CR: COVID-19 --Political Talk

[JimmyJames 12,271]

6 minutes ago, Francisco 2.0 said:

Since I didn't watch the presser, and didn't go back through this thread....this happened:

 

 

 

This is why I cut off trump pressers when the lies start flowing. My currently normal blood pressure, with the help of Losartan, stops working. 

[Mrs Whiggins 13,050]

2 minutes ago, BrickHorn said:

Once again, Democrats quickly get to the right answer while Republicans waste precious time advocating for dumb shit, fighting the truth, and generally being disruptive loudmouth oafs.  The GOP is the class dunce of political parties.  And the amazing thing is: they never fucking learn.  You’d think that after being wrong about damned near everything for their entire existence, they’d snap out of it one day and say “This time I’m listening to liberals.  They’re always right.”

I guess @Brisketexan finally came around.  So maybe there’s hope?

You haven’t lurked on TexAgs or Tiger droppings in awhile have you? 
 

 

[Bullneck 19,178]

8 minutes ago, Francisco 2.0 said:

Since I didn't watch the presser, and didn't go back through this thread....this happened:

 

 

 

Ho. Lee. Shit.

[TwiceHorn 31,498]

20 minutes ago, 4th&Five said:

 

Biden, at the earliest opportunity, should be waving a copy of that document around and figuratively pounding it up The Donald's ginormous ass.

[JimmyJames 12,271]

5 minutes ago, mdmost said:

I live in East Dallas, man. One guy works at Children's f'ing Hospital. 

Well I hear there’s a lot of black people in East Dallas so that might help explain things. 

[TwiceHorn 31,498]

4 minutes ago, Bullneck said:

Ho. Lee. Shit.

What's really amazing is that putting people back on the streets in April is not going to rebound the economy.  The damage is done.

[Mrs Whiggins 13,050]

13 minutes ago, Francisco 2.0 said:

Since I didn't watch the presser, and didn't go back through this thread....this happened:

 

Secretary didn’t even blink. 

 

 

[Francisco 2.0 32,395]

1 minute ago, TwiceHorn said:

What's really amazing is that putting people back on the streets in April is not going to rebound the economy.  The damage is done.

 

Yep.   He'll "open" the country on Easter, and then when there's no word that GM or Ford have started assembling vehicles once again, or the market just flounders around, he will point the finger at blue state governors, the media and the "experts" at destroying "his" economy.  And that will be his rallying call until Election Day.

 

 

[zork 629]

8 minutes ago, BrickHorn said:

Once again, Democrats quickly get to the right answer while Republicans waste precious time advocating for dumb shit, fighting the truth, and generally being disruptive loudmouth oafs.  The GOP is the class dunce of political parties.  And the amazing thing is: they never fucking learn.  You’d think that after being wrong about damned near everything for their entire existence, they’d snap out of it one day and say “This time I’m listening to liberals.  They’re always right.”

I guess @Brisketexan finally came around.  So maybe there’s hope?

Finally cut by 1/4 on 3-24-20?  

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/24/nyregion/coronavirus-nyc-mta-cuts-.html

[JimmyJames 12,271]

9 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

What's really amazing is that putting people back on the streets in April is not going to rebound the economy.  The damage is done.

This. It’s amazing that people don’t realize this but for understandable reasons people want to believe it and the government tells them otherwise to try to hasten the recovery. Because capital wants labor back to work so the party can keep rolling on. That’s the way it works. 

What this virus and trump’s bungling of it have done will have generations lasting consequences. The sooner off we realize that the better off we all will be. 

Edited March 26, 2020 by JimmyJames

[triplehorn 2,664]

39 minutes ago, triplehorn said:

I wonder if you look more closely, if lower CFR is due to rapid early detection/diagnosis and medication cocktail initiation.  Germany seems like they'd be all over the medication application side of this.  I've considered from the start of this that early treatment before complications form (pneumonia) is likely key to better outcomes.  I'd really like to see if there's a difference with GER there.

