It looks, to me, like Covid-19 has been around for quite awhile, part of the virus universe that we live in.
And it looks like the USA has some resistance built in.
In 1918, Chinese people had low rates of Spanish Flu, the idea being that it already existed there.
Here, in 2020, the 'new' virus has been in the USA for several months now, and it has not broken out.
And some folks have been tested to have it, with no link to the 'new' virus.
Possibly because it is not a 'new' virus, but an old one, that is getting a fresh run. The reason it is being seen? Cuz they made a test for it. It may have always been there, but there was no way to identify it.
All great news!
It's mild, it's old, and we have an immune response, already, to it.
3
California is fine with this Trump's travel ban now?
I wonder what changed their minds and realize that he was correct all along to restrict who comes into our country.
10
California’s issue was with the Southern/Mexican border.
Of course, later in his own press conference today, Trump contradicted himself and said folks crossing the Southern border were not an issue re: covid 19.
Surely, you must know this.
17
@Lissa
You believe that the southern border is not an problem because Trump said so. And you believe Trump now? How convenient.
Mexico has announced its first case of the virus. The virus is believed to survive on surfaces for 9 days at room temperature.
Not long before we see Trump tighten the border and monitor people and goods coming across. That would be the practical thing to do, to protect Americans which is his #1 job.
1
@Bhaskar
Easy. One ban was racially motivated, as evidenced by the lack of the promised 90 day resolution, and the other was sensible as decided by public health experts.
8
Coronavirus
The disease does more than Sanders can
To justify his healthcare plan.
For people who can't pay the bill
A hospital's a useless frill.
And if getting them to examination
Is what it takes to save the nation,
We've got to find a different way
Than a healthcare system based on pay.
43
@Robert Marino
Some one is always going to have to pay. Just like everything else.
1
If there's one thing that Trump and the GOP know how to play very well -- it's the fear card.
Expect more and more of this blind lashing out.
29
@George S. Actually the Democrats, you included, are playing the fear card pretty well.
Trump says, "Don't panic!"
Democrats say, "Panic!"
And Democrats actually accuse Trump of spreading fear!!!
2
@Ludwig
It's a bit unclear what your comment means. I'm a Democrat, and I am handling the Corona virus like I handle the cold and flu season: avoid getting it in the first place.
Use common sense. I am super vigilant on sanitation, disinfecting all surfaces (all handles, my car steering wheel) often, wash hands and face frequently (esp. around the mouth and nose). I carry alcohol-infused hand sanitizer, and use it anytime I touch anything.
2
@George S. Donnie and the GOP know how to play the confusion card very well, too, because I can't believe a word that comes from either one of them.....
4
No one wants to go to the hospital because they dont know what their insurance will cover. End this madness - vote Warren or Sanders.
50
@PE - My reason for not wanting to go to the hospital is fear of getting sick. I see two specialists at one of our large hospitals and the waiting rooms are filled with some very, very sick looking people. Just walking in the front door of the hospital exposes me to everybody. And I NEVER get anything with ice in it:) I could get Legionnaires Disease. Seriously, my biggest health risk every year is going to see my doctor.
5
Will Trump be declaring martial law soon, will he have to put off the election?
32
To compare our current situation with the 1918 Flu pandemic:
Mortality rate 1918: about 2%
Official stonewalling & minimization: check
Muzzling of seasoned voices: check
Essentially no existing population immunity: check
Essentially no treatment except supportive care: check.
Hmmm.
What we do have in 2020: dismantling of existing heath crisis management assets and personnel, forgetting hard earned past lessons, exceptionally incompetent president and sycophantic top level officials, to name a few.
In 2018, the Trump fired the US government’s entire pandemic response chain of command, including at the White House;
ordered the NSC’s entire global health security unit shut down;
John Bolton pressured the DHS counterpart, Tom Bossert, to resign along with his team;
the global health section of the CDC was drastically cut and the number of countries it was working in was reduced from 49 to merely 10.
2020: Trump’s budget has $3 billion in cuts to global health funds, including half of the our annual funding to the WHO, and a 10% cut to the CDC’s funding.
That's the same CDC who is supposed to be in charge of containing this pandemic (soon to be reclassified as such by the WHO ).
https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/01/31/coronavirus-china-trump-united-states-public-health-emergency-response/
18
@cbum
2020. 8 billion people, 1918 2 billion. 2020 Trans national flights 10s of thousands. 1918 zero. Mega cities 2020 10. 1918 zero. We live in a world that has no resemblance to 100 years ago or even 50 years ago. This is largely unacknowledged in most areas of our body politic. In the infectious disease area it is critical and almost a brave new world situation.
10
@AT
No argument here.
1
@cbum I agree with your comment wholeheartedly, but the 1918 pandemic had a ~10% mortality rate
Are people aware that Dr Lawler at the University of Nebraska, an expert on epidemics, believes that containment in the U.S. is too late, that he expects about a third of the U.S. population to get Covid-19 at some point, with a mortality rate of about 1%, mostly affecting the elderly, and that we are woefully unprepared? This was reported in the Financial Times today.
The executive branch is just hopeless-we need a national mobilization and we are getting paranoid accusations against the Democrats and empty reassurances!
47
If Dr Lawler says so, there can’t be any opinion to the contrary. He is the best expert in the US.
2
"Fellow Americans, it's understandable to feel anxious about this. We're hearing about fatalities, including in the United States, and every loss of life from this virus causes grief, sympathy and determination to prevent more. And we will do all we can. At the same time, know that each individual's chance of contracting the virus is very small. And for those who do develop symptoms, we have evidence that it's similar to seasonal flu. Of course, nobody wants to get sick, even briefly. And people at higher risk - like elderly, frail people and those with impaired immunity - are more likely to need active, professional care if exposed. So we're launching a massive information program aimed at ensuring that every American knows where to turn for help if needed, along with the simple steps that everyone should take to protect themselves and others. And we're calling on applicable federal and state agencies to reach out with information about how to get support when illness gets in the way of taking care of your family. We are blessed with tremendously supportive institutions and the best health care capabilities in the world.
Knowledge gives us power over this virus and over fear. So, to America's media professionals: Please continue working to provide a complete and balanced understanding.
Finally, let me emphasize that we must work together to deal with this challenge. This is an opportunity to transcend divides and reinforce the fundamental goals we share as human beings."
15
How many times did we have to hear Pence and Azar say at this morning’s press conference “Thanks to the decisive judgement of the President. . .” as if the main point of their communications were to pay homage to Trump. Ridiculous. He should realize actions speak louder than words, and if his administration handles this effectively that will be the best press he could get. Sadly however he is focused on protection of himself above all other concerns.
60
@Bezerkly It is obvious that protecting Trump's re-election prospects is, in fact, the main purpose of these press conferences. We should be getting a daily briefing from a medical professional on the current status of the outbreak, with factual data and no spin. Instead we get press conferences, during which Trump presents his usual self-aggrandizing word salad, followed by Pence and Azar offering a small amount of mostly useless, general information prefaced with multiple statements touting Trump's "decisive" leadership. I won't be watching any more of these.
8
Such travel restrictions are ineffective; the virus is ALREADY here. The United States is vastly underprepared for the coronavirus, with Trump still fanning conspiracies and false information about the pandemic. It is a shame.
20
@Avi
And a wall won't keep out immigrants who overstay their visas. Facts don't matter to Trump, for him it's all about controlling a narrative.
12
@brooklyn
It’s pandering to his base, who are impervious to facts since Trump legitimizes their racial resentments.
7
I guess the R’s are going to find out that Guns & God cannot keep them safe from the Coronavirus. The rhetoric has lasted too long with blame diffusion and calling the lowest denominator populace to “pull themselves by the boot strap” and take control of their own future. When, not if, the Coronavirus impacts the majority of the US population, some are expecting the worst at 70% exposure rate, the R’s will not be immune to the healthcare costs and the need for big government to intervene. I guess I will just pop some organic co-op bought popcorn, watch the news on neutral net, & wait for the Fox news anchors to change their tunes.
16
Is it really true that Mike Pence didn’t believe until 2000 that smoking causes cancer? And that he spent a lot of time ‘ praying’ before authorizing needle exchanges in Indiana?
27
The praying/HIV thing is true.
8
No. Check Snopes. Old half Pence did make some dumb remarks, but he did say smoking was bad.
Finally, we all get to see what happens when you have a lying, small time carnival circus ring master as President to manage a real crisis. He is spinning his "who to blame" wheel as I type this.
Forget politics, we are all Americans and live in county that has always been great. For those of you who voted for him, know you will understand why we can't afford to have the village fool running our country.
46
Trump has announced there are 60 cases in the US. The virus has a 2% mortality rate. Trump is a known liar. You do the math. How many cases in the US are there really?
1
Pathetic to see the president blaming others for politicizing the corona virus current status at the same time that he self proclaims "taken the most aggressive action in modern history"... now WHO is politicizing....
3
So he’s restricting air travel but it’s a hoax. Okay. I wonder if he gets tired of being a pathological liar? It must be exhausting.
2
The impeached one will not curtail his excessive travels to play golf - which has already cost American citizens millions upon millions of dollars.
Money which could have been used to serve our nation’s needs, say, in an emergency.
Or could have been used to finance our nation’s health care needs, say, in an emergency.
Instead, the Glutton-In-Chief frittered away one opportunity after another to serve all the people, all the time, and not just his quislings.
1
Watch him close the border with Mexico, where there are only 4 cases today, & keep the border to Canada open, where there are 20 cases today. Opportunistic racism at its finest.
4
Subpar, deadly leadership from this (mal)administration.
We can't believe anything the *president says. He can't even get the gender of the deceased correct! He lied (again) when he stated he never said the virus was "hoax". We can witness him saying this numerous times yesterday on video. And his "fans" cheered at the rally as he decried "Democrat hoax" He lied (again) about the number of infected citizens at his presser yesterday.
15,000+ verifiable lies from this guy during his time in office. As this outbreak explodes, we need honest leadership. And with this administration, we're not going to get it. We need to look to leadership at the state level. I trust Inslee and Newsom. I do not trust tRump.
1
Just like Trump to demean the poor woman who just died in Washington. What a heel.
1
Wow, Trump announces finally a pullout from a stupid endless war in Afghanistan and that he’s going to protect the country at whatever cost from the Coronavirus and all Dems care today about is the shape of Joe’s navel in South Carolina? They deserve him.
Anyone remember that 34 year-old ESPN football reporter named Edward Aschoff who died on his birthday in December 2019 “after a brief illness.”? It makes one wonder? Remember Trump’s spontaneous weekend visit to Walter Reed?
1
Trump never called Coronavirus a "hoax"; he was referring to the Dems' hoax-like politicizing of the crisis. (Like when they criticized him initially for restricting travel to China. Remember that?) Yet the author of this piece, who knows Trump never called the disease a hoax, frames this piece so that Trump is now said to be "denying" he called it a hoax. So now this fake news of claiming Trump called the disease a hoax will be kept alive - and believed by gullible people on the left (the same who still believe, wrongly, that Trump called neo-Nazis in Charlottsville "very fine people.") This is why people no longer trust the media.
2
We want to hear from Dr. Nancy Messonier.
Her words, not Pence’s, not trump’s.
We need our experts. We need transparency.
We need to be led by those who are not ignorant fools.
5
Trump is a textbook example of bad leadership. He tries to take personal credit for anything good and finds scapegoats for anything that goes wrong.
The only people who thrive under this kind of leader are sycophants and charlatans. As a result, the mediocre -- or worse -- surround Trump because he values loyalty, flattery and acquiescence more than competence.
This crisis is exposing yet another facet of Trump's colossal failures as a leader.
2
"She was a wonderful woman," the President said, speaking of the COVID-19 death in Washington State. He must have heard wonderful things about her. Except "she" was a man.
His reflexive pandering kinda takes your breath away, don't it?
2
It's like the ship of state hit an iceberg and Daffy Duck is on the bridge.
2
Travel ban on Iran but not South Korea? This is a political move...soon Mexico?
1
He was talking about a woman had died and his condolences to her family. Pence too.
It was a man who died.
How about you get the basics right and then maybe we trust you with the health of 329M people.
1
Finally the Times talks to medical experts.
“The true death rate could turn out to be similar to that of a severe seasonal flu, below 1 percent, according to an editorial published in the journal by Dr. Anthony S. Fauci and Dr. H. Clifford Lane, of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Dr. Robert R. Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention”
Stop the panic reporting. It is ridiculous and dangerous.
HHS Secretary Azar just advised Margaret Brennan that the US is about to run out of a critical medication BUT he can’t say the name of the drug, for ‘commercial reasons.’ Is Azar also the Minister of Propaganda now? Trump advertises his failing golf courses every weekend. Does the Secretary of HHS understand people who take all kinds of critical meds will now wonder if the shortage involves their prescription?
1
Please people stop panicking and stop blaming President Trump.
“America is more prepared than many countries”
Sorry, but that headline caught me off guard, and you got an incredulous reaction, because:
*America is the least prepared of any Western Nation.
* You don’t even have a good supply of testing kits yet.
* Yesterday. Trump promised the Governor of Alabama that Covid -19 patients would not be sent to the purpose built secure quarantine facility, built for exactly this scenario, that already exists in Alabama. Further Trump promised he would shift any Alabama Covid -19 cases to California.
* You do not have Universal Health Care, and people will infect others while waiting too long to seek care.
* There will be severe cases who will not go to hospital where they should be.
* Information is already being covered up and dumbed down. At 1.30 pm today the Trump Govt response was that there are 22 cases in the USA. That is a deliberate lie. There are 69.
* Yesterday the official response was that Covid -19 was in 31 countries - a deliberate lie. It was 61 countries. It is now 63.
* People are told this is the flu. Again a lie. It is more highly contagious, and for a longer time, death rate is 2% - 1 in 50. Over 80yrs it’s 15%; over 70yrs it’s 8%.
* 18% of people are serious or critical. Of those 15% will die.
* If you are a smoker you have a much higher risk of death.
* If you have cardio-vascular disease, diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), other lung conditions you are at much higher risk of death.
3
Don’t worry, Trump supporters: the coronavirus won’t make you any sicker. It couldn’t possibly be worse than what’s already infected you.
3
The travel ban should be all-encompassing. In other words, the United States should be in lock-down for the foreseeable future.
How can the US even begin to try to contain this thing when you have thousands of people pouring in...from everywhere...every day? Considering the two week incubation period, screening the temperature of incoming travelers is utterly pointless....and we can’t quarantine everyone.
The disease has spread globally...by travelers. Stop traveling! Wherever you are...stay there!
1
I give it a week until "trump" institutes martial law and attempts to cancel the election. Because of course he will.
2
“In referring to the death at a news conference, President Trump said the victim was a “wonderful woman” in her 50s, but local officials later said the patient had been a man in his 50s.”
Well at least he cares.
Ok. Who trusts Trump on this disease? My guess is that even his more ardent fans are skeptical. Next thing you they may doubt the rest of the nonsense that he’s been spouting for years.
1
Trump couldn't even correctly report. the gender of the patient who died. Another lie.
1
The CDC has an excellent discussion of this virus, its lethality, its preventionand its treatment on the website.
I suggest reading it, unless of course you’re way too far gone in pseudo-science, flat-out quackery, mask hysteria, and fear mongering.
1
This is such garbage. The president and vice-president are banning travel here from Iran under Title 8 1182/1185 which are for the purposes of banning people for behavior and to sanction countries. This is both for political purposes to use the coronavirus to pummel Iran, and it is a power grab so that the Pres and his Veep can do the deciding on the bans. The law that's there for restricting travel into the country for epidemics authorizes HHS, permanently delegated to the CDC, to do these bans.
Trump/Pence/Mulvaney just can't let their own political purposes go, even in a public emergency. None of them are fit for office.
1
May my core Christian beliefs weaken and destroy this COVID 19 before it becomes another full blown smote them incident. Or maybe WHO and CDC experts should be fully empowered and fully funded for control of this and future disease outbreaks.
1
Folks, let’s get real. We can’t look to our government for facts, advice, or even speculation. It’s time to go “pioneer days” and use your own good sense. Be extra cautious, build up your immunity with extra nutritious food, get extra sleep, stay at home as much as possible, avoid public transportation, cabs, movie theatres, restaurants, gyms, and so on. Just for a little while. It’s not that much to ask or do. Just take this more seriously than the ignorant president and his cowardly, mute employees would tell you to...your life is more important than their stock portfolio.
2
We need an immediate national policy that medical expenses for virus testing will not be charged to individuals. Osmel Martinez Azcue, a man in florida, returned from China and felt ill so the hospital tested him. then billed him several thousand. That kind of stupidity will cause rapid spread by preventing detection by causing many people to avoid testing.
2
Highly recommend everyone listening to The Daily podcast on coronavirus. Super informative and puts this virus in historical perspective. The Trumpswamp is already putting a stranglehold on the flow of information. People on the right who hate over- governance should be furious with the White House for continuing to use its power to overreach and dictate.
2
On the one hand, this is the zenith of his cataclysmic, ineffectual ability to lead (we hope)and the rawest evidence to date of how woefully, dangerously inept and unprepared for office this man is.
On the other hand? You have to hand it to him on this. His gauzy proclamations, "it will disappear," "people will get better," are so infernally banal and glaringly self-evident that they're true.
Of course it will disappear...every single pandemic in history has. Duh. The question is how many die before that happens. And, yet, you watch. The very stable genius will then be able to claim " total victory" on his grounds and the Colosseum packed with screaming sycophants will go wild.
It's not just that the emperor has no clothes; it's that he flaunts it and makes those of us fully dressed feel as if somehow we are the crazy ones for noticing.
2
The hysteria surrounding this should embarrass the media.
Does anyone remember the H1N1 Pandemic of 2009? I admit I didn’t.
