| CDC's 'disease detectives' are on the coronavirus case Posted: 01 Apr 2020 04:00 AM PDT  While the Washington State Department of Health had prepared a plan for the arrival of the virus in January, it assumed it still had weeks before the disease would reach the U.S. "In three days, the plan was trashed. We went through every step," Marcia Goldoft, a clinical epidemiologist with the Washington State DOH, told Yahoo News. "I don't think anyone involved has ever seen anything go this fast."
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| American Airlines crammed the only 11 passengers on a flight into 3 rows because they only bought basic economy, report says Posted: 02 Apr 2020 09:15 AM PDT  American Airlines has risked the health of flight attendants and passengers by enforcing rules about riding in coach, it is alleged.
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| Russian plane with supplies for virus fight lands in US Posted: 01 Apr 2020 08:25 PM PDT  A Russian military plane carrying medical supplies arrived in the United States on Wednesday, the Russian mission to the UN said, as the Kremlin flexes its soft power during the coronavirus pandemic. The Antonov-124, landed at JFK Airport in New York -- the epicenter of America's coronavirus outbreak -- pictures and video posted on the mission's Twitter page showed. Russia's defense ministry had earlier announced that the plane "with medical masks and medical equipment on board," left for the US overnight, without providing further details.
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| First he had brain cancer. Then the coronavirus struck his city. One patient’s perilous journey. Posted: 01 Apr 2020 02:33 PM PDT  When Ronnie Krensel went in for his most recent checkup following chemotherapy on March 21, it wasn't anything like the ones he'd had before. Upon his arrival at the Southhampton Stony Brook Hospital in Long Island, N.Y., a doctor met Krensel in a hazmat suit in a large tent outside the facility, where he was asked "a series of rapid-fire questions" and then sent to a negative-pressure room, which prevents cross-contamination, for his visit.
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| How coronavirus has halted Central American migration to the US Posted: 02 Apr 2020 03:32 AM PDT  Border closures and strict lockdowns have led to a steep decline in the number of migrants coming from Central AmericaWhen Angelica turned 30, she realized there was no future for her in Honduras.Although she had a college degree, she was still living paycheck to paycheck and was stuck in a neighborhood of the capital Tegucigalpa ruled by violent gangs.So, after years contemplating migration to the US where she has relatives, she finally made arrangements to depart."I didn't want to stay in a neighborhood where there are massacres or where the people lock themselves in their homes at six at night because the gangs impose a curfew," she said. "I realized I was more surviving than living."But by the time she was due to start her journey north, Honduras had closed its borders and declared a state of emergency. She could no longer leave her city – much less take a bus to northern Guatemala, to meet a coyote who would guide her through Mexico."I had thought that only a hurricane could stop me," she said. "But I hadn't thought of a pandemic."Border closures and strict lockdowns prompted by the Covid-19 crisis have disrupted the migrant trail through Central America and Mexico, forcing some would-be migrants to postpone their journeys – and stopping many others in their tracks.The result has been a deterrent more effective than any wall Donald Trump could build.Activists across the region have reported a steep decline in the number of migrants coming from Central America since the restrictions were implemented. One Mexican shelter near the Guatemalan border said it hadn't received a new arrival in a week."The crisis has facilitated Trump's policies because [Central American] migrants can't even leave their countries," said Sister Nyzella Juliana Dondé, coordinator of a Catholic migrant aid organization in Honduras.El Salvador closed its borders on 11 March, and the governments of Guatemala and Honduras quickly followed suit. All three countries in the so-called northern triangle have since announced internal lockdowns of differing strictness.The three nations had recently signed "safe third country agreements" with the US government under which they agreed to increase enforcement on their borders, and receive migrants who had transited their country on the way to the US.Only Guatemala had begun to implement the new measures, but it announced on 17 March that it would suspend the deportations of Hondurans and Salvadorans from the US to its territory.But Guatemala and Honduras continued to receive deportation flights bringing their own citizens from the US – despite concerns that the practice could accelerate the spread of the virus. In the past week, a migrant who was deported from the US to Guatemala was diagnosed with Covid-19 and a group of deportees to Honduras escaped from the shelter where they were to be quarantined. Guatemala has now requested that the US suspend deportation flights.Meanwhile, migrants who were already en route have been left exposed by the closure of shelters and the difficulties facing humanitarian organizations which would normally attend to them."They are in a vulnerable situation because the guidance is to stay at home – but the migrants don't have homes," said Dondé, who mentioned a case of a