The frank lack of testing availability combined with prolonged turnaround for results will probably pin the US as having the worst CFR's among advanced nations, all told.  Uncoupled from average case age or relative population health, I expect that countries like Germany and SoKo will have the best CFR's due to mass testing with rapid results turnaround and early initiation of treatment.  Germany was slower than expected to shut it all down, but they quickly ramped up testing and may have jumped fast with meds application. Again want to know more about the existence of GER rapid/early diagnosis linked to medication intervention.  We know SoKo has done a really good job with their testing program in every respect and they had med cocktails going from the jump likely due to learning what China was attempting through early collaboration.  Too soon to know, but watch for this.  Our national testing debacle is beyond deadly.

[bad_teammate 13,218]

Bernie telling the Republicans to suck all flavors of shit. Love it.

 

[EMAWesome 101]

1 hour ago, cactusflinthead said:

Negged for saying shit with nothing to back it up. Fuck off. 

He got a rally bump. He's still unpopular. 

However, compared with typical rally-around-the-flag effects that follow national crises, these gains are fairly meager. For instance, Bush’s approval rating improved from 51 percent to 86 percent following the September 11 attacks, and Carter’s approval rating nearly doubled in 1979 in the immediate wake of the Iran hostage crisis. (Granted, both of their ratings declined sharply from there.) But Trump is also not seeing nearly as much of an approval rating bounce as other leaders in Western countries, such as Italy’s Giuseppe Conte, France’s Emmanuel Macron, and the UK’s Boris Johnson. So it’s not clear that a small approval rating gain is a bullish sign for Trump.

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/trumps-reelection-may-hinge-on-the-economy-and-coronavirus/

Go to Real Clear Politics (I'd give the link but I've already read my 3 allowed articles per day there without turning off my Ad Blocker.)

Question 12 here

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TofJVeuCbZN8cRGBN97kWGqhO6tlQ7VA/view

[Mrs Whiggins 13,050]

3 minutes ago, JimmyJames said:

This. It’s amazing that people don’t realize this but for understandable reasons people want to believe it and the government tells them otherwise to try to hasten the recovery. Because capital wants labor back to work so the party can keep rolling on. That’s the way it works. 

What this virus and trump’s bungling of it have done will have generations lasting consequences. The sooner off we realize that the better off we all will be. 

The policy decisions (tariffs & tax cuts, etc) did not exactly place the country in a good position from which to begin to confront a pandemic either. 

[cactusflinthead 27,601]

2 minutes ago, EMAWesome said:

Go to Real Clear Politics (I'd give the link but I've already read my 3 allowed articles per day there without turning off my Ad Blocker.)

Question 12 here

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TofJVeuCbZN8cRGBN97kWGqhO6tlQ7VA/view

Yeah, I even participated in the YouGov poll. Care to address what Nate has to say? 

 

[cactusflinthead 27,601]

5 minutes ago, bad_teammate said:

Bernie telling the Republicans to suck all flavors of shit. Love it.

 

It's where he's best. I refrained from posting the SC campaign post-mortem because we got bigger fish to fry. But, when I saw his quote earlier that he was ready with guns loaded, it reminded me of why I still kinda like the angry old man.

[cactusflinthead 27,601]

16 minutes ago, zork said:

Finally cut by 1/4 on 3-24-20?  

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/24/nyregion/coronavirus-nyc-mta-cuts-.html

Is it boring over in the DT thread?

Is no one answering your questions there?

 

[Hugo Stiglitz 23,367]

One month ago...

 

[Goredho 17,409]

30 minutes ago, BrickHorn said:

Once again, Democrats quickly get to the right answer while Republicans waste precious time advocating for dumb shit, fighting the truth, and generally being disruptive loudmouth oafs.  The GOP is the class dunce of political parties.  And the amazing thing is: they never fucking learn.  You’d think that after being wrong about damned near everything for their entire existence, they’d snap out of it one day and say “This time I’m listening to liberals.  They’re always right.”

I guess @Brisketexan finally came around.  So maybe there’s hope?

I think its that they have a different definition of "right" and "success" and that it does not have anything to do with what is to the benefit of the majority of Americans.

[ChickenSandwich 9,843]

 

[Mrs Whiggins 13,050]

1 hour ago, Mrs Whiggins said:

Ok. Now do the briefings w/o Drs Fauci, Birx, and Giroir for a week as a control. 
 

Then watch the market and polls and then report the results. Perhaps then a discussion might be more fruitful. 

I’m going to quote myself from a few pages back. Question #12 on who do you trust? CDC 82% and Medical professionals 88%. 

