Corona Virus: It's a Marathon, Not a Sprint

Zaxxon · Post by **Zaxxon** » Fri Apr 10, 2020 9:50 am

malchior wrote: Fri Apr 10, 2020 9:37 amOur politics are horrible to a degree I didn't think was possible. It is getting worse and worse.

As always, we the people are the problem.

raydude · Post by **raydude** » Fri Apr 10, 2020 11:09 am

Maybe we can ask This guy and his followers if he could help bury them and conduct a ceremony for them. If he and several hundred of his friends don't get sick then great!

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Fri Apr 10, 2020 11:09 am

As always, we the people are the problem.

True. But right now Trump is the manifestation of the people. He's like Gozer the Destructor, Volguus Zildrohar, the Traveller of our failed democracy. More to the point, he's a disgrace:

https://twitter.com/SamanthaJPower/stat ... 8166799362

Trump has put in place a de facto hold on funds to the @who, requiring agencies to obtain what appears to be ⁦@WhiteHouse⁩ clearance, which will cause needless delays & mean cuts at the worst possible time. A thread on why this is sheer madness:

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Fri Apr 10, 2020 11:16 am

Zaxxon wrote: Fri Apr 10, 2020 9:50 am
malchior wrote: Fri Apr 10, 2020 9:37 amOur politics are horrible to a degree I didn't think was possible. It is getting worse and worse.
As always, we the people are the problem.

Cult expert explains how Trump's mind-control cult trained his followers to believe no one but him.

Donald Trump fits the stereotypical profile of all destructive cults. These traits include malignant narcissism. Trump can easily be compared to Jim Jones, Sun Myung Moon, and other cult leaders. Trump always had a cult of personality around him in terms of his businesses and his social interactions with people. But once Trump attained the presidency, he took over the Republican Party and instituted a fiefdom where he rewards loyalty and punishes anyone who displeases him.

As for definitions, a "destructive cult" is an authoritarian pyramid-structured group with someone at the top who claims to know all things and says God is working through him or her. Trump does that as well. Donald Trump is also trying to control people's behavior, the information they have access to, and their thoughts and emotions, to make them dependent and obedient and under his control. Consider the novel coronavirus pandemic and how Trump has all these followers who do not trust real experts and only take what Trump says to be true. Trump's followers also don't believe in science and medicine.

If you just can't understand their mindset and why they are impervious to all facts and logic, it's an enlightening read.

Zaxxon · Post by **Zaxxon** » Fri Apr 10, 2020 11:19 am

Smoove_B wrote: Fri Apr 10, 2020 11:09 am
As always, we the people are the problem.
...right now Trump is the manifestation of the people.

That's exactly my point. As awful as Trump is, he is doing what a significant portion of 'us' want done. Remember, in any sane world his approval right now is well below 10%, headed toward 0%. The fact that it's never dipped anywhere near that level is revealing.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Fri Apr 10, 2020 11:25 am

Zaxxon wrote: Fri Apr 10, 2020 11:19 amThat's exactly my point. As awful as Trump is, he is doing what a significant portion of 'us' want done. Remember, in any sane world his approval right now is well below 10%, headed toward 0%. The fact that it's never dipped anywhere near that level is revealing.

Yes. As someone that has spent ~20 years now living in three different parts of north western NJ that had been swarming with secret now visible MAGAts this whole time, I completely get it.

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Fri Apr 10, 2020 11:55 am

Smoove_B wrote: Fri Apr 10, 2020 11:25 am
Zaxxon wrote: Fri Apr 10, 2020 11:19 amThat's exactly my point. As awful as Trump is, he is doing what a significant portion of 'us' want done. Remember, in any sane world his approval right now is well below 10%, headed toward 0%. The fact that it's never dipped anywhere near that level is revealing.
Yes. As someone that has spent ~20 years now living in three different parts of north western NJ that had been swarming with secret now visible MAGAts this whole time, I completely get it.

It is really hard to separate how much of this is really what 'they want' or what they've been conditioned to accept. Brown people are bad. Yeah that probably was in there. Immigrants take our jobs. Sure. On the other hand, using Federal money to enrich Trump's friends and political allies. Eh...they were pretty pissed about that only 10 years ago. Lucky for Trump the cognitive dissonance will kick in once they hear that covid-19 killed brown/black people in disproportionately high numbers.

