Coronavirus in the US

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Dr. Anthony Fauci: “There are no proven safe and effective therapies for the coronavirus”
CNN

An anti-malaria drug that was made available for coronavirus patients should not be viewed as a panacea, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said at CNN’s coronavirus town hall on Thursday.

Here’s what he said:

“Let me put it into perspective for the viewers, and perhaps we will understand it better. There are two drugs, very similar, they’ve been used for decades for malaria, as well for the treatment of autoimmune diseases like lupus. It is a very inexpensive drug, it is tried and true, it has been around for a long time,” Fauci explained.

“There has been anecdotal, non-proven, anecdotal data, that it works – when people give it to someone, it makes them better. But when you have an uncontrolled trial, you can never definitely say it works.”

“Today, there are no proven safe and effective therapies for the coronavirus,” Fauci said. “That doesn’t mean that we are not going to do everything we can to make things that even have a hint of efficacy more readily available, so long as you do it in the context of some sort of protocol that would take a look at getting information about safety and efficacy. But there is no magic drug out there right now.”

Peru announces its first coronavirus death
From CNNE’s Omar Fajardo and Tatiana Arias in Atlanta

Peru’s Ministry of Health announced the country’s first death due to novel coronavirus, according to a statement published late Thursday.

The victim was a 78-year-old man who also suffered from high blood pressure, the statement says.

There are 234 cases in the South American country, according to President Martin Vizcarra.

An ICE staffer in the US has tested positive for coronavirus
From CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez

A member of the medical administrative staff at an ICE detention center in the United States has tested positive for coronavirus.

ICE stands for Immigration and Customs Enforcement – and staffers at ICE are responsible for enforcing US immigration law.

The staff member works at the detention center in Elizabeth, New Jersey, according to a notification sent to Congress by ICE and obtained by CNN.

The staffer, who was under self-quarantine, is receiving treatment. ICE says no detainees or other staff at the facility are currently symptomatic. ICE also says that currently none of their detainees have confirmed cases of coronavirus.

New Jersey has more than 740 cases of coronavirus, including nine deaths.

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Dr. Anthony Fauci: This is why young people need to take coronavirus seriously
CNN

Young people need take the coronavirus outbreak seriously in order to avoid infecting those who may be more vulnerable to the virus, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the US National Institue of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and one of President Donald Trump’s key advisers on the pandemic, explained at CNN’s town hall.

Here’s how he explained it:

We are getting more and more information that someone can transmit even when they are asymptomatic. So in order to protect oneself, society and particularly the vulnerable people, we’ve really got to adhere to the physical separation. You know them well now: avoiding crowds, stay out of bars, stay out of restaurants, stay out of places where there is a congregation of people. And particularly, individuals who are elderly, or individuals who have an underlying condition, should essentially self-isolate themselves for the time being in order to shield themselves from what might be an innocent, unintended, inadvertent transmission.

That’s a message I would really like to get out, particularly to the younger people who may not take it seriously. I mean, I just think back when I was young, I kind of felt like I was invulnerable – you know, well I’ll do fine. But it’s not just you, it’s you and society and the people that are vulnerable. So please cooperate, we are going through a very difficult, unprecedented time right now.

New Orleans is offering drive-through coronavirus testing. Not everyone can access it

New Orleans – the biggest city in Louisiana – is offering drive-through coronavirus testing at two locations.

But not everyone will qualify – only first responders and healthcare workers can get tested.

Louisiana has more than 380 cases, including 10 deaths. New Orleans has the largest number of positive coronavirus cases in the the state.

When does it start? The testing sites will be open seven days a week, beginning Friday, March 20.

Who can get tested? For now, the sites will only test healthcare facility workers and first responders who are symptomatic. According to a news release: “These individuals are working around the clock to provide care, compassion and safety to residents, and are at high risk for exposure and spread. As availability allows, testing criteria may be expanded beyond the initial pilot program.”