12,000 Americans died from it and the WHO estimates between 175000 and 575,000 died worldwide. Other recent Pandemics include Ebola, 12000 dead and HIV aids, 35 million dead.
To date, 1 American and 2800 are dead worldwide, all but 800 in a single province in China who now seem to have it contained and it was totally unknown 3 months ago.
Additionally it will be vastly less dangerous here. We know what we’re dealing with and have a vastly superior health care system.
China also has terrible respiratory problems generally because of air pollution and the fact that 50% of Chinese men smoke, many heavily.
The biggest danger we face from this is when people start ignoring what they read and hear next time when it might be critical.
2
Trump's new response to crisis. "Well,we botched it and Corona virus is now here in US but don't worry if you are healthy ( I am healthy and not worried for myself). If you are not healthy, then there is noting we can do about it and just die. I have designated Mike Pence in charge of prayer for you"
4
What’s the big worry? Travel restrictions? This virus is just a mainstream media hyped-up hoax designed to remove Trump from office. Well, that’s what I’ve been told by some very reliable sources.
Years ago I was listening to some program on the radio that had various economist discussing China and that it’s economy with some day dominate the world. But one economist, cautioned things often go bump in the night, and China’s economic drive might run into unplanned difficulties. I guess he was right. We now have to see if our economy factored unforeseen things that go bump in the night.
1
Can we start by asking NYC or CDC to test more patients? Not only those who is going to die or just came back from Wuhan? Chinese American community asked this one month ago, but was always told CDC are experts and US is a developed country, don't worry about it. Can we change now?
3
Would you PLEASE on your maps use color-coding where it's easy to differentiate? The two lower-risk shades are so close I can't tell which areas are which. They don't need to be different shades of the same base color. Thank you.
3
I think the US can take a lesson from Taiwan, which was denied entry by the WHO because the Chinese intervened politically. At the start of the epidemic back in mid January, when people started to buy out facemasks, instead of just telling people this is a “hoax” and we should not wear masks, the government set up a task force of MEDICAL and PUBLIC HEALTH professionals and conscripted all facemask factories in Taiwan so they can oversee the production of necessary equipment for hospitals and clinics. Facemasks are now RATIONED so that everyone can buy 2 a week for use in public places or when taking public transportation. I disagree that masks are useless as the disease can spread even during incubation period before one even develops symptoms. If I am carrying the virus, my wearing a mask might not protect me but will protect everyone around me. The key is to manage supply so that people who need it the most can get it. False reassurances such as what Trump and Pence said do nothing to allay panic.
6
@Yeah excellent and useful post. Hopefully people who can make a difference are reading. One of the benefits of responsible media is the sharing of information.
3
@Yeah
I'm glad you cited this as an example.
Taiwan has full national health care for all citizens.
As a foreigner with a work-permit for a year I paid taxes and qualified for National Heath Care. It is very good. Taiwan is a democracy that is answerable to the will of the people.
Taiwan was on this from the beginning.
They ramped up mask production and the production of disinfectants. These 2 items were banned from export to eliminate profiteering and shortages and keep the prices low.
It works.
They kept a full hospital primed and fully equipped in Taipei - the one that was used in the 2003 SARS epidemic. Imagine that. A 1400 bed hospital in the capital ready and waiting for the next pandemic.
They were ready as any nation who cares for the health of its people should be.
Universal National Heath Care means that people who need health care have it.
If we know one thing it is that the coronavirus is devastating to people with pre-existing conditions.
America is also a democracy.
It is time to take a humanitarian approach to health care in the United States.
What are we waiting for?
Vote for it.
4
@Yeah Face masks will protect you from contracting the virus and the infected from spreading it. That's why medical staff wear them. It's ridiculous that the press reports otherwise.
1
Do we know how long the virus can live and infect people outside of a host? Is it possible that the very goods we import from China can harbor viruses that can infect the people who handle them? Such a possibility could explain the illness in people who have no contacts with people who
have visited hot spots.
We have so many businesses with just in time supply chains that a long lived virus able to survive outside a living host is not an implausible way of disease spread. Surely science is looking into this possibility.
Simple answer, No. while there has not been specific tests in the coronavirus, other coronavirus like MERS can only live 9 hours on surfaces. Wash your door knobs at home, don’t worry about boxes from China.
2
Today's (Saturday) new conference should remove all doubt about Trump's interest in the well-being of US citizens
Who would take time out in a growing national crises to bully the Fed Chairman to lower interest rates to the point of being negative ?
Shouldn't he have been asking the nation's biotech companies to form a consortium to mass produce the coronavirus detection kits
What about putting forth a plan that would help the uninsured or residents who live in healthcare deserts get testing or medical assistance?
How about condemning the hoarding and price gouging of N95 masks that are needed for our hospitals and healthcare workers
But rather than being a leader who reassures the public:
He used this time to take potshots at Powell.
He used his time to talk about refinancing the countries debt....like it was a bankrupt company
He used this time to accuse Powell of not leading (which means he wants the Feds to create a stock market bubble )
If anyone had doubts about the motivations of this president they should have been removed by today's press conference
7
The press has yet to clearly & LOUDLY call out the testing element when reporting the number of "cases."
Countries testing more widely have more cases. Countries doing very limited testing, like the US, have very few cases. Anytime you read an article about the number of cases they are referring to cases confirmed by a very specialized lab test many areas don't have, including the bulk of the US. South Korea is testing aggressively, hence they have more cases. Mexico has almost none.
Testing criteria in the US is so limited, the CDC has only processed about 500 in total since January 21st. CA & WA are now testing independently. NY announced they will do the same. States are taking it upon themselves because the CDC either doesn't have the will or the know-how to create and distribute reliable tests and their criteria are limited to people who've traveled to certain countries, we're on the cruise ship, or are in critical condition and have tested negative for every other known virus. They will not test anyone else. Hence the explosion of cases being seen in Washington (my home state) since they started doing their own testing.
It was journalistic negligence two weeks ago not to include a sentence or two explaining this reality every single time they report the number of "cases." Occasionally using the word confirmed isn't enough. If someone has pneumonia & tests negative for flu, they have COVID19. PERIOD.
At this point, I'm disgusted by our "Free Press."
Out here in Seattle today government public health experts held a press conference. Inspired confidence that we are in good hands. Thoughtful, wise people. Quite the opposite from Trump’s pressers on the virus. He’s doing harm.
2
The seriousness of this unprecedented health crisis is ever so slowly seeping into the consciousness of our otherwise perpetually distracted president. What should have been long ago obvious to even the most obtuse among us has only now entered the mindset of President Trump. Yesterday, at another of his interminable rallies, the president accused the Democrats and news media of trying to create a panic and of fostering a "hoax" on everyone over the coronavirus. Today, after evidently taking the advice of vastly more knowledgeable people, which would be anyone with a proclivity toward critical thought, he is edging closer to a semblance of a rational, comprehensive response to this worldwide calamity. Let's hope it's the beginning of a coherent plan and not more of his usual subterfuge.
Yesterday Trump administration issued the highest-level warning (level 4, “do not travel”) to two regions of Italy, Lombardy and Veneto, because of the high level of community transmission of coronavirus. Why didn't they do the same for other regions, like Emilia-Romagna, where there are as many infected people as in the other two? What about Piemont and Liguria?
1
Is Pence a doctor? Does he have a medical degree? A degree in public health? Is he an infectious disease expert. What are exactly his qualifications to lead this? Maybe he should “pray on this” and step down and have some one with training and experience leading on this.
3
@Harris silver
"Is Pence a doctor? Does he have a medical degree? A degree in public health?"
From what I read, Pence was named as Czar because he 'didn't have anything else to do' and Trump was irritated.
We do not need to hear from trump. He appears to know very little, as always. He is followed closely by Pence. He offers nothing but a reminder of the damage he cause with a needle sharing program in Indiana. And Azar should take a walk with them. They could spend time telling each other how great they are. Let the CDC and NIH handle this crisis. They are the people who understand and are truly concerned.
2
@MLE53 Except, unfortunately, Trump has already decimated the CDC to the point they no longer have the staff needed to competently handle a pandemic. The latest examples include sending untrained and poorly protected workers to evacuate both sick and uninflected individuals on the same plane, and the fact that they have completely bungled testing with their rules and utter failure to provide working test kits to this day! This country is being run a Trump cult of utter incompetence, and they have already virtually destroyed the agencies who we need to protect us. I guess it’s time to start praying. That’s what Pence would do. It worked really great in Indiana.
When it was announced that Pence was overseeing this, my heart fell. We are doomed if this is a serious pandemic. We have a shortage of everything including expertise...Trump and Bolton saw too that.
2
yes, let's ban travel from the countries with the most efficient testing, of course they have the most cases.
usa needs to test more. nyc needs to test more.
this virus is all over.
still only 7 tests in NYC. laughable.
3
Why haven’t hospitals stockpiled masks? CDC has long advised people to have a box of N95s at home. Suddenly they are “not useful against the virus?” Really! How hard is it for hospitals to put a few boxes in their basements? This whole country seems to be addicted to the idea that you can buy anything anytime.
3
The cases don’t suggest it, they prove it.
The myth of "health care" in the U.S. is exactly that, a myth. Trump certainly isn't the go-to person when it comes to being reality based, as he has shown since time immemorial. I wonder what it is like to live in a place that has health care....we could go to Chile, or Costa Rica, or any of the other 36 nations that we are trailing behind to find out...
http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/best-healthcare-in-the-world/
2
We’ve just had our first corona death reported today here in Perth. Perth is the most geographically isolated city on earth - I doubt this virus will miss anywhere.
3
@Sax
Perth is a major hub for Australian flights to China.
2
Whenever Trump speaks he is compelled to lie or embroider his statements. In today’s cringeworthy example he said of the first US coronavirus death, that “she was a wonderful woman”. This won’t give much solace to the man’s family.
4
Can the NYT do a story on why the CDC’s bar is so high for people to take the coronavirus test?
It’s obvious to me, someone with only high school biology, that because this can be spread by people who are asymptomatic that testing should be done liberally to catch as many cases as possible so it doesn’t become a full-blown outbreak.
Why is the US testing so few people? It merits a big news story. Please, someone explain this. The current policy makes zero sense.
3
Why people wanted to travel to China in the first place? For pleasure or for tragedy? I like Europe and I hope I can visit Europe once a year during my summer vacation. China is for the birds. Without Nixon's crazy idea to visit China in 1972, China is still a desert. Look what happened now. The outbreak of Coronavirus disease. There are too many dirty streets in major cities in China. My last trip to Wuhan for official business was in 1979. I never visit that dirty city again.
1
Will you please come to my next party? You seem a hoot!
2
Flat out... the USA needs more testing, if someone comes back negative for the Flu, they need to be tested for Corona, We got a MONSTER stirring and we don't even know...
Anyone seen that silly internet trolling that claims a filed US patent shows that the US 'owns' Covid-19 - which has been deployed as a bio-weapon? It's popping up everywhere. The trolls even give the patent number. I looked it up.
You can neither patent or own a naturally occurring virus.
CDC filed the patent in 2004 (sic).
The 'virus' referred to is SARS - which is also a member of the coronavirus family. Not Covid-19.
CDC patented a sequence of nucleic acids (which you can patent) with a view to getting royalty payments for the use of that sequence in SARS diagnostic kits.
It's US Patent 7,220,852 BTW.
So, no smoking gun...
What would anyone hope to gain by speading such a rumour? Just generally increase fear, uncertainty and doubt? Some countries - well, one in particular - operate like that.
The good news is any vaccine required by federal government must be given out at no charge. Thanks to Obamacare.
The bad news is any vaccine is a year out.
1
@Mary Alex Azars refused, three times, in a recent congressional hearing to say that a vaccine would even be affordable! So I guess he and Trump plan to make money off this too. What more do you expect from a despot and a former pharmaceutical lobbyist?
1
@Mary
not true. They may find that an already approved vaccine works.
Any threat to the U.S. use to be unifying. WWI, WWII, Pearl Harbor, 9/11. Politics were laid to rest. No longer. Democrats now use it as a political wedge blaming Republicans for anything related to the corona virus that now threatens our country. They offer no remedies, no suggestions, only finger pointing and admonishments. To them, politics rise above the welfare of our citizens. There is no common ground anymore between the two parties. No listening and no compromise. And seemingly no foreseeable change.
1
@R.R Please stop listening to Trump, Rush, Mulvaney, Fox and other propaganda. The approach is set from the top down. And the head at the top is rotting. You can’t reason with a president who lies close to 20,000 times, doesn’t read, refuses to listen to experts, disavows science, calls facts fake news and considers himself a king. Literally everyone on the other side has offered suggestions, remedies and even money! As with nearly every lie Trump tells, including that only he can fix it, the opposite is true. He can’t fix this. But he won’t listen to anyone who can. Because they might not be loyal enough.
1
@R.R Well said, but I think you're referring to the Republicans.
1
The Surgeon General is urging the public not to buy masks.
His announcement did not say Pence approved his announcement so I am going to have to ignore it - it’s not official.
15
@GW
The WHO says masks don't help unless you are sick. We are being urged not to buy masks so health care workers who will be those most vulnerable to getting it and giving it to others will have enough to be protected. The general population doesn't need them -- was just need to wash our hands.
1
There is no longer leadership in the White House.
We don’t want to hear another utterance about the coronavirus from trump. Everything he says is fake news because he doesn’t tell the truth about anything.
The only ones speaking to us about the impending epidemic need to be scientists and medical experts who know what they’re talking about and speak with facts.
Trump, pence, donnie junior, any and every member of his “cabinet” need to bite their tongues.
35
@DK But only the Administration can actually do something, such as the new travel restrictions.
“Things come apart so easily when they have been held together with lies.”
― Dorothy Allison
Trump declares sympathy for a woman who passed away from the virus. It was a man. Trump declares he will close the border. Mexico has 2, we have 60. Pence did a great job. Ask the people of Scott County, Indiana. We are doing a great job. Not enough test kits, fired CDC officials, blocking information....just like North Korea..but hey let’s promise a tax cut! Like Trump did before he lost the House.
60
Ask not what Trump can do for you. Look to your state health department. That’s the first line of defense given of the federal response to this. State and local governments are posting info on Facebook. Yes. Facebook is useful sometimes.
Trump is behaving like he does in any crisis. When Paradise burned he threatened to cut off aid to fire victims. He forgot the name of the town. He urged us to get out and manage the forests with rakes. So do not expect much from Trump.
38
Subpar, deadly leadership from this (mal)administration.
We can't believe anything the *president says. He can't even get the gender of the deceased correct! He lied (again) when he stated he never said the virus was "hoax". We can witness him saying this numerous times yesterday on video. And his "fans" cheered at the rally as he decried "Democrat hoax" He lied (again) about the number of infected citizens at his presser yesterday.
15,000+ verifiable lies from this guy during his time in office. As this outbreak explodes, we need honest leadership. And with this administration, we're not going to get it. I guess we'll need to look to leadership at the state level and the World Health Organization. I trust Inslee and Newsom and a consortium of international scientists.
We cannot trust the *president, VP or their toadies. How tragic during a time of crisis We the People cannot trust the *president, a proven serial liar. Good luck to all.
44
@Heidi Please don't expect the WHO to give sound advice. They're a political organization.
Trump and Pence have no clue.
The US needs to arrange and publicize free testing especially in the areas where the cases have been identified. There is no incentive for an underinsured or underinsured person to go at their own expense to an ER early on. By the time a person shows up in an ER sick, gets a chest X-ray showing pneumonia, and a negative flu test, where the providers will start to think mmmm maybe this is Coronavirus, that person will have already infected dozens of other people. The person should be tested at government expense before they are actually brought into the hospital, so that if they are infected with COVID19 they can be placed in proper respiratory isolation.
But our Biggest Loser prefers to obsess about the stock market and to try to fake his way through as he has through everything else he has ever done, first call in this a hoax then trying to say it is already going away then telling Anthony Fauci not to speak.
29
@CTMD an infected fast food worker with symptoms, but who doesn't receive sick days or health insurance from his or her job, is going to keep showing up to work instead of getting tested, treatment, or even self quarantining, to delay bankruptcy or getting fired for absenteeism or both.
6
trump doubled down on two topics he has no qualifications to speak on. The Taliban is the home grown enemy of the government of Afghanistan. the corona virus is not the hoax he calls it. We need some type of system during these video conferences that lights up every time he lies. In his case we would need a strobe light as he disco dances through his non scripted sketches. He stutters through the copy supplied by Miller and looks completely dumbfounded when medical experts are at the dais.. the networks could use the stock exchange app in the corner of the screen to tabulate the lies, then perhaps at the end some. ringing bells before highlighting the final number.
21
This man just moments ago, head of the Republican administration, continuously lies about the number of confirmed cases in the US at 22 when the real number is 65 with one death. Just for safety and wellbeing of their own citizens, foreign governments need to halt travel to their countries from the US, no word can be trusted from this Republican administration.
24
Trump announcing travel restrictions in part to “calm” the public is at least a little ridiculous.
He will just as quickly return to blaming democrats and lying about the “state of the virus” by Monday, if not through surrogates on tomorrow’s Sunday shows.
The more trump and his flunkies deflect the more the markets will go down (and the higher the risk for the public — but he cares less for people than the markets).
It’s worth noting that trump has two core audiences who voted for him; uneducated whites (base), and rich whites (tax cut beneficiaries).
The base will believe whatever he says and why wouldn’t they.
The Wall Street whites will keep selling and driving the market down because they know realize he cannot manage a crisis, and so what good is having someone who’ll give you tax cuts if the value of your portfolio is sinking by meaningful multiples.
The Wall Street whites are now looking at Bloomberg, who may raise their taxes but will give them a more certain degree of stability and predictability.
12
Remember that the 2020 Census has started to send out field workers to visit nursing homes, dorms, sororities, fraternities, and other facilities where unrelated people live at a common address managed by an outside entity.
