Mar 202020
 


David Hockney Do remember they can’t cancel the spring 2020 (released for corona crisis)

 

 

“We’re Not Even Counting The Dead Any More” (R.)
One Iranian Dies Of Coronavirus Every 10 Minutes, 50 Get Infected Every Hour (RT)
Madrid Reports One Coronavirus Death Every 16 Minutes (MT)
Young Adults Make Up A Big Part Of US Coronavirus Hospitalizations (CNN)
France Tightens COVID-19 Lockdown Restrictions To ‘Max 2km From Home’ (RT)
Severe Restrictions On Movement In California Now In Place (JTN)
‘Zero Prospect’ Of London Lockdown Involving Movement Limits, Says No 10 (G.)
4 GOP Senators Implicated In Stock Dumping Scandal (RawS)
Sen. Loeffler (R-GA) Dumped Stocks After Jan 24 Meeting On Coronavirus (NYP)
Untested Health Workers Put Elderly at Risk for Coronavirus
Senate GOP Coronavirus Bailout Bill Caps Executive Pay At $425,000 (CNBC)
South Korea Success In Virus Control Due To Acceptance Of Surveillance (Conv.)
Everyone In Iceland Can Get Tested For The Coronavirus (BF)
Baltimore Mayor Begs Residents To Stop Shooting Each Other (WJZ)

 

 

Saw some numbers come in yesterday, one coronavirus death in Madrid every 16 minutes on Monday, and one death in Iran every 10 minutes, with 50 new infections every hour. That sounds real horrible.

Then I saw that in Italy over the 24 hours prior to their announcement of their new numbers around 12 pm EDT, there had been 427 new deaths and 5,322 new cases. Off the top of my head, correct me if I’m wrong, that is one death every 3 minutes, and 3.7 new cases every minute (221.7 every hour).

The numbers below continue their relentless rise, and no, it’s not the numbers themselves that matter, it’s the trajectory. And as much as people can maintain that lockdowns are overkill, the alternative appears to be Italy. And of course that country has been far too late in its initial response, and made some huge mistakes in the process, but so has very other single country and government in the world.

Ergo, Boris Johnson solemnly swearing that that there will be no lockdown in London will only serve to isolate Britain even more than if it did have a lockdown. The most amazing images yesterday came from the British Parliament, which, as nations after nation forbids gatherings of more than 100 or even just 10, people, still has all these folk sitting practically on each other’s lap for hours on end.

One other point: I said last week that I did not agree with the accepted view, that the US would come in a separate wave behind France, Germany and Spain, even though the numbers back then seemed to indicate that view was correct. Today, the US, where both cases and deaths shot up some 45% in 24 hours, is right in the middle of what I called the Wave 2 group.

My prediction: The US has overtaken France, and will in the next few days pass Germany, Spain, and then Iran.

 

 

 

Cases 250,618 (+ 28,684 from yesterday’s 221,934)

Deaths 10,255 (+ 1,256 from yesterday’s 8,999)

 

From Worldometer yesterday evening (before their day’s close)

 

 

From Worldometer -NOTE: mortality rate for closed cases is at 10% –

 

 

From SCMP: (Note: the SCMP graph was useful when China was the focal point; they are falling behind now)

 

 

From COVID2019.app: (New format lacks new cases and deaths)

 

 

 

 

US #coronavirus March :

3/1: 89
3/2: 105
3/3: 125
3/4: 159
3/5: 227
3/6: 331
3/7: 444
3/8: 564
3/9: 728
3/10: 1,000
3/11: 1,267
3/12: 1,645
3/13: 2,204
3/14: 2,826
3/15: 3,505
3/16: 4,466
3/17: 6,135
3/18: 8,760
Now: 14,366

 

 

 

 

 

https://twitter.com/Talking_Monkeys/status/1240443538170617857

 

 

Remember, this from 12 days ago is still very much relevant: The Virus is a Time Machine. What’s happening in Italy today will very likely happen to your country and community in a week, or 2 or 3.

“We’re Not Even Counting The Dead Any More” (R.)

Doctor Romano Paolucci, who came out of retirement to help at a hospital in Italy’s coronavirus epicenter, says one of the hardest things for him is not so much seeing people die – he is used to that. It is seeing them die alone, without a loved one by their side, often having to say their final farewell over a scratchy cell phone line. Paolucci is one of 70 doctors working long and exhausting shifts at the small Oglio Po Hospital, which until only a month ago was a normal provincial institution treating everything from tonsils to tumors. Now, it has been totally converted to treat coronavirus as Cremona province became the fourth-worst impacted province in Italy.

“I would say that we are at the end of our strength. This is a small hospital and we are taking in a lot of people … capacity is filled,” he said in a hallway amid the sounds of ventilators pumping oxygen, equipment beeping, and colleagues bustling. More of that type of noise would be music to his ears. “We do not have sufficient resources and especially staff because apart from everything else, now the staff are beginning to get sick,” he said. While medical staff work exhausting shifts of 12 hour or more and struggle to keep the patients alive, they also have to deal with the heartbreak of people dying without a loved one by their side, a measure necessary to contain the virus. “We have started a service in which we contact relatives on the phone to explain to them what is happening. So there is at least some contact,” he said.

[..] Nearly every inch of the hospital has been turned over to the coronavirus emergency, said Doctor Daniela Ferrari. There is no longer a paediatric ward or a cardiology ward and only three beds have been kept aside for emergency surgery. Six of the nine surgeons tested positive and had to go home, she said, adding that the hospital had a rate of about 20 percent of staff infected. Daniela Confalonieri, a nurse at the an San Raffaele hospital in the Lombardy regional capital of Milan, is also worried about sick medical staff. “We too are working in a situation of total emergency. The problem is that so many of our staff are at home as they are (have tested) positive. So that leaves a handful of us to run everything,” she said on a video posted on the internet.

“Psychological tension has gone through the roof. Unfortunately we can’t contain the situation in Lombardy, there’s a high level of contagion and we’re not even counting the dead any more,” she said.

Read more …

We still know so little of what goes on in Iran. But strenghtening sanctions, as the US is doing, is murderous and brainless.

