If this was a normal administration I would be shocked at the incompetence. This is just another day in the Trump administration. We thought he might kill us all by getting us into a war but his administration contributing to a possible pandemic might be his legacy. I hope the Evangelicals are praying for us because we are going to need it. Truth matters. Facts matter. Science matters.
21
Maybe Trump would like to meet this whistleblower face to face? Without proper protective gear? But no!!! He'll have Pense do it.
I think it's pretty clear how that woman ( who doesn't know anyone who was in a "hot zone" or traveled herself ) got it. she lived in the area of the airforce base that housed the people who were. And the "authorities" were not properly informed, nor following infectious disease protocol. Traveled by plane on a commercial flight with the US afterwords?
I'm less concerned with China lying about the numbers of the sick and dead; than I am about our administration acting like this is no big deal.
My husband works in a hospital...he is completely distraught about this.
13
The head boss in chief, Mr Trump used his sharpie to point at Mr Pence to lead the way in controlling the spread of Covid-19 within the US.
These men have no experience and have shown time and again their disregard for anything but their own predatory political instincts.
It's perfectly fitting that government employees work aimlessly, rushing at doing nothing and making matters worse.
Mr Trumps judgment is not trusted, and it shows horrifically in the blind obedience to his alleged guidance.
4
This is what we get when we have an administration that doesn’t believe in science. We have a president that cares more about enriching himself and his crime family than he does about national security. A GOP ready to roll over on everything our dear leader desires. Question; do the people in power think they are magically immune to this virus? Pence thinks thinks people and dinosaurs co-existed. “Heck of a job Brownie.”
4
One thing is for certain in this mess. Our government better learn from their mistakes because this will happen again. These virus's have been showing up in history for ages and it will not cease to continue. God bless us all.
2
Several thoughts. I am worried about my grandson and his parents in Pasadena. I am worried about the other son and his wife in Brooklyn. Perhaps there will be an outbreak in Kentucky? I would like to wish ill-will on all Gutter Rat voters, but maybe their chain-smoking and alcohol-induced liver disease or opioid addiction will do them in first.
2
For weeks we've been told that the experts stated that the flu here in the US is more deadly and more of a concern than Corona virus flu. They stated that we should always be washing hands and staying vigilant; and stay home if sick. Even though we get vaccination, we may still get the flu as it mutates.
These statements were made readily available, including by the NYTimes.
Now we are to read multiple articles per day in the NYTimes about corona virus infections, testing inadequacy, etc. This is being pushed, and given the previous statements from experts, it appears the NYTimes and media in general are trying to create a panic. While the impact of having the Chinese stay home and not work (huge, given the trade imbalance) is real, the panic around this virus is overblown.
We dont know that yet for sure tho. Most people are not panicking either
2
Why is this not the biggest news story right now? Government ineptitude on a monumental scale, and a predictable consequence of replacing experts with clueless toadies.
7
If anyone expects anything other than incompetence from this administration, they have not been paying attention to the last three years.
8
If this turns out to be true (hope the NYT keeps digging) then no sane voter can push the Trump button in the voting booth in November.
4
All we have to do is compare the coordinated Obama led American response of the Ebola epidemic to the stooge response of this weak Trump administration to Covid -19. The self proclaimed "businessman" Trump should have been convicted in his impeachment trial. He and his Republican supporters are endangering and looting our country every day. Tighten up those MAGA hats. It gets bumpy from here on in.
9
We need to when the Federal department confirms this, if the CDC is involved, and what are the efforts to ensure the possibly afflicted group does not become the major source of future victims.
I do not want to hear this from Pence but from CDC medical sources!
8
And people point to China for suppressing their whistle-blower. That was at provincial level, not at central level. Here in the USA, information is being suppressed and disinformation spread at the federal level, even the president is trying to distort.
10
The one case in the U.S. reported so far where the patient has no known connection to anyone who has traveled abroad or tested positive for the virus is in Solano County, CA. Travis Air Force Base is about ten miles from the Solano County Library. I think I believe the whistleblower!
18
So typical of the Trump government, that expertise is shown the door and lies are the norm.
Putting people at risk is their specialty, along with promoting conflict and blaming victims.
This is a crime that will reverberate across the country.
The truth matters. Reality is real. Boosterism and lies have consequences, and this story is about to get much bigger, thanks to reality. Sadly, I can say I wish it was not true, but it is about time that consequences got a front seat.
9
So much incompetence. We are doomed. But hey, lower taxes...
10
Imagine making Anthony Fauci clear his comments to the public with Pence! Fauci of NIH led the government's response to the HIV epidemic of the 1980's and 1990's; his informative comments to the public on the status of the epidemic were essential to keeping us informed and he has continued to provide insight on subsequent viral epidemics. And now this world renown virologist has to answer to the likes of Pence. It's truly the upside down world of Alice in Wonderland with Trump the mad queen, screaming "OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!"
At this point, I'm wondering how much more of Trump's craziness his base can keep swallowing. They weren't bothered by Trump seeing crowds that aren't there and they accept losing farms from Trump's tariffs because that's the price of MAGA. But current estimates are that the mortality rate of COVID 19 is 10 times greater than that of seasonal flu and we've just learned infection can occur without direct contact with foreign travel. So we're still trying to figure out this virus and Trump can't see any danger except to his standing. It is possible that all of us, including Trump's base, could have family, friends, acquaintances who become victims of this virus. I wonder if Trump's followers can shrug off deaths close to home even as they fear for their own health. And can they still believe Trump has their interests in mind rather than his own popularity.
And can Trump hide the figures of a falling stock market? How long can he keep faking it?
10
Thanks NYT for your investigative reporting. The End is Near. Never-ever thought I’d be apocalyptic about our country but here I am. At times I feel I’m living with Resignation Syndrome but I will vote, call people and HOPE on November 3rd. If he wins, I swear to the Almighty my life will go on. I live in one of the most beautiful and accepting areas of our beloved country. We have great local progressive governments and a BLUE Republican governor. All is well. I am not alone.
7
So basically, the whistleblower identified unprotected health workers who helped the evacuees from Japan transfer from the jet planes, are now spread out and possibly unknowingly spreading the coronavirus to anyone they meet, anyone they share an elevator with, a bathroom with, and, for a period of time after they leave as the germs last for hours, from the 2 different airfare bases.
I don't get it. Were these people listening to the news for the last month? This virus is extremely contagious, and it can be spread before the infected show symptoms. Any visual report includes health workers completely clad in protective clothing.
10
If the coronavirus takes hold in the USA, and it happened to infect both the President and Vice President, and -- God forbid -- they should both succumb, the leader of the House would become president. That would be a very strange turn of events, I know -- but not impossible, and a compelling scenario I find playing on my mind today after reading this article.
Sorry, it must be my fevered imagination. I'd better lie down. Maybe I've already got the bug.
12
"...senior officials there ... believed the whistle-blower was making the accusations in an effort to protect their job ...."
Maybe so and maybe not; I've seen it go both ways. The reality is that such training and equipment would be the responsibility of professional/career staff and far removed from political interests. In my blissful ignorance, it sounds like the wrong agency and personnel were assigned. Firemen put out the fire, medical personnel care for the sick and injured. This sounds like medical personnel were sent to fight the fire.
4
I'm trying to be fair and not knee-jerk to recriminations over whether our government response is adequate.
It won't be as heavy handed as China's.
It's inconceivable that a democracy would lock down 10 million people in a large American metropolitan area - or even could.
My issue, if I really tap my mind and gut is that I don't know how much of our federal agencies and how many positions have been "Trumpified" if I may coin a phrase.
Meaning, are federal officials, now charged with handling this grave situation, truly free to do a job or do they make each move with an eye on how it will appear in public.
Specifically how it will play with the politics of pro-Trump. How will it play into the unspoken (and spoken) notion that team Trump comes before reality itself.
Because, that is a very dangerous notion here.
Example- “Every precaution has been taken,” said Dr. Walters, the head of operational medicine at the (State) department’s Bureau of Medical Services. “I can say unequivocally that everyone involved with those evacuations were properly equipped and trained.”
So, I searched Dr. Walters.
Found a Q and A from State Dept. about the return of US residents from Japan.
Here:
https://www.state.gov/on-the-repatriation-of-u-s-citizens-from-the-princess-diamond-cruise-ship/
Read it. My antennae went up.
Are the State Dept. people serving us or the president? Dr. Walters doesn't inspire trust.
Any administration has faults.
But, with Trump, it's hard to trust.
9
I was a nurse 30 years...if you work in healthcare you are trained to grown and glove depending on what you are exposed to ...a patient with C diff vs AIDS ...seems like you had non medical people who had no idea of what they should do.
I’m sorry but you would have to be an absolute idiot to be a healthcare worker and not thought to to protect yourself...did they not see how workers in China were protected.
I’m wondering who exactly they sent from HHS novices...
It’s scary to know they were on site no protection and then flew on a commercial jet..
9
@M Perhaps the personnel chosen for this duty were "disloyal."
Another season of The Apprentice has just been launched..
Pre-ordained winner.. VP Pence...
Or loser..
Depending on how this crisis unfolds.
3
A reader over at the WaPo commented that Pence "will fit nicely under the bus." I've been wondering for 3 1/2 years when Trump would make use of his largest human shield. Any time now.
Why would Trump or his crones be concerned about introducing an infectious agent into the Bay Area, Inland Empire and San Diego? These are all part of disloyal, blue California and therefore are to be intentionally harmed, right?
4
Will Paul Randass ask to know the name of the whistleblower? Will the rest of the trump party follow? Will the trump party continue to tell the red team everything that Democrats say? And accuse Democrats of doing exactly what they're doing? This is the most inept administration led by an idiot that thinks he knows everything.
4
What about the Census workers all over the country that are currently counting the homeless, group homes and in a few weeks all the people who have not returned their Census forms by mail.
Has the government considered postponing the count for few months? It seems to be scheduled for the worst possible time.
5
@Lizabeth
This is an excellent point.. Thank you.
Another possible problem that our government has probably not considered.
3
@Lizabeth they're only hourly workers who can simply be admonished as being bad for morale by not being a team player if they're reluctant to do their jobs
3
According to this article: The whistle-blower said their own health concerns were dismissed by senior administration officials as detrimental to staff “morale.” They were “admonished,” the complainant said, and “accused of not being team players,” and had their “mental health and emotional stability questioned.”
Is there more than one whistle-blower?
4
My guess would be that, as with the State Dept whistleblower, the warning was filed by one individual who confirmed their impressions by consulting peers.
Title should be"US health workers Lack Training and Protective gear".
Hospital at which I work is starting to have shortage of masks and other protective gear ( we were warned about coming national shortage of many hospital supplies), we didn't have any briefing, training or official information from hospital management, including Infection Control. Only information about medical aspects of Covid-19 I personally have is from reading medical journals.I guess that approach in this institution is "when infection comes here, we will deal with it"!
6
So basically, the whistleblower identified unprotected health workers who helped the evacuees from Japan transfer from the jet plane, are now spread out and possibly unknowingly spreading the coronavirus to anyone they meet, anyone they share an elevator with, a bathroom with, and, for a period of time after they leave as the germs last for hours.
4
I think we're seeing all too clearly that the "starve the beast" strategy that is so beloved by radical conservatives can have deadly real-world consequences.
Cutting important programs so that the government is small enough to "drown in a bathtub" is a great slogan for those who favor red MAGA caps, but this administration and the whole country is now seeing how it looks in practice.
9
Thank you for insuring that we remain informed while this Administration tries again to hide and twist the truth - caring only about image and not about the safety and well being of the American people.
7
Thought experiment: imagine your candidate of choice as president during the next outbreak. How would she or he handle things?
Pete Buttigieg is my choice. He's intelligent and unflappable. Good qualities to have during a virus outbreak.
6
I don’t think any other administration Republican or Democrat would need whistle-blowers to disperse needed public information concerning such a crisis.
2
The straight lying even though there is photographic proof contradicting their claims is what scares me the most each time this administration pulls it off. The many photographs of the buses moving the quarantined around, with drivers in normal street clothing, without any protective gear on, flouts this claim from the first moment they were on US soil. Thankfully the whistle blower has stepped up, but let’s not imagine anything will come of their brave action. The claim will supposedly be “investigated” and that will be the end of it. Meanwhile, as that drags on, the personnel affected will continue to infect their communities.
8
Don't worry everyone, the first load of thoughts and prayers from Mike Pence has already arrived.
5
Meanwhile.....Trump is busy directing a video about the deep state while the country is in crisis. Is this what we pay him to do?
“One day after briefing the press in an attempt to calm nerves about the spread of the new coronavirus, President Donald Trump spent 45 minutes talking to the lead actors of a low-budget conservative play about the so-called Deep State.”
https://www.thedailybeast.com/amid-coronavirus-mayhem-trump-takes-time-to-meet-with-actors-in-deep-state-play
2
You clear this with Veep Pence? If not, how dare you!
4
With the placement of incompetent Trumpian sycophants in every critical Homeland position - know-nothings appointed to temporary offices because of their TV personalities and sworn allegiance to Trump instead of this nation - we are totally unprepared for anything of consequence.
Under Obama, the possibilities of devastations like this were anticipated as soon as he took office, and he hired experts in strategic planning to deal with the potentialities. Trump hired ignorant sycophants, scripting OUR SAFETY like an inconsequential TV game show.
This of you who support him are responsible for this negligence. Change it or bear the consequences. Unfortunately WE suffer too because of your lack of insight and gullibility.
5
I have just come back from travel abroad. At two airports I was asked to consent to a quick, forehead temperate read as well as a single question about whether I had been in China in the last month, or had any friends relatives who may have. When I went through Newark International (along with arriving passengers from Rome, Berlin, London, Mumbai, etc) there were no equivalent measure. Even the Immigration Officer didn't bother to ask me a single question about my travels. NOT a good sign USA for us...
15
This is exactly the type of obvious error that would be avoided if the situation was being managed by the well-trained CDC team previously established at CDC. But the Administration eliminated that staff in 2018. This is an obvious consequence of that foolish action. An error like this might on it's own initiate a wide spread of Covid-19.
Perhaps it's time to reconsider Secretary Azar's qualifications for his current position. His background as a lobbyist and drug company executive now seems obviously insufficient for the tasks he's facing. A person with deep qualifications in public health would be better suited.
Let's not forget that the President's preferences typically lead towards this sort of major error: a preference for loyalty over expertise, an unwillingness to accept expert input, and prioritization of military funding over public health. If Covid-19 spreads widely within the country, we stand to lose move lives due to foolish refusals to fund public health than we have saved with recent military expenditures.
14
This is so incompetent that it almost seems that they were trying to spread the virus.
12
We can thank Trump and his State department led by Mike pompeo for bringing these 300 passengers back to the US when they should have been quarantined. to compound the problem, innumerable healthcare workers on the front line have been exposed to a potentially deadly virus.
Way to go Mr Stable Genius!
13
It sounds as though the US is taking the initial steps for which China has been so criticized. Deny, lie, minimize, retaliate. Otherwise this would not be a whistleblower issue with its attedant protections for speaking up about this public health crisis.
16
The only good that may come from the corona virus pandemic is that it may bring about Trump's downfall.
The economy, the one thing that has kept many republicans loyal to Trump, is about to tank.
Trump’s systematic destruction of our national health agencies has left us unprepared to fight the spread of the virus, which means even staunch allies are now at risk.
A belated and bungled response to the outbreak in the United States falls squarely on Trump's shoulders, and when his supporters are forced to cope with closed daycare centers, schools, and businesses, and find themselves unable to pay for treatment, even they may sour on voting for Trump.
If we can manage to survive for 9 more months, we could actually elect a president who can turn things around.
14
In the end, it only matters to this administration that they look good.
Of course, it's getting more and more difficult as they actually have to make decisions and enact policy.
People might actually be paying attention to what they're doing and the administrations biggest fear, being exposed as the fake, phony, frauds that they all are, will be realized.
But, as long as they keep repeating, "the president is doing a great job", they can hold onto their jobs.
5
Perhaps those in the continental U.S. like the woman now at UC Davis Medical Center, who have been diagnosed with this coronavirus but have had no "known" contact with other coronavirus potential carriers were infected by untrained U.S. government workers such as the ones described in this article.
Incompetence pervades the Trump administration and the incompetence begins at the top and flows downhill.
8
I notice that when asked to respond to Mr. Gomez’s direct questions, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar gave responses that were not outright lies, but also never directly answered the questions.
When Mr. Gomez asked if any medical responders were “exposed to high risk evacuees”, Mr. Azar responded “they should never have been.” Not thot they hadn’t, but that they should have not have been.” That is like being at a car wreck and asking the injured driver if he or she were involved, and being answered “I should not have been.”
When Mr.Gomez asked about reports that the situation was chaotic, Mr. Azar responded that he could “not accept your proposal that it was chaotic at all times.” While not a lie, it conveys that there WERE times that wee chaotic which Mr. Azar wanted to downplay. This is like being at a mass shooting and being told later the site wasn’t chaotic at all times.
This is what happens when you have an administration that guts well trained professionals and experts from agencies and replaces them with adoring unqualified, incompetent, political hacks who ignore facts and peddle “alternate facts” as the now invisible Kelly Ann Conway calls them.
This is also reflects the appointment of VP Mike Pence to lead the effort to combat the virus’ spread in the US. What medical expertise does Pence have to qualify him for this critical role, other than to get on fake news stations like Fox and declare that he (and God) have everything under control?
6
Because the United States of America does not have Universal Health Care, many Americans are not going to go to the doctor when they get symptoms of Coronavirus because they can't afford to go to the doctor.
14
HHS fumbled this.
The head of DHS was crowd-sourcing, live on Twitter, how to get the outbreak map working on the web.
The President was surprised to her that masks were being hoarded and price-gouged.
The president was surprised to hear that seasonal flu kills over 20K people each year.
The experts have to vet every statement through VP who thinks science is not much more than a quaint affectation, and has a disastrous record on actual health care. "Indiana model" my eye.
8
@JP
"The head of DHS was crowd-sourcing, live on Twitter, how to get the outbreak map working on the web."
Yes, mind-boggling. Also, mind-boggling, that the man lacked even the understanding that tweeting out his question about the map is highly weird and unprofessional for a high ranking official during this crisis, and demonstrated cluelessness for all to see.
7
Surprise, surprise. Our president cut the very agencies needed to deal with this, and has continued to downplay the seriousness. His cruel policies are behind so many deaths.
8
It's like people never heard of or seen a respiratory infection before. Probably too distracted with their constant hacking coughs and congestion brought on from just breathing the air. Cold and flu season comes to most offices and it's just even more of a competition to see who can be made to blink first and actually concede to taking a sick day. Slackers. Coronavirus will be like iron man competition for most American workplaces.
5
Elections have consequences.
Glad I did not vote for DJT.
No matter what happens I know I can look my children in the eyes now and into the future that I did my best to keep DJT from reaching the highest office in the land.
Not everyone can say that.
And putin laughs...
6
All information now goes through Pence?
Time for more whistleblowers.
5
@Brandy the information doesn't go through Pence, it flies over his head.
3
In 2016 we elected a person totally unfit for the job. He is still totally unfit for the job. But now for the first time, his incompetence is harming the public at a growing rate. He will never admit his incompetence, but this time he can't cover it up and get away with it. As always, he tries to play president and believes he is a genius and a ruler above them all. Incompetent, defensive and mistrusting people like Trump should never be allowed to have so much power. He may kill us all with his ignorance, stubbornness and malevolent intents at coverups and vengeance.
8
It's great to have an experienced virologist like Mike Pence in charge.
8
@Jaco do you doubt that some of the virologists who head departments of virology are probably good leaders?
1
You are implying that Pence is a good leader? I’ve not seen any evidence to support such a conclusion. Science rather than prayer and suppression of information is needed to prevent this public health threat from becoming a full blown crisis.
2
So instead of blocking this virus from entering the country they facilitate its import and spreading coast to coast? A bioterrorist or hostile foreign agent can't do a better job than this!
7
Yes, brilliant! The work of an evil genius!
1
Uh oh, republicans! This whistle blower is the real threat, just like before, is that right? I certainly hope not, but I would not be surprised to hear trump say that all citizen reports have to go through him or Pence first.
Beware; trumpies have already defended this administration in their hounding of people who talk. Look what they're doing right now to a member of the Roger Stone jury and the judge! How they trashed Lt. Col. Vindman and Ambassador Yovanovich! If trump cult members don't care that trump dishonors other Americans just for fun, you know his ego will search for cover, not truth.
Don't continue down the rabbit hole, where you feel you have to defend every silly lie! Viruses don't know ideology. When trump says that the danger is personally political, when it's actually a health danger, you know you need to correct your party.
Right? Right, trumpies? You wouldn't actually support an investigation into how Joe Biden caused coronavirus to make trump look bad, crash the stock market on purpose and kill all republicans, would you? Cuz that's how cray cray this president is gonna get. He ALREADY IS, what with his agreement with Limbaugh that the Dems are once again nefarious deep staters.
Tell us you'll draw a line somewhere, trumpies.
1
Tracking the incompetence of the US response is more challenging than fettering out super-spreaders. It's like Trump is a super-spreader of incompetence. Every day, another mentally ill decision.
6
Ask Pence, maybe we can pray it away.
1
Didn't take long for the virus to be politicized, LOL.
I just want to send a sincere thank you to the brave whistle blower for coming forward.
I shudder to think or imagine how much worse this scenario could have played out with that individual stepping up and thinking about what's in the best interest of all Americans rather than the president who can't ever seem to get past his own imagine, voice and ego.
114
@Marge Keller
Apologies for the typo. I meant to write "WITHOUT
that individual stepping up . . ."
10
@Marge Keller
Trump mush be seething. I think he'll soon start thinking about exiling whistleblowers and Democrats to Guantanamo Bay!
8
Millennials and younger generations have the sad responsibility of learning from this Trump administration and Republican bungle. Let's hope one of their lessons is that there is actual physical danger from tax cuts for the rich which rob our government of the resources needed to protect us all. This level of negligence and incompetence should be scrutinized through public hearings.
75
Thank You HHS! Cannot believe our own government enabled this spread of this Virus into the community! My initial thought of: Of course President Trump is sending all citizens possibly infected with Covid-19 to California! He is politically at war with California. If it spreads, what better place to have an outbreak than California! This is utterly unbelievable right now. Makes me nauseas.
18
Thank goodness for whistle blowers. Why doesn't the times do an in-depth story on how Trump has dismantled or weakened important government agencies like the CDC?
21
This is training so basic I have done it so that I can work as a volunteer:
https://training.fema.gov/nims/
11
Our supreme leader ( not Khamenei, Glorious) Trump assured us not to believe fake media , when spring warm hits , corona virus dies out.
Stop whining.
5
This is criminal. Lock Trump up. Lock Pence up.
13
This has been corrected, right??
I am glad that doesn't get decided by the democratic process judging from the left field comments in this section..
@Dr. Sam it's been corrected in the same sense as when a dead person is pulled out from under a car driven by someone drunk, that "accident" has been corrected.
1
There seems to be some confusion in D.C. that this is COVID-19, not COVFEFE
9
I bet even the Trump supporting farmers are waking up...
They KNOW how fast a virus or bacterial infection can spread through a herd of cattle or flocks of chickens or yards full of pigs.
They act quickly to vaccinate them, most having the vaccines on hand so they don't even have to wait for a vet visit...
People in herds (crowds) are just as likely to spread diseases.
OK farmers...your gibberish speaking President has spoken.
Would you manage your herds like this? Fingers crossed and prayer?
Are you waking up yet?
8
@Ignatz they will never wake up because fox will spin it in trump's favor. Somehow.
2
Has anyone questioned why California is being hit so hard by all this? Trump hates California, it’s politicians (with the exception of Nunes) and it’s people (many Latinos). Just saying.
9
Maybe it's because the untrained and unprotected HHS workers were exposed at McNair AFB, near where the 1st US victim lived.
3
No talking about rising temperatures, global warming, climate change. Spreading fevers?
3
Well here we are, facing a worst-nightmare scenario: A national health threat that will, at the least, require the keenest science and public health minds an resources to fight. And who’s in the big office? The most corrupt, science-averse, organizationally inept president in the nation’s history doing -exactly- what you’d expect; bragging, lying, appointing inept expendable political sycophants to the front lines, and dropping the curtains.
