique: Reports suggest providers everywhere are struggling to help their patients, while receiving frustrating guidance from authorities.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the federal government’s top infectious disease scientist, called the testing situation a “failing” at a congressional hearing on Thursday.

We don’t need testing just to diagnose sick people coming into doctor’s offices and hospitals. We also need testing to do surveillance out in communities. “You actually have to go out now in many places in the US and start taking samples from people,” Grubaugh says.

Those surveillance studies will help us understand how prevalent milder cases are in populations. And adding those milder cases to data sets will help researchers determine, more accurately, how deadly this virus is, whom it tends to infect, and how often people spread it before showing symptoms. As testing ramps up, be prepared to hear about a lot more cases of Covid-19 in the US.

As former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb tweeted Thursday, the private labs also need to step up. “Only big national clinical labs like LabCorp and Quest can fill the void. A lot rides on them now. ... Only these big national chains have throughput, scale, and ordering systems to fill the void that was created. We look to them now. We need them.”

All that information can then be used to better halt the spread of the illness.

Again, without testing, we’re in the dark. And while we’re in the dark, the virus can spread. As Rasmussen says, “we don’t know what the prevalence actually is.”

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

Has anyone given any thought to why Trump is acting as he is. He wants to help the travel and leisure industry, and the oil and gas industry, and he wants to eliminate the payroll tax from the employer and the employee for a year which I understand will add 1 billion to our deficit. Oh my gosh, I remember now, Trump has golf resorts and hotels. Why should his business have to pay workers for time off from the virus, when he can get an exemption for paying payroll taxes for his workers He is against paying lost wages for low income workers like maids, servers, but give him the payroll tax exemption for a year. What he wants to give is a larger bailout than the banks got.

Mitch McConnell wisely turned it down. Always look at what he proposes. He minimized the Virus because he will get cancellations at his Resorts. He cannot behave any different. His brain really works that way.

And yes, I really do believe it.

Annette

 

[Matata]

He minimized the Virus because he will get cancellations at his Resorts.

and tRump also doesn't want anything such as a pesky pandemic to reflect negatively on his chances for reelection. He exists comfortably as the center of his universe.

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

Matata,

I thought of you last night when DT went on TV. I thought they got his orange color just right. The Orange Orangutan made another outstanding performance reading the teleprompter His makeup was well done.

What do you think he is hiding under there. Age spots?

Annette

 

[Tekate]

Who knows, maybe his administration will be funding research again and we will have cures for terrible, debilitating conditions like Alzheimer's, I so hope so, and if you have some medical information on VP Biden then please do share DF, we are all eyes here, gratuitous misinformation get's us nowhere now.

Yup, First by finding a cure for his Alzheimer's disease.

 

[the_mother_thing]

@the_mother_thing - while at the CDC last Friday, Trump declared, without qualification, "Anybody who wants a test gets a test. That's the bottom line." And "Anybody right now and yesterday -- anybody who needs a test gets a test. They're here. They have the tests. And the tests are beautiful. Anybody who needs a test gets a test." He repeated this "fact" more than once after that

Dr. Redfield eventually interjected that the ordering of a test would be a clinical judgment of the patient's doctor or nurse practitioner (which makes sense; we patients can't expect to walk into Quest and be tested for, e.g., diabetes upon merely our request)

But it wasn't true on Friday that any medical professional anywhere in the USA who thought one or more of their patients should be tested could arrange for prompt testing. And it's still not true today.

I get it; I didn’t say he was perfect, or every word he has stated (about this or anything else) is/was fact/truth/accurate/etc. I also don’t expect every single word that every medical ‘professional’ says right now to be fact/truth/accurate/etc. The fundamental fact and point I’m making that a lot of people are missing in their rush to criticize, condemn, and opine on our various leaders’ ‘intentions’ is that in times of crisis, there are bound to be misstatements, mistakes, misinformation, etc.

If you don’t like hearing it come out of “the orange one’s” mouth, stop tuning into the ‘news’ and go to the CDC website for the latest. Putting so much energy into criticizing others in the midst of the ‘crisis’ benefits no one. Rest assured, there is a time for and WILL be a ‘post mortem’ on handling, opportunities for improvement, etc., but it’s after the situation is contained and more ‘manageable’.

