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More COVID studd
Mar. 20th, 2020 01:08 pmLovely quote from Our Beloved Leader: (I don't really need to designate sarcasm, do I?)
"We're on mile one of a marathon. If we're out of P.P.E. now, what does mile 25 look like?"
-- Rebecca Bartles, head of infection prevention efforts for a WA hospital chain running low on personal protective equipment
"You know, we're not a shipping clerk."
-- Trump, emphasizing that getting medical supplies is largely up to governors
He's also famous for saying that the federal government isn't responsible for helping out in a time of crisis, it's the state's responsibility. He's a classic case of capitalism: privatize the profits, socialize the costs.
In a COVID press conference today, Our Beloved Leader was asked What do you say to Americans who are watching you right now who are scared?” He replied “I say that you are a terrible reporter, that’s what I say. It’s a very nasty question. It’s a very bad signal that you’re putting out to the American people,” Trump responded. “The American people are looking for answers and looking for hope. You’re doing sensationalism.”
Yep. Taking control in an emergency and reassuring the country. Aces!
****
In other administration news (yay?), a months-long pandemic exercise was run last year, and it was a miserable failure. It speculated that a flu-like virus came from China and swept through the USA. Major shortages in personal protective gear, vaccines, ventilators, etc. Just a major clusterfuck. Lots of recommendations, and absolutely nothing was done. Oh, and Obama did a similar exercise before Trump entered the office, and it was ignored. After all, who knew something like this would happen? Aside from the fact that they happen on a fairly regular basis.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/crimson-contagion-exercise-trump-administration-failures_n_5e744105c5b6eab7794560e6
Also, the administration is asking states to not post specific numbers as to unemployment, but only speak in generalities, so as to not "spook the markets". Too late. Mnuchin, the ugly John Oliver, already said that unemployment numbers could easily hit 20% and he may be conservative. State unemployment offices are getting swamped and some are waiving the 1-2 week period between filing your claim and getting paid. What I'm wondering is whether you have to look for jobs and interview during this pandemic.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/labor-department-trump-fudges-unemployment-claims_n_5e745dc5c5b6eab7794577ee
****
Two U.S. senators (care to guess what their party affiliation is?) are accused of insider trading for dumping stocks after announcing all is well. More may have done it, but we know two did. They attended confidential hearings in February and dumped stocks in hotel industries before the stock market started tanking, one advised friends that business travel was going to take a serious hit, the other turned around and bought stock in Oracle and Citrix.
Again, bring back the public pillory, possibly pitch forks and hemp, and may they burn in their respective hells.
****
Gaming company Razer has shifted several production lines to make surgical masks. Elon Musk has said that Tesla could start making ventilators if there is a need. Well guess what, smarty boy - THERE IS A NEED. We have about 20% of what will be needed - YOU NEED TO START CRANKING NOW!
In Ireland, the Health Services Executive is validating a 3D printed ventilator valve that was crowd-source designed by engineers, medical professionals, hobbyests, etc. in ONE WEEK. Fairly inexpensive to produce. While it will only be valid to produce and use in Ireland, I would think that when validated in Ireland, it should speed up validation in other countries. I don't know if tubing sizes are standardized across the world for connecting to equipment, but that would be a trivial modification.
****
Reading subscription service Scribd is offering free access to its library of over one million ebooks, audiobooks, magazines and more for the next 30 days (no commitment or credit card information required).
****
Italy released a study of 18% of the people who died from the coronavirus, showing that 99% had significant comorbidities. I looked at the PDF yesterday, and after running sections through Google Translate, I may be a little safer. My best shot is still not to get sick! "Three victims, or 0.8% of the total, had no previous pathology. Almost half of the victims suffered from at least three prior illnesses and about a fourth had either one or two previous conditions. More than 75% had high blood pressure, about 35% had diabetes and a third suffered from heart disease."
****
El Paso now has over six cases, so they're well into the community infection stage, they're going to explode soon. New Mexico has 43 cases now, Doña Ana county now has one. That has Las Cruces, our closest major city. Our county, Otero, is still at zero. Texas has 194 cases and five deaths. Arizona, our neighbor to the west, has 31 cases and no deaths, mostly in Maricopa county, which has the state capital of Phoenix and is where my parents are. Colorado, our northern neighbor, 277 cases and 2 deaths.
Man, that's depressing. Those numbers are only going to get much, much worse. I'm glad I'm home-isolating.
According to New Mexico State University emails, no closure in sight. They're going to online-only classes after spring break ends on the 30th. The library will close at 4pm, is barred to public patrons, which is sad. We're also limiting it to ten students at a time, which isn't a problem. We're currently telling people to call the circulation desk for admittance as we're keeping the doors locked.
Fun times!
We watched Shaun of the Dead last night. What a fun movie! It's been a while since I've seen it, we may well watch the entire Cornetto Trilogy, Dave hasn't seen World's End, the third of the series.