The next time you cast a vote for president (if you’re lucky enough to survive this one’s reign) please THINK REAL HARD. Votes can kill.
19
Here's the Laurie Garrett story about how Obama had set up an infrastructure to organize the response to outbreaks like this, and how Trump destroyed it. (I think the NYT also had a story about this.)
https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/01/31/coronavirus-china-trump-united-states-public-health-emergency-response/
Trump Has Sabotaged America’s Coronavirus Response
As it improvises its way through a public health crisis, the United States has never been less prepared for a pandemic.
By Laurie Garrett
Foreign Policy
January 31, 2020
"...the government has intentionally rendered itself incapable. In 2018, the Trump administration fired the government’s entire pandemic response chain of command, including the White House management infrastructure. "
17
More proof of the total ineptness of this administration. Money isn't everything! The economy isn't everything. They simply do NOT have the ability to protect American's lives. Time to change administrations and bring back some brain power
5
No surprise that California the Anti-Trump state is the location of poorly prepared LOCAL communities preparedness for Coronavirus. About Narcissism of Trump:Donald Trump like many or most political leaders is narcissistic. The reader should know however, that narcissism is not a psychiatric curse word. The psychoanalytic term for the complex domain of self-love and dignity is narcissism, or the narcissistic sector of our personality. It is important to note that narcissism is not necessarily a synonym for selfishness or self-absorption. In a normal personality, self-love matures and develops through anxieties and challenges, just as the ability to love others also has the opportunity to grow and mature. As the Bible clearly indicates, healthy self-love is necessary for love of others.
Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22: 37-39. NIV).
I guess you missed the part where federal guidelines prevented them from testing the infected person there for several days before finally allowing it?
5
“'We take all whistle-blower complaints very seriously and are providing the complainant all appropriate protections under the Whistleblower Protection Act,' said Caitlin B. Oakley, a deputy assistant secretary and a national spokeswoman for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs. 'We are evaluating the complaint and have nothing further to add at this time.'”
Said the deputy assistant secretary who was formerly a lobbyist with the Beer Institute. Looks like the virus is being poured into the swamp.
5
No surprise there. We know the Trump administration is incompetent.
4
It would be better to have a President who has some familiarity with the military. Such a president would be unlikely to have our marines on the Mexican border, or use active military bases to house and quarantine virus risk folks.
He should maybe keep those folks at Camp David?
5
Mar a Lago would be a better location. And if they ran out of space in the buildings Chinese expertise could be used to set up instant hospitals on the golf course. Of course some bull dozing might be required but it would be for the public good.
I expect nothing less than 100% incompetence from this administration - and I am never disappointed.
8
Criminal negligence, anyone?
4
So it’s obvious that workers in Fairfield at Travis were roaming the community including Vacaville which is next town east. The woman who is now at UCD med center with confirmed corona illness lives in Vacaville. Such inept response to a pandemic.
10
The president has told us "there's a very good chance you're not going to die," so we've got nothing to worry about.
4
This utter incompetence, beneath what one would typically expect to find in a banana republic. To top it off Trump is silencing public health officials and preventing them from dispensing life saving health information to the American people.
7
Of course, you all know our President will be reelected.
2
Pandemic Pence and Typhoid Trump along with Affliction causing Azar are at the helm! Nothing to worry about here folks
5
I used to attend prayer circles where the participants prayed a shield of protection around themselves and believed with great fervour this would work.
In the evangelical, anti-vax realm of America this kind of belief system is encouraged, taught and fiercly followed. Pence, Pompeo are part of this, and Trump plays them all for the power trip.
And as for Trump, you know the only thing he is worrying about right now is if any of his and his family's $$ is being lost in the frantic stock market.
4
This incident embodies the Trump administration. It is a cult of personality and all that matters is the stable genius looks and feels good. If he is happy who gives a toss about the remaining 329 million people living in the US. Trump has turned the US into North Korea on steroids when it comes to caring about its citizens.
My expectation is that between the corona virus and the Trump administration's response the US will soon look as economically robust as North Korea or the Trump Taj Mahal Casino...take your pick.
6
Ahhh, when the government is small enough to drown in a bathtub, sometimes you go with it. Small price to pay for achieving one of so-called conservatives’ holy grails.
4
Trump is confident they'll have all the supplies they need and had no idea that masks were being hoarded:
Q Mr. President, there have been many cases of price gouging on the sales of medical equipment, masks, and so on. Should the government be investigating that?
THE PRESIDENT: Yeah, I think they —
Q Looking into it? Do you have a message on that?
THE PRESIDENT: If you tell me that’s happening, we will definitely investigate. We don’t want that.
You can't buy masks at any retailer or reputable online store, there is a month+ backorder at Amazon, and there's not even widespread outbreaks yet.
Trump has no clue. He was surprised to find out the annual fatalities from seasonal flu. He is out-loud imagining a miracle to intercede. The scientists have to clear public comments with science-hostile Mike Pence.
Hate to say we told you so, but... we told you so.
6
The Coronavirus Pandemic is a genuine worldwide disaster, and Trump has made it worse by denial and incompetence.
Trump is concerned that this looks bad for him. His natural response to any crisis is to lie, cover up his own mistakes, and blame others. VP Pence will do whatever Trumps says. We cannot trust anything they say.
Under Obama, the US government was prepared. But after Trump cut the budget of the CDC two years ago, experts predicted that this would hurt American preparedness:
“Why American could become vulnerable to the next major pandemic”
https://time.com/5177802/cdc-budget-cuts-infectious-disease/
Every American death will be on Trump’s head.
7
Putting medically uneducated Pence in charge of the Corona Virus threat, and insisting that the White House approve all official public announcements regarding it enormously increases the possible number of victims of this dread virus.
Trump and Pence will share the guilt for their stupidity in the mishandling of the pandemic and the deaths there will be as a result. Fox News will share complicity in the Trump lies as they foolishly continue to dangerously misinform the public.
11
Question for "officials" who contended exposed workers were not in danger and no testing has been done on them because none showed any symptoms: Didn't you feel stupid saying that?
6
The story that should be screaming under all cap headlines is the dangerous incompetence of the Trump Admin. The whistleblower is just the source. Please keep that straight, NYT
5
Of course they lacked training gear! This brilliant president was starring at the eclipse a few years ago without glasses!!!!
6
Typical incompetence and disregard for health and safety by the Trump administration. Given Trump's track record, why would we expect anything better?
4
Is anyone surprised by the behavior of the federal government headed by the most incompetent CEO ever appointed or elected to the office of POTUS?? Donald J. Trump is so ignorant that he doesn't know what he doesn't know. He has become so enthralled with the role he has been play-acting for the past 3 years that he actually thinks he knows what he is doing. He appoints Mike Pence, his chief epidemiologist, as "Czar" to oversee his government's response to a potential coronavirus epidemic. The example of the blind (and ignorant) appointing the blind and ignorant. Now the "emperor" aka Donald J Trump" will be seen, maybe even by his adoring base, as the fraud he has always been. Many will die and be harmed by the hubristic ignorance of the current CEO in the White House.
No president on the day of his inauguration was ever completely prepared for the job. But they all learned on the job and appointed knowledgeable surrogates to help them. Only Trump has remained willfully ignorant and too self-absorbed to actually appoint experts to help him as CEO. All he cares about is personal "loyalty", not competence. Perhaps these untrained government workers who were sent to help with the quarantine of Americans exposed to the virus overseas may, through ignorance of how viruses spread, have already infected others around the nation. Just another example of the Trump administration making America Great Again.
6
Regarding all these comments here, why isn't the rest of the media picking up on this, as in FOX. It's time to recognize the issues at hand, all of them. Are these just a just feel good exercise?
Put down the partisanship and lets get this multi-nation country back on the tracks.
1
I have to say that it was heartening yesterday to hear our Governor Newsom’s press conference about the virus and hear from the experts about what we are facing here. He was calm and measured and talked about the coordination with the CDC in responding to the anticipated spread of the virus in California. Then he turned the discussion over to the experts who talked about the fact that we had been through this before with SARS and EBOLA and had established protocols during those health scares that they were refining and building on. I guess that’s the “deep state”-people who have learned through history and are able to use that knowledge in new situations. I, for one, am grateful that we have that here in California. Oh and Governor Newsom never once mentioned the stock market!
8
Trump cut funding for OSHA, the CDC. National Institutes of Health, Medicaid, the National Science Foundation, international aid, and healthcare. Thousands of scientists were fired or resigned. An integral part of scientific training is safety - how to protect oneself and the workforce. OSHA provides this. Incorrect masks, failure to change gloves or wear protective clothing is all part of this training. The biggest contamination threat - phones. I see workers in every setting - hospitals, doctors offices, stores, and postal and delivery services, on their phones. Phones and their cases are never decontaminated! The swamp Trump talks about is really the people that surround him. Their ignorance and blind loyalty put the world at risk. Be grateful this is not Ebola.
5
In a turbulent world at risk due to a Climate Change , a Country beset by real problems, an aging population, broken infrastructure , broken health care and education system a raging deficit and shortage of skilled people the most critical attribute of a President is Competence .
Ranting , Raving, wild promises , lies are not what we want.
A cool head, experience a record of getting things done quietly and effectively is an imperative
3
When I heard that the Americans from the cruise ship had been flown home with members who were infected and landing at Travis Air Force base, I wondered how prepared the health care workers in charge of caring for them would be. Now I have my answer. They weren't prepared at all. And they went out into the community and interacted with others, most likely spreading the virus. Scary.
8
I’m practicing for my role in the Trump admin: first thing we do, find the whistleblower!
5
Many people in the United States will soon learn why a federal government is necessary, why vaccines are essential, and why they should listen to scientists instead of Rush Limbaugh. America is about to receive a very brutal lesson.
9
In World History, We arrive another important junction.
Since China's elevation to world largest economy and almost equal to USA. We never tested China or USA as a rivals.
Time is up.
China so far faired the Corona virus crisis with its 1.4 Billion population very good. What ever the criticism, reality is how China supplied necessary healthcare to its citizens, plus how they handled this long period of sealed of cities and sustain the daily life.
US is just starting the Coronavirus crisis. We will see how our Government White House and Congress will handle the contagion and sustaining daily life. Just 1 month later we will see what we are all about, a hype or we can pull our weight .
I agree on that I wish to see any other president over Trump at this moment in White House.
1
Thank heaven for whistleblowers. I'm sure the corrupt GOP, if it returns to power in Congress, would seek first to cancel any protections for whistleblowers, because they are all we have to get the truth about what is going on in this corrupt government we have. The GOP fears disclosure far more than it fears a few thousand of us dying of a virus we could have managed better if this administration cared one whit about our health.
2
Read Stephen King's "The Stand" and become very afraid.
2
Did anyone notice that Travis Air Force Base is located in Solano County? The County where CA's first case had no "known" contact with someone from China etc? Perhaps the cause is the unprotected Federal employees who might not have shown signs of infection but were infectious anyway?
3
Just like China, this administration cares about controlling the message, not controlling the actual threat.
5
I mean honestly guys, who knows more about this stuff than Trump? Relax, if he says there's nothing too worry about and he's got it covered, its all good. I mean he's never lied to us before has he?
5
@Steve Snow
Right! Trump said so himself, he's kind of an expert:
"My uncle was a great professor at MIT for many years, Dr. John Trump," the president said. "And I didn’t talk to him about this particular subject, but I have a natural instinct for science..."
Why is it that people wring their hands and complain this is all about politics and trump haters hating? From the beginning, trump has made everything about politics and himself. You reap what you sow.
2
Trump has made everything about himself. Well he owns this one and won't be able to get away with silencing a whistle blower or blaming Democrats or the news media. If you can't handle it, Mr. President, please resign and let the scientists take over.
100
@Christy Do not fear; Mike Pence is now the Czar in charge of coronavirus policy. At last we have a knowledgeable scientist in charge. I feel so much safer!
5
@Christy talk to 10 scientists/ doctors and you will get 10 opinions about COVID-19. The fact is very little time is known about this virus. The CDC just yesterday was able to agree on the proper testing procedures. Unlike the scientists Trump has the responsibility to the entire society including preventing unneeded joblessness due to overreacting hysteria.
1
@Christy The question is: Trump's supporters have allowed everything so far. Will they develop a conspiracy theory about this, too? Or will they change their opinion and admit that knowledge actually makes a difference, and that following a leader who has so little is dangerous.
6
Choice a) so what everyone else is doing b) think for myself and google what to do when working in a quarantine area c) notice all the photos of people in space suits and ponder why that is.
5
Missing from the report is how many of the workers have become ill with the virus. I wonder why. But at least Trump’s concerns are valid about bringing all of the people who may have the virus back to the mainland US.
It is most likely that the whistle blower complaint most likely describes how the coronavirus microbe was spread to the community at large!
1
@Louis A. Carliner, hopefully the government can find the same energy and resources to dedicate on finding a vaccine as they did indulging their political lusts over the whistle blower.
So the woman who was infected in California could possibly have been infected by our own government bringing disease carriers into contact with her.
"testing was not done because none of the personnel showed symptoms of being sick." Huh? All of the experts I have heard comment have emphasized that widespread testing, and not merely monitoring for symptoms, is essential to controlling the spread of the virus. According to one member of Congress, the CDC is actively impeding testing.
It's been reported that infected individuals may transmit the virus before they show symptoms. Question: Are the aforementioned personnel circulating in the general population?
4
It is amazing how unprepared our health departments and government are at every level in understanding this situation, preparing for it, and mobilizing measures to contain what is essentially a biological threat. A deadly pandemic will happen, it is a question of when. I remember teaching a microbiology class and talking about this reality back in the mid 1990s, 25 years ago! This was before Sept. 11, 2001. Now COVID-19 is in the community and asymptomatic children and adults are spreading it. Our only hope is to invest resources to develop vaccines faster, because obviously the people of this country will not contain an infectious threat using their intelligence, will, and selfless dedication to the greater good.
49
Is Pence tracking down these workers? If not, why not? When will test kits be made more widely available? California has 8400 people under observation but only 440 people have been tested nationwide. Pence should be activating every possible method to protect the public. He’s only focused on providing cover for Trump. This is an outright disaster.
85
@PABD Pence is useless. The wax museum figure is a toady to Trump and is not the sharpest tool in the box either.
8
@Birdygirl Pence is definitely useless here and being setup to be the propaganda lens for the administration in order to stave off the inevitable wall street dump. Then later, when propaganda fails and the public outbreak happens, he'll be rightfully framed as inept, except this time it will be Trump that throws the stone. Clearly, he's being setup to be the fall guy.
Also, it's worth noting that under Pence's leadership as governor an entirely preventable HIV outbreak happened in his state. Denialism and anti-science measure don't prevent reality. Truth matters.
45
@PABD
Sadly, all test kits must returned to the CDC in Atlanta for verification of disease. Why are there not satellite labs around the country established for quicker turnaround on test results?
7
We have a deeper problem in America than Coronavirus and it’s called a Narcissistic Personality Disorder. And all one needs to do is go to Google and search “DSM IV Narcissistic Personality Disorder” to look it up and they will see how deadly serious this affliction is to our nation. Why? Because our President has an extreme case of it.
This disorder makes Trump incapable of witnessing any event, any discussion, anyone’s public comments or even a potential pandemic without interpreting it through a lens of how it impacts him personally. The affliction also prohibits Trump from feeling empathy towards anyone or receiving advice— even from experienced intelligence, military or health official. We witness such behavior everyday. Now it may lead to people dying because the president is determined to hide the potential impact of the disease because he thinks it may hurt the economy and endanger his re-election chances.
As a nation we need to address the president’s severe case of Narcissistic Personality Disorder before it is too late. He’s making decisions that put lives in danger and we can no longer afford to treat him like a maverick or misguided CEO. We need to show compassion and empathy to him-two things that a person with his disorder is incapable of doing. As his staff and people closest to him are not willing to step up, its time others did. His disorder is more dangerous to America than Coronavirus— and now they are connected. It needs to be publicly discussed.
106
@Jack Smith
Narcissistic PD is an Axis II diagnosis. Many former US Presidents would have traits of the same PD. Many people in positions of power have NPD as well. In other words the diagnosis doesn't qualify as a debilitating mental illness warranting removal from office. NPD has been clearly evident in Donald Trump all along. He has never been competent to be the leader of our country. The GOP and WH administration along with his network of cronies at Fox has fed the NPD to the level of extremes. It's the same character makeup of dictators. He will have to be voted out of office. There is no way he can be removed based on NPD. It's maladaptive and resistant to change. So when someone remarks he has learned his lesson they couldn't be further from the truth.
6
@ Jack Smith Thank you for naming (literally) the elephant in the room! Trump's mental condition colors his every waking moment, his decisions, his emotions. Trump is dangerous in his current mental state. But he is so supremely manipulative that those around him fear him and play his game for power.
My father is a malignant narcissist and I know the behaviors well. Like Trump, he fools many people until the fury surfaces when people show their "disloyalty". But what can be done to change this situation with Trump? So many profit from Trump's illness.
4
After 3 plus years, isn't putting unqualified, inexperienced people in positions a common practice for Trump? Consistantly compromising our Nation's security, intelligence communities, financial, and citizens healthcare needs is a recipe for disaster waiting to happen. I suspect when this comes to pass, Trump and his Republican minions will blame everyone else but themselves. "The buck stops here" motto only applies to the bucks that ends up in their pockets, not in taking responsibility for giving unqualified people positions because of their loyalty to Trump or political party... smh...
35
@American Independent By the time this is over, 7 million people will be dead.
1
This is vey much like the Chernobyl response: muddled and misguided. I hope this isn't a nostalgia for the 1980's thing but we have become so much like that other incompetent authoritarian failed regime. The only things missing is the hair and the music.
23
The defense is "none of the personnel showed symptoms of being sick," so precautions were lax. Yet, they know the incubation period is 14 days. We mere mortals just can't understand the complex logic of trump apologists.
24
For the Trump Administration, incompetence is not a bug, but a feature.
Incompetence causes chaos. Chaos offers opportunities to steal and to rewrite the rules while we everyone is distracted.
Look at the Iraq War (which the Republicans pretend they had nothing to do with now.) If Bush wanted that war to go smoothly, he would have put Colin Powell in charge and sent enough to troops to keep order in the vacuum created by the end of Saddam regime. Instead he put Rumsfeld in charge. The chaos that he caused went on for decades, and in the chaos pallets of hundred dollar bills disappeared, Haliburton and other contractors made billions doing shoddy work, and the Iraqi Constitution was rewritten to give control of Iraq's oil to global corporations. The whole thing makes a lot more sense if you look at it in reverse.
Haliburton also profited from Hurricane Katrina. Pence was a leader of a commission that used it as an excuse to remake New Orleans in the image of extreme disaster capitalism, closing all the public schools, closing housing projects, making it impossible for many or monirities to return to their homes, etc.
Trump is obviously not preoccupied with saving lives. He is preoccupied with blaming others, while he uses incompetence to create chaos, just like he does every day
The Right will use a pandemic to rewrite the Constitution while everyone is trying to survive,
Stop assuming the Right is interested in morality or governing, against the evidence.
29
@McGloin All along I’ve said someone needs to have a running article chronicling “while this was happening, here’s what’s really was happening.” The news approach seems to have evolved very little since 2016.
1
It seems as if the only time things are taken seriously is when some Patriotic Whistleblower has the courage to step forward. It was why the Impeachment took place and Trump was impeached. It is now taking another Whistleblower to tell the truth about what is truly happening in the Trump administration to shine a light on what is really happening in HHS.
Now if only one Whistleblower from theIRS would release the tax returns of Trump, we may have enough for the Senate to realize the errors of their ways and Throw out Trump.
I hope Nancy Pelosi changes her mind and adds additional charges against Trump.
Just when you think it cannot get any worse, it does.
26
I’m a veterinarian, and veterinarians are at the forefront of preventing foreign animal disease outbreaks in the US. There are strict guidelines in place for every minuscule step of arriving/leaving a farm where there is even just a suspicion of a foreign disease, to avoid inadvertent spread of a pathogen. Even I know this, even though I’m a dog-and-cat vet living in a city. So why are *doctors from the CDC*, of all places, unaware that it’s not okay to walk into a quarantine area wearing street clothes like suits? Maybe the USDA should start training them too. SMH
35
@AM "The workers who were sent to the scene were not medical professionals and usually help low-income Americans returning to the United States from foreign countries during crises." There's no mention of "doctors from the CDC" in the article.
3
@AM . Wasn't the CDC. It was DHHS and State Department.
5
I would be willing to bet that we, the CDC, or other such organizations, likely know who these people are that may have been exposed to coronavirus that were reported to the Democrats by this whistleblower. It seems that our Federal Government should track down these people and bring them to a secure medical facility and test them all immediately and quarantine them for two weeks regardless of the outcome of the tests. Like the beginning of any new situation there is a learning curve. It seems that it is a short curve in this instance and it appears what we have here is simply another attempt to stoke fear and encourage chaos by people who have some sort of political agenda. Rumor's and propaganda
the likes of which we have never seen are rampant and are causing significant harm and instilling fear in this country. If only the Democrats did not hate Trump and wish to harm him at all cots things would be better by far. However, in spite of what the Democrats are trying to do President Trump is undeterred in his efforts to protect America and Americans as best as humanly possible to do.
4
@NYChap
"It seems that our Federal Government should track down these people and bring them to a secure medical facility and test them all immediately and quarantine them for two weeks regardless of the outcome of the tests."
Whoops! No biggie here, folks! Just bring the exposed individuals back into quarantine. And the individuals they spent time with. As well as the individuals they spent time with. And also the individuals they spent time with.
You are willing to cut some slack for our country's "most expert" (ha) health officials for not having understood how to protect against the spread of a pathogen that may or may not have been present amongst quarantined individuals??
Clearly they failed Germ Management 101. No! I am not willing to cut them slack here; there should not have been need for a "learning curve" in following procedure for safely dealing with quarantined individuals.
People who "hate Trump" and this administration actually hate dangerous incompetence. There is nothing wrong with that. Trump is not out to "protect America;" there is plenty of evidence of that.
3
@NYChap You’re in denial of the facts! I’m DEM and don’t “hate” Trump. What I do hate is how he believes he is the smartest person in the room when he clearly is out of his depth on many topics of vital national importance. His fragile ego demanded that he strip his administration of advisors willing to honestly advise — even when their advice conflicted with Trump’s point of view. Trump is dangerous to us all because his Narcissism won’t allow other voices to be heard. No matter the issue or crisis, Trump’s first concern is Trump not Our Nation.
2
@NYChap. Wow. Where to begin? Even now, with the possibility of a pandemic on the horizon - a pandemic by the way, that doesn't care about politics, borders, race, sex or creed. There are still "True Believers" out there who will defend the dysfunctional mess that Trump and his GOP enablers have created, and even blame "the Democrats".
No. This potential disaster is firmly based in the policies of deregulation and underfunding the GOP has pursued for decades, and the staggering incompetence of placing loyalists rather than experts in Cabinet level positions while simultaneously refusing to fill the management and advisory roles of hundreds of positions.
3
I remember early on in the crisis when corona was still mostly confined to China that American agencies were offering aid to the Chinese in their efforts to contain it. It turns out they were wise to say no. If anything we’ll need their expertise in handling this on our shores, our resources are so depleted under Trump.
12
Advice from China? You mean the Chinese officials who denied there was a problem for two weeks then lied about how many cases there were? Who took no action for quite some time? Then yes, our administration does indeed seem to be following their lead.
1
@Anita Larson
At least, when the Chinese did finally respond, they looked like they knew what they were doing. We don't know what we're doing, and it shows.
1
Where were these teams from and where did they go when they left California? Are they based in the same place, or were team members drawn from different cities? We're missing the punchline here--the cities where these potentially exposed workers live and are now interacting with others.
17
@Linnea Warren I agree, typical half story.
1
I have given up.
A man who denied (in 2020) that cigarettes cause lung cancer, and who thinks "religious"doctors don't have to treat gay peoeple, is the "leader" on addressing an emerging eprodemic.
Hundreds and hundreds of dedicated, trained, experienced public servants (the deep state!) Including the managers and scientists we need — have left in disgust, or been fired.