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Fri Apr 10, 2020 12:08 pm

On another front, a reporter just asked Cuomo what the bottleneck on testing is. Cuomo essentially explained why the Defense Production Act would help. To boil it down he said private sector companies haven't been able to scale up test kit capacity. They don't have the resources or ability to corral the raw materials. Meanwhile Trump is saying we have the best testing system in the world.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Fri Apr 10, 2020 12:11 pm

malchior wrote: Fri Apr 10, 2020 12:08 pmMeanwhile Trump is saying we have the best testing system in the world.

Which is why they ended support for testing today. Best in the world! That's why we stopped it - right at the peak of best.

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Fri Apr 10, 2020 12:28 pm

Well we do have to save up resources for the 2nd and 3rd waves over the next few months when they 'open' up the economy.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Fri Apr 10, 2020 12:44 pm

He's now Tweeting the "invisible enemy will soon be in full retreat", so I guess that ends that. No...that's now how this works. The virus is patient and will wait for the next opportunity to jump rapidly from person to person. We didn't all magically become immune sitting around our homes.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Fri Apr 10, 2020 12:51 pm

Smoove_B wrote: Fri Apr 10, 2020 12:44 pm He's now Tweeting the "invisible enemy will soon be in full retreat", so I guess that ends that. No...that's now how this works. The virus is patient and will wait for the next opportunity to jump rapidly from person to person. We didn't all magically become immune sitting around our homes.

Well, *I* did. Not sure what you've been doing.

Alefroth · Post by **Alefroth** » Fri Apr 10, 2020 12:53 pm

Has anyone speculated why the UK has such a high fatality rate? 9K deaths for 70K cases. That's even worse than Italy. Just inadequate testing?

gilraen · Post by **gilraen** » Fri Apr 10, 2020 12:58 pm

Alefroth wrote: Fri Apr 10, 2020 12:53 pm Has anyone speculated why the UK has such a high fatality rate? 9K deaths for 70K cases. That's even worse than Italy. Just inadequate testing?

Pretty much. They didn't have enough tests, so up until last week, they were literally only testing patients that had already been hospitalized.

Fretmute · Post by **Fretmute** » Fri Apr 10, 2020 1:04 pm

Smoove_B wrote: Fri Apr 10, 2020 12:44 pm He's now Tweeting the "invisible enemy will soon be in full retreat", so I guess that ends that. No...that's now how this works. The virus is patient and will wait for the next opportunity to jump rapidly from person to person. We didn't all magically become immune sitting around our homes.

Well of course not! Diamond and Silk told me I need to leave my home to become immune.

raydude · Post by **raydude** » Fri Apr 10, 2020 1:16 pm

Do you think the President will believe his own words? I'm kind of hoping he'll go back to large rallies again when he "opens up the country".

Alefroth · Post by **Alefroth** » Fri Apr 10, 2020 2:51 pm

Google and Apple collaborating on a contact tracing app.

Unagi · Post by **Unagi** » Fri Apr 10, 2020 4:12 pm

That could be frightening

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Fri Apr 10, 2020 4:27 pm

I'm glad they're making apps but you'll forgive me if I think the best way to handle this is to get people like me out in the field to do manual tracing. It's labor intensive and slower but it works.

Alefroth · Post by **Alefroth** » Fri Apr 10, 2020 4:46 pm

Smoove_B wrote: Fri Apr 10, 2020 4:27 pm I'm glad they're making apps but you'll forgive me if I think the best way to handle this is to get people like me out in the field to do manual tracing. It's labor intensive and slower but it works.

What's the obstacle? Cost or lack of investigators?

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Fri Apr 10, 2020 4:55 pm

Cost and logistics. This is actually what I'm waiting for - to be called in to do contact tracing as I have the experience and skills for it. How the state would hire people like me back or allow us to be hired back by communities and make sure that we are guaranteed the PPE and health protections while we're doing it I don't know. If the governor can sign a document that now allows breweries to deliver beer to my doorstep in the People's Republic of NJ, I have to believe anything is possible. I know I hammer on tests as being critical, but right behind the testing is aggressive contact tracing. Testing helps us, but contact tracing is much more proactive and ideally lets us really root out people that were exposed and aren't potentially sick yet. Getting to that point requires "boots on the ground" work - speaking with people, asking questions, running through scenarios, etc... There would need to be pools of us to descend on a community and to the work, then shift us around to chase down potential outbreaks in other areas. Other states might have it easier, but for NJ and our absurd "home rule" it's not going to help things.

