Monthly Archives: April 2020

Finding Parallels Between the Crisis Phase in Fighting Cancer and COVID-19 – Yahoo Lifestyle

Posted: April 11, 2020 at 6:45 pm

After my mom died, I remember how every morning in the days that followed, I would wake up and for a few moments, I would be free. For just an instant, I would forget she was gone.

And then with a jolt, it would explode to the surface, Oh my god, shes gone. And a day of fresh grief would start anew.

Same with a cancer diagnosis. I would finally find sleep, but would wake up during the night to use the bathroom, and on that five-foot walk there I would suddenly remember, Oh my god, have cancer, I have cancer! And the grief, the agony and the spin would start anew.

Also during cancer treatment, I would regularly have bad dreams. A nightly one was where I was running in a marathon. Running and running and running, I would arrive at each mile marker, yet no one would tell me which mile it was, or how much farther I had to go. In the dream, I had no idea how many miles I had come, yet I knew I was exhausted.

Related: The Problem With Amazon Blocking Sales of Certain Medical Supplies

This week, about three weeks into our COVID-19 stay at home order, I posted on social media. I explained that while I had been doing OK so far, this week I had hit a wall. I was surprised how many replied, me too, me too. Everyone it seemed was saying that they had done OK with it until now.

It was a wall hittin weekend for a lot of folks.

I can think of a lot of reasons why this happened.

First, like in my running dream, it is very hard to do something when you dont know how long it will last. Uncertainty is draining.

I am a girl who likes to pace myself with difficult tasks. No matter what is ahead of me, I want to know how long. A dental impression, a long flight, I always ask how many minutes, how many days will it be? With each element of an MRI, I ask the people in the booth to count me down, to tell me the lengths of each new segment and how many minutes are left in each one.

Related: As a Mom With Depression, the COVID-19 Pandemic Was the Wake-Up Call I Needed

Mentally it makes it more doable for me. I can eat an elephant a bite at a time if I know how much is left.

But it seems with COVID-19, a new viral strain that can lead to serious or fatal health complications, we are finding that number, the how long, is always changing, ever fluid. We think we know what mile marker we are running toward, say 14 days, but the goalposts keep getting moved. And with numbers being floated that it could be 18 months, its exhausting to imagine.

I remember a day when I thought the first part of my chemo treatment was finished. It was a particularly nasty chemo drug that made me very, very sick. I got up that day and happily went to chemo, mentally feeling ready to swallow the last bite. I remember my chemo nurse Marcy gently breaking it to me, saying, No Lauren, you have six more weeks of it.And I absolutely lost it. I thought I had scaled the first wall, only to be told, no Lauren, there is still another 100 feet to climb.

Related: 15 Disability-Owned Businesses to Support During COVID-19

I hit the wall hard that day. I bounced off it and laid on the ground for a long time.

And I wept.

So many of us have hit that wall these last days. We made it through the first difficult weeks, only to find there is more ahead. We had paced ourselves and mentally prepared thinking, Oh I can do this for a month, I can stay inside and I can homeschool, and I can stretch my finances for that long.

And then we were told nope another month. At least. Another month. Maybe more.

And we hit the wall hard.

And we wept.

Uncertainty is exhausting. Not knowing how much longer is one thing, but uncertainty about the outcome is another. Uncertainty about our health and our familys health. Uncertainty about ever finding normal again? It takes a lot out of you.

I was horrified when I was told my chemo protocol was 18 months. It seemed impossible and undoable. It was overwhelming to imagine what those 18 months would be filled with no hair, social isolation, icky treatment and the loss of all the things I would miss out on as a mom of young kids.

The uncertainty about outcome ping-ponged in my head on the daily. Will I live? When will I feel safe from this again? Will my family make it through? I had no idea, no assurance that if I did A & B, I would get rid of the big C. Each hour was constant mental darting between Im gonna die from this, and back to, it will be OK, your odds are good if you do what you are told.

We have hit the wall of wondering about the uncertainty of these things with COVID-19. We are exhausted and the goalposts have been moved. We are longing for normal.

The crisis phase of grief is busy and loud. We are just now rounding out of that phase with COVID-19.

While the shock of finding out I had cancer was exhausting as it stole sleep and headspace, the doing of early cancer diagnosis was even more taxing. The prepping and navigating all the things that had to be done under a downpour cloud of, Oh my god I cant believe this is happening things like finding an oncologist, preparing my kids for what was ahead, getting a port put in and sorting finances.

Each day it seemed was a new crisis to manage, a new adjustment in my life, a new thing to grieve, a new fear, a new facet of what would fill the 18 months ahead. It was a time filled with waking up each day feeling normal and then, remembering it was happening. Each day was overwhelming grief about losing my normal.

The busyness of that initial phase made what was ahead seem even more impossible to imagine. Living 18 months while sustaining this exhausting level of anxiety, chatter and adjustment seemed impossible.

With COVID-19, we have all been in crisis mode. Zapping our energy with the hunting and gathering of our supplies at a frantic pace, making arrangements to get kids home from college, learning ZOOM and canceling big social events, while grieving their loss.

We have been busy busy busy learning about COVID-19, learning to sanitize and wash our hands, packages and groceries.

We have been adjusting to the loss of social contact and are using up tons of mental energy for hypervigilance about distancing. We are unable to restore energy as many are having the bad dreams, waking up only to remember, Oh my god COVID-19 is happening.

The crisis phase is filled with lots of chatter, a lot of noise, a lot of talk about nothing but COVID-19. I remember in my crisis phase of cancer there came a day when I told my dad on the phone that I was calling a moratorium on cancer talk.

