I have actually seen tweets on Twitter from our leftist betters in Twitterverse hoping for half the nation (the half that supports Pres. Trump, of course) dying from this. Been in a hospital lately? A silent large percentage of healthcare workers, I’ve found, are Trump supporters. Yeah, those two-left-feeter people’s TDS “hopes” will work out well for them when they finally show up at the hospital to find nobody there to help them.
Hubby went for regular check up today & asked our Doc his assessment of the Coronavirus.
Exact words “It’s nothing worse than the regular flu. Democrats are using it as a POLITICAL WEAPON AGAINST PRESIDENT TRUMP because impeachment failed.”@realDonaldTrump
— Georgia🍑Peach⭐⭐⭐ (@RealPeachyKeen2) February 27, 2020
I rest my case, TDS sufferers.
DC: President Trump Appoints Vice President Pence To Head Coronavirus Task Force
Pelosi says she spoke to Pence about coronarirus this morning and expressed her concern to him about him heading the effort
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) February 27, 2020
Hopefully he expressed his concern for her declining mental health, acute increase in her cognitive dissonance, and those tell-tale face/mouth convulsions.
— Maggie (@drillanwr) February 27, 2020
AP: AP FACT CHECK: Democrats distort coronavirus readiness … And yes, the MSM is an official part of the dem party. But you knew that already…
Since the dawn of the Trump era, countless experts have warned that the president's lack of credibility would imperil the country in the event of an emergency.
As the coronavirus outbreak worsens, those fears may be coming true… https://t.co/vFo8MJZV7i
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) February 26, 2020
CNN cuts away from the White House's press briefing about the coronavirus to air their town hall with Michael Bloomberg.
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) February 27, 2020
Gross how media hopes for something bad to happen to a country to prove their humiliated idiocies of the past 4 years are finally validated. “The fears may be coming true…” they say hopefully. https://t.co/41dsUG8RLA
— GregGutfeld (@greggutfeld) February 27, 2020
Hey guys this is the big one!!! Finally we get a deadly pandemic that proves all our hysteria isnt all a pathetic waste of time! https://t.co/41dsUG8RLA
— GregGutfeld (@greggutfeld) February 27, 2020
Honestly Greg, if people died every time the Dems have said people are going to die because of Trump, the remaining 150 million of us that haven’t been killed by guns in the last decade would all be dead.
— Greg B 💎 (@GBPtbo) February 27, 2020
He has a valid point, but don’t tell Joe Biden.
There are Democrats outright lying about the President’s response to coronavirus. Bloomberg is actually running ads that say CDC funding was cut – & it’s patently false.
There is no need to politicize this important issue, but they can’t help themselves. https://t.co/LGBEGButJ2
— Rep. Dan Crenshaw (@RepDanCrenshaw) February 27, 2020
The coronavirus would be even scarier if we were all forced to be VA patients.
— Mandy ☕🦋 (@SpringSteps) February 27, 2020
Yeah, it gets ‘better’…
Twitchy: On the plus side: Bloomberg Asia says the coronavirus outbreak has cut China’s carbon footprint
The MSM just can’t help itself. Neither can the dem-socialist dregs running for president, or Bernie’s VP in Liz’s case….
Coronavirus poses a serious health, diplomatic, & economic threat, & we must be prepared to confront it head-on. So I’m introducing a bill to transfer all funding for @realDonaldTrump's racist border wall to @HHSGov & @USAID to combat coronavirus. https://t.co/8IEhBWRjeL pic.twitter.com/9oAF0A2lGT
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) February 27, 2020
Pretty much a translation of Liz Warren: We’re all gonna freeze to death so I’m taking the money for doors and windows to close out the weather and throwing it in the fireplace to keep us warm.