One Iranian Dies Of Coronavirus Every 10 Minutes, 50 Get Infected Every Hour (RT)

Iranian authorities have provided shocking statistics showing the massive scale of the local Covid-19 outbreak. The country remains the worst-affected in the Middle East, with 1,284 coronavirus deaths already. “Based on our information, every 10 minutes one person dies from the coronavirus and some 50 people become infected with the virus every hour in Iran,” Kianush Jahanpur, the health ministry spokesman, wrote on Twitter. The death toll from the disease in Iran has reached 1,284 people, with 149 deaths coming in the last 24 hours. With 18,407 infected, Iranian medics are overwhelmed with the number of patients. The fight against the highly-contagious virus is being hampered by the harsh US sanctions against Tehran which Washington refuses to remove or soften despite international calls.

Read more …

One day, one city.

Madrid Reports One Coronavirus Death Every 16 Minutes (MT)

The latest official figures produced by the Spanish government show that the number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 throughout the country has risen to 17,147 with nearly 7,000 of the cases in the region of Madrid. The Region of Madrid is in crisis, with one death recorded every 16 minutes on Monday, the 88 deaths on Monday exacerbated by the influx of more than 3,000 people in one day taken into hospitals and clinics. At the same time, the latest data presented at lunchtime on Thursday include an increase in the number of fatalities related to the virus to 767. The number of cases increased by around 25% in the last 24 hours.

939 are in intensive care and 1,107 have recovered fully from the virus. One nurse has died in the Basque Country from the virus. It is hoped that the strict confinement of members of the public to their homes throughout Spain will slow the spread of the virus, but it is not known when the effects will become clear; according to Fernando Simón, who presented the latest data. Yesterday it was stated that the virus is expected to peak around 3 weeks after the start of the containment measures and nobody is under any illusions that this is not going to be a short-term lockdown.

The spokesman also reiterated that the virus is not only attacking elderly people. 33% of the cases are those aged 65 and more, 18% of whom are aged over 75. He also stated that 3 of the dead are known to have been under the age of 65, although it is also known that the young are less vulnerable to serious attacks and their symptoms are generally milder. He also reminded the public of the need for patience during the confinement period which has been established during the emergency, recognizing that frustration is beginning to mount and that tempers will be fraying. It is important to remember, he says, that staying at home is essential in order to make the period of confinement as short as possible for everyone and reduce the number of deaths. 

Read more …

About time that fable was halted.

Young Adults Make Up A Big Part Of US Coronavirus Hospitalizations (CNN)

Up to 20% of people hospitalized with coronavirus in the United States are young adults between ages 20 to 44, a new federal study shows. While the risk of dying was significantly higher in older people, the report issued Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows younger people are making up a big portion of hospitalizations. Nearly 9,000 Americans have tested positive for the virus. At least 149 have died. The CDC analyzed the cases of about 2,500 patients in the United States whose ages were known. Of the 508 patients known to have been hospitalized, 20% were notably younger — between ages 20 and 44, while 18% were between ages 45 and 54, the report says. The highest percentage of hospitalized patients was at 26% between ages 65 and 84. And of the 121 patients known to have been admitted to an ICU, 36% were adults ages 45 to 64, while 12% were ages 20 to 44. There were no ICU admissions reported for those under age 19, the report says.

Read more …

France is done fooling around.

France Tightens COVID-19 Lockdown Restrictions To ‘Max 2km From Home’ (RT)

France has dramatically tightened restrictions on movement amid its coronavirus lockdown, warning citizens that they should limit their travel to within one kilometer of their homes – and a maximum of two kilometers. The country went into a 15-day lockdown over the Covid-19 outbreak at noon on Tuesday, and a list of acceptable reasons for travel was published by the government. Those reasons include shopping for basic necessities, seeking medical treatment, helping a neighbor or relative, and walking the dog. Getting exercise was also seen as a legitimate reason – provided that it was done alone. All tolerated activities were only acceptable if a person filled out a government form stating their reasons for movement (those without a printer were permitted to handwrite a statement).


As of Thursday, a new advisory from the Ministry of Sport reminded people that the goal of the lockdown was for “everyone to be confined” and not to leave home unless it was for an “urgent” matter. The ministry said people should now stay within one (maximum two) kilometers of their home and that a “little jogging” was possible, but “not a 10k” run. Cycling is also now completely out of the question, with the French Cyclist Federation noting on Twitter that the activity “does not comply with the criteria” outlined by the government. The federation urged cyclists to help save lives and “stay at home!” In a joint statement, Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo and Paris Police Chief Didier Lallement made a “solemn appeal” to walkers and joggers, who are still frequenting the banks of the Seine and other areas in large numbers, to limit their movement to what is “strictly necessary.”

Read more …

How on earth can you call this “the most severe restrictions yet”?

Severe Restrictions On Movement In California Now In Place (JTN)

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday night ordered residents in America’s largest state to mostly stay at home, imposing the most severe restrictions yet aimed at stemming the spread of the coronavirus. The order will impact the state’s population of approximately 40 million people “until further notice.” “The California State Public Health Officer and Director of the California Department of Public Health is ordering all individuals living in the State of California to stay home or at their place of residence except as needed to follow the federal critical infrastructure sectors,” a state coronavirus response website says.


“Those that work in critical sectors should go to work. Grocery stores, pharmacies, banks and more will stay open,” the governor tweeted. Some of the places that will be closed include: “Dine-in restaurants,” “Bars and nightclubs,” “Entertainment venues,” “Gyms and fitness studios,” “Public events and gatherings” and “Convention Centers.”

Read more …

France has already threatened to close it borders on all Britons.

‘Zero Prospect’ Of London Lockdown Involving Movement Limits, Says No 10 (G.)

There is “zero prospect” of a London lockdown involving limits on movement but new restrictions could be put in place on pubs and cafes to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the capital, the government has said. The prime minister’s official spokesperson sought to quash overnight reports that there would be limits on transport or on who can enter or leave London, saying there was also no truth to reports that key workers would be asked to present papers to prove their status. But with people still being asked to avoid congregating in public, details of new steps to slow the virus in London – where it is spreading faster than anywhere else in the UK – are expected to be released later and are likely to include new conditions on pubs, cafes, bars and theatres.