I realized that every square inch of my brain, 24/7, was being taken up with cancer talk, cancer information and cancer thoughts.

Cancer Cancer Cancer.

I had cancer fatigue.

COVID COVID COVID.

I now have COVID-19 fatigue.

We all do.COVID-19 fatigue comes from anger about why arent people distancing or taking it seriously.

It comes because sustained fear is exhausting.

Worry is exhausting.

Anxiety is energy-sapping.

Hypervigilance is draining.

It comes from the constant chatter. The noise in our head, the noise outside our head.

It comes from the constant mental pinballing back and forth between this is deadly serious vs. I am overreacting.

COVID-19 fatigue arrives with the abatement of the initial surge of adrenaline needed to get through the crisis phase.

It comes from climbing a wall with raw scrubbed hands while in isolation, only to wonder, will there be an ICU bed and vent for me?

It comes from our dissection of and the freak out at every cough or sneeze. Every hot flash, every body ache is suddenly a big thing to think about.

COVID-19 fatigue comes because of uncertainty about how many walls are ahead of us, or how much longer this will last.

It comes from using up all the immense energy in having to learn a completely new way to live. The busyness and all the prepping for this new thing.

And COVID-19 fatigue comes from grief, and the longing for normal again. Its exhausting and terrifying to have people say This is the new normal; get used to it. Its like getting a plate of poo and being told you will like it. Yeah, not so much right now.

COVID, COVID, COVID.

I remember too, the defeat I felt on the day when I finally scaled that first cancer wall and triumphantly looked out ahead. I was thinking I would see the promised land of Normal, but all I saw were more and more walls ahead, some of them even bigger than the one I had just climbed.

It made me hit that first wall with my fists and weep, I cant do this! Its not fair! But I did it. Because the alternative wasnt so spiffy.

And COVID-19 fatigue or not, you can do it too.

I promise you, you can do this. Here is how.

During cancer, a friend sent me a note early on that said, You won this battle, now win the war.And that was how I learned to pace myself through the ordeal. Not by oh my god 18 MONTHS! But instead by simply navigating each battle of the day. A bite a time.

I climbed only the wall in front of me and trained my brain to avoid thinking about those ahead, allowing myself to see only as far as the headlights could shine that day.

I refused to focus on the uncertainty of how much longer and what will happen? anymore, because no one had the answer. I knew 18 months was a likely endgame and that was it.

I cut myself some slack and allowed for rest. I allowed that I was mentally exhausted from those early weeks of the crisis phase. With COVID-19 fatigue, you have bounced off that wall. Its OK to lay there for a bit. Its a lot to navigate, so its OK you havent cleaned closets, or written a novel.

Balance will come, I promise.

Its OK to feel you cant follow the advice of well-meaning friends. I had so many people tell me how to do cancer. Eventually, I discovered there are no Cancer Police. Similarly, there are no COVID-19 Police. You have to find a way to navigate COVID-19 that works for you. You do you. Find a way to fill your cup and cope, within the confines of COVID.

In hindsight, I learned this important truth: the first wall is the hardest.

Each wall thereafter isnt easier because they are smaller or lesser, but because you build both the mental and physical muscles to climb them. You gain dexterity, as climbing becomes more the norm, so its not as taxing and fatiguing. In crisis, I didnt have my cancer legs yet, and it made me imagine that all walls ahead would be as hard and tiring to climb as the first one. But they werent.

We are just getting our COVID-19 legs. The rest of this ordeal will be less exhausting, more doable, and will be, I promise, more normal feeling.

I learned not to add unnecessary weight to the climb. A head full of junk and noise and fear and worry was heavy enough, without me adding other stuff (Im talking to you CNN and Twitter) to the climb. Sometimes information/news is not the rocket fuel we think it is, but sludge that exhausts and weighs us down.

And finally, here is the golden rule I learned about getting through the hard stuff. Never look at swimmers in the other lane. Let me say that again, never look at swimmers in the other lane.

I learned there are a thousand different types of breast cancer tumors, and it did me no good to look at the other swimmers to inform me of my outcome or progress. Looking at the other swimmers only served to fill my head with heavy junk that made me sink.

With COVID-19, resist the urge to read up on who has died. And for the love of God, stop comparing their pre-existing conditions, age or weight to yours. Just swim in your COVID lane. Do you. Take care of yourself and your family the best you can.

Lastly, embrace that worst-case scenario on the duration of this. I know that sucks right? But hear me out.

I can confirm that once I wrapped my head around and swallowed the bite of OK, its 18 months of chemo, I can do that, it got a lot better. It was then I knew how big the elephant was. New energy arrives when you put down the sword and anger about it and just decide to live in that space. Remember, struggling against something will drown you.

This week, after listening to experts I simply decided in my non-medical brain, 18 months is a good estimate for a definitive endgame for COVID-19 and quarantine.

In 18 months, we will likely have a vaccine. And yes, we may even have a cure/treatment earlier, and that would be dandy. I can do 18 months, just as I did before, considering the alternative.

We can do it by reminding ourselves that each day is one day closer to some super smart person coming up with a treatment or a vaccine. We can do it by remembering if we do what we are told and stay home and wash our hands if we do A & B, we will rid ourselves of C.

Each day will be easier as you build your COVID legs, and will seem more normal. Its doable if it keeps you healthy.

While its too early, and we are too tired and cranky to feel the good that will come of this, know it will come. Lean into the early snippets of it that you come across each day.

