Government Response to Coronavirus 6: Dr. MyPillow and Demon Sperm

[Ozlsn]

30 minutes ago, Someone Out There said:

I doubt he or his team actually applied for the travel exemption from the federal government, instead they thought their Tennis Australia/Vic Health exemption was enough (which is incorrect).  If he had applied for that travel exemption and actually succeeded in obtaining it then it would be a different matter, they should have let him stay in that case.

I am wondering a lot if there was a backroom deal between Tennis Australia and someone in fed govt that they would accept these exemptions, and once it became essentially public knowledge - via the male World #1 singles player arriving - the deal was reneged on. 

Seriously though he and his team travel internationally for a living - this type of stuff should be routine. (Having said that I've been reading the govt website, and talk about opaque.)

[Someone Out There]

On 1/22/2022 at 6:20 PM, Ozlsn said:

I am wondering a lot if there was a backroom deal between Tennis Australia and someone in fed govt that they would accept these exemptions, and once it became essentially public knowledge - via the male World #1 singles player arriving - the deal was reneged on. 

Seriously though he and his team travel internationally for a living - this type of stuff should be routine. (Having said that I've been reading the govt website, and talk about opaque.)

It wouldn't surprise me. It also wouldn't surprise me if there was a distinct lack of communication between Tennis Australia and the Fed Govt (or someone didn't reply to someone).

I've heard about a running joke that part of the reason the vaccination rate is so high in Canberra is because enough people know enough about the government to think they are too incompetent to be trying to scam people into get vaccinated for nefarious reasons.

[AnnaSofia]

On 12/2/2021 at 2:34 PM, Howl said:

About damn time: 

 

 

 

If you're in the US and haven't done it yet, here's the link: https://www.covidtests.gov/  (Four free rapid tests per residential address)

It will take you to a USPS page, you just fill in your shipping info. Took like 30 seconds.

I requested them as soon as the site went live (1/18/22) and received them today (via USPS).

[Coconut Flan]

Mine showed up yesterday.    

[nokidsmom]

I just requested mine. 

Thanks @AnnaSofiafor the link!  

[CTRLZero]

Just returned from the grocery store, and most people were masked.  Unfortunately, enough people weren’t wearing masks, that I’m guessing this is the leading edge of a new trend in unmasking.  I think it’s too early.  😷  When all is said and done, I’m glad our governor tried his best to keep the virus from spreading, despite opposition from, well, you know who.  In random news from Washington state:

*At the same time, Gov. Jay Inslee announced the outdoor mask requirement for gatherings of 500 people or more will end on Feb. 18. Inslee is expected to announce next week when mask requirements for schools and businesses will end.

*In an effort to ease omicron’s strain on Washington hospitals, 10 long-term care facilities statewide will open new units to treat non-COVID patients who no longer need acute care.

*And the governor announced an end to the pause of elective surgeries starting that same day, as hospitalization levels for the virus continue to trend downward. Additionally, the Washington National Guard will no longer be needed to help in those facilities, he said.

*The governor has instituted some of the strictest public-health measures in the nation to tamp down the coronavirus, including a requirement that masks be worn in public places.

[Cartmann99]

Kaine introduces bill to research and combat long covid, after suffering it himself

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Sen. Tim Kaine got covid-19 in the spring of 2020, and nearly two years later he still has mild symptoms.

“I tell people it feels like all my nerves have had like five cups of coffee,” Kaine said Wednesday of his “24/7” tingling sensation, just after introducing legislation intended to expand understanding of long covid.

The Virginia Democrat is one of the thousands or even millions of Americans who could have long covid, the little-understood phenomenon in which symptoms linger for weeks or months after a coronavirus infection. There is no agreed-upon understanding of its root causes, or even its official name, making treatment of the long-term symptoms difficult — including for Kaine.

That’s why on Wednesday, Kaine joined Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) in introducing a bill to fund research into the long-term effects of the disease and expand treatment resources for people experiencing them.

The bill tracks with the pandemic road map President Biden released Wednesday, which calls for funding research into long covid. Kaine — a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee who has often asked federal health officials about long covid in hearings — said his office has been working on the legislation knowing the administration wants to prioritize the research.