FNC: Dow, Nasdaq, S&P plunge into correction territory as global coronavirus crisis deepens
VIDEO: Dr. Michael Baden: Why I am worried about the coronavirus
Twitchy: Iran’s Deputy Health Minister tests positive for coronavirus
Twitchy: Iranian vice president and former spokeswoman for the 1979 hostage-takers diagnosed with coronavirus
FNC: CDC facial hair mask advisory recirculates amid coronavirus fears
FNC: Gwyneth Paltrow, star of ‘Contagion,’ makes coronavirus joke: ‘I’ve already been in this movie’
Not a fan, and I think she is 98% a weirdo, but I really don’t take any offense to this. Let’s keep a sense of humor and maybe follow some of the simple tips she lists in this article. Given her ridiculous Goop tips these sound way more sane. By the way, her character in the movie she is referencing, “Contagion”, was patient zero in US. Here is another good idea. Find the movie and watch it. Some of the subscription streaming services have it available, and most people have one or more of those as we cut-the-cable these days. But don’t watch it for entertainment purposes or a for a fear factor panicked result, but to see where the failings were for the movie’s population and individuals in the story. It was a good movie and has a lots to be learned from it. Prepare and plan according to what you glean from the movie are areas where you can prepare and control right now for you and your family. Reduce your potential victim status should this actually get bad.
One of the mixed blessings of the information age is the instant and world-wide transmission of pretty much everything, from the raw data to wild extrapolations and interpretations and politically motivated screeds that may or may not be based on reality. Even worse is the lack of perspective, since hysterical tweets and headlines sell ads and newspapers, while sober reflection and interpretation is wiser and more boring.
And coronavirus is a great example of this. Is it the pandemic that will bring down the world economy, or is it just another flu-like syndrome that kills the old and the weak, just like the flu does…every single year. Last year the flu killed 20,000 people in the USA alone. And the year before was worse. World wide? WHO estimates that seasonal influenza may result in 290 000-650 000 deaths each year due to respiratory diseases alone.
So what is the official government response to this widespread yearly virus that kills hundreds of thousands of people each year? Pretty rational actually! The American government subsidizes vaccine research, tries to make the public aware of the basic precautions that will minimize exposure, and places it properly in the category of “manageable.”
But hysteria usually wins out, and here is a great example of such.
Michela Musolino is a professional singer and a long-time reader and commenter at AoSHQ who was in northern Italy recently for a series of concerts, unfortunately right smack in the middle of Italy’s coronavirus outbreak.
Her experience is fascinating, and her observations are equally valuable and worth a read.
Read the whole AoSHQ post where there’s more info to consider.
A link below reporting Japan will be closing their schools for at least a month. Like China, Japan has heavily concentrated population areas and rely on overcrowded mass-transit. My niece, an American English teacher in China, has been cloistered in her apartment for over a month. She has been able to teach most of her students via the internet (and Japan is no stranger to technology and the internet), and has taken this opportunity to do her own required studies while stuck therein. People are demanding something be done and this is not a bad idea. Solutions for containing and halting the spread of this virus are as simple as this, so that the healthcare industry is not deluged with sick and contagious patients increasing the infected population. Yes, disruptions are necessary. Better this than the alternative.
So many links, so little time. I’m just cutting/pasting Glenn Reynolds @ Instapundit:
CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: US is buying half a billion masks to guard against coronavirus.
CDC Refused to Test First Possible Community-Transmitted Coronavirus Case for Days.
700 People In NY Being Monitored For Possible Coronavirus.
Iran Coronavirus Deaths Jump To 26.
How Iran’s regime spread coronavirus to the Middle East.
Coronavirus infects woman in Japan for the second time, a first in the country.
Japan to close schools nationwide to control spread of coronavirus.
Moscow Rounds up Stray Animals, Kills Rats Over Coronavirus Fears.
What Would a Coronavirus Outbreak in the U.S. Mean for Schools? Districts have infectious disease protocols. But few have detailed plans to teach online if schools were closed for long periods.
Two more people die from coronavirus in Italy: civil protection agency.
Coronavirus May Explode in U.S. Overnight Just Like in Italy.
ECB ‘very worried’ about coronavirus spread.
FedEx Express adjusts shipping services as coronavirus outbreak spreads.