Remember this, you are never as far from normal again as you are in the crisis phase. From here on in, you get closer to normal each day, each minute, each second.

You have won this battle, now you can win the war.

I promise you, you will once again have a day where COVID-19 doesnt greet you each morning or shake you awake from dreamy innocence. A brain free from COVID-19 thoughts will greet you for a few moments each morning, and then will linger a few moments longer, and eventually it will start to stay around all day. COVID-19, like cancer for me, will become something that happened long ago.

And you will have lived your way into normal.

But the funny thing about the normal we long for? Its sometimes not the same, its even better. But thats another story for another day.

Concerned about the coronavirus? Stay safe using tips from these articles:

COVID-19 Is Giving People a Taste of What I Regularly Experience as an Introvert

Asking for Help With My Mental Illness Is Even Harder Under COVID-19

How the Coronavirus Pandemic Has Made Me Realize My Greatest Fear

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Finding Parallels Between the Crisis Phase in Fighting Cancer and COVID-19 - Yahoo Lifestyle

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Coronavirus outbreak: What can we do to stop misinformation? – Khmer Times

Posted: at 6:45 pm

Amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, people are so desperate that, in Italy, they started to throw away their money (which is not true), my brother in Ethiopia told me yesterday before he shared with me two photos where banknotes were scattered in the street.

It was a friend of a friend that said it, he said. In addition, everything seems to be going out of control, he told me with apprehension. As someone who studies journalism, my instincts told me it might be fake news. Officials say Italy is now reporting steady declines in new cases of COVID-19, and discarding money at this moment, or any other time in fact, does not make sense at all.

I decided to go to a rumor killer section of Weibo or microblogging website, one of Chinas most popular social media platforms.

It was right there. In the latest message called A Wrap-up of Important Information of Weibo Rumor Busters from April 3 to six, the money claim was listed as fake news. The photos of the notes, which are not the Euro ones used in Italy, were taken in Venezuela in 2019, according to the source of the verification post.

However, what is the source of the source, many may ask? It is Agence France-Presse, one of the major international news agencies. Then to be prudent and persuasive, I went to its website and located the story, which details how AFP does the fact checking by tracing back to the very first posts of the two photos on social media before it quotes an Italian ambassador, who made it clear the photos are FAKE NEWS as early as late March.

Yes, debunking a piece of fake news turns out to be that easy. Since we are just a few clicks away from the truth, why someone as smart and educated as my brother, who is a Master degree holder, falls victim to fake news readily and easily?

One explanation is that we always tend to believe our own network, especially in times of crisis. The information is, after all, from a relative, a friend, or a friend of a friend. Whats more, according to my observation, many of the fake news circulating in chat groups end with asking you to forward the message to all your loved ones. They just want to be nice, so you do not even think of double-checking the source. However, there is this golden rule among journalists that may be helpful and even awakening: If your mother says she love you, check it out.

Another explanation is that our brain works in that way. In the era of hunting and gathering, our ancestors, living in tough and challenging conditions, tended to believe whatever gossips or rumors they hear. That was their way to improve their survival rate and pass down their gene to us. That is what psychologists say when they call us humanity living in a digital world with a Stone Age brain.

However, credulousness will not help you prosper in a major public health crisis. As Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization, has said of this ongoing coronavirus crisis, Were not just fighting an epidemic; were fighting an infodemic.

To win the latter, WHO has opened a page called Myth Busters, which debunks fake news on the coronavirus disease COVID-19. So far, the health body has made it clear that there is no evidence that eating garlic has protected people from the new coronavirus, taking a hot bath, neither exposing you to the sun, nor drinking alcohol; and that COVID-19 virus cannot be transmitted through mosquito bites but can be transmitted in areas with hot and humid climates. The page is for the public, including journalists and media organizations.

However, the thing is the media can sometimes inadvertently help spread a rumor. For example, by reporting about wide circulation of empty shelves and videos of shoppers queuing in long lines in supermarkets on social media, journalists may play a role in translating a rumor into a reality. That is the story of the runs on toilet paper seen from Singapore, to Japan and Sydney.

When I attended a seminar (online, of course) on misinformation last week, my biggest takeaway is one sentence: not every rumor reserves coverage. Scholars have started a debate on how to report the coronavirus pandemic in a responsible way. Some say that since we have an industry guideline for reporting sensitive topics like suicide, why do not we have one for reporting a public health crisis when lives, stability, the economy and almost every pillar of the society are at stake.

As the coronavirus pandemic is still around in many parts of the world, the last thing we need is panic, fear or hatred sowed by fake news, rumors, conspiracy theories or any other kind of misinformation.

So, next time when you see some sensational information, you can take a minute to ask yourself some basic questions, like what is the source? What is the source of the source? Who says what? Does that make sense? In doing so, you can play your role in stopping the spread of fake news. CGTN

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Coronavirus outbreak: What can we do to stop misinformation? - Khmer Times

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Points of Progress: Pakistan gets anti-child abuse law, and more – The Christian Science Monitor

Posted: at 4:10 am

1. United States

Disability representation and inclusion on U.S. television has increased over the past four years. Among the top 10 Nielsen-rated television shows, characters with disabilities played by actors with the same disabilities rose from 5% to 12% between 2016 and 2018. Shows like Atypical on Netflix and This Close on Sundance Now are two examples of shows with authentic casting.A report by the Ruderman Family Foundation, which looked at 284 shows across 37 networks and four streaming platforms, found that more than half of network shows and 42% of streaming shows included characters with disabilities in 2018. More recently, the new Netflix documentary Crip Camp, which tells the story of the disability revolution in the 1970s that successfully brought the subject center stage, has received strong reviews. (Disability Scoop, The Guardian)