[zork 629]

 

1 minute ago, cactusflinthead said:

Is it boring over in the DT thread?

Is no one answering your questions there?

 

Seems NYC still isn't taking it seriously.  Don't you agree?

[Pasken 1,309]

5 minutes ago, longhornmatt said:

So ... are you saying those Democrats were all correct, like Trump?  Or that they were at one time 3 weeks ago equally as retarded and wrong as Trump before they (unlike Trump) opened their eyes? 

Pretty sure none of them get reports for the federal intelligence agencies. 

[JimmyJames 12,271]

8 minutes ago, Hugo Stiglitz said:

One month ago...

 

Anyone who listens to Larry Kudlow about anything is a fucking idiot. 

In 2007 he was calling the economy the”Goldilocks economy.” I guess meaning not too hot and not too cold. If I was invested in the stock market, I would use his proclamations as the opposite of what you should do. 

[zork 629]

1 minute ago, longhornmatt said:

Is it really that important to you to stick it to the libs that you think this makes sense?

I searched on google to see when the nyc subway had been shut down after Brickhorn's post.  Because surely the Dems would be taking it seriously in NYC. 

The article I posted, that it was finally shut down by 1/4 yesterday, was a bit of a shock.  Why is it still open at all given the severity and necessity to shelter at home?  Are they disinfecting every time the doors open?

How is it sticking it to anyone except the leadership that is in a catch 22 on the topic against a virus that is asymptomatic for days while still being contagious and having a dense population that depends on vast miles of tight, sometimes dirty, public transport trains that run all day. (still, save 1/4 of the time)

[Hank Scorpio 17,729]

Great work. Keep us updated on your research. 

[Pancho 44,860]

 

[cactusflinthead 27,601]

17 minutes ago, zork said:

 

Seems NYC still isn't taking it seriously.  Don't you agree?

Answer my questions and I'll tell you mine

[zork 629]

1 minute ago, cactusflinthead said:

Answer my questions and I'll tell you mine

Are you talking about the DT thread question?  I read both, post some on both(DT and CR).  I've got a lot of time to read presently.  

[F250 28,784]

38 minutes ago, bad_teammate said:

Bernie telling the Republicans to suck all flavors of shit. Love it.

 

That's an Al Pacino "I'd take a flame-thrower to this place" level rebuke.

America needs more of this.

 

[triplehorn 2,664]

13 minutes ago, Pancho said:

 

It's a perfect storm of unpreparedness (mentally and materially), incompetence and lack of leadership at the top to recognize and act as a nation, and sheer size of our population.

On a positive note in that thread:

 

[Shut up Lou Holtz 2,045]

New stimulus package would be a tremendous help for folks in my position. The increase in unemployment benefits would be huge. 
 

But this douche nozzle Graham wants to prevent that  

This bill pays you more not to work than if you were working,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.). He, along with a few others, attempted to amend the legislation.

 

Fuck that piece of shit with rusty pole. The wife and I losing jobs to this situation while pregnant is insanely stressful. And then a jackass senator (he’s always been a piece of shit I know I know) wants to put me in a position to possibly lose my house  fuck him and the gop  

 

 

[Mrs Whiggins 13,050]

38 minutes ago, zork said:

 

Seems NYC still isn't taking it seriously.  Don't you agree?

Are you suggesting that NYC use the estimated $1 billion in stimulus funding to buy bicycles? Relocate the city to Wyoming? The subway isn’t ideal, but the population is over 8.5 million people so for the portion of the workforce that is still required to work, it’s probably how they’re going to do it. 

[cactusflinthead 27,601]

22 minutes ago, zork said:

Are you talking about the DT thread question?  I read both, post some on both(DT and CR).  I've got a lot of time to read presently.  

Second question is unanswered.  I'll repeat it. You say that you read there in the DT thread. Is there no one to answer your questions there?

[zork 629]

Just now, cactusflinthead said:

Second question is unanswered.  I'll repeat it. You say that you read there in the DT thread. Is there no one to answer your questions there?

Who did I originally ask the question of and where was he posting?  That is the answer, I guess, not that I can see why you are asking.  I post where I want and generally don't tell others where and when they should.  Pretty obtuse, man.