gameoverman · Post by **gameoverman** » Fri Apr 10, 2020 6:26 pm

malchior wrote: Fri Apr 10, 2020 11:55 am
Smoove_B wrote: Fri Apr 10, 2020 11:25 am
Zaxxon wrote: Fri Apr 10, 2020 11:19 amThat's exactly my point. As awful as Trump is, he is doing what a significant portion of 'us' want done. Remember, in any sane world his approval right now is well below 10%, headed toward 0%. The fact that it's never dipped anywhere near that level is revealing.
Yes. As someone that has spent ~20 years now living in three different parts of north western NJ that had been swarming with secret now visible MAGAts this whole time, I completely get it.
It is really hard to separate how much of this is really what 'they want' or what they've been conditioned to accept. Brown people are bad. Yeah that probably was in there. Immigrants take our jobs. Sure. On the other hand, using Federal money to enrich Trump's friends and political allies. Eh...they were pretty pissed about that only 10 years ago. Lucky for Trump the cognitive dissonance will kick in once they hear that covid-19 killed brown/black people in disproportionately high numbers.

Just from what I've heard from people I know in real life, I think it was Obama's election that kickstarted this slide down the rabbit hole. For a lot of people that seemed to be an eye opener, a black man becoming President. You'll probably remember how from day 1 the Republican side of things tried to block anything he wanted to do and even now try to erase all remnants of what he managed to do. Then Hilary Clinton, a woman(!), looks to be the favorite to be the next President. I am dismayed to say that there are many people who took that as a sign the country needed to be saved before it completely devolved into something unrecognizable. That's what set the stage for a guy like Trump. It's why his base is unshakable, in their minds they are saving the country and they will pay any price to do it. They really would be willing to sacrifice lives in order to resurrect the economy, that's part of the price of saving the country in their eyes.

And low and behold, the country HAS devolved into something unrecognizable. Life is nothing if not ironic.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Sat Apr 11, 2020 1:14 am

gameoverman wrote: Fri Apr 10, 2020 6:26 pm low and behold

*lo

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Sat Apr 11, 2020 1:16 am

Kentucky

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear implored residents to avoid gathering this weekend for the Easter holiday, warning that anyone who violates the state's stay-at-home order will be subject to a 14-day mandatory self-quarantine.

Beshear said the state will record license plate information of people seen attending mass gatherings and turn that information over to local public health officials. Quarantine notices will then be delivered in person.

Unagi · Post by **Unagi** » Sat Apr 11, 2020 8:39 am

What a joke.
Violators of social distancing will be asked to self quarantine for 14 days.
Good luck.
These aren’t the people who will self quarantine, if they aren’t the people to practice social distancing.

They can’t enforce social distancing at one location on one day, but they think they could more easily enforce a mandatory self quarantine on all the individuals that break it?

Dogstar · Post by **Dogstar** » Sat Apr 11, 2020 10:11 am

And so it begins.

GOP Texas Gov. Greg Abbott plans to unveil an executive order with guidelines on how businesses can reopen.

Abbott held a press conference Friday to announce a forthcoming executive order that sets guidelines for how businesses can begin to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic. “Next week, I will be providing an executive order talking about what will be done in Texas about reopening Texas businesses,” Abbott said Friday, saying economic activity can resume “in a way that will be safe for that economic revitalization.”

I'm still guessing mid-May for here in PA, but a local healthcare professional said the virus wasn't supposed to peak here (south-central PA) until then.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Sat Apr 11, 2020 10:32 am

I will continue to repeat this - until we have a way to broadly and quickly test communities to find out who is currently sick and who has already unknowingly had the illness and is now immune, anything else is rolling the dice.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Sat Apr 11, 2020 10:36 am

Unagi wrote: Sat Apr 11, 2020 8:39 amThese aren’t the people who will self quarantine, if they aren’t the people to practice social distancing.

It's an interesting tactic, for sure. Mainly because you only know the one person the plates/car is registered to - not everyone that was transported in the car to the church. It's certainly a start and I think it's likely a good move to put at least some of these people on notice that they're being monitored in some way. That way it can at least be demonstrated they were given notice to voluntarily self quarantine so when they don't, you have the ability to legally do more.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Sat Apr 11, 2020 11:53 am

Dogstar wrote: Sat Apr 11, 2020 10:11 am And so it begins.

GOP Texas Gov. Greg Abbott plans to unveil an executive order with guidelines on how businesses can reopen.

