April 8,2020 : IHME model, the most reliable coronavirus model, just lowered its projections (again) for COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. from 81,766 to 60,415
[FONT=arial !important]
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) model has dramatically lowered its projections for coronavirus deaths in the U.S. by 25 percent to 60,415. On Tuesday, the IHME estimated 81,766 people will die from coronavirus disease by August 4, 2020. On Wednesday, that estimate was lowered to 60,415. As of writing, at least 14,646 Americans have died from the deadly coronavirus.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation is a research institute working in the area of global health statistics and impact evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle. Widely believed to be the most reliable mode and also cited by the White House Coronavirus Task Force, the IHME model has come under criticism for vastly overstating projections of regular and ICU hospital beds needed, but its death projections to date have closely tracked with actual data.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]This is the second time the model the U.S. deaths projections have been revised downward since April 1, when it forecast 93,765 U.S. fatalities. The model now forecasts the peak of those deaths to arrive four days earlie on April 12, instead of April 16 as previously projected.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]“Our estimates assume statewide social distancing measures are continuing in states where they have already been enacted, and for those states without such measures in place, it is assumed they will be will be in place within seven days,” IHME director Christopher Murray said on April 5.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]“If social distancing measures are relaxed or not implemented, the U.S. will see greater death tolls, the death peak will be later, the burden on hospitals will be much greater, and the economic costs will continue to grow,” Murray said.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) model has dramatically lowered its projections for coronavirus deaths in the U.S. by 25 percent to 60,415. On Tuesday, the IHME estimated 81,766 people will die from coronavirus disease by August 4, 2020. On Wednesday, that estimate was lowered to 60,415. As of writing, at least 14,646 Americans have died from the deadly coronavirus.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation is a research institute working in the area of global health statistics and impact evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle. Widely believed to be the most reliable mode and also cited by the White House Coronavirus Task Force, the IHME model has come under criticism for vastly overstating projections of regular and ICU hospital beds needed, but its death projections to date have closely tracked with actual data.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]This is the second time the model the U.S. deaths projections have been revised downward since April 1, when it forecast 93,765 U.S. fatalities. The model now forecasts the peak of those deaths to arrive four days earlie on April 12, instead of April 16 as previously projected.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]“Our estimates assume statewide social distancing measures are continuing in states where they have already been enacted, and for those states without such measures in place, it is assumed they will be will be in place within seven days,” IHME director Christopher Murray said on April 5.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]“If social distancing measures are relaxed or not implemented, the U.S. will see greater death tolls, the death peak will be later, the burden on hospitals will be much greater, and the economic costs will continue to grow,” Murray said.[/FONT]
April 8,2020 : Some ICU doctors say hydroxychloroquine isn’t helping sickest patients, say the drug may work better early on in the course of the illness
[FONT=arial !important]Earlier this morning, we told you about threatening messages and emails we received. Since then, some of you have sent us message of encouragement and support. One particular reader (name withheld for privacy reasons) offered some advice. Here is what he said in its entirety:[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]“As someone who has high hopes for this as a solution and been following your reporting I think that you should also be highlighting cases where it is not working. Giving a balanced presentation. You are presenting anecdotal data (and limited non randomized non double blinded trials) of success and none of the anecdotal data of failure. There are in fact people on the front lines are using without effect. Responsible reporting would also include the President’s financial interest that has been exposed. That may account for some of the hostility you are getting in your feedback. Please keep up the reporting as I am still hopeful ( In fact I actually already have HCQ/Zinc/Azyth based on the doses recommended by Dr Zalenko ready for consumption)… just report both sides of the story.”[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]We will address our reader’s comment later. In the meantime, some ICU doctors are saying hydroxychloroquine isn’t helping sickest patients, according to a report from NBC News. One of the doctors is, Dr. Ken Lyn-Kew, a pulmonologist in the critical care department at National Jewish Health at hospital in Denver.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]He said: “When you give it to somebody who is already super sick, it’s likely not going to make an impact because the damage is already done.” Dr. Ken Lyn-Kew also added: “I’m not convinced it works. I’ve not seen anybody have anything near what I would call a miraculous recovery because of hydroxychloroquine.”[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]Dr. Hugh Cassiere, a pulmonologist and medical director of Respiratory Care Services at North Shore University Hospital in Long Island, New York, is another doctor who has used hydroxychloroquine on his patients but saw no result. “We’ve been using it [hydroxychloroquine]. But we really haven’t seen any efficacy,” Dr. Cassiere said.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]The other doctor is Dr. Josh Denson, a pulmonary medicine and critical care physician at the Tulane University Medical Center in New Orleans. He said that “many patients do fine and tolerate it, but I don’t think it’s making a difference.”[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]It is not all bad news, however, some of the doctors mentioned in the story also said hydroxychloroquine may work better early on in the course of the illness. For example, Dr. George Diaz, an infectious disease specialist at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, Washington, said. “Generally the earlier you use it, the more effective it is.” Dr. Diaz was involved in the treatment of the first patient in the U.S. diagnosed with the coronavirus.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]Another doctor, Dr. Josh Denson added that: “We’re using it; it’s all we have.” Dr. Diaz also added: “I can’t honestly say that I think that it’s necessarily an effective agent at this point.”[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]In the end, it is important that we share both sides of the argument with our readers. The result of clinical trials (i.e. “double-blinded”) will eventually put the argument to rest. While we are still waiting for clinical trials and the vaccine, for now hydroxychloroquine seems to show some promising results, especially among patients who said the drug has saved their lives.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]Before we go, we would like to address the comment from one of our readers:[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]“As someone who has high hopes for this as a solution and been following your reporting I think that you should also be highlighting cases where it is not working. Giving a balanced presentation. You are presenting anecdotal data (and limited non randomized non double blinded trials) of success and none of the anecdotal data of failure. There are in fact people on the front lines are using without effect. Responsible reporting would also include the President’s financial interest that has been exposed. That may account for some of the hostility you are getting in your feedback. Please keep up the reporting as I am still hopeful ( In fact I actually already have HCQ/Zinc/Azyth based on the doses recommended by Dr Zalenko ready for consumption)… just report both sides of the story.”[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]The statement about the president’s financial interest may not be true. We are not here to defend the president. We just want to share some of our findings with you. But here is why. The claim probably came from a piece in the New York Times.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]April 8: 6:48 PM (EST) Update: President Trump just said that he does not have investment in any hydroxychloroquine company. The president made the announcement during the daily Coronavirus Task Force briefing.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]As such, the paragraphs below may no longer be necessary.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]However, what NY Times is not telling its audience is that, according to Trump’s financial disclosure, the President only owns between $1,000 – $15,000 of Dodge & Cox fund. But Dox & Cox’s fund only has 2.9% of its money in Sanofi, the company that makes hydroxychloroquine. A little arithmetic shows you that Trump only owns $29 to $435 of stock. Hat off to Tom Fitton for pointing sharing this on Twitter. One other Twitter also said this: “The patent has expired for the developer of hydroxychloroquine. Generics of this drug can be made. At best, the small stake he owns in the company will make him very little money. Yet another distraction by the #LameStreamMedia to confuse the American people.” Please feel free share your comments.