How will it work? Individuals will be required to remain in their vehicles and to provide identification, health insurance information and a healthcare facility employee or first responder badge. Staff in full medical protective gear will check the individual’s temperature with a no-touch thermometer and use a nasal swab to take a sample. Test results will be given by phone within three to five days. (CNN)

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To any who are blithely ignoring the “shelter in place” suggestions /orders of authorities- consider this:
We should NOT behave as though we’re trying to NOT catch the virus, rather we SHOULD act as if we DO HAVE the virus and we’re trying to NOT to transmit it!!!
so shelter in place and save lives!!!

don’t act like Alfred Newman of Mad magazine -an attitude of “what me worry?” will KILL others.

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Town hall: What’s the situation in Italy?
CNN

CNN contributor and Daily Beast Rome Bureau Chief Barbie Nadeau is tuning into the town hall from the Italian capital, where she’s been covering the outbreak.

Italy on Thursday surpassed China for the most number of deaths related to COVID-19. Italy now has 41,035 cases and 3,405 deaths, making it the deadliest center of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Healthcare services overwhelmed: “It has been getting much worse. If you think you have a ruptured appendix, you break your leg, you don’t know if you’ll be able to go to the doctor. Our dentists are closed, doctors are closed. We have no medical care right now. Unless it is on a real emergency basis. Even then, people are afraid that if they go into an emergency room that they will contract the virus,” Nadeau said.

Staying home: “It is time to rip off the band-aid and make everyone stay at home. People are walking their dogs, but you see the same dog with 4 or 5 different people through the day. In the grocery store, people are buying one banana, or sack of potatoes at the time. People are not necessarily thinking the way they need to be thinking.”

Town hall: Can you contract the coronavirus through food packaging?
Question: Zofia Scully, a communications executive, asked if someone who works in a restaurant has the virus – but is not aware they have it – then comes in contact with the food or the packaging, is it then possible for the person receiving the food to catch the virus?

Answer: CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Dr. Celine Gounder, a CNN medical analyst and professor at New York University, both agreed that the biggest risk is contracting the virus from whoever is delivering the food.

“You’re not going to get it from the food,” Gupta said.
Gupta said when he and his family have been ordering food, they’ve been taking it out of the packaging on the porch, wiping down any surfaces of any remaining packaging, then washing their hands.

Gounder said the “highest-risk” moment is the “face-to-face” interaction.

“Ideally, you would be able to pay them online, tip them online on whatever platform you’re using for ordering food and then have them leave it outside your door,” she said.

Why this matters: Restaurants around the globe have closed their doors, either voluntarily or due to orders from government. Many have switched to a delivery-only model and use third-party services like Uber Eats or Deliveroo. Some of them are now offering users the option of asking delivery people to leave the food outside their doors.

The US state of Vermont announces its first coronavirus-related deaths

Two people from Vermont who tested positive for the coronavirus have died, the state’s governor and health commissioner announced.

Both died Thursday and were “very elderly,” Health Commissioner Mark Levine said. They were the first coronavirus-related deaths in the state.

One was from Windsor County and treated at the Veterans Affairs Hospital, officials said. The woman lived at The Burlington Health and Rehab nursing home.

“There is no doubt this is sad for all of us, but it’s not unexpected news,” Governor Phil Scott said.

“I know some are feeling very scared, worried, overwhelmed,” Scott added. “I want you all to know we will get through this. At times like this, Vermonters rise to the occasion, we help our neighbors and we get creative. We will get through this and we will do it together.”

When asked about whether Vermont has enough hospital beds, ventilators and other medical equipment to deal with a possible surge of patients in the future, Levine noted, “If there’s a scenario we’re planning for, it’s a worst-case scenario.”

“These deaths – and I hope we will experience no more – highlight how extremely important it is for all of us, young and old, to take extra care to protect those most vulnerable to serious illness,” Levine added.

More than 20 people have been diagnosed with coronavirus in Vermont. (CNN)

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City and County of Los Angeles just announced “Safer at Home” (shelter in place) rule that takes effect at 11:59pm tonight. Non-essential travel/services ban.

https://corona-virus.la/faq:

Source: City of Los Angeles.