large group of Haitian and African migrants who were detained after crossing into Guatemala from Honduras amid the lockdown. "Neither Honduras or Guatemala wanted to offer them a place to stay."Migrants who already had arrived to Mexico have been left in limbo by the US government's decision to immediately return all migrants from Mexico and Central America who cross into the country irregularly along the south-west border.When restrictions are eventually eased, a fresh surge in migration seems likely: multiple would-be migrants who spoke with the Guardian said it was only a question of when, not if, they would set out for the US.And the economic impact of the crisis may in turn cause others to migrate.. "Before many people migrated because they lacked work and a dignified life," said Silva de Souza. "Now there will be many more."Migrants who have come from even farther afield, have no choice but to try to push on. Mohamed left Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, in 2018, following the well-trodden migrant path via Ecuador, Colombia and the jungles of Panama. He was burning through his savings and racking up debt, but making steady progress north.But he reached Guatemala just before the government announced a state of emergency which has made moving on impossible."Travel has become very difficult," he said in a brief exchange via Facebook Messenger. But he was still determined to reach the US – even if he now has to move more carefully – traveling at night and avoiding large caravans. "With God's will, I'll get there. I will build a life of opportunity." * Additional reporting by Joe Parkin Daniels
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| New Yorkers Are Right to Be Skeptical of Evangelical-Run Coronavirus Ward in Central Park Posted: 02 Apr 2020 09:26 AM PDT  If New York City wasn't under a strict stay-at-home order right now, protesters might be marching along Central Park. That's where an evangelical Christian organization called Samaritan's Purse is preparing to open a makeshift COVID-19 ward. The 60-bed emergency field hospital is composed largely of tarp-wrapped tents and will function as a respiratory unit servicing overflow patients from Mount Sinai Hospital.Some New York residents have criticized Samaritan's Purse's presence, citing their spotty record in the field and expressing fears that the conservative religious group's beliefs could even open the door to substandard care or discrimination. City Mayor Bill de Blasio admitted he was "very concerned" about the operation and was sending people from his office to monitor Samaritan's Purse.As a result, conservative Christians exploded on social media, citing the controversy as further proof that their faith is under attack by intolerant liberals and coastal elites who care little about human life.Andrew Walker, a professor at Southern Baptist Seminary, tweeted, "Cultural decadence is allowing intersectionality to determine the acceptability of emergency response." And Peter Hasson, a Catholic editor for conservative news site The Daily Caller, tweeted, "If you're getting mad at the people taking care of the sick during a pandemic, maybe consider the fact that you're not the good guy in this story."As my therapist often reminds me, the human brain is capable of understanding that two things can be true at the same time. In this case, a person can believe that the brave doctors and nurses currently deploying to Central Park to help combat this terrible virus are brave and necessary and also believe that the organization chosen to manage the work of these doctors and nurses is deeply problematic. Holding both of these ideas in your mind at the same time doesn't make you a bad person; it demonstrates that you're a thinking person. We're in the midst of a public-health crisis and must take an all-hands-on-deck approach to caring for the sick.And upon closer inspection, New Yorkers have plenty of good reasons to feel uncomfortable about this new coronavirus hospital.Of chief concern is the person overseeing the Central Park ward: Samaritan's Purse's president and CEO Franklin Graham. He is the son of famed evangelist Billy Graham and a spiritual adviser to President Donald Trump who has a surprisingly long history of controversial comments and hate speech.Graham seems to harbor a special level of disdain for followers of Islam, which he characterizes as a "wicked and evil religion" that encourages adherents to beat their wives and murder their disobedient children. In 2015, he recommended banning all Muslims from immigrating to America and suggested our government treat them like the Japanese and German during World War II. As rationale, he argued that Muslims have "the potential to be radicalized" and participate in "killing to honor their religion and Muhammed."That's the man running Samaritan's Purse's coronavirus hospital, so yes, Muslim New Yorkers are right to be skeptical.Graham's hate speech is also often aimed at LGBTQ people. He has called same-sex marriages "detestable" and has drummed up fear toward gays and lesbians—whom he believes should burn in hell—by claiming they want to "drag an immoral agenda into our communities." In an article that has mysteriously disappeared from the Decision Magazine website, Graham wrote that the architect of the LGBTQ rights movement was "none other than Satan himself." And when Vladimir Putin initiated a violent crackdown on LGBTQ rights in Russia, it sparked a wave of beatings, abduction, public humiliation and other forms of violence against sexual minorities