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]Earlier this morning, we told you about threatening messages and emails we received. Since then, some of you have sent us message of encouragement and support. One particular reader (name withheld for privacy reasons) offered some advice. Here is what he said in its entirety:[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]“As someone who has high hopes for this as a solution and been following your reporting I think that you should also be highlighting cases where it is not working. Giving a balanced presentation. You are presenting anecdotal data (and limited non randomized non double blinded trials) of success and none of the anecdotal data of failure. There are in fact people on the front lines are using without effect. Responsible reporting would also include the President’s financial interest that has been exposed. That may account for some of the hostility you are getting in your feedback. Please keep up the reporting as I am still hopeful ( In fact I actually already have HCQ/Zinc/Azyth based on the doses recommended by Dr Zalenko ready for consumption)… just report both sides of the story.”[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]We will address our reader’s comment later. In the meantime, some ICU doctors are saying hydroxychloroquine isn’t helping sickest patients, according to a report from NBC News. One of the doctors is, Dr. Ken Lyn-Kew, a pulmonologist in the critical care department at National Jewish Health at hospital in Denver.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]He said: “When you give it to somebody who is already super sick, it’s likely not going to make an impact because the damage is already done.” Dr. Ken Lyn-Kew also added: “I’m not convinced it works. I’ve not seen anybody have anything near what I would call a miraculous recovery because of hydroxychloroquine.”[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]Dr. Hugh Cassiere, a pulmonologist and medical director of Respiratory Care Services at North Shore University Hospital in Long Island, New York, is another doctor who has used hydroxychloroquine on his patients but saw no result. “We’ve been using it [hydroxychloroquine]. But we really haven’t seen any efficacy,” Dr. Cassiere said.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]The other doctor is Dr. Josh Denson, a pulmonary medicine and critical care physician at the Tulane University Medical Center in New Orleans. He said that “many patients do fine and tolerate it, but I don’t think it’s making a difference.”[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]It is not all bad news, however, some of the doctors mentioned in the story also said hydroxychloroquine may work better early on in the course of the illness. For example, Dr. George Diaz, an infectious disease specialist at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, Washington, said. “Generally the earlier you use it, the more effective it is.” Dr. Diaz was involved in the treatment of the first patient in the U.S. diagnosed with the coronavirus.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]Another doctor, Dr. Josh Denson added that: “We’re using it; it’s all we have.” Dr. Diaz also added: “I can’t honestly say that I think that it’s necessarily an effective agent at this point.”[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]In the end, it is important that we share both sides of the argument with our readers. The result of clinical trials (i.e. “double-blinded”) will eventually put the argument to rest. While we are still waiting for clinical trials and the vaccine, for now hydroxychloroquine seems to show some promising results, especially among patients who said the drug has saved their lives.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]Before we go, we would like to address the comment from one of our readers:[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]“As someone who has high hopes for this as a solution and been following your reporting I think that you should also be highlighting cases where it is not working. Giving a balanced presentation. You are presenting anecdotal data (and limited non randomized non double blinded trials) of success and none of the anecdotal data of failure. There are in fact people on the front lines are using without effect. Responsible reporting would also include the President’s financial interest that has been exposed. That may account for some of the hostility you are getting in your feedback. Please keep up the reporting as I am still hopeful ( In fact I actually already have HCQ/Zinc/Azyth based on the doses recommended by Dr Zalenko ready for consumption)… just report both sides of the story.”[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]The statement about the president’s financial interest may not be true. We are not here to defend the president. We just want to share some of our findings with you. But here is why. The claim probably came from a piece in the New York Times.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]April 8: 6:48 PM (EST) Update: President Trump just said that he does not have investment in any hydroxychloroquine company. The president made the announcement during the daily Coronavirus Task Force briefing.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]As such, the paragraphs below may no longer be necessary.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]However, what NY Times is not telling its audience is that, according to Trump’s financial disclosure, the President only owns between $1,000 – $15,000 of Dodge & Cox fund. But Dox & Cox’s fund only has 2.9% of its money in Sanofi, the company that makes hydroxychloroquine. A little arithmetic shows you that Trump only owns $29 to $435 of stock. Hat off to Tom Fitton for pointing sharing this on Twitter. One other Twitter also said this: “The patent has expired for the developer of hydroxychloroquine. Generics of this drug can be made. At best, the small stake he owns in the company will make him very little money. Yet another distraction by the #LameStreamMedia to confuse the American people.” Please feel free share your comments.[/FONT]
April 9,2020 : Pentagon medical intelligence chief denies ABC News report that there was a memo warning about ‘cataclysmic’ coronavirus pandemic in November 2019
[FONT=arial !important]Another day, another fake news from mainstream media. Over the past 24 hours, an unsubstantiated report from ABC News has been circulating on the social media that the intelligence community warned about coronavirus back in November 2019. However, the head of a Defense Intelligence Agency center issued a rare public denial of a report by ABC News, which alleged that its medical health team issued a memo to the White House warning of a spreading coronavirus outbreak based on information it gleaned back to November 2019.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]The denial came after a report Wednesday that officials around the U.S. government received a warning about the growing contagion – culminating its inclusion in the President’s Daily Brief in early January.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]‘As a matter of practice the National Center for Medical Intelligence does not comment publicly on specific intelligence matters,’ Col. R. Shane Day, the center’s director said in a rare public statement on an intelligence matter.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]‘However, in the interest of transparency during this current public health crisis, we can confirm that media reporting about the existence/release of a National Center for Medical Intelligence Coronavirus-related product/assessment in November of 2019 is not correct. No such NCMI product exists,’ he said, according to a tweet from Times Magazine.
A defense official added that the NCMI and the DIA spent considerable time in the last 24 hours, examining all possible products that could be identified as related to this, and that they did not find any. The exclusive ABC News report, released Wednesday morning, said that the NCMI had warned the military and the White House about the spread of the virus in China until the end of November:[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]Until the end of November, U.S. intelligence officials had warned that contagion was devastating the Wuhan region of China, changing living and business patterns, and posing a threat to the population, according to four sources. about secret reports.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]The ABC News report said that concerns about what is now known as the coronavirus pandemic were “detailed in a November intelligence report” by the NCMI, according to “two content-aware officers. of the document. “[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]According to the report, “computer and computer intercepts, along with satellite imagery” were analyzed and alarmed that a “out of control disease” would be a serious threat to United States forces in Asia. One ABC News source said that analysts concluded that this could be a “cataclysmic event” and that it “was repeatedly presented” to DIA, Pentagon Joint Staff and the White House.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]Another day, another fake news from mainstream media. Over the past 24 hours, an unsubstantiated report from ABC News has been circulating on the social media that the intelligence community warned about coronavirus back in November 2019. However, the head of a Defense Intelligence Agency center issued a rare public denial of a report by ABC News, which alleged that its medical health team issued a memo to the White House warning of a spreading coronavirus outbreak based on information it gleaned back to November 2019.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]The denial came after a report Wednesday that officials around the U.S. government received a warning about the growing contagion – culminating its inclusion in the President’s Daily Brief in early January.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]‘As a matter of practice the National Center for Medical Intelligence does not comment publicly on specific intelligence matters,’ Col. R. Shane Day, the center’s director said in a rare public statement on an intelligence matter.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]‘However, in the interest of transparency during this current public health crisis, we can confirm that media reporting about the existence/release of a National Center for Medical Intelligence Coronavirus-related product/assessment in November of 2019 is not correct. No such NCMI product exists,’ he said, according to a tweet from Times Magazine.