"We're on mile one of a marathon. If we're out of P.P.E. now, what does mile 25 look like?"
-- Rebecca Bartles, head of infection prevention efforts for a WA hospital chain running low on personal protective equipment
"You know, we're not a shipping clerk."
-- Trump, emphasizing that getting medical supplies is largely up to governors
He's also famous for saying that the federal government isn't responsible for helping out in a time of crisis, it's the state's responsibility. He's a classic case of capitalism: privatize the profits, socialize the costs.
In a COVID press conference today, Our Beloved Leader was asked What do you say to Americans who are watching you right now who are scared?” He replied “I say that you are a terrible reporter, that’s what I say. It’s a very nasty question. It’s a very bad signal that you’re putting out to the American people,” Trump responded. “The American people are looking for answers and looking for hope. You’re doing sensationalism.”
Yep. Taking control in an emergency and reassuring the country. Aces!
****
In other administration news (yay?), a months-long pandemic exercise was run last year, and it was a miserable failure. It speculated that a flu-like virus came from China and swept through the USA. Major shortages in personal protective gear, vaccines, ventilators, etc. Just a major clusterfuck. Lots of recommendations, and absolutely nothing was done. Oh, and Obama did a similar exercise before Trump entered the office, and it was ignored. After all, who knew something like this would happen? Aside from the fact that they happen on a fairly regular basis.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/crimson-contagion-exercise-trump-administration-failures_n_5e744105c5b6eab7794560e6
Also, the administration is asking states to not post specific numbers as to unemployment, but only speak in generalities, so as to not "spook the markets". Too late. Mnuchin, the ugly John Oliver, already said that unemployment numbers could easily hit 20% and he may be conservative. State unemployment offices are getting swamped and some are waiving the 1-2 week period between filing your claim and getting paid. What I'm wondering is whether you have to look for jobs and interview during this pandemic.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/labor-department-trump-fudges-unemployment-claims_n_5e745dc5c5b6eab7794577ee
****
Two U.S. senators (care to guess what their party affiliation is?) are accused of insider trading for dumping stocks after announcing all is well. More may have done it, but we know two did. They attended confidential hearings in February and dumped stocks in hotel industries before the stock market started tanking, one advised friends that business travel was going to take a serious hit, the other turned around and bought stock in Oracle and Citrix.
Again, bring back the public pillory, possibly pitch forks and hemp, and may they burn in their respective hells.
****
Gaming company Razer has shifted several production lines to make surgical masks. Elon Musk has said that Tesla could start making ventilators if there is a need. Well guess what, smarty boy - THERE IS A NEED. We have about 20% of what will be needed - YOU NEED TO START CRANKING NOW!
In Ireland, the Health Services Executive is validating a 3D printed ventilator valve that was crowd-source designed by engineers, medical professionals, hobbyests, etc. in ONE WEEK. Fairly inexpensive to produce. While it will only be valid to produce and use in Ireland, I would think that when validated in Ireland, it should speed up validation in other countries. I don't know if tubing sizes are standardized across the world for connecting to equipment, but that would be a trivial modification.
****
Reading subscription service Scribd is offering free access to its library of over one million ebooks, audiobooks, magazines and more for the next 30 days (no commitment or credit card information required).
****
Italy released a study of 18% of the people who died from the coronavirus, showing that 99% had significant comorbidities. I looked at the PDF yesterday, and after running sections through Google Translate, I may be a little safer. My best shot is still not to get sick! "Three victims, or 0.8% of the total, had no previous pathology. Almost half of the victims suffered from at least three prior illnesses and about a fourth had either one or two previous conditions. More than 75% had high blood pressure, about 35% had diabetes and a third suffered from heart disease."
****
El Paso now has over six cases, so they're well into the community infection stage, they're going to explode soon. New Mexico has 43 cases now, Doña Ana county now has one. That has Las Cruces, our closest major city. Our county, Otero, is still at zero. Texas has 194 cases and five deaths. Arizona, our neighbor to the west, has 31 cases and no deaths, mostly in Maricopa county, which has the state capital of Phoenix and is where my parents are. Colorado, our northern neighbor, 277 cases and 2 deaths.
Man, that's depressing. Those numbers are only going to get much, much worse. I'm glad I'm home-isolating.
According to New Mexico State University emails, no closure in sight. They're going to online-only classes after spring break ends on the 30th. The library will close at 4pm, is barred to public patrons, which is sad. We're also limiting it to ten students at a time, which isn't a problem. We're currently telling people to call the circulation desk for admittance as we're keeping the doors locked.
Fun times!
We watched Shaun of the Dead last night. What a fun movie! It's been a while since I've seen it, we may well watch the entire Cornetto Trilogy, Dave hasn't seen World's End, the third of the series.