Abbott held a press conference Friday to announce a forthcoming executive order that sets guidelines for how businesses can begin to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic. “Next week, I will be providing an executive order talking about what will be done in Texas about reopening Texas businesses,” Abbott said Friday, saying economic activity can resume “in a way that will be safe for that economic revitalization.”
I'm still guessing mid-May for here in PA, but a local healthcare professional said the virus wasn't supposed to peak here (south-central PA) until then.

There's nothing wrong with formulating a plan. Plans are reassuring. Implementing it too quickly is courting disaster. TX is still climbing a steep uphill slope, so one hopes that the plan sits on a shelf until it's feasible.

Here in MA, we're expecting to top out around Saturday 4/18. Baker hasn't said much about what comes after that. I doubt that we'll reopen anything until mid-to-late May, and possibly June, especially if the virus is still rampaging elsewhere (TX and FL, I'm looking at you).

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Sat Apr 11, 2020 12:16 pm

Kraken wrote: Sat Apr 11, 2020 11:53 amI doubt that we'll reopen anything until mid-to-late May, and possibly June, especially if the virus is still rampaging elsewhere (TX and FL, I'm looking at you).

SEE ALSO: Louisiana:

“Satan and a virus will not stop us,” said the Reverend Tony Spell, 42, pastor of the evangelical Life Tabernacle Church near Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He expects a crowd of more than 2,000 to gather in worship at his megachurch on Sunday.

“God will shield us from all harm and sickness,” Spell said in an interview. “We are not afraid. We are called by God to stand against the Antichrist creeping into America’s borders. We will spread the Gospel.”

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Sat Apr 11, 2020 1:33 pm

What in the actual F is happening?

https://twitter.com/NPR/status/1248946409556062208

A Texas doctor used his GOP connections to get hydroxychloroquine to administer to dozens of elderly patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in what he calls an "observational study."

In some cases, he didn't discuss with families before prescribing the drug.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Sat Apr 11, 2020 1:40 pm

What doctor in their right mind would think this is acceptable?

Armstrong, who is a prominent GOP activist, called Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

Oh, well, now it makes sense.

As one comment in the thread stated, Mengele should not be a medical role model.

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Sat Apr 11, 2020 2:37 pm

Skinypupy wrote: Sat Apr 11, 2020 1:40 pm What doctor in their right mind would think this is acceptable?

Armstrong, who is a prominent GOP activist, called Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
Oh, well, now it makes sense.

As one comment in the thread stated, Mengele should not be a medical role model.

Every evil authoritarian dictatorship needs its very own todesengel. Consider it an open casting call.

em2nought · Post by **em2nought** » Sat Apr 11, 2020 3:11 pm

Smoove_B wrote: Sat Apr 11, 2020 1:33 pm What in the actual F is happening?

https://twitter.com/NPR/status/1248946409556062208

A Texas doctor used his GOP connections to get hydroxychloroquine to administer to dozens of elderly patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in what he calls an "observational study."

In some cases, he didn't discuss with families before prescribing the drug.

So me or my doctor is gonna need connections to even be able to get some hydroxychloroquine, well that sucks. I wonder if Congress has a ready supply in reserve for themselves?

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Sat Apr 11, 2020 3:28 pm

Dogstar wrote: Sat Apr 11, 2020 10:11 am And so it begins.

GOP Texas Gov. Greg Abbott plans to unveil an executive order with guidelines on how businesses can reopen.

Abbott held a press conference Friday to announce a forthcoming executive order that sets guidelines for how businesses can begin to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic. “Next week, I will be providing an executive order talking about what will be done in Texas about reopening Texas businesses,” Abbott said Friday, saying economic activity can resume “in a way that will be safe for that economic revitalization.”
I'm still guessing mid-May for here in PA, but a local healthcare professional said the virus wasn't supposed to peak here (south-central PA) until then.

PA's Governor Wolf just extended school closure through the end of the academic year, which in most districts is the second week of June. I wouldn't be surprised to see most things shuttered at least until then.

gilraen · Post by **gilraen** » Sat Apr 11, 2020 3:31 pm

Colorado just extended the stay-at-home order until April 26th.

The alert went off on my phone this morning, startled the crap out of me.

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Sat Apr 11, 2020 4:20 pm

Smoove_B wrote: Sat Apr 11, 2020 1:33 pm What in the actual F is happening?

https://twitter.com/NPR/status/1248946409556062208

A Texas doctor used his GOP connections to get hydroxychloroquine to administer to dozens of elderly patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in what he calls an "observational study."

In some cases, he didn't discuss with families before prescribing the drug.

