Sergio Correia @StephanLuck @emilverner released a striking paper in March finding the states that did more/earlier to contain the Spanish flu both saved lives and had better economic outcomes. [_link] pic.twitter.com/8X0D8p8px0

— Jason Furman (@jasonfurman) May 8, 2020

The US Administration is reportedly preparing to bar foreign graduates of US universities from staying here to work.

Each percentage point fall in those graduates as a share of population is estimated to reduce innovation (patents per capita) by 9-18%. [_link]

— Michael Clemens (@m_clem) May 12, 2020

Ousted vaccine official Dr. Bright: "I'll never forget the emails I received from (mask maker) Mike Bowen indicating that our [mask supply] was completely decimated. And he said, `We're in deep shit. The world is. And we need to act.' ... That was our last window of opportunity." pic.twitter.com/34NHzpR6LM

— NBC News (@NBCNews) May 14, 2020

After I watched the first hour of testimony, I heard more than enough. A very respectable public servant basing decisions on science ... he was not listened to and ousted. Thought I would look back at my first diary about COVID-19 on Feb. 28 at a moment in time the spread in China had been successfully halted. Number of indicated cases and deaths ...

Chinese officials reported 327 new cases of the coronavirus and 44 new deaths Friday morning. That announcement brings the global death toll to more than 2,800, and the total number of cases in China to more than 78,000.

Coronavirus: Chinese Xi Ping and Donald Trump

Trump blames Monday and Tuesday's stock market slide on Dem debate that happened Tuesday night | Vox News |

As #CoronaVirus infections progress, in an effort to cover his arse and gaslight America, Trump will:

* Censor medical reports
* Alter numbers of infections
* Alter numbers of deaths
* Falsely attribute infections and deaths as influenza
* Try to limit diagnostic testing

— Dr. Jack Brown (@DrGJackBrown) February 28, 2020

○ Pres. Trump defends administration's coronavirus response | CBS News |

COVID-19 RESPONSE: THE BUCK STOPS ...

Vice President Mike Pence, who was tapped by President Trump to lead the nation's coronavirus response, announced a new coronavirus response coordinator.

Ambassador Debbie Birx, a global health official and physician who was instrumental in combating the HIV/AIDS epidemic, is being detailed to Pence's office to help address the outbreak. Birx will also join the coronavirus task force led by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar.

○ President Trump with Coronavirus Task Force Briefing | C-Span - Feb. 26, 2020 |

"Pence Will Control All Coronavirus Messaging From Health Officials."
Dr. Anthony Faucci, one of the world's leading virologists and one of the federal government's most senior medical experts, has been muzzled by "Doc" Pence. [_link]

— Tikun Olam (@richards1052) February 28, 2020

Trump pre-occupied with boasting of his achievements, places Larry Kudlow of the China Trade Deal Phase 1 success on the Coronavirus Task Force. The virus is from China, so Kudlow should look into it as argument?

Highest Stock Market In History, By Far!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 19, 2020

Leon Cooperman says Bernie Sanders is a bigger threat to the stock market than the coronavirus | CNBC |

Why does this president repeatedly think that scientific facts are hoaxes?

This is the most dangerous president in the modern history of our country. He is putting our people's lives at risk. He must be defeated. [_link]

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) February 29, 2020

As @SecAzar explains, @POTUS has announced Operation Warp Speed - a plan to bring #coronavirus vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics to the American people in record time. pic.twitter.com/dHdhXSFfhB

— HHS.gov (@HHSGov) May 13, 2020

I don't know the so-called Whistleblower Rick Bright, never met him or even heard of him, but to me he is a disgruntled employee, not liked or respected by people I spoke to and who, with his attitude, should no longer be working for our government!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 14, 2020

In the spirit of transparency, FDA is alerting the public to early data suggesting potential inaccurate results during the Abbott ID NOW point of care #COVID19 test, specifically false negative results. [_link] pic.twitter.com/15Rh4Y50YN

— U.S. FDA (@US_FDA) May 15, 2020

FDA Cautions About Accuracy Of Widely Used Abbott Coronavirus Test | NPR |

The Food and Drug Administration is cautioning the public about the reliability of a widely used rapid test for the coronavirus. The test, made by Abbott Laboratories, has been linked with inaccurate results which could falsely reassure patients that they are not infected with the virus.