Pakistan shuts schools, suspends Iran flights to curb coronavirus spread.
Sen. Hawley to introduce Coronavirus bill aimed at securing medical supply chain.
I Prepared for Everything, but Not Coronavirus on a Cruise Ship.
Apparently not just a repeat in Japan, but…
FNC: Some discharged coronavirus patients in China test positive for second time: report
My armature science/medical knowledge tells me there maybe a couple things happening. Either these second-time patients were never really over the virus, or it has mutated (as viruses do) and they are now being infected by that strain. Or, perhaps, the initial virus in their systems went dormant for a short time and is resurfacing. Viruses are basically opportunistic parasites, if you will. They have to live inside other cells in the body. It’s why you typically get a cold sore in the same area(s), because that virus is dormant in those nerve cells. Disease specialists will now have to figure out if any of these are true, or something completely different.
That last link regarding cruise ship vacations… For the last decade or more we have seen and heard about cruise ships being caught in the luxury cruise becoming hospital ships due to outbreaks of various illness involving most, if not all, passengers and crew. Anyone who is taking a cruise on a cramped ship that has a population of people who are an island unto themselves should always get their vaccines as if they were heading to a trip to another country. And make certain to get the various influenza/shingles/tetanus/pertussis/etc. vaccines. Then be certain to pack a decent supply of cold/flu meds, acetaminophen/ibuprofen, stomach meds, face masks, hand sanitizer, alcohol swabs, a package of multiple little packs of travel tissues, a first aid kit, antiseptic/antibiotic/hydrocortisone ointment tubes, thermometer, and anything else you would be sure to have during flu season … or camping. It’s really not that much more to pack, maybe just another zipper shoulder tote? Oh, and given the past history of water onboard the infected ships becoming unpotable over the time of waiting to get to port due to mechanical issues, maybe pack a couple of these in your ‘just-in-case’ tote. There are different types and brands, and also come with water bottles.
While the biggest part I hate about traveling for vacation (we typically stay in a beach rental on Topsail Island, NC) is packing shoes/clothes/towels/bedding/non-perishable foods, my most thoughtful packing goes into estimating and anticipating any/every medical scenario where we would either need something to take care of a situation, or at least stabilize the situation until whomever can be transported to urgent-care or the hospital ER. Over the years my Frist Aid ziplocked bags have turned into a larger tackle box almost like you see the EMS carry. And I have indeed used it every single family vacation, and not just with my family but others on the beach.
FNC: What you need to know to travel safely amid global outbreak
MORE:
1. I’m waiting for the Schumer-Pelosi-Sanders-Biden- Buttigieg-Warren-Klobuchar-Steyer coronavirus plan. Open borders? Eliminate ICE? No vetting? Sanctuary cities? Nationalize the greatest health care system? Massive taxes on pharmaceutical companies and R&D?
— Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) February 27, 2020
PJM: The Left Prays for Coronavirus Black Swan Event to Take Out Trump, But it Won’t Happen. Here’s Why.
AT: Despite a hostile press, Trump’s coronavirus press conference hit the right notes
Twitchy: ‘Beyond parody’: New York Times suggests a new name for the coronavirus
China, the country where this originated, is actively suppressing information about its spread, but you decide to name it after Trump? Seek help for your TDS, seriously.
— Patrick (@jd2319) February 27, 2020
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Breitbart: China Blames ‘Xenophobia’ and ‘White Supremacist Racism’ for Coronavirus Fears … Of course they do. China has seen how Putin/Russia plays the American MSM and the democrats/left, and wants a piece of that fun. Anything to deflect their own communist failings for this mess…
Brandon J. Weichert: China’s Response to Coronavirus Proves Bernie Wrong on Centralization: Instead of stemming a crisis, a centralized approach to scientific research and development merely prolongs it.
Stephen Green: What Will the Left Do When a Billion-Jillion Americans Don’t Die of Coronavirus?