3
Seems like some travel restrictions are being politicized. No non-citizen is allow to travel from Iran to the US, but it's still okay to travel to and from Japan despite their 900+ cases, and to Hong Kong. The "do not travel" warning to China, South Korea and part of Italy makes sense based on the number of cases there. Then Trump talked about sealing the southern border, but walked it back. I'm worried that decisions are not just being made on public health grounds, but on what looks good to Trump's base.
19
@MRW
Re Southern Border, there are currently 4 identified in Mexico, 2 in South America.
As the West Coast, particularly California, is an entry point for tourist, personal, and business travellers from Asia and the a Pacific, it is logical at this point, why there are more cases there. If anyone was going to close the southern border it would be Mexico and South America who might be happiest, keeping American travellers out.
1
I went to Costco today and everyone was there buying like the world was coming to an end. I do not think Trump is calming anyone with is denials.
This was really a lost opportunity for the administration as they could have had all the right people calmly explain what is going on and what they are doing to eliminate the problem. We don’t need to be told that that problem will go away by itself.
22
@A reader
* Knowing Trump is an extreme compulsive liar, and by extension his mouthpieces are unable to speak freely and are covering up as much as possible, people will trust information less and panic buying will be more.
* Knowing the medical and scientific community can only say what Pence permits them to say will also cause distrust of information, and cause panic buying.
May I suggest:
1. You need to educate yourself and as you will not get that from the US Federal Govt, get your information from your State Medical Services, particularly if you are in a blue state. If you’re in a red state get your info from blue states.
2. If you want to get real time statistics and demographics use:
www. worldometers.info
3. For practical information on protecting yourself and family , and how to prepare for the possible period you may need to be at home, if you are not able to satisfactorily get that, then look to sources in Canada, UK, Australia, NZ - English speaking and responsible Governments.
Nothing to see here. Will be over by April. Pence and Mother are all over it. We aren’t mature enough to hear about the goings-on because we’ll disrupt the market, but It’s just like conversion therapy. Pray the COVID-19 away. Whether Americans do or not, the market will survive. Which is really all that matters, this being an election year and all.
28
Has iran blamed the outbreak on the US yet?
14
@Brewster’s Millions
or vice versa!
What the White House so far has done is pathetic. Maybe they should check what Singapore has done, and what the results so far have been. Can someone tell Trump he needs to tell the VP to tell the health secretary to give instructions to take the temperature in all public buildings, malls, cinemas etc. Then he has to suspend his rallies until November and both viruses will miraculously go away!
40
@UB
I don't understand why the Press isn't making a bigger deal of the fact that the WH set this mess up on May 10 2018 when John Bolton dissolved the NSC Global Health Security Team.
What other critical security teams have they "dissolved" on us?
1
@UB trump shouldn't suspend his rallies. I want to see him out there, in the thick of it. Shaking hands, meeting and greeting, and getting coughed on.
1
FUN FACT...
The US has 67 #COVID19 cases.
Mexico has 2 (maybe 3).
The US wants to close the border to protect America.
51
@Mary Elizabeth Lease Number of "cases" is dependent on testing. Countries that test more widely have more cases. Countries doing very limited testing, like the US, have very few cases. Anytime you read an article about the number of cases remind yourself in your head what they mean is cases confirmed by a very specialized lab test many areas don't even have, including the bulk of the US.
South Korea is testing aggressively, hence they have more cases. Testing criteria in the US is so limited, the CDC has only processed about 500 cases in total since January 21st. California and Washington are now testing independently. New York has just announced they will do the same. States are having to take this upon themselves because the CDC either doesn't have the will or the know-how to create and distribute reliable tests and their criteria is limited to people who've traveled to certain countries, we're on the cruise ship, or are in critical condition and have tested negative for every other known virus. They will not test anyone else. Hence the explosion of cases being seen in Washington (my home state) since they started doing their own testing.
21
@Kerrielou
Yesterday there were 2,800 suspected but untested cases in the US.
1
@Kerrielou so why have we not banned any travel from South Korea? Or Italy?
It is quite likely that Coronavirus will jump from the US to Mexico, and not the other way around because there are thousands of times more people flying from China, South Korea, Japan, and Italy into the US than into Mexico (Sorry, not Iran... as no Iranian airline can travel to the US).
These Trumpist Iranian and Mexican bans are 100% politics.
Besides, in Mexico, there is free (if not luxurious) primary medical attention so people *can* go to the doctor and not get $4K in lab bills from being quarantined as the repatriated folk are finding out. Mexicans can go to an MD basically in any pharmacy in any block, often for free as well.
Further, by virtue of necessity, Mexican MDs are far more capable diagnosticians, and medical lab testing is available w/o prescriptions as self-pay. So no, Mexico is *FAR* more capable than the US in terms of detecting viruses and with a much stronger primary care system, esp. compared to the US uninsured population.
1
Here are things the government should pay for, and individuals should not: Tests for coronavirus, high-priced hospitalization for coronavirus, quarantine for coronavirus. If Trump needs to find the money for the above, he need only stop building wall. Or stop going on golf outings.
85
@PABlue
There is a purpose built secure quarantine facility built specifically for this purpose in Alabama. It is the best facility in the US for this purpose. In the last 2 days Trump has promised the Governor of Alabama that the facility will not be used. Also stated any cases appearing in Alabama will be sent to California.
4
I hope every knows when Trump said the first victim in the US died was a woman — he was wrong.
It was a man.
If he cannot get this simple fact right, we’re all in danger.
55
Don’t blame President Trump; the CDC gave him the wrong information
@Mary
We're all in danger.
trump says "don't panic" I've been in a panic ever since he became potus.
85
Then you better get some medication because we are going to have him four more years if Democrats can’t get their act together.
The best course of action to beat the coronavirus is to vote it out of office in November 2020!
62
@Frank
Voting it out would be good, but making it go away, as Bill Maher and others have been warning, is ever increasingly looking like a whole other story.
2
Do no harm, it isn't that the Hippocratic oath? Why are trained professionals standing by as harm accumulates? I realize we have a gag order but isn't their oath a higher order? Or are we already like the state of North Korea, consumed by a personality cult?
Vote like your rights depend on it!
34
@Sherlock
We’re all hoping they’ll speak out. If they speak out theywill be sacked immediately.
We need blue State medical officials to speak out.
I am not optimistic if we proceed thinking this is political opportunism. Swift, effective, practical measures. Join together.
9
So why hasn’t anyone mentioned google tracking? It shows me everywhere I’ve been.
We should all turn it on( its probably on unless you turn it off anyway) and share it with the CDC when asked. The tracks can then be cross correlated to calculate where the paths of infection vectors cross. This would help immensely.
49
“China 2030: Building a Modern, Harmonious, and Creative High-Income Society” program is in deep trouble. With the best method, so far, being isolation in order to keep the pandemic in control, it’s economy will change fast. President Xi’s lies and his global control pretensions are in tatters as his new Road Silk routes are clearly unhealthy for the world. The true stats of Coronavirus infected and dead victims. is probably much, much higher.
At home: The 2020 elections have to be the “Bonfire of the Conservative Vanities”. Nothing Trump and Trumpians say is true or factual and are destroying what’s left of the country, thanks to Michael Bloomberg's Wall Street friends to begin with. As has been noted, by busting the socioeconomic and health infrastructure of this country, Trump has endangered the nation, including in dealing with the pandemic. Nobody seems to know who exactly passed away today from Coronavirus.
22
We can’t react to the Corona virus or any other public health threat out of fear. We must act out of a plan.
But America had a plan for how the U.S. government would work in an epidemic and a pandemic. How it would coordinate with the state governments. We had training exercises for doctors and nurses all over America so that when an epidemic would arrive we had a chain of command. Everyone knew where to send samples. Everyone knew which governmental agencies were responsible for what.
President Barack Obama had set up that organization after the 2014 worldwide Ebola outbreak when Obama realized that the multiple U.S. government departments and agencies were not speaking to one another or coordinating effectively.
That’s all gone now thanks to the Trump administration’s singular mission to overturn every single program implemented under Obama. They failed at torpedoing Obamacare, so now they are chipping away at parts of Obamacare. Just what we need in the midst of a pandemic.
And what has Trump done? He appoints Mike Pence, “Space Force Guy”, to oversee America’s response to the virus. Pence is the same guy who literally said he would Pray for HIV people and their disease would go away through prayer.
109
I find it appalling that in the face of a public health threat like this we are having the same tired political arguments. The virus doesn’t care what your politics are and quite frankly neither do I. I want clear answers, honesty, and no muzzling of the experts by this Administration. I want the gutted agencies that were designed to manage crises like this fully staffed and led by experts trained to do so.
I do not trust this Administration because they constantly lie. But as Evan Osnos wrote today in The New Yorker, “Regardless of political orientation, every American should be rooting for the Trump Administration to get this right.” I agree, since many lives depend on it. The President can start by telling the truth.
44
@Patrice D
But he won’t. He does not have the capacity to change. And we will all suffer the consequences.
1
@Patrice D
Your apolitical "we are having the same tired political arguments" lasted till the end of that sentence.
At least that noble thought lasted that long, which is more than can be said for other dems here.
@Patrice D
He won’t.
He can’t.
His psychopathology does not allow him to act as the US needs him to act.
Stop expecting him to. He simply can’t.
Trump is exactly what psychiatrists and psychologists have been trying to get through to everyone for 4 yrs.
Trump is unfit.
He is a new extreme Malignant Narcissist + has other disorders.
He is incapable of carrying out the duties and responsibilities of the a presidency.
1
Mr. Trump won't allow the poor immigrants to get into this country and now he won't allow the rest of us to get out.
27
One thing that the Chinese government announced, regardless of how you feel about that government, is that all hospital bills related to the coronavirus will be covered by the government. They are even offering significant financial rewards to those who have a fever to report them and get screened. Just something to think about.
99
There have already been reports of Americans being charged thousands after doing the right thing and getting tested. This virus will hopefully encourage people to see that healthcare for all, keeps everyone healthy.
1
Frankly, I don’t understand discouraging face mask usage. If it doesn’t protect you, but protects other people (should you have the virus) isn’t that a good thing? Doesn’t it possibly cut back on (possible) transmission? If masks genuinely cost a few cents each to produce let’s stock up & protect each other.
28
@Monica The main reason is that the average person doesn't know how to properly fit them or when to wear them. They will, say, put the mask on before they go out, touch it with their hands all the time, put their hands down on surfaces, return home, take the mask off inside (with any pathogens attached) and possibly then reuse it.
Handwashing and proximity (keeping about 6ft from others) is far more actionable and effective when you're dealing with outside-to-inside risks. Masks are effective at keeping pathogens from spreading because they contained by the mask: they are an inside-to-outside thing.
If you want something preventative, wear safety glasses when outdoors - touching an infected surface then touching your eyes is something people do without thinking, unlike covering their mouths or washing their hands.
31
@Monica In addition to what JB said about ordinary folks not using the masks properly, there's also the issue of supply. Evidently, our medical professionals don't have enough stockpiled, you know, because the trump administration did such a sterling job of being sure we were well prepared.
38
@JB I live in an apartment building full of people who went to China to celebrate their new year even though they were aware of the risks (some even went to see their doctors before heading out, as if THAT would do any good for the Coronavirus issue).
Can't keep 6 feet from a single person in the elevator and I live too high up to take the stairs. Plus, if any of these returnees take the stairs, I'm pooched anyway. Fun.
16
What are health officials in California doing to manage the mistake of people working with the Americans flown back from China and the Diamond Princess not taking proper quarantine precautions? The NYTimes and other media reported two days ago that a whistleblower has reported that workers supporting the people in quarantine were not provided with protective gear and were not properly trained. They have also returned to their homes, giving the opportunity for the virus to be passed on into the country at large.
Apart from saying they will investigate, there has been no response from government officials.Why? Every person exposed needs to go into voluntary quarantine for two weeks. China took the drastic action needed and the number of infections is going down. If the same isn’t done in the US, the virus could soon be beyond control.
43
I was embarrassed by President Trump’s news conference today and I’m not even American! How does it feel to the family and friends of the gentleman who died of coronavirus near Seattle when the President can’t even get the gender of the deceased person right and spreads false “facts” about the victim? The world is well aware of President Trump’s disdain for facts. Instead he has a quasi-mystical belief in his instincts. But facts matter. And they matter most especially in times of acute crisis.
Advising people to keep calm when the government doesn’t appear to have any clearly thought out strategy for deaiing with an outbreak of covid-19 within its own borders is asking a bit much. This is not 1918. Keeping people in the dark is not a workable strategy.
China was slow to recognise what was happening in Wuhan and that delay in acting allowed things to get badly out of hand. The rest of the world doesn’t have the same excuses. It was obvious where all of this was going by late January. The U.S. and many other governments have had over a month to draw valuable lessons from the experience of China and, in particular, Singapore and to develop and modify plans accordingly during a very critical time - yet clearly this hasn't happened.
Travel restrictions are sensible but that horse bolted long ago. The real risk has now shifted out into the community although the President and his officials still seem in denial about this. That is truly frightening.
95
@Cathie H
And Trump has the nerve to make a stupid comment during the Q+A after the press conference, about the "dems cant even count thier votes in Iowa"..
You can't make this stuff up. And it would be bad enough that the "experts, very smart" didn't advise him of the gender of the deceased. Maybe they did it on purpose.
Also..WHY is Trump allowed to keep saying 22 cases in the US and no one calls him on that? BEFORE The presser there were more than 60 in the US.
We are being lied to and manipulated.
1
This is the usual Trump game plan.
He tells his supporters at a rally in Charleston on Friday that COVID-19 is a Democratic hoax while he sends Virus Czar Pence out to issue grave sounding communications that extraordinary actions are underway to prevent the spread of the (Democratic Hoax?) virus, uh, with bi-partisan efforts.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is who is in charge of your Federal government. In addition to incoherent and highly politicized statements, the Trump Administration has slashed the very CDC staffing year after year that would be invaluable in a pandemic.
Please put your trust in state and local health departments, who still care about saving lives. The Federal government is AWOL.
94
US national universities are going to be the next thing that needs to close down. My daughter goes to school at a UC in California with 24,000 students. She goes to classes with up to 800 students daily and lives in a dorm containing thousands of students from all around the world. Tell me that isn't a natural breeding ground for such a virus.
50
@TPH
Classes can be put online…. students in dorms are not travelling back and forth to infected areas-- it's a pretty closed community.. Don't worry. Handwashing -- hands away from face... PS they should keep the windows open- fresh air supply. BTW you can only get this virus one time and the immunity might be good for lots of other stuff.
@TPH You’re right, and I am very worried about our younger students as well. Even if they aren’t (overall) getting very sick, they’re still passing it on to everyone else in the community. If schools don’t close soon, I’m pulling my kids out. It’s not worth the risk.
1
@TPH Not to mention prisons.
1
Why is it a hoax. why are they just ordering masks now, why is a science denying politician in charge, why don't the test kits work, why have only 438 people been tested when South Korea have tested nearly 40,000, why are we only just starting to prepare now when this started at least 3 months ago, why are the stand alone cases close to areas that were used for quarantine. why were untrained staff ordered to have unprotected contact with possible positive cases. But most of all why are all the people running this all climbing out of a clown car all at once and has no one mentioned that the Emperor is standing on the lawn stark naked.
84
Good thing there was no internet or 24-hour news cycle during the Spanish flu pandemic. As many that died of the flu, more would have died of panic, fright and despair, if these comments are any indication...
4
@me No factual. Try again.
11
Actually, social media and 24/7 news would have saved many more lives. The Washington Post just wrote an article explaining why it was called the “Spanish” flu and how the US downplayed the severity, allowing many more Americans to die.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2020/02/29/1918-flu-coronavirus-trump/
14
@me So you think that less information is safer? It's like saying fewer people would have died in Hurricane Katrina if they didn't know it was coming. Utter nonsense.
Information allows for preventative measures. If you don't believe it, please cancel your cable TV, internet, and newspaper accounts. Feel free also to tell all your family, friends, and neighbors that you are giving them a "DO NOT INFORM" order.
1
Of course both the Afghanistan political pomotion and the virus comments were mostly political manipulation with virtually no specifics. I suppose I can't fault Trump's speech writers for attempting to prevent panic and some unjustified confidence in his actions so far and in the future. Maybe he will match his "great" response to Hurricane Maria and we will all be safe.
It seems ironic, however, that most of Trump's political success is based upon instilling panic in his base, especially against the invading hords of rapists and gang members in caravans with children from the south. If the tables were turned and this was happening under a Democratic administration, I suspect his lines would be quite different.
I'm particularly reassured by the lower death rate compared to Ebola and SARS that he and his underlings keep repeating, telling us not to worry if we contract the virus if we are healthy (and have health insurance). Oops...I'm 75 (estimated 7 1/2 % risk of death for 70-80, and 15% mortality over 80) , but I guess we don't count. If healthy, don't worry, be happy! Would Creationist Pense agree with this Darwinian "survival of the fittest" justification? Would Mulvaney, Pence, Trump get on a plane with a 2% risk of crashing with their unsubstantiated lowball estimate?
29
@AJR exactly. I’m 43 and have lung and autoimmune diseases and probably don’t stand a chance if I get this. What comfort it was to have him tell me I’m right. I guess we don’t count.
15
Dear JLG, I am in the same boat. I too have serious autoimmune issues as well as lung disease, I am terrified of what this can mean. Moving to Antarctica maybe the only hope we have of surviving this storm.
6
So it seems 30% of the nation states are afflicted by the new virus.
(60 of 195).
What to make of it?
What is the extent of FLU cases so far this year? Is it more or less, of this year's flu cases? Or how does it compare in extent to last year's flu cases for that matter?
These answers can give of good perspective of where we are at.