A defense official added that the NCMI and the DIA spent considerable time in the last 24 hours, examining all possible products that could be identified as related to this, and that they did not find any. The exclusive ABC News report, released Wednesday morning, said that the NCMI had warned the military and the White House about the spread of the virus in China until the end of November:[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]Until the end of November, U.S. intelligence officials had warned that contagion was devastating the Wuhan region of China, changing living and business patterns, and posing a threat to the population, according to four sources. about secret reports.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]The ABC News report said that concerns about what is now known as the coronavirus pandemic were “detailed in a November intelligence report” by the NCMI, according to “two content-aware officers. of the document. “[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]According to the report, “computer and computer intercepts, along with satellite imagery” were analyzed and alarmed that a “out of control disease” would be a serious threat to United States forces in Asia. One ABC News source said that analysts concluded that this could be a “cataclysmic event” and that it “was repeatedly presented” to DIA, Pentagon Joint Staff and the White House.[/FONT]
April 9,2020 : Great News: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson moved out of intensive care unit, in ‘in extremely good spirits,’ spokesman says
On Monday, U.K Prime Minister Boris Johnson was moved to intensive care after his after condition COVID-19 worsened. Now, the British Prime Minister is doing better and in “good spirits.” A spokesman for the prime minister said Thursday that the 55-year old Boris Johnson has been moved out of the intensive care unit of a London hospital where he has battled coronavirus.
“The Prime Minister has been moved this evening from intensive care back to the ward, where he will receive close monitoring during the early phase of his recovery,” the spokesman said. “He is in extremely good spirits.”
In a tweet, U.S. President Trump said: “Great News: Prime Minister Boris Johnson has just been moved out of Intensive Care. Get well Boris!!!”
On April 6, the prime minster said in a post on Twitter, “Last night, on the advice of my doctor, I went into hospital for some routine tests as I’m still experiencing coronavirus symptoms. I’m in good spirits and keeping in touch with my team, as we work together to fight this virus and keep everyone safe.”
On Monday, U.K Prime Minister Boris Johnson was moved to intensive care after his after condition COVID-19 worsened. Now, the British Prime Minister is doing better and in “good spirits.” A spokesman for the prime minister said Thursday that the 55-year old Boris Johnson has been moved out of the intensive care unit of a London hospital where he has battled coronavirus.
“The Prime Minister has been moved this evening from intensive care back to the ward, where he will receive close monitoring during the early phase of his recovery,” the spokesman said. “He is in extremely good spirits.”
In a tweet, U.S. President Trump said: “Great News: Prime Minister Boris Johnson has just been moved out of Intensive Care. Get well Boris!!!”
On April 6, the prime minster said in a post on Twitter, “Last night, on the advice of my doctor, I went into hospital for some routine tests as I’m still experiencing coronavirus symptoms. I’m in good spirits and keeping in touch with my team, as we work together to fight this virus and keep everyone safe.”
April 9,2020 : Pfizer says it has found a treatment for coronavirus that decreases viral replication
[FONT=arial !important]Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announced it has found an experimental medicine for the treatment of coronavirus. However, the company said it will not start testing until summer. According to the drugmaker, laboratory research shows the drug to decrease and block viral replication of COVID-19 virus.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]Pfizer research-and-development chief Mikael Dolsten said the potential treatment has so far shown positive signs in preclinical work. The drug seeks to “counter the expansion of the virus,” Dolsten said. Pfizer had initially planned to enter clinical trials for a COVID-19 drug by the end of the year, according to Dolsten. Now, it hopes to start those trials in the third quarter, meaning “just a few months from today,” he said.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]The possible antiviral, “if successful, would be given early in the disease process, when patients are admitted to the hospital,” Dolsten said in an interview with CNBC. The findings indicate the experimental drug could slow or stop the spread of the virus in patients with mild-to-moderate symptoms, though human testing will be necessary for proof.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]About 140 drugs are currently in development worldwide with dozens of companies and university researchers in a race to develop therapies for or vaccines against the virus.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announced it has found an experimental medicine for the treatment of coronavirus. However, the company said it will not start testing until summer. According to the drugmaker, laboratory research shows the drug to decrease and block viral replication of COVID-19 virus.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]Pfizer research-and-development chief Mikael Dolsten said the potential treatment has so far shown positive signs in preclinical work. The drug seeks to “counter the expansion of the virus,” Dolsten said. Pfizer had initially planned to enter clinical trials for a COVID-19 drug by the end of the year, according to Dolsten. Now, it hopes to start those trials in the third quarter, meaning “just a few months from today,” he said.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]The possible antiviral, “if successful, would be given early in the disease process, when patients are admitted to the hospital,” Dolsten said in an interview with CNBC. The findings indicate the experimental drug could slow or stop the spread of the virus in patients with mild-to-moderate symptoms, though human testing will be necessary for proof.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]About 140 drugs are currently in development worldwide with dozens of companies and university researchers in a race to develop therapies for or vaccines against the virus.[/FONT]
April 10,2020 : Dr. Ron Paul joins a growing number of people calling on President Trump to fire top coronavirus adivsor Dr. Fauci because ‘he’s a fraud
[FONT=arial !important]On Sunday, we wrote a story about MIT Biologist Dr. Shiva Ayyadurai after he doubled down his attack on “Deep State and FakeScience” slamming Big Pharma, CDC, WHO, China and calling on U.S. President Trump to fire Dr..Dr.Anthony Fauci. Dr. Shiva said Dr. Fauci’s policy, at best, is based on a 1950s outdated ‘one-size-fits-all,’ non-personalized approach to medicine and public health; and, at worst is derived from a ‘fake science’ understanding of the immune system – one, which Dr. Fauci, over five decades has perpetuated, and exploited to build his career.”[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]Now, Dr. Ron Paul is joining a growing number of people calling on President Trump to fire top coronavirus advisor Dr. Fauci for providing ‘bad information.’[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]Dr. Paul, speaking on his program, ‘Ron Paul Liberty Report,’ called on President Trump to fire Dr. Fauci because ‘he’s a fraud, doesn’t give good information and is trying to have total control over the people.’ Dr. Paul said Dr. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, provided ‘bad information’ after he lowered his national death estimates from the outbreak Thursday from more than 100,000 to 60,000. Dr. Paul was referring to the IHME model, which lowered its projection for Covid-19 deaths in the U.S.from 81,766 to 60,415. In a video posted on his website, Dr Paul said: “Dr. Anthony Fauci has dominated the headlines for weeks with his doom and gloom predictions of two million Americans dead from Covid-19. If we lock the country down, maybe only 240,000 will die he claimed. But even those numbers collapsed, with the new official prediction coming in under the normal flu numbers for 2018. Was it “social distancing” that saved us? Let’s look at the states and countries that did not lock down – they should have massively higher deaths. Do they?”[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]Dr. Paul called on the government to address the unintended consequences of shutting the country down over Covid-19 fears. Dr. Paul gave cited the state of Tennessee which experienced more suicides last week than coronavirus deaths.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]On Sunday, we wrote a story about MIT Biologist Dr. Shiva Ayyadurai after he doubled down his attack on “Deep State and FakeScience” slamming Big Pharma, CDC, WHO, China and calling on U.S. President Trump to fire Dr..Dr.Anthony Fauci. Dr. Shiva said Dr. Fauci’s policy, at best, is based on a 1950s outdated ‘one-size-fits-all,’ non-personalized approach to medicine and public health; and, at worst is derived from a ‘fake science’ understanding of the immune system – one, which Dr. Fauci, over five decades has perpetuated, and exploited to build his career.”[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]Now, Dr. Ron Paul is joining a growing number of people calling on President Trump to fire top coronavirus advisor Dr. Fauci for providing ‘bad information.’[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]Dr. Paul, speaking on his program, ‘Ron Paul Liberty Report,’ called on President Trump to fire Dr. Fauci because ‘he’s a fraud, doesn’t give good information and is trying to have total control over the people.’ Dr. Paul said Dr. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, provided ‘bad information’ after he lowered his national death estimates from the outbreak Thursday from more than 100,000 to 60,000. Dr. Paul was referring to the IHME model, which lowered its projection for Covid-19 deaths in the U.S.from 81,766 to 60,415. In a video posted on his website, Dr Paul said: “Dr. Anthony Fauci has dominated the headlines for weeks with his doom and gloom predictions of two million Americans dead from Covid-19. If we lock the country down, maybe only 240,000 will die he claimed. But even those numbers collapsed, with the new official prediction coming in under the normal flu numbers for 2018. Was it “social distancing” that saved us? Let’s look at the states and countries that did not lock down – they should have massively higher deaths. Do they?”[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]Dr. Paul called on the government to address the unintended consequences of shutting the country down over Covid-19 fears. Dr. Paul gave cited the state of Tennessee which experienced more suicides last week than coronavirus deaths.[/FONT]
April 11,2020 : Gov. Abbott will issue executive order next week to re-open some Texas businesses
[FONT="]Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced Friday that he will issue an executive order next week outlining steps to begin re-opening some businesses in the state.