He has sneered at climate crisis, and showed no leadership on election integrity.
The ridiculous Jarvanka and their pals fly the globe on tax dime as "advisors".
The press sec'y has NEVER given a press conference.
The only real jobs he has created are for whistleblowers.
There is no malfeasance, no dereliction of duty, no display of sheer incompetence or contempt for which he will be either reined in or held responsible.
Mcconnell stays mute
119
@r mackinnon
I have come to firmly believe that McConnell's primary job is to do whatever needs to be done to protect and back Trump.
His biggest accomplishment was in rounding up his fellow GOP Senators in voting for Trump's acquittal in his impeachment trial.
Frankly, from the cheap seats, it looks as if McConnell does very little of anything for anyone else but Trump and his base.
30
Another glaring example of this regime’s over-use of the “Peter Principle” in real time.
22
This is the beginning of the end for Trump. The chickens are coming home to roost. His disregard for science, expertise, knowledge, know-how will be his undoing and downfall. His lying self-praise will ring hollow as the economy collapses and his empty promises prove to be just that. Fasten your seat belts, co-citizens, we’re in for a bumpy ride.
44
@scamp02 Don't count your chickens before the hatch. Trump is not making empty promises or ignoring science but the Democrats are stocking fear and chaos in hopes of gaining some sort of perverse political advantage at the expense of properly protecting ourselves from the coronavirus. The collapse of the economy has absolutely nothing to do with what Trump is doing or saying but has to do with fear in people and software that rule our stock markets. They do it every time. The Democrats and their BFFs in the media know that and encourage fear and peddle misinformation to help their cause along.
I can’t believe I’m writing this, but I hope you’re right!
1
@scamp02 It would be nice if that were true, but you've probably said the same thing 8-10 times since he was elected, and nothing ever happens to him. He's going to be President until he dies, and then Queen Ivanka will take his place; American democratic tradition is already dead.
This whole scenario is like the beginning of V for Vendetta.
7
@e. bronte Ehhh, kinda. Didn't they specifically create and then unleash the virus in that movie, having also created and trademarked the cure?
@e. bronte The Virus Vendetta for the anti- science air heads in the White House.
1
I keep trying to make light of this situation just to help my brain cope with the enormity of it and because this administration is a satire of itself despite how desperately serious this situation is. Nevertheless, here are the facts:
The president made devastating cuts to our medical infrastructure and preparedness to fight disease as part of his efforts to gut government, cut taxes and hand the windfall back to his rich cronies.
As part this administration’s ham handed efforts, HHS “officials” came into direct contact with 13 individuals infected with the Coronavirus and herded them onto a plane full of healthy passengers without adequate protective gear for themselves or anyone else concerned. Then these officials were permitted to re-enter the general population without even being tested.
The president appeared on television deliberately spreading disinformation and lies to make himself look better and putting the population at greater risk.
The president has shut down public health officials and forbidden them from passing on relevant health information that might help the general public.
We don’t have nearly the amount of text kits we need (a state the size of California only has 200) and a vaccine is a long way off.
That’s the situation and it is extremely serious. America is looking more like a banana republic every single day. We are getting a preview of what it feels like living in a failed state run by a deranged despot dictator. #MAGA2020?
55
@wildwest
Pence is probably praying for them. What could possibly go wrong?
Don’t worry. Be happy.
1
China cancelled their People's Congress.
I wonder if the November 2020 election will be cancelled here...
17
@reader Not a good idea. You'll just have Trump in office that much longer.
As a retired nurse in Public Health career.......
I strongly encourage all community and regional health districts in America to gather their local volunteer emergency response teams trained with Federal Funding under Bush 2 and Obama to be called up to mobilize for a raging pandemic. By next month we will be deep into community acquired NOVID19 and we need local training and local resources to be utilized by mayors and councils across America.
Do not depend on trump or pence and Azar. These guys are ignorant and know they all have a leg up for protection.
Our American wage earners , children and seniors and disabled are being hurt by this evolving viral attack and are without protections and clear instructions.
Our entire communities of department heads and workers in government must create emerg. Plans to keep offices open for services.
Quarantines must be implemented in a safe humane way for those requiring observation.
Information like the data Dr. Fauci is not able to share because of a gag order by trumpworld can be gotten from other virology experts in our own states. Utilize your medical community. Meetings should be occurring NOW. Local hospitals should be coordinating with physicians and nurses in each community to make “ at home visits” to the sick and well in quarantine.
Schools and daycares must be shuttered now to have any benefit of stopping exposure to COVID19. Lab workers must be trained to obtain blood samples for specific testing.
A National crisis!!
39
@nurseJacki
Thank you. Why, why are we consumers not receiving a grocery list of what we should do to protect ourselves??? I found this confusing item on the CDC site, as example:
N95 – Filters at least 95% of airborne particles. Not resistant to oil. Surgical N95 – A NIOSH-approved N95 respirator that has also been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a surgical mask. N99 – Filters at least 99% of airborne particles.
Consumers not in immediate and clear danger are told they don't need masks, but we do NOT know how safe we are if carriers of this illness can walk asymptomatic through the grocery store. What's the story?
2
If this is not the NUMBER ONE news story in every outlet tomorrow it will be a travesty! Our networks cannot continue to blather about horse race politics with this massive blunder having been exposed!
26
A group of theoretically “uninfected” passengers from the Diamond Cruise Line was nearly brought to Anniston, Alabama for quarantine. Coordination with local officials was so poor that people started panicking before the plans could be completed. There was a huge outcry to state Republican representatives up the line all the way to the President, who nixed the proposal. Helicopters had already begun bringing supplies.
Supposedly the personnel had been trained, “designated” hospitals were ready, etc. Luckily the local officials recognized that Alabama isn’t prepared for any more problems.
So sorry to hear that California is struggling to contain this disease, despite having much greater public health resources.
6
@BamaGirl ...will Alabama speak out against trump/pence/mcconnell's gop response?
Alabama recognized it is as unprepared as the rest of the USA.
2
Hospitals across America, their wards lined with elderly Americans on ventilators, will be Trump's Hoovervilles.
But will there be enough sane people who are willing (and well enough) to get out and vote to outnumber the cultists in the only four states that, thanks to the Electoral College, matter?
17
The last thing I would associate with the radical religious zealots who run the Republican Party is competence. Instead of looking to science and facts, the Party relies on the myths and fair tales.
30
Health workers are the front line fighters against the virus. Without protective gears, they are the most likely casualties against this contagious and fast spreading Covid-19. I will not be surprised to hear future stories on these HHS employees.
Xi Jinping of China sacked the top local officials of Hubei province & city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus for their improper handling of the Covid-19. Maybe we should do the same to demote or replace the top officials should the virus spread through other people or health employees.
8
America voted GOP to shrink government. This is what it looks like. Why can't the NY Times get that this is exactly what the Electoral Majority of Americans want and voted for? No Real American wants Mommy Government to take care of them for anything.
9
@gratis
What the heck is the “Electoral Majority”? Three million more Americans - not “Electoral” but “actual” - voted NOT for the GOP but for the Democratic candidate. And, by the way, it’s not “Mommy Government” but rather “Big Daddy” and the rest of the patriarchy that have been trying to take us back to 1955 when theirs were the only voices that mattered. In this upcoming pandemic event, I’m pretty sure at some point or other, we’re all gonna’ want our “mommies” . . .
16
@gratis Well right now you do have someone "taking care" of things. Typhoid Trump and Pandemic Pence assisted by Affliction causing Azar.
1
@gratis "Electoral majority"? There's no such thing.
the evolving world crisis impacts ALL Americans: Democrats ,Independents , and Republicans alike. Maybe a wake up call for ALL Americans concerning the incompetency and unpreparedness of the present administration?
13
First of all, we are depending on scientists and hoping that those who govern are too. But in a nation where the Governor of Texas once stood on the shores of the Gulf and tried to pray away the BP oil spill, right along side the ex Governor of Alaska, that hope is problematic. Now add in the Trump selected Virus Czar; Praying Pence, a science denier, and you can never be sure whether the science will be funded and followed, or denied and denigrated.
22
Every time this president "plays down the danger" of any thing, the opposite usually happens - the situation only gets worse, more dire and out of control.
How about if Trump would stop hiding, down playing, and sugar coating the situation and be honest for once, just ONCE.
27
"The first American case of coronavirus in a patient with no known contact with hot zones or other coronavirus patients emerged this week near Travis Air Force Base." Why is this not your lead?! Talk about wagging the dog. At some point we will discover that federal employees were, unwittingly, the source of "community spread" coronavirus in the US.
37
@Barbara Exactly - unprotected health workers interacted with infected patients and then went out into the community. Perhaps the exact point of contact is not known, but I don't think it is too much of a leap to hypothesize that one of those unprotected workers shared space with the "no known contact" patient. It should be the headline.
25
@e. bronte they weren't even health workers. They were administrative personnel from the Administration for Children and Families. What child welfare has to do with managing acutely ill or quarantined adults is a mystery. They had no training, experience, nor personal protective gear.
1
@Barbara
It was the lead in previous articles.
What is more important than that case, except for the infected individual, is the chaotic and incompetent response of DHHS.
Since we have a Russia-enabled fool in the WH who demands slavish devotion in place of integrity and competence, federal workers are quite likely to be helping to spread disease.
The incompetence starts at the top. Of course they've done everything wrong—Trump the science denier in chief is in charge and he's passed this hot potato off to Pence, a proven liability in an epidemic while governing Iowa. He is literally making it up as he goes without an educated or informed plan at all. I said at the time of Trump's election that the best case scenario is he doesn't kill is all. I still believe that.
30
@Tim
Not Iowa Tim.
He was governor of Indiana when he aided and abetted the lack of a needle exchange which correlated with Aids deaths !
He converted to rabid Bible Belt fundamentalism to garner votes. He is a hypocrite. Like Sadducee !
This thing is way bigger than Trump can imagine. If he thinks the people in the medical and research field are going to be "loyal" to him then he's crazier than I think he is. This is life and death. He just needs to stand down and tweet nasty stuff as usual.
30
This Reminds me of the unprotected illegal Polish workers removing asbestos from the Bonwit Teller building for 5$ an hour.
31
This should be astounding but it's the inept Trump administration. This disease spread in China because the government was so secretive and we're seeing the same thing here. If this is to be contained as much as possible at this point (since the administration spread this), we need EXPERTS in charge and they need to be able to speak freely to the public.
29
@FLT
Trump and China leader are both oligarchs. And authoritarian.
Hence the response is banana republic.
So now we understand exactly why Trump held that hideous press conference when he did: the administration obviously knew the whistleblower’s complaint was about to be made public. As usual, the Liar/Reality TV Host in Chief felt the need to put on a Big Show before the truth of just how badly his administration bungled their response to Covid-19 became widely known. Remember, it’s always smoke and mirrors with Donald.
48
1) No equipment or training
2) Vindictive behavior against someone who called it out
3) All info going through Pence
Which is more disturbing? Definitely 2 3
34
This is what happens when incompetent, indeed completely uninformed, people are charged with tasks based on their connections and perceived loyalty. It's partly why there are nepotism prohibitions. Treating a potential pandemic as just another public relations problem to be managed puts us all in danger. Thank heavens for whistle blowers. Without them we'd be more in the dark and thus more endangered.
The motto of this crisis is, because of this administration's incorrigible unwillingness to do anything that does not enhance the image of Donald Trump is: " You're on your own, folks." Whistleblowers alert us to that sad fact.
48
This clearly needs followup. If true it represents a gigantic failure on the part of our entire government including those governmental agencies in whom we have placed enormous trust, specifically the CDC and National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The Administration, the Congress and the Media share in the blame. I have been writing comments for six weeks or so (whenever the outbreak began) that this reminded me of Nero fiddling while Rome burned: the nation (all of the above) has been consumed by politics; impeachment, caucuses and primaries, Epstein while a pandemic loomed. As a physician I find it incredible that the most basic infection control techniques, known in every community hospital were not followed IF this is true. The decision to take Americans back, known to be infected, was a grave one and those who made that decision surely presumed our officials, paraded by the President at his hastily arranged presser, were warning the bases they would be sent to to brush up on basics. The Congress, as well, consumed by politics, abdicated it's role in oversight -both Houses. I pray we find that a single failure in a single location (or better yet none) occurred rather than a systemic one.
28
@alan brown Wouldn't you agree that that single failure in that one location was, in fact, a result of systemic disengagement? Every aspect of government has been corrupted, disrupted, tainted, immobilized, rendered non functional....I could go on....by this administration. If that isn't systematic, what is? And no, both houses have not abdicated their oversight roles, only Republicans have.
17
@Alan Brown
Yes I have been a nurse commenter for more than 5 years.
I recognize your frequent knowledge based comments.
I have been scanning the epidemiology research etc. looking at precedent in laws governing outbreaks of infection in America.
We are not prepared any longer since trump world decimated funding channels for public health federal responses. Focus on volunteering in your region. That’s my plan now. I have reached out to my town council with data to share. I have received “ thank you” from them. Everyone needed is overwhelmed by trump fake news and ineptitude.
Oh No. Not another whistleblower. I would rather have the coronavirus than listen to Nancy Pelosi Yao about another whistleblower. God help us all from the whistleblowers
3
@Samara
You won't say that if you get Coronavirus.
47
@Samara Yeah, because when the government or a corporation does something wrong, everyone should just keep quiet about it.
2
Cross your fingers!
1
Apparently it is hard to detect; The person tested positive on the third test that was more detailed than the first two tests done that showed negative.
Our government has told all of us via advertising media if we think we might have the virus to ring a free phone number that is a Healthline. Our government is confident that our systems are working well and have extended the travel ban to NZ. Our first case of coronavirus was a person from Iran who came back to NZ via Bali stopover. The person wasn't feeling well once he got home from his flight, and his family got him to ring the Healthline.
6
@CK Nothing would excuse, from a medical standpoint, not using the most basic infection control techniques, known and practiced in every hospital for those who might have a transmissible disease.
20
This is a horrid line of thought but give it a think. This strain of coronavirus while highly contagious kills the old, already sick and those with a compromised immune system. This is a Trump dream come true as a method to reduce SSI, medicare and medicade payments. You don't have to treat or pay dead people.
25
@MJA
31 year old Doctor fits in which of those categories? How about a 51 year old doctor? Or a 29 year old Doctor? Which category would you put a 21 year old female athlete? Those are all Actual deaths from This virus.
15
@MJA You are right it is a horrid thought and unworthy for anyone to believe that our political opponent, however much we might despise him or her, would harbor such thoughts.I don't believe it for a second.
2
@MJA Indeed, but by Trump “culling the herd” he might very well be turn Florida blue. Just look at the politics of huge retirement communities in that state.
10
Apparently The CDC told them not to transport those infected on the same flight as uninfected people. The State Department should have listened to them. But chose to listen to Pence. Now HHS employees are being sent to go pick up people with an illness, and our government is not giving them protective equipment.
Pence declared you must go through him if you are a government official to release info. Pence is worried the info will cause the stock market to drop.
It does not surprise me, but it's terrifying. They're imposing information vacuum on us PRC style. He wants to tell people nothing is wrong while people die and get infected. Thanks, US voters, you got us a totalitarian communist regime.
54
@Gayle The ultimate test of Trump's dishonesty.
How many deaths will President Pinocchio's penchant
for crookedness lead us to?
7
@Gayle This all surely will be investigated. You are making an allegation begun by media with a deep bias. It strains credulity but investigate it we must.
2
@alan brown
That Trump’s DHHS sent people without proper training and PPE, then tried to cover it up doesn’t strain credulity at all.
The basic media “bias” is getting factual information to Americans. (Doesn’t apply to Fox.)
That puts the media on a collision course with Trump and his thousands of lies.
Why is this all about politics? We should be coming together over this, instead we have some nasty pieces of work who see it as an opportunity to throw bombs. What’s wrong with people?
9
@Hjb It should be investigated. It may be true; it may be false but are you surprised that every bit of news is interpreted through the lens of whether you favor or despise this President, irrespective of the facts? I am not.
8
@alan brown There is such a long trail, Alan.
5
So you are telling me that the Department of Health and Human Services assigned people that didn't know how to wear a mask and gloves and the person that is complaining about it is one of the leaders of the group assigned? If the people were not competent to be there then why wasn't this leader taking care of HIS business? Did they just get these people off the street and not tell them where they were going and what they were doing? If any of this is true then all of the first line Health and Human Services leadership involved, including this person, need to be fired.
5
@Voter1126 No, that is NOT what is being reported. Unless you're drinking the Kuul-Aid from a spin machine. HHS is huge, where one science professional within cannot control what other 'loyal' bureaucrats do.
1
Trump loves a viral moment, but it looks like he's about to get one even he doesn't want. If we have a bad outbreak, it'll be on the shoulders of these stooges. But I'm sure they're not worried because, unlike tens of millions of Americans, they have excellent healthcare.
33
@Brannon Perkison It will be on the shoulders of more people in our revered institutions ( CDC, NiAID) as well as a President who spent time tweeting about politics, a Congress which was doing no oversight What were they doing?I think we know the answer to that, and a media consumed by caucuses and Epstein and a helicopter tragedy involving a beloved sports figure.
2
President Trump is perfect! Everything he does is great! He can do no wrong and everything is always under control!
10
Not defending Trump by any means but people need to wake up to the bigger picture. This has been in the making for a long time. Early response to HIV, Iran contra and the subsequent Bush Sr. Pardons, mass incarceration for profit, second gulf war, 10 billion dollar gas station in Afghanistan that didn't even have the right fuel, Enron, Katrina, Lead in the water (remember Flint?), Waterboarding and black sites, Boeing 737 max, the opioid crisis, VA mismanagement, health care price gouging, stop and frisk, subprime mortgages and the bonuses that followed the bank bailout, need I go on?
What is surprising is that people still have the capacity to be surprised.
I guess for a straw to break the camel's back you need many straws to come before it.
9
@Zg Forty years of Republican straws have led us to
President Straw Man.
If I watched Fox News and thought like a republican, I would wonder why they sent unprotected employees from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families? I would theorize that they hoped some of those employees might infect the children and get rid of a problem.
4
OK, so I assumed that Trump's lack of intelligence would lead to our demise by terrorist attack, nuclear bombing or some other foreign interference. Now we learn that by sweeping from the government all experts who don't seem loyal enough to "dear leader", we will all succumb to a pandemic. The president is right, no former president has ever done anything like this!
37
Best comment I’ve read so far.
7
If only Trump hadn't been gallivanting gloriously in India with Melania, Ivanka and Jared perhaps this wouldn't have happened?
If only Trump accepted and understood the science of coronavirus as well as he does climate change?
7
Mike Pence, leader of the coronavirus response will mobilize all of our resources for massive nation-wide prayer services to neutralize the virus.
21
No, it can't be. A government led by a fraud artist who has repeatedly obvious scientific facts is unprepared for a global health crisis. Who would have thought.
23
Woeful ignorance coupled with paranoia and narcissism. Are we surprised that Trump’s “best people” behave exactly like their Fearful Leader?
Here we are. I am NOT hoping that the virus becomes a pandemic. I’m 72. I’m nervous. However, I do hope that Trump’s fan club finally sees that this man is unqualified to lead us in times of crisis. Over and over, we see that everything is about HIM. His re-election, his image, his superiority. He doesn’t have empathy. Why would he care that people might die on his watch?
How sad it is that anyone who says anything negative about Trump’s actions is treated like a traitor. Deny, deflect, disparage. Maybe this strategy isn’t going to work anymore.
30
Is it just me or does this scenario sound almost exactly like the response by Xi/politburo in the early stages of the virus? Treats, coverups, incompetency. Rachel Maddox reported last night that all information about the virus now has to be vetted by Czar Pence before being released to the public. America’s march towards totalitarianism.
33
So the whistleblower gets sidelined with full pay to work NYT crossword puzzles until folks come to their senses. Not optimal, but not unbearable if you can stoke it out.
There’s 60 cases and no deaths in the US. That’s better than any other country dealing with the virus. The CDC has been funded at a higher amount than the last administration. The president has already said if 2 B isn’t enough they will ask for more. His travel ban has been our saving grace. I can’t imagine how anything could have been done different.
1
And there lies the problem. Try to imagine something different, like the facts. Turn off the Fox propaganda. CDC budget is less, not more under Trump. And the virus spread from China which has no travel ban. Please share sources of your contradictory information. Virus spread seems to have started in US due to this administration’s incompetence. To see it any other way IS really using your imagination.
17
@JOSEPH No, Trump's response is not better-there are many, many other nations with no deaths and fewer infections than the USA. And no, the CDC's funding has been slashed. Trump has let infected people back into the country over the CDC's objections and sent federal workers into a quarantine zone without training or restrictions. Didn't you read this Times article? Or just seeding it with your own misinformation?
24
"Federal health employees interacted with Americans quarantined for possible exposure to the coronavirus without proper medical training or protective gear, then scattered into the general population, according to a government whistle-blower who lawmakers say faced retaliation for reporting concerns." Why is anyone surprised at the incompetence of the Trump administration?
24
All Americans are confronted by the dangers of this infectious disease and they are finally confronted by what it means to have a demagogue in the White House. Sadly, those who supported Trump are faced with his lies, his incompetence, his fraud because scientists and doctors who know what COVID 19 threatens are revealing how dangerous Trump is to everyone. Healthcare is obviously a National Security, National Defense focus now. Lacking a coherent rational national apparatus America is adrift. We all know that Government alone can address this threat and that Trump’s government is untrustworthy, unreliable, and unprepared.
17
A clear example of why this president is unfit for office, and a danger to the American public. He only surrounds himself with yes-men; no competent people need apply.
23
Let’s see. Travis AFB is in Solano County, California where a resident has just taken ill, but it’s being claimed to be a possible community transmission of the virus. Coincidence or proof of the whistleblower’s allegations?
17
How can it be said that the person who came down with corona virus near the Travis Air Force base was not in a hot zone? If people were quarantined and the department of HHS was interacting with them and then out in public, that sounds like a hot zone...
19
@PB Sizzling.
Do not worry Pence now has the file. He make sure we never hear about such things happening. He is also opened an investigation into who leaked the news about the Dow Index downturn.
13
Relax, a former Indiana radio talk-show host is now in charge of our national response to this serious epidemic. The phone lines are open, and we want to hear your thoughts. But first, a word from glorious leader in his daily and perfect address to nation. Stand. Or else.
34
I’m not surprised. Last Sunday I was due to take the train to Milano and it took some hard thinking not to go because it was an important meeting. At that time there was only one or two sick people and I learnt quickly to take the coronavirus seriously. Americans your oceans will not protect you this time. We are one world and may your president and staff wake up soon.
29
I can see no way in which the virus won't spread quickly world wide.
Take my country, we played against Italy in Rome on Sat'22nd (6 Nations Rugby).
The majority of fans travelled from all parts of Scotland & Italy, with some coming from wider afield. To what extent that will have promoted the spread of the virus remains to be seen.
Most readers will have anecdotal accounts of their own.
The UK Government has said there's no need to panic, the NHS can cope. That's not what doctors & nurses say. In some parts of the country hospitals have made preparations to activate the "Three Wise Men Protocol". Three senior consultants in each hospital will decide who is to be given treatment & who is not; the weakest will be denied treatment to ease the pressure on hospital beds.
I only know in the broadest terms how healthcare works in America. I do know, mostly from reading the NYT, how your Government has cut away the very things which would be most suited to managing the problems this virus poses.
I don't believe my Government's soothing words/lies. I see from your comments that you don't believe yours.
Pray to whichever God is yours, we're only at the beginning of what will be a nightmare.
19
Interesting that Trump's initial response is to deny the virus is a threat, just like China's authoritarian government made the mistake of doing.
24
@ErikW65 And the next step after that will be to out the whistle blower. Sen. Ron Paul: where are we when we need you?
9
@ErikW65 - Actually if you think about it that statement would be expected from any of our Presidents. The goal of a Presidential address on something like this is to hold down panic its not a mistake. Do you want to give people time to prepare for the possibility of supply chain interruptions if this gets bad? or do you want to panic people now while nothing is really going on and cause runs on the supply chain before it is ready to compensate.