3
The people who are condemning President Trump for the handling of the coronavirus did not vote for him in 2016 and will not in 2020. They hate the man and find fault at every opportunity. He is doing the best he can under very difficult circumstances. He is watching it very closely and is well informed by his coronavirus team. They are extremely competent and will not take any chances. Lives are at risk and life matters to President Trump. He is not the uncaring person the haters make him out to be. He is doing a fine job under terrible circumstances. The Democrats would not do any better in handling this terrible disease that has plagued our country.
14
@KMW I respectfully disagree with your statement that the Trump administration is doing a fine job. He spent the past two years slashing the government agencies responsible for managing pandemics. According to Business Insider:
In 2018, for instance, the CDC cut 80% of its efforts to prevent global disease outbreaks because it was running out of money. Ultimately, the department went from working in 49 countries to just 10.
Here are some other actions the Trump administration undertook to dismantle government-spending programs related to fighting the spread of global diseases, according to Foreign Policy:
Shutting down the entire global-health-security unit of the National Security Council.
Eliminating the US government's $30 million Complex Crises Fund.
Reducing national health spending by $15 billion.
Consistently attacking Mark Green, the director of the US Agency for International Development.
The CDC is working on a new test to screen for the coronavirus, but according to New York magazine, problems with the test's development resulted in only three out of 100 public-health labs being equipped to screen for the virus. Moreover, each test costs as much as $250, and the Health and Human Services Department is already running out of money to finance an adequate response to the outbreak.
159
@FC Ponte Agreed; but I have a suspiciion that two possible means of spreading the virus could have been overlooked: cash, and the mail. These two things circulate worldwide,which raises my concerns (albeit we all deal in both).
15
Holding our leaders accountable and demanding clear answers, especially in times of crisis when life and death criticality is at stake is not “hate.” Perhaps it is to those who blindly follow. Forgive me if my family’s health means more to me than whether Trump gets re-elected or offends someone.
60
Are these "new tests" being developed & approved by the F.D.A. being done at for-profit facilities?
Is the Food and Drug Administration the government agency that should be developing tests for a potential pandemic? Isn't the Center For Disease Control the agency that is in charge of all such matters? Diagnoses? Tests?
Why the FDA now? Why not the CDC?
Were there severe cutbacks made to the F.D.A. by Trump like there were to the CDC?
Who heads the F.D.A. & is that person a Trump appointee?
Why are all communications supposed to be approved by Pence, i.e., Trump?
Why is Pres. Trump, who is running for re-election in November & who is also controlling release of the results of the secretive Barr criminal "investigating the investigators & the Bidens" in the Spring or Summer, also given
complete control over coronovirus information as well?
If we are not given the truth by scientists about the coronovirus & not by politicians who will do anything to win the November election,
Are We Safe On Either Front?
19
@Caryl Towner
The FDA regulates clinical tests, sensitivity, precision, health and safety - it just does. The CDC doesn't - and never has.
China is now on its third generation nucleic acid test kits. They've had enough experience, and time, to develop the expertise. And the know-how to perform many thousands of them
Bearing in mind CDC's failure to get any sort of reliable test out of the door, how about swallowing pride and either licencing tech from or buying in Chinese test kits?
19
@nolongeradoc
Thank you for the clarification and I COULD NOT agree with you more about buying Chinese test kits. Again, thank you.
1
The following fact is obvious. Trump will be president for the next 11 months. Thus whatever action has to be taken against coronavirus must take place WITH Trump as president. Ergo, Democrats must work with Trump to minimize the damage. But they refuse to do that and Trump bashing is continuing.
And this is a mystery to me. If Trump can talk to the Taliban, why can't the Democrats talk to Trump? "He is a bad guy," the Democrats will say. But aren't the Taliban bad guys? If Trump can talk to them, why cannot the Democrats talk to Trump? Would it not be good for America if the two sides were able to work together?
10
Trump talks to our enemies. Why can’t he deal with our own government?
37
@Ludwig, Have you seen Trump invite Democrats into the White House to discuss our country’s approach to this pandemic? He is the president and as such, the ball is in his court in terms of leading public agencies and this country. He has the ability to bring the leaders of the House and Senate together to discuss appropriate funding and strategy to suppress its spread, but thus far has not. Instead he has chosen Mr Pence to lead on this potential pandemic, not the Surgeon General, not an Epidemiologist, not an expert in public health.
I’m glad Dr Fauci is still in the room to deal with this situation because he is an extremely intelligent, experienced and apolitical physician that concerns himself with facts when moving forward with public health issues. As a country, we are lucky to have someone with his dedication to public service. Trump would do well to step aside and let him do the talking, as he is the expert on epidemics and immunology and has been for forty plus years.
21
@Louise Actually the Taliban are not our enemies. There are more then 10,000 US troops in Afghanistan and there are no Taliban fighters here.
The only thing wrong which the Taliban did was to give shelter to bin Laden who was not an Afghan but a Saudi.
Anyway, the Taliban never tried to impeach Trump, that was Pelosi. Think about who is whose enemy.
We have troops in Afghanistan and it was Pelosi who tried to remove Trump from office. You need to use the word "enemy" more carefully in terms of who has harmed whom.
2
First of all, this virus was created by the DNC and that made it a hoax. Now that people are dying we're supposed to take him at his word ?
How in the world are we to sustain a pandemic managed by the GOP who has our health as a top priority when the GOP is actively trying to take away health insurance and cut Medicaid ?
Vote. Our lives depend on it.
73
@Paul Trump of course never said the virus and its danger is a hoax but that the Democrats using it to political advantage was. Nor is he trying to take away health care or any medical benefits Trump Derangement Syndrome is reaching new levels on a daily basis and the left should be embarrassed by it. If Trump personally cured the virus along with cancer tomorrow morning he would still be criticized by you and the other TDS sufferers
1
@Harry
'Nor is he trying to take away health care or any medical benefits'
Wow. Great satire.
Trump expands travel restrictions.
To a hammer everything is a nail.
27
@ma If every problem presents as a nail, then every response will be a hammer.
1
@ma
"To a hammer everything is a nail"
Give this a read https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/387191-trump-official-overseeing-pandemic-response-suddenly-leaves-admin
I guess they drained the wrong part of the swamp that day.
1
Trump's promises now arrive like two week old roses. None but the most lonely and terminally desperate could possibly be charmed.
37
Some people say that when AIDS hit in CA, Gov. Reagan did nothing for quite a while, as if he were in denial of the morbidity, but in reality he was letting the disease spread to harm as many gays and drug users as possible. Now, having zero faith in Trump's sincerity, I believe he would let this epidemic spread HUGELY if it could provide him with a national emergency to increase his power and stay in office for as long as possible. It is insanity to let Pence run this epidemic show.
53
@Hector
I’ve predicted since his first year in office Trump will try to find a way to stay in power, even if he stands to lose the election. Declaring a national emergency and shutting down the election or poll booths to protect the public is something such an evil mind might conjecture.
11
@Hector Gov. Reagan was the President of the U.S. when the medical profession understood what AIDS was. I'm not a fan of Reagan, but I fail to see any link.
4
Agree that there is nothing reassuring about Pence in charge, and nothing honorable or moral about Trump’s having gutted the CDC 2 years ago (just to start!).
For those who don’t get it, or continue to overlook the lies and subterfuges of Trump
and his cronies and lapdogs:
I hope that you do not contract COVID19, but if you do, do please acknowledge that Trump did nothing sensible or timely to address the continuing spread of the disease.
7
Why would Trump announce travel bans when Rush Limbaugh says "It's just the common cold"?
Isn't that a little overkill for a "common cold"?
60
@Zobar - I wish a reporter would ask this question.
13
@DR
one did in the weds presser. Trump swatted it away.
1
Viruses mutate rapidly so don’t expect the threat to be eliminated once and for all by a single vaccine. As the virus mutates the previous vaccine will be ineffective so it’s likely that we will need to receive ongoing vaccinations with new vaccines similar to the way software is update on a computer. We are in a new world and have to adapt to this new paradigm.
7
@Peabody
Don't we already do this with the flu virus vaccine every year; that is, what's different in this case?
7
Don’t count on Trump, or DHHS Secretary Azar, or head of CDC, or Pence, or anybody in this administration to tell the truth, or at least not all of it.
Better to rely on state officials, who are presumably going to be more honest and
forthcoming for their own residents, than anybody in the Trump administration today!
You never know whether your health or life might depend on honest and complete information!
6
@BayArea101
'Don't we already do this with the flu virus vaccine every year; that is, what's different in this case?'
Apparently these are 'brown people' germs, which scare Trump very much.
Focusing on how the illness will be mild for most, especially those younger, is irresponsible and undermines the effort to protect all those who will become seriously ill. A full 20% of those contracting the illness will become very ill. A large portion of this group will need hospitalization and 2% will die.
Emphasizing how "mild" the illness will be for most will result in greater spread of the virus to those who will become critically ill or die. We don't need to encourage that fortunate 80% of the population to be cavalier with hygiene, social distancing and other containment and mitigation efforts because they will be the carriers responsible for the illness and deaths in the remaining 20% of the population. All of us need to be determined in our efforts to meet this challenge.
51
@Name - it's a catch-22. People will panic without knowing it's mild in most people. But telling them that could make some not take sufficient precautions. I prefer the former and be informed. Panic damage probably would be much greater. Moreover, if people don't know it could be mild, how could they expect that the light "cold" they have is covid-19 and treat it accordingly.
1
Actually, I wasn’t panicking.
But:
If Trump says there is no reason to panic, one definitely has to start panicking!
72
Better include California in that ban. That might not upset him but adding Wisconsin to his ban would. He needs votes from my home state and he's surely not getting mine.
27
I am all for caution at our borders in this time where there is so much uncertainty. However Trump will use any excuse convenient to shut down travel to countries not in his favor, in this case, Iran. Why not ban from Italy too?
Sort of what we’ve seen when he falsely claims something isn’t going to be discussed /published/allowed to talk under the guise of it being related to national security. When this is simply not true. Vote this November.
38
Too little too late folks... COVID-19 needs it's own C. Everett Koop to get up in front of the country and describe what we know about the virus, how cases severity and mortality breaks for each age group, and what we should do when an outbreak is discovered in our area. The US today is where South Korea was a month ago.
40
@Melanie Ah, but Koop was an actual scientist--a doctor. We dont want that kind of expertise muddying the waters if we an blame the Democrats.
10
Trump has dismantled our healthcare systems, our government agencies, and our allies when we need all of them most, while handing out huge tax cuts to ultra wealthy with the full support of GOP. If Trump GOP are re-elected, they will dismantle Social Security and Medicare which we’ve already paid into. This coronavirus is but just one example of the disastrous repercussions of Trump GOP extremist policies which we will all suffer. The next wave of crises such as global warming and crumbling infrastructure will only further destroy our communities because Trump GOP are completely blind to these huge issues. Trump GOP have done nothing for us except line their own pockets with our hard earned money. It must be impossible for Trump GOP to run our government effectively while they are so busy stealing our money. Just look outside your window to see what Trump GOP have done to solve the coronavirus and global warming crises. Nothing!
44
The rates of bad outcomes is significant but still in the low single digits. The risk is the extent of the spread. The more infected the more chance of mutations which can change the seriousness of the infections. The Spanish Flu turned deadly because it swept through the soldiers in the trenches on the western front and mutated into a deadly strain.
The wise thing is to continue to share information and to encourage people to treat the disease carefully. The temptation of the political leaders to try to control this could be counter productive.
15
65 CONFIRMED cases but there has been little testing in the U.S. Surely there are hundreds of actual cases. Let us hope that most are mild. I am heartened by the claim, which I hope is accurate, that children tend to get mild cases.
Anyway..wash those hands, and train yourself not to touch your face with your hands.
26
@tanstaafl
More like thousands of actual cases.
Just wait a week, with lots of testing going on.
4
Well it may help but the travel restrictions probably are too late to have prevented the entry of infected people. The disease is communicable before any symptoms are presented. The cases which cannot be traced to contact with infected individuals may represent transmissions before the cases in China were identified. We just do not know.
9
I think they may have forgotten Japan...
14
My friend just returned to SFO from her trip from Japan. When land, no one was asked to check temperature at the checkpoint. Officers there conducted business as usual.
14
And Italy.
7
So many of these posts are focused on Trump. Think about yourself and your loved ones, get informed, and get prepared. Forget about Trump. He's just an obstacle.
31
@Clarice -- How can we get prepared when Trump doesn't allow facts and real information to be disseminated? All we have are rumors, opinions, and the conspiracy theories of people who don't know what they're talking about. The American people need factual information so we can know how to plan and protect ourselves and our families. Trump won't allow any facts to intrude on his portrayal of himself as the expert in charge, or that might harm his chances of reelection.
14
@Clarice Actually Trump is not an obstacle. You are supposed to say that here at the NYT but compared to the doom and gloom postings of NYT readers, Trump is positively reassuring.
Ah yes - nothing works better than shutting the door after the horse has left the barn.
24
We need to wear masks!
2
@Rikky - It's been proven that they won't make a difference.
5
No we don’t!! Read the article!!
Trump: "We are really having a group of people who are so talented...how well we're doing despite the circumstances, not that we know all the circumstances, but there are circumstances..."
Dear God. He makes decisions about my life, and yours.
107
covid19 is spreading inside the US. A travel ban will do nothing to control that. we need a coordinated domestic plan. telling people not to panic is not a plan.
50
Mexico announced its first case of coronavirus. Not sure now many more people are infected.
Also the virus is suspected to survive on surfaces for 9 days at room temperature, longer on cardboard boxes.
It's time for Trump to restrict our border for people and goods coming across. To protect Americans, which is his #1 job.
5
@Bhaskar ... he would never do that. Not only is it not a good idea anyway, but close your borders to goods and the economy will tank, rendering his re-election chances unlikely. He's been all about re-election since inauguration day; as far as he's concerned, that's his #1 job. If the president's number #1 job is to protect Americans I think you have the wrong guy in office.
9
@ricardamundo
Maybe this is a wake-up call to start making things here and be more independent in our basic needs.
I am convinced that the coronavirus is more wide spread than they first thought and the fatality rate is grossly exaggerated, because they are only tracking the sickest patients. This could mean that it has been around inside the US longer than suspected, possibly since early January. The good news is that it is mostly mild for the majority of us, but unfortunately life threatening for the more feeble.
9
I don’t listen to Don Trump any more. I’m with the solid majority of Americans who thinks he’s dishonest. And if he’s not lying, he’s wrong, or spinning, or just doesn’t get it. In a crisis like this, he’s in way over his head. I listen to professionals — scientists, doctors, emergency personnel — who know what they’re doing through experience and education. Straight facts, clearly stated, that’s what I want. I’ll read The Times and The Post, and the CDC website. I don’t have time for silly White House games. I care too much about my mom in her 90s, and the rest of my family.
59
I agree. If Trump says there is a widespread epidemic in Europe and South Korea, you should say that he is lying and book an airline flight there.
Less than 500 tests had been done in the US as of Feb. 28 due to lack of testing capability, now only increasing. As of Feb. 27, only 200 testing kits were available in CA according to to Gov. Newsom. Early test kits were faulty. So of course, we have no idea how many people may be infected especially that 80% have no or mild symptoms. Also, people can transmit infections when asymptomatic.
The whistleblower reports that the HHS workers caring for the evacuees from Wuhan and the Diamond Princess were not protected then got on commercial jets. This may have been one source of the spread. The first community case reported was in Solano County home of Travis AFB.
Why no Federal leadership to deal with this health emergency? Trump:
1. Cut the CDC’s budget 3 yrs in a row
2. Fired the pandemic response team at HHS
3. Fired the pandemic response team at DHS
4. Fired the NSC coordinator for global pandemic events
52
I believe Donald Trump is likely the worst President in US History, and I am dismayed he wasn't removed after impeachment. That being said, I still remain open to giving him credit where it is due; I don't think he has mishandled this COVID-19 crisis, I thought his mid-week press conference was very appropriate, his early banning of China travel wise and his selection of Anthony Fauci to help lead the scientific effort, excellent. And I certainly want Trump to succeed during this crisis, for the benefit of us all. I don't want the very media that criticizes Trump for politicizing serious matters, now doing just that, and making a spectacle of every misspoken word or comment he is prone to make. Give the man a chance to help us deal with potentially the most serious health crisis most of us have faced in our lifetimes, won't you?
10
@Ronsword
Sorry, no. He has done nothing to make anyone think he even cares. Sorry he lied too much for me to give him a chance as you put his every misspoke word or comment. He has made too many lies and just listen to him talk - he sounds like a First grader.
1
@Ronsword Cherry picking the best pieces from his comments is not good. From the so called press briefings our President has given, the take away is this is no big deal. No need to even mention who he is blaming for the US Citizens starting to worry about this. I see zero leadership from the one who finally is starting to admit that the professionals know more than him. He knows he will not be able to sand bag when the statistics start to mount. The President downplayed this situation last week but you can see that he is finally starting to realize that was not the right message.
The only thing I want to hear from the Vice President is how many test kits will be distributed to each state. Without real monitoring, the professionals will be working with their hands tied between their backs.
Sadly, we are going to pay a price for having an unqualified person in the top executive position. And I was very polite by saying "unqualified."
27
If it's been circulating relatively freely for some time now, it must not be very contagious. All the more reason to calm down.
5
@Kris how do you know they keep lying about the number affected
So much for Trumps balanced trade with China, the Coronavirus knocked out over $2 trillion dollars of stock market in one week.
Intelligent thing for Americans to do would be to invest in China so it can stop serious disease like Coronavirus as well as seasonal flu from incubating by changing Chinese habits and stop these virus from migrating to USA.
Stephen Miller and Trump need to be educated that no wall can be built for virus.
7
For a "hoax," it seems like the Administration is talking a lot. The last time the media devoted this much attention to the president on a Saturday was the for the impromptu "physical" the president had.
And speaking of hoaxes, when was the last time anyone just decided on the spur of the moment to go have a physical?