Ireland is set to ban menthol and rolling tobacco May 20 as part of a four-year phasing-in period of the 2016 European Union directive on tobacco products. Menthol cigarette companies target younger people who are more prone to start smoking if offered flavored cigarettes, say tobacco experts.The EU directive sets out rules governing the manufacture, presentation, and sale of tobacco and related products with the intent of discouraging smoking. Branding of any kind has been outlawed already across Europe, and tobacco products are currently sold in plain packaging with prominent health warnings. All tobacco advertising, smaller packs of rolling tobacco, and 10-packs of cigarettes are also already banned. The European Commission estimates these regulations and laws will reduce the number of smokers across the EU by some 2.4 million. (Euronews, The Irish Times)

Anton Vaganov/Reuters/File

Activists attend the Global Climate Strike in St. Petersburg, Russia, Sept. 20, 2019. The countrys government plans to address climate change.

Russia, for the first time, has announced a long-term, low-carbon development plan. The worlds fifth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases (after China, the U.S., the EU, and India) is showing political and economic motivation to curb climate change. According to the plan, Russia pledges to cut emissions by a third by 2030 from its 1990 level.The plan also aims to cut emissions by 48% by 2050, becoming carbon-neutral by the end of the century. Although climate experts say Russias strategy is not aggressive enough, it does show new willingness to address climate change concerns from one of the worlds biggest suppliers of fossil fuels. Russia officially joined the Paris Agreement in September 2019. (Thomson Reuters Foundation)

Use of the hydraulic ram, a pump that doesnt require electricity or fuel to operate, is turning barren land green in Pakistan. The inexpensive and eco-friendly pumps harness pressure from fast-flowing water to drive water uphill and deliver it to mountaintop crops, where irrigation was not previously possible. The pumps were installed two years ago under a project led by the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development.The positive results could be key in helping Pakistans mountain communities adapt to climate change-induced droughts and floods, say experts. So far, the pumps have revived about 60 acres of barren land and benefited 300 households. The United Nations Development Program has given Pakistan additional funding to install 20 more hydro-ram pumps in 12 villages.(Thomson Reuters Foundation)

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Melanie Stetson Freeman/Staff/File

Dudu Duru harvests crops in one of the urban gardens at Victoria Yards, a multiuse complex under development in Johannesburg, on March 2, 2018.

A growing number of urban farms are taking root in Johannesburg, South Africas largest city. More than 40% of its population of 4.4 million is deemed food-insecure. Vegetable gardens are sprouting in schoolyards, outside clinics and churches, across rooftops, and in backyards.Not only are urban farmers using their land to grow food and feed their community, but they are also helping to introduce green spaces in areas known for high crime. We may not have money, but we have land and food. And to garden here is our therapy, said Refiloe Molefe, an urban farmer for 10 years. There are about 300 urban farms in Johannesburg. (Thomson Reuters Foundation)

Goddard Space Flight Center/NASA/AP

The purple and blue colors indicate the lowest concentration of ozone; yellow and red, the highest in this South Pole image of Earth captured Oct. 20, 2019. The ozone hole is at its smallest since it was detected in 1985.

Recent evidence shows that efforts to repair the hole in the ozone layer are helping the southern jet stream to return to a normal state.The southern jet stream is a powerful wind that shapes weather patterns and ocean currents in the Southern Hemisphere, affecting South America, East Africa, and Australia.Up until 2000, the jet stream had been shifting from its courseas a result of ozone layer depletion. Scientists and experts credit the reversal to the Montreal Protocol of 1989, an international treaty to phase out chemicals that damage the ozone layer. Last September, satellite images showed the ozone holes annual peak had shrunk to 63.3 million square miles, the smallest extent since 1982.(The Guardian, Nature)

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Points of Progress: Pakistan gets anti-child abuse law, and more - The Christian Science Monitor

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Gov. Abbott Says Texas Has Made Progress in Slowing the Spread of COVID-19 – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

Posted: at 4:10 am

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott detailed the progress that Texas has made in slowing the spread of COVID-19 during a news conference Friday afternoon, confirming that while more than 230 Texans have died after becoming infected with the virus, more than 1,300 have also recovered from the disease.

Abbott said he was remaining cautiously optimistic, but that it appeared the various stay at home orders in place around the state along with the executive orders issued by his office have begun to "flatten the curve" showing the rise of infection.

Though progress is being made at slowing the spread of the virus, that's no time to relax or ease restrictions currently in place through the end of the month and Texas are urged to continue practicing physical distancing and adhering to gathering restrictions of the Easter holiday weekend.

Full coverage of the COVID-19 outbreak and how it impacts you

According to recent data obtained from county health departments and the Texas Department of State Health Services, COVID-19 cases in Texas increased 46.6% to 11,689 cases between Monday, April 6 and Thursday, April 9.

Those cases show, with Texas population roughly at 30.5 million, that there are 3.8 cases of COVID-19 for every 10,000 people. Per county, those numbers look like this for April 6 through April 9.

Elsewhere in Texas, where there are higher levels of infection such as Harris and Fort Bend counties, the numbers are 6.2% and 5.5%, respectively.

While going over a presentation Friday (see below), Abbott said the blue line showing the number of total cases will always go up, but that the red line showing new cases appears to be leveling off in many counties, showing the apparent flattening of the curve of infection.