 

[zork 629]

1 minute ago, Mrs Whiggins said:

Are you suggesting that NYC use the estimated $1 billion in stimulus funding to buy bicycles? Relocate the city to Wyoming? The subway isn’t ideal, but the population is over 8.5 million people so for the portion of the workforce that is still required to work, it’s probably how they’re going to do it. 

Are they doing the required 6' between people at all times?  Since the virus can live for days on most surfaces how can they expect to keep it under control?

[Bama Chick 28,596]

The “Healthcare structure in NYC is poor and that’s why they’re in trouble” argument is actual bullshittery.

If you want to see poor healthcare structures, look no than red states like Alabama and Texas, who refused to expand Medicaid during the Obama administration for no other reason than pure political spite.

In my county alone, 3 small community hospitals have been shuttered in the last 10 years. Now my hometown hospital where I’m still going to work is the only hospital in the entire county.

Those small community hospitals weren’t UAB or Vandy or anything like that but they were an excellent for triage and stabilization of patients.

All over this state our beds per capita has been dropping because those small hospitals couldn’t survive without the revenue from Medicaid patients.

And it’s only getting worse.

The financial crisis for America’s rural hospitals is getting worse.

A new report from the Chartis Center for Rural Health puts the situation in dire terms: 2019 was the worst year for rural hospital closures this decade, with 19 hospitals in rural America shutting their doors. Nearly one out of every four open rural hospitals has early warning signs that indicate they are also at risk of closing in the near future.

Since 2010, 120 rural hospitals have closed, according to University of North Carolina researchers. And today, 453 of the 1,844 rural hospitals still operating across the country should be considered vulnerable for closure.

The Chartis researchers sought to identify key risk factors that precipitated rural hospital closures and then used those indicators to project which hospitals are at risk of closing soon. Some of the criteria was obvious, like changes in revenue or how many beds are occupied on average.

But there was one other leading indicator that has an obvious political explanation and which should be entirely avoidable: whether the hospital is in a state that expanded Medicaid under Obamacare.

According to Chartis, being in a Medicaid expansion state decreases by 62 percent the likelihood of a rural hospital closing. Conversely, being in a non-expansion state makes it more likely a rural hospital will close.

The states that have experienced the most rural hospital closures over the last 10 years (Texas, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Georgia, Alabama, and Missouri) have all refused to expand Medicaid through the 2010 health care law. It seems their rural hospitals are paying the price. Of the 216 hospitals that Chartis says are most vulnerable to closure, 75 percent are in non-expansion states. Those 216 hospitals have an operating margin of negative 8.6 percent.

Research has consistently shown Medicaid expansion improves hospitals’ financial performance by reducing the amount of uncompensated care. The only question is by how much, as Medicaid payments can sometimes not be enough to match the cost of providing care to Medicaid patients, which can partially offset the savings in uncompensated care.

Studies demonstrate that Medicaid expansion has significantly improved hospital operating margins and financial performance. A study published in January 2018 found that Medicaid expansion was associated with improved hospital financial performance and significant reductions in the probability of hospital closure, especially in rural areas and areas with higher pre-ACA uninsured rates. Another analysis found that expansion’s effects on margins were strongest for small hospitals, for-profit and non-federal-government-operated hospitals, and hospitals located in non-metropolitan areas. A third study found larger expansion-related improvements in operating margins for public (compared to nonprofit or for-profit) hospitals and rural (compared to nonrural) hospitals.
As you can see, the consistent conclusion is that Medicaid expansion is particularly helpful for rural hospitals. And yet a state like Texas, where more than half of its rural hospitals are vulnerable to closure, still refuses to accept the generous federal funding that covers 90 percent of the costs for Medicaid expansion.

Hospitals have always been among the biggest advocates of Medicaid expansion. In some states, they’ve even been willing to chip in by paying new fees or taxes to cover the state’s 10 percent share of the expansion costs. It’s worth it to them because of the new federal funding that will come in and pad their bottom lines.

The problems for rural hospitals are bigger than Medicaid expansion. By definition, these are facilities that serve smaller populations that often have unique challenges in accessing primary care that can stave off bigger health problems (which are more expensive to treat once they get to the hospital). According to the Chartis researchers, the simple age of the physical hospital building is a risk factor for closure.