The Comprehensive Access to Resources and Education (CARE) for Long COVID Act would centralize data about the experiences of people who have long covid, fund research into the effectiveness of treatments, and expand educational and community resources so people experiencing lingering symptoms know how to get help.

As The Washington Post reported last week, long covid has baffled scientists, and the true scope of how many people it has affected is unknown. High estimates suggest over one-third or even roughly half of the 80 million Americans who have had the virus developed long-term symptoms, and low estimates put that figure in the single-digit percentage range.

Either way, that’s potentially hundreds of thousands or tens of millions of people with mysterious lingering symptoms. They can include neurological effects, brain fog, heart problems, respiratory problems — they run the gamut, medical researchers told The Post last week.

“That’s going to put a burden on our health-care system,” Kaine said, “and it’s also going to require some research and some understanding, compassion, for people dealing with these symptoms — adjustments and accommodations in the workplace. There’s going to be a lot of consequences of this.”

Kaine developed flu-like symptoms in March 2020 in the earliest wave of the pandemic in the United States, when coronavirus tests were not even widely available, and then tested positive for coronavirus antibodies in May 2020. Most of his symptoms, “very mild,” went away within weeks. But the nerve tingling never stopped.

He went to see a neurologist and got an MRI, but the doctor told him everything looked fine. In a way, Kaine was relieved — but left baffled. “I know how my body felt before I got covid, I know how it felt when I got covid, and it’s not gone back to where it was before,” he said. “That gives me an understanding for people who talk about these long covid symptoms.”

Many of the people he has talked to about their experiences have also had trouble finding a root cause of their lingering symptoms when they visit a doctor, Kaine said. Some are told not to worry, or that their symptoms could be from depression and anxiety, he said. But their symptoms can often be far more serious than what Kaine is experiencing, he said. “I can do everything I could do before. I don’t lose sleep over it. It’s not painful, it’s not debilitating. It’s just weird,” Kaine said. “For a lot of people it’s more than weird. It’s painful. It’s debilitating.”

People who used to be avid runners now can barely walk around the block without getting tired, he said, ticking off examples. Some have mental fatigue, making it difficult to remember things, affecting their work. “A lot of people have these symptoms and they don’t know if they’ll ever go away,” Kaine said.

Numerous studies are underway to try to understand the phenomenon, and the bill from Kaine, Markey and Duckworth seeks to accelerate and centralize the research. The National Institutes of Health launched a research initiative studying the consequences of a coronavirus infection, which includes an examination of long covid.

“If we get the funding from Congress, we will launch new centers of excellence in communities across the country to provide high quality care to individuals experiencing long covid and to better understand the symptoms they’re facing,” Xavier Becerra, health and human services secretary, said Wednesday upon the release of the Biden administration’s pandemic road map.

 

[Becky]

Florida, of course:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/florida-surgeon-general-says-healthy-kids-shouldnt-get-covid-vaccines-rcna19012

 

[CTRLZero]

It looks like a second booster (Moderna/Pfizer) is available for immunocompromised and individuals over 50, as long as it’s been over four months from the first booster.  Here’s the link to the FDA press release.  We are planning a trip, so will be getting our boosters before we go if they are available locally.  
 

FDA press release re second booster

[Coconut Flan]

I was getting my first booster (fourth dose) today and the pharmacist confirmed she expects to see me back in five or six months.  That's her current recommendation.  She said come in and ask her about it any time.  Such a sweetie.  She's also excellent with injections.  

[47of74]

DOJ appealed the ruling

Quote

The Justice Department on Wednesday appealed a ruling by a federal judge that struck down the mask mandate for mass transportation, following a recommendation by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"It is CDC's continuing assessment that at this time an order requiring masking in the indoor transportation corridor remains necessary for the public health," the CDC said in a statement. "CDC will continue to monitor public health conditions to determine whether such an order remains necessary. CDC believes this is a lawful order, well within CDC's legal authority to protect public health."