The spokesperson said: “There are no plans to close down the transport network in London and there is zero prospect of any restriction being placed on travelling in or out of London. The prime minister and his advisers have set out the need for social distancing measures to limit the spread of the virus and to protect lives. “What we’re focused on is ensuring as many people as possible take that advice and don’t unnecessarily put themselves in a position where they could be spreading coronavirus.” He said speculation that households could be limited to only one person at a time leaving their home were untrue and he dismissed claims that people could be fined if they left their homes. Sweeping changes to ordinary life in the capital are already in place, with Transport for London announcing on Wednesday night that it was closing 40 tube stations that are not interchange hubs. A reduced service is expected on the underground and buses.

Read more …

Stay home!

Note: I think these people can’t even be investigated for this because of their jobs. Kick them out!

4 GOP Senators Implicated In Stock Dumping Scandal (RawS)

The GOP Senate Caucus faced a massive scandal on Thursday after multiple GOP senators revealed in public filings that they had sold large stock holdings after private briefings on the coronavirus scandal. Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) have all be implicated in the scandal. Now conservative Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe has also been caught up, after reporting he sold in late February. There have been calls for the implicated lawmakers to resign from office over the scandal.

Read more …

“Kelly Loeffler’s net worth is almost $500,000,000. She is the wealthiest member of Congress … and … it … just … isn’t … enough.”

“For some 18 years, Kelly Loeffler worked for Intercontinental Exchange. Most recently, she was the CEO of Bakkt, its cryptocurrency platform.”

“Sen. Kelly Loeffler is married to Jeffrey Sprecher, the chairman of the New York Stock Exchange, and the chairman and CEO of Intercontinental Exchange, which is NYSE’s parent company.”

Sen. Loeffler (R-GA) Dumped Stocks After Jan 24 Meeting On Coronavirus (NYP)

A wealthy Georgia senator is reportedly the second member of Congress to have dumped massive shares of stocks following a private, chamber-wide meeting on the new coronavirus. Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), whose husband is the chairman and CEO of the New York Stock Exchange, began selling off more than a million dollars in stocks on the same day as the closed-door Senate meeting on Friday, Jan. 24, reports The Daily Beast. Over the next three weeks, through Feb. 14, Loeffler made 27 sales worth between $1,275,000 and $3,100,000, before the market nosedived and her holdings’ values tanked. She also purchased stocks on Feb. 14 from two work-from-home related companies Citrix, which specializes in teleworking software, and another tech frim, Oracle, according to the report.

“Appreciate today’s briefing from the President’s top health officials on the novel coronavirus outbreak,” she tweeted after the meeting. Even after allegedly dumping her holdings, Loeffler bashed Democrats for playing up the threats of the virus. “Democrats have dangerously and intentionally misled the American people on #Coronavirus readiness,” she tweeted in late February. “Here’s the truth: @realDonaldTrump & his administration are doing a great job working to keep Americans healthy & safe.” The freshman senator didn’t make any market moves before the meeting since taking office on Jan. 6, the Daily Beast reported. [..] A spokesperson for Loeffler said the senator didn’t directly handle her stock portfolio and wasn’t aware of the transactions until weeks after the meeting, on Feb 16.

“This is a ridiculous and baseless attack. Sen. Loeffler does not make investment decisions for her portfolio,” the spokesperson said. “Investment decisions are made by multiple third-party advisors without her or her husband’s knowledge or involvement.” She was the second member of Congress to reportedly dump large stock holdings following the briefing. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and his wife, Brooke, sold between $628,000 and $1.7 million in publicly traded stocks on Feb. 13, a week before the market fell, the Center for Responsive Politics first reported.

Read more …

Insane. These things should have been arranged 2 months ago, whe those senators were selling their stocks.

Untested Health Workers Put Elderly at Risk for Coronavirus

Dr. Jennifer Rhodes-Kropf has reason to fear that she might be infected with the new coronavirus. Just last week, her husband was sick with a dry cough after taking several flights and attending conferences. And this past weekend, her 8-year-old daughter had a high fever and cough. Rhodes-Kropf was able to get her daughter tested for the flu and cytomegalovirus, another common viral infection — and she was negative for both — but she hasn’t been able to get a coronavirus test for herself or anyone else in her family. And while everyone who hasn’t already had the viral illness now sweeping the world is now likely fearing for their health, Rhodes-Kropf has a particular reason to worry: She cares for 185 patients whose an average age is 91.

And if she has the new coronavirus known as SARS CoV-2 and passes it onto them, it could be disastrous. “They’re often very frail,” said Rhodes-Kropf, a geriatrician who practices in Boston. “If they do get the virus, a lot of them would not survive it.” A report released yesterday by the Centers for Disease Control confirms her fears, showing that 27 percent of 130 patients who contracted the virus in the Life Care Center of Kirkland, Washington, had died as of March 9. Rhodes-Kropf, who is now seeing urgent patients after being fitted with an N95 face mask, tried to get tested. She asked her daughter’s pediatrician first and then inquired at a local hospital.

But, even after explaining that she was a doctor caring for many elderly patients and had reason to suspect she might have been exposed, she wasn’t able to find a site that would test her. CDC testing guidelines say that coronavirus testing should be done on people who are residents of affected communities and have symptoms. Nevertheless, many people who are already ill with fever and the dry cough that is a signature of the viral Covid-19 infection are finding it impossible to get tested. For the asymptomatic, it is virtually impossible, even though there is ample evidence that they can spread the disease.

Read more …

Help people who make $10k working 3 jobs. Help health workers risking their lives. This is just grotesque.

Senate GOP Coronavirus Bailout Bill Caps Executive Pay At $425,000 (CNBC)

Executives at companies that would receive bailout cash from the coronavirus-relief bill unveiled by Senate Republicans on Thursday would see their annual compensation capped at $425,000 for two years. The legislation would also allow the government a chance to make money off its investments in these firms. Under the proposal, the American airline industry would receive $50 billion, cargo air carriers would get $8 billion, and other ailing industries would get $150 billion. The money for cargo air carriers was an addition to the White House’s original proposal, a person familiar with the situation told CNBC. Senate Republicans now must negotiate the terms of the final bill with their Democratic counterparts, as well as with lawmakers in the Democratic-controlled House.