The governor also noted the statistic showing the amount of time it takes cases to double dropping from three days to 6.3 days.

Abbott said next week he planned to issue an executive order outlining how the state will begin a reopen for business once it's official the risk of spreading the deadly virus has passed.

The governor also announced a new website for essential workers to help them find child care during the outbreak. The website maps locations where child care is available and shows inspection and compliance records for each business.

"We have a duty to support Texas health care workers and other essential employees as they work on the front lines of the COVID-19 response," said Abbott. "For essential workers with young children who dont have other options, that means providing safe, regulated, and accessible child care. The Frontline Child Care Website will strengthen our child care capacity across the state, allowing our essential workers to continue their work to keep us safe and provide the critical services that Texans depend on. There is nothing more powerful than Texans helping Texans, and I want to thank child care workers across the state for stepping up to support our essential workers during these challenging times."

The site was built by the Texas Frontline Child Care Task Force, a coalition made up of the Supply Chain Task Force, Texas Workforce Commission, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, the Texas Education Agency and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

"The website also helps parents find other basic information about child care including health and safety information and step-by-step instructions for applying for child care financial assistance," the governor's office said in a statement. "Additionally, the website gives frontline employers guidance to assist their employees in need and provides child care centers and school districts resources to support their child care programs."

Abbott also provided an update on personal protective equipment (PPE) in Texas, including how private businesses across the state have stepped up to help produce PPE for medical personnel.

Lastly, Abbott said the Texas Governor's Mansion will be lit blue Saturday night in honor of frontline health care workers.

Locations on the map are approximate county locations and are not intended to identify where any infected people live.

Case data pulled from a variety of sources including county health departments, Texas Department of State Health Services, KXAN-TV in Austin and KPRC-TV in Houston.

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Gov. Abbott Says Texas Has Made Progress in Slowing the Spread of COVID-19 - NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

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The White House Coronavirus Task Force Briefing, Joined in Progress – RushLimbaugh.com

Posted: at 4:10 am

RUSH: The president just came out and were not gonna get much of him here because we got a break coming up. But were gonna get started here on the coronavirus briefing.

THE PRESIDENT: This Sunday millions of Christians celebrate Easter and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. At this holy time we pray that God will heal the sick and comfort the heartbroken and bless our heroes. As American families look forward to Easter, were reminded that our story ends not in despair, but in triumph and renewal. Very appropriate, isnt it? Id like to provide Americans an update on our ongoing efforts in the war against the invisible enemy. Before I do that Ill have a couple of notes.

The United States, in discussions last night with Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and in dealing with OPEC nations, we are trying to get Mexico, as the expression goes, over the barrel, and Mexico is committing to do a hundred thousand fewer barrels.

RUSH: Sorry for that cough, folks. I thought I hit the cough button, I dont know where these buttons are. We gotta bump outta here, sadly, this started at the worst time for us to cover this, but weve gotta go to our breaks.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: The White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing is underway. The president still is reciting some stats and updates on the movement of things like ventilators, the food supply chain. So lets join the update in progress here and see how it goes. Well stick with it and see what happens.

THE PRESIDENT: It could be sniffles. It could be

RUSH: It could be one of the best updates that weve ever had.

THE PRESIDENT: but theyve had it. And theyre the lucky ones. The NIH, CDC, and FDA are currently validating these antibody tests to ensure that theyre accurate and theyre doing that at breakneck speed. I think we can say that, Doctor. Were gonna get em approved very quickly, Dr. Han. When validated, were confident that the production will scale up to tens of millions of tests very quickly.

Were leading the world now in testing by far, and were gonna keep it that way. Other countries are coming to us, and theyre wanting to know about our tests and can they buy tests and can they do whatever they have to do to get tests, and were gonna make that very soon well be in a position to make that possible.

RUSH: See? Our tests are better than anybodys tests.

THE PRESIDENT: And were gonna have an announcement on the World Health Organization sometime next week cause, you know, we give them approximately $500 million a year.

RUSH: What a waste!

THE PRESIDENT: And were gonna be talking about that subject next week. Well have a lot to say about it. Well hold it. Every American should be proud of what our country has achieved in just a short period of time. The U.S. military has deployed thousands of personnel to build 23 temporary hospitals with more than 16,000 beds, and we have the potential to build many more if we needed them. Were all ready to go, but I dont think were gonna need them, which is good.

RUSH: There we go.

THE PRESIDENT: Fake news.

RUSH: Were not gonna.

THE PRESIDENT: And we built those hospitals in 12 states, and the District of Columbia using the Defense Production Act, and we used it like a hammer. A lot of the media said, Oh, we werent using it. We used it like a hammer to a point where all we had to do was say the words and everybody gave us max. And theyve done a good job.

They really have done a good job, with few exceptions. And weve harnessed the full power of American industry to produce ventilators and other essential supplies. Right now, were making thousands of ventilators, many of which we wont need. But well use them in our stockpile and well build that up. Well also help build up the stockpiles which they should have had in the states.

And so were working with governors on that and well also help other countries. There are countries that are calling us for help. They need ventilators, and theyre in no position to build ventilators. We are. We have Ford and General Motors and many, many companies are building ventilators. So were gonna be helping at a not too distant point. Were gonna be helping quite a few of the countries.

Now, weve launched Project Air Bridge and delivered nearly 300 million pieces of personal protective equipment from and around the globe. Were also shipping out 60 sterilization systems to 10 different cities that can each sterilize up to 80,000 masks each day and Im even hearing it can go up to 120,000 masks a day, certain equipment with certain additions.