@Voter1126 the only reason the reality TV president gave that address was to hold down the panic in the stock market, not to protect or inform Americans from or about the virus. If you think otherwise, you’re living in reality TV land, not America!
If any healthcare workers get infected as a result of inadequate equipment or training then the Public officials responsible should be jailed.
9
The vast majority of Americans have no familiarity with how the Politburo operated. But if you have watched the justly acclaimed HBO series on the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear calamity, then you have a good understanding of the Politburo's approach to crisis -- even in the time of reformist Gorbachev.
What you are witnessing in the Trump side's clampdown on the truth in the context of the Covid-19 emergency, up to & including the co-opting of key US epidemiologists at the CDC, is classic Politburo methodology.
It is the same methodology that Putin, whose career began with complete loyalty to the Politburo (as Russian-speakers would say, "encompassing even innards & giblets"), incorporated into his own tyrannical reign, as the primary qualification for salaried employment in the government.
As Americans can readily appreciate now that it imperils our own health & livelihood, this toxic approach of suppressing the truth did not help mitigate the Chernobyl disaster, increased its lethality & long-term impacts & actually set the entire system that adhered to this approach on a downward spiral that within just a few years led to its complete implosion.
Putin's system is not providing even the basics of health security or economic security for 90+% of its taxpayers & households. There are plenty of experts including Khodorkovsky, Kasparov, Roizman & Navalny who daily confirm the failure of this outdated approach rooted in Deceit & data suppression.
It won't work in the USA either.
20
There is a NYT story right now about the outbreak in Iran. An accompanying photo shows a healthcare worker bedside in an actual Coronavirus ward wearing just a soft face mask, not even a respirator. And if that’s not bad enough he had a beard, which anyone with respirator experience will tell you immediately renders any mask or respirator worthless because of air leakage it allows around the edges. Odds are, this man and many of his coworkers and their families are already infected. I was horrified at the medical incompetence shown in just that one photo. We’re past containment. Now it’s just a matter of practicing good individual hygiene, and if you do get infected hoping you’re in the 98%.
11
@Jim
Harsh US sanctions on Iran, exacerbated in the Trump phase, have inevitably limited availability of up-to-date medical supplies in Iranian hospitals.
That has implications for everyone, not just Iranians. Iranian infected persons have brought the SARS-CoV-2 into Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq & even Belarus. Rest assured it is already in Syria, where no one is testing because Assad is busy slaughtering the last few million of his political opponents.
Assad's drive to retake Idlib risks flooding Europe as well as other countries in the region (Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Russia itself) with millions more desperate, ill people. The UN SC will today consider a no-fly-zone to enforce peace in Idlib & allow all these families to remain where they are, safety guaranteed. UN Peacekeepers ought to be sent.
All will depend on whether Russia & China yet again veto measures to end Assad's mass extermination campaign. For the sake of everyone -- including Russians themselves at the mercy of disease now -- the time to impose Peace on Assad is tonight.
No delays, no exceptions, no excuses. Immediate cessation of all hostilities. Idlib remains a safe zone, or Turkey retakes it (having once owned all of Syria).
Bernie Sanders knows a lot about health care. He would do this right.
5
The arrogance and foolishness of any bureaucrat or medical personnel interacting with a potentially infected person is stunning. We can only be thankful that so far this appears to be a mild virus. But then the arena for this virus to explore is enormous. And while it plays it could decide to mutate and that is when we will really, really have a problem. We have already surpassed the number of SARS (27) and MERS (2) cases in the USA. Our President has hobbled the scientific thinking within the government and now has VP Pence who has absolutely no experience to manage this pandemic. Yes, he 'managed' exactly a single case of MERS in Indiana in a medical worker who had contracted it in Saudi Arabia, the other case happened to be in Florida. I suggest that all folks might want to start thinking for themselves, keep clean and use common sense. No real point in believing in this present governments approach towards keeping us safe.
7
Too much silliness about all of it. The disease will spread, exactly how people or pets is not entirely known. Many people will be silent carriers. And as this is a virus having a mild case will confer immunity. The elderly who have had their pneumonia vaccines may be less like to have a severe case.... death is usually from pneumonia or other respiratory problems. I do NOT understand why the CDC is not putting out a recommendation for pneumonia shots amongst the immunologically compromised. To the degree , that in younger people, the virus may cascade-- develop very rapidly as did the 1917 flu, that has not been reported as an issue. When we understand a bit more about how the disease progresses, we will be able to marginally treat people better. Quarantine sounds good... is it really helpful? More questions than answers at this point. Wash your hands, keep them away from your face, wear gloves in public places. Wipe down computer keyboards and mice and door knobs... and don't drink too much alcohol which weakens your immune system. Chicken soup -- homemade -- chicken or bones in a pot with water and salt.. veggies as desired. (anti-bacterial in fact)… Do not panic.
4
I’ve wondered about the pneumonia vaccine, and whether it would make a difference in severity, if you get the virus. Maybe going forward, the CDC could keep track of what vaccinations the milder cases have gotten. It might be anecdotal, but keeping the records, over time, surely couldn’t hurt.
3
trump may well have failed (so far) in dismantling Obamacare entirely including pre-existing conditions but his efforts to do so continue undaunted even though he denies it publicly. But he has been dismantling the important measures Obama took to counter the Ebola infection crisis that worked very effectively in protecting the nation. And as with all things Obama, trump did this vengefully, recklessly and surreptitiously and the nation may well pay a huge price for it now with the looming emergence of a similar infection crisis, the Coronavirus outbreak.
17
Trump/Pence work for the evangelicals alone. They believe praying is a form of (health) control rather than a means of gratitude and reflection. It's medieval times in America.
21
@KC Pence's plan: deploy a crucifix and clove of garlic in front of every patient (after sun-up). (Or use the always dependable stake to the heart).
7
The Whistle blower should of received instantaneous results after bringing concerns to the correct leaders! Sounds like our system is not any better than the Chinese system. We need to shake up the leadership - elevate those that follow common sense scientific knowledge. Someone of courage like the Whistle blower should be running the operation!
7
I'm so glad that Trump saved a couple of bucks and fired his entire epidemic response team.
This is what happens when you don't believe that scientific expertise is valuable. You don't have it when you need it. And we all may pay the price now.
27
We saw how China responded when a doctor tried to sound the alarm about this coronavirus. Let's see how Donald's administration treats this whistle-blower. I'm not optimistic.
19
CDC's EIS officers are trained to handle outbreaks, that's what they do. Not certain why you would send in non-public health teams to monitor an outbreak and enforce a quarantine. It makes no sense!
10
President Trump did not bat an eye when the full repercussions of Hurricane Maria and the administration’s half-hearted response resulted in the deaths of thousands of „trouble-making“ U.S. citizens. Do we honestly believe he will show more empathy and competence now?
20
The US has become too dependent on technology. But technology/ AI is based on humans 'entering' data - mindlessly. Any deviation from the norm will be flagged as an outlier and ignored. Pandemics.
They worked alongside personnel from the CDC who were outfitted in personal protection gear. That should have been a wake up call.
11
Making America Great Again, via the art of the deal by the man who knows war better than "my generals."
The evisceration of government that led to the abolition of the pandemic coordinator among many other useful functions started in this era with the Reagan Restoration, which disparaged and sabotaged good government in service to deregulation in the favor of plutocratic and kleptocratic cronies. Trumpism is just Reaganism without the smiley face, and better handlers and PR.
22
Don't worry, y'all. Pence is on the case and will no doubt do an Amazing and Tremendous job handling this crisis for which he has prepared all his life. In fact, he's probably wrapping it all up as I type this. Mission Accomplished!
16
Now, this makes it easier to understand we never win wars we waste trillions on. It's because the bureaucratic hierarchy is too busy with politics and playing golf instead of managing.
These people were exposed. Then they went back to their normal lives, their families, kids who may be in schools. The virus we are told might survive on objects as much as 9 days. A dollar bill may change hands dozens of time in 9 days. Why aren't people being told to stop/minimize using cash?
7
My question is, why were actual Dr.s not wearing protective gear while dealing with the evacuees? The whistleblower said that CDC people were wearing hazmat suits, and the Dr.s were just wearing regular clothes. Why? If anyone should know better, they should.
4
@JV. Who said they were doctors? HHS employees are not all medically trained.
8
It's clear that the administration has put Mike Pence in charge of messaging not so he can serve the public by speaking with one cogent, authoritative voice, but say whatever helps keep up appearances, regardless of the consequences.
I hope Drs. Fauci and Schuchat find a means to release/leak their vital information to the public, rather than allowing it to pass through the propaganda filter. THEY are the ones we need to hear from.
21
Not every "Whistle-Blower" is a hero. They could just be a disgruntled employee who got passed over for promotion. Or, as in the case of President Trump, an unhappy Democrat trying to undo the 2016 election. Joe McCarthy relied on whistle blowers too. I hope this is not more politics.
With all due respect, the Trump administration has worked tirelessly to make sure that political hacks have replaced career professionals in high level positions - such as Alex Azar, previously a pharmaceutical lobbyist, as head of Health and Human Services. A whistleblower complaint to a situation already highly politicized does not create that atmosphere- rather, it is an attempt to clear the air and get things back on track!
15
There’s an easy way to tell if the whistleblower is overreacting- anyone questioning the need for protective gear, training, should certainly be allowed to visit those quarantined bases, facilities- wearing normal clothing.
5
@WeThePeople Your first sentence says it all. "The Trump Administration..." Is a non political whistle blower possible after the impeachment fiasco? Even if this person is sincere, the title whistle blower is tarnished.
We already know what happened in China when the government tried to muzzle Dr Li (who sadly passed away of the illness). Once the magnitude of the problem became known, the government lost credibility and trust. The Trump administration is repeating the same mistakes, and will suffer the same consequences.
16
First of all, historically the evacuations should have been done by the CDC. They have developed the protocols over the years, look at what a good job they did with the Ebola crisis.
For whatever reason, the Administration decided that the Department of Health and Human Services would be in charge and in the other case, the, the military would. They have not been trained for this kind of job, I feel bad for the people involved. What was the Administration thinking? Oh, I forgot, thinking is not their long suit.
20
All over the western world, infrastructure, including disaster/emergency response has been slowly but surely dismantled in order to fill holes in other budgets that in turn has been stripped in order to create more billionaires.
We should not act surprised.
13
The Trump administration made the loudest criticisms of the Chinese government officials trying to cover up the epidemic and reprimand the whistle-blowers, but use the same playbook when it is their turn. Is there any credibility or moral authority left in this government ?
22
Recent reports from the San Francisco Chronicle indicate that the infected California woman initially showed up at the VacaValley hospital in Vacaville California.
Vacaville is not a tourist destination. I have occasionally stopped there when driving back from Tahoe but it is not likely that the source of the infection was a Chinese tourist.
However, Vacaville is a few miles north of the quarantine site at Travis Air Force Base. Almost certainly, that is the source of the infection. I think that is good news, because in my opinion it points to a small cluster of infections which should be containable. Somebody was careless at the quarantine site and they infected a few people in Vacaville one of whom is now seriously ill.
The authorities are denying any connection to Travis, but that is only to be expected. This is an embarrassment for US health authorities.
16
@Schrodinger Correction: this administration in not capable of embarrassment. They possess an absolutely limitless supply of lies.
8
It is almost like there is a concerted effort to allow this into thepopulation. This is just incredible. How about some further investigative reporting to discover the names of those on the team sent in without proper protective equipment according to the whistleblower. Surely those names could be had and interviews could be carried out. This non testing approach by the CDC, this limited testing by Fedex by the CDC, all flies in the face of what is known about Covid-19 so far, that it appears to be contagious when no symptoms are present. And now the development, quite predictable, that this Administration will serve their own interests over everyone else, including requiring what professionals are left that didn't get cut with the 2018 slashing of departments and budgets, will not be allowed to make public statements directly to the public but have to be approved first by this corrupt White House. God help all of us.
11
All entities engaged in activities involving public health and safety should have in place "corrective action programs." In some industries it's been mandated for years. All employees and contractors are participants; any individual can enter their observation or experience regarding off-normal events or conditions in a formal reporting system. The objective beyond identification is to fix the immediate problem and act to prevent recurrence. Typically, within 24 hours of identification a management team reviews all items newly identified, assigns a manager lead to mobilize, fix and prevent, and periodically report back. Whistle-blower programs may kick in when all else fails. You reported ealth-related work was and isn't sufficiently grounded in formal procedures and training, and no formal corrective action program exists. Humans make mistakes and it's unnatural to admit mistakes. If such programs exist and were unknowingly or willfully violated such conduct may be punishable. Unfortunately, too much of the leadership of the Article II branch is not suitably motivated to execute their duties in accordance with our expectations.
3
many experts seem to suggest that more thorough testing would reveal more cases. unfortunately the news media is NOT asking the logical follow-up questions:
- does that mean that americans may be dying as a result of being infected by covid-19, with the cause of death being labelled as flu, pneumonia or something else?
- have health professionals been trained to recognize the difference?
- how many such cases might there be? would it help to identify these cases posthumously for the purpose of slowing the spread of covid-19?
46
Health insurance, including single-payer universal insurance, is of no use if there are no doctors available, and no candidate, let alone Trump, is talking about that reality, which exists in many parts of our country.
For instance, an article in the Albuquerque Journal awhile back noted that the largest health care system in New Mexico did not have a single primary care doctor accepting new patients. Lest you on the coasts simply dismiss this as the price one pays for living in flyover America, I would note the same article stated that in Massachusetts, with the highest doctor to population ration, the average wait for a patient to see a new primary care doctor was fifty-seven days.
For those who think free medical school would solve the problem, I would note that most doctors (and most readers, I would bet), when starting out, want to go to a place that they view as cosmopolitan, safe, and with good schools for their kids, not rural and poor urban communities.
Again, no candidate is talking about this, making universal insurance a largely empty promise even if fulfilled.
25
@Steve Fankuchen
The solution to this problem is to train more doctors than required, creating a glut in the labor market. This will reduce employment opportunities for doctors in cities and force them out to rural areas where they can still find work. This method also works for making medical students choose less attractive yet essential specialties. If there is a shortage of doctors, almost everyone will choose to work in large cities.
11
@Steve Fankuchen No matter if we have Universal Health care or continue with our broken system, all along one of the big problems we has been a shortage of doctors, this is not new.
One, and note I said, one, solution re: attracting new docs to rural areas is to pay for their medical school costs if they agree to spend a certain amount of years (fill in the blanks) in a rural area. I get that it will take more than this to attract many new docs to rural areas, but it’s better than nothing.
8
If you build it, they will come. There were programs that paid for medical school if you agreed to serve as a doctor in an underserved area for a couple of years. When I lived in the Sierras, my life was saved by a surgeon deployed to the tiny rural hospital on just such a program.
No doubt the mango Mussolini eradicated that program. Medicare for All plans need to include provisions for expanded support for rural / depressed urban health, including nurse practitioners and midwives.
I would bet a nice, steamy cup of tea that Elizabeth Warren has thought of this. Though I suspect she’s more of an espresso gal.
7
I'm not sure Americans fully appreciate just how badly managed the COVID-19 response has been in the US. (And health care planners cannot be blamed for this. It's the result of the GOP gutting public health agencies, eliminating preparedness teams, and dismissing expertise.)
Compare this horrific story with the quarantines of successive repatriation flights from Wuhan and then the Diamond Princess at military bases in Ontario. Because Ontario (and all of Canada) has sophisticated protocols in place, the bases were prepared days in advance of the arrival of the flights. Emergency Medical Assistance Teams were on-site. Extensive coordination took place with local public health units and hospitals. Thus far, no one has tested positive from these flights, and the first passengers have gone home. It all went off without a hitch.
Some passengers elected not to take the repatriation flights. They were met at the airport and placed under quarantine by order.
The one major challenge seems to be the distribution of personal protective equipment across the country, particularly for front line health care workers.
And last but not least - of course the test is free. As will be any vaccine that is developed.
210
@Angie.B The American evacuations would have been done on a more PROFESSIONAL way if the Administration would have used the CDC. The CDC has historically been used for these types of health emergencies, but no, the Administration that cannot shoot straight decided to do otherwise.
So now we’ve had people who may have been infected with the virus out in the general population. After reading about where the woman who was diagnosed lives, and the fact that is near Travis AFB, she most probably was infected by one of the employees of Home and Health Services who assisted with the evacuation. They were cut loose to mingle in the nearby community. I mean really, where why didn’t they use the protocols developed by the CDC? Oh, I forgot, Trump doesn’t believe in science.
19
@Angie.B
"And last but not least - of course the test is free. As will be any vaccine that is developed."
This is America, Angie. We don't do "free" here. The best we can hope to do is "affordable."
11
@Angie.B
A leading expert in epidemiology and the spread of viruses commented tonight if the Trump administration had set out to provide COVID-19 a foothold in the continental US it couldn't have done a better job. Unfortunately Canada shares the longest undefended border in the world with the worlds most criminally incompetent leadership.
13
It’s the incompetence, stupid. That will be the epitaph for Donald’s presidency. I read today that Tony Fauci, a veteran of the AIDS epidemic, one of the foremost scientists serving in government, with expertise in viruses, will now have to have Reverend Pence clear his public statements. Positively ridiculous. This administration has zero credibility on any subject. Lies, lies, lies, lies. No lie is too big, no lie is too little. But they are muzzling the experts, calling the shots. Who needs experts?
A certain reality show star who doesn’t believe in science and knows more about every topic known to man than all experts in any subject on the planet is really proving each and every day that putting a moron in charge is risky business. There is sort of a delightful irony in a virus threatening to topple the germaphobe’s presidency.
264
@NJlatelifemom - Ask Tony who cleared his public statements when AIDS started. I seriously doubt that he was able to just jump up and say whatever.
Without one central clearing system we will end up with YouTube where every doctor says every other doctor is wrong about everything.
Lastly, nothing against Mr. Fauci, but as I prepare to take my evening HIV meds I have to wonder if we want an AIDS epidemic veteran handling this issue. It was killing people around the world for decades before scientists even had a name for it.
1
There seems to be a lot of 'anti-trump whistle-blower conspiracy theories' in the comment section tonight. But so far I don't see any evidence to support them.
What I do see is a mysterious case of the Coronavirus in northern California near one of the military bases referenced in this article. What I also see is a legitimate whistle blower complain from a reliable source moving through proper investigative channels.
The coronavirus is a serious issue and it needs to be dealt with in a serious way. If the administration is found to be lacking in their handling of it, they need to accept responsibility and steep aside. Your life and mine, my family's lives and yours are all on the line.
We don't need bureaucrats or political actors playing the role of doctors.
94
@Lalo If there is no conspiracy, then there is no need for a whistleblower. If staff complaints are taken seriously and given a proper channel of investigation, there is no need for secretive newspaper leaks. I will bet that Trump's instinct to cover up any bad news and to paint a rosy picture will be stronger than the Chinese officials who covered up the initial outbreak, especially during an election year.
8
How's this for openers: He put Pence in charge, a guy who was in such deep denial about the worst outbreak of HIV in Indiana while he was governor that he cut funding for programs to help them and by the time he took action, hundreds had been infected. He ignored health experts who could have prevented the disaster. But Trump and Pence don't believe in science, because of course they know more than everyone. Harry Truman famously had a "The buck stops here" plaque on his desk. Trump's would say "It's never my fault." He's in charge. He appointed the leaders of these agencies. Believe otherwise all you want, but this is on him.
11
@Lalo it looks like this virus can be spread by people and perhaps animals that do not appear to be sick.
So I believe that proper procedures were not in place.
3
What will have to happen for Trump to admit there is a serious problem? I assume he will never admit that he or his administration have bungled things so far. Still, there must be some event that will convince him that he has more important duties than trashing the Roger Stone jurors.
42
@lvzee He will never, under any circumstances, admit that there is a serious problem and that his actions might have increased it. Neither will any of his top level staff. There is no honor there, no commitment to the public good.
5
@lvzee At this point, it's going to take hundreds of thousands of Americans dead from COVID-19, with millions more infected and possibly dying.
The horrendous part of that assessment is that's the optimistic outlook.
1
This could become Trump's Katrina. The nation will get a taste of no government since Republicans have demolished the government's infrastructure, underfunded, understaffed, lacking necessary equipment and training. They had time to learn from China's mistakes but they did not. The government has no credibility, the last three years prove they can't govern even if they wanted to.
150
The markets have already made the decision that this is a Katrina moment and that they’re going to step aside until the shitshow passes. They’ve decided that this government is not up to the task. They will now strong-arm the Democratic Party convention into removing Sanders and will put Biden with Klobuchar up for the presidency. At that point the bankruptcy of both the American left and the American right will be complete.
4
Trump already had his Katrina - it was Hurricane Maria.
3
@ARL This will be worse than Katrina for Trump. This time his supporters will suffer, not have adequate insurance, and a certain number will die. I doubt many, if any, Trump supporters were affected by Katrina
2
it's a joke that the health workers didn't know what they were doing. The lack of knowledge about the virus causes a lack of protection.
14
@Yafei i have a close relative doctor. The response to our discussion re CoVid19 was "It is no worse than the flu." And this doctor is at a prime US Healthcare provider/ hospital network.
1
HHS is now threatening the whistleblower who revealed this story with dismissal unless she accepts a transfer.
The Trump administration's attempt to cover up its own incompetence and silence whistleblowers will only hamper the response to the coronavirus, and will aid in its spread. No political appointee in the Trump administration can be trusted to tell the truth.
My personal indicator: we will know the virus is a serious threat the day Trump disappears from public view. He is a germophobe, and will isolate himself if he thinks he might face some risk.
134
@James Agree. But I never really see evidence of his being a germophile.
1
@James - Then may I suggest a march on Washington?
1
Trump and his administration are endangering our national health by trying to suppress the truth about their incompetence in handling this crisis and in their desire to control the messaging of this epidemic for their political benefit. The whistleblower should be congratulated for her courage, not hounded and threatened with termination. The administration needs to immediately to buy, then manufacture medical kits to quickly test for suspected viral exposure. This is an emergency. The spokesmen for the CDC in this crisis should be the medical experts not VP Pence to insure that the truth and medical facts spoken are believable. Pence is a political partisan whose messages in this crisis are likely to be viewed as politicized propaganda and with good reason given his longstanding sycophantic behavior.
64
Perhaps every US citizen who contracts the coronavirus in the US should sue Trump personally. That's what he would do if it were the other way around.
64
@CED
Perhaps instead they should sue China. You know-the country that produced this virus.
Also, this Coronavirus is popping up in every country in the world at this point-hence the term pandemic. Were you under the impression that some magic air barrier would have kept it from the USA forever?
Against strenuous objections from the left, Trump closed our nation to non-resident arrivals from China. He bought us time to prepare. Too bad the CDC squandered it and still hasn’t figured out how to test for the virus while South Korea is able to conduct thousands and thousands of tests. Maybe we should just buy ours from them.
1
Welcome to emergency (non)management under Trump.
Did he toss them a roll of paper towels, too?
43
That’s what happens when you have a guy in love with his imagined omnipotence as President, who downplays the seriousness of the spread of the coronavirus and pretends he has everything under control: gross negligence that will potentially cost thousands of lives.
What a disaster!
39
Perhaps everyone who contracts the coronavirus should sue Trump personally. That's what he would do if it were the other way around.
11
Maybe they could all go to one of his rallies.
1
The Trump administration's incompetence was occasionally amusing. occasionally puzzling, occasionally exasperation.
But in this case Trump's incompetence is deadly. It is going to result in many deaths. Trump himself seems oblivious, or criminally negligent. He has decided with Rush Limbaugh that this health crisis is just some kind of political dirty trick designed to "bring him down." He doesn't seem to notice that thousands of people are dying all over the planet. He doesn't seem to be listening to hundreds of health care professionals saying with utmost non-partisan alarm at the unpreparedness of his administration for this crisis.
I am beyond disgusted. I am terrified that we have such a deranged, paranoid incompetent with our fate in his hands.l He doesn't care about us--only about his own selfish needs.
120
Why, why, why won't the GOP remove Mr Trump from office? Four years ago I said we'd never normalize this style of politics and here we are!!
36
@kim Remember “deconstruction of the administrative state” per Steve Bannon? This is just helping their cause speed up.