17
@Tom Q
I reckon he was destroying important documents.
Very dangerous virus because it could increase its lethality later.
8
Didn't I hear Trump make some nasty aside during the Q+A that "the Democrats couldn't even count thier votes in Iowa" when asked about the hoax comment ? (Paraphrasing...)
Sounds like the Republicans can't even figure out if it's a man or a woman that died from Coronavirus in Seattle.... I have some pictures I could send to Mike Pence to help him, or maybe he could look in one of those doctor-books that the CDC has ( that is, if his wife will let him look at dirty pictures of naked women...)
This whole display by the bungling government we are supposed to trust is mind boggling.
29
@Ignatz "Sounds like the Republicans can't even figure out if it's a man or a woman that died from Coronavirus in Seattle"
Um, Seattle is a blue state, and so is California which saw the first cases of coronavirus.
1
Physician here.
It looks as if a number of folks have gotten Covid-19 at a care facility in the Puget Sound area. Test results will be in soon.
If community spread has occurred, and I think it has, isolation of known cases will not completely stop the epidemic because we would have infectious well-appearing people in the community. Social distancing now becomes essential.
Social distancing measures like closing schools and workplaces will decrease the total number of cases, and, crucially, allow the health care system to cope better as cases are spread out over time instead of coming in overwhelming numbers all at once.
Check the websites of your local and state public health departments regularly. Remember cough etiquette, hand washing, and physical distancing.
No need to panic. Most Covid-19 cases are mild. Take things one step at a time.
65
@vbering Thank you for your comments. Here in Singapore where SARS is still on the minds of people, the response to the virus has been quick. While I don't get my temperature monitored when I enter my local mall on the west end of the island if I travel to places where tourists are expected to visit (like Marina Bay Sands) there are thermal scans set up at limited entries. Large group meetings have been canceled. Interesting to me too is that at the University students are expected to scan a QR code for attending classes and report their temperatures. Staff is expected to record their temperature twice daily. All these things are in place to help trace contacts. Even though people may be contagious before being symptomatic these means of looking for and tracing the disease remind people about being vigilant. The world could learn a lot from how Singapore has handled the virus where only 100 people have tested positive and there have been zero deaths. Compare that to Italy which has been negligent on many accounts with over 1000 infected and 21 deaths. Then there is the quality of available health care...
I'm also curious as to why news doesn't correlate the habits and environments of some places as reasons for the spread and severity of the virus. Areas of China have horrible air quality and many people smoke which only increases the lethality of COVID19. Again, the world could learn a lot from Singapore!
15
@Scilla Singapore has a level of social cohesion and control totally unlike that of the US, and therefore it is not likely to offer useful lessons for the US.
1
Trump manages to make even a global pandemic all about him.
68
I wonder how are we planning to face the coronavirus spread with so many uninsured Americans. The health system is broken!!!!
50
Soon we will see how Europe’s medical care for everyone works out. No one can call it “Medicare for all” because Medicare requires that you pay a tax for decades before you qualify for most coverages at age 65.
9
@Rock Winchester
We can already see. Not one of the many thousands of Covid-19 tests performed so far in Europe has cost the patient A SINGLE CENT. Yet, Americans are being personally charged for the test - some, allegedly as much as three THOUSAND dollars!
And, France, which is most certainly in Europe, is turning around virus test results in 2 hours. Yet, some of the few tests performed so far in the US have taken days and days to report.
As an older Briish person with some co-morbidity, I can rest assured that if I succumb to coronavirus pneumonia, I will receive ICU care for as long as necessary, as expensive as necessary and that it will be entirely FREE. That's assuming that hospitals, staff and available equipment cope with the outbreak - a fear that's as real in America as it is Europe.
14
No need to wait, just look at European life expectancies vs US
3
Good move by the administration. With all the Russian disinformation permeating the ether here in the US -- and feverishly fueling attempts by Mr. Trump's opponents to politicize this health "crisis" -- anything that to US can do to limit the arrival of foreigners who might be carrying the virus is positive it seems to me.
Not that this "crisis" is really all that worrisome. Coronavirus has about the same ability to spread as the common flu. I'm more worried about traffic accidents.
8
@David H The common flu has a morbidity rate of about 0.1% whereas the Coronavirus kills about 2%. This means that you are 20 times more likely to die from Corona. Do you like those odds?
31
@David H
Great. You sound just like one of the "scientists" in the White House.
19
@David H What crisis? Trump has stated it is a hoax.
16
Ummm - We only have 65 cases because we are not looking. At this point, sure to be hundreds ...
57
It is so comforting to know that the president of the United States so thoroughly involves himself in epidemiologic and clinical management of this communicable disease. Who knew that a wrestling impresario, casual golfer, and TV game show host could be so versatile?
54
I just wanna see Jim Acosta at a press conference, trying to get Hizzoner to SPELL, “epidemiology.” Or explain the diff between a virus and a bacterium, what a “vector,” is, anything like that, down to and including why you should wash your hands a lot and keep your mitts off your face.
Hours of innocent fun.
13
@Robert
Please make sure to share your reaction in November when Mr. Trump gets re-elected.
2
In the same piece, explanation and information relevant to covid- 19 references the Surgeon General, Pence and Trump. The mere mention of Trump & Pence with important information about the spreading illness, about which the president was lying just moments ago, and you KNOW you really should run, not walk, to a source of masks, if one can be found.
13
@Ed If you stock up on masks you will cause a shortage of masks for health personnel who really NEED masks.
Could the NYT and other news organizations PLEASE put this situation into context? Are the reported deaths and critical cases primarily people who elderly, have underlying health conditions, or are very young? Are otherwise healthy adults more at risk for a serious/life-threatening illness from the coronavirus than from the seasonal flu? This information would help everyone better understand the risks to themselves and others.
11
@carver I agree that context is important. The Forbes article linked here points out how habit and environment results in more men and few children having serious problems.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ninashapiro/2020/02/22/sex-does-matter-when-it-comes-to-coronavirus/#5e26f754a436
1
@carver
I noticed that a 22-year-old member of the Iranian national soccer team died of this coronavirus...
2
We are all potential “ Typhoid Marys”. We all
should be tested. However for now:
I as a physician had to be Tb skin tested before being granted hospital privileges.
All health care workers exposed to patients must be tested for Covid 19 perhaps monthly till the pandemic ends.
Please ponder this creative,brilliant,practical suggestion. It will protect patients in doctors offices, clinics, hospitals, rehab facilities and nursing homes.
Perhaps include school teachers and dentists and hygienists.
21
@Tullymd The Covid-19 test is not that specific. Many false negatives (in early stage disease) have already been reported.
You must have been retired for some time. Mantoux/Tuberculin skin testing is regarded as woefully inadequate to test TB immunity and utterly useless for identifying infectivity. And has been for decades...
4
Anyone in Public Health will tell you travel bans will not help, and may actually hurt by driving people underground.
Of course, in this administration, there is no one allowed to speak who has a Public Health background.
23
@Lissa
Pray, tell us, how will people drive underground to Europe or Asia?
Two things I don’t fully understand:
1. Are we only testing people that are extremely sick?
2. How has China cut the daily increase in cases from 3,000 to 500?
7
@Peter Silverman 1 I am a Chinese citizen.
1 lockdown a whole province in China to prevent the expand of virus.
2 when I mean lockdown, I mean every person in that province was forced not to leave their home assured by the police and government workers.
3 the rest of the China shut down all of the factories, shops, events, bars, and so on and so forth nationwide for three weeks.
4 utilizing the PLA and stated-backed company to build temporary spot to host the close-contact people. for all of them.
5 every village and towns and cities have to set the body temperature checking point to guarantee every driver and passengers has got a normal temperature.
6 In conclusion , the way to tackle the Covid-19 is easy . every people of that country stay at home for three weeks , the problem will be solved.
12
@Peter Silverman 1 I am a Chinese citizen.
1 lockdown a whole province in China to prevent the expand of virus.
2 when I mean lockdown, I mean every person in that province was forced not to leave their home assured by the police and government workers.
3 the rest of the China shut down all of the factories, shops, events, bars, and so on and so forth nationwide for three weeks.
4 utilizing the PLA and stated-backed company to build temporary spot to host the close-contact people. for all of them.
5 every village and towns and cities have to set the body temperature checking point to guarantee every driver and passengers has got a normal temperature.
6 In conclusion , the way to tackle the Covid-19 is easy . every people of that country stay at home for three weeks , the problem will be solved.
China is a one-party country which means that the officer is trying to cover-up the reality in the first stage which is pathetic and that is the reason why China failed to contain the virus at the beginning stage. But the One-party and One leader government system could guarantee the largest resources you can get when the President Xi set it as the priority of the government tasks.
Hope this answer can help you.
6
@HuaAha
First you export coronavirus. Then you export dictatorship to fight the virus. President Xi(t) really is a genius. It all makes sense to me now.
1
Unlike the majority of posts in the comments, I don't think those on ventilators will care who will be president for the next four year -
Isolation -> Hygiene -> Diagnose -> Quarantine
Protect and supply the health care workers that give supportive care. They reduce the death rate, which may be about 3.3% of those infected
A high degree of concern and precaution is appropriate - panic brings on irrational, destructive, bigoted behavior as we have seen.. Responsible leaders know this.
Of course Trump(R) is worried - this is having an impact on all our lives; just as Obama(D) was worried about Ebola (without this degree of panic and not in an election year) - Both are taking the same steps at the same speed.
100 years ago..Truman (D) was not worried until way too late, not taking early steps to limit the disease - leading to a 10%-20% death rate for millions due to the inability to give supportive care to such a large number of infected.
3
@Dr. Sam Truman? Do you mean Wilson?
Truman? His presidency started in 1945.
Truman was not president 100 years ago.
People need to realize its not up to Trump at this point. We have to help each other. Reduce your exposure, refrain from unnecessary air travel. Too many people right now with a head in the sand mentality.
13
So travel from Iran is banned and travel from Italy and South Korea are not, even though there are more cases in Italy and South Korea than in Iran? And travel from China is still banned, even though China now has fewer new daily cases than South Korea and very few new daily cases outside Hubei Province? It's pretty clear that these travel restrictions are based on politics rather than public health.
21
Italy and South Korea have better healthcare than the US according to the media.
2
Er, mr Trump & Mr Trump jr, and Mr Mulvaney and all our friends at Fox told us to not worry, that it was a Democratic hoax. So difficult these days to know whom to trust....
17
Wasn't it just last night that Trump was calling COVID-19 a Democrat hoax??? I'm so confused!
49
Dear California, please use your West Coast clout to help the Trump admin protect and serve American citizens.
4
They’re trying.
Perhaps if he stopped screaming at them, didn’t keep holding rallies and diverting resources, got his facts straight, put professionals in charge, stuff like that.
24
@b.quinn You're confusing a police motto with government.
1
Trump reassures the American people that, "All is well...all is well."
Things just got real.
22
Why haven't we heard of any cases in Russia? China and Russia are close both Geographically and Politically. I am sure there are some. Perhaps news is being suppressed.
25
@Philip W :
For that matter, If it's in China & South Korea, you know that it's in North Korea. Of course, news is being suppressed. That's really what Trump would like to do here.
9
@Philip W and Trump wants to model Russia. Shut up the messengers. Which is what is happening in the USA
5
@Philip W
Shouldn't you be worrying about your own country right now?
Game over!
“Washington state reported on Saturday the first death in the U.S. from the new coronavirus, the first health care worker to be infected with the disease, and most worrying, the first known outbreak in a long-term care facility.
At a nursing facility in Kirkland, Wash, approximately 27 of the 108 residents and 25 of the 180 staff have some symptoms, health officials said during a teleconference with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Authorities report that some among them have pneumonia.”
https://www.statnews.com/2020/02/29/new-covid-19-death-raises-concerns-about-virus-spread-in-nursing-homes/
20
@mc -- I'm in WA state, and I'm not worried. Neither is anyone else apparently, because I was just at the post office this morning and there was a long line of people. Then I went to the store, and it was crowded, but nobody's carts seemed full of water or hand sanitizer or anything weird. People were just chatting with the checkers like usual. Didn't see anything unusual or that would point toward panic. Just another Saturday here.
2
It says they have SYMPTOMS, and that only two have tested positive. And no, symptoms aren’t a diagnosis.
At least TRY to get things straight. Otherwise, folks mght get the imporssion you’re trying to amp up fear.
2
@mc - What Ms. Pea, said. I just went to a large grocery and the Girls Scouts are selling their cookies, a desk at the front was asking everyone entering if they want a new rewards card, etc.
My closest friend in town died from pneumonia in a nursing home last fall. She was also incredibly diabetic and had been homebound for 4 years at least. We knew last Christmas she wasn't going to make it to this Christmas.
Last winter, I watched a Seahawks playoff game with her when she was in the hospital. The team fumbled and it was enough to set off her heart monitors and nurses came running in to see what the emergency was.
The real concern to me is that fire fighters are now under quarantine after responding to the nursing facility (they also act as EMT's here). Other folks here who have tested positive but did not have serious health issues to begin with are either well or recovering or out of quarantine. I'm thinking of calling the health department on Monday and volunteering. I used to be homeless in this city and still know a lot of the places/parks/trees/parking garages where folks camp and where they go for meals, etc. Maybe there is someway I can help. I can still rag on my president although that will not help anyone.
3
usually, traffic is muted at my location, only on Sundays when north Texans are praying. Today is Saturday, and traffic is silent. Something is amiss...
5
In most realistic videos and movies about dealing with the unknown, whether a virus or aliens ("Arrival"), it is not the politicians (Trump, Pence) who take over, it is the military. And as well they should, as they have the resources and wits about them to be able to organize quickly and without extensive discord. So, let us not fret about the next week or two, because if it gets worse, it will revert to the military to take change, not the Trump Administration.
5
@William Menke That's a bit naive. People said the same thing about Trump not wanting to be president.
2
Um, sadly though, Trump is commander-in-chief of the armed forces / military, so once again, it matters who we elect as president. Maybe next time, voters who voted for this unfit, know-nothing “stable genius” will think twice. Turns out we need a moral, intelligent leader after all!
6
@William Menke - Are we talking the same military that spent 20 years fighting illiterate poppy farmers to bring miniskirts to Kabul and are now leaving empty handed? And our nation is full of heroin addicts?
1
Trump and his team of "experts" say the person who died is a woman. It was a man. If they can not get simple details correct; how can we trust them on the big things? Besides; putting a few travel restrictions on is nothing; how many Americans planned to fly to Iran on vacation? We know the infection is in Italy and S Korea; travel bookings have plummeted. Trump admin has done as close to zero as you can get. 43 million masks? We had 30 million on Dec 1; so not impressive.
18
I agree with you, but even the AP story on seattletimes.com originally said it was a woman.
1
“Seriously people — STOP BUYING MASKS!” the surgeon general, Jerome M. Adams, said in a tweet on Saturday morning. “They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus, but if health care providers can’t get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk!”
Why waring masks is a good thing for the health care providers but not the general public once the virus spread gets worse. It is apparent that there is very serious shortage of masks in the country. To be prepared, the US government needs to mobilize our industry (what’s ever left here) to manufacture more masks as war measures urgently!
11
@Joe
I worked at a teaching hospital. All of our staff was fitted with masks. This required measurement and testing of the correct fit. The masks were individually fitted to each person and were made of less permeable material. Like Joe says....save your money.
18
Normally, I would listen to a health care profession. But the general public doesn’t need airtight masks to prevent virus getting in. Masks for them are meant to reduce the exposure risks.
2
@Joe
To be more specific, the standard surgical face masks are designed to protect patients/others from you, not the other way around.
Masks to protect yourself are much more complex and expensive, and need special fitting.
12
To add to the angst of this virus, as if it’s not bad enough, we have a bumbling, incompetent government that the majority of citizens, here and around the world, don’t trust or believe.
Donald Trump’s ignorance and incompetence is truly astounding.
36
If Trump says "don't panic" one more time, I'm heading for the hills.
30
What is going to happen when the virus hits the cramped, overpopulated conditions in the border concentration camps? Will it rapidly evolve into a more virulent strain? Cages and walls won’t keep the virus from spreading. This will be a humanitarian disaster.
19
Great point! Has our “fearless leader” given that any thought?
3
But, he told the whole world last night it is a hoax.
Oh I'm so confused!
18
@Homebase
That is such an absurd statement. has he clarified today, he was referring to the notion that he and the administration were unprepared as being a hoax. He clearly doesn't think it's a hoax if he had previous travel restrictions and had a signed a team to address the problem. You're not confused. You're just choosing to find something to complain about because you complain about everything that this guy does. It doesn't help that the media continually misreports everything that the guy says.
3
Trump and Pence should remove the gags they put on the lips of Anthony Fauci and other federal virologists. The media should try to get expert advice to the American people from non-federal virologists.
28
I just watched this hour long announcement.
Thank God for President Trump.
5
You are funny
10
@JSS I don' get the joke. Can you explain?
6
@JSS
That is the best laugh I have had in a month!
Thank you!
Trump regularly demonstrates unparalleled incompetence, immaturity, an extraordinary lack of a critical skill set for the job: critical thinking skills, intellectual curiosity, management and leadership skills, a moral compass, compassion and awareness of others...the list is endless.
Again, thanks for laugh!
3
Trump’s concerns ring hollow when he can’t be bothered to accurately report the gender of the first death in our country from COVID-19. So insensitive and disrespectful to the family and the rest of us who are frightened and praying our leadership has our backs.
10
Am I the only one who thought the President was...kinda off his feed? His delivery often seemed to veer from mechanical to uncertain. I try not to watch him a lot. Is he always like this?
17
@Bunk McNulty
The 25th amendment should have been used long ago. He has progressively grown worse if you can believe it. But he is a useful tool for the republican orthodoxy to exert force they lacked the courage to previously deploy.