Its a company in Ohio that makes it. Its a great company, great I hear its a great product, works very well. I asked that question. I said, How come we have to buy so many masks? Why cant we sterilize the masks that are being used? And the answer was, You can. In this case, they say up to 20 times so we can take a mask, certain types of masks, the N95s in particular, and we can sterilize them

RUSH: You are listening to EIB Network. Were carrying the coronavirus task force briefing here to see what shakes out.

THE PRESIDENT: passed the largest emergency economic relief package in American history to save the U.S. economy and protect the American worker. As you know, this past week which was four active days on the stock market. Good Friday today is not included. The markets are closed. In four days, we had the biggest market increase, stock market increase that weve had in 50 years. That tells you that theres a pent-up demand. That tells you, they want to get back. Theres something good going to happen. I really believe that. Theres something very good going to happen. We have to get back. So think of it. In this horrible period

RUSH: Hes laying the groundwork for this. He keeps doing that. Thats good.

THE PRESIDENT: this horrible, dark period where this monster came and worked its horrible, horrible spell over the world 184 countries as of this morning, 184 countries! Weve done well and I guess the market thinks weve done well, because the biggest stock market increase without one day, were talking four days instead of five that weve had in 50 years 50 years, think of that. More than 50 years, actually.

In short, the American people have launched the greatest mobilization of our society since World War II, deploying every scientific, governmental, medical, and military resource to defeat the virus. So I want to just start then with were gonna answer questions later. Well have time. We have a lot of time today. A lot of people are off an as they should be, Good Friday. So Ill stick around. I want to answer question later.

I want to start with Deborah Birx, please, Dr. Birx. And you can go over some of the numbers we just looked at and

RUSH: All right. The Scarf Queen is up next at the coronavirus task force briefing.

BIRX: Thank you for how outlining how well we are doing in a series of metro areas. What also has been encouraging for those of you who are watching epidemic curves every day and Im sure you are and watching them in log phase, because thats how epidemiologists like to look at their curves you can see for the first time that in the United States were starting to level on the logarithmic phase like Italy did about a week ago.

And so this gives us great heart that not only in specific places, but were starting to see that change. Obviously, a lot of that is driven by the improvement in New York City. Remember for a long time they were over 50% of our cases and 50% of our new cases. That has dramatically changed because of the impact of what the citizens of New York and New Jersey

RUSH: Mitigation!

BIRX: and across Connecticut

RUSH: Mitigation.

BIRX: and now Rhode Island are doing to really change the course of this pandemic

RUSH: Mitigation.

BIRX: and really change the trajectory of new cases. Were seeing that what many states in metro areas were experiencing as twofold and fourfold, fourfold increases that went to twofold, that now those are going to eight days between the doubling rate. Watching this every day gives us hope across these metro areas, from New York and New Jersey and all through Denver and of course through New Orleans.

We still see cases occurring in the Boston area and in Chicago, but their rate of increase seems to be stabilizing, and we really want to call out the work of the mayors of Baltimore and the District and Philadelphia who have really brought all of their health experts together and working with their communities are starting to really change the curves in those areas. What were seeing is were united in social distancing

RUSH: There we go.

BIRX: and thats been very encouraging to all.

RUSH: Mitigation.

BIRX: and it should be encouraging to the health care providers that are on the front line, many of which are serving our Americans are such dignity and respect and ensuring that everybody gets optimal care. And as the president noted, our mortality in the United States is significantly less than any of the other countries when you correct them for our population, and that is really solely the work of our health our frontline health care providers.

And so working with You can really Hopefully you get the theme today, that we are incredibly proud of our public health leaders at the city level, at the state level, at the federal level who are working together to really change the course of this pandemic, working with their citizens and their communities to make these changes, and the American public who has really taken all of this to heart and stayed home.

RUSH: There you go.

BIRX: I know last week we really asked a lot of people in the Washington and Baltimore area to consolidate, not go out frequently to grocery stores or pharmacies. You can really see that thats having a huge impact. So its really about the encouraging signs that we see. But as encouraging as they are, we have not reached the peak.

And so every day we need to continue what we did yesterday and the week before and the week before that, because thats what in the end is going to take us up across the peak and down the other side. We continue to really applaud the work of California and Washington state and Oregon. Were learning from all three of those states, from their public health officials

RUSH: Im sorry

BIRX: about how they were able to keep the virus from ever become log arithmetic, and I think thats an important lesson for all of us on you how they did that, what the timing was, in case we ever have to face this issue in the future. Thank you, Mr. President.

RUSH: All right. Whos next? Whos gonna come up there? Ah, Dr. Fauci!

FAUCI: Thank you very much, Mr. President. So again, just keeping on the theme that Dr. Birx had mentioned, this is the end of the week, the famous week that we spoke about last weekend in which what was actually predicted to happen, happened. We started to see the leveling off and the coming down that Dr. Birx had mentioned. But its important to remember that this is not the time to feel that since we have made such important advance in the sense of success of the mitigation, that we need to be pulling back at all.

I was actually hearkened by the fact that weve been talking about the New York, New Jersey, New Orleans, and other areas where they have really big spikes, but theres other parts of the country in the middle parts of the country where theyre concerned to make sure they dont get those spikes. And I really to want to salute the governors of states throughout the entire the United States, but particularly in the central part of the country, because the governors out there, you see us in these press conferences, and Ive had calls over the last several days from several of the governors you know, from Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Utah. Just about an hour and a half ago I spoke with the governors of Arkansas and Wyoming who are really committed to make sure that they dont get into the situation where theyre gonna have spikes in their state. And theyre doing the kind of things that they dont get recognized because people dont talk about them much. But we have a big country. We have 50 states, and its not only the big cities

RUSH: I thought it was 57.