According to the measure, no executive at a company receiving money may make more than $425,000 in total annual compensation for two years, retroactive to March 1. Company employees whose salary has already been determined through collective bargaining agreement may be exempt from that restriction. That likely applies to the union workers at companies accepting aid. Politicians on both sides of the aisle have acknowledged a need to offer aid to industries like the airlines, for fear their fall would eliminate jobs for thousands of workers. But Democrats have warned against any corporate aid that appears to be lining the pockets of executives. Republicans have worried about the appearance of flagrant spending.

[..] President Donald Trump said Thursday he would consider taking an equity stake in companies accepting federal aid, a move that would ultimately dilute shareholders. Trump didn’t specify which companies he was referring to but called out those that have bought back stock. Delta, American, Southwest and United airlines have collectively spent about $39 billion over the last five years buying back shares. Democrats have said they may push for more restrictions, like forbidding stock buybacks. Trump himself said he would be “OK” with such a stipulation. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a joint statement: “Any economic stimulus proposal must include new, strong and strict provisions that prioritize and protect workers, such as banning the recipient companies from buying back stock, rewarding executives, and laying off workers.”

Read more …

Western countries all have such scenarios waiting as well.

South Korea Success In Virus Control Due To Acceptance Of Surveillance (Conv.)

South Korea has been widely praised for its management of the outbreak and spread of the coronavirus disease COVID-19. The focus has largely been on South Korea’s enormous virus testing programme. What hasn’t been so widely reported is the country’s heavy use of surveillance technology, notably CCTV and the tracking of bank card and mobile phone usage, to identify who to test in the first place. And this is an important lesson for more liberal countries that might be less tolerant of such privacy invading measures but are hoping to emulate South Korea’s success.

While Taiwan and Singapore have excelled in containing the coronavirus, South Korea and China arguably provide the best models for stopping outbreaks when large numbers of people have been infected. China quarantined confirmed and potential patients, and restricted citizens’ movements as well as international travel. But South Korea accomplished a similar level of control and a low fatality rate (currently 1%) without resorting to such authoritarian measures. This certainly looks like the standard for liberal democratic nations. The most conspicuous part of the South Korean strategy is simple enough: test, test and test some more. The country has learned from the 2015 outbreak of MERS and reorganised its disease control system. It has a good, large-capacity healthcare system and a sophisticated biotech industry that can produce test kits quickly.

These factors enable the country to carry out 15,000 tests per day, making it second only to China in absolute numbers and third in the world for per person testing. But because COVID-19 is a mild disease for most people, only a small fraction of patients tend to contact health authorities for testing based on their symptoms or known contact with infected people. Many patients with mild symptoms, especially younger ones, don’t realise they are ill and infecting others. If these patients can’t be found, testing capacity doesn’t mean much. This is where smart city infrastructure comes in. The aim is to work out where known patients have been and test anyone who might have come into contact with them. There are three main ways people are tracked.

First, credit and debit cards. South Korea has the highest proportion of cashless transactions in the world. By tracking transactions, it’s possible to draw a card user’s movements on the map. Second, mobile phones can be used for the same purpose. In 2019, South Korea had one of the world’s highest phone ownership rates (there are more phones than people). Phone locations are automatically recorded with complete accuracy because devices are connected to between one and three transceivers at any time. And there are approximately 860,000 4G and 5G transceivers densely covering the whole country. Crucially, phone companies require all customers to provide their real names and national registry numbers. This means it’s possible to track nearly everyone by following the location of their phones.

Finally, CCTV cameras also enable authorities to identify people who have been in contact with COVID-19 patients. In 2014, South Korean cities had over 8 million CCTV cameras, or one camera per 6.3 people. In 2010, everyone was captured an average of 83.1 times per day and every nine seconds while travelling. These figures are likely to be much higher today. Considering the physical size of the country, it is safe to say South Korea has one of the highest densities of surveillance technology in the world.

Read more …

Screw globalization. Get self-sufficient.

Everyone In Iceland Can Get Tested For The Coronavirus (BF)

As countries around the world scramble to fight back the spread of the coronavirus, Iceland is doing things a little differently from the rest — and the approach could have a much larger impact on our understanding of the virus. The small island nation of 364,000 is carrying out large-scale testing among its general population, making it the latest country to put aggressive testing at the heart of its fight against the pandemic. But — crucially — the testing also includes people who show no symptoms of the disease. Iceland’s government said it has so far tested a higher proportion of its citizens than anywhere else in the world.

The number of individuals tested by the country’s health authorities and the biotechnology firm deCode Genetics — 3,787 — roughly translates to 10,405 per million, which compares to about 5,203 in South Korea, 2478 in Italy, and 764 in the UK. “Iceland’s population puts it in the unique position of having very high testing capabilities with help from the Icelandic medical research company deCode Genetics, who are offering to perform large scale testing,” Thorolfur Gudnason, Iceland’s chief epidemiologist, told BuzzFeed News. “This effort is intended to gather insight into the actual prevalence of the virus in the community, as most countries are most exclusively testing symptomatic individuals at this time.”

Of 3,787 individuals tested in the country, a total of 218 positive cases have been identified so far. “At least half of those infected contracted the virus while travelling abroad, mostly in high-risk areas in the European Alps (at least 90),” the government said on Monday. Those numbers include the first results of the voluntary tests on people with no symptoms, which started last Friday. The first batch of 1,800 tests produced 19 positive cases, or about 1% of the sample. “Early results from deCode Genetics indicate that a low proportion of the general population has contracted the virus and that about half of those who tested positive are non-symptomatic,” said Gudnason. “The other half displays very moderate cold-like symptoms.”

Read more …

The greatest country on earth.

