Category Archives: pandemic

Opinion | A Deadly Lack of Leadership – The New York Times

Trump, the supposed leader of the country, wasted precious time — weeks and weeks — telling the American public just that, while not taking the drastic measures that the government is now, belatedly, taking. That puts lives in danger, and surely, in the end, will have cost lives.

I’m an epidemiologist. When I heard about Britain’s ‘herd immunity’ coronavirus plan, I thought it was satire | William Hanage | Opinion | The Guardian

You should instead look to the example of South Korea, which, through a combination of intense surveillance and social distancing, appears to have gained some semblance of control over the virus. We can learn from South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan, all of which have so far done a good job mitigating the worst outcomes despite having reported cases early in the pandemic, and in the case of South Korea, suffering a substantial outbreak.

Source: I’m an epidemiologist. When I heard about Britain’s ‘herd immunity’ coronavirus plan, I thought it was satire | William Hanage | Opinion | The Guardian

Trump ‘offers large sums’ for exclusive access to coronavirus vaccine | US news | The Guardian

The German health minister Jens Spahn said that a takeover of the CureVac company by the Trump administration was “off the table”. CureVac would only develop vaccine “for the whole world”, Spahn said, “not for individual countries”.

Source: Trump ‘offers large sums’ for exclusive access to coronavirus vaccine | US news | The Guardian

Coronavirus: Hong Kong issues ‘red’ travel alert on the United States, Britain and Ireland and imposes quarantine measures on arrivals | South China Morning Post – AKA: IRONY

Compulsory home quarantine will apply to people who have been to Ireland, Britain and the United States in the past 14 days, government says.

Source: Coronavirus: Hong Kong issues ‘red’ travel alert on the United States, Britain and Ireland and imposes quarantine measures on arrivals | South China Morning Post

‘He’s an idiot’: critics say Trump has failed the US in this test of reassurance | World news | The Guardian

Perhaps Trump’s greatest blunder was turning down the offer of a German-made diagnostic test approved by the World Health Organization and taken up by many countries. The US government’s own painfully slow progress led to a nationwide shortage of test kits at the most critical moment. It was reported that just 11,000 tests have been conducted in America so far, whereas South Korea is carrying out 10,000 tests per day.

Source: ‘He’s an idiot’: critics say Trump has failed the US in this test of reassurance | World news | The Guardian

This Trump agency downplayed coronavirus. Two days later, it praised his ‘decisive’ response – Los Angeles Times

Two days before praising President Trump for “unprecedented” action, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt’s office sent talking points to Interior officials downplaying the threat of the new coronavirus.

Source: This Trump agency downplayed coronavirus. Two days later, it praised his ‘decisive’ response – Los Angeles Times

Trump Declares State of Emergency For Coronavirus, Screws It Up

But perhaps the most galling moment of the entire sordid affair—aside from Trump’s hesitation to get tested for coronavirus despite having interacted with people who have tested positive for the illness in recent weeks—was a moment between Trump and PBS Newshour White House Correspondent Yamiche Alcindor. Alcindor asked Trump whether he feels responsible for the United States’ slow response time regarding coronavirus testing, given the fact that his administration disbanded several Obama-era disease security programs, including an office in the White House dedicated to pandemics. Trump called Alcindor’s question “nasty.”

Source: Trump Declares State of Emergency For Coronavirus, Screws It Up