UPDATE: Now watching.
This pandemic “has the potential to eclipse the devastation wrought by the 1918 influenza, which globally claimed over 50 million lives.” https://t.co/3yItrCQLJ4
— Pedro da Costa (@pdacosta) May 14, 2020
OBAMAGATE!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 14, 2020
Why would anyone believe this?
1.) First, we have historical precedent to consider. Pandemics tend to come in waves. 85,000 people have died so far in the first wave of this pandemic. We should expect a second peak in October.
“Of eight major pandemics that have occurred since the early 1700s, no clear seasonal pattern emerged for most. Two started in winter in the Northern Hemisphere, three in the spring, one in the summer, and two in the fall (Saunders-Hastings 2016).
Seven had an early peak that disappeared over the course of a few months without significant human intervention. Subsequently, each of those seven had a second substantial peak approximately 6 months after first peak. Some pandemics showed smaller waves of cases over the course of 2 years after the initial wave. The only pandemic that followed a more traditional influenza-like seasonal pattern was the 1968 pandemic, which began with a late fall/winter wave in the Northern Hemisphere followed by a second wave the next winter (Viboud 2005). In some areas, particularly in Europe, pandemic-associated mortality was higher the second year.”
2.) Second, the prevalence of the virus is still low. Only 5% of France and Spain has been infected. 2.8% of Indiana has been infected. The highest figure of antibodies reported anywhere in the United States is New York City which in one study got up to 21% prevalence.
3.) Third, the IFR of the virus falls within the 0.5% to 1.2% range. We’ve seen this now in Italy, New York City, Spain, France and Indiana. The IFR is also higher where the virus is more prevalent.
Bright is testifying before Congress as a whistleblower tomorrow.
He was pushed out of his job after sounding the alarm about the virus and disagreeing with Trump and Dr. Laura Ingraham about the merit of hydroxychloroquine as a COVID-19 treatment.
“Good morning Chairwoman, Eshoo, Ranking Member Burgess and distinguished Members of the Subcommittee. Thank you for inviting me to testify today.
I am Dr. Rick Bright, a career public servant and a scientist who has spent 25 years of my career focused on addressing pandemic outbreaks. I received my bachelor’s degree with honors in both biology and physical sciences from Auburn University at Montgomery in Alabama. I earned my PhD in Immunology and Molecular Pathogenesis from Emory University in Georgia My dissertation was focused on pandemic avian influenza. I have spent my entire career leading teams of scientists in drugs, diagnostics and vaccine development — in the government with CDC and BARDA, for a global non-profit organization and also in the biotechnology industry. Regardless of my position, my job and my entire professional focus has been on saving lives. My professional background has prepared me for a moment like this – to confront and defeat a deadly virus like COVID-19 that threatens Americans and people around the globe. …
The world is confronting a great public health emergency which has the potential to eclipse the devastation wrought by the 1918 influenza which globally claimed over 50 million lives. We face a highly-transmissible and deadly virus which not only claims lives but is also disrupting the very foundations of our societies. The American health-care system is being taxed to the limit, our economy is spiraling downward — leading to mass unemployment — and our population is being paralyzed by fear stemming from the lack of a coordinated response and a dearth of accurate, clear communication about the path forward. Americans yearn to get back to work, to open their businesses and provide for their families. I get that. We need a national coordinated strategy to look at all of these pieces and to ensure that they fit well together. To conceive and implement this strategy, our government must draw on the guidance of the best scientific minds. …
Our window of opportunity is closing. If we fail to develop a national coordinated response, based in science, I fear the pandemic will get far worse and be prolonged, causing unprecedented illness and fatalities. While it is terrifying to acknowledge the extent of the challenge that we currently confront, the undeniable fact is there will be a resurgence of the COVID19 this fall, greatly compounding the challenges of seasonal influenza and putting an unprecedented strain on our health care system. Without clear planning and implementation of the steps that I and other experts have outlined, 2020 will be darkest winter in modern history. …
First and foremost, we need to be truthful with the American people. They want the truth. They can handle the truth. Truth, no matter how unpleasant, decreases the fear generated by uncertainty. The truth must be based on scientific evidence – and not filtered for political reasons. We must know and appreciate what we are up against. We have the world’s greatest scientists – they must be permitted to lead. Let them speak truthfully without fear of retribution. We must listen so that the government can then take the most powerful steps to save lives. …”
Note: I see that Dr. Bright graduated from Auburn University and Emory University.
Why don’t we just import the health directors from Taiwan, we import everything else.
( might be the one Chinese import of real value)
Hydroxychloroquine and zinc does work and this piece of shit is arguing against its use knowing it works and lives can be saved with its use. This is the shit that rules us.
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/04/antimalarials-widely-used-against-covid-19-heighten-risk-cardiac-arrest-how-can-doctors
Good selection. I had just posted the same text elsewhere before coming here. It is excellent but few will read it, being too enthralled listening to “real authorities” like Dr. Judy and Dr. Sherri.
De facto U.S. President Jared Kushner gushed to the New York Times that once the U.S. is opened up “I really believe (…) it will be very hard to ever lock down again.” That’s the plan: It will be impossible (too late) to ever lock down again. Two million commoners will die and tens of millions of commoners will be permanently disabled with serious lung, kidney, heart and nerve damage requiring supplemental oxygen, regular dialysis, etc. but the elites intend to survive and reap a bonanza.
I think whipping up fear and hysteria and then have it diffuse so easily puts the average man and woman at ease. Perhaps this is part of the plan and after wearing everyone down, the real menace comes along and gets the result that was always the intended goal.
Reminds me of the “nuclear winter” hysteria some years back. Never let a good crisis go to waste.
U.S. Faces Darkest Winter In Modern History?
Pun Intended: How many more Non-Whites are flooding into the U.S.?
Diversity brings more Disease.
REPEAL THE 1965 IMMIGRATION ACT NOW!
European Americans never voted to become a minority in their own nation.
Europe, and not England, is the parent country of America. This new world hath been the asylum for the persecuted lovers of civil and religious liberty from every part of Europe. We claim brotherhood with every European Christian, and triumph in the
generosity of the sentiment.
Thomas Paine, Common Sense
Rick “Bright”? Lulz. Is that like Larry :Brilliant”?
“Obamagate!” – the newest distraction for the slow-witted MAGApedes from the Orange Dolt – because nothing stirs their soul like the mention of that “Bastard Muslim Kenyan”.
Dr Bright is projecting his state of mind, not reality, because no one knows what reality will be.
Yes, it could get very bad this Winter, or, it might not be much of a thing, at all.
Let’s prepare, in case there is a serious problem, but,let’s not project.
Agree. We become so acclimated to chaos that we don’t even realize it’s all chaos all the time.
Malthus showed there are three main “natural” tools that the ruling class uses to reduce overpopulation of the lower classes, and to maintain their supremacy, namely: war, famine, and DISEASE.
In his cold-blooded “Essay on the Principle of Population”: “We should facilitate, instead of foolishly and vainly endeavoring to impede, the operations of nature in producing this mortality; and if we dread the too frequent visitation of the horrid form of famine, we should sedulously encourage the other forms of destruction, which we compel nature to use. In our towns we should make the streets narrower, crowd more people into the houses, and court the return of the plague.”
“Our” government is indeed “courting” the plague!
Our rulers indeed use those three methods of supremacy, to ensure both unending power without effective opposition from the plebes and unceasing streams of revenue.
Interesting video of the virus, in action, at the atomic level: https://www.rt.com/news/488669-coronavirus-structure-detail-video/