Incompetence and lack of preparedness... Now many emergency preparedness meetings have these people organized or attended.... and pray tell don't we miss those biological warfare and epidemiology specialists headed to a regional conference in Australia on pandemic risks, who perished in the incident where Ukrainians shot down a passenger airliiner with Russian missiles ? Don't we miss those dollars cut from the CDC budget by our ruling wizard genius ?
56
When I heard that the first "unexplained" case was in Solano County, CA (meaning not directly linked to travel from China), it seemed logical that it was tied to Travis Air Force Base personnel or people going to and from there. But then I thought, "Wouldn't the military be all over that with high-tech gear and other precautions?" I guess the answer is no.
237
@LAD Apparently, no one read the JAMA article that found coronavirus is contagious without being symptomatic. You don't have to be sick to spread it around and the average person infects 2.6 people.
4
So they didn't dust off an old plan !?
Surely they had one.
There is Trump, but there also, are the people on the ground.
If you don't have a sense of how it should have gone down.
Imagine if the military people had to handle this alone.
You're receiving people from a hot spot.
Even after you ran out of medical people, you have chemical weapons people, ordnance people, people who have been trained to wear protective gear.
People trained to work in toxic environments.
With guidance from the medical specialist, it would go safely if not smoothly.
But they chose to use administrative folks ?
The phrase you're looking for is; Beyond the pale
77
@Yokwyk
It wasn’t their call. HHS took over and it was Trump’s stooge’s responsibility.
21
The Japanese government decided not to test any citizen who hasn't been abroad or met with any foreigner. Apparently, what they're afraid of is a spike in the number of infected people, as what happened in S. Korea very recently, which may drive many athletes away from the Olympic games. Officially, Japan has only 214, but it could be more than that; otherwise, why would they shut down public schools all over the country?
41
@John Bockman - Oh, it makes perfect sense to me. Kids come to school and if one home is infected the kid from that home infects the other kids. Then, they take it back home to their families and now everyone is infected. Not to mention every teacher in Japan.
"The officials involved contended that ... testing was not done because none of the personnel showed symptoms of being sick."
If you are not testing, e.g., taking temperatures, how do you know they are not showing any symptoms?
More double talk from this administration.
The Chinese learned from their mistakes; this administration had the opportunity to learn from them too. Instead, we have repeated them.
56
I follow the same logic as Trump’s and Pence’s on wide-scale virus testing. To avoid running out of money, I never check my bank balance.
1
@Bill White 'Testing' refers to performing laboratory tests, which is not done routinely. Taking temperatures is part of monitoring vital signs, which IS routine in a situation like this.
@Bill White
There's a big difference between signs and symptoms. Replace "symptoms" with "signs" in the above text and you will turn nonsense into sense.
Whistle, to be somewhat safe as though in wearing a N95 disposable mask. Nevertheless, resourcing regional supply and demand that has exceeded inventories to all makers of N95 disposable masks. I received this statement today, "In reviewing all requests and orders for equipment related to the coronavirus. Due to increase demand for the products and newly implemented vendor restrictions we will be unable to fulfill your order. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience." Quote The purchase order: MOLDEX N95 respirator disposable mask, 10 per box, each respirator mask lasts one week of usage. And are not available for distribution to the general public at this time in the U.S. market. And yet on the other hand in reading this editorial there's awareness of importance, conflict and, inconvenience.
9
@ConnieAR I do ordering for a retail store, masks are nonexistent right now. There are 63 different styles available through our warehouses, and my suppliers are out of every one of them. 3M is ramping up production, but majority are made in China 😮
13
@CarrieS IMHO, The masks are useless, except in blocking fomites from coughing or sneezing. You would do as well (if you do not have a full Hazmat suit) to use a bandana, a large handkerchief or even piece of bedsheet, which you could clean and boil from time to time.
Not a whistleblower but, rather, an imbedded member of the opposition whose primary goal is not the health of Americans but the defeat of Donald Trump. The main problem is that the facts don’t support their accusation. Trump closed the border a month ago and there are very few cases in this country of 300 million people. Please.
11
Except they are dealing with possibly exposed people with Coronavirus without protective gear. Germs don’t care what party you are.
45
He did not close the border. Only flights from China were cancelled.
42
@ehillesum Awesome; problem solved. On with life.
8
This revelation certainly adds to the comfort level we all have that Trump is handling the situation skillfully.
28
I can’t avoid contemplating the reality that many of the current candidates, along with the president, are over 70 and thus at much higher risk of dying from this disease ( if they get it) than younger people. Significantly higher. Sanders. Biden. Trump. Bloomberg. Etc.
And they’re all currently out there, meeting with voters, etc. But what happens in an election year if attending rallies becomes too risky? If a community is hit by the virus and people are urged to limit public exposure ? There are currently no medications which effectively destroy this virus and treatment seems to be focused on keeping patients comfortable while taking a wait and see approach.
Could be quire an election year. Please don’t respond with wishes that any of the above individuals gets sick. I wouldn’t wish this virus on anyone.
26
@Jace - Someday we will realize that there is no need for a candidate to fly around the country for rallies when they could just sit at home and Skype everyone on their phones/laptops.
Bill Gates flies all over the county by private plane to tell folks to turn the heat down, wear a hoody indoors, and ride a bike to work because of global warming. He could sit at Xanadu 2.0 (with the 24 bathrooms for just him and Melinda) and use Portal. But, he can't even figure out how to use the dedicated bike paths from his mansion to Microsoft to ride to work.
Meanwhile, my Samoan neighbors fresh off the boat gather around the table every night and Portal family back in Samoa for evening prayers together.
1
@Jace
A strange feature of this disease is that it seems to have tragic consequences mostly for older men.
1
@Tedj yes but a major variable in China is that a huge number of the men there smoke. That is considered to be a significant factor as many have COPD, compromising their respiratory system. We’ll see how it plays out elsewhere. In some sense, this is a sudden rough experiment in real life.
Just another anti-Trump whistleblower making moves in an attempt to blame the administration for the crisis and provide political ammunition for the House Democrats. If there were ever a time to not get political this is it. We need to come together as a country to fight this thing, not find more ways to tear each other apart.
6
@Jesse
Why does it have to be an 'anti trump whistle blower'? It could just as well be a republican official who sees mistakes and decides to point them out.
All of us need to be responsible for our actions or inaction's. Hold off on the conspiracy theory stuff until you have some evidence
74
@Jesse
When you are President of the USA this the type of crisis YOU are responsible for. Trump and what is left of his "purged" staff and all his "acting" appointees need to be called out for their mistakes and not allowed to hide their errors from the voters of the USA. If Trump and his appointees aren't doing their jobs competently in this medical crisis taxpayers want to know how he is going to fix the problems.
Voters don't want Trump to lie ("The heat of April will make the virus go away.") Ask 90 degree plus Singapore if they are counting on heat to keep their residents safe.
5
Wow...didn’t you hear Trump politicize the situation at his press conference yesterday?
4
Thank God for President Trump and the innovative and responsible steps the White House has taken to confront and deal with the CV.
3
@TORQUEMADA
Please elaborate on the innovative and responsible steps the White House has taken, and cite sources. (The current administrant doesn't qualify as a trusted source.)
2
@TORQUEMADA did it occur to you that the whistleblower was watching out for co-workers and trying to contain exposure to the virus?! Ignoring the risk Azar’s reckless policy is putting our country in danger. The virus will spread ( and likely has already b/c of his mistakes. We’d all be safer if tRump hadn’t cut the rapid response pandemic team and CDC & NIH budgets! And then hand over the responsibility to science denier Pence!
2
The One knows more than the coronavirus.
14
So Trump's not the only one who's ill informed and not ready for a pandemic.
This is a time when our best should be in charge and we're far from it.
18
@BTO
It’s still Trump’s fault. HHS is headed by a typical appointee, someone incompetent to hold the position.
18
I said it before and I will say it again. The over-the-top China-bashing that the media has indulged in both speaks to a lack of real confidence in our system(otherwise no need to bash because our superiority would be self evident. Like do you really have to point out that a toddler is clumsier than you are?) and, at the same time, a complacency borne of an undeserved sense of superiority. As in: It wouldn't happen that way with us, we know what we are doing, we are the best anywhere! And we have freedom, democracy, transparent government and that magic cure-all, capitalism! Except, oops, we bungled the test kits. Oops, we didn't really know what to do with the positive Princess passengers. Oops, how do we protect the uninfected in the plane cabin, err, anybody have some plastic sheeting and duct tape...hmmm it doesn't reach all the way across. Nah, no need to test that weirdly ill California patient who never went to China. And now Pence has to approve what our scientists say?
Did I just wake up in China? No, it's just America being great again.
92
Is it our intention to learn nothing from the experiences of the medical workers in Wuhan at the expense of our health care professionals? There are numerous medical and scientific papers authored by medical teams in China on lessons learned about treatment regimens, protective gear requirements and prevention of the spread of the Corona virus available on the web and published—written in English. Subsequent to the early infections of Chinese health care workers treating coronavirus patients one only has to observe the protective gear that medical workers now employ in China. We don’t need to repeat the early lessons from Wuhan, they have publish early findings. New cases outside of China exceeded new cases in China for the first time today. More magical thinking by team trump.
27
The lack of quality and control doesn't surprise me at all. This is typical govt in action. It doesn't matter if it's a democrat or republican president. Govt is just so inefficient at everything they lay their hands on. The VA is a case in point in regards to healthcare.
8
@Cal
Not that I think Mr. Obama was the best president ever, but his administration did an outstanding job with Ebola.
In a word, NO!!! This Administration has consistently insisted that the overwhelming consensus of scientific opinion on everything from climate change to vaccinations to viruses shall be ignored. No Democratic Administration in the last 100 years has been so pathetically inept.
Trump has pronounced himself a very stable genius. Ok, tell the Country how we are going to clean up this mess aside from such brilliant observations like April will make it fade away.
1
@Cal very good point!
Instead of thinking of the citizens of our country, Trump has put in charge of this enormously vital effort someone who will not challenge him and has an unhealthy disregard for the scientific community and its importance in keeping us safe and developing vaccines.
We deserve so much better.
Americans would do well to look to their states to take the lead to keep us safe.
This Coronavirus might very well turn out to be Katrina for Trump.
I pray and hope for wise governance for all.. Trump is incapable of providing it on a national level.
He says when warmer weather arrives, the danger will pass. Oh really? I had no idea during his military bone spur deferment he actually was enrolled in medical school.
Is that one of his, "I was told" cop out lies?
36
Just throw a roll of paper towels at the virus. That’ll fix it.
53
Why would these workers agree to expose themselves in this careless way? They should have refused the order unless provided protective gear.
11
@Caimito
Maybe they don't have a union and they'll lose their jobs and their pensions.
2
@Caimito basically they were told to do their job and shut up. Thus the whistleblower. Try reading the article
2
Is this a surprise to any of us. 30% of the workers in the hospitals seem untrained on slow days.
9
The similarities between Trump’s and Xi’s early responses to the crisis are striking: Silence the whistleblowers and downplay the threat, thus permitting the spread of the virus....
45
This is an incredible indictment of an administration, especially its "leader," who dismantled an office devoted to pandemics and has now told their own health officials not to speak in public about the dangers of Covid-19.
If the virus does spread widely beyond those already quarantined, the American people have only one place to lay blame for this and the economic damage it will cause, and should vote accordingly in November.
53
Trump took away 80% of funding for such public health, for pandemics.
He will have blood on his hands, sadly, an awful lot. Already the errors, lethal errors, are piling up. And we are just getting started.
46
Crucial details are lacking here, as is party neutral commentary.
Not a Trump fan, but career officials were in charge of this — they were not appointed by this admin. As well, reporting on health issues is so often butchered I’d rather get info from a Walgreens than the media.
6
@Matters
I think the whistle-blower's saying low level staff members who don't have any training in public health were coerced by HHS, which is headed by a Trump appointee, Alex Azar, to endanger themselves and apparently the general public.
4
Thanks to the whistle blower for sounding the alarm and for not stopping until he was heard, otherwise we would be heading to a catastrophe.
19
@GP
Unfortunately, we're still heading to a catastrophe. Not to minimize his service and valor, but because of the circumstances, the whistleblower just made us aware of the extent and certainty of it.
2
Trumps narcissism is the root of this behaviour. It’s also why so many psychologists felt they had a “Duty to Warn” of the danger of a President Trump.
Trump acts exactly as they said he would to an outside (the WH) threat.
Let us all hope they were wrong in the their other predictions of how Trump will react to a crisis not of his own making.
17
The level of incompetence and recklessness exhibited by the Trump Administration from top to bottom is staggering. We usually only learn how dangerously incompetent Trump is if a whistleblower tells us. Trump and his appointees then try to silence them, as Alex Azar, the Health and Human Services Secretary, did here in threatening to fire the whistleblower. Trump has repeatedly threatened to criminally prosecute whistleblowers.
Under the Trump Administration we have people interacting with those infected by the Coronavirus without following any proper protocols or wearing any protective gear. It means they could have become infected and then reentered the general population by going home, or by staying in hotels, or by flying on crowded commercial flights, or all of the above.
It is mind-bending. The people the Trump administration tasked with supposedly controlling this pandemic may be spreading it.
We were always going to have to face a threat like this at some point. It couldn't come at a worse time.
Coronavirus is immune to lies and bullying. Facing an outbreak like this proves Leadership Matters, Good Government Matters, Institutions Matter, Competence Matters, and Credibility and Honesty Matter.
As if we didn't already know it, each day brings new revelations on how Trump and the GOP are utterly incapable of dealing with a health crisis. Those who hate science and defund our health protections can't possibly deal with an outbreak of this magnitude.
43
The level of incompetence and recklessness exhibited by the Trump Administration from top to bottom is staggering. The only way we ever find out how horrifically incompetent Trump is if a whistleblower tells us. Trump then wants to criminally prosecute anyone who tells the American public what's truly happening.
Under the Trump Administration we have people interacting with those infected by the Coronavirus without following any proper protocols or wearing any protective gear. It means many of them became infected. They then reentered the general population by going home, or staying in hotels, or flying on crowded commercial flights, or all of the above.
It is mind-bending. The people the Trump administration tasked with supposedly controlling this pandemic are the ones spreading it. This is what comes of have a total incompetent, who does not even believe in science, elected president.
We were always going to have to face a threat like this at some point. It couldn't come at a worse time.
Despite all Trump/GOP lies the Coronavirus proves Leadership Matters, Good Government Matters, Institutions Matter, and Competence Matters.
As if we didn't already know it, each day brings new revelations on how Trump and the GOP are utterly incapable of dealing with any health crisis, let alone one of this magnitude. They hate science and defunded our health protections, so they can't possibly deal with this pandemic.
How many Americans must now die because of Trump and the GOP?
359
@Robert B Excellent thoughts. This should be a NY Times Pick.
25
@Robert B As far as I’m concerned, the deaths of any Americans from this debacle is right on the heads of all Republican members of the Senate, with the exclusion of Romney. They have to pay and big time for ALLOWING this to continue, they had a choice and decided to play politics with the future of this country.
17
@Robert B
They create incompetent government on purpose, so they can privatise Government services, so global shareholders can hire incompetent minimum wage employees to do sophisticated jobs, and pocket the salaries that use to be paid for experts, while they keep raising their budgets every year.
The incompetence isn't an accident. It's the plan. That is why Pence is now in charge.
In a year or two Republicans will be saying the response to the Corona Virus proves that the CDC should be privatized.
We keep watching this same movie.
Iraq was incompetence on purpose, so they could steal pallets of hundred dollar bills and Iraq's oil. Am of course the oil wasn't stolen for us, as the Right base assumed, but for global oil corporations.
2
Isn't it comforting to know we have a big fan of the Apocalypse and the End Days in charge of the pandemic in the US?
43
I am sure that Mr Azar, the nations top health official is making certain that all of the personnel are fully compliant with the precautions that he learned in his infectious disease class in law school.
35
Trump is all about who will play him in the movies.
He just rehired Hope Hicks and Sean Spicer and some undergrad to advise him. We got Mick Mulvaney, that clone-lady who we pay for NOT giving press conferences, we got Mike Pence and Mother, we got a bunch of "acting" name tags for our Cabinet, and we got Stephen Miller.
We got Fox News spouting misinformation- they need to just stop.
Read the actual transcript of Trump at his "virus chat". Half of it was stuff he said verbatim at his Colorado Rally about himself. The man's mind is held together with chewing gum.
71
@Kay Johnson
Trump repeats the same words every place. No facts or true information, just accolades for himself and his administration. It’s mind boggling that adults stand next to him and smile during these events... surely they know he’s incompetent?!
3
Having worked in the medical field for 20 years I am astounded that these most basic practices were not practiced. These things are so simple!
1 - separate sick people from well people
2 - attendants wear appropriate personal protective equipment
The incompetence is unconscionable. Now the Trump team wants to cover up their ineptitude and gross negligence. Despicable. As is typical, they go after the whistleblower.
Vote blue no matter who! We have to see this dangerous farce of a government come to an end.
63
SusieQ-Are you unaware that career HHS, State Dept. and CDC people have been demonstrating this incompetence? Do you think that President Trump was on the phone telling these staff people not to wear PPE? Why is Trump to blame for institutional incompetence?
1
@Katie ~ He cuts budgets for these agencies and then appoints staff who are loyalists, not experts. He is responsible for the administration of these agencies, that's his job!
2
This administration has had a consistent anti science agenda from the start. If this pandemic pans out how I think it might the American public will be calling for his head. I suppose he appointed Pence COVID-19 Tsar so he could throw him under the bus later on. There will be a lot of people lost directly due to the willful ignorance of Trump and his empowered minions. When will this nightmare end!
25
Conservative governments have a bad habit of showing their distaste for government employees by firing a lot of them. By doing so they squander an enormous amount of core competency that is in place for crises like this whopper. Trump, Bolton et al are responsible for needlessly exposing the American public to increased risk because of politically motivated firings. Now while they’re beating the bushes for experts to bail them out, precious time is being squandered.
They never learn.
23
How long has this virus and its deadly effects been in the news? But the people sent to help those evacuees didn't have a clue about the situation they were getting into?
10
Secretary Azar is an atty, drug company lobbyist and political toadie- a Spin Doctor. He doesn’t know what he doesn’t know- a dangerous ignorance. In serving Trump’s personal priority to reassure his re-election & boasting about the Market over allowing competent experts to protect Americans, Azar made a blunder reminiscent of the Bush administration’s trivializing of Richard Clarke’s pre-9/11 summer warnings that planes would be used as weapons.
Homeland security has been bungled by Trump appointees without crucial knowledge or experience after real experts were purged over the past 2 years. Trump mouths crazy nonsense, including blaming the Market crash on the Democratic debate...trivializing a looming pandemic & muzzling the CDC. Spin doctor propaganda is a travesty when America could have been #1 in sound public health. Instead, Trumps petty bluster is Making America Infected Now.
37
Thank you, Whistleblower.
37
Yes! Thank you.
1
We have a “head of state” who holds up graphs from his “briefings” to impress us. Some of us would like people to use words...and science.
12
He also falsifies scientific documents with Sharpie pens, and removes valid and credible scientific information from government websites and, for all we know, from government archives.
14
Let’s elect someone COMPETENT. Someone willing to read vital briefings—-not one page picture summaries
20
It's shocking that these federal health employees let themselves be placed in such a precarious situation.
Surely they had an inkling of the risk involved, or are they as ignorant as Trump's apprentices?
11
I see all of these comments on "How to Make America Sane Again," all well thought out, and often with solid facts...and I'm sure there are a few more we don't have.
Hopefully all of you will help rid the US of this menace. Get out the vote, please.
22
A fundamental constitutional responsibility of the executive branch is public health and safety. I have laughed at Tump-world incompetence and prevarication, but now we are facing the consequences of lazy, corrupt and plain dumb public officials in full performance.
Watch these buffoons go on a frenzied search to out the whistleblower. Franz Kafka couldn't write this.
28
the coronavirus scares me -
donald trump scares me -
he is an inept leader and a liar -
if the republican senate had done their duty, the Impeached donald trump would have been removed from the presidency-
and someone else would be President now...
and although I would still be afraid ... not as much.
23
@Robert L. To be honest, Trump scares me 1000X's more than the coronavirus. And I'm an expert in the field of pathogenic organisms.
3
@Robert L.
It would have been Pence, so not much of a difference.
2
@Robert L. I am convinced at this point they will let you and me and anyone else die. Obvious to me they only care about maintaining power at all costs. Including American lives.
2
Perhaps the Trump clan imagine they can avoid the virus while the unlucky among us get sick or die. They already live a sequestered, nearly hermetically sealed existence, engaged in a masquerade ball of imagined public service....cf. Edgar Allan Poe, "Masque of the Red Death."
105
Shocking, not shocking. Another pesky whistleblower!! Between trump & pence, it's hard to know who to fear the most. But I thought the "Space Force" would destroy the virus??!! So sad that the daily incompetence within this admin is so embarrassing and troublesome. Pence couldn't properly oversee a single state regarding HIV. How is he going to oversee the entire country???
82
Are we surprised? The POTUS magically says we're ok so I guess we are. Pence will pray for us and we'll have no need for any masks, hoods or quarantine training. This is what preparation means in the US.
59
What do you expect? They probably watch Fox News, listen to Rush Limbaugh and read Trump’s Tweets.
46
We tried to tell them, but they were too infatuated to see. The Emperor Has No Clothes. He is stark naked.
93
Well it will all be straight now that VP Poodle is on it.
And Paul will out the whistler so we can find out who is the deep state.
44
Perhaps Senator Rand Paul, M.D. would like to out this whistleblower as he did the last one.
64
People are placed at risk, people get sick, people die, and the White House could care less. What a world!
36
@FritzTOF Yes. Indeed. In fact, they could “not care” less.
2
Donald Trump is inept at many things, but healthcare should not be tampered with. As a registered nurse of many years, as a woman who has case managed ICU’s in the largest hospital in our state, as a community council member of our local healthcare facility, as a healthcare provider who has partnered with great numbers of other providers, believe me - Donald Trump, nor Mike Pence have a clue what they are doing.
Today, how many days after the coronavirus has had a global impact, and national impact, Mike Pence has brought in a medically trained and experienced provider to serve our country, Dr. Deborah Birx. Finally someone experienced and by the way, originally appointed years before by President Barack Obama.
There is no excuse for this blunder that has occurred in transporting or caring for patients or those potentially affected by the coronavirus, either in transportation or in the work that has been necessary.
Human lives are at stake. This is the United States of America. There is no way that one single person in this country should doubt healthcare either in acute or chronic status. No one should be slighted in this highly educated country.
But left in the hands of an inept, reckless, careless leader, our president, we are doomed. There is no cure for stupidity. And this is a prime example. Any healthcare facility would fire immediately anyone so dangerous to society.
For shame!
167
The Trump Administration’s autocratic stupidity appears little different from Communist China’s in China’s initial reaction to the virus threat. Trump cannot even learn from China’s catastrophic mistakes widely reported. Apparently, Fox News missed that story, or suppressed it so as not to distract the President from his efforts to suppress climate-change science. After all, climate change is the biggest catastrophe-in-the making ever. Trump needs all the energy he can summon to debunk it.
43
Alarmed? Yes.
Surprised? No.
57
Thanks to the whistleblower who reported this. We need more people like you to stand up to this tyrannical president.
132
For god's sake, let's find that whistleblower and hand him or her over to Rand Paul. Treasonous!
7
How bad can it get? This bad...
"Caitlin Oakley started as the Executive Assistant for the Beer Institute in August 2014. She provides government affairs and communications support, plans Beer Institute events and briefings and coordinates various other initiatives to help the Beer Institute meet its goals and objectives. Caitlin previously worked for Representative H. Morgan Griffith (VA-09) as his executive assistant. Prior to joining Congressman Griffith’s staff, Caitlin held an internship with the Library of Congress Rare Book and Special Collections Division after graduating from the College of William and Mary."
https://projects.propublica.org/trump-town/staffers/caitlin-brooke-oakley
9
@Dave
Nothing against Ms Oakley but she is totally unprepared by age,experience,education or training to be "a deputy assistant secretary and a national spokeswoman for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs. "
I'm afraid we are in more trouble than we know or can guess.
