Coronavirus thread

[T. D.]

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-01/white-house-slams-fauci-after-recent-comments-on-pandemic

[Mandryka]

]

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-01/white-house-slams-fauci-after-recent-comments-on-pandemic

Deere said Fauci was "choosing to criticize the president in the media and make his political leanings known by praising the president's opponent — exactly what the American people have come to expect from The Swamp."

What is The Swamp?

[T. D.]

]
What is The Swamp?

Not au courant with GOP-speak, but I think "The Swamp", which Cheeto Mussolini promised in 2016 to drain, refers to the entrenched Washington bureaucracy (not clear to me whether that includes lobbyists, since I doubt the GOP dislikes them  ). In Cheeto-speak, this often has morphed into the "Deep State", meaning the elements of said Swamp that are (via conspiracy, of course) working against him. I'm surprised Atlas didn't invoke "Deep State".

[T. D.]

This item (from CNBC) is bizarre. Atlas on Russian TV?

White House advisor Scott Atlas goes on Russia-controlled TV to criticize "lockdowns"

White House health advisor Dr. Scott Atlas appeared on Russia's state-controlled television channel, RT, on Saturday and downplayed concerns about the pandemic.

Atlas said that the "lockdowns," which he defined as including the process of testing asymptomatic individuals and isolating positive tests and quarantining possible cases, were "killing people." He also said he was "proud to be an outlier," responding to a comment from Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Atlas has become a controversial figure during the pandemic, with former colleagues from Stanford criticizing him in an open letter and Twitter deleting a post of his about masks for being "misleading."

NBC News reported in September that Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield said of Atlas that "everything he says is false."

The Kremlin-backed RT is also viewed suspiciously by many amid concerns about foreign election interference. U.S. intelligence officials said in a 2017 report that RT "seeks to influence politics, fuel discontent in US."

— Jesse Pound

[Karl Henning]

'A whole lot of hurt': Fauci warns of covid-19 surge, offers blunt assessment of Trump's response

[T. D.]

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-01/u-k-increased-covid-s-spread-by-subsidizing-diners-study-finds

The U.K.'s Eat-Out-to-Help-Out program, hailed as an economic cure for its ailing restaurant industry, may have substantially worsened the pandemic, research showed.

The government spent 500 million pounds ($647 million) subsidizing the cost of restaurant meals and non-alcoholic drinks by as much as 50% in August, even after evidence had emerged that Covid-19 could easily spread in hospitality settings, a study from the University of Warwick found.

The program succeeded in filling tables and getting cash into the hands of hospitality businesses, but may be responsible for 8% to 17% of all U.K. coronavirus cases during the summer, as well as asymptomatic infections that may have helped drive an explosive second wave of the pandemic, said Thiemo Fetzer, an associate professor of economics and a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics.

[T. D.]

From Bloomberg News:

Trump to Host Party at White House on Election Night (1:59 pm.)
Trump intends to throw an election night party in the East Room of the White House, and his advisers have discussed inviting around 400 people to attend, according to a person familiar with the plans.


The president's team initially wanted to host an event at the nearby Trump International Hotel, but city rules capping indoor gatherings at 50 people due to the coronavirus pandemic foiled that plans.

The alternative, a large White House party, was reported earlier by the New York Times.

The event raises concerns about another potential virus outbreak at the White House. Health experts, including leading U.S. infectious disease specialist Anthony Fauci, said a Sept. 26 ceremony for Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett was a super-spreader event. The event was held outdoors but attendees also mingled inside the White House. Several were later infected, including the president and first lady. It's not clear, however, how the first couple contracted the virus.

The White House didn't comment. Spokespeople for the Trump campaign didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. -- Mario Parker

[Tom 1960]

While Maine has performed well with a small total amount of cases versus the rest of the country, there has been a serious uptick in cases the past week. Nearly triple previous daily averages.  While 103 daily cases Friday is very small, it is the largest of the pandemic.  Outstanding cases are at a peak level also.  The governor is reconsidering the reopening of bars scheduled for Nov. 2 and tightening restrictions on large gatherings.