He stopped short of going into full detail about what that may mean and how long it would take.
While it gives folks something to be optimistic about, officials are urging people not to ease up with following restrictions.
“We will focus on protecting lives, while re-storing livelihoods. We can and must do this. We can do both,” Abbott said.
At his briefing Friday afternoon, Gov. Abbott foreshadowed an executive order he’ll issue next week that will address reopening Texas businesses.
He was reluctant to share details early, but did say testing will play a part..
“Testing will be a component of it and we will operate very strategically. We want to open up but we want to open up safely, knowing if we do it without the proper strategies, it will just lead to a potential closure because of another outbreak of COVID-19,” he explained.
So far, more than 116,000 Texans have been tested.
Fewer than 10 percent of those have tested positive.
And many others, who carry the virus and can spread it, but don’t have symptoms, don’t factor into those numbers.
“We’re still seeing quite a few cases that are being reported everyday,” Dr. Diana Cervantes.
Dr. Cervantes is a former top public health official, who now teaches at the UNT Health Science Center.
She said the number of new cases are still high, but hopes officials could begin to gradually ease restrictions in three or four weeks.
“We can definitely slowly begin to release some of those restrictions, so long as we’re keeping tab of any new cases. And they’re going to happen, it’s going to happen because it’s highly unlikely we’re seeing a decrease in cases because the people are, the population is becoming immune,” Dr. Cervantes said. “That’s not likely. It’s because we’re taking all these measures to keep from exposing each other
So while state officials work to hash out a plan for reopening businesses, they are urging people any positive news has come because restrictions are working.
And for now, it stays that way.
“This fight against COVID-19 has been compared to a war, and just like a war, we don't stop fighting until you know peace is at hand,” DSHS Commissioner Dr. John Hellerstedt said.
Gov. Abbott also said Texas ranks 2nd in the nation of most people recovered from COVID-19, with more than 1,300 so far.
Still, he cautioned against folks letting their guard down.
The governor held press conference Friday, and used graphs to show the rate of infection and death in the hardest hit counties. Dallas County is one of them.
He explained that Dallas County is leveling off compared to other hard hit counties in the state, but added that it's too soon to tell if Dallas County is nearing its peak.
Denton County does appear to be leveling off, as the number of new cases of infection at the Denton State Supported Living Center -- which was hit hard -- has tapered off.
Gov. Abbott said Collin County’s growth of cases has not slowed as much as it has in other counties, and Tarrant County's curve is not bending quite yet.
https://www.fox4news.com/news/gov-a...exas-businesses.amp?__twitter_impression=true[/FONT]
[FONT="]Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced Friday that he will issue an executive order next week outlining steps to begin re-opening some businesses in the state.
He stopped short of going into full detail about what that may mean and how long it would take.
While it gives folks something to be optimistic about, officials are urging people not to ease up with following restrictions.
“We will focus on protecting lives, while re-storing livelihoods. We can and must do this. We can do both,” Abbott said.
At his briefing Friday afternoon, Gov. Abbott foreshadowed an executive order he’ll issue next week that will address reopening Texas businesses.
He was reluctant to share details early, but did say testing will play a part..
“Testing will be a component of it and we will operate very strategically. We want to open up but we want to open up safely, knowing if we do it without the proper strategies, it will just lead to a potential closure because of another outbreak of COVID-19,” he explained.
So far, more than 116,000 Texans have been tested.
Fewer than 10 percent of those have tested positive.
And many others, who carry the virus and can spread it, but don’t have symptoms, don’t factor into those numbers.
“We’re still seeing quite a few cases that are being reported everyday,” Dr. Diana Cervantes.
Dr. Cervantes is a former top public health official, who now teaches at the UNT Health Science Center.
She said the number of new cases are still high, but hopes officials could begin to gradually ease restrictions in three or four weeks.
“We can definitely slowly begin to release some of those restrictions, so long as we’re keeping tab of any new cases. And they’re going to happen, it’s going to happen because it’s highly unlikely we’re seeing a decrease in cases because the people are, the population is becoming immune,” Dr. Cervantes said. “That’s not likely. It’s because we’re taking all these measures to keep from exposing each other
So while state officials work to hash out a plan for reopening businesses, they are urging people any positive news has come because restrictions are working.
And for now, it stays that way.
“This fight against COVID-19 has been compared to a war, and just like a war, we don't stop fighting until you know peace is at hand,” DSHS Commissioner Dr. John Hellerstedt said.
Gov. Abbott also said Texas ranks 2nd in the nation of most people recovered from COVID-19, with more than 1,300 so far.
Still, he cautioned against folks letting their guard down.
The governor held press conference Friday, and used graphs to show the rate of infection and death in the hardest hit counties. Dallas County is one of them.
He explained that Dallas County is leveling off compared to other hard hit counties in the state, but added that it's too soon to tell if Dallas County is nearing its peak.
Denton County does appear to be leveling off, as the number of new cases of infection at the Denton State Supported Living Center -- which was hit hard -- has tapered off.
Gov. Abbott said Collin County’s growth of cases has not slowed as much as it has in other counties, and Tarrant County's curve is not bending quite yet.
https://www.fox4news.com/news/gov-a...exas-businesses.amp?__twitter_impression=true[/FONT]
April 11,2020 : Will the country be reopened on May 1 ?
The president remains reluctant to publicly set a date, but the post cites anonymous sources that say behind the scenes, Trump is telling advisers that May 1 is the day that Americans should be allowed to return to work.