The Trump Administration has promoted the test as a key factor in controlling the epidemic in the U.S. and is used for the daily testing that is going on at the White House.

As first reported on NPR, as many as 15 to 20 out of every 100 tests may produce falsely negative results. A subsequent study released this week indicated that the test could be missing as many as 48% of infections.

See my earlier post about origin of this test and machine ...

Formerly Alerei^TM. New and Improved Speed, Performance and Efficiency. Plus a new name.

'Sapere aude'

This saga appears in the whistleblower complaint filed by Dr. Rick Bright, former BARDA chief, which also alleges some serious grift by ppl connected to Trump admin hawking potentially harmful medicines [_link]

— Elizabeth Williamson (@NYTLiz) May 9, 2020

In collaboration with various Dutch companies, next week AFPRO Filters will start the production of millions of mouth masks. Read the full press release: [_link]#news #ffp2 #mouthmasks #production #corona #endeavour #entrepreneur #netherlands #auping #facemasks pic.twitter.com/OaI15xbchB

— AFPRO Filters (@AFPROFilters) April 9, 2020

Gestart met grootschalige productie van medische mond- en neusmaskers in NL, die zorgmedewerkers beschermen tegen het coronavirus. Vanmiddag hebben we minister @mjrijn bijgepraat en hem de 1e doos overhandigd in @Tergooi met @DSMNederland en @AFPROFilters. [_link]

— Koninklijke Auping (@AupingNL) April 28, 2020

We know who will pay the price when states reopen before they should. There are steps states can take to make sure everyone has the opportunity to be safe. #healthequity [_link]

— Rich Besser (@DrRichBesser) May 5, 2020

The fact that FEMA is seizing and rerouting personal protective equipment supply shipments intended for states is still one of the most bizarre stories to come out of the pandemic.

We're investigating. [_link]

— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) May 15, 2020

Remarks by President Trump at Owens & Minor, Inc. Distribution Center | Allentown, PA

From the moment this terrible virus reached our shores, each of you has worked relentlessly to get the vital supplies to our healthcare warriors.  And they are warriors, aren't they?  When you see them going into those hospitals and they're putting the stuff that you deliver.  But they're wrapping themselves, and the doors are opening, and they're going through the doors, and they're not even ready to go through those doors.  They probably shouldn't.  But they can't get there fast enough.

And they're running into death just like soldiers run into bullets, in a true sense.  I see that with the doctors and the nurses and so many of the people that go into those hospitals.  It's incredible to see.  It's a beautiful thing to see.  But I really call them "warriors."  We're all warriors; everyone in our country is a warrior.  We have to be because of what happened.  And it should have never happened.  It should have been stopped at the source.

Must be tiresome, every day the same message: "Look at me, I'm so very great, everybody around be think I'm doing a great job. Rick Bright? Never heard if him, must be a disgruntled, unhappy employee ... should not be working for our government."

Mr. Trump going to Washington ... creating a worse swamp!

'Sapere aude'

President Trump's decision to defund WHO is simply this--a crime against humanity. Every scientist, every health worker, every citizen must resist and rebel against this appalling betrayal of global solidarity. [_link]

— richard horton (@richardhorton1) April 14, 2020

COVID-19 in the USA: a question of time | The Lancer - Apr. 18, 2020 |

The increasing gravity of the situation in the USA has drawn public health and infectious disease experts, policy makers, and partisans across state and federal government into a fitful clash for control and direction of the COVID-19 response. Putting the USA at odds with the international community and global pandemic strategy efforts, President Trump announced his intention to withdraw funding from WHO (about 22% of its budget).

Caught amid the chaos are the American people grappling with the fear of a deadly and poorly understood virus, conflicting messaging around their protection and safety, fear of financial fallout, absence of a cohesive national strategy, and volatile, incompetent leadership.