12
So this is why Pence has to approve every comment made by Federal Employees involved in the Coronavirus effort...so they can cover up this kind of stupidity, created I am fairly confident is due to this government's interference with the CDC. This is the worst failure of all the countries involved that I have read about so far. It makes us look like the pitiful country we have become under Trump's management. And today I still read how many supporters are swearing by Trump's efforts. In fact he was off in India instead.
65
No worries, Pence has got this. He is a very dynamic person, a bundle of energy, very knowledgeable about pandemics.
Witness his first words to reassure all Americans: “dear leader has shown remarkable leadership”.
So relax, breathe easy - wait, what do you mean your child has a fever, difficulty breathing ...
22
I’m betting $100 that Trump and Fox News blame the liar and treasonous liberal hack of a whistleblower for the market slump. Because what’s important isn’t public health, only the appearance of “trump’s strong economy” that lasts through November 3rd
32
Just like Chernobyl.
21
@Jimmy
People were critisizing China's handle of their coronavirus outbreak like Chenobyl and we are doing the same thing.
4
it's enough to make you cry.
26
@Patrcia after that “press conference” I did indeed cry. The ineptitude, the constant lying, and the complicity of the Republican Party to a president who is incompetent and probably has neurological and mental issues is enough to bring tears. People may die here but lying and saying all is well is preferable. I cannot get my mind around it.
2
Ignorance is bliss.. when coupled with stupidity it can be fatal.
44
Taking a page from the Japanese Ministry of Health's playbook...
8
Inept, inept, inept. Indicative of Trump.
16
Of course this is the same HHS that wouldn’t listen to the CDC when it said the affected American cruise passengers should NOT be flown gomevon the same plane as the unaffected passenger. Good God, what a bunch of clowns!
472
@Pat Trump has announced tonight when talking about the COVID-19 virus, "It is going to disappear."
30
@Jacquie
I’m just waiting for him to pull out a sheet with the number of confirmed cases here, x’d out with a sharpie and an alternative fact number drawn in its place.
5
This is what happens when you prize loyalty over competence, and when you operate on the paranoid assumption that everyone in the "deep state" is out to get you.
457
@Matt Mullen Or when you're an entitled rich boy that grew up to be a monster narcissist that thinks he's meant to be the world's most powerful mob boss
7
Not to change the subject, but look away from this mess for a moment and look what they've done to kneecap the agency that ensures the safety of our food supply, the USDA. It makes their crippling of the CDC seem kind. It's been well-documented here in the pages of the Times so a quick search will update you. We are in deep trouble, especially if we face another four years of this fiasco.
59
Thank goodness we have universal health insurance in this country so people who are sick can get the care they need. Plus, it's good to know that a seasoned medical professional is in charge of the response so that communities can prepare.
Oops.
66
Trump praises China's handling of the coronavirus, which resulted in whistleblowers being detained & threatened into silence (the first of whom died of coronavirus), while Xi first downplayed the severity and then blocked in whole cities.
The agencies under Trump mimicked China's initial response--threatening the whistleblower, downplaying the severity while putting unprotected workers on the front line.
Then Trump takes the opportunity to praise himself multiple times about his and his administration's handling of the coronavirus, and puts a so-called "expert" in charge, because Pence is oh, so, qualified. I feel safer already.
40
I honestly tried to watch Trump's press conference last night with an open mind. As a school psychologist who works in a school district where keeping a kid with a cold/cough home from school is a luxury most parents can't afford, I really wanted to be reassured that our government is equipped to handle a national health crisis.
The only good thing I could say about Trump's responses was that he didn't slur his words for a change. I also heard some useful information about progress on developing a vaccine and various other treatments, but that didn't come from Trump.
Other than that, there was a lot of confused statements and misleading information. Trump tried to blame the stock market's recent performance on the Democratic candidates, called Nancy Pelosi incompetent, gloated about his approval ratings, mocked Chuck Schumer and mimicked his NY accent, kept downplaying the seriousness of COVID-19 by comparing it to the flu, rambled on about how frequently he washes his hands, lied about the mortality rate and disputed the 2% figure, claimed (without evidence) that his travel restrictions have successfully stopped the virus from spreading to the U.S., whined about being called a racist, and could not give a coherent reason for appointing Mike Pence to coordinate his administration's response to this.
I am not reassured. Not in the least.
150
You and me both. Turns out, expertise, competence, and preparedness matter. Who knew?
24
Yesterday, the NYT reported that "A person in California who was not exposed to anyone known to be infected with the coronavirus, and had not traveled to countries in which the virus is circulating, has tested positive for the infection."
This person was from Solano County. Travis Air Force Base is in Solano County. I think this is more than just a coincidence.
90
If Federal Executive branch office politics is driving the decisions, exacting revenge on people speaking out against the incompetence, as it clearly seems to be in this instance, we are well and truly on our own out here, no matter the rhetoric. Unbelievable.
25
we should also note the administrations response to this massive blunder... retaliate against the whistleblower. is this really an indication of how little trumps people feel about the people they are supposed to be protecting? is protecting trumps' image and ego more important than the lives of our health care workers, first responders?
23
Trump disbanded the pandemic response team, fired experts and dramatically cut funding for the CDC. It is not surprising that training was not adequate and equipment was lacking. People can't blame these people on the front line dealing with the epidemic, the higher ups are responsible. In the corporate world, when a big mistake occurs, the CEO gets fired because they need to be held accountable. If Trump wants to run this country like a business, they he needs to step down. Or we must act as the Board of Directors to vote him out.
30
@Earthling Most CEO’s get big bonuses while shifting his or her responsibility for the disaster to a line and staff department head or lower administrative manager or employee. Sad but true.
3
The health workers were not trained, were not given protective clothing, were not told to take their own temperatures three times a day, and then were allowed to leave the military base and go into the general public.
Where did they go? Out to a restaurant or fast food place? To a big box store? Did they take taxis or gig rides to the airport? These unprotected workers probably came in contact with dozens, if not hundreds, of people.
51
So our response to actual coronavirus patients has been to:
- Fly them on a very long airplane flight with people who weren't already sick
- Move them to military bases that are within a few miles of huge populations of people and many global travelers
- Send in response workers without protective gear and then allow them to travel freely among their communities
- All the while not even bothering to stock up on coronavirus detection kits or make any sort of preparations for an outbreak
The incomplete and negligence here is off the charts. Sadly, I do not think they will be able to contain this now. While prevention measures are under way, we also need to plan for the entire population to become infected, and how to manage their care.
67
@RS I think those that tested positive on the flight were flown onwards to Nebraska and are being treated there in a medical facility. Those at Travis were the passengers that had tested negative for the virus. Not that this excuses any lapse in training or equipment for those looking after those individuals
8
Bless all of those who are working so hard to do the right thing for our country and all of us. But even without this woman’s complaint, the lack of urgency and preparedness that we see from Trump and his enablers is truly appalling. Virtually every other major country is testing hundreds if not thousands of its citizens who’ve been exposed to the virus and we dont even have enough accurate test kits to do more than 500?? Where are the instructions to our citizens in basic virus prevention, in being told to self-quarantine if returning form South Korea or northern Italy etc etc and why in God’s name does anyone think it’s a good idea to have that disgusting toady Mike Pence be in charge of the messaging on this serious national issue, particularly after so many died in Indiana because of his basic and moral incompetence.
I hope members of Congress from both parties speak out early and often if they are concerned about the administration’s handling of the virus and it’s effects. It’s way, way beyond the time to pretend that the emperor is wearing clothes.
39
Dereliction of duty has life-and-death consequences. Donald Trump and his cadre of anti-science, untrained, and frankly incompetent loyalists like the former pharmaceutical industry lobbyist who now heads Health and Human Services, Alex Azar, and Vice President Mike Pence ,who totally mismanaged the HIV epidemic in Indiana when he was governor, are unqualified to handle the looming coronavirus epidemic and may already have caused by their ignorance the virus to be unleashed in California and Texas when they left health care workers totally unprotected as they handled Americans returning from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the virus, and the Diamond Princess where 14 Americans had contracted the coronavirus. Their mission seems to be to control the information rather than the spread of the virus. They must be held accountable for any who die on their watch.
27
Is Trump responsible for this one too? It seems like a lot of decisions were badly made by people who were mid level career people and so had been around prior to Trump. It would be nice to know just how the paper ( was it the Post?) obtained information about the complaint and the other unnamed sources of information. And, why was not the entire complaint leaked so we can see this all in context? One would hope that all those people who were in the company of people who were exposed have been contacted and are being monitored and if need be put in quarantine. Not clear here is if the people who were exposed on the Princess ship or wherever had masks on or were in any other way secured personally against exposing others. I suppose this will all come out or will it?
3
Time will tell. If there have been exposures because of poor protocols, the virus will move, and some folks will get sick. For the time being, everyone needs to calm down and wait and see.
I, for one, believe this administration is not prepared for a pandemic, but, as I said above, time will tell.
Here's the main thing, however: planet Earth is a rock surrounded by a thin band of atmosphere that enables life as we know it; and it is hurtling through space, circling the sun. Viruses do not know borders, boundaries, political beliefs, colors of people, religions, beliefs, genders, body types, or ages. Viruses travel, and this virus will slowly circle hitching rides whenever it can on human beings, and it will soon eventually be... everywhere. It is not a question of IF. It's a question of WHEN. Everyone is tracking the virus's progress. But no one is talking about how interconnected we are.... If only folks would look at the climate emergency the same way.
10
On the plus side, this could be to Trump what the bungled hostage rescue was to Carter.
12
Trump is not the brightest bulb in the ceiling but he better understand one thing. If he keeps downplaying the Coronavirus and the number of cases keeps going up he is toast no matter how he tries to spin it. It would not surprise me if Pence turns out to be the fall guy, Trump taps Nikki Haley for VP but after this debacle she politely declines and who knows who he winds up with. Lastly, Trump popularity rose because of the economy and the stock market but he’s going down for the same reason. What goes around comes around.
19
We haven't even begun.
All that concerns Trump is the stock market (his "ratings"), and with Pence, whose "faith" denies every tenet of science in charge, everything will go wrong.
14
Thank goodness we have the seasoned, experienced epidemiologist Mike Pence taking charge. I can sleep better at night knowing this.
9
From the article: whose own health concerns were dismissed by senior administration officials as detrimental to staff “morale.” They were “admonished,” the complaint said, and “accused of not being team players,” and had their “mental health and emotional stability questioned.”
Sounds like how the Chinese government treated the first doctor, may he rest in peace, who tried to raise the alarm!
35
@Larry Wood
Also sounds like "The Smartest Guys in the Room"-style gaslighting.
1
The ongoing incompetence of this administration is beyond stupefying. It would seem the only immediate remedy would be to cajole every Trump appointee to take an immediate and extended vacation, with their duties to be performed by whoever under them is left over from the Obama years.
A more robust solution will, I hope, be in the offing on January 21st of next year. I look forward to every Trump appointee being immediately dismissed by a Democratic president on that day.
10
At a time won’t complete transparency and trust in the decision making of authority is critical to prevent panic and to ensure that intelligent recommendations are followed by a willing populace, we have an incompetent and untrustworthy Administration calling the shots on a potential pandemic. Talk-to-the-hand Trump and anti-science Pence. A perfect storm. Panic may well ensue without careful guidance.
3
I wondered if this free flow of people was happening, but trusted people, and their superiors and those who wrote and monitored implementation of protocols to have thought of this possibility and to be guarding against it. Silly me.
And what terrible, willful ignorance and selfishness of those federal employees and their supervisors. This is exactly the kind of carelessness and/or unlawfulness that causes pandemics and other human-made or human-facilitated major disasters. No wonder communities don’t want the evacuated housed in quarantine there — it’s not prejudice against the ill or possibly ill; it’s (apparently reasonable) distrust of the government workers (healthcare providers and otherwise) who come in contact with the ill or previously-exposed and their belongings and waste.
I feel most sorry for these careless workers’ families, who will probably be personally impacted by community spread.
6
Is it crazy to draw a line between the unprotected workers traveling to and from the base in Tracy Califirnia and the woman who’s is now fighting for her life at nearby UC Davis?
11
Oh, boy, how could anyone believe this whistleblower...
How can we possibly imagine that anyone "leading" an important effort in the Trump administration would be concerned primarily with good news, fake spin, and viciously attack any professional expert who questioned their approach or pointed out serious, in this case potentially life threatening lapses?
6
this is what happens when critical departments at the CDC are cut. sure, we should vote trump 4 more years. not!!
8
The concerns expressed here are about ineptness, incompetence and general ignorance. All true, but the real issue is that this is no longer a government with the well being of the people as a foremost concern. It is an undemocratic, authoritarian president and his elected and unelected enablers who care more about loyalty, power, money and control than about scientific truth and health of the general populace. See the parallels with Xi's response to the virus: it was more important to him to cover up bad news then to work to investigate the actual problems of a potential pandemic. In the just-past (great) old days, we would have the best people, the best scientists, operating as a team (without a political litmus test) to see us through. No longer. But guess what? A virus like this is blind to party, race, gender, money and hierarchy.
19
The incompetence is frightening and astounding. I never thought I’d see anything like this in America. The bucks stops at Trump’s desk. He is responsible whether he accepts that or not.
Vote blue as if you life depends upon it, because that may very well be the case.
Vote out every single Republican. Every single one.
37
This same nonsense happened in Dallas, when the Ebola outbreak in west Africa had been reported for months, and yet even though there is a Liberian expat community in Dallas the hospital was caught completely off guard with insufficient training, PPE, and plans for quarantine. It's a vacuum of leadership. Somebody somewhere needs to step up.
5
I see people in the Trump administration are rising to their level of incompetence. But no worries, Pence will clear any statements they may make about the virus. All is well. La, la, la, la.
I fully expect Trump to start Tweeting his disdain for the whistle blower.
7
You know what's going to happen here. Trump will say his administration's response to the corona virus is perfect (which he did at his news conference yesterday) and he will demand that the whistle blower's identity be made public. That the whistle blower is a biased democrat from the deep state and any criticism of his administration's response are just coming from do nothing democrats.
8
The headlines tomorrow better be "Trump administration responsible for spreading coronavirus in US." Their reckless incompetence is mind blowing, and they should not be allowed to whitewash their role in this.
15
Who needs a whistleblower to articulate the obvious---that Trump's response will be a mix of lies, blame, and incompetence---what we come to call the keystone cop pandemic.
7
Trump’s disdain for government institutions will literally kill us. This reminds me of the disaster at Chernobyl in which warnings were ignored because of fear of displeasing those in charge. It was just a matter of time before Trump’s norm-busting and repugnance of government order and processes would result in actual physical harm. I think of someone like Elizabeth Warren as president and she would have had plans locked in place on those military bases. There would have been order, preparation, proper training, safeguards and appropriate resources. This is a case where chaos could kill. Trump knows only chaos and distraction. Not what we need to meet the challenge of a pandemic.
This president is such a bully and has everyone so intimidated that the only way we get the truth is through a courageous whistleblower. For the second time. Trump will downplay this fiasco and is probably roaming the White House in his extra-large bathrobe composing vitriolic tweets to say the whistleblower is part of the deep state and that this report is fake news.
And Pence is in charge.
If the whistleblower had not come forward, how long would this fiasco have continued? How many will now contract the virus due to this administration’s fealty to a man unfit for his office. Any office.
13
The only thing missing from this Disaster Movie are the Zombies.
9
So relieved we have “the best people” in our government right now! Can you imagine if this happened on Obama’s watch? I’m sure Graham and McConnell and Co are preparing to launch an inquiry steeped in outrage. Oh, wait...never mind!
6
Apparently “Hopes and Prayers” is now the official policy of the United States government under Trump and Pence.
9
The Coronavirus Pandemic is a genuine worldwide disaster, and Trump has made it worse by denial and incompetence.
Trump is concerned that this looks bad for him. His natural response to any crisis is to lie, cover up his own mistakes, and blame others. VP Pence will do whatever Trumps says. We cannot trust anything they say.
Under Obama, the US government was prepared. But after Trump cut the budget of the CDC two years ago, experts predicted that this would hurt American preparedness:
“Why American could become vulnerable to the next major pandemic”
https://time.com/5177802/cdc-budget-cuts-infectious-disease/
Every American death will be on Trump’s head.
10
Astonishing.
Trump has muzzled Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leading US CDC expert on infectious diseases for decades, who has led us through countless outbreaks.
Instead, he has placed Mike Pence—who said that “smoking doesn’t kill” while his family ran a chain of cigarette and gas convenience stores called Tobacco Road.
We truly have no adults at the head of this government.
25
Down in the dumps with Donald.
Thanks Republicans. He’s quite a leader isn’t he?
But don’t worry, only 15 Americans have the virus and they are all getting better. Everything’s great. Just peachy.
10
I could not stop imagining the image of Nero fiddling while Rome burned while watching Trump lie to the public in his press conference on tv. He is a liar. The Senate is complicit.
Maybe the US will be lucky and the virus will infect them first.
I know I'm praying for that.
God save the US from these damaged, untrustworthy men.
9
Now Trump has ordered health officials to not say anything to the press or the public without first clearing it with Mike Pence. Does that make you feel safe? Keep up with the good work, NYT and Washington Post. Trump has proved we can't believe anything coming from the White House.
27
Am I the only person in America totally alarmed by the news that the whistleblower report of untrained HHS workers at Travis AFB attending to quarantined Americans returning from Wuhan and the first unrelated outbreak of the coronavirus in the same location yesterday is not a coincidence?
My god, Pandora's box is flung wide open and the coronavirus spread across the nation is virtually assured.
10
Will this whistleblower be the next to come into the crosshairs of TrumpWorld? There's more than politics on the line this time. We're talking about lives.
3
Time for Trump to pull out his Sharpie and make a magical correction.
8
Trump’s government is no different than China’s. They only care about pretending that they have everything under control when in reality they are just covering up their incompetence.
10
So now these workers who were with quarantined people with no protective clothing and proper protocols just got on planes and dispersed all over the US?
We are going to be one hurting country in a few short weeks.
And all Trump can think about is his re-election. No strategy, no plan, no competence, just a bunch of lies every time he or his incompetent minions open their mouths.
Good luck to us all.
11
And the US media has been criticizing China and its measures all along... If the epidemic breaks out here it will be even less resources than in China to control it given the power of the state there to implement policy. Here, there is also lack of resources, training, and the law limits the policies that can be enacted.
29
Back in the 1980s, I ran a small hospital for children - in a very old building. We had to remain diligent at all times to have decent infection control.
Now I guess as a nation, we're reduced to washing our hands a lot and using hand wash substances with high alcohol content plus staying home if we have any sort of cold or compromised immune system.
Not bad advice, but a bit skimpy for a giant country like the U.S.
It's past due time to have someone with competence as our president - a person who doesn't dump staff if he/she wakes up on the wrong side of bed. Vote in November - my hope is that the someone is Senator Sanders.
76
Trump referenced a report of the US (pre-budget cut to pandemic readiness) where the US ranked 1st in five criteria and 19th in risk management. With a score of 83.5 out of 100, if airlines had the same safety record, there would be a plane crash every 13 seconds.
It is important to understand that the White House trying to control the message will result in the spread of the disease and further distrust of the government and the 'Anti-science, Alternative Facts" Trump administration.
156
So according to this, these unprotected workers could have contracted the virus and carried it into various communities weeks ago?
Thank God the whistleblower filed her complaint so HHS sees why suddenly surprise patients are starting to crop up.
I sure hope Trump doesn't now lash out at this whistleblower, penalizing her for calling out the truth.
This is no way to run a country in the midst of a dangerous health crisis.
413
@ChristineMcM
He already has. She has been "reassigned."
39
Christine McM,
This whistleblower is seeking protection after being unfairly transferred out of her job with a warning that if she did not accept this transfer within 5 days she would be fired.
I’m surprised you even had to consider what the consequences would be for an a-political career professional who was only awarded her 2nd award for superb job performance the month before blowing the whistle.
Your president is brewing conspiracy theories about media “weaponisation of whats basically the common cold” in order up damage his good name and reputation ahead of an election. Whilst a novel virus spreads within your communities he puts together a political YesMan team including a man who allowed HIV infections within his district to rival some of the poorest of African nations and a man who’s sole interest is the stock market. Presumably on a part-time, or a work-your-own-time rota since they already have actual full time jobs.
To Trump, this oncoming catastrophe is a political issue-not a public health issue- if he viewed it as a national security/health issue he wouldn’t have already decreed ALL scientific data first has to go through Pence if it might contradict Trumps “all is well, don’t spook the markets” PR strategy to the general public. If you truly hoped a pandemic would be seen by Trump as about anything other than Trumps personal interests then you really, really, haven’t been paying attention.
65
@ChristineMcM
This is no way to run a country.
29
Oh goodie, let's out another whistleblower.
24
This goes straight back to Trump.
When you populate your government with sycophants yes men and you alienate, drive out, and fire people with actual experience and expertise, overwhelming incompetence is the inevitable result.
He may not have created COVID-19 but he stripped our government of its ability to mount a competent response and that is just one of many failings that make him completely unfit to be our president.
495
@Eric Sometimes bad things happen that a government cannot stop. But a more competent and better prepared government can be effective in minimizing and limiting the damage as much as humanly possible. I have no faith that the trump administration has the ability to do this. I doubt Trump even understands this.
Trump himself admitted last night during his press conference that he didn't want to pay to employ permanent crisis intervention experts in the government when there was no crisis. He views such positions as extraneous, a waste of money, and claimed that he can just as easily bring in temporary people to deal with a crisis when it occurs.
Trump has no understanding of the harm that can be done with such a short-sighted approach. That's because he doesn't care about longterm consequences. Trump cares only about the immediate benefit to himself. Everything else is secondary.
There's a reason why we have risk and prevention experts in permanent government positions. Trump's approach is incredibly dangerous and we're now seeing the harmful ramifications play themselves out. I shudder to think of the harm that 4 more years of Trump's logic would do to our country.
38
@Roberta
"Trump cares only about the immediate benefit to himself."
Yes and that makes every official direction by Trump an act of official corruption, because his job is not to benefit himself, but to benefit We the People.
Who are all these small business people that think an employee is supposed to spend their days wrecking the business and playing golf? Maybe I'll get a job with a Trump supporting small business owner, so I can insult him and his customers, threaten them with violence if they criticize me, steal stuff, and otherwise use their business as if it is my own to destroy.
Trump works for We the People. President is a job, not King.
Trump refuses to do his job, which makes all of the stuff that he does a series of High Crimes against the Constitution.
The lose-on-purpose Democratic Party "leadership," went small against Trump, when they should have charged him with hundreds of public attacks on the Constitution, and concentrated on the overall pattern of Trump's behavior, which proves that his intent is to weaken all limits on his power.
Even the defense for Trump's refusal to protect our elections, because he is upset that the attacks call his legitimacy into question, is unconstitional. Being upset about your image is not a Constitutional excuse to refuse to do the job of Commander in Chief.
Trump does the opposite of his job.
(Bloomberg gave $400 million to elect the Republican Senators that help him attack the Constitution. He's a Republican!)
3
Is it just a coincidence that these untrained and ill equipped federal employees under the service of Secretary Azar, were at Travis Air Force base moving freely among quarantined citizens and into the general public and that 8.5 miles away was the hospital where the first patient tested positive and had an “unknown origin” of the virus transmission? BTW, Solano County, in which both the hospital and the Travis AFB is located has just declared a state of emergency.
385
I don’t know about you, but I’m a little concerned that a former right-wing talk radio host is now in charge of the federal response to this crisis and that he now has the power to muzzle the scientists who might know a little something about the risks we all face.
594
@David Williams Scientists are not that easy to muzzle. First amendment rights apply to government scientists! George W Bush tried and failed to muzzle climate scientists at NASA a decade ago, and lost his case. And there was a major outcry by scientists at NOAA recently, during Hurricane Dorian, after Trump's sharpie alterations to their weather map. Scientists, like journalists, are obsessed with outing the truth.
12
@DR
They are not easy to muzzle, but the time delay allows destruction.
4
@David Williams We will know nothing about this event until it is over. That won't change no matter what happens politically. Politicians are not bright enough to understand facts in te first place, but they also only play politics. Nothing they say can be simply the truth.