In the wake of Monday's ruling, the Justice Department had considered whether to fight a court decision that caught much of the administration, airline industry, local public transit departments and everyday Americans off-guard. The appeal means that the administration will head to a higher court to extend the mandate -- despite the fact that many airlines and public transit systems have already decided to make masks optional following the court ruling.

The Justice Department's appellate filings didn't immediately include a request for a stay seeking to put the court order on hold and reinstate the mask mandate, a standard move in emergency circumstances.

 

[SassyPants]

Yesterday, we flew both international and domestically. Tested prior to our International flight, masks, the whole 9 yards…5 hours later Hit Miami, and it was a free for all. I’d say about 10% of domestic travelers (including me) wore a mask. Frightening actually. I need to get my booster (4th dose), just wondering about timing related to international travel and an upcoming blood donation appointment-

[ADoyle90815]

LA County reinstating mask mandate for public transportation and LAX. It's a good thing that this is happening, although I now feel sorry for any flight crews on any LAX bound planes that will now have to deal with adults having toddler tantrums over masks.

I flew back from Las Vegas on Tuesday, and many people were wearing masks at that airport and on the plane, including some flight attendants. When I got back to Long Beach, I noticed that most people were wearing masks in the terminal itself. 

Edited April 22, 2022 by ADoyle90815

[clueliss]

Reminder, the Missouri state Attorney General Eric Schmidt is currently running for the Republican nomination for the US Senate seat it’s about to be vacated by Roy Blunt. He has spent the last two years tilting at windmills (and other words he’s been suing cities counties and local school districts over Covid)

 

 

Edited June 16, 2022 by clueliss
Forgot link

[47of74]

Dr. Fauci announced he may soon be retiring

Quote

Dr. Anthony Fauci plans to retire by the end of President Joe Biden's current term in office, the government's top infectious disease expert told CNN on Monday.

Fauci said he does not currently have a specific retirement date in mind nor has he started the process of retiring.

"By the time we get to the end of Biden's first term, I will very likely (retire)," Fauci said.

Politico published an interview with Fauci on Monday in which Fauci said he did not expect to remain in government until coronavirus is eradicated, because he said, "I think we're going to be living with this" for years to come.

I don't think it would be possible to remain in office until coronavirus is eradicated.  Not just because of how the former guy and his Branch Trumpvidian groupies fornicating up the whole response instead of knocking the virus down when they had the chance.  But also coronavirus is a whole family of different viruses including some forms of common cold and COVID.  I think one would be in office quite a long time in that case. 

[47of74]

The CDC relaxed it’s guidance 

Quote

The nation’s top public health agency relaxed its COVID-19 guidelines Thursday, dropping the recommendation that Americans quarantine themselves if they come into close contact with an infected person.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also said people no longer need to stay at least 6 feet away from others.

The changes, which come more than 2 1/2 years after the start of the pandemic, are driven by a recognition that an estimated 95% of Americans 16 and older have acquired some level of immunity, either from being vaccinated or infected, agency officials said.

“The current conditions of this pandemic are very different from those of the last two years,” said the CDC’s Greta Massetti, an author of the guidelines.

FDA also changed its guidance about testing. 

Of course there was at least one person grumbling about it being too soon but I’m thinking we’ll never be completely free of COVID so it becomes balancing the risks. 

[47of74]

Looks like the Biden Administration is getting set to release updated guidelines on booster shots

Quote

According to the source, the Department of Health and Human Services will release the guidelines to public health departments in the next week or two. The guidelines will include information about ordering vaccines and what to expect in terms of the logistical plan.

On Tuesday, the White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator shared that the new boosters will be available in early to mid-September.

The shots are meant to give protection from the BA.4 and BA.5 coronavirus subvariants.

Sign me up.

[Coconut Flan]

Prepare for testing, treatment, and vaccines to become commercial in the US in 2023.

[47of74]

I think as COVID goes into the endemic phase it's going to be one of those things like the flu virus where you get the shot once a year.  As I said before I don't think we'll ever be completely free of the virus.  And sign me the fornicate up for future booster shots or new COVID vaccines.  Not only cause taking the vaccines is the right thing to do but also because it pisses the Branch Trumpvidians off. 

