The way South Korea handled its Covid-19 outbreak is the way most responsible scientists and doctors recommend that it be done. Test, trace and isolate. As many people as possible are tested, when a positive person is found all those he or she had recently been in contact with and are tested, and those found with the virus are taken to isolation areas where they cannot spread the virus to another. That is the best way to handle it.
South Korea reported 9,241 cases and 131 deaths. It seems to have it under control.
China has reported 81,782 cases and 3,291 deaths. It seems to have it under control. Although the origin of the problem, its fear is now from the outside. It has banned foreigners from entering its shores.
The United States in part thanks to the governors has asked people to stay in their homes. Trump has not asked anything of the people other than they keep a socially respectable distance of six feet away from each other. Each night on television Trump presents a rosy picture which makes me think of the band leader of the Titantic playing away as the ship sinks. Predictions by some are that the ship the United States is sinking.
For some strange reason our number of cases has not resulted in the number of deaths that other European countries have felt. Some have suggested it is because our hospitals were on top of it in the beginning we avoided the worst but now that they are reaching full capacity their ability to protect the people inflicted with this disease has declined.
Obviously we have long since passed the time when we can take the best approach as South Korea has done. But right now in more than half of the United States we are taking no approach at all. People are acting as if nothing is afoot. In my walk today I saw four teenagers playing some game, another four running together, and several couples standing and chatting very close to each other. Here in Massachusetts we are supposed to be staying in our homes but that is not happening. What then is the result when Trump doesn’t take the virus seriously as he still speaks of the wonderful Easter Sunday when the threat of the virus will be gone and much of the nation follows the leaders direction.
The United States now has more cases than anyone else in the world with 83,782. Our death toll is at 1,209 at this writing is less than only Italy, Spain, China, Iran and France who have had a head start on us. Italy and Spain have seen over 600 deaths a day.
Here’s my figures from the past two days: March 24 around 9 p.m. 706 deaths; March 25 around 9:00 p.m. 942 deaths; March 26 at the same time 1,209. Tuesday to Wednesday an increase of 236; Wednesday to Thursday an increase of 267. Fortunately we are not seeing the increases other countries have experienced but what is there that say we won’t. We haven’t even taken the measures that Italy has imposed on its people in many parts of the nation.
It’s the same virus there as here. Yet we go along willy-nilly being assured by Trump that we can start going back to work and Easter sunrise will be a day of rejoicing.
Trump and his followers have mentioned this is no worse than the flu or the auto deaths in our nation. Did any of those ever overwhelm our hospitals? Did any of those send our doctors and nurses and health care workers home sick in such a number? In Massachusetts we have over 100 of them out sick with the virus.What we are going through is something that will leave a scar on our nation. Trump ignoring it will only make the scar deeper and the deaths higher.
The worst of it is that the states are now competing against each other and the U.S. government for certain health equipment. A decent president would stop this immediately. The U.S. government would take over for everyone and supply it. Only the most obtuse of presidents would encourage competition among the states for life saving equipment.
I know of one veteran National Health Service Officer who brings a lot to the table and could help-strictly as a consultant.
As Bob Dylan once said “ a hard rain is going to fall “
A couple of weeks ago I reinterviewed Bill Ayers at Colby College
where he was teaching during January break.
A story appeared today in the New Yorker about the DA for San Francisco
Chesa Boudin.His mom and dad are serving life sentences.
Bill Ayers adopted Chesa when his parents went to prison
See
https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-local-correspondents/chesa-boudin-on-his-incarcerated-father-and-the-threat-of-the-coronavirus-in-prisons?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=e65478eb-295d-4d92-9c53-2009711d3674
Chesa Boudin on His Incarcerated Father and the Threat of the Coronavirus in Prisons
By Jennifer Gonnerma
Ed Tatro sent me a email today with a link to Bob Dylan’s new song
He included the lyrics for the new song about the JFK assassination.
Here is the link and a few of the lyrics
LYRICS: Bob Dylan Releases 17-Minute Song About JFK Assassination
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1009&v=3NbQkyvbw18&feature=emb_logo
Twas a dark day in Dallas, November ’63
A day that will live on in infamy
President Kennedy was a-ridin’ high
Good day to be livin’ and a good day to die
Being led to the slaughter like a sacrificial lamb
He said, “Wait a minute, boys, you know who I am?”
“Of course we do. We know who you are.”
Then they blew off his head while he was still in the car
Shot down like a dog in broad daylight
Was a matter of timing and the timing was right
You got unpaid debts; we’ve come to collect
We’re gonna kill you with hatred; without any respect
We’ll mock you and shock you and we’ll put it in your face
We’ve already got someone here to take your place
The day they blew out the brains of the king
Thousands were watching; no one saw a thing
It happened so quickly, so quick, by surprise
Right there in front of everyone’s eyes
Greatest magic trick ever under the sun
Perfectly executed, skillfully done
Wolfman, oh wolfman, oh wolfman howl
Rub-a-dub-dub, it’s a murder most foul
Hush, little children. You’ll understand
The Beatles are comin’; they’re gonna hold your hand
Slide down the banister, go get your coat
Ferry ‘cross the Mersey and go for the throat
There’s three bums comin’ all dressed in rags
Pick up the pieces and lower the flags
I’m going to Woodstock; it’s the Aquarian Age
Then I’ll go to Altamont and sit near the stage
Put your head out the window; let the good times roll
There’s a party going on behind the Grassy Knoll
Stack up the bricks, pour the cement
Don’t say Dallas don’
Here’s something I could support: Mandatory Quarantines for People Coming from Hot Spots: “The Rhode Island State Police and National Guard will be enforcing mandatory quarantines on people who come to the state from New York.