On Wednesday, Trump declined to give an “aspirational” date, noting that he was immediately criticized for hoping the country would reopen by Easter.
“I said it would be very tough, and I was criticized for that, so I don’t like giving dates,” he said on Wednesday during the White House press briefing, but he added, “I think we will be sooner rather than later.”
The president told reporters that to reopen the country, it had to be on the “downside of that slope” of the infection and hospitalization curves that he and the coronavirus task force have been watching for weeks.
Amid Trump’s optimism about reopening the country for business soon, Dr. Anthony Fauci has described a more gradual approach.
“People say, ‘Reopen the government,’ like it’s a light switch that goes on and off for the entire country,” he said on Thursday, adding that “it’s not going to be one size fits all.”
He stated that different parts of the country would have different patterns of the outbreak, citing New York as an example.
“I would not want to pull back at all in New York until I was clear that that curve really was doing what we’ve seen in other countries — a very steep decline down — and we had the capability if there was a resurgence, of having everything in place to be able to do the containment,” he said.
Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday that there is no doubt in his mind that the president would reopen the country as soon as possible.
“I think most of America knows that no one wants to reopen America more than President Donald Trump,” he said. “But the president has told us we need to do it responsibly, and we’re going to follow the data.”
The president remains reluctant to publicly set a date, but the post cites anonymous sources that say behind the scenes, Trump is telling advisers that May 1 is the day that Americans should be allowed to return to work.
On Wednesday, Trump declined to give an “aspirational” date, noting that he was immediately criticized for hoping the country would reopen by Easter.
“I said it would be very tough, and I was criticized for that, so I don’t like giving dates,” he said on Wednesday during the White House press briefing, but he added, “I think we will be sooner rather than later.”
The president told reporters that to reopen the country, it had to be on the “downside of that slope” of the infection and hospitalization curves that he and the coronavirus task force have been watching for weeks.
Amid Trump’s optimism about reopening the country for business soon, Dr. Anthony Fauci has described a more gradual approach.
“People say, ‘Reopen the government,’ like it’s a light switch that goes on and off for the entire country,” he said on Thursday, adding that “it’s not going to be one size fits all.”
He stated that different parts of the country would have different patterns of the outbreak, citing New York as an example.
“I would not want to pull back at all in New York until I was clear that that curve really was doing what we’ve seen in other countries — a very steep decline down — and we had the capability if there was a resurgence, of having everything in place to be able to do the containment,” he said.
Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday that there is no doubt in his mind that the president would reopen the country as soon as possible.
“I think most of America knows that no one wants to reopen America more than President Donald Trump,” he said. “But the president has told us we need to do it responsibly, and we’re going to follow the data.”
Taiwan identifies potential COVID-19 inhibitors was around 10 times more effective than other known inhibitors in preventing the virus' replication
Taipei, April 10 (CNA) Taiwan's Academia Sinica said Friday that it has screened out protease inhibitors of the COVID-19 coronavirus, which could eventually lead to the development of targeted drugs to stop the virus from replicating itself in patients' bodies.
Proteases -- groups of enzymes that break down proteins -- act as catalysts in a range of biological processes, and in the context of a virus, are often essential for the completion of the viral infectious cycle.
Protease inhibitors, which can be naturally-occurring or synthetic, block the replication of the virus, and are commonly used in the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus.
In a press release, the government research institute said that a team led by Liang Po-huang (梁博煌), a research fellow at the Institute of Biological Chemistry, has screened out potent inhibitors of the virus' main protease (3C-like protease) from more than 100 possible inhibitors.
In in-vitro tests, the best of the inhibitors was around 10 times more effective than other known inhibitors in preventing the virus' replication, the academy said.
It said that animal and human tests are required before the inhibitors can be turned into anti-COVID-19 drugs, but said finding potential inhibitors in such a short time demonstrates Taiwan's ability to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We look forward to providing an option for targeted new drugs in the near future," the academy said.
In February, Academia Sinica President James Liao (廖俊智) launched the COVID-19 Open Science Platform to promote collaborative research against the virus.
To date, the effort has resulted in the successful synthesis of remdesivir, a drug being used in clinical trials against COVID-19, and the production of antibodies with potential applications in rapid COVID-19 testing, the academy said.
(By Su Ssu-yun, Wu Hsin-yun and Matthew Mazzetta)
Enditem/J
Taipei, April 10 (CNA) Taiwan's Academia Sinica said Friday that it has screened out protease inhibitors of the COVID-19 coronavirus, which could eventually lead to the development of targeted drugs to stop the virus from replicating itself in patients' bodies.
Proteases -- groups of enzymes that break down proteins -- act as catalysts in a range of biological processes, and in the context of a virus, are often essential for the completion of the viral infectious cycle.
Protease inhibitors, which can be naturally-occurring or synthetic, block the replication of the virus, and are commonly used in the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus.
In a press release, the government research institute said that a team led by Liang Po-huang (梁博煌), a research fellow at the Institute of Biological Chemistry, has screened out potent inhibitors of the virus' main protease (3C-like protease) from more than 100 possible inhibitors.
In in-vitro tests, the best of the inhibitors was around 10 times more effective than other known inhibitors in preventing the virus' replication, the academy said.
It said that animal and human tests are required before the inhibitors can be turned into anti-COVID-19 drugs, but said finding potential inhibitors in such a short time demonstrates Taiwan's ability to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We look forward to providing an option for targeted new drugs in the near future," the academy said.
In February, Academia Sinica President James Liao (廖俊智) launched the COVID-19 Open Science Platform to promote collaborative research against the virus.
To date, the effort has resulted in the successful synthesis of remdesivir, a drug being used in clinical trials against COVID-19, and the production of antibodies with potential applications in rapid COVID-19 testing, the academy said.
(By Su Ssu-yun, Wu Hsin-yun and Matthew Mazzetta)
Enditem/J
Global lawsuits against China for Covid-19
China should pay more than $6 trillion in compensation to countries affected by coronavirus, according to a conservative British think tank.
Research from the Henry Jackson Society found China breached several of its obligations under the World Health Organisation’s international health regulations.
The report claimed the Chinese government failed to share evidence of human-to-human transmission weeks after becoming aware of it, gave the UN “erroneous” infections data, and allowed five million people to leave Wuhan before locking the city down.
The think tank consequently claims the communist superpower could be liable for the damage caused by the coronavirus, which amounts to roughly £3.2 trillion ($6.42 trillion) for the G7 nations alone.
That figure could “be eclipsed several times over” once other nations are factored in, the report added.
Australia alone could seek damages of up to £29.9 billion ($37 billion), the report said.
“The Chinese Communist Party has learnt no lessons from its failure in the SARS epidemic of 2002-3,” one of the report’s co-authors, Matthew Henderson, said.
“Their repeated blunders, lies and disinformation, from the start of the COVID-19 epidemic, have already had far more deadly consequences.
“How this will translate into practice, time will tell.”
The Society proposed 10 different avenues through which affected countries could theoretically pursue China, including the International Health Regulations.
Legal action highly unlikely
If Australia receiving a near-$30 billion cash injection from its largest trading partner sounds too good to be true, that’s probably because it is.
UNSW law professor Natalie Klein told The New Daily there are several reasons why a payout of that magnitude is unlikely.