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I agree, @menloparkmom. We’re finding out very clearly who is selfish and who is selfless these days.

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City and County of Los Angeles just announced “Safer at Home” (shelter in place) rule that takes effect at 11:59pm tonight. Non-essential travel/services ban.

source: City of Los Angeles.

its about time!!!

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Given the apparent dire need for medical equipment, it might be worth exploring whether an auction site should be set up where people and companies can legally sell their masks, respirators and other medical equipment that might be useful.

The possibility of windfall profits will bring out supply, at least whatever is available. You never know what is out there until the price is allowed to rise to clear the market for an item in question.

Moreover, the auction process removes any taint of “gouging”. Each price is set by the customer not the supplier. Any seller who remains morally troubled by receiving a good price for an item she has auctioned can of course donate the windfall profit to charity.

It seems silly for everyone to complain that the federal government should be providing all this stuff to the states. They do not own any factories, have no industry people, most bureaucrats have no idea how to meet a demand curve, specialized multibillion dollar agencies like the CDC had no idea to prepare for something like this… In the short term, the federal government would just look to buy the equipment from the same places that the states do, with of course another layer of added inefficiencies and political considerations regarding resource allocation.

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The US state of Illinois plans to test more than 2,000 people a day

The state of Illinois can now test more than 1,000 people a day for coronavirus, the state’s governor J.B. Pritzker said in a press conference Thursday afternoon.

In a few days, they’ll be able to do more than 2,000, he said.

As the state’s testing abilities grow, the governor expects the case count will continue to grow. “The tests are only discovering people who have the virus,” Pritzker said.

More than 420 people have been diagnosed with coronavirus in the state, and four have died.

Addressing what he called “rumors," Pritzker said, “essential services will not close, interstates, highways and bridges will stay open.”

“Grocery stories, pharmacies and gas stations will continue to operate,” he said. “We will never shut these services down.” CNN

Mexico’s ambassador to the US is in self-quarantine
From CNN’s From Jennifer Hansler

The Mexican ambassador to the US, Martha Barcena, said Thursday that she was self-quarantining after meeting with Republican congressman Mario Diaz-Balart last week.

This week, Diaz Balart became one of the first members of Congress to test positive for coronavirus.

Barcena said she took the Covid-19 test today and feels fine.

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Photos of British Columbians gathering in big numbers at Kitsilano Beach and Whistler show they have much to learn about social distancing.

"They were told to stay home, to practice social distancing.

Instead, they started to gather. On Vancouver’s Kitsilano Beach. On a frozen lake in Whistler, by the hundreds. In my local playground.

The messages in Canada this week about the need to stay at home and socially distance ourselves to curtail the spread of Covid-19, from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau down through every level of government, has been loud, clear and ignored by a portion of the population in British Columbia.

Judging from the empty streets, businesses and workplaces in Vancouver, most people are following the advice. But not everyone."

GOOD GRIEF! And here I thought my fellow Canadians were smarter than this!!!
these pictures are infuriating!!!

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3076034/coronavirus-go-home-vancouver-stay-home-covid-19

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Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R GA) Dumped Millions in Stock After Coronavirus Briefing

https://www.thedailybeast.com/sen-kelly-loeffler-dumped-millions-in-stock-after-coronavirus-briefing?ref=wrap

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A large drive-through testing facility for Covid 19 is opening at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ (Monmouth County). The other large testing facility is in Bergen County, up until now the source of the most number of cases.

https://www.nj.com/coronavirus/2020/03/coronavirus-updates-nj-cases-jump-to-more-than-400-5-deaths-mass-testing-site-to-open-everything-you-need-to-know-03182020.html

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Town hall: Increased contact tracing can help save lives in this crisis

CNN’s Anderson Cooper and Chief Medical Correspondent Sanjay Gupta speak to Mike Ryan, director of the World Health Organization’s Health Emergencies Program about the US’ capacity to test for the coronavirus and do contact tracing.

