PLAYPEN: Covid-19 Everything Political

[Chris Kern]

Finally.

El presidente Loco succumbs to his growing panic about his rapidly-deteriorating poll numbers, anxious warnings by congressional Republicans that they are in danger of losing their majority in the Senate, and, I suspect, his own belated realization that he (not just his attending supporters) could become infected by the new coronavirus during one of his high-density political rallies―a handy tip he just may have picked up from the cognitive ability test for dementia he recently "aced"―and dons a face mask for a public appearance.

Seems premature to me, frankly, since the virus is almost under control here in the United States:

We are winning the war.  We have areas that flamed up and they’re going to be fine over a period of time. . . .  It flared up in areas where they thought it was ending, and that would be Florida, Texas, a couple of other places.  They’re going to have it under control very quickly.

―――
Attachment credit: Brian Stauffer for The New Yorker.

[Robert Roaldi]

The White House Made a List of All the Times Fauci ‘Has Been Wrong’ on the Coronavirus

https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-white-house-made-a-list-of-all-the-times-fauci-has-been-wrong-on-the-coronavirus

I understand that they are also making a list of all the times Trump has been wrong on the virus, but it is taking them longer than they expected, and he won't shut up.

It's so embarrassing watching grown men throw tempter tantrums. Don't they have anything better to do?

[faberryman]

Florida had 15,299 cases yesterday. In celebration of achieving that milestone, they reopened Disney World. But you can't say that Disney isn't serious about safety:

"We’ve received confirmation from various Cast Members at attractions that guests who remove their face masks while on an attraction will have their in-ride photo pulled and deleted from the PhotoPass system. Only guests who follow the rules and keep their face masks on at all times throughout the duration of the attraction will have their photo show up for download or purchase."

https://wdwnt.com/2020/07/guests-not-wearing-face-masks-on-attractions-will-not-receive-in-ride-photo-at-walt-disney-world/

[Robert Roaldi]

Florida had 15,299 cases yesterday. In celebration of achieving that milestone, they reopened DisneyWorld.

I just read this article on "politico.com" about Trump and his various minions cozying up in one way or another to QAnon, https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/12/trump-tweeting-qanon-followers-357238.

Is it just me or does this read like crazy talk? It seems to me to be at about the same level as alien abduction and Roswell conspiracies. This is what I used to expect on the back pages of the old National Enquirer.

[LesPalenik]

I just read this article on "politico.com" about Trump and his various minions cozying up in one way or another to QAnon, https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/12/trump-tweeting-qanon-followers-357238.

Is it just me or does this read like crazy talk? It seems to me to be at about the same level as alien abduction and Roswell conspiracies. This is what I used to expect on the back pages of the old National Enquirer.

Shocking article, but a great photo.

[faberryman]

I just read this article on "politico.com" about Trump and his various minions cozying up in one way or another to QAnon, https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/12/trump-tweeting-qanon-followers-357238.

Is it just me or does this read like crazy talk? It seems to me to be at about the same level as alien abduction and Roswell conspiracies. This is what I used to expect on the back pages of the old National Enquirer.

Yes, you see QAnon clothing and signs at his rallies. There is a certain segment of society which believes this nonsense. It is inexplicable. I am not sure why someone would be proud to be a deplorable with these guys in the basket.

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

I was hesitating to post this on the Science thread, because of the specific references to the USA situation in this article, which might trigger a political discussion. Therefore I'll post it here for those who are really interested in understanding things.

COVID-19 Cases Are Rising, So Why Are Deaths Flatlining?
The gap between soaring cases and falling deaths is being weaponized by the right to claim a hollow victory in the face of shameless failure. What’s really going on?
https://medium.com/the-atlantic/covid-19-cases-are-rising-so-why-are-deaths-flatlining-3d801eb78871

In the fog of pandemic, every statistic tells a story, but no one statistic tells the whole truth. Conservatives seeking refuge in today’s death counts may find, in a matter of days, that deaths are clearly resurging and their narrative is rapidly deteriorating. But liberals, too, should avoid the temptation to flatly reject any remotely positive finding, for fear that it will give succor to the president.
What follows are five possible explanations for the case-death gap. Take them as complementary, rather than competing, theories.

1. Deaths lag cases — and that might explain almost everything.

2. Expanded testing is finding more cases, milder cases, and earlier cases.

3. The typical COVID-19 patient is getting younger.

4. Hospitalized patients are dying less frequently, even without a home-run treatment.

5. Summer might be helping — but probably only a little bit.

When President Trump and others point exclusively to lagging death figures during a surge, they are trying to tell you that America is, secretly, winning the war on COVID-19. But we’re not. The summer surge is an exceptionally American failure, born of absent leadership and terrible public-health communication.
After all the graphs, statistics, science, and interpretations, we’re left with a simple fact: Hundreds of Americans are dying every day of a disease that is infecting several hundred thousand of them every week. If that’s success, let’s pray we never see failure.

[LesPalenik]

Five possible explanations for the case-death gap. Take them as complementary, rather than competing, theories.

1. Deaths lag cases — and that might explain almost everything.

2. Expanded testing is finding more cases, milder cases, and earlier cases.

3. The typical COVID-19 patient is getting younger.

4. Hospitalized patients are dying less frequently, even without a home-run treatment.

5. Summer might be helping — but probably only a little bit.

The 5 explanations seem quite logical.
It's possible that the summer heat is helping more than only a little bit. We'll see if the infections/cases ratio will change by the fall.

[elliot_n]

The death rate will rocket in the weeks ahead.

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

The death rate will rocket in the weeks ahead.

I hope not, but it is likely to be the case since National government seems to have given up fighting the virus and now resorts to pointing fingers (e.g. to Dr. Fauci) to divert attention and to blame someone else.