Chief among these is that under most international legal systems, China would need to consent to having litigation filed against it before it could be sued.
If China chooses not to consent, which Professor Klein said is the most likely option, there would be no case against it.
“We don’t have an international court system where a state is compelled to appear before the court unless they’ve consented,” she said.
But some treaties include clauses compelling signatory nations to consent to legal action.
The Henry Jackson Society noted in its report that China has signed two of these treaties – the World Trade Organisation dispute settlement understanding and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Signatories of both treaties must consent to the exercise of jurisdiction before an international court or tribunal.
But Professor Klein said it was doubtful these treaties would be enough to force China’s hand.
“The report does identify those issues, but downplays how big those hurdles are,” she said.
“Because it’s not just about getting consent – you also have to have a case which falls under the ‘subject matter jurisdiction’, which means it has to be about a particular topic.”
Essentially, to make a legal challenge against another country under the two treaties identified in the report, the plaintiff state would have to challenge them over the interpretation or application of that specific treaty.
“The main claim the report is making is about international health regulations, but that’s not a dispute about the interpretation or application of the law of the sea treaty, for example,” Professor Klein said.
“What you would have to do to get before a court or tribunal under the law of the sea convention is to take some provision in that treaty and use it as a way to say something China did in its handling of this related to a clause in the convention – and there’s nothing that leaps out there.”
Such a move would also bring political risks.
For Australia, choosing to sue our largest trading partner would likely have long-term consequences.
China should pay more than $6 trillion in compensation to countries affected by coronavirus, according to a conservative British think tank.
Research from the Henry Jackson Society found China breached several of its obligations under the World Health Organisation’s international health regulations.
The report claimed the Chinese government failed to share evidence of human-to-human transmission weeks after becoming aware of it, gave the UN “erroneous” infections data, and allowed five million people to leave Wuhan before locking the city down.
The think tank consequently claims the communist superpower could be liable for the damage caused by the coronavirus, which amounts to roughly £3.2 trillion ($6.42 trillion) for the G7 nations alone.
That figure could “be eclipsed several times over” once other nations are factored in, the report added.
Australia alone could seek damages of up to £29.9 billion ($37 billion), the report said.
“The Chinese Communist Party has learnt no lessons from its failure in the SARS epidemic of 2002-3,” one of the report’s co-authors, Matthew Henderson, said.
“Their repeated blunders, lies and disinformation, from the start of the COVID-19 epidemic, have already had far more deadly consequences.
“How this will translate into practice, time will tell.”
The Society proposed 10 different avenues through which affected countries could theoretically pursue China, including the International Health Regulations.
Legal action highly unlikely
If Australia receiving a near-$30 billion cash injection from its largest trading partner sounds too good to be true, that’s probably because it is.
UNSW law professor Natalie Klein told The New Daily there are several reasons why a payout of that magnitude is unlikely.
Chief among these is that under most international legal systems, China would need to consent to having litigation filed against it before it could be sued.
If China chooses not to consent, which Professor Klein said is the most likely option, there would be no case against it.
“We don’t have an international court system where a state is compelled to appear before the court unless they’ve consented,” she said.
But some treaties include clauses compelling signatory nations to consent to legal action.
The Henry Jackson Society noted in its report that China has signed two of these treaties – the World Trade Organisation dispute settlement understanding and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Signatories of both treaties must consent to the exercise of jurisdiction before an international court or tribunal.
But Professor Klein said it was doubtful these treaties would be enough to force China’s hand.
“The report does identify those issues, but downplays how big those hurdles are,” she said.
“Because it’s not just about getting consent – you also have to have a case which falls under the ‘subject matter jurisdiction’, which means it has to be about a particular topic.”
Essentially, to make a legal challenge against another country under the two treaties identified in the report, the plaintiff state would have to challenge them over the interpretation or application of that specific treaty.
“The main claim the report is making is about international health regulations, but that’s not a dispute about the interpretation or application of the law of the sea treaty, for example,” Professor Klein said.
“What you would have to do to get before a court or tribunal under the law of the sea convention is to take some provision in that treaty and use it as a way to say something China did in its handling of this related to a clause in the convention – and there’s nothing that leaps out there.”
Such a move would also bring political risks.
For Australia, choosing to sue our largest trading partner would likely have long-term consequences.
https://nationalpost.com/news/world...virus-cases-tested-on-antiviral-drug-improved
Two-thirds of acute coronavirus cases tested on antiviral drug improved
Gilead Sciences Inc.’s experimental drug for patients with severe COVID-19 infections showed promise in an early analysis, raising tentative hope that the first treatment for the novel virus may be on the horizon.
The report published in the New England Journal of Medicine tracked 53 people in the U.S., Europe and Canada who needed respiratory support, with about half receiving mechanical ventilation and four on a heart-lung by-pass machine. Eight additional patients were left out of the analysis: one due to a dosing error and seven because no information was available on how they fared.
All received remdesivir for up to 10 days on a compassionate use basis, a program that allows people to use unapproved medicines when no other treatment options are available. Over 18 days, 68 per cent of the patients improved, with 17 of the 30 patients on mechanical ventilation being able to get off the breathing device. Almost half of the patients studied were ultimately discharged, while 13 per cent died. Mortality was highest among those who were on a ventilator, with 18 per cent of them dying.
“We cannot draw definitive conclusions from these data, but the observations from this group of hospitalized patients who received remdesivir are hopeful,” said lead author Jonathan Grein, director of hospital epidemiology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, in a statement from Gilead. The Foster City, California-based company provided the medication and also helped analyze the results.
Some scientists have expressed skepticism with regard to the results.
“The data from this paper are almost uninterpretable,” Stephen Evans, a professor of pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said in an emailed statement. “There is some evidence suggesting efficacy, but we simply do not know what would have happened to these patients had they not been given the drug.”
Several large scale clinical trials are underway to evaluate the benefit of remdesivir for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus that has infected more than 1.65 million people worldwide and killed 100,000. One that was conducted in China could report results this month. Another, sponsored by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, has enrolled patients rapidly as the virus spread throughout the U.S. It could also report results in the coming weeks. Gilead itself is sponsoring an additional two trials.
‘Answers are needed’
“In studying remdesivir, the question is not just whether it is safe and effective against COVID-19, but in which patients it shows activity, how long should they receive treatment and at what stage of their disease would treatment be most beneficial,” said Daniel O’Day, Gilead’s chairman and chief executive officer. “Many answers are needed, which is why we need multiple types of studies involving many types of patients.”
Some of these answers will emerge in the coming weeks with the release of initial data from the various clinical trials, O’Day said Friday in an open letter sent via email.
There are currently no treatments proven to work specifically against the coronavirus infection. Gilead has provided the medicine to more than 1,800 patients on a compassionate use basis.
Cheap to make
If it’s shown to be safe and effective for treating COVID-19, the medication is estimated to cost about $9 a treatment to make, said Andrew Hill, a senior visiting research fellow in the pharmacology department at Liverpool University, and colleagues in a study Friday.
As an intravenous infusion, there would be additional costs to administer remdesivir, which are likely to exceed the estimated manufacturing, the authors said.
Results of controlled studies of remdesivir are highly anticipated because they will be some of the first rigorous large-scale studies completed on potential anti-coronavirus drugs.