Baltimore Mayor Begs Residents To Stop Shooting Each Other (WJZ)

Baltimore Mayor Jack Young urged residents to put down their guns and heed orders to stay home after multiple people were shot Tuesday night amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Young said hospital beds are needed to treat positive COVID-19 patients and not for senseless violence. Seven people were shot Tuesday night in the Madison Park neighborhood, as Baltimore reported its fifth positive coronavirus case Wednesday. “I want to reiterate how completely unacceptable the level of violence is that we have seen recently,” Young said. “We will not stand for mass shootings and an increase in crime.”


“For those of you who want to continue to shoot and kill people of this city, we’re not going to tolerate it,” Young implored. “We’re going to come after you and we’re going to get you.” He urged people to put down their guns because “we cannot clog up our hospitals and their beds with people that are being shot senselessly because we’re going to need those beds for people infected with the coronavirus. And it could be your mother, your grandmother or one of your relatives. So take that into consideration.”

Read more …

 

 

 

 

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Home Forums Debt Rattle March 20 2020

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 43 total)
  • Author
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  • #55625

    David Hockney Do remember they can’t cancel the spring 2020 (released for corona crisis)     • “We’re Not Even Counting The Dead Any More” (
    [See the full post at: Debt Rattle March 20 2020]

    #55626
    V. Arnold
    Participant

    David Hockney Do remember they can’t cancel the spring 2020 (released for corona crisis)

    Oh, how lovely…
    …and spring has sprung…

    #55627
    anticlimactic
    Participant

    TWO VIRUSES?

    From an article by Pepe Escobar : “… coronavirus genome variations in Iran and Italy were sequenced and it was revealed they do not belong to the variety that infected Wuhan”

    Has anyone seen any corroboration for this statement?

    No wonder Iran feels it was yet another product of a US Biowarfare lab!!!

    Initially I was suspicious when the virus appeared in Iran as I thought it could have been spread deliberately. Then it seemed that it was probably just spread from China. If it is a different virus then this can not be the case.

    The implications are horrific.

    #55628
    John Day
    Participant

    This is the new treatment standard: Hydroxychloroquine 200 mg THREE times per day, PLUS azithromycin 250 mg X 2 the first day, then one per day for 4 more days.
    https://www.mediterranee-infection.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Hydroxychloroquine_final_DOI_IJAA.pdf
    Effect of hydroxychloroquine on viral load
    The proportion of patients that had negative PCR results in nasopharyngeal samples
    significantly differed between treated patients and controls at days 3-4-5 and 6 post-inclusion
    (Table 2). At day6 post-inclusion, 70% of hydroxychloroquine-treated patients were
    virologicaly cured comparing with 12.5% in the control group (p= 0.001).
    When comparing the effect of hydroxychloroquine treatment as a single drug and the effect of
    hydroxychloroquine and azithromyc in combination, the proportion of patients that had
    negative PCR results in nasopharyngeal samples was significantly different between the two
    groups at days 3-4-5 and 6 post-inclusion (Table 3). At day6 post-inclusion, 100% of patients
    treated with hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin combination were virologicaly cured
    comparing with 57.1% in patients treated with hydroxychloroquine only, and 12.5% in the
    control group (p<0.001). These results are summarized in Figures 1 and 2. Drug effect was
    significantly higher in patients with symptoms of URTI and LRTI, as compared to
    asymptomatic patients with p<0.05 (data not show).

    Off to work a long shift in the viral-testing protocol line.

    @boscohorowitz
    Thanks for putting up Michael Murphy’s, Geronimo’s Cadillac
    He left Austin before I came here for college in 1976. I missed him.

    #55629
    boilingfrog
    Participant

    Got an email from a surgeon friend this morning telling me that “at least 20% of procedures this week” [at Carilion – Roanoke] ” elective and could have waited months”. They are questioning the CEO’s decisions on this…

    The he/she asks: “Do you know any reporters?”

    As a matter of fact, I do know some reporters…

    #55630
    Doc Robinson
    Participant

    Forced closure of most businesses in the state of Pennsylvania.

    “Governor Tom Wolf ordered all non-life-sustaining businesses in Pennsylvania to close their physical locations as of 8 p.m. March 19, 2020 to slow the spread of COVID-19. Enforcement actions against businesses that do not close physical locations will begin at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 21.”

    https://www.pa.gov/guides/responding-to-covid-19/

    What businesses are considered “life sustaining”? Food, fuel, transportation, etc.
    Full list:
    https://www.governor.pa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/20200319-Life-Sustaining-Business.pdf

    #55631
    lasttwo
    Participant

    dont you think the republican senators should get at least what Martha got.

    #55633
    boilingfrog
    Participant

    The OR docs decided it was a “tough political environment” and gave opted NOT to go on record with what they feel are extremely poor administrative decisions in the face of things…

    But I don’t know their stresses, who am I to judge, but frustrating. Especially when one types: “At least my golf course is open”.

    Reporter’s simple reply: “Welcome to my world. Everyone bitches, few step up”.

    #55634
    Dr. D
    Participant

    Well, a day after they granted Trump unlimited dictatorial powers and signed his mega-money super-duper mail-check economy “Huuuuge”, they name the cure for Kung-Flu. 40 people peer reviewed on chloroquine, in France, 100% cure.

    Huh. Who knew? You know, that if you created a biovirus in Ft. Detrick, run it through Chapel Hill, to Harvard folks, exported via Canada (most now arrested), landing at the lab in Wuhan, then probably mishandled, that no one would create such a thing without also creating a cure for the home front. Ah but “Never let a good crisis go to waste”, right Rahm?

    And who wants to take the blame for the inevitable financial reset, planned for 40 years? Nobody, that’s why they’ve been feverish to gin up a war, and in fact started 15 of them since 2001, including open WWIII in Ukraine and Syria. But those were the good old days, it’s not the 20th century anymore, boys, you’re all doddering dinosaurs of destruction.

    Same with bailouts. Last century, when the monetary capture was on the upswing. On the downswing – that is now that you’ve completely destroyed all manufacturing, skills, and work ethic – the only thing that matters is real goods, not your garbage promises, i.e. paper money, paper notes.

