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Trump VS COVID-19 Threat

Pence to lead US response to coronavirus as Trump urges Americans to prepare - ABC News
then
ABC News on Twitter: "Vice President Mike Pence says in leading the White House response to the coronavirus, he will be “bringing together” all the members of the coronavirus task force and will provide President Trump with “the best options for action.” [url]https://t.co/pAUO2PN10Y https://t.co/wlenNW2Wh4" / Twitter[/url]

Mike Pence had been Governor of Indiana, and that presumably means that he has leadership skills. But some of his "leadership" in science-related issues is not that great. Like his handling of a HIV outbreak, and his belief that smoking is not dangerous. Though epidemiologists had known for decades that it was, he believed that it wasn't, thus seeming to prefer believing tobacco-industry lobbyists.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Mike Pence literally does not believe in science.
It is utterly irresponsible to put him in charge of US coronavirus response as the world sits on the cusp of a pandemic. This decision could cost people their lives.
Pence’s past decisions already have. https://t.co/NhMPOusOWm" / Twitter

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "As governor, Pence’s science denial contributed to one of the worst HIV outbreaks in Indiana’s history.
He is not a medical doctor. He is not a health expert. He is not qualified nor positioned in any way to protect our public health. https://t.co/1jVY44p2HF" / Twitter
 
Sen. Ted Cruz responded to AOC:

Ted Cruz on Twitter: "As you are speaking as the oracle of science, tell us, what exactly is a Y chromosome? https://t.co/t4XVVzWr3A" / Twitter

This is presumably relevant to the issue of transgenderism. Transgender people have a mismatch between their psychological and their somatic genders. Some people reject the idea of transgenderism, and they think that one's somatic gender is the only one that counts in one's identity. On the other side, some transgender people insist that it is only one's psychological gender that counts.

Let us look at chromosomes. A Y chromosome makes one genetically male, and most of the time, its presence makes one somatically male (as XY) instead of somatically female (as XX). But in "XY gonadal dysgenesis" or "Swyer syndrome", one's Y chromosome fails to do so, and one becomes somatically female. Likewise, an X chromosome may accidentally get a certain bit of a Y chromosome, making its owner somatically male -- "XX male syndrome" or "De la Chapelle syndrome". There are also cases of X, XXY, XYY, and sometimes more chromosomes. So chromosomal and somatic genders don't always match.

I've listed three types of gender: chromosomal - somatic - psychological.

Ted Cruz on Twitter: "2/x And at what age of gestation does science tell us that an unborn child feels physical pain?" / Twitter

This is relevant to the abortion issue.

Ted Cruz on Twitter: "3/x And, of the 195 countries on planet Earth, which country produced the greatest total reduction in CO2 emissions in 2019?" / Twitter

I don't know who has tried to keep track of that. But for major nations, I'm sure that someone has estimates for them.
 
I have a ticket for the Seattle Symphony next Friday. There are no general alarms yet and travel restrictions around here but there are local reports of infection with untraceable links.A local school kid tested positive.

Probably not going to go.
 
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Sen. Cruz, while I understand you judge people’s intelligence by the lowest income they’ve had, I hold awards from MIT Lincoln Lab &others for accomplishments in microbiology.
Secondly, I’m surprised you’re asking about chromosomes given that you don’t even believe in evolution. https://t.co/vOIwJhpl7q" / Twitter

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Sincerely,
an Intel global finalist,
a fmr multi-year intern for Sen. Kennedy,
a cum laude dual major in Economics & International Relations,
a fmr Educational Director for national organization,
Who to you is “just a bartender,”
And also your colleague. https://t.co/9ktAgXFXDE" / Twitter

AOC has some public-service announcements in her Twitter feed.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "How to wash your hands *effectively* ⬇️ https://t.co/OVdKwOMokH" / Twitter
noting
WebMD on Twitter: "Yes, there IS a right way to wash your hands. https://t.co/FytxYyGYCe" / Twitter