U.S. President Donald Trump and others have touted the potential of hydroxychloroquine, an old malaria and lupus drug, for treating COVID-19. But that drug hasn’t yet been carefully studied in a large trial to see if it prevents severe complications. Most of the excitement stems from relentless social media promotion of a tiny French study whose methodology has been heavily criticized by many U.S. medical experts.
Remdesivir, a broad-spectrum antiviral, is viewed by researchers and doctors as one of the most promising agents against COVID-19 to enter human trials to date. In lab studies conducted prior to the COVID-19 outbreak on numerous compounds, researchers at the University of North Carolina and Vanderbilt University found the drug had potent activity against against a wide variety of coronaviruses similar to the new coronavirus.
Tested for Ebola
Because it had already been tested in patients with Ebola, where it was shown to be safe but ineffective, researchers were able to quickly begin studying it human trials when the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
About one in four patients on the medicine experienced severe side effects, including multiple-organ dysfunction syndrome, septic shock, acute kidney injury and low blood pressure. Another 23 per cent showed signs of liver damage on laboratory tests. Four patients had to stop receiving infusions of the drug entirely.
CvMej0iaJpU was considered to be the most promising therapeutic candidate based on its broad antiviral spectrum, and existing data based on human and animal studies, a World Health Organization panel said in January. The medication was developed initially for Ebola and studied in patients in Eastern Congo.
If it works well, one issue will be whether there is enough of a supply of the drug, especially if the epidemic is still raging. Gilead has been working all-out to bolster supply of the hard-to-make medicine. It said earlier this month that it hopes to to have 500,000 treatment courses by October, and more than 1 million by year-end. Production time has also been accelerated to six months from one year.
Two-thirds of acute coronavirus cases tested on antiviral drug improved
Gilead Sciences Inc.’s experimental drug for patients with severe COVID-19 infections showed promise in an early analysis, raising tentative hope that the first treatment for the novel virus may be on the horizon.
The report published in the New England Journal of Medicine tracked 53 people in the U.S., Europe and Canada who needed respiratory support, with about half receiving mechanical ventilation and four on a heart-lung by-pass machine. Eight additional patients were left out of the analysis: one due to a dosing error and seven because no information was available on how they fared.
All received remdesivir for up to 10 days on a compassionate use basis, a program that allows people to use unapproved medicines when no other treatment options are available. Over 18 days, 68 per cent of the patients improved, with 17 of the 30 patients on mechanical ventilation being able to get off the breathing device. Almost half of the patients studied were ultimately discharged, while 13 per cent died. Mortality was highest among those who were on a ventilator, with 18 per cent of them dying.
“We cannot draw definitive conclusions from these data, but the observations from this group of hospitalized patients who received remdesivir are hopeful,” said lead author Jonathan Grein, director of hospital epidemiology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, in a statement from Gilead. The Foster City, California-based company provided the medication and also helped analyze the results.
Some scientists have expressed skepticism with regard to the results.
“The data from this paper are almost uninterpretable,” Stephen Evans, a professor of pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said in an emailed statement. “There is some evidence suggesting efficacy, but we simply do not know what would have happened to these patients had they not been given the drug.”
Several large scale clinical trials are underway to evaluate the benefit of remdesivir for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus that has infected more than 1.65 million people worldwide and killed 100,000. One that was conducted in China could report results this month. Another, sponsored by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, has enrolled patients rapidly as the virus spread throughout the U.S. It could also report results in the coming weeks. Gilead itself is sponsoring an additional two trials.
‘Answers are needed’
“In studying remdesivir, the question is not just whether it is safe and effective against COVID-19, but in which patients it shows activity, how long should they receive treatment and at what stage of their disease would treatment be most beneficial,” said Daniel O’Day, Gilead’s chairman and chief executive officer. “Many answers are needed, which is why we need multiple types of studies involving many types of patients.”
Some of these answers will emerge in the coming weeks with the release of initial data from the various clinical trials, O’Day said Friday in an open letter sent via email.
There are currently no treatments proven to work specifically against the coronavirus infection. Gilead has provided the medicine to more than 1,800 patients on a compassionate use basis.
Cheap to make
If it’s shown to be safe and effective for treating COVID-19, the medication is estimated to cost about $9 a treatment to make, said Andrew Hill, a senior visiting research fellow in the pharmacology department at Liverpool University, and colleagues in a study Friday.
As an intravenous infusion, there would be additional costs to administer remdesivir, which are likely to exceed the estimated manufacturing, the authors said.
Results of controlled studies of remdesivir are highly anticipated because they will be some of the first rigorous large-scale studies completed on potential anti-coronavirus drugs.
U.S. President Donald Trump and others have touted the potential of hydroxychloroquine, an old malaria and lupus drug, for treating COVID-19. But that drug hasn’t yet been carefully studied in a large trial to see if it prevents severe complications. Most of the excitement stems from relentless social media promotion of a tiny French study whose methodology has been heavily criticized by many U.S. medical experts.
Remdesivir, a broad-spectrum antiviral, is viewed by researchers and doctors as one of the most promising agents against COVID-19 to enter human trials to date. In lab studies conducted prior to the COVID-19 outbreak on numerous compounds, researchers at the University of North Carolina and Vanderbilt University found the drug had potent activity against against a wide variety of coronaviruses similar to the new coronavirus.
Tested for Ebola
Because it had already been tested in patients with Ebola, where it was shown to be safe but ineffective, researchers were able to quickly begin studying it human trials when the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
About one in four patients on the medicine experienced severe side effects, including multiple-organ dysfunction syndrome, septic shock, acute kidney injury and low blood pressure. Another 23 per cent showed signs of liver damage on laboratory tests. Four patients had to stop receiving infusions of the drug entirely.
CvMej0iaJpU was considered to be the most promising therapeutic candidate based on its broad antiviral spectrum, and existing data based on human and animal studies, a World Health Organization panel said in January. The medication was developed initially for Ebola and studied in patients in Eastern Congo.
If it works well, one issue will be whether there is enough of a supply of the drug, especially if the epidemic is still raging. Gilead has been working all-out to bolster supply of the hard-to-make medicine. It said earlier this month that it hopes to to have 500,000 treatment courses by October, and more than 1 million by year-end. Production time has also been accelerated to six months from one year.
[h=1]More Texas City nursing home patients get hydroxychloroquine as doctor sees progress[/h]
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/ne...-home-doctor-unproven-drug-trump-15192584.php
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/ne...-home-doctor-unproven-drug-trump-15192584.php
Did Dr. Fauci mislead us ?
[FONT=arial !important]As coronavirus continues to claim hundreds of thousands of lives around the world, we’ve been repeatedly told to listen to our public health officials. However, what happens if public health officials gave us erroneous information? For months, public health officials told us we didn’t need to wear masks to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Then last week, they changed their stance saying that masks may indeed reduce the spread of the virus.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]The confusion about the use of mask is pale in comparison to two statements made in January by Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. On January 21, 2020, when asked about how deadly the virus is and if Americans should be worried, Dr. Fauci responded: “This is not a major threat for the people in United States, and this is not something the citizens of the United States right now should be worried about.”