This virus might be the best thing that ever happened for the young people of the US. It preferential hits old men and smokers the most severely. That is just about all of Trumps supporters. If they are devastated then that just may save the future for the young people. And it is surely the old men of the democratic party that are stubborn refusers of truth as well. So, I don't see the downside for the young people.
Should open up some housing as well, and it will become much cheaper.
1
Well, here we go. Soon the Trump administration’s minions will be ferreting out the whistleblower, blabbering his name to the press, then start firing all employees that dare complain or raise an alarm. Yet another purge of folks that just don’t understand that Trump is ALWAYS right.
59
I'm assuming (I know what that means) that Union Members would do that job. In my Union job, if the equipment on hand isn't enough, we sit around waiting until the proper working equipment and safety equipment are onsite.
17
Yes, one advantage of unions is that people are generally properly trained and equipped to do the jobs they are assigned (and also know to ask questions if they aren't ).
8
I knew one of the bases must be Travis, before I even read the article. Solano County, where the first community source infection was reported yesterday.
I don't know what to say anymore about our country.
157
I have a feeling they were hand picked by trump. " Good news": the stocks are down, Trump's biggest ace in the quiver of lies.
17
The stock market is a terrible measure of the economy and financial well being of Americans anyway and I wish everyone understood that most Americans don't own stocks!
7
I’m betting ol’ half-Pence didn’t approve of this being made public. Bye bye Mike, hello Nicki Haley. Any bets on how long Nicki will last?
14
@Bill
Tiill Nov 7?
3
How can this be? POTUS and the VPOTUS assured the USA that we are ready for anything and there is nothing to worry about. Now who should we believe, the prevaricator in chief or front line healthcare workers? This administration has driven most competent leadership out of government and we are left with some very ignorant and incompetent agency heads now. Just what is indicated to handle a national public health emergency - so glad the D Team is on the job. It ill be interesting to see how long the GOP Congressmen and Senators stay loyal to this grifter when their constituents start dying en-masse. Starting to look like he won't be a 2 term POTUS (unless the Democrats are able to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory with a ticket led by a Socialist.
11
I know that someday both the Coronavirus and President Trump will be nothing more than distant memories. Please god, let it be very, very soon.
114
This is a horror story. The very people that are supposed to be containing the virus are spreading it unwittingly?
151
If only the current administration hadn't made a point to fire the government’s entire pandemic response chain of command which was set up to coordinate military and government agency response. This situation is exactly what a coordinated approach would have avoided.
If only they hadn't made a point to eliminate the US Agency for International Development program called Predict (set up in 2005, during the H1N5 bird flu scare, to identify and research infectious diseases in animal populations).
Combine these two decisions with massive reductions in CDC programs, and the consequence is heightened contagion risk.
I guess it was important to destroy an Obama program in order to capture all that money saved to pay for the narcissist-in-chief's golf trips to Bedminster and Mar-A-Lago (a game played an average of three days weekly for the last three years).
Those $650/night rooms the Secret Service has to reserve and the million dollar Air Force One plane rides won't pay for themselves.
I wonder how many more Americans will die because the narcissist needed to eliminate anything good Obama set up to protect them?
246
@Adele Lyford
Do not start in with all those facts and logics. Reality has been suspended indefinitely here ma'am. They posted a sign.
14
Adele Lyford,
Even I know there are libraries of emergency action plans prepared over the years by a-political experts in their fields within the WhiteHouse. Given Obama set up your pandemic response team (since fired by Trump), I’m willing to bet £5 Obama ensured just such a detailed action plan of best practice for this very situation to be filed there. I’ll bet another 50p Obama even ensured the plan was flexible enough to change the variable public health threat, that a semi competent admin could adjust to slow down the rate of communication until a vaccine can be distributed next year and that there are best practice plans for those distribution procedures. Unfortunately I’m also willing to bet £20 that Trump will not follow any such plan and should any such plan be used as a starting point, it will be because a semi-competent official sneaks it in without Trump knowing it was produced, advanced and advised by a past president. And certainly not President Obama.
Our foreign service were quite blown away at the start of this admin when any position the US would take on any policy, Trump first and ONLY consideration was “Where did Obama come down on this?” Swiftly followed by a decision that was in the absolute opposite position to where Obama leaned.
21
You’d think that after making the colossal, unconscionable mistake of allowing 14 infected Diamond Princess passengers to fly back to the US (in tight quarters and recycled air) with hundreds of other passengers and crew, the government would’ve been at pains to prevent the natural consequences of that mistake from occurring.
That the last thing in the world they would’ve wanted was for the first instance of community transmission on US soil to be traced directly from Solano County to Travers Air Force Base to that abhorrent decision.
But no. The current administration, top to bottom, is as arrogant, callous and heedless as it is incompetent. That’s what happens when people see they can get away with anything because they’re above the law.
142
the air is not recycled
Gen-exer,
I was wondering why Trump kept repeating athat he wasn’t aware of the move to repatriate infected Americans. It didn’t make sense to me that he would knowingly admit to an illustration of colossal incompetence, mis-management, and clear demonstration of his detachment from policy in a time of crisis? Surely, I thought, Trump wouldn’t knowingly suggest he is not right on top of things in a such a
This whistleblower has now explained Trumps deviation from his usual behaviour. He was distancing himself from accountability. Given the whistleblowers report apparently warranted her dismissal from post and 5 days to accept an unwanted transfer, I suggest the executive arm were aware of this report. I’ll give him credit for consistency. Trump will always put what he believes is in his own personal interests first and foremost. Even in the wake of a pandemic.
11
@melissa
citation please; I have just googled and read several articles saying airplane air is recycled, or at least 50% can be, and that not all airplanes use HEPA filters...
11
Like so much of what is wrong with America today. There is a massive delta between the rhetoric and the actual. As a former virologist and biochemist I can only express disgust at Trump's speech about how prepared and good America's response has been and will be. His insecure arrogance spouted all sorts of nonsense, none of which was scientifically close to accurate. The man doesn't have the brains to let an expert speak when one is needed. He doesn't know the difference between an influenza virus and a coronavirus nor a virus and a bacteria. I'm sure he missed his science briefing because it was probably longer than 2 min and was scheduled for before 11am while he was still watching the Fox and Friends. Speaking of which, as far as children's shows go Fox and Friends does have a catchy name for a children's program but Peppa Pig has far more intelligent scripting, bigger words, a more correct use of the English language and overall better dialogue. Peppa and Daddy Pig would definitely know to use proper safety protocols when dealing with a pandemic.
179
So, let's get this straight. The Trump administration sent HHS personnel to meet, house and manage returning refugees from Wuhan and the Diamond Princess, who were exposed to a new and potentially lethal infection. Those people were given NO training in infection control, and knew nothing about pandemics or Nonpharmacologic Interventions (NPIs).
When Azar was asked whether the staff had appropriate PPE, he said, "They should have had," and when asked about chaos on the ground, said
“I would not accept your proposition that it was chaotic at all times,” Mr. Azar said. “I am not aware of any violation of quarantine or isolation protocols.”
Then
"agency staff members who found themselves on the front lines of a frantic federal effort to confront the coronavirus in the United States without any preparation or training, and whose own health concerns were dismissed by senior administration officials as detrimental to staff “morale.” They were “admonished,” the complaint said, and “accused of not being team players,” and had their “mental health and emotional stability questioned.”"
So, first Trump abolished TWO organizations set up to deal with pandemics, set up by Obama, then HHS has no idea how to deal with a quarantine, doesn't even ASK CDC, the guy in charge doesn't know about any problems, and when notified, blames the staff who were never trained.
This is what I expect from a third world dictatorship, or the US under the GOP.
For shame.
525
@DataDrivenFP This is what happens when you elect someone like Trump -- who genuinely believes he knows more than the experts, appoints only sychophants and "yes men" in critical positions, and who in reality knows absolutely nothing.
36
@DataDrivenFP
You might want to check out HHS Secretary Alex Azar's record at Eli Lilly ...he was involved in the roll out of some very dangerous drugs. Lilly tried to hide the side effects but it didn't work too well. There were headlines in the New York Times about it. One of the reporters on some of the front page coverage was Alex Berenson.
27
@DataDrivenFP "“I would not accept your proposition that it was chaotic at all times,” Mr. Azar said. " Unfortunately, the coronavirus is no respecter of sophistry.
17
Totally incompetent! Do we any leadership that knows what they are doing? Of course you blame the people deployed for not being team players when they realize they don’t have the correct protective gear.
13
Now am wondering if similar mistakes were made at Lackland AFB. Asking for a friend...
45
Now you have that case of "unexplained infection" reported a few minutes after the presidents press conference. It is explained now! We supposed to have learned from the Chinese experience. We seemed to have not!
We are also told that foremost expert on infectious disease in the world, Anthony Fauci, can no longer speak to the general public without the president's permission.
We are behaving like the Chinese now. No wonder the president praised Xi.
83
Pence has NO idea he’s now the scapegoat, the designated Loser. If the Virus fizzles out, Trump claims full credit. If it becomes a Pandemic, and Hundreds Of Thousands actually Die, Pence WILL be blamed, for everything.
Pastor Pence: When you Dance with the Devil, you ALWAYS get burned. Anyone voluntarily working for Trump needs asbestos Underwear, a very strong stomach and absolutely NO ethics.
150
Of course, I never thought of that, let MP be the fall guy
7
Along with the lack of test kits in the nation’s ERs, this is another self-inflicted wound.
16
Don’t worry. This kind of thing won’t happen again under Mike Pence’s watch.
7
I would’ve preferred Jared.
6
Obviously, each person suspected by the whistle-blower to be In danger, needs to be identified, tested, and quarantined.
Now.
13
@Achilles Impossible. They've been out in the public for days now. It's out.
2
I'm beginning to think that this admin sees this problem as just another bump in the road that can be dealt with by tweets and Trump's merry gang of Fox News hosts. Honestly can't blame them, it has worked so far. Why funnel money to protect Americans when it can instead be spent at Mar a Lago?
The more sinister and conspiritorial side of me thinks that Trump, and especially Pence, see this as god's way of purging the US. "Let the virus ravage these liberal cities! They deserve it for questioning our dear leader!"
20
I’m waiting for Pence to sweep in and have his “heckuva job Brownie!” moment, shouldn’t be too long given his illustrious track record with outbreaks.
11
With Pence “in charge” of this we are all in supreme danger. May goddess help us because this administration sure won’t.
17
I'm afraid this is going to get much worse before it gets better. What will the Trump administration say when thousands or millions are infected? And the market loses 50% of its value? And Trump is finally exposed for the incompetent fraud that he is? Answer: Nothing. His base and Fox will still be with him and he will probably win reelection. This is what happens when you suppress information. The whole nation will be kept in the dark just like the Fox audience.
37
All I can think of is Thank God for WHISTLEBLOWERS!
73
Trump's response to this will be to sue the New York Times and then Paul will read the whistleblower's name into the records of the Senate. Growing on in Montana I was always told don't ride with fools because they will get you killed. People will die and it will be the Republicans' fault.
39
After the way Pence handled AIDS in Indiana what could possibly go wrong?
56
Trump will demand to know the whistleblower’s name in order to exact retribution. Count on it.
24
Where this woman lives is apparently only 8 1/2 miles from that bass where the evacuees from China are. And now we hear about the HHS workers who weren’t given proper equipment and we’re in motels in the community. Sounds like a connection to me.
20
Today's lesson: How to be a Top Official on Team Trump.
1. Be incompetent at your job.
2. Lie about your actions.
3. When caught for incompetence and lying, attack your accusers.
4. Always, always, always insist that The Donald is a great and heroic leader, regardless of any facts to the contrary.
5. Keep lying, no matter what.
88
Ineptitude? Really? I’d call this negligence and violation of the laws to protect employees of all types. They used their ignorance to throw people untrained and inexperienced into a dangerous situation. I knew these kinds of things would happen and who is going to take responsibility for any of those innocent workers who have now become vectors of this deadly disease? Is this what it’s going to take to expose and take down a president who cares for no one but himself and his rich cronies. The way employees have been violated knows no bound with this administration. I think Trump ought to shake each and every one of these exposed workers hands! PLEASE
30
Maybe Trump should out this whistleblower. Clearly by implying incompetence and corruption amongst senior administration officials, this is all deep state fake news. I mean, Pence in charge? What about putting a science-sceptic Trump toady in charge doesn’t fill the American public with confidence?
7
Whether you support Donald Trump and his administration or not, you have to admit that he and they are utterly incompetent when it comes to governance. Trump's idea of governance is "I say and you do."
Trump has no concept of nor has shown any interested in how the government works. He has literally applied the methods he used as a real estate developer as president. He is autocratic, does what he wants without regard to the law, and sics aggressive lawyers on anyone who tries to hold him to account (today that guy is Barr).
Other than feeding his narcissism and stoking his base, Trump has proven to utterly incompetent, and his administration has spread the incompetence across the entire federal government. His response to a potential coronavirus outbreak is to contradict the CDC and blame Nancy Pelosi for using the coronavirus to make him look bad.
This is utter idiocy. Trump will look infinitely worse if the virus spreads in the US and kills a number of Americans. Being anti-science and anti-expertise may endear Trump to his base, but it is exposing all Americans again to potential disaster.
26
Did the whistleblower run this by Mike Pence first?
17
The horses haven’t only left the barn, they’ve left the state, some on airplanes. Prepare yourselves, and the elderly and sick ones in your lives. And WASH YOUR HANDS.
15
First, it’s a relief to see that Trump hasn’t succeeded at silencing whistleblowers in his administration.
Second, we can expect that many of these federal employees, whose legitimate and pressing concerns for their own safety were ignored for the sake of “morale,” will fall ill and the spread the virus.
Third, it seems likely that the patient currently at UCDavis, who had to wait days to be tested for the coronavirus, came into contact with one of the people freely moving on and off Travis Air Force Base. And you’d think, when doctors at area hospitals were trying to get this patient tested, that someone at the CDC would be able to connect the dots and approve the test - no, patient didn’t travel to China and wasn’t in contact with a known carrier, but WAS right by this base where people were coming and going.
Fourth, Secretary Azar and others who oversaw this quarantine need to resign.
317
@Galfrido Azar should be prosecuted for criminal negligence, along with anyone else who abetted this grotesque incompetence.
34
@MayberryMachiavellian
Including Trump. Maybe even especially Trump.
14
@Galfrido The Whistleblower has been reassigned to a different job under threat of being fired.
9
I very much hope the scientists and health officials who know the facts bypass the demand that 'messaging' go through Pence. We need clear, direct, immediate information.
106
@Anne My grand daughter just returned on a commercial flight from California and now has a fever and cough.
Do I text VP Pence and ask him if she can go to school tomorrow?
11
Why weren't they kept at Travis? It would seem that every time you move folks, whether known to be infected or not, the risk to a broader swath of people is increased.
18
@Kurfco ...Gosh. Who would have thought of that?
5
Assuming that this allegation is true (Please Mr Pence, assure that the full truth emerges) there is no question that the leadership deserves the harshest criticism.
But I am puzzled. We have “all” known for well over a month how contagious this virus is, and have seen endless photos of Chinese health workers in protective gear. Then these travellers arrived after several days advance warning. Why did the workers themselves not demand protection at least equal to what is used in China? I am not trying to exonerate the supervisors, but health care workers must demand protection for themselves.
30
@Doctor A These weren't healthcare workers. They were people who respond to emergencies (fires, U.S. citizens being evacuated from natural disasters overseas, etc) in order to provide support services to affected children. They clearly had no background at all in infectious disease control. I doubt many (or any) of them watched the news closely enough to know the procedures taking place in China, and even if they did, they were ordered to do job "x" and were told not to worry. If they asked questions, they were bullied.
19
I have to say that after twenty years as a nurse in healthcare that I am not surprised they lacked necessary training and protective equipment.
It certainly fits with my evaluation of the (lack of ) quality in healthcare in the US despite all propaganda to the contrary.
96
Also fits with presence of so many, often fatal, hospital-acquired infections in US (which are frequently attributed to the "underlying medical conditions" of "the elderly.")
12
This is a great example of why the whistleblower laws are a huge mistake. Anonymous complaints like this, without any context, in a crisis like this only inspire panic. This whistleblower is only making the panic worse when the reality is they probably have no idea of the science, the facts on the ground or the input of colleagues whom they have complained about.
1
@Independent
Did you even read the article about the facts on the ground?
10
Yikes! well really would this be surprising if proven to be true? The Trump Administration has disdained career civil servants, eliminated the pandemic team, and hasn't taken this seriously - at least Mr. Trump hasn't. This cat is out of the bag - I see reports today that the patient at UC Davis was in a small 50 bed hospital for days without being quarantined because the individual didn't mean the CDC guidelines for testing. That means anyone in that hospital could have been exposed. Trump and his team might finally have met their match against something that exposes their general incompetence to the degree that many Americans finally see the light - these people have denigrated career people and eliminated key positions to the point where they have put the public's health at risk. The question is at what point with Trump's true believers start realizing "Only I can Fix It Trump" is in over his head. I'm generally not one to get too alarmed over things like this, but I know I am going to make sure I have plenty of food staples on hand. Even now, out here on the farm I could probably stay here a month and have enough to eat.
24
Leftist alarm. The panic about corona virus spread is overrated. Mortality is between 0.4-2% dependent on the age group and mainly effects risk groups with other compromising health issues. Bottom line coronavirus infection though novel is not much worse than the flu. Caution is warrant but public Hysteria due to media coverage is uncalled for. Finally, I am disgusted by how many journalists and readers blame Trump for the situation or mention him in articles responses related to the disease. He did a fantastic job in a balanced sober presentation with Pence the CDC and the NIH on Wednesday.
1
@lieberma As Trump obliviously said in his press conference last night, between 26,000 and 69,000 people die annually from the flu - and this is with vaccines and knowledge about how the common flu viruses are spread! This Corona Virus has no vaccine; and one is not expected for 18 months. Great uncertainty exist about how it is spread so we can expect well above the numbers quoted. The medical community can only make an educated guess as to what it is dealing with. The health of untrained HHS staff sent in a quarantine community without adequate training and tools to manage their exposure is at risk, as are that of their families and others they come into contact with after possible exposure. Chew on that for a few and come back to us and tell us when you will be volunteering to enter this situation.
15
@lieberma If science is leftist, then yes it's leftist alarm. I support science, and the scientists I know and those I read online are between cautious and panicked. My Korean wife with a father with cancer in Korea, very worried. My Chinese friends who know people who are under lock down are worried. Trump seems more worried about the stock market.
9
Leftist alarm. The panic about corona virus spread is overrated. Mortality is between 0.4-2% dependent on the age group and mainly effects risk groups with other compromising health issues. Bottom line coronavirus infection though novel is not much worse than the flu. Caution is warrant but public Hysteria due to media coverage is uncalled for. Finally, I am disgusted by how many journalists and readers blame Trump for the situation or mention him in articles responses related to the disease. He did a fantastic job in a balanced sober presentation with Pence the CDC and the NIH on Wednesday.
1
@lieberma ....For the record, 0.4% means there might be as many as 1.2 million U.S. deaths. The Trump Administration has known about the potential hazard from the corona virus for at least 2 months. Further, his administration has been responsible for significant cuts to the budgets of CDC, NIH, and other important health agencies. Actions speak louder than words.
10
@lieberma You will then be fascinated to learn some history about the 1918 Flu epidemic. And sorry, it's not fake news.
9
@lieberma
Oh, so those with compromised immune systems are expendable? Or 2% of the potentially large percentage of the population who could contract this disease if unchecked (60% by one accounting) is acceptable? 2% of 60% of the population of Philadelphia is about, umm about 16,000? And healthcare workers are clearly at risk; and young people have died of this disease. And have you not been reading that Trump dismantled this country's most advanced team of pandemic workers because of tax cuts, or hatred of Obama policies, or both. That is not a made-up journalist lie, that is the truth.
6
Maybe it’s inevitable that we are all going to eventually be exposed, but is anyone really surprised that a whistleblower had to come forward to tell us? We are an authoritarian nation now, so all of the messages are going through a partisan, Pence, instead of the Surgeon General or someone appointed by the Surgeon General in a non-partisan way.
I wondered why Trump decided to make Pence the gatekeeper. I hope that today’s journalists are strong enough to defend us in this new authoritarian world. You are all we have left before our democracy completely disintegrates.
43
@Christina
I believe Trump placed Pence in charge to serve two objectives.
One: Pence will now serve as a layer of protection/removal between Trump and any poor outcome of the US Covid-19 response. We all know the stuff rolls downhill...so it will be Pence's fault, and Trump will claim it is/was not his responsibility, Pence performed poorly.
Two: Trump has ordered all information released to be approved by Pence, who reports to Trump. Trump's primary concern(s) will be how information reflects upon him personally; what kind of impact the released information will have on the probability of his reelection; and what kind of impact the released information will have on the performance of the stock market.
Trump's past actions of recommending cuts to the US public health divisions in each of his budget proposals are indications of the priority he places on the health of US residents. These decisions just provide further evidence of same.
17
Elections have consequences. Many former federal workers trained to handle outbreaks like this were terminated by the Trump administration in favor of tax breaks for corporations and millionaires. What Trump and his congressional toadies call the deep state is actually a world class group of highly skilled professionals who have devoted their lives to science in service to their country. My now retired father is one of those people. He served for 25 years and remained a director at USAMRIID as a civilian for several years after retiring from active duty. He studied some of the deadliest pathogens in the world. He is also a lifelong conservative and is absolutely horrified by how the Trump administration is handling this emerging pandemic. We have a chance to move the country in a more sane, science based direction, but only if we vote in November.
79
@Dabney L Your concerns are real but the fact is that in the failure to protect Americans in matters ranging from inadequate supervision of the FDA, the CDC, the SEC, the banking industry, ever-growing monopolization, etc., etc., both parties share the blame, and in the end, the people for their own lack of oversight. How many stood up and said, "Instead of $13,000,000,000 for a single aircraft carrier..."
This is unbelievable! Almost untouched by the virus and the few cases we got are treated like it was a common cold.
5
And the Post reports that the whistleblower has been reassigned and has 2 weeks to accept or be fired. Corrupt to the core, and with a fan of the Second Coming heading the project.
27
This is what I worry about, political leadership too concerned about the re-elections, stock markets, public image etc and ending up making very bad choices.
I think this is a risk in all countries. But I hope politicians will understand that it is futile to attempt to cover up. The truth will come out and the safest choice is to be as honest as possible.
If you hide the truth, it will only become worse when people find out you lied in such a grave situation.
8
Unbelievable! (Or maybe not, given the short shrift science and the CDC have been given by the current administration.)
The whistleblowers - who just wanted to be properly trained and were worried about the risks they were taking, were “admonished,”...“accused of not being team players,” and had their “mental health and emotional stability questioned.”
That sort of reaction by the Dept. of Health and Human Services administrators will only help to spread the virus further and faster, and will further undermine peoples' confidence in how the government is handling this growing threat.
6
The Trump administration eliminated myriad levels of public health protection. But look at the good side! Many of our wealthiest citizens were able to keep more of their riches to themselves because their tax dollars were no longer wasted to protect all of us less deserving folks, like those who were put in contact with the infirm and everyone else to whom the virus will spread. For all the right people, America is great again!
8
Tax cuts to the 1% don't trickle down but replacing trained experts with inexperienced "loyalists" more interested in damage control than in actually dealing with an epidemic certainly does!
(Enter Mike Pence center right.)
The cat may already be out of the bag as far as COVID-19 goes.
8
Passing the buck to VP Pence as what another one person with simple sentences. This is not going to go away and POTUS has ravished the CDC and we do not have adequate virus test kits and then they must be sent to the CDC that now is and has been understaffed. I hope Pence takes every phone call and hears the truth and I wonder what will come from his mouth. I even wonder if he realizes be has been thrown under the bus and Trump thinks he will escape criticism. Does this now mean that Trump will own what is happening in the stock market. It's pensions, future pensions, retirement funds, future retirement funds. We will have to somehow survive the marx brothers as someone noted handling of a real situation. I have a serious cardiac issue and I can't stop wondering if I could be infected anywhere and be unaware for days only to find out they don't have the kits to test me and if they do it has to be sent to a understaffed CDC. We should all be afraid. Please I beg you come November vote the con man out.