FAUCI: were gonna pull out of it in the big cities, and were gonna pull out of it in those areas that arent as densely populated. And I just want to give a shout-out to them. Theyre doing an extraordinary job. I was really I wouldnt say surprised, because I expect it of this country, but to hear what theyre doing and the commitment that theyre putting in to making sure that we dont have the kinds of situations that weve experienced, unfortunately, in other areas. This is very important.

I just want to close by one other thing, something I mentioned yesterday and the day before, that there are a lot of candidate interventions that are going into clinical trials, for those of you who are interested in it, I recommend you go to clinicaltrials.gov and youll see the design of the clinical trial and youll see that many of them are the randomized control trials that are the really gold standard of how you find out whether something really is safe and effective, and as the weeks and months and it will probably be months sometime is in the summer well start to see which are working, which are not, and to focus on those that are redeveloping and really working. Ill be happy to answer questions later. Thank you.

RUSH: All right. That was Dr. Fauci. Coming next. Dr. Han.

HAN: Thank you, Mr. President. The White House task force has been very focused on increasing the supply of personal protective equipment for our great providers. I was one of those providers a few months ago, and I can tell you nothing is more important than making sure that they have what they need. So in order to increase the supply of N95 masks, FDA has worked with industry and has now authorized two companies who will sterilize machines to sterilize N95 masks.

Admirable Polowczyk and FEMA are purchasing, on behalf of U.S. government, 60 sterilization machines as mentioned by the president. And they will be positioned around the country to increase the amount of supply of N95 masks. Each machine will be able to sterilize 80,000 N95 masks per day and we hope to increase that further. The vice president and the White House task force challenged us yesterday and we responded as a team, FDA issued revised guidance regarding the laundering of gowns because gowns are another issue in terms of supply that were looking forward on. This is not something that normally happens around this country, but issued this guidance. Its on our website now at FDA. So theres information about how hospitals can do that to increase the supply. Weve heard concerns that maybe hospitals might not want to do that because of regulations and

RUSH: Okay, folks, we are going to make the editorial decision to bump out of the White House briefing. I had a secret hope that there might be an announcement of an attempt to open in parts of the country because the president had originally said that Easter was an aspirational or target date. But the briefing is an update on progress to medical supplies distribution, the flattening of the curve. Dr. Fauci suggesting that Im not sure what he was talking about, randomized control trial.

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COVID-19 afflicted Nachito Herrera showing signs of progress – TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press

Posted: at 4:10 am

Award-winning local Latin jazz piano master Nachito Herrera, afflicted with the deadly COVID-19 virus weeks ago, is reportedly showing signs of progress.

Herrera, who two weeks ago was rushed into the intensive care unit of the University of Minnesota Medical Center, was reportedly taken off a lung oxygenation machine Friday.

Yet he remains on a ventilator and in critical condition, according to family members who were able to see but not directly communicate with him Friday.

Herrera, a classical music prodigy and longtime White Bear Lake resident, is a much sought after performer at the Dakota jazz club in Minneapolis. He is also internationally renowned as the founder of Cubanismo, a critically acclaimed Afro Cuban and jazz band that essentially disbanded after Herrera relocated to Minnesota in the early 2000s.

We have been able to see him via Zoom, gracias a Dios (thanks to God), his daughter, Mirdalyls Herrera Tweedon, told the Pioneer Press.

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16 Million Out Of Work: Yet The Private Sector Is Making Progress Against Coronavirus – The National Interest

Posted: at 4:10 am

The economics news is dismal with reports every day of shutdowns, layoffs, and furloughs. More than 16 million Americans have been thrown out of work so far, and we have entered the worst downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Yet amid the gloom there are frequent reports of businesses and entrepreneurs making advances in the battle against Covid19. The private sector is racing to produce vaccines, treatments, tests, and medical supplies to defeat the pandemic.

Here are some recent developments:

I discuss other business advances against Covid19here. Business Roundtable lists ways that its members are contributinghere. BIO discusses medicines that its members are developinghere. The Chamber of Commerce describes small business efforts to combat the virushere. PhRMA tallies the dozens of Covid19 therapies and vaccines in development in the chart below and sourcedhere.

David Kemp helped research this blog.

This article first appeared at the Cato Institute.

Image: Reuters.

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Investigation of Former Carrier Roosevelt CO’s Message Still In Progress – USNI News

Posted: at 4:10 am

Sailors assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) move meals, ready to eat (MREs) for sailors who have tested negative for COVID-19 on April 7, 2020. US Navy Photo

The Navys probe into the circumstances around a leaked letter from the former commander of USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) warning leaders his sailors were at risk from a COVID-19 outbreak is set to be completed soon, Navy officials told USNI News on Wednesday.

The investigation was announced in parallel to the removal of Capt. Brett Crozier from command of the carrier by former acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly.

The inquiry remains in progress and is expected to be completed soon, Cmdr. Nate Christensen told USNI News.It will take time for the report to be reviewed and endorsed by the Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Gilday.

Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Robert Burke was ordered to conduct a preliminary inquiry into that would, consider command climate and circumstances surrounding the response, including communication throughout the administrative and operational chains of command, Navy officials told USNI News last week. The probe was set to complete on April 6.

Questions remain as to why Crozier felt compelled to write the letter, which prompted the investigation.