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "I noticed going home that some people were wearing face masks but touching their face, not using sanitizer stations before eating in public, etc.
Everyone:
Wash your hands.
Don’t touch your face.
Wipe down your cell phone.
All of these practices are higher priority than a mask! https://t.co/GxXG9V1usr" / Twitter
followed by
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "I know buying a mask might feel productive to some, but if you don’t wash your hands WELL, still touch your face, etc it’s not doing much for you.
Right now the people who need masks are healthcare providers and patients w/ health needs. Consult your Dr.
& Wash your hands! 🧼" / Twitter
 
Opinion | Is This Coronavirus ‘the Big One’? - The New York Times
President Trump exaggerates threats from caravans of migrants or from a hobbled Iran, and he has diverted billions of dollars from the military to build a border wall that smugglers hack apart with $100 saws. But he has not been attuned to pandemic threats: In 2018 the White House removed the position on the National Security Council to fight pandemics, while seeking to scale back anti-pandemic work to about 10 countries from 49. Experts warned at the time that this was dangerously shortsighted.
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then
Nicholas Kristof on Twitter: "A Florida man tested negative for coronavirus but was billed $3,270--so many will avoid testing. We need universal health coverage: It protects all of us. Same for paid sick leave: You want a sick person to stagger to work to prepare your food? My column [url]https://t.co/x0ReCjqLLT https://t.co/kPkauLNCz1" / Twitter[/url]
then
Adam Schiff on Twitter: "To fight the Coronavirus, people who are ill must get tested when it is indicated. And stay home if they’re sick
But for millions, that can be financially ruinous
Universal healthcare and paid sick leave
It’s always been the right thing to do
Now more than ever. https://t.co/LaJ15VbrVj" / Twitter
This is Rep. Adam Schiff, D-CA-28
He was one of the leaders of the impeachment effort against President Trump.
 
Coronavirus: Pence defends Trump Jr claim Democrats want 'millions' to die | World news | The Guardian
When Donald Trump Jr said Democrats hope coronavirus “kills millions of people” in the US because they want to bring his father down, he was merely “pushing back” at politicisation of the viral outbreak by Trump opponents, Mike Pence claimed in an interview broadcast on Sunday.

“It’s time for the other side to turn down the volume,” the vice-president told NBC’s Meet the Press.

At a White House press conference on Saturday, Trump was forced to defend his use of the word “hoax” in reference to the outbreak. Harshly criticised by contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination, the president said he had been referring to politicisation of coronavirus, not the outbreak itself.
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An EXTREMELY offensive claim.

Epidemics expert Jonathan Quick: ‘The worst-case scenario for coronavirus is likely’ | World news | The Guardian
The Covid-19 epidemic looks like it’s edging towards becoming a pandemic – that is, as the WHO defines it, “the worldwide spread of a new disease” – but the WHO hasn’t declared a pandemic yet. What are the best-case and worst-case scenarios?

The best case is that the Chinese conflagration is brought under control, the smaller “flames” we’ve seen flare up in other countries are extinguished, there’s little or no spread to new countries or continents, and the epidemic dies out. The worst case is that the outbreak goes global and the disease eventually becomes endemic, meaning it circulates permanently in the human population.

Your feeling as to which is more likely, as of today, 27 February?

The worst-case scenario is looking increasingly likely. We’ve now seen cases on six continents, apparently “silent” – that is, at least partly asymptomatic – chains of human-to-human transmission both inside and outside China, with additional countries reporting cases within the last week – bringing the total to 47 – and new, accelerating outbreaks in Iran, Italy and South Korea.
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The death rate from this virus is about 2%, less than for SARS, but 20 times that for seasonal flu.
 
Here’s a Picture of Mike Pence’s Team Attempting to Pray Away Coronavirus | Hemant Mehta | Friendly Atheist | Patheos
Elizabeth Johnston (a.k.a. the “Activist Mommy”) has spent the past day or so talking about her meeting — along with other anti-abortion zealots — with Vice President Mike Pence.

That’s disturbing enough, but it’s even more troubling that she posted this photo of Pence “praying with the Caronavirus Team.”
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Elizabeth Johnston - Activist Mommy - Posts - Vice President Pence praying with the Coronavirus Team. 🙏🏻💪🏻🇺🇸 This administration invites God’s help. Keep holding them up in prayer.
 