    “L-strain and S-strain coronaviruses were quite different in some parts of their genome, so one could not be a “parent” of the other. It appears that there are more strains”

    Two strains, one dangerous, one “not”. Ding. And somebody wandering around the world with a drone and a briefcase. Ding. Of course. However, “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.” You think you can have a war and not get hurt? In these days? The implications were always obvious and the first (okay, 2nd) thing I thought.

    Oh, and back with U.S. testing, that would show the U.S. already had it, and didn’t want to admit it? So is that WHY they shut down Ft. Detrick, long manned by black hats? With their pals imbedded in the CDC and CIA, WHO and everywhere else? You know, Rod Rosenstein’s sister, Mueller and Hatfill, other fun and nonsense going back decades?

    “What’s happening in Italy today will very likely happen to your country … in a week,”

    Not if they’re two different viruses, as known, and not if we have a common cure, as known.

    “France Tightens COVID-19 Lockdown Restrictions to ‘Max 2km From Home’ (RT)”

    In good French fashion, you have to fill out a form to leave your home. I don’t know about the French, but I don’t see that working here. We have a few million illegals driving without licenses, the rest are doing illegal drugs while carrying illegal guns. But, sure, print up some paper if it makes you feel better.

    Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday night ordered residents in America’s largest state to mostly stay at home,”

    Uh, yeah, above. Doubt it. This from a state that didn’t care about medieval diseases and a runaway homeless population. At the same time, the police promised to stay home. But I’m sure MS-13 won’t be up to anything with masks and gloves required outside and empty stores everywhere.

    “Baltimore Mayor Jack Young urged residents to put down their guns and heed orders”

    Oooooh. It’s against the LAW? When you put it that way… Unbelievably powerless and inept. Have been for decades, killed more people than 10 coronas, no one cared or acted before now. Now they think adding “pretty please”? Hey go arrest your Mayor if you want to make a start. News: they already did.

    4 GOP Senators Implicated in Stock Dumping Scandal (RawS)”

    We’ve already established open insider trading is legal for them. …Of course not in the Constitution, which says you can’t make two different laws for different classes, but they’ve been doing this my whole life. Nothing new. Why care now?

    Senate GOP Coronavirus Bailout Bill Caps Executive Pay at $425,000 (CNBC)”

    I thought Cheeto and the GOP existed only to make the rich richer. Why cap? And now they’re far “left” of Pelosi and Schumer on family checks, foreclosures, etc. Was the media lying about them? Huh. While Pelosi, DNC, all trying to STOP the shutdown, STOP the checks? Whoda knowd?

    South Korea Success in Virus Control Due to Acceptance of Surveillance”

    It’s always a good time to promote fascism and end the Constitution.

    “Everyone in Iceland Can Get Tested for the Coronavirus (BF)”

    Everyone can test but us? Why? Not for any practical or scientific reason. Maybe because without a crisis you can’t get dictatorial powers and $10T in money to pay voters?

    #55635
    anticlimactic
    Participant

    OK, So only one virus, multiple strains

    Most countries are infected by a single strain of the virus, so the virus must have originated externally. [This includes China]

    The likely original source is that country which has all the different strains.

    This country is the USA.

    Although it most likely originated in a US biowarfare lab it is also most likely that it was released accidentally.

    #55636
    zerosum
    Participant

    • 4 GOP Senators Implicated In Stock Dumping Scandal (RawS)

    I would guess that they did not think that they were connected enough to get a larger portion of MMT
    ——–
    I’m starting to get worried, the MMT – Virus is moving by private jet.
    ——
    Refugee camps get MMT. (The refugees don’t work for their food)
    The world is heading toward a global refugee camp.
    What we have, to try to keep the society that you knew and want, is MMT.

    Connected elites will continue getting MMT and will be able to save their assets.
    Wait, soon you will see the protectors protecting the enablers and the elites.
    The troops will be recalled home to protect the assets of the elites.
    Being the biggest fish in the pond last only until a bigger fish comes around to take over your territory.

    The virus is the “biggest fish”

    #55637
    zerosum
    Participant

    Shopping for seniors. Special opening time, 7:00 a.m.
    I’m going to go get bread and milk.

    #55638

    Ah, daffodils! In color! Mine are four inches out of the ground at this time.
    So now we have a cure. Are the four congress-types buying back in now? Or just stock in the makers of hydroxychloroquine? As black markets in it arise, will the talking heads make sure people get the message not to overdose and go blind? Deagel wants to know.
    I find it interesting that we know about the shenanigans involving the Winnipeg biolab breaches and the Harvard fancy-pants guy. If I were going to be a conspiracy hypothesist, I would suggest that this was necessary for plausible deniability in the event of an accidently on-purpose release of some nasty bug here and there. They stole it (or is it them), and they didn’t know how to handle it/them like WE do. It doesn’t help that the spooks are having secret meetings about it. It doesn’t help at all.
    It has been said each new war is fought with new technology. Or is it that new technology entices warmongers to start new wars?

    I hope they don’t cancel May- I wish I had some cammo so no one could see me as I hunt for my mushrooms- a totally solitary endeavor.

    #55639
    boscohorowitz
    Participant

    Regarding chloroquine:

    “A third drug, widely used around the globe to fight the parasite that causes malaria, is also being tried in China to see if it can slow infection by preventing the virus from infiltrating cells.” Feb 13 2020

    China Tests Anti-Corona Drugs

    Perhaps this explains part of China’s apparent recovery from pandemia to mere epidemia and major reduction of cases.

    Follows is from March 12th:

    China Tests Drugs

    #55640

    Yup. I double-clicked. Thanks, error-entity.

    #55641
    Dr D Rich
    Participant

    So, Dr. D, the cytokine suppressing effects of chloroquine and plaquenil are not so theoretical???

    AND antibiotics which compete with this coronavirus for the RNA switch which turns off the host cells natural anti-viral activity DO make a difference or are they saying a Zpak effectively trests the concomitant bacterial pneumonia?
    Do you think the 30s ribosomal subunit tetracyclines will be found to be as effective as the 50s ribosomal macrolides or just another fortuitous coincidence?