That nursing home needs a raft of lawyers now. The medical board is probably going to have some serious questions. Especially if it goes sideways on them.

Note his "political connections" are that he was the vice Chairman of the Texas GOP for a few years up through 2010. Perhaps trying to buy himself back into the good graces with the dear leader through experimentation with his favorite drug. I look forward to Trump telling the nation how well this 'study' worked.

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Sat Apr 11, 2020 4:47 pm

More GOP Death Cult fun

Democratic Governor Kelly drops executive order to limit worship services to 10 people or less after 3 clusters tied back to religious ceremonies on Tuesday. Kansas GOP Attorney general tells law enforcement not to enforce it and then a council of GOP lawmakers overrode the executive order. Kelly just sued to the Kansas Supreme Court.

Washington Post wrote:Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (D) sued a Republican-controlled legislative council Thursday after it revoked her executive order that limited church gatherings, marking the latest chapter in an escalating conflict between public health and religion during one of the holiest times of the year.

In a petition to the Kansas Supreme Court, Kelly asked the judges to resurrect her Tuesday executive order that limited religious gatherings and funerals to 10 people amid the covid-19 pandemic. She argued that Wednesday’s party-line vote revoking her order, by the seven-person Legislative Coordinating Council, was unconstitutional.

In an interview Thursday, Kelly called the vote “mind-blowing.”

“This is a purely political move, one that I find incredibly unfortunate,” she said. While the legislature as a whole has the authority to check her emergency powers, she argued, the seven-person council does not.

...

The Legislative Coordinating Council met this week in lieu of the full legislature, which has not been in session since mid-March because of the pandemic. At the heart of the legal case is whether the legislature can delegate its powers to revoke a governor’s executive order to just seven people on the council. Kelly argues it’s impossible, saying the legislature would need to pass a bill to change the law.

“What the LCC did yesterday in concert with the Kansas attorney general weakened and confused our emergency response efforts, putting every Kansan at risk,” she said in announcing the lawsuit Thursday.

Kansas House Speaker Ron Ryckman (R), the chair of the council, told The Washington Post on Thursday night that no one on the legislative council was encouraging residents to attend church on Easter Sunday and that he and fellow Republicans want everyone to stay home.

...

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt (R) advised police not to enforce it, writing in a memo Wednesday that the state Constitution “forbids the governor from criminalizing participation in worship gatherings by executive order."

Meanwhile, Lee Norman, the secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, urged residents to disregard the lawmakers after they voted to revoke Kelly’s order. Norman — who has been likened to the Kansas equivalent of Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-diseases expert — said he was “SO angry!” with the lawmakers.

“Whatever Kansas legislators do doesn’t reverse what The Public needs to do,” he wrote on Twitter. “Stay home so we can beat this scourge. Despite what the 'leaders’ of the Legislature say. We are so close, and they are doing politics. … Shame!"

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Sat Apr 11, 2020 5:50 pm

Smoove_B wrote: Sat Apr 11, 2020 12:16 pm
“Satan and a virus will not stop us,” said the Reverend Tony Spell, 42, pastor of the evangelical Life Tabernacle Church near Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He expects a crowd of more than 2,000 to gather in worship at his megachurch on Sunday.

“God will shield us from all harm and sickness,” Spell said in an interview. “We are not afraid. We are called by God to stand against the Antichrist creeping into America’s borders. We will spread the Gospel.”

"Gospel" is definitely a funny way to spell "Coronavirus."

Defiant church-going against government orders gives the religious Right the narrative they've always dreamed of. It plays to their myth that Christians are the most persecuted people on Earth.

What's annoying here is that there is no Christian religious imperative to gather in large groups. Nothing in Christian scripture or tradition makes it especially virtuous to form crowds for worship, and much of the story actually tilts the other way. (Matthew 18:20 says "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.")

Jews, Muslims, and others have adapted perfectly well to social distancing and remote worship. But American conservatives have to twist it into a narrative of warfare against oppressive powers because FreedomJesus.

You can only imagine how they would be playing this if Obama or Hillary were in office.

Defiant · Post by **Defiant** » Sun Apr 12, 2020 10:14 am

Holman wrote: Sat Apr 11, 2020 5:50 pm
Jews, Muslims, and others have adapted perfectly well to social distancing and remote worship. But American conservatives have to twist it into a narrative of warfare against oppressive powers because FreedomJesus.

Reform, Conservative and Orthodox Jews have, but at least some ultra-Orthodox Jews haven't.

New York’s Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Community Warned About Large Funeral Crowds