14
@Bunk McNulty sometimes he’s worse.
No, most of the time, no, always. No, he redefines what is and what is not good or bad.
Nope. Even worse than that.
8
@Mathias
Absolutely!
The only things Trump seems to really care about are the stock market and how the virus might effect him politically. If he and Pence bungle this by silencing the health experts and not taking it seriously enough, Trump may indeed have something to worry about in November.
25
I would counter by saying your only interest is in criticizing President Trump. For you he cannot do anything right. If he threw a trillion dollars at the coronavirus you would criticize him for spending too much. How about just being quiet!
4
@Confused
Aptly named.
13
If you think I am confused just wait until November. I predict that far more voters will be enlightened than confused after the votes are tallied.
2
I keep seeing maps of the U.S. with 64+ cases. My understanding it's 22+- and the rest are 44 quarantined non cases.
2
@jeremyp
Can we stop the flu? If we tried to contain the flu would it work?
Would someone kindly direct me to a published scientific paper with proof that ASTM Level 3 surgical facemasks DO NOT reduce the risk of illness when worn according to directions. Or any paper with data, numbers, proof.
I don't feel like I am harming the medical profession in any way to have purchased - at a dear price - over the counter, drugstore Antiviral treated masks. Unless the hospital shops at Walgreens.
4
There is no way that masks don’t help some. I would think of it like a relatively thin bulletproof vest. It can be argued that citizen Joe doesn’t need it because the odds of being shot are low and, if you are shot, the thin vest isn’t always enough. But, if you are shot, wearing the thing does improve your odds some.
8
Yeah! Because I wear mine ALL the tme, until somebody shows me a peer-reviewed study that proves ot doesn’t confer immortality!!
Good grief.
1
@Vashti
I'm treating the corona as the flu. Here is an article that may assist. N95 masks technically need fit testing to explain how to properly use them and make sure that it is air tight.
Interim Recommendations for Facemask and Respirator Use to Reduce 2009 Influenza A (H1N1) Virus Transmission
https://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/masks.htm
I sincerely hope that the rest of us are getting, or going to get, the same protections that Trump and his family and his toady Cabinet members are getting?
12
@Doremus Jessup
I hope the opposite. I hope the rest of us are protected. Just.
5
@Ann. Well said!
Anyone want to bet Trump will threaten to quarantine cities he sees as hostile- sanctuary cities. Once he realizes he has this power, will he be able to control himself?
10
Flu deaths, last year, 62,000. That’s despite the availability of a vaccine.
Flu mortality rate, .1%. Coronavirus mortality rate, thus far, about 2% - 20 times that of the flu.
Do the math. 1.2 million potential
19
I wonder how the safety contrpls will work out with US troops in several Mid East countries highly exposed to people who deal with Iranians, and Korea too, where thousands of Koreans work with US military people. Then there are stowaways coming in on ships from Asia, people entering in pangas and crossing our borders with coyotes, so this epidemic may drag out for a long time. I got some groceries, some sacks of brown rice to last a couple of months. Hope there will be medicines at the hospitals when we need them.
1
Restricting entry into the country isn’t enough. The coronavirus is here and it is spreading. We can assume it’s in every metropolitan area of the country if it’s in Portland and Seattle, far from the Air Force bases where people were quarantined. And numbers will go up dramatically over the next week like we’ve seen elsewhere in the world. Trump needs to prepare hospital workers and make test kits widely available. Oh, and stop saying this is a hoax on the part of the Democrats and the media. We can plainly see what’s happening in Europe and South Korea and the Democrats have nothing to do with it.
21
Travel restrictions? That is Trump's answer to everything. How about some corona virus test kits and protective equipment for care givers? Those are the things that our doctors say they need.
29
There are two "illnesses" here: one is the physiological corona virus, and the other is a mistaken belief that if you are not in a high risk group... then you don't have anything to worry about. Sadly, both are "communicable" (read: transmissible). The truth is that if you are young and/or health but get a "mild case" of the virus you are just as much of an agent of contagion than a "high risk person." Maybe more. Why? Well, a sick person is more likely to seek treatment. Someone who is healthy but only has an occasional sneeze or cough... or who does not wash his hands... is just as contagious as the person who seeks treatment, only the healthy person is transmitting by stealth. This puts people who are "at risk" in Higher risk, and makes the epidemic spread further, faster. If you are feeling immune... or invincible... or cavalier, please don a conscience. It's not about you or us vs. them. We are all in this boat together, sink or swim.
51
Trump is scared because only for himself as this will tank his presidency. Good job, buddy! I’m so glad this put you in the news for revealing once again what a useless President you are. And thanks Republicans, this would have been taken care of by Bloomberg a long time ago. Vote Bloomberg in. He got us through 9 11 in New York City, he is disaster ready and know what to do - this is only the beginning of more pandemics, and biologic warfare.
13
In 5 years, 50,000 people will die a year because of obesity. Much of this is because of depression and self medication. We need to go back to rural voters and help
3
@Mixilplix
We want to do so. Unfortunately we are called socialists for doing so and denigrated.
3
Of all people, you wouldn't expect Trump to be spreading Fake News about this virus. Has he suddenly become a democrat, spreading that hoax, trying to scare people?
6
So POTUS is banning all travelers from Iran even if they are Americans, yet no restrictions on people coming in from China, Korea and Japan? Makes no sense.
18
@Reza Khaj
Consider the source. Of course it makes no sense.
5
Telecommuting has long been part of my shelter in place ( SIP ) planning. It would be nice to deduct all or part of this on my 1040 Schedule A. That tax break got cut this year for employees.
12
@Nick Strauss to make up for tax cuts to the rich.
3
@Imperato
Socialism for the rich. Who will bail them out and fund them through government contracts?
I don’t understand. If this is all a hoax, how come the president issued new travel restrictions today?
76
@Marc Jones An NPR Saturday morning story suggested he could be "using [hoax] as a synonym for inconvenient truth" since climate change is, of course, also a hoax.
8
@Marc Jones You weren't listening or you simply don't understand what Trump said when asked about some confusion among Trump haters when he used the word hoax during his Wednesday press conference. Trump said the hoax relates to what the Democrats are saying about him and not that the coronavirus is a hoax. The virus is real but what the Democrats are saying about Trump and his handling of the situation is another hoax. Two different things. I know that may be hard to process for those who hate Trump because they are trying to disperse misinformation to hurt Trump. That is their job, 24/7.
1
This will shape up to be America’s Chernobyl.
11
Good analogy!
2
The Washington Post reports “
President Trump described the patient as a “wonderful woman” and a “medically high-risk patient” in her late 50s, at the news conference. Jeffrey Duchin, chief health officer for Seattle and King County, later clarified that the patient was a man in his 50s with underlying conditions.”
Can DJT get Anything right?! Precision in language is essential, especially now.
51
@ThreeDogsCo To be fair to the Donald. When this news was initially reported in Seattle, it was said he was a she. Condolences to his family.
3
I can't wait until November 3rd when all these Trump criminal clowns will be voted out.
48
@Hal
Voted out and hopefully thrown in prison as we allow employees to report misconduct that went unreported because of abuses of power.
2
Don't count on it. Actions like those he took today -- keeping foreigners out -- are very popular with his base (not to mention a fair number of other folks who don't want it known they support him and his policies).
It seems that this is mostly noise to get attention, and changes very little.
From the C-Span transcript (I apologize for the all caps):
THE PRESIDENT AUTHORIZED ACTION TO ADD ADDITIONAL TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS ON IRAN. WE WILL BE BANNING TRAVEL FROM IRAN. IRAN IS ALREADY UNDER A TRAVEL BAN, BUT WE ARE EXPANDING EXISTING TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS TO INCLUDE ANY FOREIGN NATIONAL WHO HAS VISITED IRAQ IN THE LAST 14 DAYS. IN ADDITION TO -- IRAN IN THE LAST 14 DAYS.
IN ADDITION, WE WILL INCREASE TO THE HIGHEST LEVEL ADVISORY, LEVEL FOUR, ADVISING AMERICANS TO NOT TRAVEL TO SPECIFIC REGIONS IN ITALY AND SOUTH KOREA. LET ME SAY AGAIN. THE PRESIDENT AUTHORIZED THE STATE DEPARTMENT TO INCREASE THE TRAVEL ADVISORY FOR AMERICANS TO LEVEL FOUR. WE WE ARE ADVISING AMERICANS NOT TO TRAVEL TO AREAS IN ITALY AND SOUTH KOREA MOST AFFECTED BY THE CORONAVIRUS.
Of course, our POTUS was having a great time insulting and demeaning people like Mayor Bloomberg and Sen. Warren at CPAC. Trump has lowered the respect we worked on for two centuries from ALL of the leaders, enemies or friends, of other countries.
I can only imagine what Rush and Sean would have said if Obama or Hillary had done anything similar.
24
Last I looked there are 65 confirmed cases of COVID-19. You have to have one of the very scarce test kits to be confirmed. They don't test everyone that gets sick, not enough test kits.
Does this make you feel more secure?
Not me.
54
Actually everyone should be tested, much like we decades ago tested everyone for syphilis and tuberculosis.
7
So, as I see it, Trump is now responsible for the first death from a “hoax.” This is likely a direct result of the utter incompetence of the administration and their super human job of containment. Likely she contracted the virus after they sent untrained, improperly protected workers to evacuate Americans. Against the CDC, they put infected individuals on planes with hundreds uninflected, and then They allowed the workers disburse throughout this country! If that isn’t enough, they’ve had months to ramp up test kits, but still have none to disburse that work! And guidelines not only prevent immediate testing of anyone, but they won’t even allow states with working tests to use them! So this lady, and possibly many others, likely spread and are spreading the disease to many others, including staff at the hospitals where she was treated before testing. Meanwhile they’ve tested less than 500 individuals, while other civilized countries have tested hundreds of thousands! So we don’t even know how bad this is! And Trump and Pence are, naturally, focusing all their time on handling this pandemic-by holding rallies and attending fund raisers! But not to worry, this is only one death. As Trump says, the whole thing will miraculously just disappear. So just take the advice of Mulvaney and turn off the television, or as Kudlow says, buy stock. Because really, Trump and the band of incompetents running this country only care about one thing. And it’s not public health.
60
One key reason why the US successfully avoided pandemics in recent decades is that the respective administrations in charge weren't boneheaded enough to cut funding for public health agencies like the CDC below the absolute minimum required to function. This current one did just that. It's like underfunding your fire department; eventually, there is a fire, and then, disaster can strike. The problem with something like this is that you can't spin or lie your way out of them.
92
Trump successfully lies and spins his way out of every catastrophe. Sorry to report.
2
Last Saturday, there were 50 confirmed cases in Italy- 1 week later, over 1,000.
Our friend spoke to his neighbor who has a Chinese brother in law, in China. He's a cardiologist that is not allowed to leave the country but he told his family here that there are thousands dead in the streets and trucks are just driving around picking up the dead. I'd rather have the truth than read about people saying not to panic.
Furthermore, I do not believe the news coming from China that they have anything under control. I wouldn't travel for all the rice in China.
20
@mainesummers
What’s going on in there re-education camps? I doubt if people are receiving the medical care they need.
Our medical kits don’t work we don’t have a clear picture of what is going on in this country and then Trump lies about who died
Trump is the hoax
4
@mainesummers why should we believe what you said? Any proofs?
@Ad Smith
I guess if you can find someone who can read Taiwan or Chinese news on line you will be able to see it for yourself. What possible reason would I have to make it up.
My condolences to the young man, or middle aged woman, who was the first victim of this virus in the US. I'm not a medical doctor but I might be able to help this administraion with proper identification. Aside from that, everything's under control. Terrific control.
15
@RNS The first death was a man in his late 50s.
How much will this cost me out of pocket? I dont have health insurance.
20
Social security with help contribute to burial expenses if you are so lucky.
4
Trump administration handled the situation terribly this week. To say that democrats were spreading bad rumors was comparing the coronavirus to the flu showed the American people that Trump is ignorant and clueless.
This is already a pandemic since the cases and deaths in Italy and Iran. It is ridiculous the WHO and CDC delayed the pandemic declaration. It will probably come as early as Monday.
The United States should close borders with Italy, Iran, and South Korea. Government should order mandatory ramp up of production of protective gear and ICU equipment. The government should allocate $5 billion or more asap. This is not a joke!
16
Though I avoid watching Trump on TV, I watched the press briefing, curious to see how they would handle it. Seeing Pence and the other Presidential minions continually insert praise for the Great Leader into their comments made me feel I was watching state TV in North Korea. Appalling.
292
Thank you for expressing this, exactly my thoughts and feelings since Trump took office and we are looping in an Orwellian paradise. Kim Jong Un is one of his role models, he is in love with the North Korean dictator.
7
@Laura. I, too, avoid watching Trump on TV. Truly, it is very difficult listening to the sound of his voice on the radio. Like you, I decided (foolishly) to watch the presser.
How did we come to this? How can we be engaged in serious consideration of this man’s re-election?
It boggles the mind (and turns the stomach).
1
@Laura and what's wrong with praising people. they did it with slick willy and obama and underlings do it with CEO's all the time. about time we had a president taking care of healthcare. what would the democrats do?
New York and California governors said yesterday that they don't have adequate testing kits so do we really believe we have accurate data?
16
This has been one of the problems all along. There is belief virus may have been here in US (and possibly other places) since Dec/Jan but due to shortage of kits and very strict CDC criteria on who could be tested, no way to find out if some of the severe cases of flu that were seen or pneumonia cases were actually COVID19.
I may be crazy, but I believe I saw a press conference at least 2/3 weeks ago, I think w/ Mayor DeBlasio present, at which they said they were going to start some sort of random testing of people who seemed to have seasonal flu but were testing negative for it, as well as people with unexplained pneumonia. However, as far as I know, nothing ever came of it. Maybe I'm just crazy, or maybe they couldn't do it because CDC wouldn't allow its test kits to be used for such purposes. (I think under CDC criteria then patient had to have visited China or know someone who had been there). This was at about the time there actually were 3 suspected cases in NYC of people recently in China. It took about a week for CDC to agree to provide test kits and then analyze results. In meantime, those poor folks locked up in isolation wards in hospital!! All turned out negative.
3
@M Davis NY State does have access to good testing kits, and its going ahead with their manufacture.
1
@M Davis
Put a hole in the NYC mayor stating on national tv we don’t have people Who are ill. He neglected to say we don’t have any testing kits either So how would we know.
watch reliable news shows other than fox stay off of the lies of social media and we will all survive
Turn off Trump since he believes everything is a hoax . Most people believe trump is a bad nightmare that just won’t end
3
Trump has no cred, be it in the streets or in the suites.
21
That's why this may not be enough for the stock market to recover. The market may not believe he can handle a crisis.
2
Last evening at his Rally he said the Virus was a "Hoax". Today he is putting travel restrictions. And, Pence allowed the Scientists and Health Officials to speak which is more credible than Trump or Pence. They both tell so many lies we cannot believe a word they say. Now with the Doctors being censored by Pence who was disastrous in Indiana with the HIV epidemic, we may not even be able to believe them
38
Wait a second, wait a second, didn’t he call the epidemic a Dem hoax just yesterday? So today it’s another story, and tomorrow it’ll be a hoax again, huh? That was the purpose of Doublethink in 1984- in the end, the truth was so obscured by misinformation, only Big Brother could tell you what the truth was, and that could be different from minute to minute, depending on what his purposes were.
27
I am very reassured that Trump has put an evangelist in charge of this pandemic. This means everyone will be prayed for. Who needs science anyway when you have prayer? As Trump said in India, it's under control in America.
36
I don’t trust anything from Trump or his administration because he lies about everything. The only thing I know to be true is: as long as HE doesn’t catch this virus, he doesn’t care about the rest of us.
76
I watched that waste of a news conference. Watched more of this administrations lies. Did anyone notice Trump’s shifting, darting eyes. He is not well.
98
What is with this verbal tic of Trump’s? Everything (except Democrats, minorities, Muslims, judges and a couple other things) is “wonderful”, “beautiful”, “the best”. Condolences to the family of the woman who passed away in Seattle, but how was Trump to know she was “wonderful” having never met her? Just give the straightforward description of her as a “medically compromised woman in her 50s” and leave out the meaningless editorializing.
I realize this is petty and there are much bigger things to dislike about him, but my God, I can’t stand the man.
124
@NCJ Also, the Seattle victim was a man. If there’s something to bungle, Trump will bungle it. And if there isn’t.
21
It’s a reminder of the time he posed with Melania in Texas next to a baby whose parents were died of gunshots. He stood there with a huge grin and a thumbs up with a newly orphaned baby. How can anyone be so insensitive?
5
@NCJ No apology needed. We understand.
I start to wonder whether Trump administration is doing worse than the Chinese government.
41
Much worse, especially if you consider the lead time. We had weeks to plan and prepare.
16
CNN and the NYTimes are reporting different information.
I am not trying to implicate either organization.
I am pointing out that, if you restrict the flow of information to one government individual, and that individual is a profound and psychopathic liar, then where does the public go to find facts?
How will I know when and what to do to protect my family and myself?
17
@Paul C. McGlasson
How about the CDC. They have a website. Yes, it is that easy.
2
@Paul C. McGlasson
Local government, state government in blue states. I would also listen to interntioanl communities in Europe.
The best article I have seen was in the Washington Post, "What you need to know about coronavirus". It has references as well within it and was practical.
2
Likely trump engineered the initial out break, under estimating the nature of biological weapons.
5
@King Philip, His majesty
Even more likely an absurd theory.
5
I wouldn't assume Covid 19 is spread primarily through the air because our "stable genius" is planning on increasing mask manufacturing; after all, he stated that the woman who died near Seattle was "wonderful", when in fact, she wasn't even a "she." Reading from experts I think you will find washing your hands, refraining from touching your mouth, nose, etc., doorknobs, gas pump handles, etc., is your best precaution. Then again, I'm not a stable genius.
