Where's the petri dish thread?

[Shirley]

I feel like we're living through an extended episode of the Twilight Zone. Never in my life have I ever been so cynical as to think that the United States, the f*&%ing United States of America, no matter who was president or what the challenge was, would be so utterly inept in responding to a crisis, any crisis. We can all think of instances where the government response wasn't as rapid or efficient as the situation called for, and certainly, a pandemic is a challenge on a breadth and scale unlike almost any other, but still... Ignoring the intelligence reports in November and the unreliable reports emanating from China in December, they've had ~ 3 months to get the wheels in motion to fulfill their oaths, their mission, and their duty to protect us. But despite all that time, ~ 3 months, we've still only tested a total of "two million" Americans? Seriously?

Any epidemiologist or public health expert knows that widespread testing ASAP is fundamental to obtaining the data that will empower you to begin to construct the models that will give you a chance to lower the curve, the number of people infected. Without extensive testing, we're unable to use a scalpel and are forced to shut our entire society down, in order to mitigate the damage. And while we might have to go through a period of social distancing and a shut down anyway, without sufficient testing we don't and won't have the data necessary to open our society back up again with the confidence we need to avoid triggering another wave of COVID-19.

Three months, and only 2 million tests so far? Seriously?

Gobsmacking. Unbelievable.

Hopefully, we won't miss the many lessons the pandemic can teach us. Otherwise... And might I be so bold as to suggest that we all begin to think enough of ourselves that we demand the truth from our elected officials? It's really not too much to ask. They owe it to us.

During yesterday's daily propaganda briefing, Trump said: "I'm reporting today that we've passed two million tests completed in the United States, first time, most anywhere in the country, it's a milestone, for our country it's a milestone anywhere, nobody has done anywhere close."

[HouseDivided]

"We have parts of the country that are in phenomenal shape already".
Why do I have the feeling that many of the places that Trump claims are in "phenomenal shape (already?)" haven't been hit with the virus - yet?

It is a calculated risk that will have to be taken. Keeping the economy on lockdown through June, much less August, is just not tenable.

[TDub]

Yknow what will fuck the economy even more? Continued widespread infection.

[ousdahl]

TDub bringing the truth.

I kind of wonder if localized shutdowns will be a thing going forward. Every time there's an outbreak somewhere, somewhere has to go through this shit over and over?

[TDub]

Localized shutdowns only work if they are true shutdowns, not just wilting suggestions.

[Deleted User 289]

Made me smile.

[Deleted User 289]

"We have parts of the country that are in phenomenal shape already".
Why do I have the feeling that many of the places that Trump claims are in "phenomenal shape (already?)" haven't been hit with the virus - yet?

It is a calculated risk that will have to be taken. Keeping the economy on lockdown through June, much less August, is just not tenable.

It's a vicious cycle. I agree 100% that having "the economy" up and running is crucial - to those who are alive.

[HouseDivided]

Yknow what will fuck the economy even more? Continued widespread infection.

I disagree. You can’t have a one size fits all approach. What is necessary in NYC is not necessary in Kansas. The bailouts accomplished exactly what I knew they would: companies are laying off employees anyway, relying on unemployment, and pocketing the cash. The net effect is less money circulating and more drain on government resources.

We are going to have to shift to quarantining high risk groups and those who test positive while turning the rest of us loose to live life. People will continue to get sick, but it will be in manageable numbers, especially if they make the treatments that are working more widely available. That’s an acceptable trade-off in my mind.

[HouseDivided]

"We have parts of the country that are in phenomenal shape already".
Why do I have the feeling that many of the places that Trump claims are in "phenomenal shape (already?)" haven't been hit with the virus - yet?

It is a calculated risk that will have to be taken. Keeping the economy on lockdown through June, much less August, is just not tenable.

It's a vicious cycle. I agree 100% that having "the economy" up and running is crucial - to those who are alive.

People die every day. We all have a 100% chance of dying at some point. I’d rather have quality of life with a risk of fewer years than a long life living in Third World conditions.

[ousdahl]

but what if shrugging off the virus and reopening the economy is an even quicker way to perpetuate third world conditions?

[HouseDivided]

but what if shrugging off the virus and reopening the economy is an even quicker way to perpetuate third world conditions?

I’d rather take that risk and at least go down swinging.

[ousdahl]

From “make America great again” to “at least we went down swinging.”

[TDub]

Yknow what will fuck the economy even more? Continued widespread infection.

I disagree. You can’t have a one size fits all approach. What is necessary in NYC is not necessary in Kansas. The bailouts accomplished exactly what I knew they would: companies are laying off employees anyway, relying on unemployment, and pocketing the cash. The net effect is less money circulating and more drain on government resources.