there. Graham responded by praising Putin's policy, lauding the authoritarian leader for "[protecting] his nation's children from the damaging effects of any gay and lesbian agenda."Given such history, it makes complete sense that Mount Sinai Hospital asked Samaritan's Purse to "sign a written pledge to treat all patients equally."Some conservative Christians have dismissed this as harassment, claiming that a scenario in which evangelicals discriminated against gays and lesbians is ridiculous to imagine. But our fair city has a long memory. We remember all the gay men who fled communities across America where evangelicals pastors condemned them as "abominations" and found safe harbor in New York. We remember that when masses of them contracted HIV/AIDS and filled our hospital beds, evangelical preachers on TV called it God's judgment. We remember Jerry Falwell and the religious right lobbying against HIV research and relief in the '90s, leading to untold deaths.All this occurred in my lifetime, and I am only 37. So please pardon New Yorkers if they feel uneasy, given American evangelicals' often-unacknowledged track record coupled with Graham's comments, and want to take some minor precautions to ensure all citizens are protected. Gay, lesbian, and transgender New Yorkers are right to be skeptical.Even some conservative Christians who've acknowledged the disturbing nature of Graham's comments have attacked Samaritan's Purse's critics for intolerance. Anyone should be able to help anyone in this time, the argument goes. It's wrong to prevent people from serving the sick. I totally agree; but Samaritan's Purse does not. The organization is requiring that all personnel serving in its pop-up hospital be Christians who agree to Samaritan's Purse's 11-point "Statement of Faith," which includes the beliefs that non-Christians will burn in hell and that same-sex relationships are sinful.It's unsurprising, if lamentable, that a Christian aid group would turn away a Buddhist doctor looking to help its efforts. But if a lung doctor shows up in Central Park with the knowledge and experience to save lives, she could be sent home if she happens to be a liberal Episcopalian who voted for Hillary Clinton and supports marriage equality.If it is wrong to quibble over who is fit to help save lives in the middle of a crisis, then we must admit that Samaritan's Purse is no better than its critics. The group's defenders are correct, however, that the organization has laudably worked to meet emergency needs in crisis regions since its founding. They have accomplished much good in places like Kosovo, Sudan, Somalia, and Darfur. But their record is not unblemished, and many in the humanitarian world have questioned the quality of some of Samaritan's Purse's work.After USAID gave Samaritan's Purse a large grant to help victims of the earthquake in El Salvador, they were disturbed to learn that the Christian group "blurred the lines between church and state" by using funds to evangelize victims instead of just help them. An official with Samaritan's Purse dismissed the criticism by claiming, "We are first a Christian organization and second an aid organization."That wasn't the first time such blurring occurred, however. During the first Gulf War, respected U.S. General Norman Schwarzkopf publicly criticized the group for trying to coerce American troops serving in Saudi Arabia to covertly distribute Arab-language Bibles under the guise of humanitarian work. And Samaritan's Purse's popular "Operation Christmas Child" has recently been drawn fire when people learned that the holiday shoeboxes given to poor children in non-Christian families around the world were stuffed with Christian evangelism materials.The vast majority of New Yorkers are not Christian, and if they find themselves wheezing for air due to COVID-19, they don't want to be proselytized while receiving treatment. They too have reason to be skeptical of the organization's makeshift hospital."This is what Samaritan's Purse does—we respond in the middle of crises to help people in Jesus' Name. Please pray for our teams and for everyone around the world affected by the virus," Graham declared in a press release announcing the ward.None of Samaritan's Purse's detractors have argued that the Central Park ward should be shuttered or that the organization be barred from offering care. And no one is casting aspersions on the many courageous health-care professionals who will put their lives at risk when this hospital opens. Most agree with the letter from Mount Sinai staff and doctors—at least one of whom is LGBTQ—that concerns about Samaritan's Purse, while valid, must be set aside at the moment because "the higher mission at present is to preserve human life."To this, I say "yes and." New Yorkers can admit that Samaritan's Purse should have a role to play in this vital work, and they can also acknowledge the many valid reasons that might make vulnerable and marginalized residents a little more than nervous.—Jonathan Merritt is a contributing writer for The Atlantic and author of Learning to Speak God from Scratch: Why Sacred Words are Vanishing—And How We Can Revive Them.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. 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| A small Georgia city is facing hundreds of coronavirus cases after residents flocked to a beloved janitor's funeral Posted: 02 Apr 2020 07:57 AM PDT  Atlanta's Dougherty County has reported 490 confirmed cases of COVID-19, that all emerged after two funerals were held in the town of Albany.