25
The Coronavirus doesn’t care ideology, religion, race, friends or foes, rich or poor! Why we are placing more stringent travel restrictions on Iran where the travel flow to the US is much less significant, while we are still keeping the travel flow from South Korea where the virus is spreading worse than anywhere else now. What the US government is doing doesn’t make sense and disgusting.
18
@Joe We don't know that the virus is spreading worse in South Korea: South Korea is conducting MANY MORE tests than most countries: thousands of tests a day. The US has tested only a few hundred in total.
6
Maybe this will encourage American manufacturers to start producing goods in the United States again...hiring American workers.
This pandemic reveals the danger of concentrating production in only a handful of countries We need to be more self-sufficient.
18
@Susanna Goods "Made in USA" are not made in USA from start to finish. There is an international supply chain where components are made in various places, shipped to another for partial assembly, and maybe another for finishing. When a manufacturing plant is shut down in one country, airline flights are cancelled, for example, that affects goods produced or assembled in other countries. The stock market is reacting in part to these supply chain interruptions and resulting earnings predictions.
6
@Susanna Do you understand “supply chain”? Even goods made in America use parts from other countries. Hiring American workers won’t stop a pandemic.
5
@Susanna
What we need is to work with other people. And have a plan. Isolation isn't a solution.
Trump talks about 15 cases but we see that there are many more than that in our country. Why is he always misinformed? Is it on purpose?
21
@John McLaughlin Misinformed or lies. Everyone knows he fires the good ones and keeps rejects and has beens who are supposed to agree to every thing he says.
12
Here’s a suggestion:
STOP traveling overseas for the foreseeable future!
Do your business remotely. Cancel you Italian culinary tour. You can learn how to make fresh mozzarella and gelato another time. And it’s certainly not worth risking your own and everyone else’s life.
Stay in your own countries...at least until the virus is contained. Is that so difficult?
11
@Susanna It’s in our own country. We just don’t know how many have it because we haven’t got the testing materials. Trumped gutted the CDC.
13
Not go to Italy? I don’t know about you, but I would much rather get coronavirus in a country that has government funded healthcare; and I would much rather die eating gelato and mozzarella and gazing out on the Mediterranean.
13
@Susanna and your suggestion will accomplish what exactly with cases in the US including “community spread”. Meaning those people who have the virus did not travel any place out of the country and had no known contact with anyone who did or who was sick.
4
Trump is right. We need to cancel dangerous, superfluous travel.
SO:
Cancel all flights to play golf.
Save money. Save lives.
52
Mike Pence has no business spearheading this campaign. This Trump nominee knows absolutely nothing about viruses and immunology.
43
@Pierre Brodeur
It’s called vice presidential leadership.
You know, being able to marshal the resources of the entire federal government.
‘Progressives’ somehow think the leader of an effort like this should be wearing a lab coat.
@EGD Laughable. Appointing a politician who has zero knowledge, expertise, and a significant learning curve to lead this nation during a pandemic was a poor and stupid decision. Mike Pence’s policies as governor played a critical role in the outbreak of HIV in Indiana in 2015. He failed dismally then and will more than likely fail again.
3
@EGD
How is Pierre a progressive?
And how did Pence handle the aids epidemic where he had authority?
And yes it should be someone who understands medical terms and communicate those terms in a meaningful way. We don't need a banana republican telling us anything.
“Thoughts and prayers people. This is what the crisis needs.” Mr Pence
10
Can't trust anything Trump or Pence say.
It was a man who died in the Seattle area, not a women. How could they get such a basic fact wrong?
64
@Mary ... because they don’t care.
20
@Mary I trust he was also wonderful
8
And to add insult to injury, he talked as if he actually knew her -- "what a wonderful person she was" etc. Such an insult to the family.
I believe there us another elderly woman in WA who IS seriously ill with the virus. So I guess easy for someone like Trump to confuse. You know, one sick old person not too different from another
4
The ultimate irony would be a quarantined Trump administration.
38
@Theresa
Either that or a quarantined Trump rally.
20
Crossing fingers.
5
@Theresa ... you say irony, I say justice.
1
The trump administration has turned out to be a very unreliable messenger concerning the Coronavirus. As an example the trump administration's top economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, offered this gem: “Stocks look pretty cheap to me."
PLEASE. Can some real (and Honest) medical experts stand up and take charge?
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@Lalo: Kudlow got it exactly right. He, Trump, and every republican you know worships money far more than humanity. So yes - take financial advantage of the plague. That’s just common sense!
7
@Lalo “ The Trump administration has turned out to be a very unreliable messenger concerning the coronavirus”. Where have you been these past few years? The unreliability of trump was evident during the 2016 presidential campaign and the unreliability of his administration has been in full view for a couple of years.
5
@Lalo
17,000+ lies and misleading statements.
Would you or any other rational person tolerate such a record in a physician, contractor, employee, etc?
Gee, maybe we’re seeing why so many Trump voters are struggling economically.
World Meters Data - Italy has tested around 10,000 people. Currently around 1100 cases in a population of 60million. We are pretty tranquil as the health care system works and everyone can cooperate and call
the doctor. We get reports updated hourly by the Health Minister and others regarding the outbreak.
Sure there are some bumps and bothersome politics, but, we know what is going on. The reason Americans don’t come is because if they came down with the virus here (which has a really low probability), they would have to stay until cured.
USA has about 500 tested and around 70 cases from what I see on the World Meters data.
9
@Mary "The reason Americans don’t come is because if they came down with the virus here (which has a really low probability), they would have to stay until cured. "
~shoot, I bet a LOT of people (not just Americans) are postponing travel because even if they DON'T get sick, they might get cordoned off for weeks. Who needs it? better to just wait this out ....
@Mary
So how much would the medical bill be? How many thousands of dollar’s I don’t think sick peoples are going to go to the hospital. They will stay at home
So thank you everyone who believe the American public need not have health care
1
Maybe other countries around the world should ban incoming traffic from the U.S.A. until the dimension of the spread of the virus is understood. How many people are "really" infected in the U.S.A., where are the testing centers?
Italy has responded to the situation and has provided reliable datas and zones of containment , what about here?
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@miche Forget that! Corporations this country would have a fit if they were ordered to close business. Remember they have the same rights as people.
4
@miche Only Italy needs the American tourist. It’s sector is devastated.
1
@ATOM
Yep, another dark money PAC is sure to stop the virus.
It is unfortunate, but many comments in this section
are on the level of online Fox News users, tuning urgent and serious medical situation into political discussion on low intellectual level. Obviously Trump is absolutely the worst US President to deal with this situation, but the whole heath care system here is ill prepared to deal with it and we are talking here about decades of neglect.We are deluding ourselves if we think that vaccine or newly developed medication will deal with it, even if so , it will take few years to develop. I really feel that USA is uniquely unsuited to address epidemic of Covid-19 on many levels. CDC couldn’t figure out up till now that we need to test more people that several a week and that we are not a chosen nation and that virus may already be here. I don’t feel that local community institutions, hospitals, schools, clinics, urgent care units are adequately prepared for it or have developed meaningful guidelines to address the situation. On top of that people with mild symptoms will be reluctant to seek medical attention, and why should they if they are not even going to be tested, and will be spreading the infection. I work in a large hospital, which up till now didn’t give me any assurance, guidelines, information about anything related to Covid-19, with an exception of an email stating that we are expecting shortage of masks and other medical supplies!
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Contrary to your initial statement, I am consistently reassured by the caliber of reader comments chosen by their peers here at NYT. It gives me hope.
17
@Dr.MD
Yes, let's not talk about the number one impediment to implementing a workable solution.
2
@Dr.MD many commenters have set to explain that the most valuable contribution the federal government could make is to provide full coverage for any medical visits and diagnosis, and treatment of flu symptoms in addition to guaranteed paid time off work due to illness or flu, plus a guarantee of no job loss if you must miss work.
Most workers cannot afford to be ill. If they cannot take time off or have their bills covered, they will not seek treatment and simply perpetuate contagion.
1
Watching the news conference from Seattle, including State and County health officials and medical experts. The misinformation from the Trump political machine is staggering.
First, the decedent was a man, not a woman.
Second, although she appeared at the emergency room with severe respiratory distress, there is no evidence that she was originally a high-risk patient.
Third, this is not a "hoax", either scientifically or from the Democrats. The numbers are escalating and neither facts, science nor medical histories are being fudged. This is Trump's first opportunity to show some leadership and he dumps it on Pence, whom he will dispatch back to Indiana before he takes any responsibility for his own missteps.
Fourth, the decedent had nothing to do with the long-term care facility that features the outbreak among two dozen residents and care givers. Totally different.
It is pretty clear that Trump wants to minimize the danger--"it will be gone by April when the weather warms up"--and/or to place the problem beyond his responsibility by establishing travel bans to Italy, Korea, Iran and elsewhere. He mentioned the southern border, then walked that back, but it is clear he is floundering for excuses.
Trump is a crisis independent of the virus itself.
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@mihusky don't worry. The stock market will continue to plunge as Trump continues to mismanage this crisis. Eventually he'll put the scientists back in charge and fade into the orange woodwork. Though we may be at a 20 percent stock market drop and in a shock recession by then
4
@mihusky
I think we all know Donald is itching to use any excuse he can to close borders and bad foreigners. He threw in "the southern border" because he was giddy with the idea of another pretense of "protecting" the country from huddled masses yearning to breathe free. I can picture him with his Sharpie, eager to make his own map. Wait--I think Pompeo keeps one handy. Surely a stable genius wouldn't need the any countries to be identified by name. God, what a great press conference it would be. "Unlike any other, the likes of which the world has never seen."
6
@ARNP
Sorry for the typo, I meant "ban" foreigners.
3
China is responsible for the trillions in economic losses around the world. This is a strange and artificially created virus. The fact that children seem strangely unaffected, especially when they can mount a stronger immune response to any viral infection is indicative of an anomaly. To portray China as heroic in it’s response is an effort by their government to cover up their monumental failures in containment, cleanliness, hygiene and a disrespect towards their own citizens. This virus is something no human has been exposed to. There is no herd immunity. No one anywhere has ever seen it before. Hence all who are exposed to this virus will react to it. Some may react mildly, in others there will be a spectrum of effects as with any disease. So far it has behaved in an attenuated way. There is no point in avoiding the obvious, that the virus is there everywhere, so avoiding it is impossible. I suggest the larger and more serious numbers reflect the hygiene levels of a country. To keep the us safe in the USA, I suggest, we look at our personal and communal levels of hygiene. Only then can we, even if infected simply breeze through this organism. If the CDC had any presence of mind, they would be circulating simple posters for all public institutions. I suggest they should be cautioning susceptible people to take precautions to be extra hygienic and avoid large gatherings. The rest of us, need to eat healthy, take vitamins, hydrate, and avoid sharing food.
4
@Meena a) this is not an artificially created virus
b) vitamins are useless.
8
The virus, according to the scientific community, was not created in a lab but had been transmitted from bats to possibly a pangolin which was then consumed by a human in that market in Wuhan.
Your theory first took root in Dean Koontz’s novel, The Eyes of Darkness and it should stay fictional. Tom Cotton was merely repeating a dangerous fringe theory and that’s a highly irresponsible position for anyone in public office.
I do agree that good hygiene is monumental in fighting this virus. Keep washing hands, avoid physical contact and crowded places, wear a mask if you are coughing and/or sneezing, and pray hard for a vaccine.
4
@Meena I agree with some of your points, but I am curious where did you get the information about this virus being artificially created from? Breitbart news or Rush Limbaugh radio?
4
I’d be far more convinced I don’t need to worry if a doctor was telling me I’ll be fine. President Trump? Not so much.
21
Meanwhile, back in DC, the Republicans and most Democrats will continue to argue that we cannot afford Medicare for All, and the GOP will continue its mission to shrink government down to the size that they can drown it in a bathtub.
"I've got mine and the rest of you are on your own" is no way to run a country.
64
The taxpayers have supported the structure to protect us in these situations. So where is it? The Republicans are like renters who've moved into a house and are selling off everything that isn't nailed down
22
The state health officials are NOT controlled by the trump administration. We will have to get the truth from them.
11
@Teresa But under most administrations they relied on the CDC which has now been muzzled. I guess they can get answers from the WHO.
3
Covid 19 has already reached our shores, so restricting travel is akin to closing the barn door after the horse has escaped. While a direct comparison in number of cases & mortality to the Spanish flu that raged across the world may be off base, the lessons learned could be helpful.
20
Well, the novel coronavirus is here, but its spread could get far worse if people continue to come in from badly affected areas.
We New Yorkers ride New York City subways and continue to visit museums and other cultural institutions and to do our grocery shopping in crowded supermarkets, and we're used to crowds; but at some point perhaps less crowding might be a good thing, and Americans need to stop visiting other countries and vice versa.
I used to do a lot of traveling, and I am always glad to see foreign tourists in our wonderful city. But until we get a handle on this virus and a vaccine is available, perhaps we need to curtail some of the mingling.
I hate -- hate -- Donald Trump. But here he's not doing the wrong thing for once. Perhaps if I lived in a less crowded, less international city, I would, like you, be upset at Trump's directive.
10
It appears that the Government is preparing to deploy N-95 level masks beyond those needed for health care workers. Trump announced that we have on hand 40 million such masks now and will be manufacturing 35 million per month. The only way those numbers make sense (assuming he is not lying) is if wide scale distribution of masks is anticipated. This makes sense since Covid19 is primarily spread through the air. Why not make some of those high level masks available now to high risk people in areas where there is community spread?
11
@George Have you ever tried N-95? I did. I use N-95 respirator when taking care of patients with Tuberculosis or similar infectious diseases. Just had my mandatory "Fit Test " done and I know what size of mask to wear and how to wear it. Believe me, it is quite uncomfortable and you need to know how to properly use it. It is meant for healthcare professionals taking care of high risk patients, not for general population.
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@George N95s need to be fit to work. They're more than masks. They are considered respirators. Just airdropping millions of masks won't change the infection rate one iota. They need to be used properly.
5
@George
Since they need to be disposed daily, that's not probably just enough for health care workers.
4
It's alarming that the 1918 flu epidemic continued to spread through the summer months and accelerated the following fall and winter, contrary to the usual decline of seasonal flu as temperatures warm. If the current virus outbreak doesn't subside in the next couple of months, we're likely facing dire impacts on the U.S. health-care system and severe economic and social disruptions. In effect, covid-19 itself will likely decide our fate, regardless of mitigation attempts at containment. We should look to what happens in the southern hemisphere in the coming weeks (now in late summer) for clues to our future.
One hopes that career experts in the federal government won't be impeded by political hacks.
10
@fred It is my understanding that there were 3 waves of what is commonly called the 1919 flu epidemic. Yes, it started before 1919. And I think it lasted more than a 2-year period of time. Maybe 3 years. I'll have to check the internet again....
3
The first wave was in the spring of 1918, the most deadly second wave hit around October; the third wave was in 1919-20. I hope we don’t have something like that to look forward to!
1
Per the CDC, some new cases in Washington state are centered around a long-term care facility. Numerous residents and staffers showing symptoms. This could be tragic. Many vulnerable people in such a place.
76
People keep using the 1918 flu pandemic for comparison, but I wonder how directly useful those numbers are now. This was at a time before we had a regular flu vaccine, and I suspect that the quality of hospital treatment and support for seriously ill has gotten significantly better. The 19!8 pandemic is a good example of how deadly such a disease can be, but a direct comparison to flu today is probably not valid. It does provide a warning about the potential for covid19, since there is not yet a vaccine for it.
15
@Larry Figdill The value is not so much as a direct comparison, but as an example from which to compare and contrast (and hopefully see improvement) in our day and age. At that time US troops were stationed here in large numbers, but went back and forth, spreading the flu epidemic across continents without much awareness about how it was being spread. Let's accept that former epidemic's history to challenge us to do better now.
4
I would like to say: if, in 12-18 months, there is a safe and effective vaccine against coronavirus, I sincerely hope that after all the havoc coronavirus has wreaked, we don't hear the usual anti-vaccination noise we've gotten too used to hearing. No arm-flailing, pearl-clutching, kicking, or screaming over supposed causation/correlation unsupported by scientific evidence. (That's for the Andrew Wakefields and Jenny McCarthys of the world). I hope people will think harder about when they procrastinate on, decline, or otherwise fail to get the basic flu vaccine and other age-recommended vaccines. I hope the "anti-vaxx" crowd doesn't try to dissuade people from getting a coronavirus vaccine, because we may be stuck reliving this. I hope the uproar over vaccines that has taken root over the last 2 decades finally gives way to common sense recognition of the damage wrought when we have epidemics and pandemics. Maybe we learn something about the stakes in public health from Coronavirus and its toll on lives, health, peace of mind, healthcare facilities and infrastructure, businesses, and economies. I would venture a guess that people who lived during the prime days of measles and polio would agree with me.
118
BN. I hear all your points yet vaccine manufacturers are shielded from any liability for their products. Let’s hope that ends so people who are skeptical are converted Until that time they have a valid right to be doubters.
3
@Patrick.
As I understand it, vaccine manufacturers are shielded from some liability (not all) to induce them to make the ongoing investment in producing the vaccines. People with verified claims of serious harm or death attributed to a vaccine are provided redress by the US government. Such tragic cases are, fortunately, rare.
On a separate note, who else is shielded from liability for what they manufacture? Gun manufacturers, of course. And their product is designed to kill--in some cases, as many people and as quickly as possible. A lot of things need to change.
24
Right now watching Seattle/King County's public health staff giving press conference as more cases are showing up here. So much more reassuring to hear from them than from Trump's team. Good public communication is so essential.
Trump spread wrong information this morning: the death out here was a man, not a woman. How could they make such a very basic mistake in checking facts. Seriously.