Fmr. President Obama's favorable ratings are higher than either of the men who will be on the ballot in November, poll shows. [_link]

— NBC News (@NBCNews) May 15, 2020

The CDC Guidelines prioritize The Economy
Implementing Safety Practices for Critical Infrastructure Workers Who May Have Had Exposure to a Person with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19, 20 April 2020

The situation here is pretty psychotic
Mag-lev is not the only governor lifting "stay-at-home" orders, formerly known as "lockdown" orders limiting "mass gatherings". Feb - Mar national media human interest stories swiveled between state-sanctioned "normal" activities in locales such as FL, CA, TX, LA, NY, domestic air travel for "Spring Breaks" (US Lunar New Year) and select brand-name businesses, adversely affecting homeland CPI, or stock indices "tied to" global capital trades. Pubic intellectuals offered diverse, uninformed opinions on the sanctity of liberty and credibility of the AUTHORITARIAN regime and war PROPAGANDA spread by CCP droplets.

Mag-lev pronounced the first in a long series of equivocal "containment" orders, restricting public accommodations, 6 Mar - 20 Apr. Opprobrium vested in IMPEACHMENT of The Donald's AUTHORITARIAN graft schemes (Jan-Feb) glided over The Donald's inexplicable LEADERSHIP in the "BATTLE AGAINST COVID-19", epitomized by the Defense Production Act procurement orders and "playbook" on infectious disease containment overseas.

The first US unemployment claims shock hit w/e 9 April as gravitas of int'l death tolls (ES, IT, FR  AP, REUTERS photo) washed US shores. "Policy makers" adopted differential "essential" and "nonessential" employee regulation for purposes of maintaining actual and marginal public services--ie. local patronage and broadcast publicity, respectively. Total initial and continuing UI claims, topped 20M w/e 8 May, despite or because of congressional appropriations for "stim-checks" and expansion of benefits eligibility in four (4) acts. Great Depression "jobless" have supplanted "influenza-like" Covid analogies to Spanish flu mortality in the America-first numerical scale of daily "historic!" catastrophe.

Mag-lev became embroiled in market-failure, both ontoward PPE purchases, health care outcome "disparities", and UE benefit tech bottle-neck, despite regular "cautiously optimistic" recovery updates, obits, and awards ceremonies. Now, given "freedom" to choose between data visualization and their balanced, county executives have decided to discount Hogan's credential as head-of-state for the time being. Being captured in another election cycle, an MD General Assembly (D) delegate professes astonishment, perhaps embarrassment. MD assembly adjourned, sine die, 19 Mar, leaving Mag-lev to veto the entire 2019 session, basically.

TOO SOON: @COVID19Tracking Project puts Maryland in the Red as one of 18 states that cannot safely reopen.

Experts say a 10% positive testing rate is the max you want to see before reopening. Maryland's rate: 22.5%. That's the highest in the country. https://t.co/ZT5KDajmOu pic.twitter.com/z65z9vuJoM

— Vaughn Stewart (@DelegateStewart) May 14, 2020

Data set is truly worthless to make any comparison between nations. Having followed closely the Dutch, Belgians, Germans, British and Washington DC policy it is expected that the "herd immunity" states have a similar awful death count and a poor testing record. Starting late, being unprepared, not only were these states behind the curve making it difficult to catch up with PPE: hospitals overwhelmed and not ready to start tests. In all these countries the frontline doctors and nurses paid the ultimate price. Once the outbreak is out of control (month of March) the death count will be insurmountable. Other states who were prepared, only needed to do containment in the primary clusters and therefore have a low number of tests.

Deaths /1M and Tests/1M
Belgium (773-56) - Dutch (329-17) - UK (501-35) - USA (263-32) - Germany (95-38). Both for the Dutch and the USA the death count is underrated. Should be adjusted for the deaths at home and in the nursing homes. The Dutch number will be near 500 deaths /M. The US were fortunate the governors of Blue States were firm on the lockdown, therefore transmission to the rural areas (Red States) was limited ... up till now.

