Trump just said that Pfizer was part of Operation warp speed. Just said it would have taken 8-12 years and OWS got it under 1 year. Can’t keep up with the blather.
My point is, and what frustrates me is, and what destroys my faith in my fellow Americansi s that we COULD beat this. We could knock it down until it’s no longer the life and economy destroying menace that it is. (Regardless of what any other country has done.) We could, but we refuse.
Utah:
That is mendacious; Pfizer did not accept OWS money for research into a COVID-19 vaccine.
I’m very much looking forward to Pfizer’s response.
I think in some ways it’s almost good that he did lie about that, because now it becomes a specific news item that they were not participants. I’m sure most people would have just assumed they were if Trump didn’t call it out.
This is looking worse and worse. We are about to be over 170,000 new cases and over 1300 more deaths today in the US. Bad and badder news in the forecast. 
My depressing prediction: US Thanksgiving will be collectively a super-spreader event. The lag time from infection to death is typically 4+ weeks. (for those who get very ill.) A lot of people are going to be in mourning or worrying about a relative in intensive care over Christmas.
But come spring we may see some effective vaccines hitting the market, especially for those at high risk and medical professionals. So there’s hope. But it may be a long, cold, hard winter.
I don’t know if it’s pandemic fatigue or what. After eight months of this, maybe not enough people are continuing to do the right thing.
But like I said previously, mask compliance seems to be good from what I’ve seen.
At least our governor is responding by reimposing restrictions on restaurants, etc.
Personally for me and my family, we are still not going to restaurants (not since March), and are limiting shopping to the bare minimum by opting for delivery wherever possible (including groceries). My wife and son are both working at home. I’m “essential” and am required to go in to my office, but all meetings are virtual at least (so why can’t I work at home?). I basically barricade myself in my office all day, and wear a mask.
All this matches reports and surveys that I have seen that show that when going to the store or to crowded places outdoors the rates of mask use are excellent. Unfortunately, the rates of use when friends and families meet are pitiful.
Australia, Taiwan, Nauru. Places where they weren’t already loosing before they started. And China.
I don’t know of any place other than China where they’ve come down from really large numbers to really small numbers.
But you’re at the start of ‘flu season’ now. Take a look at the NYC trend: COVID-19: Data Trends and Totals - NYC Health
I think you might have nailed it if you were going into summer now, instead of into winter.
Not to mention, measles…
The rates here in AZ are going up as well. Elections and demonstrations are still an issue. Ducey is taking a few days off to celebrate their 30 year wedding anniversary.
@ThelmaLou there used to be rules that people applying for TANF (Temporary Aid for Needy Families AKA welfare cash) had to provide proof that their children had their routine vaccinations. Schools also had that requirement.
Courts ruled that people applying for TANF did not have to have their children vaccinated if it was against their religious beliefs. When I worked for the DES, I was not allowed to ask which religion thought it was a good idea to let children get sick and maybe die. I was just supposed to accept that any god anywhere thought that kids should get sick and die.
I think that schools are still requiring vaccinations, but home schooled children are exempt.
53,746,944 total cases
1,309,408 dead
37,523,973 recovered
In the US:
11,064,364 total cases
249,975 dead
6,789,146 recovered
Yesterday’s numbers for comparison:
The US crossed the 11,000,000 mark today with more than 183,000 new cases (a new single day record, natch).
I wonder how much Halloween and the election have influenced the latest surge?
I work in grocery and the store was full of people all day Thursday through Tuesday that weekend. People were masked as required, but they were shopping in large groups with obvious party purchases going down.
My feeling is most people are guarded among strangers, but way too lax among family and friends.
Shanghai had one case at the airport. Because of this, our branch in Shanghai has re-introduced twice daily temperature checks and full-time mask wearing.
It seems to be possible to control the spread. But most people aren’t willing to do what’s necessary.
From personal experience, I see that mask usage is almost perfect in retail establishments and other places where strangers congregate. However, within workplaces and with interactions between vendors and businesses, mask usage drops considerably. I would say less than 50%.
I think it’s because wearing a mask comes across as an accusation. Ypu think the other person is diseased. Asking someone else to wear a mask is worse.
I’ve said since March the missing component is a massive PR campaign. We’ve done this, with AIDS and Drunk Driving and smoking. There’s a playbook. We know how to shift perceptions… And it would be easy with masks and social distancing because it’s just attitude. We aren’t asking people to give up nearly as much as when you ask them to stop driving after a few beers or to wear a condom.
This could have been done. Could be done. But their was a political decision to avoid the appearance that this was too big of a deal.
I don’t know exactly where to put this, but wtf Newsome? Newsom apologizes for attending French Laundry party
What is it with California lawmakers flouting COVID restrictions? This is the same stupid attitude that plagued the Clintons at times, that rules are for the little people.