We are going to have to shift to quarantining high risk groups and those who test positive while turning the rest of us loose to live life. People will continue to get sick, but it will be in manageable numbers, especially if they make the treatments that are working more widely available. That’s an acceptable trade-off in my mind.

What we have in NYC is an example of what we WILL have in Kansas and in other states if we DONT take this seriously

[Deleted User 89]

Yknow what will fuck the economy even more? Continued widespread infection.

I disagree. You can’t have a one size fits all approach. What is necessary in NYC is not necessary in Kansas. The bailouts accomplished exactly what I knew they would: companies are laying off employees anyway, relying on unemployment, and pocketing the cash. The net effect is less money circulating and more drain on government resources.

We are going to have to shift to quarantining high risk groups and those who test positive while turning the rest of us loose to live life. People will continue to get sick, but it will be in manageable numbers, especially if they make the treatments that are working more widely available. That’s an acceptable trade-off in my mind.

What we have in NYC is an example of what we WILL have in Kansas and in other states if we DONT take this seriously

^^^^^^^

[Deleted User 89]

https://www.sltrib.com/news/2020/04/10/ ... s-spreads/

[HouseDivided]

Yknow what will fuck the economy even more? Continued widespread infection.

I disagree. You can’t have a one size fits all approach. What is necessary in NYC is not necessary in Kansas. The bailouts accomplished exactly what I knew they would: companies are laying off employees anyway, relying on unemployment, and pocketing the cash. The net effect is less money circulating and more drain on government resources.

We are going to have to shift to quarantining high risk groups and those who test positive while turning the rest of us loose to live life. People will continue to get sick, but it will be in manageable numbers, especially if they make the treatments that are working more widely available. That’s an acceptable trade-off in my mind.

What we have in NYC is an example of what we WILL have in Kansas and in other states if we DONT take this seriously

I was under the impression that we had been taking it seriously, and are scheduled to continue doing so through the end of April. This whole game of "Well, now we need to add four more weeks" is getting old. There are other solutions.

[Mjl]

If true, HUGE. (A big IF, of course)

https://chicagocitywire.com/stories/530 ... s-antibody

A phlebotomist working at Roseland Community Hospital said Thursday that 30% to 50% of patients tested for the coronavirus have antibodies while only around 10% to 20% of those tested have the active virus.

Sumaya Owaynat, a phlebotomy technician, said she tests between 400 and 600 patients on an average day in the parking lot at Roseland Community Hospital. Drive-thru testing is from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. each day. However, the hospital has a limited number of tests they can give per day.

Owaynat said the number of patients coming through the testing center who appear to have already had coronavirus and gotten over it is far greater than those who currently have the disease.

Didn't Fauci just say yesterday that antibody tests will start to become available soon? As in, they aren't currently.

[HouseDivided]

If true, HUGE. (A big IF, of course)

https://chicagocitywire.com/stories/530 ... s-antibody

A phlebotomist working at Roseland Community Hospital said Thursday that 30% to 50% of patients tested for the coronavirus have antibodies while only around 10% to 20% of those tested have the active virus.

Sumaya Owaynat, a phlebotomy technician, said she tests between 400 and 600 patients on an average day in the parking lot at Roseland Community Hospital. Drive-thru testing is from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. each day. However, the hospital has a limited number of tests they can give per day.

Owaynat said the number of patients coming through the testing center who appear to have already had coronavirus and gotten over it is far greater than those who currently have the disease.

Didn't Fauci just say yesterday that antibody tests will start to become available soon? As in, they aren't currently.

It is becoming increasingly obvious that Dr. Fauci is controlled/paid by people who don't necessarily have the best interests of the people of the United States in mind. He lays out the worst case scenario as fact and then walks it back a few days later with the caveat that it will probably end up being the worst case scenario after all.

[ousdahl]

DeEpStAtE!!!!!

[jfish26]

I disagree. You can’t have a one size fits all approach. What is necessary in NYC is not necessary in Kansas. The bailouts accomplished exactly what I knew they would: companies are laying off employees anyway, relying on unemployment, and pocketing the cash. The net effect is less money circulating and more drain on government resources.

We are going to have to shift to quarantining high risk groups and those who test positive while turning the rest of us loose to live life. People will continue to get sick, but it will be in manageable numbers, especially if they make the treatments that are working more widely available. That’s an acceptable trade-off in my mind.

What we have in NYC is an example of what we WILL have in Kansas and in other states if we DONT take this seriously

^^^^^^^

Except, worse infrastructure and the public will have numbed to all of this by the time it's bad around here.