The last report I heard today is that for 80% of infected it will be equivalent to a bad flu at worse.

An earlier report said the mortality rate was around 2% with flu around .2%.

Difficult to find reliable information.

Whenever I go out and touch surfaces either in my building or outside I wash hands and face. No different than what I do in flu season or when somebody in the building is sick and around the building.
 
John Oliver is a lot less funny discussing the Coronavirus when you’ve just found out it’s arrived in a neighboring county (Hillsborough)
 
From what I've been hearing it has a 2.8 to maybe as high as 4% mortality rate. Data is still fluctuating. The number I heard for a typical flu .05% mortality rate. SARS had a CFR of 9.6%; MERS has a CFR of 34.4%.
However COVID-19 seems to be transmissible in cases where symptoms haven't shown, which makes it more likely to spread. It has already killed more than twice the amount of SARS and MERS put together.

Ebola had a mortality rate of 90%, but since it killed it's host it was more easily contained.

I'm seeing weird reports from Iran and some wild numbers, but from a totally unreliable source (Social media)
 
Singapore seems to be dealing with it very seriously


[YOUTUBE]https://youtu.be/NRlDiXEAk38[/YOUTUBE]
 
My wife is at the grocery store tonight at 9pm buying lots of canned goods and staple because she's scared to death of COVID. She's planning on trying to not lave the house as much as possible. I think she's over-reacting but if just stocking up on non-perishable food items makes her feel better, so be it.
 
ZiprHead said:
My wife is at the grocery store tonight at 9pm buying lots of canned goods and staple because she's scared to death of COVID. She's planning on trying to not lave the house as much as possible. I think she's over-reacting but if just stocking up on non-perishable food items makes her feel better, so be it.
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Did she bring home an armload of Purell? That would probably be better cuz you'll still need the perishables?
 
Steve Novella (Science Based Medicine & Skeptics Guide To the Universe Podcast) was saying that regular soap is able to break down the lipids that encase the virus. Moreover, the anti-bacterial stuff can affect the ph of your hands and may not work as well.
 
JohnG said:
Steve Novella (Science Based Medicine & Skeptics Guide To the Universe Podcast) was saying that regular soap is able to break down the lipids that encase the virus. Moreover, the anti-bacterial stuff can affect the ph of your hands and may not work as well.
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Likely true. But if you have just left the store and get in the car to drive off, a bar of soap in the cup holder isn't much good.
 
Seoul Mayor Seeks Murder Charges Against Church At Center Of Coronavirus Outbreak

Seoul’s mayor is calling for murder charges against the leaders of a Christian sect that has been linked to the majority of South Korea’s new coronavirus cases.

Mayor Park Won-soon accused leaders of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus of putting lives at risk by failing to initially cooperate with authorities’ efforts to stop the fast-spreading illness officially known as COVID-19.

The mayor is asking Seoul’s central district prosecutor’s office to launch an investigation into key Shincheonji leaders on charges of homicide by willful negligence and violating the country’s infectious disease control laws. The prosecutor’s office is currently reviewing the mayor’s criminal complaint, Reuters reported.
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Can we do this with US anti-vaxxers?
 
I had read this a while back. Just getting around to posting it.

Another Obama initiative that Trump killed. Why? Just because it was something that Obama (wisely) did?

SNOPES https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-fire-pandemic-team/

Did Trump Fire the US Pandemic Response Team?

TRUE

Amid warnings from public health officials that a 2020 outbreak of a new coronavirus could soon become a pandemic involving the U.S., alarmed readers asked Snopes to verify a rumor that U.S. President Donald Trump had “fired the entire pandemic response team two years ago and then didn’t replace them.

....

It’s thus true that the Trump administration axed the executive branch team responsible for coordinating a response to a pandemic and did not replace it, eliminating Ziemer’s position and reassigning others, although Bolton was the executive at the top of the National Security Council chain of command at the time.


”
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Between this and the botched test kits and CDC refusing to report testing data, what a mess trump has created.
 
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