If you come home to a running faucet in your sink and water spilling all over the floor ... do you hurl accusations and conduct an interrogation of household members, or do you first turn the faucet off and grab some towels to contain the problem and minimize damage?

 

[MakingTheGrade]

I highly recommend today’s The Daily episode on how China and South Korea contained the epidemic. The contrast from there to here (and Italy) is staggering.

While I agree that one person can’t be blamed for handling this poorly. I also think it’s fair for people to look to their leaders for guidance and so the president and other leaders can do massive damage by their messaging and the way they are shaping policy. I believe in self responsibility but containing an epidemic requires coordinated and precise efforts that we depend on elected leadership to provide because grass roots efforts is not how you want to approach pandemic. This is why we elect leaders. To not hold them accountable for what they say and the actions they do or do not take, to not apply pressure now in order to change the response to crisis when you believe it to be the wrong response, is to not advocate for your rights and safety.

If you believe the govt here is doing well, we can agree to disagree. But I 100% will continue to complain and criticize and try to contribute to the momentum to put us on what I think is the right course of action to best protect people. And that right now also means calling out the president and other government reps when they are spreading what I perceive to be damaging misinformation and opinion. Opinions can also be massively damaging when coming from positions of power and influence.

Edit: I wish I could just stop listening to trump give statements but as a clinician I consider that willful ignorance since I need to be aware of public messaging in order to provide helpful guidance and look out for my patients health and wellness. I already don’t listen live and choose to read transcripts instead so I don’t get so angry lol.

Honestly I’m not happy with either party at the moment and am not interested in comparing who’s doing worse. I just want the people who have the power to make things better to make well informed decisions and do their jobs.

 

[MarionC]

I highly recommend today’s The Daily episode on how China and South Korea contained the epidemic. The contrast from there to here (and Italy) is staggering.

While I agree that one person can’t be blamed for handling this poorly. I also think it’s fair for people to look to their leaders for guidance and so the president and other leaders can do massive damage by their messaging and the way they are shaping policy. I believe in self responsibility but containing an epidemic requires coordinated and precise efforts that we depend on elected leadership to provide because grass roots efforts is not how you want to approach pandemic. This is why we elect leaders. To not hold them accountable for what they say and the actions they do or do not take, to not apply pressure now in order to change the response to crisis when you believe it to be the wrong response, is to not advocate for your rights and safety.

If you believe the govt here is doing well, we can agree to disagree. But I 100% will continue to complain and criticize and try to contribute to the momentum to put us on what I think is the right course of action to best protect people. And that right now also means calling out the president and other government reps when they are spreading what I perceive to be damaging misinformation and opinion. Opinions can also be massively damaging when coming from positions of power and influence.

Edit: I wish I could just stop listening to trump give statements but as a clinician I consider that willful ignorance since I need to be aware of public messaging in order to provide helpful guidance and look out for my patients health and wellness. I already don’t listen live and choose to read transcripts instead so I don’t get so angry lol.

Great post.
NYT just said Trump was directly exposed to some who has tested positive, he sat next to the person at dinner. I wonder if he will get tested now, or maybe he did and is saying he didn’t.

I mean he was so clear that he would not get the test, but as the leader of our country you would think it would be a good idea.

 

[Tekate]

But you NEVER add to this banal statement MOT

Those individual market plans were discontinued, but policyholders weren’t denied coverage. And the question is, how many millions of insured Americans had plans canceled, and how does that compare with the millions of uninsured Americans who gained coverage under the law.

more from the pointer:

It’s true that insurance companies discontinued health plans that had covered millions of people who had bought them directly rather than through an employer. That’s because those plans didn’t meet the coverage standards of the new law.

So let's stick to facts. Here is the facts:

'Millions' Lost Insurance

Anti-Obamacare ads have claimed that "millions" lost their health insurance and their doctors because of the law. But policyholders weren't denied coverage, and there's evidence that far more gained insurance than had their plans canceled.

www.factcheck.org

So did these people who were underinsured love to pay for their health insurance? or did these people wish to have better insurance? I am not sure because of all the misinformation (and that is kind) from the right.