President Trump has left the U.S. dangerously underprepared to face a public health crisis like a #coronavirus outbreak. @devisridhar and I explain how via @CNN https://t.co/gohxobjXOv
— Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) February 25, 2020
Nice of you to join the politicizing of this. Hoping for MAGA-hatters to fall from this too for political advantage like others are? TBT (8/15/03): I'm old enough to remember your mom blaming Pres. GWB for flu vaccine shortage, but, nah… https://t.co/SqIDiou5wU
— Maggie (@drillanwr) February 27, 2020
WSJ: Hillary’s Vaccine Shortage
Everyone knows America’s vaccine industry is in serious trouble, with an ever dwindling number of producers and recent severe vaccine shortages. What everyone also should know is that the National Academy of Science’s Institute of Medicine has now pinned much of the blame on Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Well, not in so many words. The panel of doctors and economists issuing a report on vaccines last week was too polite to mention the former First Lady by name. But they identify as a fundamental cause of the problem the fact that the government purchases 55% of the childhood vaccine market at forced discount prices. The result has been “declining financial incentives to develop and produce vaccines.”
The root of this government role goes back to August 1993, when Congress passed Mrs. Clinton’s Vaccines for Children program. A dream of Hillary’s friends at the Children’s Defense Fund, her vaccines plan was to use federal power to ensure universal immunization. So the government agreed to purchase a third of the national vaccine supply (the Clintons had pushed for 100%) at a forced discount of half price, then distribute it to doctors to deliver to the poor and the un- and under-insured.
The result is a cautionary tale for anyone who favors national health care. Already very high in 1993, childhood vaccination rates barely budged. A General Accounting Office report at the time noted that “vaccines are already free” for the truly needy through programs like Medicaid. Meanwhile, however, the Hillary project dealt the vaccine industry another financial body blow.
Thirty years ago, the Institute report notes, 25 companies produced vaccines for the U.S. market. Today only five remain, and a number of critical shots have only one producer. Recent years have brought shortages of numerous vaccines, including those for whooping cough, diphtheria and chicken pox.
The Institute of Medicine panel seems to assume — probably correctly — that it’s not politically feasible simply to kill something called Vaccines for Children. But it does suggest that removing the government as a direct purchaser would allow for adequate reimbursement and help the industry to get back on its feet. So it recommends replacing existing vaccination programs with a subsidized insurance mandate for children and seniors, and with vouchers for those who lack coverage.
In the short run, this might marginally improve on the existing system. But insurers rightly worry that future budget pressures would cause the subsidy to dry up, leaving them with yet another costly coverage mandate. An even greater risk is that it would put the government in position to determine which vaccines to subsidize, and to determine the subsidy level based on nebulous estimates of “the societal value of the vaccine.” This seems like an indirect price control, and we can’t think of any other industry in which a government policy of picking winners has been conducive to innovation.
The better answer is a return to a freer market. Private companies are willing to innovate if they can get an adequate return. Vaccines are a predictable cost, not a variable insurable risk, and so are affordable for even the poorest Americans. Jack Calfee of the American Enterprise Institute estimates that vaccines account for less than 2% of the pharmaceutical market or less than two-tenths of one percent of total U.S. health costs. The $400-$600 cost of the recommended round of childhood vaccines is spread out over 16 years, and the truly needy qualify for Medicaid or the federally funded State Children’s Health Insurance Program.
Apart from price controls, the other great threat to vaccine makers has been tort lawyers. Congress took a significant step to solve this problem in 1986, creating the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, and requiring the injured parties to seek redress there before they can sue in regular courts. But plaintiffs’ lawyers have been crafty in finding ways around the VICP, most notoriously by claiming damages due to the discontinued but harmless vaccine additive thimerosal. There’s still work to be done here.
The Institute of Medicine panel deserves credit for highlighting the threat to vaccine makers from government price controls. Mrs. Clinton is a powerful Senator now with Presidential ambitions. It took some guts for the Institute panel to say in effect that one of her pet projects is a bust. As Congress considers Medicare legislation that could do similar harm to prescription drug makers, the vaccine tale is a timely alarm.
The Universal Spectator 
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