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| Portugal tightens Easter travel restrictions due to coronavirus Posted: 02 Apr 2020 05:32 AM PDT  Portugal's government tightened restrictions on movement to stop the spread of the coronavirus during the normally busy Easter holiday period, closing all airports to commercial flights and banning domestic travel from April 9-13. "The virus doesn't travel by itself," Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa told reporters. "This Easter period is a particularly critical time and that's why it is essential to restrict movement in the national territory."
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| What you need to do to get your government stimulus check Posted: 02 Apr 2020 12:48 PM PDT  The IRS and the Treasury Department say Americans will start receiving their economic impact checks within the next few weeks. The government urged them to file taxes and then later reversed course for certain groups. The IRS and Treasury have updated their guidance on how to ensure you get paid.
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| Beyond fever and cough: Coronavirus symptoms take new shape Posted: 02 Apr 2020 08:16 AM PDT  Some of the first warning signs can include extreme fatigue, weakness and chills. But other symptoms often follow.
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| Oil rockets as Trump signals end to price war Posted: 02 Apr 2020 01:10 PM PDT  Oil prices rocketed Thursday, posting the largeset percent increase ever, after US President Donald Trump said Russia and Saudi Arabia planned to end their price war by slashing output. After Trump tweeted that Saudi and Russia could slash production by up to 15 million barrels, Brent hit $36.29 a barrel, up almost 46 percent, and West Texas Intermediate soared around 35 percent to $27.39.
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| Chinese Doctor Disappears after Blowing the Whistle on Coronavirus Threat Posted: 01 Apr 2020 01:20 PM PDT  Wuhan doctor Ai Fen, who expressed early concerns about the coronavirus to the media, has disappeared and is believed detained by Chinese authorities.Fen, the head of emergency at Wuhan Central Hospital, was given a warning after she disseminated information about the coronavirus to several other doctors. She recounted the reprimand in an essay titled, "The one who supplied the whistle," which was published in China's People (Renwu) magazine. The article has since been removed.The reprimand from her boss came after Fen took a photo of a patient's positive test results and circled the words 'SARS coronavirus' in red.She brought several cases of coronavirus to the attention of her colleagues, eight of whom were later called in by police for revealing information about the respiratory illness, according to Radio Free Asia. One, opthalmologist Li Wenliang, warned fellow med school grads to wear protective clothing, an early warning that was condemned by authorities as "rumormongering." Wenliang eventually died from the virus himself.Fen's social media account on the Chinese platform Weibo has been updated several times since her disappearance, although Chinese authorities have been known to update detainees' social media accounts or order them to do so themselves. On Wednesday, a post appeared on her account reading "Happy April Fools Day," with a picture of her in a lab coat and mask.About two weeks ago, a post appeared on Fen's account reading, "Thank you for your care and love. I'm fine at the moment and I'm still working."However, Fen's whereabouts are now unknown, 60 Minutes Australia reported Monday.China has confirmed a total of 81,554 infections and 3,312 deaths from the coronavirus.However, the U.S. intelligence community concluded in a classified report Wednesday that China deliberately provided incomplete public numbers for coronavirus cases and deaths resulting from the infection. In December, local and national officials issued a gag order to labs in Wuhan after scientists there identified a new viral pneumonia, ordering them to halt tests, destroy samples, and conceal the news.