PolitiFact - Lie of the Year: 'If you like your health care plan, you can keep it'

It was a catchy political pitch and a chance to calm nerves about his dramatic and complicated plan to bring historic ch

www.politifact.com

Obama in fact mislead (or LIE if one chose's hyperbole) either way, he was wrong. But the conservative press mislead also.

Obamacare and the ACA: Facts To Help You Maximize Your Benefits

Get the facts about Obamacare, including how it works, who is eligible, and the benefits it offers. Knowing the facts helps you get everything you deserve from the ACA.

www.thebalance.com

Conservatives: my taxes are up!
Left: people will be healthier

We have seen NOW what a right-wing nutjob has done for us in a real national emergency and he is lacking. TOTALLY as is his crew of sycophant's.

Many Americans liked their healthcare and were promised they could keep it ... so let’s make sure we are being fair in our assessment of ‘Presidential facts’, shall we?

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Great post.

Thanks. I’m not trying to pick sides and if ever there was a time to put aside politics it’s now. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to be apathetic towards those in power when I think they’re actively contributing to harm through statements, action, or inaction. If I could lecture them in person I would and I would have on my sternest “disappointed mom” voice lol.

Philly just recently cancelled the st Patrick’s day parade. I was about to lose my mind because for awhile they were saying it was still happening because “we’re not afraid of no virus” or some nonsense like that.

 

[Tekate]

Wot? Would you be so kind to a democratic president? Nah.

I love your method of debate! This is a red herring argument you have presented and I am sure you know it, also you present straw man arguments.

I was on the debate team in college, I LOVE to debate. I would EVEN consider taking the conservative side if I thought it had one iota of truth to it.

this is red herring btw, but I should have gone to law school.

I get it; I didn’t say he was perfect, or every word he has stated (about this or anything else) is/was fact/truth/accurate/etc. I also don’t expect every single word that every medical ‘professional’ says right now to be fact/truth/accurate/etc. The fundamental fact and point I’m making that a lot of people are missing in their rush to criticize, condemn, and opine on our various leaders’ ‘intentions’ is that in times of crisis, there are bound to be misstatements, mistakes, misinformation, etc.

If you don’t like hearing it come out of “the orange one’s” mouth, stop tuning into the ‘news’ and go to the CDC website for the latest. Putting so much energy into criticizing others in the midst of the ‘crisis’ benefits no one. Rest assured, there is a time for and WILL be a ‘post mortem’ on handling, opportunities for improvement, etc., but it’s after the situation is contained and more ‘manageable’.

If you come home to a running faucet in your sink and water spilling all over the floor ... do you hurl accusations and conduct an interrogation of household members, or do you first turn the faucet off and grab some towels to contain the problem and minimize damage?

 

[MakingTheGrade]

I’m listening to an interesting podcast called Epidemic. Episode one is an interview with the former Ebola tzar. Interesting to hear his perspective as someone who was tasked with managing a public health crisis.

 

[telephone89]

I highly recommend today’s The Daily episode on how China and South Korea contained the epidemic. The contrast from there to here (and Italy) is staggering.

Thank you for recommending this, I'm going to watch!
TBH I think the Korean govt sucked at first (lots of deniers) but they've ramped up and took strict and efficient steps once it blew up.

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

State of the Republic address in France : President Macron informs us that from Monday all schools, universities will be closed

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

Asks us for solidarity, asks people older than 70 years to socially distance /self quarantine.

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

The healthcare "plan blanc" is now on:

-Mobilisation of all medical staff
-Communication between all medical branches
- liberation of hospital beds (non urgent medical interventions on halt)

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

Very calm, unifying and presidential.

 

[voce]

Great post.
NYT just said Trump was directly exposed to some who has tested positive, he sat next to the person at dinner. I wonder if he will get tested now, or maybe he did and is saying he didn’t.

I mean he was so clear that he would not get the test, but as the leader of our country you would think it would be a good idea.

For the good of the nation, I hope he does get COVID-19 himself so he can stop interfering with people who want to do something about it.

 

[redwood66]

For the good of the nation, I hope he does get COVID-19 himself so he can stop interfering with people who want to do something about it.

I don't think this would be helpful at all.