[Coconut Flan]

It's looking like fall 2023, combined COVID/flu vaccinations will be on offer.  

[47of74]

Dr. Fauci will retire in December

Quote

Dr. Anthony Fauci, his nation's top infectious disease expert who became a household name — and the subject of partisan attacks — during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Monday he will depart the U.S. federal government in December after more than five decades of service.

Fauci, who serves as President Joe Biden's chief medical adviser, has been the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief of the NIAID Laboratory of Immunoregulation. He was a leader in the federal response to HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases even before the coronavirus hit.

Fauci became the face of the government response to COVID-19 as it hit in early 2020, with frequent appearances on television news and at daily press conferences with White House officials, including then-President Donald Trump. But as the pandemic deepened, Fauci fell out of favour with Trump and his officials when his urgings of continued public caution clashed with the former president's desire to return to normalcy and to promote unproven therapies for the virus.

Fauci said despite retiring from federal service he planned to continue working. "I want to use what I have learned as NIAID director to continue to advance science and public health and to inspire and mentor the next generation of scientific leaders as they help prepare the world to face future infectious disease threats," he said.

 

[47of74]

Jesus I need more popcorn 

Quote

A Minnesota federal judge on Friday nixed a suit filed against a Walmart pharmacy for refusing to fill prescriptions for ivermectin, an anti-parasite drug used on humans and animals, to treat a couple's COVID-19 infection, calling their purported "right to self-determination" that would force medical providers to administer certain treatments "mind-boggling."

In a 21-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz dismissed William and Karla Salier's complaint for "right to self-determination," intentional infliction of emotional distress and tortious interference with contractual relations against Walmart Inc. and Hy-Vee Inc., both of which declined to fill their prescriptions for two controversial, nonstandard methods to treat COVID-19. The judge found that the Saliers "have not come close to pleading a viable claim."

"The Saliers' claim that the state recognizes the right to self-determination is premised entirely on a single statement found in a Minnesota Supreme Court decision issued 45 years ago in Cornfeldt v. Tongen , which was a medical malpractice case. The judge pointed out that the high court's statement was made in the context of informed consent."

"Absolutely nothing in Cornfeldt or any other cases suggests that, under Minnesota law, a health-care provider has a legal obligation to provide any and all treatments or medications demanded by a patient," Friday's order states. "The implications of recognizing the right asserted by the Saliers — not just the right to do whatever you want with your own body, but the right to force others to help you (so much for their right of self-determination) — would be mind-boggling, even if it were just limited to medical providers."

Can’t wait for the branch trumpvidian reaction.

 

[47of74]

Biden: COVID is still causing problems but the pandemic is over

Quote

President Joe Biden said he believes the Covid-19 pandemic is “over” in an appearance on CBS’ “60 Minutes,” but acknowledged the US still has a “problem” with the virus that has killed more than 1 million Americans.

“The pandemic is over. We still have a problem with Covid. We’re still doing a lot of work on it. It’s – but the pandemic is over,” Biden said.

The US government still designates Covid-19 a Public Health Emergency and the World Health Organization says it remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. But the President’s comments follow other hopeful comments from global health leaders.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, said in a news briefing last week that the end of the Covid-19 pandemic was “in sight,” and that the world has never been in a better position to end the Covid-19 pandemic.

COVID is still a serious threat but I think we're moving in the right direction.  We wouldn't be anywhere close to this point if Fuck Face had won in 2020 or managed to pull of a coup.

Personally, I think COVID will be with us going forward but as more of an endemic disease rather than a pandemic.  If there was any chance of stopping it entirely that chance got squandered when the pandemic first happened so it had to reach this point on its own.

 

 

[Ozlsn]

15 hours ago, 47of74 said:

The pandemic is over. We still have a problem with Covid. We’re still doing a lot of work on it. It’s – but the pandemic is over,” Biden said

I'd love to know what evidence he's basing that on because it looks about the same as "how about we don't test people and see if the numbers go down" to me.