[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]You can watch the video below.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1246098728085336066
That was not the only time Dr. Fauci made such a misleading statement. In an unearthed audio from January 26, Dr. Fauci assured Americans that the coronavirus is nothing to worry about. “The American people should not be worried or frightened by this. It’s a very, very low risk to the United States,” Dr. Fauci said on The CATS Roundtable John Catsimatidis. Dr. Fauci added:“It isn’t something that the American public needs to worry about or be frightened about.” Notwithstanding what Dr. Fauci had said, U.S. President Trump decided to issue a travel ban five days later.
Given his track record, It came as a surprise after Dr. Fauci went on airwaves and said this earlier today on CNN’s State of the Union: “If Trump had listened to our recommendations, we could have saved lives.”
Also in late March, Dr. Anthony Fauci said: “Between 100,000 and 200,000 people could die from coronavirus in the United States.” That projection was later revised down to 66,415 deaths. Many of you may be asking why the track record of public health officials matters. The issue at stake is the government leaders rely on recommendations from these officials to shape health policy and make decisions that affect millions of lives, especially during this coronavirus pandemic.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]As coronavirus continues to claim hundreds of thousands of lives around the world, we’ve been repeatedly told to listen to our public health officials. However, what happens if public health officials gave us erroneous information? For months, public health officials told us we didn’t need to wear masks to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Then last week, they changed their stance saying that masks may indeed reduce the spread of the virus.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]The confusion about the use of mask is pale in comparison to two statements made in January by Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. On January 21, 2020, when asked about how deadly the virus is and if Americans should be worried, Dr. Fauci responded: “This is not a major threat for the people in United States, and this is not something the citizens of the United States right now should be worried about.”
[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]You can watch the video below.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1246098728085336066
That was not the only time Dr. Fauci made such a misleading statement. In an unearthed audio from January 26, Dr. Fauci assured Americans that the coronavirus is nothing to worry about. “The American people should not be worried or frightened by this. It’s a very, very low risk to the United States,” Dr. Fauci said on The CATS Roundtable John Catsimatidis. Dr. Fauci added:“It isn’t something that the American public needs to worry about or be frightened about.” Notwithstanding what Dr. Fauci had said, U.S. President Trump decided to issue a travel ban five days later.
Given his track record, It came as a surprise after Dr. Fauci went on airwaves and said this earlier today on CNN’s State of the Union: “If Trump had listened to our recommendations, we could have saved lives.”
Also in late March, Dr. Anthony Fauci said: “Between 100,000 and 200,000 people could die from coronavirus in the United States.” That projection was later revised down to 66,415 deaths. Many of you may be asking why the track record of public health officials matters. The issue at stake is the government leaders rely on recommendations from these officials to shape health policy and make decisions that affect millions of lives, especially during this coronavirus pandemic.[/FONT]
And they are right.
The entire world should band together and force China's sorry azzes to pay
CBS - Fake News Again
CBS News caught after posting another video of ICU nurse crying over poor working conditions
Last month, we told you about about CBS News was caught using footage from an Italian hospital to describe conditions in New York City. CBS News later admitted to a “mistake” on Monday after airing footage of an overcrowded hospital room that was allegedly in New York City but was actually from a hospital in Italy. “It was an editing mistake. We took immediate steps to remove it from all platforms and shows,” a CBS News spokesperson said.
CBS News has done it again. On April 6, CBS posted another video of a nurse who claimed she quit her job after being asked to work in a coronavirus ICU without a face mask. “America is not prepared, and nurses are not being protected,” said the ICU nurse in the video. “I quit my job today. I went into work and I was assigned to a COVID patient on an ICU unit that has been converted to a designated COVID unit. None of the nurses are wearing masks.”
The video appears to be inaccurate. Instead of verifying the legitimacy of the video, CBS added background music and captions to highlight a woman who lied about her workplace situation. To avoid further embarrassment, CBS News posted the following on Twitter, “Imaris Vera, the nurse in this video, clarified her experience on Monday in a tweet: “We were each assigned 1 N95 per 1 covid patient’s room but was not allowed to wear it outside of the room, wear our own N95 mask around the Nurses station or Halls, which I came prepared with.”
https://t.co/2axIrXK4LA
https://twitter.com/i/status/1246804028601896961
However, before CBS posted the video online, Imaris posted on her public Facebook page that she has anxiety and bi-polar depression and had not been an employee at the hospital for over a year. She also mentioned in her post that she was unsure if she was ready to return to her job. Imaris went on to say that the growing volume of information on coronavirus “triggers” her. “The information overload can be hard for me to sift through as far as what is credible and what is not, it triggers me,” she wrote in a Facebook post.
https://twitter.com/almostjingo/status/1247150535012044801/photo/1
CBS News caught after posting another video of ICU nurse crying over poor working conditions
Last month, we told you about about CBS News was caught using footage from an Italian hospital to describe conditions in New York City. CBS News later admitted to a “mistake” on Monday after airing footage of an overcrowded hospital room that was allegedly in New York City but was actually from a hospital in Italy. “It was an editing mistake. We took immediate steps to remove it from all platforms and shows,” a CBS News spokesperson said.
CBS News has done it again. On April 6, CBS posted another video of a nurse who claimed she quit her job after being asked to work in a coronavirus ICU without a face mask. “America is not prepared, and nurses are not being protected,” said the ICU nurse in the video. “I quit my job today. I went into work and I was assigned to a COVID patient on an ICU unit that has been converted to a designated COVID unit. None of the nurses are wearing masks.”
The video appears to be inaccurate. Instead of verifying the legitimacy of the video, CBS added background music and captions to highlight a woman who lied about her workplace situation. To avoid further embarrassment, CBS News posted the following on Twitter, “Imaris Vera, the nurse in this video, clarified her experience on Monday in a tweet: “We were each assigned 1 N95 per 1 covid patient’s room but was not allowed to wear it outside of the room, wear our own N95 mask around the Nurses station or Halls, which I came prepared with.”
https://t.co/2axIrXK4LA
https://twitter.com/i/status/1246804028601896961
However, before CBS posted the video online, Imaris posted on her public Facebook page that she has anxiety and bi-polar depression and had not been an employee at the hospital for over a year. She also mentioned in her post that she was unsure if she was ready to return to her job. Imaris went on to say that the growing volume of information on coronavirus “triggers” her. “The information overload can be hard for me to sift through as far as what is credible and what is not, it triggers me,” she wrote in a Facebook post.
https://twitter.com/almostjingo/status/1247150535012044801/photo/1
Is Fauci rewriting his own history now? Obviously the words he chose to speak in January don't reconcile with what he said yesterday, but maybe he's not very good at understanding our media and their politics. With every breath they take, they're looking for that gotcha moment where they can lay all the blame on Trump. The fact that they themselves had their collective heads up each others' asses means nothing to them.
At a time like this, I think everyone looks back and wishes they did something different, Dr Fauci included. But you can't talk reasonably to unreasonable people, they don't give a fuck, they have an agenda. They're assholes with one thing on their mind for nearly four years now. Removing Trump from office.
They don't want the campaigns to start up again, they like taking cheap shots and controlling the narrative.
At a time like this, I think everyone looks back and wishes they did something different, Dr Fauci included. But you can't talk reasonably to unreasonable people, they don't give a fuck, they have an agenda. They're assholes with one thing on their mind for nearly four years now. Removing Trump from office.
They don't want the campaigns to start up again, they like taking cheap shots and controlling the narrative.
