OT: Off Topic & COVID-19

[machpo]

So the red dot on my forehead is just a retinal scanner to confirm who I am before they hand out my dollars?

 

[Beerz]

This is my take.

 

[Der Jaeger]

We are starting to catch up quickly now but we were behind everyone for at least a month or more.

As of Mid march the US was last in the entire world in testing per capita, and by a decent margin in a lot of cases, as well as total number of tests performed.

One chart shows how many coronavirus tests per capita have been completed in 8 countries. The US is woefully behind.

Society difference. Ever been to the RoK? I lived there for over two years and my daughter was born in Seoul.

The RoK doesn’t have a conception of martial law. Their Army is everywhere. They simply just had their Army, which is huge, and set up screening sites.

Also, the majority of the country is mountainous. Millions live stacked up in the valleys. One checkpoint can screen a lot of people.

 

[machpo]

Society difference. Ever been to the RoK? I lived there for over two years and my daughter was born in Seoul.

The RoK doesn’t have a conception of martial law. Their Army is everywhere. They simply just had their Army, which is huge, and set up screening sites.

Also, the majority of the country is mountainous. Millions live stacked up in the valleys. One checkpoint can screen a lot of people.

Now do the other 6 countries that still lead us in testing!

 

[Der Jaeger]

From Politco:
On Saturday Jan. 11 — a month and a half before the first Covid-19 case not linked to travel was diagnosed in the United States — Chinese scientists posted the genome of the mysterious new virus, and within a week virologists in Berlin had produced the first diagnostic test for the disease.
Soon after, researchers in other nations rolled out their own tests, too, sometimes with different genetic targets. By the end of February, the World Health Organization had shipped tests to nearly 60 countries.
Patty Murray, the ranking Democrat on the Senate health committee, who represents the hard-hit state of Washington, asked in a 3½-page letter on the testing fiasco to Pence, Health Secretary Alex Azar, CDC director Robert Redfield, and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn.
So far, none has been provided.

Gotta live in the real world. Having a test is neat. Having it and mass producing it is another thing. The test also has to be something which is easy to administer and test. What works in a lab has to work in a mass production environment

 

[joshjull]

 

[Beerz]

Now do the other 6 countries that still lead us in testing!

Right now we are in a phase where everyone is to assume you have it. Testing isn't even the most important issue right now. You can only physically do so many tests in a given day.

 

[Beerz]

 

[Der Jaeger]

Now do the other 6 countries that still lead us in testing!

hmmm.

China: martial law

Italy: really? They’re ahead of the US but the country is a disaster.

Israel: everyone of fighting age is in the Army.

Netherlands: tiny country with a small population.

UK: much smaller, and yes, they’ve done a better job.

Japan: nationalized military.

So, maybe you should grab a uniform and go start screening? Because that’s what you, and everyone you know of military age, would need to do. And be willing to accept forced martial law.

You have to be realistic.

 

[machpo]

Right now we are in a phase where everyone is to assume you have it. Testing isn't even the most important issue right now. You can only physically do so many tests in a given day.

Right, because the operating assumption is that that virus has been spreading so long untested, that the efficacy of testing+isolation can no longer be counted on.

 

[Beerz]

 

[slip]

Action that will still be shown as ineffective and far too late to make a difference as the number of cases in the US starts to balloon past other contries, much like you see now.

You’re talking to a guy who’s been prepping for this since late January. I even posted here at that time that corona was going global. You’ll get no argument from me that we should have been doing more all along, including a total travel ban.

But the idea that the administration viewed corona as a “nothing burger” until just a couple weeks ago is very much a spurious narrative.

Nevertheless, your more than welcome to bunker down with us if the need arises.

 

[WeDislikeEich]

Society difference. Ever been to the RoK? I lived there for over two years and my daughter was born in Seoul.

The RoK doesn’t have a conception of martial law. Their Army is everywhere. They simply just had their Army, which is huge, and set up screening sites.

Also, the majority of the country is mountainous. Millions live stacked up in the valleys. One checkpoint can screen a lot of people.

The WHO supplied the world with test kits almost 2 months ago. Every other country had the capacity to test at higher rates than we did for over a month (as the virus spread in the US during that time).

Other countries were testing anyone with symptoms. Testing thousands a day in some cases, while we only tested a few thousand total over a period of numerous weeks.
People going to the hospital and doctors office with COVID19 symptoms couldn’t even get tests approved (read all the stories from doctors, nurses, patients, etc). I just listened to mark poloncarz press conference today where he said we still can’t test at a high capacity. Sounds like hopefully we will be able to in a couple days though.

 

[Beerz]

The WHO supplied the world with test kits almost 2 months ago. Every other country had the capacity to test at higher rates than we did for over a month (as the virus spread in the US during that time).

Other countries were testing anyone with symptoms. Testing thousands a day in some cases, while we only tested a few thousand total over a period of numerous weeks.
People going to the hospital and doctors office with COVID19 symptoms couldn’t even get tests approved (read all the stories from doctors, nurses, patients, etc). I just listened to mark poloncarz press conference today where he said we still can’t test at a high capacity. Sounds like hopefully we will be able to in a couple days though.

The WHO does not supply the United States with Test Kits. They never offered. They never do. WHO supplies 3rd world countries with test kits.