But some of those problems are just a byproduct of providing health care in rural communities. States had a choice about expanding Medicaid, and so far, 14 states have rejected the offer. They’ve left 2.3 million people uninsured.

And they are putting the future of their rural hospitals at risk.

Georgiana Mayor Jerome Antone remains perplexed over what will become of his small Alabama Black Belt community after the hospital closed in February.

Gone were 100 jobs, and the tax base that came with having a hospital operating in the city for 60 years. Only about a half-dozen businesses remain in the city where the median household income is below $20,000 a year.

“When you are city like Georgiana, we don’t have any tax dollars at all,” said Antone. “We really and truly hated that the hospital closed

The closure didn’t come as a huge surprise: The medical center was hemorrhaging red ink, and millions had been lost the previous year alone because of the number of uninsured patients arriving to the complex in search of care.

The Georgiana Medical Center became the 13th rural hospital casualty in Alabama since 2011, but most likely not the last. A whopping 88 percent of rural hospitals are operating in the red, meaning revenues received for patient care are not enough to cover the cost of providing care.

‘Advantages’

The main culprit for the closure, according to the state’s hospital association, is the inactivity in Montgomery when it comes to investing into an expansion of Medicaid. Estimates this year pegged the state’s costs at $168 million to expand Medicaid to cover more than 300,000 uninsured Alabamians who often rely upon a cash-strapped hospital to pay for their basic health needs.

The Legislature appears likely to, once again, forgo an investment into expanding Medicaid that has been possible since the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as “Obamacare,” was adopted in 2011. Alabama remains one of 13 states – mostly concentrated in the South – declining to accept Medicaid expansion under the ACA.

The notion has long irked the Alabama Hospital Association, which estimates an expansion would provide an additional $11.4 billion in economic impact to Alabama over a four-year period. An influx of new funding, the association estimates, would more than make up for the initial $168 million investment and $25 million that would be required each year thereafter.

The group also draws a correlation between states opting not to expand Medicaid and rural hospital closures. The U.S. Government Accountability Office estimates about half the rural hospitals are located in states which chose not to expand Medicaid. Of the rural hospital closures between 2013-2017, 83 percent are located in non-expanding states, according to the GAO.

“So many states have taken advantage of this and seen the positives on health care,” said Danne Howard, executive vice president and chief policy officer with the Alabama Hospital Association, who believes the objections to expanding Medicaid are more financial than based on past concerns over politics stemming from Barack Obama’s presidency.

“Where do you get the $168 million for the first year?” said Howard. “Absent new revenue, we don’t have $168 million and there has not been a big appetite for revenue-raising measures since the gas tax passed. That was a hefty lift for the governor’s office, so the questions are now, ‘Where do we find the money?’”

‘Funding not there’

It’s a question that is going unanswered in Montgomery, and likely won’t be part of a negotiation involving prison reform. A special session is a possibility for the fall, but would likely focus on addressing the U.S. Department of Justice’s concerns over the horrific conditions of the state’s prisons.

State Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster, and a leading proponent of prison reform, said in multiple meetings he’s had with Ivey’s administration, the issue of lumping Medicaid expansion with prison reform has not materialized.

‘Healthy Alabama Plan’

The Hospital Association is calling its push for Medicaid expansion, “A Healthy Alabama Plan,” and is utilizing the website alhealthmatters.com, to provide information about the benefits of expansion.

The group’s analysis breaks down the effect in regions throughout the state: Jefferson County would realize a $298.6 million economic boost by expanding Medicaid, and would allow an additional 37,351 adults to be eligible for health care.

In Mobile County, the effect would be an extra $260.5 million, and an estimated 30,785 adults eligible for health insurance.

The statistics stood out to Mobile City Council Vice-President Levon Manzie, who recently urged his council colleagues to back a resolution in support for the hospital association’s plan. Mobile became the first city in the state to pass a resolution effectively encouraging the expansion of Medicaid under Obamacare.

“If the health care crisis in Alabama continues, which is reflected in being at or near the bottom of every health care indicator, I would imagine local governments will have to take a more active role in addressing this issue,” said Maddox, the mayor of Tuscaloosa.

Glenn Sisk, CEO of Coosa River Medical Center in Sylacauga, said that more cities and counties following Mobile’s lead will elevate the urgency about the issue in Montgomery.

