Category Archives: pandemic

The Rise of the Grand Unifying Conspiracy Theories in the Age of Coronavirus

A conspiracy theory starts with a warm glow, a comforting notion that worms its way into one’s mind and promises that there is a method to the …

The Rise of the Grand Unifying Conspiracy Theories in the Age of Coronavirus

Gilead Claims ‘Positive Data’ to Come From N.I.H. Trial of Remdesivir – The New York Times “More Trump HYPE-leak”

President Trump is expected to discuss the findings at a White House briefing later today. In the past, Mr. Trump has hailed remdesivir as a potential “game changer,” despite spotty evidence. The brief announcement by Gilead read: “We understand that the trial has met its primary endpoint and that N.I.A.I.D. will provide detailed information at an upcoming briefing.”

even as a new study reported that the drug offered no benefit to severely ill patients in China.

Trading in the company’s stock was halted before the market opened. The news drove stocks higher, and the S&P 500 rose about 2 percent in early trading,

Trump suggests coronavirus funding for states could be tied to sanctuary city policies | TheHill -Grrrrr!

President Trump on Tuesday suggested that federal assistance to states financially impacted by the coronavirus outbreak could be tied to whether so-called sanctuary cities make adjustments to their immigration policies.

Source: Trump suggests coronavirus funding for states could be tied to sanctuary city policies | TheHill

‘A phantom plague’: America’s Bible Belt played down the pandemic and even cashed in. Now dozens of pastors are dead | The Independent

Dozens of pastors across the Bible Belt have succumbed to coronavirus after churches and televangelists played down the pandemic and actively encouraged churchgoers to flout self-distancing guidelines.  As many as 30 church leaders from the nation’s largest African American Pentecostal denomination have now been confirmed to have died in the outbreak, as members defied public
— Read on www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/bible-belt-us-coronavirus-pandemic-pastors-church-a9481226.html

Trump to order meat-processing plants to continue operating amid pandemic | US news | The Guardian – Kill workers for profit! Executive Slime!

Trump has elevated a looming standoff between America’s meat corporations that have resisted closures and labor unions who have called for increased safety measures, followed by shutdowns, to stop the virus’s spread. “We only wish that this administration cared as much about the lives of working people as it does about meat, pork and poultry products,” Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union

Source: Trump to order meat-processing plants to continue operating amid pandemic | US news | The Guardian

In Race for a Coronavirus Vaccine, an Oxford Group Leaps Ahead – The New York Times

scientists at the university’s Jenner Institute had a head start on a vaccine, having proved in previous trials that similar inoculations — including one last year against an earlier coronavirus — were harmless to humans. That has enabled them to leap ahead and schedule tests of their new coronavirus vaccine involving more than 6,000 people by the end of next month, hoping to show not only that it is safe, but also that it works.

Guidance for Meat and Poultry Processing Workers and Employers | CDC (me- Most facilities cannot currently meet these standards and current production numbers because of how processing lines are designed)

Guidance for Meat and Poultry Processing Workers and Employers

Source: Guidance for Meat and Poultry Processing Workers and Employers | CDC

Best safety – test employees when reporting to work, space out work

Community Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 at Two Family Gatherings — Chicago, Illinois, February–March 2020 | MMWR

In this cluster, two family gatherings outside the household likely facilitated the spread of SARS-CoV-2; one index patient who attended both events likely triggered a chain of transmission that included 15 other confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and ultimately resulted in three deaths. Media reports suggest the chain of transmission described in Chicago is not unique within the United States.§ Together with evidence emerging from around the world (10), these data shed light on transmission beyond household contacts, including the potential for super-spreading events. More comprehensive information is needed to better understand the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in community settings and households to better inform initiation and termination of public health policies related to social distancing or stay-at-home orders. Overall, these findings highlight the importance of adhering to current social distancing recommendations,¶ including guidance to avoid any gatherings with persons from multiple households and following state or local stay-at-home orders.

Source: Community Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 at Two Family Gatherings — Chicago, Illinois, February–March 2020 | MMWR

What History Can Tell US about Today’s Coronavirus Pandemic – DER SPIEGEL

In an interview, medical historian Frank Snowden discusses how the coronavirus pandemic mirrors past outbreaks and argues that we must quickly apply the lessons learned today in preparation for the next disease.
— Read on www.spiegel.de/international/world/what-history-can-tell-us-about-today-s-coronavirus-pandemic-a-378ebd03-cefb-45a6-bb7a-2db184de81cc