 

[slip]

The WHO supplied the world with test kits almost 2 months ago. Every other country had the capacity to test at higher rates than we did for over a month (as the virus spread in the US during that time).

Other countries were testing anyone with symptoms. Testing thousands a day in some cases, while we only tested a few thousand total over a period of numerous weeks.
People going to the hospital and doctors office with COVID19 symptoms couldn’t even get tests approved (read all the stories from doctors, nurses, patients, etc). I just listened to mark poloncarz press conference today where he said we still can’t test at a high capacity. Sounds like hopefully we will be able to in a couple days though.

Two months ago the WHO was parroting the Chinese view that corona might not even be transmittable person to person.

When Trump banned flights from China, the WHO said such restrictions were unnecessary.

In short, f*** the WHO and the morons who run it.

 

[WeDislikeEich]

The WHO does not supply the United States with Test Kits. They never offered. They never do. WHO supplies 3rd world countries with test kits.

Italy is a 3rd world country?

 

[Der Jaeger]

The WHO supplied the world with test kits almost 2 months ago. Every other country had the capacity to test at higher rates than we did for over a month (as the virus spread in the US during that time).

Other countries were testing anyone with symptoms. Testing thousands a day in some cases, while we only tested a few thousand total over a period of numerous weeks.
People going to the hospital and doctors office with COVID19 symptoms couldn’t even get tests approved (read all the stories from doctors, nurses, patients, etc). I just listened to mark poloncarz press conference today where he said we still can’t test at a high capacity. Sounds like hopefully we will be able to in a couple days though.

If the WHO did that, it must have been in tiny amounts. My base had a possible COVID19 case a month ago. We had to fly one in and it took 72 hours.

The same country that can put the entire 82nd Airborne Division, 20k strong, anywhere one the world, in 72 hours.

We didn’t have the tests available.

Other countries had much different conditions than the US does. Smaller populations, a federal military which operates normally in the country, and/or common national martial law.

 

[WeDislikeEich]

Two months ago the WHO was parroting the Chinese view that corona might not even be transmittable person to person.

When Trump banned flights from China, the WHO said such restrictions were unnecessary.

In short, f*** the WHO and the morons who run it.

The Facts on Trump's Travel Restrictions

Also, the WHO feels travel bans don’t work for airborne viruses. They feel that you need to screen, test, quarantine and trace the paths of those found with infections (to know where else it may have spread) and use social distancing guidelines (this recipe seems to be what’s worked best in pas outbreaks). From what I remember, experts also said it was already spreading in the US at the time. (It was confirmed here for 10 days before any travel restriction to/from China were put in place).
I wasn’t against the ban BTW. I just wish the time was used to better prepare.

 

[slip]

Meanwhile, Fed member Bullard predicting 30% unemployment and 50% GDP reduction over next three months.

This rear view mirror bickering shit is meaningless. The greatest challenge we’ve faced in decades stands before us, and I’m ready to do whatever it takes to get through this, including setting aside petty political differences.

 

[Beerz]

Italy is a 3rd world country?

No.. but they may not have had the means to.

"No discussions occurred between WHO and the CDC about providing tests to the United States, WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic told CNN on Tuesday, and WHO did not offer coronavirus tests to the CDC.
The United States, Jasarevic confirmed, doesn't ordinarily rely on WHO for tests because the US typically has the capacity to manufacture its own diagnostics"


"During CNN's coronavirus town hall last week, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta asked the United States' top infectious disease doctor, Dr. Anthony Fauci, if the US should have used the WHO coronavirus tests.
"If you look back and Monday morning quarterback it would have been nice to have had a backup," said Fauci, director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease and a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force. "But what the CDC has done over many, many years when we have things like this is to develop their own test, which is always really a good test, and to roll it out in a way ... where they give it to departments of public health."

 

[WeDislikeEich]

Sorry all, I don’t want to derail this thread any more than I already have. I’ll stop this discussion here. My apologies.

 

[Beerz]

The Facts on Trump's Travel Restrictions

That doesn't address anything Slip stated.

 

[Beerz]

Sorry all, I don’t want to derail this thread any more than I already have. I’ll stop this discussion here. My apologies.

You're good with me. I don't mind people having different opinions as long as it's not hyper partisan BS. You're good.

 

[WeDislikeEich]

No.. but they may not have had the means to.

"No discussions occurred between WHO and the CDC about providing tests to the United States, WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic told CNN on Tuesday, and WHO did not offer coronavirus tests to the CDC.
The United States, Jasarevic confirmed, doesn't ordinarily rely on WHO for tests because the US typically has the capacity to manufacture its own diagnostics"


"During CNN's coronavirus town hall last week, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta asked the United States' top infectious disease doctor, Dr. Anthony Fauci, if the US should have used the WHO coronavirus tests.
"If you look back and Monday morning quarterback it would have been nice to have had a backup," said Fauci, director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease and a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force. "But what the CDC has done over many, many years when we have things like this is to develop their own test, which is always really a good test, and to roll it out in a way ... where they give it to departments of public health."

I think this article does a good job describing what happened.

Key Missteps at the CDC Have Set Back Its Ability to Detect the Potential Spread of Coronavirus — ProPublica

 

[Buffaloed]

It's not my fault.
Why are they doing this to me?
Who can I blame?
This is costing me.
Someone's going to pay for this!
Look who's profiting.
Woe is me.
What can I do to help?