[Karl Henning]

While Maine has performed well with a small total amount of cases versus the rest of the country, there has been a serious uptick in cases the past week. Nearly triple previous daily averages.  While 103 daily cases Friday is very small, it is the largest of the pandemic.  Outstanding cases are at a peak level also.  The governor is reconsidering the reopening of bars scheduled for Nov. 2 and tightening restrictions on large gatherings.

Stay safe, Tom!

[Tom 1960]

Stay safe, Tom!

Thanks Karl! You as well.

[T. D.]

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-01/trump-adviser-atlas-apologizes-over-interview-to-russian-agency

One of President Donald Trump's top medical advisers issued an apology on Sunday for giving an interview to a Russian news agency that's registered as a foreign agent in the U.S.


Scott Atlas, a physician and one-time Fox commentator who rose to the president's inner circle after repeatedly downplaying the risk of the coronavirus, issued an apology Sunday, in particular to U.S. national security officials.


In the interview with RT, formerly known as Russia Today, Atlas was deeply critical of lockdown measures and also criticized U.S. media for its portrayal of the pandemic.

"The lockdowns will go down as an epic failure of public policy," he told the Russian agency. U.S. public health officials are "killing people with their fear-inducing shutdown policies."


Atlas also said that deaths in Asia are lower than the U.S. not because of public health measures, but because of what he termed higher existing immunity in countries like South Korea to the novel coronavirus because of previous viruses in the region.

[Karl Henning]

Look, Mitya! Another useful idiot!

[flyingdutchman]

And now Trump (Dump) tells us he'll fire Fauci.

[Karl Henning]

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Massachusetts rose by 725 on Monday, the Department of Public Health reported.

Monday's daily figure was below 1,000 for the first time in more than a week. The latest case tally brings the state total to 156,385, the state reported.

The death toll from confirmed cases rose by nine to 9,797.

[vandermolen]

Lockdown No.2 here on Thursday. However, this time the schools will remain open, so I should avoid having to teach my classes 'online' whilst my wife accidentally locks herself in the bathroom and screams 'LET ME OUT OF HERE' whilst I try to teach them about Life in Victorian Britain.

On a separate note I will be thinking of you lot in the USA today and hoping that things will pass off peacefully.

[Karl Henning]

Lockdown No.2 here on Thursday. However, this time the schools will remain open, so I should avoid having to teach my classes 'online' whilst my wife accidentally locks herself in the bathroom and screams 'LET ME OUT OF HERE' whilst I try to teach them about Life in Victorian Britain.

On a separate note I will be thinking of you lot in the USA today and hoping that things will pass off peacefully.

Stay safe, Jeffrey!

[vandermolen]

Stay safe, Jeffrey!

Thank you Karl!

[MusicTurner]

Denmark is the World's largest producer of mink furs, and it's now been decided to euthanize the complete stock consisting of millions, in order to avoid virus mutations among them, that could also endanger future vaccine efficiency. There's a production of almost 18 mio furs per year, but it's under conditions that can't be described as animal-friendly.

[T. D.]

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/04/north-dakota-man-who-died-of-covid-19-wins-seat-in-state-legislature.html

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Lockdown No.2 here on Thursday. However, this time the schools will remain open, so I should avoid having to teach my classes 'online' whilst my wife accidentally locks herself in the bathroom and screams 'LET ME OUT OF HERE' whilst I try to teach them about Life in Victorian Britain.

On a separate note I will be thinking of you lot in the USA today and hoping that things will pass off peacefully.

Take care Jeffrey!

Well, hopefully we will know the results in a few days?  Maybe longer?  And who knows whether or not there will be challenges in court?  Finger's crossed here--for peace in particular and trying to find a way to come together again as a country.

PD