    45 year old science re-emerges

    #55642
    zerosum
    Participant

    Went to get my milk at the special opening time of 7:00 am
    It was crowded with old men doing the shopping.
    The most vulnerable were all together.
    I don’t think it was a good idea.

    #55643
    boscohorowitz
    Participant

    “If I were going to be a conspiracy hypothesist”

    THank you so much for using the proper term.

    #55644
    boscohorowitz
    Participant

    I love watching Doc D’s very wide, broad, and rapid data analysis thingum work. Sometimes it gets tipsy on itself, which is par for high-speed complex machinery. Other days, it finds the predominant straight lines in a large field of related data and draws them out for easy examination. This is one of those days.

    I’m not saying he’s got all those straight lines lined up. Doc tends to drive wildly on/off road as an omnivore analysts should, making daring leaps of conjecture (omigod, I feel like David Attenborough describing political wildlife) that often appear to contradict previous conjectures; but holding a wide field of variables in interactive suspense is how it’s done. Plus, such inevitable contradictions help keep one’s confirmation bias at bay, which we all struggle with. A bit of tripping over inconsistencies keeps one on one’s toes.

    I thought I could sense a sense of satisfaction from the Doc, sort of a taraget acquisition radar ding.

    Question: would the text below be good rerading for understanding and assessing the concept opf a monetary reset planned since 1981?

    Monetary Reset

    I’m asking for my invisible friend. His name is Plausibly Deniable.

    #55645
    boscohorowitz
    Participant

    The intro to the text linked above is telling:

    “At some point, politicians will start to understand that only a major change – a big reset, as I call it – in our global monetary system can save it. This realization will probably occur around the time that they are no longer able to refinance their mountains of debt.”

    The timing is certainly spot-on. I have this urge to haorsely bellow: “HURRICANE A-COMIN!”

    #55646
    Dr. D
    Participant

    Not possible: otherwise the BAD one would have gone to the U.S. first, or at least as well. Although we are now hearing odd, suspicious case in the U.S. months before China, not proven and apparently wouldn’t inoculate against the military strains as usual, which WOULD be smart. Or so it seems.

    Deniability? Of course! That’s the whole point of this TYPE of thing, instead of nukes. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t THREE players: The West, China and Co, and the Derp State. If Russia and China think it’s the black hats, it’s not the same, but it’s also deniable for us if it IS the same.

    Like I said, the 1st strangest thing from Day 1 was that China did NOT think we did it. That means they believe as a cast-iron lock they know WHO did do it, and it’s not us. Why? Far as I can tell, they believe it came from Wuhan labs, seeming accidentally (no one has been purged). But that doesn’t mean it did, just that THEY, with a million times more info, think so. However, does it make sense, is it His/Marine General’s style for US to release it? Not really. We’d do it, sure, but not in this way. So then you have a third party. Holed up in Iran? Seems like somebody was really mad at Iran lately.

    In today’s celebrity roast, of experts being so full of it their eyes are brown:

    “An amateur dared to question a celebrated psychological finding. He wound up blowing the whole theory wide open.”
    https://getpocket.com/explore/item/nick-brown-smelled-bull?utm_source=pocket-newtab

    Aaaaaaaand that means, just like Mr. Lancet and Mr. NEJM, no one checked. “Trust me! I’m an Expert™!”

    As we listen to 24/7 “Experts” on the news, from the WHO and CDC who know what I know, and are demonstrably lying as their story is de fascia illogical, and somehow we still believe every word. RussiaRussiaRussia. We’reallgonnadie!!! …Even though we have a cure. As predicted.

    #55647
    boscohorowitz
    Participant

    “Not possible” refers to…? We’re readers of text not minds.

    #55648
    zerosum
    Participant

    No wonder Iran feels it was yet another product of a US Biowarfare lab!!!

    Secretary of state, Pompey just said don’t believe anybody but us.Its not true. We did not do that.
    (He said, she said,)

    #55649

    Considering we were having a big uptick in chlamydia, we should even have bunch of azithromycin on hand, right?
    Will clarithromycin (helicobacter fighter) also work? We should have stores of that, as well. How about other macrolides? (It’s funny- all these drug words come up with spellchecker. I’ve had to go back to my Harrison’s a couple of time to make sure I was getting them right.)
    First named editor of my 14th edition? Anthony S. Fauci.

    #55650
    sumac.carol
    Participant

    I googled to see results for key herbal anti-microbials for covid-19 and all I came up with is results under myth-busters. It is great that pharmaceuticals are being found that are effective. However, if we are in for collapse in the longer term, it is really unfortunate that more research focus is not being directed to more readily-available plant-based medicine (ie garlic, ginger, astragalus, echinacea etc there are many many plants of interest). In a true collapse scenario, many people will not have access to pharmaceuticals and will not have the knowledge of how to use these readily-available medicines growing around them.

    #55651
    anticlimactic
    Participant

    Dr D

    I assume your ‘not possible’ refers to my assertion the virus started in the US.

    I read that the strain in Taiwan is also found in Australia and the USA.
    The different strain in Italy is also found in Iran and the USA.
    The strain in China is different to both of these strains so CAN NOT be the source of these infections.

    They must have a single country of origin and the only country with more than one strain of the virus is the US.

    We now have virologists in China, Japan and Taiwan pointing to the US as the most probable source.

    “..when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth”

    Source article :

    China’s Coronavirus: A Shocking Update. Did The Virus Originate in the US?

    #55652
    Doc Robinson
    Participant

    A recent article from the highly esteemed journal Nature, with some herbal antivirals for sumac.carol

    On 17 February, the Chinese State Council announced that chloroquine phosphate — a structural analogue of quinine, originally extracted from the bark of cinchona trees — can be used for treating COVID-19 patients. This anti-malarial also has broad-spectrum antiviral activity and regulatory effects on the immune system…

    Another compound from herbal remedies recruited to control COVID-19 is diammonium glycyrrhizinate, an extract of liquorice roots. Liquorice, Glycyrrhiza glabra, has long been employed against coughs and colds as well as to settle disturbed digestion, while diammonium glycyrrhizinate has anti-inflammatory activity and is used to treat liver damage caused by hepatitis B. Professor Hong Ding of Wuhan University has proposed a combination of diammonium glycyrrhizinate and vitamin C as a COVID-19 therapy…

    Anti-viral herbal medicines have been used in many historic epidemics, for example the previous two coronavirus outbreaks (SARS-CoV in 2013 and MERS-CoV in 2012), seasonal epidemics caused by influenza viruses and dengue virus. Extracts from Lycoris radiate, Artemisia annua and Lindera aggregate, and the natural products isolated from Isatis indigotica, Torreya nucifera and Houttuynia cordata, showed anti-SARS effects. The plant flavone baicalein can prevent dengue virus entry into the host and inhibit post-entry replication6. Additionally, natural products from Pelargonium sidoides roots and dandelion have anti-influenza activities, as they inhibit virus entry and key viral enzyme activities.