[faberryman]

The death rate will rocket in the weeks ahead.

I am not sure the death rate will rocket, but certainly the number of deaths will. It is just math.

[Peter McLennan]

Yes, you see QAnon clothing and signs at his rallies. There is a certain segment of society which believes this nonsense. It is inexplicable. I am not sure why someone would be proud to be a deplorable with these guys in the basket.

Freedumb.

.

[Paulo Bizarro]

I was hesitating to post this on the Science thread, because of the specific references to the USA situation in this article, which might trigger a political discussion. Therefore I'll post it here for those who are really interested in understanding things.

COVID-19 Cases Are Rising, So Why Are Deaths Flatlining?
The gap between soaring cases and falling deaths is being weaponized by the right to claim a hollow victory in the face of shameless failure. What’s really going on?
https://medium.com/the-atlantic/covid-19-cases-are-rising-so-why-are-deaths-flatlining-3d801eb78871

Same type of explanations are being put forward in Portugal. Number of deaths is on the low side everyday, say between 2 and 13, for the last few weeks. Older people are still predominant on death cases, especiallyin caring homes, where there have been a resurgence of cases.

Rt factor for the country is around 1,with regional fluctuations, so the thing is under control. Majority of new cases (around 300 7 days rolling average) is in younger people, either student age, or working age, who have been previously confiend and are now out and about.

[PeterAit]

Florida had 15,299 cases yesterday. In celebration of achieving that milestone, they reopened Disney World. But you can't say that Disney isn't serious about safety:

"We’ve received confirmation from various Cast Members at attractions that guests who remove their face masks while on an attraction will have their in-ride photo pulled and deleted from the PhotoPass system. Only guests who follow the rules and keep their face masks on at all times throughout the duration of the attraction will have their photo show up for download or purchase."

https://wdwnt.com/2020/07/guests-not-wearing-face-masks-on-attractions-will-not-receive-in-ride-photo-at-walt-disney-world/

And while Disney is opening the parks, they are keeping their headquarters closed. Tell you something?

[Alan Klein]

Same type of explanations are being put forward in Portugal. Number of deaths is on the low side everyday, say between 2 and 13, for the last few weeks. Older people are still predominant on death cases, especiallyin caring homes, where there have been a resurgence of cases.

Rt factor for the country is around 1,with regional fluctuations, so the thing is under control. Majority of new cases (around 300 7 days rolling average) is in younger people, either student age, or working age, who have been previously confiend and are now out and about.

Fortunately my home city of NYC had zero deaths yesterday.  First time since it started.

Coronavirus Updates: No deaths in NYC from COVID-19 in the last 24 hours
https://abc7ny.com/health/covid-updates-live---nyc-mayor-de-blasio-update/6314726/

[John Camp]

I am not sure the death rate will rocket, but certainly the number of deaths will. It is just math.

This. ^

We're at 135,000 dead in the US, and it will be at 140,000 by the end of this week. Given the number of positives, that probably means that the actual death rate has declined, and I believe that has happened, but the number of deaths will increase because the infections are increasing so much. I think the death rate is down for a number of reasons, but I think one of them is that treatment is better. There are no silver bullets, but more people are getting out of hospitals. The elderly ill still have much to fear.

Two or three months back (I didn't look it up) a member of this forum asked to be waked when the number of deaths went past 60,000. I think we'll be at two-and-a-half times that number by the end of July. Where will it stop? I doubt the U.S. fatalities will be under 200,000 before a vaccine arrives, sometime late this year or early next year.

[faberryman]

Two or three months back (I didn't look it up) a member of this forum asked to be waked when the number of deaths went past 60,000. I think we'll be at two-and-a-half times that number by the end of July. Where will it stop? I doubt the U.S. fatalities will be under 200,000 before a vaccine arrives, sometime late this year or early next year.

That would be Slobodan. He has been off-line for some time. Perhaps he has his hands full with the sometimes violent anti-government protests in Belgrade.

[Robert Roaldi]

I know that this is maybe beating a dead horse, but folks is this any way for a country's leader to behave, https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/13/trump-questions-public-health-experts-twitter-359388.

Scientific experts are all acting in concert to thwart his re-election? Seriously? There can't possibly be anyone left who takes this buffoon seriously anymore. Nothing he says makes any sense.

Is that what a country is now, one big electoral game to get your "boy" back in office? It's sickening to watch this happen. No wonder nobody competent wants to work for him, they don't want to be tainted. This is just so sad.

[MattBurt]

I know that this is maybe beating a dead horse, but folks is this any way for a country's leader to behave, https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/13/trump-questions-public-health-experts-twitter-359388.

Scientific experts are all acting in concert to thwart his re-election? Seriously? There can't possibly be anyone left who takes this buffoon seriously anymore. Nothing he says makes any sense.

Is that what a country is now, one big electoral game to get your "boy" back in office? It's sickening to watch this happen. No wonder nobody competent wants to work for him, they don't want to be tainted. This is just so sad.

The main issue here is that he (and many other leaders on that side of the isle) only use(s) experts for confirmation bias and photo ops, not for their actual expertise. So when they actually exercise their expertise to express facts and the facts don't support his desired outcome, he's done with them. He then starts looking for a better shill. Maybe it's time to bring back his old personal physician? That guy seemed willing to ready anything from the script with a straight face. Of course that guy is gone now too but there are always more...

[faberryman]

If I remember correctly, shortly after the election Trump sent his body guard over to the doctor's office to retrieve all of his medical records. Must of been something in them he didn't want the public to see. Can you imaging anyone actually selecting this guy to be his GP. Creepy.