For example, Croziers immediate superior Rear Adm. Stewart Baker did not know about the letter before it was sent to him via email, Modly told reporters last week when he announced Croziers removal from command. Its important to understand that the strike group commander, the COs immediate boss, is embarked on the Theodore Roosevelt with him, right down the passageway.

Navy officials arent alone in wanting to understand the circumstances around Croziers letter and last months port visit of the carrier to Vietnam.

Its disturbing to me that theres been so much turmoil at the top of the Department of the Navy over the last year. In this difficult time, the Navy needs leaders now more than ever who can provide continuity and steady, insightful leadership, wrote Senate Armed Services Committee chair Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) in a Tuesday statement.I alsolook forward to learning more about the events that led us to where we are today from who made the decision to dock theUSS Theodore Rooseveltin Vietnam at the height of COVID-19 crisis there,to the support being given to unit commanding officers by Navy leadership, to what led the acting Secretary of the Navy to offer his resignation.

Meanwhile, the carrier is in the midst of dealing with the outbreak since its been pier-side in Guam.

As of today, 93 percent of the USS Theodore Roosevelt crew have been tested for COVID-19, with 286 positive cases so far and 2,588 negative results, the Navy said in a Wednesday statement.2,329 sailors have moved ashore. As testing continues, the ship will keep enough sailors on board to sustain essential services and sanitize the ship in port. There have been zero hospitalizations.

Related

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Progress being made in county, but now’s not the time to stop social distancing, officials say – My Edmonds News

Posted: at 4:10 am

Dr. Matt Beecroft

Can we ease restrictions in the COVID-19 battle? A local emergency room doctor on the front lines of the COVID-19 fight put it this way:We have hit the brakes and our car has stopped right before the edge of the cliff one wheel was over the edge.

Speaking at a Snohomish County briefing with reporters via Zoom Friday, Providence Medical Centers Dr. Matt Beecroft added, It felt like it was going to turn into a major disaster; that we would run out of hospital beds and ventilators. That did not happen, added Beecroft, because of the way local communities responded.

Progress in this battle often comes in small steps. One small step with a potential big impact: Homemade cloth protective face masks will soon be available, free, to anyone through local food banks.

Snohomish County announced it will coordinate with food banks to be drive-by pickup sites for the masks, as well as make the food banks drop-off sites for people to donate homemade masks. Dr. Beecroft said that takes the pressure off the supply of medical and surgical masks that hospitals and clinics need.

There are more small signs of cautious progress. Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers said: In two more weeks, we may be able to start dialing back restrictions.He was not specific on details.

Somers says the county will work with national and state experts to incorporate ideas that are working in other places, and added that lifting restrictions will come off in layers, not all at once.

We cannot stop now, we have to hold the line, Somers warned, adding that residents need to maintain strict social distancing, wear protective gear such as cloth masks, and limit travel for only essential purposes.

County Chief Health Officer Dr. Chris Spitters added that this is an all-society approach to respond to this pandemic. He said that if citizens do not follow social distancing guidelines, the county will end up right back where it started.

This is not a time to celebrate, Spitters said, but to humbly reflect on what we have achieved so far.

The county now has 1,900-plus total cases. But those numbers are slowing day by day, and Spitters says the case numbers now reflect people who were exposed more than a week ago.More than 100 patients are now hospitalized in the county.

According to county data, 40-50 patients are hospitalized at Swedish Edmonds, another 40-50 at Providence Everett and five to 10 patients each at hospitals in Arlington and Monroe.

The federal government is pulling its support of the countys only drive-through test site, in Everett. Staff had tested 2,000 people there.When asked why the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was withdrawing, Spitters said the FEMA was in Everett to handle the short-term surge as the virus erupted in the county. The agency helped test for three weeks, and their commitment is done, he added.

Spitters said that it will be up to state and local agencies if they want to keep some form of drive-through testing; but did not elaborate. There are indications, he added, that the number of people wanting tests is declining. Those who exhibit symptoms should call their doctor or local clinic, he added.

The bottom line from the briefing came from Somers:We got ahead of the curve and it appears we are flattening the curve; but we cannot stop now, we must hold the line.

By Bob Throndsen

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Progress being made, but Huntsville officials say the fight against the virus is not over yet – WHNT News 19

Posted: at 4:10 am

Posted: Apr 9, 2020 / 12:24 PM CDT / Updated: Apr 9, 2020 / 12:36 PM CDT

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. Officials said the statistics are promising in terms of fighting the COVID-19 disease in Madison County, but its too soon to begin celebrating.

In Huntsvilles daily news conference, Crestwood Hospital CEO Dr. Pam Hudson said their inpatient load has been flat, and thats consistent with the community taking the spread of the virus seriously. But

COVID is still out there, but our community is making it hard for it to do its dirty work, Hudson said.

Huntsville-Madison County EMA Director Jeff Birdwell said the county had seen 169 confirmed cases, with two deaths and one possible death under investigation.

Hudson said there are currently 11 positive cases in hospitals, and 11 suspected hospital cases were under investigation.

The promising trend was the result two weeks prior of social distancing and scaled back interactions, Hudson said. She stressed that the next two weeks hinge on the two weeks prior, and used a sports analogy, saying the community is at halftime in efforts to slow the virus spread.

Every day counts at this point, she said. Do not let up.

Huntsville City Administrator also applauded the publics efforts, but said he sees room for improvement. He asked for people to observe their own behavior and question their actions for example, one family member going to the grocery store instead of the whole family.

Dont go out because youre bored, Hamilton said. Dont go out just because you want to.

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