The South-East Asia nations have a quite remarkable testing regime and a policy of early containment and tracking of infection spread. These nations were well prepared, not because they had more lead-time, but they were well prepared due to the earlier SARS Outbreak in 2003. The combined states of Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Hong Kong have a combined total of ...

Countries     Deaths  Cases/1M  Deaths/1M  Tests/1K  Pop.M
Japan          697      127         6         1.8    126.5
HK               4      141         0.5      22.5      7.5
Singapore       21     4601         4        38.4      5.8
South Korea    260      215         5        14.2     51.2
Taiwan           7       18         0.3       2.9     23.8
Thailand        56       43         0.8       4.1     69.8

Totals
Population 285 million
Number of deaths  1045

In comparison USA - UAE

States   Deaths  Cases/1M  Deaths/1M  Tests/1K  Pop.M    
NY       27,426    18,151    1,410      67.0    19.5
NJ        9,946    16,216    1,120      50.8     8.9
CT        3,219     9,947      903      41.9     3.6  
MT        5,482    48,888      795      61.6     6.9
DC          368     9,736      521      48.7     0.7
....
CA        3,052     1,897       77      27.9    39.5
---
UAE         210     2,211       21     158.1     9.9 [For comparison only]

'Sapere aude'

What I came to learn is that QAnon isn't just a dangerous conspiracy theory. We are witnessing the birth of a new religion. And we are likely closer to the beginning of its story than the end. [_link] (10/10)

— Adrienne LaFrance (@AdrienneLaF) May 14, 2020

Press Release: "Shadowland": A New Project From The Atlantic on the Power and Danger of Conspiracy

Conspiracy thinking has shaped the world for centuries, destroying great institutions, eradicating knowledge, endangering democracies, and ending lives. These theories threaten not just individual facts, but the idea that empirical truth exists at all. And now, with a president of the United States who advances conspiracy thinking about a pandemic that has led to 82,000 reported deaths in America, it becomes an existential threat.

In an effort to better understand how we got here, and how we might find a way out, The Atlantic today launches "Shadowland," an exploration of how conspiracy theories have shaped America, and why they are more powerful, and dangerous, now than ever.

Shadowland takes you down the rabbit hole through an interactive project portal, built with the mobile reader in mind; the product and visuals are central to the storytelling. It represents some of the most ambitious work of the year, even as The Atlantic continues to apply the full weight of its newsroom to cover the biggest stories of our age: the global pandemic, the Trump presidency, and the spread of illiberalism across the planet.

Immersive series, launching with Adrienne LaFrance's cover story on the prophecies of QAnon, explores how conspiracy theories captured the American mind.

The Prophesies of Q | The Atlantic |

'Sapere aude'

Nearly 420,000 of New York's wealthiest residents flee city amid pandemic [_link]

— The Independent (@Independent) May 15, 2020

My @washingtonpost op-ed: by giving up & reopening before we can do so safely, are we admitting that we can't contain #covid19?

Are we switching a new strategy, one familiar to us in public health: harm reduction? [_link]

— Leana Wen, M.D. (@DrLeanaWen) May 14, 2020

After sneak peak at early data, Operation Warp Speed head Slaoui 'confident' in COVID-19 vaccine by year's end

Already, based on early data for one undisclosed program, Slaoui said he's confident the group can deliver. The GSK vet now serves on the board of Moderna, whose mRNA vaccine candidate is in human testing against COVID-19.

Recent data "made me feel even more confident" that a vaccine will be available by the end of 2020, Dr. Moncef Slaoui says. pic.twitter.com/ToAVI5ksHw

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 15, 2020

Slaoui joined the board of the buzzy biotech--and other life sciences companies--after leaving GSK. Moderna's shot is now among the leading candidates. Slaoui will now leave the board, however, as he takes on the broader vaccine-leadership role, Moderna said Friday.

Aside from Moderna's vaccine, programs from Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Sanofi, Johnson & Johnson and many other companies are racing ahead. Even as researchers advance the programs through development, teams are also working to scale up massive manufacturing systems to deliver hundreds of millions--or billions--of doses quickly if the candidates show efficacy.