Anyone who enters RI through passenger vehicle, train or bus must provide their information to law enforcement and self quarantine for two weeks — as well as anyone who has been to New York in the last two weeks.”
File under the rubric: Only the ox is consistent.
Here is something I could support.
Where can I get copies of Bill ‘s W2 forms?
https://truthout.org/category/op-ed/
OP-ED ECONOMY & LABOR
To Confront Coronavirus, We Need an Emergency Wealth Tax
For the uneducated and uneducable….
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/03/27/822407626/mystery-in-wuhan-recovered-coronavirus-patients-test-negative-then-positive
THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS
Mystery In Wuhan: Recovered Coronavirus Patients Test Negative …
March 27, 20209:28 AM ET
https://thenextweb.com/neural/2020/03/25/snowden-warns-the-surveillance-states-were-creating-now-will-outlast-the-coronavirus/
Snowden warns: The surveillance states we’re creating now will outlast the coronavirus
Temporary security measures can soon become permanent
The Governor of Rhode Island is insane. There are many remedies available to other, socially monolithic societies that are not palatable to this country, and shouldn’t be.
Bill would you agree to testing all distance travelers prior to allowing them out to them general population? Especially those arriving from “hot zones”?
The expert’s comments:
The government “system” could not hold a candle to the private sector on coronavirus testing, Dr. Anthony Fauci explained Thursday during an Instagram story interview with NBA star Steph Curry, which is why the U.S. has seen a drastic uptick in accurate and widespread test kits available.
“We have hundreds of thousands of tests that are out there now, mostly because we got the private sector involved, of the companies who know how to make it well, make large amounts,” Fauci told the Golden State Warriors player.
Wanting to know what the holdup is to those tests being available “to the masses,” Fauci said there shouldn’t be anything now.
“Originally, the system, the way it was set up, Steph, was not geared to this kind of massive capability of instantaneously, safely getting a test, getting it done in a really good period of time – not days and days, but hours,” he explained.
“Right now, the system is changed, predominately because it’s being handed over to the commercial firms who know how to do it,” he added. “It started off as a public health measure from the CDC, it now needs to be, and is being handed off to, the commercial group.”
The numbers will probably peak right around Easter. NYC alone may have 1000 deaths per day.
Comparing Bonespurs to Hitler is totally unfair. Comparing his most ardent followers to the German people that stood behind his every move without question is accurate in many ways.
As Reagan said there you go again. Federal prosecutors in Boston withheld exculpatory evidence in the college admission scandal case. They with held FBI agent Fitzpatrick’s exculpatory evidence in the Connolly case in Florida. They falsely charged the Probation officers as did AG Coakley, and 21 year old Swartz. The biggest criminals in New England and the major threat to our liberties are in the U S Attorney’s office in Boston. Corrupt to the core. See the Townhall story.
I’m not doubting a word of it, Mc, but; Why? Why do they do it?
That should read “nc “ not Mc.
Yesterday Governor Cuomo expressed hope because cases were dropping in New York City. Two days ago he expressed hope because cases were dropping in Westchester County.
Doctors Fauci and Birz at Trump’s news conferences have expressed hope. Have you listened to those experts?
Is President Trump’s team doing a good job? Sixty percent of Americans say, Yes, according to the latest Gallup Poll.
Do you know about the four hospitals being built in New York, the Hospital Ship coming to New York, the amount of protective equipment sent to New York? Do you know Governor Cuomo said there is no shortage of Personal Protective Equipment? (A spokesman for the nurses association said he shouldn’t have said that, but her complaint seems to be that in the future there may be shortages. Anecdotal stories of shortages are oftentimes misleading and mostly quickly disputed by hospital administrators.
Yes, the Trump Administration, the Governors, the Colleges and Universities are all doing a good job.
THE GOOD NEWS: Health officials reported late Thursday that New York City had added 3,101 new confirmed coronavirus cases since the same time on Wednesday, bringing the total to 23,112. By comparison, more than 4,400 new cases were added from Tuesday to Wednesday.” So 1,300 fewer cases in NYC, that is why Cuomo expressed “a glimmer of hope”. And he pointed out that Westchester County, which had the first cases of the virus in New York, has seen a significant slowdown in the number of new infections. “In Westchester we have dramatically slowed what was an exponential increase,” he said
“Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House’s coronavirus response coordinator and a public health expert, expressed concern that infected New Yorkers, many of whom have fled the city, might exacerbate the disease in less hard-hit areas.
“Everybody who was in New York should be self-quarantining for the next 14 days to ensure that the virus doesn’t spread to others, no matter where they have gone, whether it’s Florida, North Carolina, or out to the far, far reaches of Long Island,” Birx said.”
What would you suggest, Matt, we arrest New Yorkers heading to Cape Cod, we shoot them, we arrest teenagers congregating in public, we impose martial law, we nationalize American industries?
Or do we do it the American Way. By Volunteers and the Good Will of the American People. In 1775, the folks at Concord and Lexington were all volunteers. We’ve had an all-volunteer military since 1974. Governor Cuomo commended the tens of thousands of retired medical personnel and students who have volunteered to buttress New York’s Hospitals and Health Care Systems, including 4,000 voluntary Mental Health Professionals manning telephones.
So, yes, President Trump’s Administration is doing a very good job and 60% of Americans agree.