“It will assist the legislative leaders in understanding that people who provide local leadership see the value of a healthy health care system,” said Sisk. “I haven’t heard of anyone else doing that, but it’s given me the idea locally to pursue the same.”

[Gengs1 2,583]

You’ll need to admin that Republicans just don’t give a shit about fellow Americans unless said it’s for them to make money off.

 

they are ready to send kids to war in a heartbeat, you’ll forgot Iraq and Afghanistan and how it was easy for them to just send troops 

[TwiceHorn 31,498]

45 minutes ago, Pasken said:

Pretty sure none of them get reports for the federal intelligence agencies. 

This is very key.  No state has or should have a department or agency dedicated to detecting or responding to national or global disease or disaster.

While states and local governments may be the first line of defense in such an outbreak, they need solid, candid advice from the federal government to proceed wisely.  It should be a joint effort.

NYC fucked up, especially that clown DiBlasio talking shit on March 2.  But NY and NYC authorities took their cues from the Dotard and shouldn't be expected to have better information on the virus/pandemic than the feds.

[henrygandorf 29,192]

are people really posting instagram posts from 7 weeks ago to prove that dems weren't taking it seriously?  nice leadership shown from the federal level i guess.

good god this place sometimes.

[Nice Guy Eddie 13,515]

Mississippi governor is the anti-Abbott.  After their worst day of new cases, he decided to override any municipality that restricts most businesses. Basically everyone is in business except gyms or movie theaters. Mayors are unable to set other essential business rules.

[TwiceHorn 31,498]

6 minutes ago, Bama Chick said:

The “Healthcare structure in NYC is poor and that’s why they’re in trouble” argument is actual bullshittery.

If you want to see poor healthcare structures, look no than red states like Alabama and Texas, who refused to expand Medicaid during the Obama administration for no other reason than pure political spite.

In my county alone, 3 small community hospitals have been shuttered in the last 10 years. Now my hometown hospital where I’m still going to work is the only hospital in the entire county.

Those small community hospitals weren’t UAB or Vandy or anything like that but they were an excellent for triage and stabilization of patients.

All over this state our beds per capita has been dropping because those small hospitals couldn’t survive without the revenue from Medicaid patients.

And it’s only getting worse.
 

 

 

 

I didn't realize Medicaid could be the difference between survival and closure for a rural hospital, but I guess it makes sense.  Old ugly is better than old nuthin.

[cactusflinthead 27,601]

7 minutes ago, zork said:

Who did I originally ask the question of and where was he posting?  That is the answer, I guess, not that I can see why you are asking.  I post where I want and generally don't tell others where and when they should.  Pretty obtuse, man.

 

Not obtuse. You turned up here this afternoon with a string of your typical questions. None of which has contributed much. 

Since you decline to answer a simple yes or no question. I'm going to go back to scrolling past you.

Later tater.

[Disco Strangler 1,878]

42 minutes ago, triplehorn said:

The frank lack of testing availability combined with prolonged turnaround for results will probably pin the US as having the worst CFR's among advanced nations, all told.  Uncoupled from average case age or relative population health, I expect that countries like Germany and SoKo will have the best CFR's due to mass testing with rapid results turnaround and early initiation of treatment.  Germany was slower than expected to shut it all down, but they quickly ramped up testing and may have jumped fast with meds application. Again want to know more about the existence of GER rapid/early diagnosis linked to medication intervention.  We know SoKo has done a really good job with their testing program in every respect and they had med cocktails going from the jump likely due to learning what China was attempting through early collaboration.  Too soon to know, but watch for this.  Our national testing debacle is beyond deadly.

Foreshadowing:  Early news - Chinese virus, wet market issues, I made jokes about “bat soup” on 1/19  (MLK weekend 2020) . . .  It was a story onTV then.

The Setting: The moment in time that we rejected WHO tests, setting the course of a multi-week delay until CDC developed tests.

Conclusion:   First Trump “daily” press conference - “We have 5 MILLION ‘Chinese virus’ tests rar’ing to go . . . and we will test err body”

[Opie Cunningham / Narrator:   They didn’t . . .]

Shocker / real story:  Why did we forego the WHO tests and decide that we would go our own way with new CDC tests?  Who was at that meeting?   What was the strategy?

