US agency includes gun sellers as ‘critical’ infrastructure
:smack:
This could be a breakthrough in identifying the infected/infectious population:
It is point-of-care test that provides results in minutes. It works with a popular point-of-care viral test product (18,000 in use in the US) If the manufacturer follows through with providing 50,000 test kits per day, this could help in completely mapping the contagion.
Catching Covid while buying guns to own the libs. Well okay then, you just go right ahead.
Moderator Note
Keep the political commentary out of Breaking News threads.
Looking at the graphs on worldometer, we can make some predictions;
Assuming there is no change in policies, and things continue just as they are, the following milestones should be reached;
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By about March 4 or 5, the US should hit 1,000,000 case of Covid-19.
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By March 2 or 3, the US should hit 10,000 deaths (assuming no total breakdown of medical facilities/lack of equipment as seen in Italy In that case, the number will be more).
From there, it just goes up. Unless there are some major changes that happen NOW. TODAY. Because changes to policy are only going to show up as a decrease two weeks from now.
April I assume?
In other Southeast Asia developments, Cambodia has begun severely restricting access to the country by foreign nationals, while Singapore will jail you for six months for not practicing social distancing.
Here in Hawaii, we’re up to 151 confirmed cases including 108 here on Oahu. Looks like interisland flights will soon be stopped.
In Canadian news, starting Monday at noon (Eastern Time?), no-one showing symptoms will be allowed to board a domestic flight or train (regulated federally by Transport Canada). No word on intercity buses, which are regulated provincially.
Several provinces have implemented highway checkpoints at their borders, and interprovincial travellers are being required to self-isolate for 14 days.
A number of First Nations are erecting blockades to restrict outside traffic.
The media here are starting to call it ‘physical distancing’ instead of ‘social distancing’ to emphasize that we need to remain socially connected even if we are physically apart. Subtle yet sensible.
There are commercials on TV and the streaming services featuring the very serious Dr. Theresa Tam, Chief Public Health Officer of Canada and head of the Public Health Agency of Canada, reminding everyone to stay at home unless necessary.
I went to the food store today, first time away from the house for three days, and they had installed transparent plexiglas shields around the payment terminals at the checkout stands. They also were no longer taking cash. I showed my points card for scanning and tapped to pay, all via Google Pay on my phone.
I don’t know whether it’s going to become a thing, but the Prime Minister has been giving a briefing to the media every day from the front steps of Rideau Cottage, where he lives (the official Prime Ministerial residence, 24 Sussex Dr, apparently needs repair). And his wife has just tested virus-free.
Flight attendants are pushing for better protective equipment.
No, March 2021.
The US won’t hit 1 million confirmed infections before about 8 April (my napkin math is telling me 9 April) and almost certainly will see fewer than 10,000 total deaths by 3 April (my napkin math is telling me we won’t hit 10k dead until possibly as early as 4 April).
Save those napkins. /tmi
The King of Thailand showing class, savoir faire and responsibility towards his people:
The headline says it all:
“Thai king self-isolates in Alpine hotel with harem of 20 women amid pandemic.”
Gotta admit, were I the king of Thailand I’d do pretty much the same exact thing.
You can save yourself the math (and the napkin) and just extrapolate the line of the graph here. Continuing in the straight line on the log scale of deaths by country has us hitting 10K deaths in 5 days, April 3. Not saying it will or won’t but not so sure how you can state so “almost certainly” fewer when that is what the curve would predict.
Less would only occur if the variety of social distancing behaviors (few lockdowns yet) from about 16 days ago had impact on the new infections that occurred then, and the curve starts to flatten, and that was before the strong lockdown approaches were in place.
As an aside, this is like saying the Titanic needed a little less ice. 24 Sussex was in terrible shape; it was full of asbestos, had wiring installed by Fires R Us, and every mechanical system worked as if it had been installed by vandals. It is being essentially gutted and rebuilt.
A succession of Prime Ministers avoided doing anything about it because they were terrified they’d get public flak for spending millions on “their” house.
A lot of experts have said they’d have been better off just knocking it down and starting over.
I admit, I totally pictured Yul Brynner.
Clinical trials on coronavirus drugs may take only months, researcher says
Mrs. L.A. takes Losartan. If she gets sick, maybe it will keep her from having a severe illness. Or maybe it will keep her from getting it at all. Who knows?
Based on funeral urns noticed, the death toll in Wuhan might actually be 42000-45000.
Ha! Yes, you are correct.
We’re actually pretty close. My best guess still remains:
April 5, the US should hit 1,000,000 cases
April 3, the US should hit 10,000 deaths