10
“Without proper training or equipment, some of the exposed staff members moved freely around and off the bases, with at least one person staying in a nearby hotel and leaving California on a commercial flight. Many were unaware of the need to test their temperature three times a day.”
It’s a sad day when we need a whistle blower to uncover such helplessness and involuntary incompetence among what should be trained infectious-disease staff. Where’s the leadership that would actually put medical experts in charge of a quarantine of high-risk individuals at US military bases ? This is just unconscionable carelessness driven by a complete lack of anyone competent or qualified in charge under Trump. Reminds me of September 2005 and Bush’s Katrina response.
13
There's no need to fear, VP Pence is here. I think we would be better off with Underdog.
4
This whole administration from the president down is a colossal failure. The Americans who have voted for Trump were playing Russian roulette out with our then prosperous nation, and the damage cannot be overstated.
9
Any supervisor who questioned the mental health or future employability of staff who asked important questions about safety protocols should be fired. If anyone dies because of this incompetence, someone should be charged with manslaughter. And the next time you hear someone talk about the "Deep State", remember all these civil servants who kept doing their important jobs, even after they realized they were endangering their health.
26
This explains the hasty Trump press conference and the appointment of Pence to oversee the response to the soon-to-be pandemic. It won't be pretty.
13
Handling a crisis like this belonged in the hands of infectious disease nurses and doctors. These employees should never have been put in this situation without at minimum professional guidance on protecting themselves and preventing spread of the virus. Unfortunately leaders of organizations usually have their heads in the sand about infections until they become so widespread that people are complaining loudly
And they realize they can no longer pretend an outbreak has occurred and have to take appropriate actions to prevent the spread by law.
6
I suspect 45's response will be to demand the name of the whistle blower, accuse them of being an Obama appointee/deep state operative, and blame the entire "fake" situation on people who want to make him look bad.
"Almost air-tight" means not air-tight. With American lives at stake right here at home, you'd think they'd do better.
Hand-washing, stocking up, avoiding crowds. We're really on our own.
12
Denying science and decimating critical branches of government can only go on so long before the consequences bite. Will America finally wake up to the lunacy of the past 3 years and regain some modicum of sense? Perhaps the market crash may help in that direction. Perhaps we are beyond a return to sanity.
7
Everyone criticized China for delay and untruths with the Corona virus and now the US is not doing much better. Our government sent untrained health care workers to deal with cases coming in from China. Then these same health workers go back to their communities and possibly carry and transmit the virus to others. The fact that there had to be a whistleblower (another in a series of them) to tell us what our government is really doing, leaves me very little confidence that the US knows what to do when the virus hits big time here.
9
@SLD
CDC knows.
Political appointees do not.
5
Exposure does not equate with infection and infection does not mean death. That said federal health employees that were negligent in taking proper precautions should be expelled. They are adults who should have known the guidelines for persona; hygiene and keeping a distance from infected persons. Secondly, like Pakistan which told its citizens to stay back in China, US should follow that example and tell its citizens and residents overseas to stay put wherever they are for at least 30 days. It seems we have incompetent federal health employees who cannot handle Americans returning from Corona infected areas.
2
@Girish Kotwal
The health employees were not given proper training and equipment. It is the higher ups that were neglient and incompetent, not the front line workers.
7
It's been over 3 years and President Trump and company continue to lack focus and show an unwillingness to learn from others. The only focus is King Trump. and he is the master of deceit. We may have a significant disaster on our hands that has the potential to be contained, but only if those are bold enough to stand up to this mad man who refuses to except the the truth. He has already tried to silence Faucci since last night's public apoearance. And to make matters worse the majority of medical professionals were already let go and budgets cut. Just so he could have his Wall, Space Agency and play golf. And keep his loyal subjects. Enough is enough. Vote in November.
9
If trump's so confident that U.S. won't have an increase of cases of coronavirus and its impact is like that of the common flu, let's have him, pence, kudlow and limbaugh agree to be inoculated with it, and show us first hand how they fare.
This feels like we're living in Germany in the late 1930's.
6
@Mickey McMahon
When this era passes into history, people of the future will say "it feels like we're living in America in the late 2010's."
2
This is another example of the incompetence and viciousness of the regime in DC that was not elected. They are not to be trusted. Hopefully the governor of California will take strong action to protect the people living here and make sure correct and truthful information is distributed without the political spin that Pence will apply.
5
expect a sudden surge in cases
this ineptitude is clearly caused by lack of funding, trained staff and poor leadership
how sensible was it to put a corporate lobbyist was the leader of a major and important function as the health service?
(in case you weren't aware, it's a rhetorical question)
6
I keep hoping these things are really bad jokes.
Then zip they dismiss the whistle blower.
What are the chances Trump will blame her if people are exposed because of this.
6
It's been over 3 years and President Trump and company continue to lack focus and show an unwillingness to learn from others. The only focus is King Trump. and he is the master of deceit. We may have a significant disaster on our hands that has the potential to be contained, but only if those are bold enough to stand up to this mad man who refuses to except the the truth. He has already tried to silence Faucci since last night's public apoearance. And to make matters worse the majority of medical professionals were already let go and budgets cut. Just so he could have his Wall, Space Agency and play golf. And keep his loyal subjects. Enough is enough. Vote in November.
8
When the administration is more concerned about reelection than the well being of Americans, this is what you get. The joke of Mike Pence - with his track record - being in charge of anything medical or scientific is transparently designed to deflect criticism from Donald Trump. We were all wondering how the president would handle a real crisis, rather than those he created and then praised himself for “solving”. The time is here to evaluate the emperor’s wardrobe. I’m betting he’s scantily clad.
5
I worked as a RN at my community hospital for 30 years. This is basic stuff. Horrifying that these staff were not informed and adequately trained,then let out to possible infect people in the community. What has happened to our country?
15
Nail this down right now.
It’s critically important.
3
What Trumpists call "deep state" is a slur on nonpartisan professionals who probably would have been useful in a situation like this. Personally I would like to see a return of capable career professionals, especially in public health.
10
The dangerously careless behavior by federal employees took place in California, a blue state. Many people are saying that Trump anticipated this problem and that is why he refused to allow quarantined people to be placed in Alabama, a red state.
5
@Pedro
Were the employees careless or were they not given proper training and equipment? One can't be careful if one does not know how or have the equipment. When Trump disbanded the pandemic response team and gutted funding for the CDC, this is what you can expect.
7
The Trump administration is incompetent (as well as corrupt). Because they do not follow procedures, protocol, best practices, and common sense, the Covid-19 virus transmission will increase.
Putting Pence is charge is laughable.
For too long, the GOP has had "tax cuts" as a priority. As a result, they have slowly disabled the governmental agencies that could respond to the needs of the population. Taxes support public health, environmental protections, education, infrastructure, etc. Cutting taxes, eliminating staff, and reducing budgets will harm us in the long term. Can you imagine how difficult it must be for the CDC to see the proposed Federal Budget for their agency? Probably they have been prioritizing and planning to scale back services and can hardly provide immediate responsiveness.
8
Chances are good that California and Texas have been seeded.
Herd immunity is 95% population immune.
I am reminded of William Osler, 19th century physician's opinion, 'pneumonia is the old man's friend'.
epidemiologist and physician
2
The term Potemkin Village comes to mind. With this Administration everything’s a charade.
For you Trump supporters, here’s a briefing.
“In politics and economics, a Potemkin village is any construction (literal or figurative) whose sole purpose is to provide an external façade to a country which is faring poorly, making people believe that the country is faring better, although statistics and charts would state otherwise. The term comes from stories of a fake portable village built solely to impress Empress Catherine II by her former lover Grigory Potemkin, during her journey to Crimea in 1787. “
7
When I first heard this report today, I wondered how long before the whistleblower is fired? That I found out she has already been fired. Any health expert who speaks up publicly without first going through Pence will now be fired. This whole coronavirus scenario is nothing more than a PR exercise for Trump and his cronies. What are they going to say if thousands or millions are infected?
10
The inability of this administration to understand the medical sciences and epidemiology is overwhelming and underscores the President's belief that "only he" can determine is what's best, irrespective of the type of dilemma at hand! How long will the American public, including the "base," continue to embrace a petulant leader who accepts NO criticism?
5
The ineptness of this administration couldn't be exposed in a worse situation. This could really get bad quickly. Why are all the exposed being sent to California?
9
This awful epidemic will mean the end of incompetent Trump's and Pence's political career and the end of Xi Jinping's also. That is a small glimmer of light at the end of what will be a very long tunnel for the rest of us.
4
That would explain the "unexplained" case in the Bay Area: it's close to Tracy AFB who has Coronavirus patients. Poor hygiene would have caused a community leak.
Notice the death rate in Korea seems much lower than in Wuhan or Italy. Thus the Koreans may be doing something right (it could also be simply caused by a different average age for the patients, lower in Korea).
3
Arghhh.
Lies are not only a coverup for political insensitivity and illegal activity, but basic incompetence. If the senior leadership is ill equipped and uneducated, how can they judge their reports to be so?
We're called upon to bear a great burden. Deadly viruses are only a small part of the challenge.
3
Caught flat-footed and scrambling to play catch-up. Business as usual.
3
This is EXACTLY why CV-19 took off in China... unprepared medical workers attending victims and then moving around in public - the difference is the problem was known to the US before Team Trump did the same thing. This is not a good time to see how much more emboldened Trump is after being "acquitted" at his sham impeachment trial.
9
We can finger point all we want to the missteps of other countries; but we are making the same mistakes despite having the “best” prevention system in the world. Despite spending a trillion a year on military, we were cheap and didn’t want to send 2 planes to pick up Americans so we used duct tape and plastic to separate infected from non infected on the same plane. We sent teams untrained. The CDC messed up several results and denied testing to a now positive case in California. Exactly when do we accept that we aren’t actually prepared and get our heads out of the clouds about our “worlds best” and “infallible” system? Thank you to The NY Times for keeping every government agency accountable through reporting of facts.
9
If control of this virus continues to be left in the hands of incompetent, indifferent people who have no training or experience in epidemiology, then the spread of the virus stands to take a terrible toll on the whole country.
Donald Trump has more or less eviscerated the agencies that would be in charge of dealing with a potential pandemic, and now he has appointed Mike Pence to to lead the defense against this one.
We are in danger of paying a terrible price for continuing to be at the mercy of a president who is incapable of understanding the seriousness of anything. We can only hope that Pence will know that he needs to rely on experts in the medical field for guidance on what must be done to protect us.
12
“We only have 15 cases here and should be down to almost no cases in a couple of days.” - Donald Trump, lying to the American people on his first press conference in 300 days.
And now all statements from the government are first vetted by Pence. This is an operation designed to mislead Americans, not solve the crisis. The stock market dive was an appropriate response to these craven incompetents.
18
Wonder how long it will take before this whistle-blower is targeted.
4
No worries. They've got a plan and this whistle-blower will be chastised by presidential tweet, GOP senators will support it, and anyone with a degree in science or medicine will sign a loyalty oath or be tossed out. AND.........VP Pence is in charge (a.k.a. Scapegoat 101). President thinks he knows more than scientists and doctors. president ignores his advisers. Government departments are decimated. As noted, also unprepared, understaffed, and no leadership. And the latest Medal of Honor winner says it's all a conspiracy, a hoax put in motion by democrats, and it's just the common cold.......What could go wrong? .... But - no worries - blame China as our Senator has done; blame Pence so a new even more loyal VP can be on the ticket; and send thoughts and prayers to the sick.
..
7
“Your doing a heck of a job Azar (Browne) “ It is astounding that in 2020 we need to have congress pass a law requiring political appointees to be qualified to do the work they are tasked with. We will no doubt hear in the coming days how this is not my fault it’s an unanticipated world crisis and Obama did it etc etc.
In management you are up to the job or your not. This is a not.
3
This is totally unacceptable. Anyone who watched even briefest bit of TV news from China knew of hazmat suits etc. How can an "expert" know and do nothing effective to contain the virus?
6
Vice President Pence is in charge of the coronavirus issue. Bibles to the ready. And, he will be the fall-guy for any missteps on the process. Will 45 wear a mask at his rallies? Will their be crowds at his rallies?
3
Sure hope we can build a 1500 bed hospital in week and while we're at it, a few medical supply manufacturing plants.
5
"the complaint appeared to be part of a pattern of ineptitude and mistrust of civil servants by the Trump administration." This excerpt is chilling and reminiscent of the Soviet mismanagement of the Chernobyl disaster. Trump's disdain for experts will have dire consequences since his statements have clearly demonstrated a level of ignorance and hubris that rises to yet another level of incompetence. I pray that we're lucky enough to get through this despite this administration.
It's time for the adults to be in charge.
7
What is scary here is how Trump's initial reaction to COVID-19 mirrors his dictator pal Xi's initial response - punish the whistleblowers, squelch the scientific and medical experts, and tell the public everything is OK.
Courageous Dr. Li Wenliang tried to warn the world, and wound up being killed by the virus, along with several thousand of his fellow Chinese. The outbreak in Wuhan spread much more rapidly due to the Chinese government's propaganda, inaction, and slow action. When Chinese citizens can smuggle their words around censorship, they are furious.
Here, Alex M. Azar II, the health and human services secretary, warned us on Wednesday it can easily happen here, and as a result he has been effectively demoted by Trump. He now effectively reports to VP Mike Pence, known for the HIV outbreak in Indiana he refused to stop as governor. Trump and Pence have no credibility at all regarding this threat.
We're in trouble, folks. Our fearless leader is accelerating that fate. Some are already calling this "Trump's Katrina". Katrina was only in one region. I fear this is worse, and the stock market appears to agree.
13
AND then there is the little problem of people with Covid 19 who carry the virus, can infect people, but are asymptomatic. People with COVID-19 are contagious before they come down with symptoms.
Why do I know this, and have known that it was a definite possibility for weeks, and the HHS personnel didn't? What background did the people who were sent to assist the evacuees have? Where was the CDC? NIH? WHO?
Maybe they should have watched Al-Jazeera and listened to their experts.
Well, folks....its off and running. Brought to us by the people who don't believe in science.
15
More whistle blowers and reliable sources?
2
Over here in France there is actual real science, empathy public services, and first rate emergency care, all guaranteed with our tax contributions, actual value for money, The water will be treated, the power will flow. Food will be delivered. World-class epidemiologists and strategic planning in place. Accurate actionable communication. My American tax payments give we the people nothing, no functioning government, no social services, no dependable information.
Virus-Czar Mike Pence can call his kind of guy Jimmie Baker and buy some of Baker's bottled-blue snake oil that Baker purports kills the virus . They can serve it at the next prayer breakfast. Then they can lay on hands together.
I prefer science, top-notch social services, and excellent medical care.
12
It seems where the king wears no clothes, the people are vulnerable to all the tragedies of life and the world. The trumpheads are right, we really are all just snowflakes, they too, and it’s getting hotter
4
This is truly depressing that our government cannot handle itself appropriately. The incompetence of it all is just breathtaking. Glad the whistleblower stood up and whistled.
8
So not surprised by this. A few days ago I predicted that the Trump administration will completely botch handling the virus and it will hurt his chances for re-election. The sad thing is that Americans will have to die because of the ineptitude of his administration.
6
If you had any doubt whether the disease was already rampant in the country or not, now you know.
9
Each and every time we lose another seasoned professional because they express a valid concern, the NATION loses the wisdom and experience of professionals who are trained and experienced in a critical field.
That seasoned health professional could be the only thing standing between you (me) and an infection. The callus politicizing of a medical emergency is the height of abject arrogance and is self-serving.
This president does not have empathy for the nation, only concern for his re-election.
Give him his greatest nightmare and us our greatest fantasy: VOTE HIM OUT OF OFFICE!!!
17
All of this is so unnecessary. The incompetence, the lack of transparency, the negligence. All of these glaring errors are the unforced type that one might expect in a banana republic, but not in the United States of America. Are there any adults in the room?
9
God help us, the adults have left the building and the clown is in charge. In his mad rush to erase all Obama's legacy, Trump has destroyed the entire infrastructure Obama left in place to specifically to combat health crises like this. This is the time of reckoning when the country can see if Trump can truly lead or if he's merely been reaping undue credit. My prognosis is not positive.
5
There they go again, that darned whistleblower. President Trump can't do anything without a whistleblower at the ready to blow the whistle on it. SO UNFAIR.
3
No rules or regulations is the whole purpose of the Republican party now, none of this can be a surprise.
This is what MEGAhatters wanted.
I hope Trump packs them in like sardines at his rallies.
7
"Federal health employees interacted with Americans quarantined for possible exposure to the coronavirus without proper medical training or protective gear. They were not provided training in safety protocols until five days later, the person said".
Are these people buffoons? One would think that as Federal Health employees they would posses at least an elemental knowledge of how to protect themselves and others. Apparently they are ignorant of even the most basic of precautions so here's some advice, wash your hands frequently, avoid sneezing, coughing and surfaces that may be contaminated by quarantined people. More importantly, I suggest you find another job.
1
@tim k
We don't know what class of Federal Health employees were assigned to this task.
If they were ignorant of basic precautions, perhaps they were just clerical staff.
2
I don't see why folks would be surprised by this. The current administration is inept in anything that requires knowledge and organization. Their goal is to have the smallest government possible.
The current administration, in 2018, disbanded the group (brought together by the previous administration) that was to respond to pandemics.
If this goes literally viral, it will be on the heads of the current administration.
939
@Mary Ann Trump has muzzled the CDC, NIH and others who could give Americans the facts regarding COVID-19.
Now all information has to come through Mike Pence.
This is a national health emergency and Trump acts like he is still on reality TV.
The Republican Party, who refused to impeach an unfit president, are directly responsible for this mess.
201
@Mary Ann I honestly tried to watch Trump's press conference with an open mind. I really wanted to be reassured that our government was equipped to handle a national health crisis.
But in addition to the various confused statements and misleading information, Trump also tried to blame the stock market's recent performance on the Democratic candidates, called Nancy Pelosi incompetent, gloated about his approval ratings, mocked Chuck Schumer and mimicked his NY accent, kept downplaying the seriousness of COVID-19 by comparing it to the flu, rambled on about how frequently he washes his hands, lied about the mortality rate and disputed the 2% figure, claimed (without evidence) that his Muslim travel ban has stopped the virus from spreading to the U.S., whined about being called a racist, and could not give a coherent reason for appointing Mike Pence to coordinate the administration's response to this.
I am not reassured. Not in the least.
177
For the Trump Administration, incompetence is not a bug, but a feature.
Incompetence causes chaos. Chaos offers opportunities to steal and to rewrite the rules while we everyone is distracted.
Look at the Iraq War (which the Republicans pretend they had nothing to do with now.) If Bush wanted that war to go smoothly, he would have put Colin Powell in charge and sent enough to troops to keep order in the vacuum created by the end of Saddam regime. Instead he put Rumsfeld in charge. The chaos that he caused went on for decades, and in the chaos pallets of hundred dollar bills disappeared, Haliburton and other contractors made billions doing shoddy work, and the Iraqi Constitution was rewritten to give control of Iraq's oil to global corporations. The whole thing makes a lot more sense if you look at it in reverse.
Haliburton also profited from Hurricane Katrina. Pence was a leader of a commission that used it as an excuse to remake New Orleans in the image of extreme disaster capitalism, closing all the public schools, closing housing projects, making it impossible for many or monirities to return to their homes, etc.
Trump is obviously not preoccupied with saving lives. He is preoccupied with blaming others, while he uses incompetence to create chaos, just like he does every day
The Right will use a pandemic to rewrite the Constitution while everyone is trying to survive,
Stop assuming the Right is interested in morality or governing, against the evidence.
34
It's frightening, albeit not at all surprising, just how inept this administration is when it comes to everything.
The CDC told them not to transport those infected on the same flight as uninfected people. The State Department should have listened to them.
It also begs the question: as a HHS employee sent to go pick up people with an illness, how do you not care enough about your own health to refuse to go without protective equipment?
358
Because of the high rent/mortgage, the kids’ college tuition and the health insurance benefits of the at-will position.
26
@Anonymous The orginal article told of a team that had no idea what their 'mission' was, much less the safety protocols needed.
Five days after they had been handing out room keys, getting folks settled, they were apprised but they came and went freely, tgey were never even told to monitor their temperatures.
These teams help families in disasters/crisis not infectious epidemics. They were given orders and they likely followed them believing their bosses knew "best".
The CDC safety protocols are rigorous, time consuming but all this was overruled by the State Dept at the last minute.
To put it in perspective; for the Ebola evacs the CDC had devised sealed off quarantine chambers built to be used on specific planes.
One patient per plane.
Trained professionals, experts in their field were prevented from their public health mussion by politicians and that should be shocking but with this adminstration?
Or that those who got on the plane were not told some passengers had tested positive.
Its also hardly surprising that the Americans were evac'd off the ship because a passenger, an MD got word to a friend -Dr Phil Roe, R- Rep for TN.
The sec of ACF, Lynn Johnson who used to run a welfare consulting agency in CO was quoted from emails that they "broke protocols" because of " an unprecedented crisis" to a answer Kadlec's "all hands on deck" order.
And now all communications are to be channeled through the White House.
Doesn't bode well.
39
I agree. This is a wider problem than the Trump kakistocracy.
It defies common sense to direct people to handle epidemic victims without protective gear. HHS staff should be ashamed of themselves.
All government and hospital workers who think they are being exposed to undue risk need to a) refuse and b) blow the whistle, both formally and to the press. Pass it on.
30
And we wonder how a random person in Northern CA was exposed to the coronavirus? “Without proper training or equipment, some of the exposed staff members moved freely around and off the bases, with at least one person staying in a nearby hotel and leaving California on a commercial flight. Many were unaware of the need to test their temperature three times a day. “
Maybe the person worked in a hotel or in an airport.
112
@Sue
As soon as I heard that the sick person of mysterious exposure was located in Solano County I knew it would come back to Travis Air Base. It just made sense. Common sense. How many more people have been exposed?
The incompetence here is appalling and frightening.
2
And now that the whistleblower’s complaint is out, it’s probably not too unreasonable to think that there may be a logical explanation and/ or connection behind the Solano county patient who tested positive in the absence of travel abroad or overt contact with a patient suffering from COVID-19. It is critical that our government be transparent with whatever investigative findings they come up with on this particular patient.
190
@Fe R Unfortunately with the whole "everything must flow through Pence" requirement that transparency ship has sailed, floundered and sunk to the bottom never to be seen again...
15
@Fe R " It is critical that our government be transparent with whatever investigative findings they come up with on this particular patient"
Don't hold your breath. Trump has put Mike Pence in place to control any information coming out of the CDC.
9
President Trump does not respect science, work, or people who do the work. It is no surprise that things go wrong when 'the boss' is someone who prizes loyalty (to him) above competence. Hopefully some of the adults in the room can prevent this from turning into a national health emergency. In November, let's elect leaders who can make America right again.
697
@James and Sarah we literally bought a plague ship into our harbor and then didn’t respect it and infected our own country. The incompetence is beyond anything I’ve seen.
39
There are zero ‘adults’ left in the White House, but they do have an army of inexperienced and incompetent loyalists ready to jump in and save the country.
58
@James and Sarah
How can you link Trump to the reception of these Americans by a few aid workers? Trump didn't even want them returning.
Where is the link? Or are we blaming Trump just because catharsis?
And now, no one will be allowed to question Azar, or the nearly mute Chad Wolf, or other officials directly, because all communication about the novel virus has to go through VP Pence.
How reassuring to find out that, even when people exposed to the threatening virus are on a military base, with adequate means for guaranteeing security in a defined areas, this administration's minions are do not sequester them as needed, and unprotected contact with civilians is conducted as business as usual, with those civilians - and military personnel - then allowed contact with the outside community.
Are the Marx brothers back?
442
Brilliant.
They’ve got ONE guy everybody trusts, Anthony Faucci, so of course it makes sense to muzzle him. Until they need a scapegoat, of course.
60
The entire administration should be quarantined by reason of insanity and a lack of judgment. Trump et al is the greatest threat to US democracy and health in modern history.
56
@cheryl
We will need many more whistle-blowers and informed, questioning, workers at future quarantine sites
30