Prediction:  The journalist answering this issue wins the Pulitzer   (Quote me when this happens)

[Mrs Whiggins 13,050]

4 minutes ago, zork said:

Are they doing the required 6' between people at all times?  Since the virus can live for days on most surfaces how can they expect to keep it under control?

Well, I hope so. I also hope the folks in my community will stop finding various ways to violate the physical distance and numbers of people guidelines by hosting playdate and practices and workouts but I’m not holding my breath. 

[zork 629]

2 minutes ago, longhornmatt said:

You’re right.  I don’t think anyone in New York is taking any measures or acting like this is a problem at all.   That’s all you see on the news is Cuomo and all the rest just being completely blasé about the coronavirus in New York.   You’ve cracked the case!

And while we’re at it, what is up with the medical personnel and essential services people leaving their homes to work?  You’d think doctors and nurses of all people would respect the shelter in place orders.  Crazy New Yorkers!

Nope, just that it is reasonable to expect this virus to spread given what we know now.  NYC is in an untenable situation with having so many people who depend on otherwise great public transportation being a shitty alternative with a virus such as we are facing.  NYC didn't bring the virus to itself.  And unless the Chinese government/military messaging is correct, vs the US federal messaging, the USA didn't bring the virus here either.  

BTW, I don't see you correcting those attacking Trump for unwinnable situations he has faced with perfect answers now available in hindsight.  Hindsight is a bitch for all in a situation like this.

[Al Bundy's Napoleon Hand 13,585]

1 hour ago, ChickenSandwich said:

 

I like the synchronization of this with the Bernie post. While being accused of over-hyping the threat, Dems were actually underplaying it, much like Bernie who in many regards is to the right of Eisenhower economically, is characterized as a radical leftist.

[Bama Chick 28,596]

I didn't realize Medicaid could be the difference between survival and closure for a rural hospital, but I guess it makes sense.  Old ugly is better than old nuthin.

Yep and the ironic flip side is that it in turn puts added stress on the bigger hospitals that do survive because it lowers their average rate of reimbursement and lowers the beds per capita.

And it forces primary care and other basic care out of those rural areas because there’s no hospital support.

And Alabama has the lowest Medicare reimbursement rate in the country to boot.

The lack of Medicaid expansion has been devastating to rural communities in the south.

[Mrs Whiggins 13,050]

4 minutes ago, Disco Strangler said:

Foreshadowing:  Early news - Chinese virus, wet market issues, I made jokes about “bat soup” on 1/19  (MLK weekend 2020) . . .  It was a story onTV then.

The Setting: The moment in time that we rejected WHO tests, setting the course of a multi-week delay until CDC developed tests.

Conclusion:   First Trump “daily” press conference - “We have 5 MILLION ‘Chinese virus’ tests rar’ing to go . . . and we will test err body”

[Opie Cunningham / Narrator:   They didn’t . . .]

Shocker / real story:  Why did we forego the WHO tests and decide that we would go our own way with new CDC tests?  Who was at that meeting?   What was the strategy?

Prediction:  The journalist answering this issue wins the Pulitzer   (Quote me when this happens)

Find the woman who held the CDC telecall for  the press. She might have some answers if she wasn’t fired already. 

[cactusflinthead 27,601]

7 minutes ago, Disco Strangler said:

Foreshadowing:  Early news - Chinese virus, wet market issues, I made jokes about “bat soup” on 1/19  (MLK weekend 2020) . . .  It was a story onTV then.

The Setting: The moment in time that we rejected WHO tests, setting the course of a multi-week delay until CDC developed tests.

Conclusion:   First Trump “daily” press conference - “We have 5 MILLION ‘Chinese virus’ tests rar’ing to go . . . and we will test err body”

[Opie Cunningham / Narrator:   They didn’t . . .]

Shocker / real story:  Why did we forego the WHO tests and decide that we would go our own way with new CDC tests?  Who was at that meeting?   What was the strategy?

Prediction:  The journalist answering this issue wins the Pulitzer   (Quote me when this happens)

Prelude: scramble disease response team. Dismantling of programs. Departure of many. Drain the swamp through the filter of Bolton's mustache. Like the gaping maw of Salazar Slytherin.