238
@Mary two cases near Portland right now. But I believe our President, they’ll be cured in a few days, and the hoax will be over! Not.
17
@Mary
There’s very little anyone can do. Seattle with a huge homeless population could be in trouble.
5
@Mary
This is what they, the republicans, want. No federal involvement. Push responsibility down to state and local governments. Rather than a single, national respose we will have at least 50 and then county and city subsets. Sounds like a plan, what could go wrong?
5
First and foremost, condolences to her family and friends. When people become statistics, it becomes too easy to forget the suffering involved.
46
It doesn't square the administration's claims that the response has been very proactive and indeed aggressive. The outbreaks in Italy, South Korea and Iran have been growing all week. Why did he went until today for this travel advisories/restrictions when it should have been done earlier this week? This chasing the ball of string strategy does not inspire confidence.
40
How about requiring every airline provide face masks to every passenger on all flights, domestic and international.
They reduce transmission and to a lesser extent contagion.
15
@GW
How about sanity hand wipes, even more important.
2
@GW Because wearing a mask does not really prevent the contagion of the virus.
5
@GW Our Surgeon General thinks otherwise yet Pence has ordered 35 million masks from 3M. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/29/health/coronavirus-n95-face-masks.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage
3
So why isn’t Trump claiming the media exaggerated this woman’s death? Not that this can be avoided, but perhaps now we can understand the urgency of preparation recommended by WHO. A virus for which none of us have any natural immunity and which may be mutating as it progresses across the globe as influenza does, is a ticking time bomb. Please take precautions everyone. And if you don’t think your at risk, there are many of us who are, so keep that in mind.
44
@Terrance Neal
I agree. We do not want VP Pence sugarcoating the facts.
5
I want to know what the CDC knows and not what Washington is telling us. This virus is here and it is migrating. As a person of this country I am looking for sound advice and guidance, not political rhetoric for the next election.
304
@Charlie Yes there's a big ol' government cover up and conspiracy! You guessed it Charlie. Trump had come up with a strategy to secretly vaccinate all registered republicans and you're on to him and the CDC.
1
Go to the CDC’s website for factual information, and don’t believe anything that comes out of this maladministration. Good luck.
12
Experts are not allowed to speak without permission from Pence.
11
This is Trump's first crisis that is not self-inflicted or made-up, and he is is bungling it in spectacular fashion. His appointment of Pence to manage it signals he sees this as a political crisis, not a health crisis. This will be his Katrina and unfortunately people will die because of his administration's incompetence. When will his loyal followers wake up?
470
@Steve
Though by slashing funding and staff for public health and international aid, Donald most definitely did weaken our ability to combat and contain this virus. And he has jumped at opportunities left and right to ridicule and cast doubt on science, public funding of scientific research and actual experts in science and history. He wants his own "gut instinct" and self-promoting impulses to determine policy.
24
@Steve. With Pence being a big believer in God and Trump (maybe one and the same in his mind), I am awaiting Pence recommending prayer to keep the virus at bay.
16
@Steve He's bungling nothing, but perhaps to you not playing the victim and not rushing into a panic equals bungling. That's it huh Steve?
Trump's policy makes no sense whatsoever. Ban travel from Iran (500 cases), but only serious warning insofar as Italy is concerned (1,100 cases) or Japan (900 cases). Only a complete ban of all international travel will slow the disease spreading which is probably infeasible. Every day, people are crossing European boarders and getting on airplanes. Most people who are infected have mild symptoms and may be unaware they are contagious. It is ludicrous to suggest that selectivel restriction of travel from a few hotspots will minimize the problem. I'm afraid this is going to get a lot worse before it gets better.
83
@David
Better to slow rather than ban travel, I think. A ban will be circumvented by some. Smuggling is probably older than prostitution. While slowing travel provides for legitimate entry, with the ability to more effectively screen entrants.
1
@David
Same old, same old. This virus has given Trump the excuse to ban dark-skinned people more forcefully. Expect his travel bans to stay in place even after the threat diminishes.
13
@David : Heaven Forbid!! That would be Bad for the Economy...!!
Turns out the patient who died was a male, not a female, as Trump announced. Is it too much to ask of the president to have a basic detailed information about this crisis?
340
@Ran I guess he had to clear that release of info with Pence, who probably botched it.
18
@ Ran
Or to not speak if he isn’t certain? He erodes trust with every word.
24
@Ran
It is too much to expect Trump to have any real facts, about anything. He just makes it up as he goes, much too 'busy' for reality checks.
34
Wouldn’t it be comforting to know that every single person in America had some kind of health insurance right now?
And equally reassuring that even the undocumented wouldn’t be fearful about going to a hospital if they thought they might be sick?
Unfortunately neither is true! When both would be a godsend.
292
@Stephen
In Canada we have had socialized medicine for generations. Not sure why this freaks so many Americans out? We are not a communist country. I can go to the hospital and even the ICU without any payment out of pocket. I NEVER need to think that a trip to the hospital will cost me my house.
64
@Stephen
Hopefully the health insurance that folks do have will not treat this virus as "a new virus, thus requiring a new set of `protocols and medications' thus not being covered".
5
Covid-19 is in the US. Will travel restrictions help at this point? Not likely! As soon a the orange President appointed Mike Pence to to “lead” the response I made sure my will was in order. Whenever I get to the point where I think Trump can’t say anything more ignorant than things he has said in the past, I am again shocked when he opens his mouth.
Let’s try a comprehensive public health response led by scientists and Doctors.
150
Get Pence out of the picture if you want the public to be reassured. Put experts and scientists in charge of managing the near-pandemic. The world doesn't care who is loyal to Trump and who isn't. The people care about how safe they are with this threat hovering over them and people who know nothing are in charge of the management of the crisis. Get the scientists out on the Sunday morning talk shows instead of the Trump mouth pieces.
517
@MT W It's all about "Thoughts and Prayers" with this crowd and few can pray as effective a prayer as Pence can. Now all they need is someone who can handle the "Thoughts" part of the deal and we can all breathe easier.
28
@MT W
Oops, all the scientists and experts were let go/quit during the Trump admin. We have a few conspiracy theorists, climate-deniers and evangelicals on hand, though - will that do?
1
The only medical advice I would trust from the Trump are homeopathic remedies for bone spurs.
214
@T. Rivers I wouldn't even trust that.
8
@T. Rivers Sometimes we need to laugh. Thank you.
14
People complained when Trump suddenly shut the door to travelers from Asia. This time he acted more cautiously to avoid criticism and nonetheless you are complaining.
15
The first ban was rooted in racism. This ban is an effort to contain a worldwide illness.
You’ve now been educated.
132
Nonetheless, had he acted more quickly you’d say he was panicking. Fact.
1
Show your support. Go out in big crowds of people. Shake hands. This is a hoax by the fake news.
12
..Trump aims to calm the public..". More likely Trump aims to calm his base. Strutting around beating his breast at rallies and barking about keeping Chinese out wasn't so effective anymore since disease doing pretty well on its own, plus there are new groups of foreigners we can blame. Now he can strut around at rallies beating his breast about keeping Italians and Koreans out. May have been a brilliant move from a purely political standpoint and may have guaranteed his re-election.
23
@ellienyc
I was sort of hoping he would keep his rally going and see who shows up. Would he give his speeches in a glass enclosure?
9
How many has the administration already allowed in without precautions? But no worries, our newly appointed "Surgeon General," Mike Pence, a strong believer in science, will save us.
86
You meant Sturgeon General, right? I do see the fish resemblance in his eyes.
8
Trump looking at last weeks’ outbreak and slamming those barn doors.
In the meantime as a letter to the editor reminded me, re entry into the US at an airport requires at a minimum an hour in a big room filled with five hundred people—-AND YOU CANT LEAVE until the process is done. One sick person and hundreds may catch it.
126
Nonsense. Just arrived DFW from Mexico City. Everyone breezes through customs.
With the number of coronavirus cases expanding across the West Coast including the first U.S. fatality, how reassuring to learn that Trump has tightened travel restrictions on Iran! As they say, we can rest assured that the Commander-in-Chief is “closing the barn door now that the horse has escaped.” It’s time to unmuzzle the health care experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci at the National Institutes of Health and muzzle Trump and all his loyalist who are turning a scary situation into a panic of uncertainty with their irresponsible comments and ineffective actions.
128
@Paul Wortman, Fauci has been sworn to a vow of silence. Look at him (guy in the dark blue shirt) with his lips buttoned up. He had been giving regular reports on Public TV's "Newshour." I wonder what would happen if he broke his vow of silence and continued to give us messages of truth.
10
Oh, would that trump could be muzzled! How much drama/trauma the world would be spared! This is a man so needy for attention that he crashes weddings. Who does that?
8
@Paul Wortman so on point!
China: Source and origin of the virus, with tens of thousands of known cases, thousands of dead, likely manipulation of new cases for political gain --> no ban!
South Korea: Country with thousands of cases, maybe ten of thousands, with runaway increases daily --> no ban!
Japan: Country that carried out lax quarantine of ship, resulting in further infections and rampant community contagion --> no ban!
Iran, ban of course!
Mexico, ban in the works! (with no local cases there!)
Whelp. Jackson High School, where the student tested positive, is 3 miles from my house. My pregnant wife was just at Evergreen Health Hospital on Thursday for routine prenatal care. This is where the patient died today. Needless to say: “community transmission” just took on new meaning.
I thought we would have a few more weeks, maybe months...
Listen to the CDC folks. It’s time to prepare.
537
Best of luck to you and your family.
45
@Adam Fourney
I hope your family will be fine. How scary for you and your family.
30
@Adam Fourney
Best of luck to you and your family. We’re all in this together, but you have found yourself on the front lines. We are taking your advice, but also thinking of you, and others, who may have already exposed to this virus.
23
We need more answers. What is the cost to patients to get tested? Will we be bankrupted by hospital costs? Are private companies making test kits going to charge a bundle and profit off of the Coronavirus, and if so, won’t that make the epidemic worse? Most people do not have more than $400 in the bank for emergencies. Please get this straight.
261
@Sherry, First, don't panic. Only a small percentage of people get infected and of these only a small percentage get seriously ill and die. If you come down with a respiratory illness, go to an emergency room for testing. (It will likely be crowded.) If you test positive, you will be put in some sort of isolation in a hospital or at your home.
2
Was just reading story in NY Times about American evacuee from Wuhan who was first forced into quarantine in CA, then forced into hospital isolation when official heard his daughter cough. Neither he nor daughter has virus, and are out of quarantine, but still getting bills for thousands and thousands of dollars. Govt is said to be responsible, but apparently no known process for making that happen. so hospital and docs keep sending him bills in PA. How difficult could it be for US govt to set up procedure for this bill paying?
25
@Sherry Should be paid for by ALL of us through our taxes. Maybe forego a couple of those 34 billion dollar jets we use to bomb guys riding around in the desert in beat up toyota pickups.
14
Number of cases is getting confusing. Washington State is about to announce new local cases but CDC, being rightfully careful, won’t announce them until they do their own confirmation. Seems to be a good process but is causing a lot of angst out here.
26
@Mary Good process? The CDC can't do anything without Pence and his 'medical experts' approving what can be released to the public. The real medical professionals are being muzzled.
162
Let us pray that a whistle blower will come forward and tell it like it really is!
The following is from the report of the World Health Organization team that recently returned from a trip to China. How is the US measuring up?
“For countries with imported cases and/or outbreaks of COVID-19
1. Immediately activate the highest level of national Response Management protocols to ensure the all-of-government and all-of-society approach needed to contain COVID-19 with non-pharmaceutical public health measures;
2. Prioritize active, exhaustive case finding and immediate testing and isolation, painstaking contact tracing and rigorous quarantine of close contacts;
3. Fully educate the general public on the seriousness of COVID-19 and their role in preventing its spread;
4. Immediately expand surveillance to detect COVID-19 transmission chains, by testing all patients with atypical pneumonias, conducting screening in some patients with upper respiratory illnesses and/or recent COVID-19 exposure, and adding testing for the COVID-19 virus to existing surveillance systems (e.g. systems for influenza-like-illness and SARI); and
5. Conduct multi-sector scenario planning and simulations for the deployment of even more stringent measures to interrupt transmission chains as needed (e.g. the suspension of large-scale gatherings and the closure of schools and workplaces).”
So far I am not encouraged. The “all-of-society” and “all-of-government” approach that has shown some success in China seems pretty unlikely in this country, even if we were at our best.
72
@Lee Christopher The US is not shaping up so well. Much is forced onto state and local governments. Communication is severely affected by the requirement that all information pass through Pence (one of the stupidest ideas around). Trump continues to politicize it. Although he is starting to take the emergency more seriously. (He uncharacteristically mentioned that it wasn't a high priority to close the southern border because there wasn't much virus activity taking that route - something I wouldn't ever expect him to 1) realize and 2) admit.)
26
@Lee Christopher thanks for the excellent information, and for making it more widely publicized through this medium. More value able than anything from the Trump/Pence spin machine.
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So the tax breaks for companies and the rich are surely going to help us fight the virus, those stock buybacks will save us?
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Trump’s answer for everything.
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Is Trump a one trick pony?
Close the borders!
But the virus is already here.
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@EW
Not even closing the right borders. Iran gets slapped with an "extra" travel ban, and he wants to look into closing the Mexico border. Meanwhile, Italy and South Korea have very large numbers of cases but we are still allowing travel between the countries, just with medical screening?
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we know of at least two "tricks" from his hush money payments
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A feeble attempt to shut the barn door after the cow is already out. Or, in this case, after the cow is already in.
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Trump said that “healthy individuals” in the United States “should be able to fully recover” from the coronavirus. This means that the opposite is true.
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@Rod It's a shame the President has zero credibility. It's been a huge lie-fest with Spicer/Huckabee-Sanders/Pence and Trump. People have failed to recognize that it has been a game of Three-card Monte from the get go with the media acting as a convenient tout.
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And what if you are not a “healthy individual,” but one with a compromised immune system due to HIV? Does it make a different to Trump whether or not I recover. The fact that Pence is in charge of the Coronavirus effort gives me no reassurance. He would rather me die anyway.
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@R Stiegel Exactly. And to be fair, it's not just Trump who ignores people with chronic medical conditions, and not just people with HIV whose lives are devalued every time a public health reassurance is made regarding the risks of some contagion to "healthy individuals." There's a whole large swath of people who go through life with immune issues either from various medical conditions or from medications needed to treat a condition. And every time there's a public health issue it's like we don't exist.
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I listened to a few hours of the house oversight committee hearing. If this administration would brief us and the press on a more daily basis maybe our big crybaby wouldn't feel as if we were piling-on one news story upon another and the White House with daily briefings might control the truth as they see it.
Bring back daily White House press briefings and not these Raggedy Anne and Andy showcases.
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@Guy Walker
No thanks. We don't need the lies spun by the likes of Sean Spicer, Huckabee-Sanders and whatever the name is of the current "Press Secretary" who has never held a press briefing and doesn't deserve a salary.
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@nom de guerre
You subscribe the societal nauseum that gave us this president. Cutting your nose off to spite your face is prevalent within the beliefs that are weakening ties to the truth. Believing in democracy is believing in a forum to find an honest answer in observance even when information is bunk.
Truth prevails and will prevail within open forums.
Remember nom, it isn't just what they say, it is what they don't say. Making them talk exposes fakery.
Wait, Trump said it was a Hoax. Why would he restrict travel?
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@GW
The obvious meaning of what the administration is saying is that the hysteria and hyperventilating is political, and that the proper response to this is to not panic because it's not as big a threat as the media is making it out to be.
If you think being hysterical and blaming Trump, the GOP, and supporters for not sharing your hysteria is a winning ticket....by all means, play that hand and see who it works out.
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@John Brown: "... it's not as big a threat as the media is making it out to be."
Nearly 90,000 people worldwide have died from the virus. How can anyone allow themselves to be so ensconced in loyalty to trump that even basic reality is deemed a threat?
It's not so much the actual propaganda on Fox and a.m. radio that I question, but rather, how a disturbingly large swath of Americans are susceptible to it.
trump has turned public safety into a vanity project, with his own son blaring that Democrats are hoping the virus "kills millions" so that dad loses in 2020, and their supporters cheer.
As halting as it gets.
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@John Brown First, as one American to another, I hope you and your family stay healthy. I was wondering if you watched any or all of the president's rally in South Carolina last night. He went on a tear about the media and Democrats for starting a "hoax" of fear and hysteria about the coronavirus. Simple question John...why does this man need to mention the media or political party? Isn't this a health crisis for Americans? Why even utter the word "hoax" or Democrats? ? To rile up his fans to hate the media and Democrats even more? Talk about fear mongering!! I've talked to many people who are very concerned, even "hysterical" as you put it right now and you know what, I'm not sure what their political affiliation is. The Democrats don't own the market on hysteria or fear but the president sure likes to dish it out. We are all Americans, concerned and worried, some more than others. How about we just support each other! Stay healthy!!
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I'm glad he's taking action.
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@Tom J
Except his 'action' is like recommending "Don't play with matches" after the fire department arrives.
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@Tom J
Why is he taking action over a virus he claims is a hoax?
Well, I feel reassured. A middle class tax cut just touted by Trump will certainly cure a pandemic. There may be people who die but he’ll make sure it doesn’t affect the stock market
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@Slr That alone gives me hope for the future and a reason to live and to fight this will everything I've got. I'm praying to Mammon as much as I can afford to.
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@Sir
Yes, and people will die as a result of a thousand tax cuts.
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Universal access to low/no cost healthcare (such as Medicare for All) and guaranteed sick leave and family leave are things that might actually help in a pandemic. Good luck to all of us here in the US where such policies are regarded as frivolous and too costly and good luck to those who have fought against such policies (the person standing next to you in line at the supermarket may be harboring Coronavirus but can’t afford the time off work or the cost of treatment).
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