    Like chloroquine phosphate, these herbal medicines are generally not highly potent and thus cannot be regarded as a cure. Nevertheless, as a complementary treatment they can elevate recovery rates when combined with other treatments.

    Redeploying plant defences
    Nature Plants volume 6, page177(2020)
    Published: 13 March 2020
    https://www.nature.com/articles/s41477-020-0628-0

    #55653
    Dr D Rich
    Participant

    I received notification from a nursing assistant to not report for work on Monday.

    Sounds like the termination letter comes next.
    Best wishes

    #55654
    boscohorowitz
    Participant

    “I assume your ‘not possible’ refers to my assertion the virus started in the US.”

    Thank you, senor. My inferential sifter is unusually slopw today and I didn’t even begin to dare guessing.

    #55655
    boscohorowitz
    Participant

    btw, I believe I saw a Nature article… no, it was a Forbes article, attempting to refute the CORVID-19-was bioengineered-hypothesis. It did a poor job in real terms, but is an impressive piece of nuanced soft-spew bullshit that should fool most people including more Ph.Ds than not, I would think.

    Hmmm Doc D could also stand for Doc Doctor. I like that.

    Forbes Spinning Straw into Thin Air…

    THis paragraph was decisively weak:

    “In fact, the research team found that the SARS-CoV-2 structure in general is quite different from what humans would have likely concocted. If a human had wanted to create a viral weapon, he or she would have started with the structure of a virus that’s already known to cause illness in people. Naturally, if you want to make a weapon, you may want to start with something like a grenade launcher rather than a smoothie maker, not that the virus looks like either. Instead, the structure of SARS-CoV2 is quite similar to those of viruses known to infect bats and pangolins.”

    As if a disease doesn’t combine plague with Ebola it can’t be a human-made weapon.

    The medical paper he cites to refute bioengineering is anything but definitive.

    I’ve been away too long. I hadn’t realized how many bright young things have gone to school to get a Communications Degree and are now writing “for the internet”.

    As for the other Doctor Doctor, the Rich one:

    Bite Me, Someone Said

    #55656
    boscohorowitz
    Participant

    There’s a great respiratory help herbal tea called Breathe Right. Also one called Throat Coat. I deal with both issues chronically. They really help. They both have lots of liquorice. I’ve been awful to my lungs. Too much smoke, right? Stuff really makes a difference.

    I wonder how long supplies will be on the shelves once the naturopathic media examines the herbal roots of this stuff. I better stock up. I’ve actually miraculously finally stopped putting smoke into my lungs but they still like some assist. It will be awhile before they clear out.

    Stopping marijuana is maybe good since the virus seems able to throw an immune system’s punches back at it. Cytokine storms and shit. Good time for me to drink lots of good’oibal tay, blimey.

    A cuppa cuppas walk into a tea house…

    #55657
    sumac.carol
    Participant

    Doc Robinson
    Interesting notes, but the challenge again is that these are highly processed and highly concentrated extracts of specific compounds of plants. Aside from not being something your average person could prepare for him or herself, the other challenge is that, when specific compounds are removed from the plant matrix, the synergies are lost among all of the compounds within the plant, narrowing the effective range of anti-disease activity (excuse my terminology I am a lay person). You are effectively repeating the approach of big pharma- creating medicinal one-trick ponies. These create an excellent, focused workout regimen for pathogens which can now focus their efforts on surmounting a much simpler for. Eventually the effectiveness of this extract is destroyed, along with the effectiveness of the whole plant as a medicinal. This has already happened to several plant medicines used in organic agriculture.

    #55658
    Dr D Rich
    Participant

    Nothing new just the depth and breadth of hysteria.
    Here’s two Michael Parenti paragraphs from 1918:

    Back in the trenches, the agitators among us prove right. The mutinous Reds standing before the firing squad last year were right. Their truths must not be buried with them. Why are impoverished workers and peasants killing other impoverished workers and peasants? Now we know that our real foe is not in the weave of trenches; not at Ypres, nor at the Somme, or Verdun or Caporetto. Closer to home, closer to the deceptive peace that follows a deceptive war.

    Now comes a different conflict. We have enemies at home: the schemers who trade our blood for sacks of gold, who make the world safe for hypocrisy, safe for themselves, readying themselves for the next “humanitarian war.” See how sleek and self-satisfied they look, riding our backs, distracting our minds, filling us with fright about wicked foes. Important things keep happening, but not enough to finish them off. Not yet enough

    #55659
    boilingfrog
    Participant

    Dr Rich,
    Good luck

    #55660
    boscohorowitz
    Participant

    It occurs to me that a major benefit of face masks is they prevent contact between hand and face when you involuntarily scratch your nose, etc.

    #55661
    boscohorowitz
    Participant

    Verizon Wireless just texted me that they’re here for me, and they’re ready. It gave me such courage. 😉

    #55662
    boscohorowitz
    Participant

    Classic weirdo ripple effect:

    Homemade TP CLogs Sewers

    #55663
    boscohorowitz
    Participant

    Busloads of bull:

    “Recession Won’t Be Bad”

    #55664

    Bosco: Someone on another site suggested we could just use baby wipes instead of TP. We need better Public Service Announcements.

    #55665
    zerosum
    Participant

    Before the virus, we had bubbles due to printing.
    During the virus, we are having exponential growth of printing.
    After the virus, the piper will be paid by the non connected

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