Learning from Italy: “I think other countries really, really need to step up and learn the lessons that are being learned in Italy right now. We have to push this virus back. It’s not just enough to do social distancing. It’s good to have that, it’s great to separate people, but we have to be able to go after the virus,” Ryan said.

Tailoring responses: “You’ve got 50 states. You’ve got a different situation in each of those states. And you need to tailor the responses in each of those states. And if you’ve got a chance you need to go after the virus. And contact tracing and isolation of cases is still a strategy that can be used,” Ryan said.

Question on problems with testing in US: “If you don’t test people, you don’t know they’re positive. Therefore, they may be positive and you don’t have time to contact trace them because you don’t know they have it,” Cooper said.

Need to identify cases: “It’s really important we identify all confirmed cases. We need to test suspected cases. We need those cases to be isolated, and it is difficult in a very intense environment. It’s difficult to do the kind of detailed contact tracing. In Ebola, at the peak of the outbreak, we were tracing 25,000 contacts a day in the middle of a war zone. It is possible to do contact tracing even under the most difficult circumstances, but it does require a real scale-up in public health capacity. And where that can be done and the virus can be pushed back, we can save lives,” Ryan said.

India prohibits export of masks and ventilators
From CNN’s Vedika Sud in New Delhi

The Indian government has prohibited the export of masks, ventilators and raw textile materials for masks and coveralls.

India’s Minister of Commerce, Piyush Goyal, confirmed the news in a tweet, and said the action has been taken in a “bid to utilize the nation’s resources for the well being of Indian citizens.”

The news comes a day after the country issued fresh guidelines, banning all international commercial passenger flights from landing in India from March 22.

The directive will be in place for a week.

What other measures is India taking? The Indian government is directing state governments to advise citizens above 65 and children below 10 to stay home. This excludes public representatives, medical professionals and government employees.

States have also been requested to enforce work from home for private sector employees, except those working in emergency or essential services.

There are more than 190 confirmed cases in India and four deaths.

People in San Francisco are heeding advice to stay home. It’s different at a Georgia spring break hot spot

CNN’s Dan Simon and Gary Tuchman joined the coronavirus town hall from San Francisco and Georgia’s St. Simons Island.

Things were very different in the two locations.

The scene in San Francisco: “What police are looking for, is they want voluntary compliance. And I have to tell you, for the most part, they’re getting it,” Simon said.

The city’s busiest districts and streets are very empty. People can go outside to get groceries or grab fresh air – as some were seen doing behind Simon on the city’s shoreline looking out toward the Golden Gate Bridge.

The scene in St. Simons: Things are much different in Georgia’s beach towns, which are popular spring break destinations, according to Tuchman.

Bars and restaurants were still open tonight.

“The major partying will take place after 10-11 o’clock tonight. And the beaches, they are crowded,” Tuchman said.

Tuchman said a minority of beachgoers were attempting to distance themselves, but most were not.

“It’s not just college students. There were also families, children, and I saw many people in their 70s and 80s,” he said.

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I am venting, but I am not surprised by human nature. Yes, there are many, many selfish people.

In other news, Gov. Newsom has just issued a state-wide stay-at-home order for California residents.

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A tax credit? What if you don’t need to file taxes this year because you had zero income in 2019? But you had income in 2018?

Just send checks.

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Sen. Loeffler’s husband is chair of the New York Stock Exchange. Wow.

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Why do I have the feeling this is all just the tip of the iceberg?

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Yes. That would make the most sense. Alas…

Oh and those who made under something like 2500 get a reduced amount. And if you didn’t file taxes…

Seriously, just cut a check. Screw the means testing and all that. It’s pennies in the long run and needing to apply and prove that you’re “worthy” sucks up resources that we could be using to get out to people quickly.

I truly, from the bottom of my heart, could not care less about millionaires and billionaires getting an extra 1k+ from the government. They get that anyway in tax credits the rest of us will never even look at. I care about getting those checks out ASAP so people can eat and not miss their rent.

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All of California now on “Safer at home” order

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According to Forensic News, Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson dumped $5 million to $25 million of stock in a manufacturing company tied to his family on March 2.