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| Americans purchasing record-breaking numbers of guns amid coronavirus Posted: 01 Apr 2020 05:50 PM PDT  The pandemic has created a surge in demand, with some gun stores inundated with panic-buyers * Coronavirus – latest US updates * Coronavirus – latest global updates * See all our coronavirus coverageAmericans have responded to the coronavirus epidemic with a record-breaking number of gun purchases, according to new government data on the number of background checks conducted in March.More than 3.7m total firearm background checks were conducted through the FBI's background check system in March, the highest number on record in more than 20 years. An estimated 2.4m of those background checks were conducted for gun sales, according to adjusted statistics from a leading firearms industry trade group. That's an 80% increase compared with the same month last year, the trade group said.Nearly 1.2m total gun background checks were conducted in a single week, starting 16 March, breaking all previous records going back to 1998, according to FBI data.While the number of background checks doesn't correlate one-to-one in terms of guns sold, the number of firearm background checks conducted through the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System is the best available proxy for gun sales in the United States. The figures highlight how the pandemic has created a surge in demand for gun ownership, with some gun stores finding themselves inundated with panic-buyers, including, at least anecdotally, many Americans purchasing a gun for the first time.The record-breaking week of 16 March was when California residents were photographed lining up by the dozens outside local gun stores, as the Bay Area and then California as a whole announced the first emergency stay-at-home orders to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the United States.Friday 20 March broke records for the highest number of firearms background checks conducted nationwide in a single day: 210,308.Americans can buy multiple guns from a licensed gun dealer with a single background check, meaning that the number of checks conducted does not reflect the total number of guns sold.In most states, private citizens can also sell guns to each other without a background check, and these private sales are not included in the FBI's numbers. There is no way to track how many guns were bought and sold in private sales over the past month. Some states also allow residents who have a license to carry a concealed firearm in public to buy guns without a background check, another category of gun sales not included in the FBI's statistics.Federal firearms background checks are also conducted for reasons other than gun sales, including for validating permits to allow people to carry a concealed firearm in public, and, in California, for ammunition sales.The National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade group for the American firearms industry, produces regular "adjusted" estimates for gun background checks that subtract out background checks that the FBI tags as related to concealed carry permit applications, or to period checks by officials to make sure permits are still valid. This produces a lower number that is a closer proxy for gun sales.The trade group's adjusted numbers for March are still "simply eye-popping", Mark Oliva, a spokesman for the industry group, wrote in an email.The second-highest week of total firearms background checks on record was 17 December 2012, the week after a mass shooting at the Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, left 20 children dead, and sparked fears that the United States would pass sweeping national gun control measures.More than 950,000 firearms background checks were conducted that week, though US lawmakers ultimately failed to pass any additional gun control legislation after resistance from gun rights activists and many Republican politicians.While the FBI statistics do not include any information on what kind of purchasers are driving the spike in gun sales, some gun sellers have said they are seeing increased numbers of new gun owners."Retailers have been telling us that the overwhelming majority of those buying firearms over the last month have been first-time gun owners," Oliva, the spokesman for the firearms industry trade group, wrote in an email.American gun control advocates said they found the statistics on record-breaking numbers of firearms background checks concerning, and urged Americans to think twice before panic-buying a gun, particularly if they had never owned one before.Concerns have also been raised about children sheltering at home in houses where they might have access to guns, as well as the risk of gun suicide, which amount to approximately two-thirds of US gun deaths each year."We need to prepare for the increased risk of more firearms in untrained hands," David Chipman, a senior policy adviser at Giffords, a leading gun violence prevention expert, said in a statement. "If you didn't think you needed a gun prior to March of this year, you certainly don't need to rush out and get one now."Activists said that the number of guns sold in the past month could have been even higher, if some cities and states had not told gun retailers to close during stay-at-home orders, deeming them non-essential businesses. However, some of these orders have been changed under pressure from gun rights activists, particularly after the Trump administration included firearms manufacturers, retailers and shooting ranges as part of the national's "essential critical infrastructure workforce".
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| Navy says it can't empty Roosevelt amid coronavirus because of its weapons, nuclear reactor Posted: 01 Apr 2020 03:21 PM PDT  The Navy said it couldn't evacuate all sailors off the ship amid a coronavirus outbreak because it is loaded with weapons and a nuclear reactor.
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| Amazon says it will investigate after we obtained a photo appearing to show a lack of social distancing at Indiana warehouse Posted: 01 Apr 2020 06:24 PM PDT  A photo obtained by Business Insider appears to show company managers sitting close together at a warehouse. Amazon says it's investigating.
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| Trump says he doesn’t want a nationwide stay-at-home order because some states don’t have a high number of coronavirus cases Posted: 01 Apr 2020 04:42 PM PDT  At the coronavirus task force briefing, President Trump said he didn't want to issue a nationwide stay-at-home order to fight the pandemic because there are some states that don't have a large number of positive coronavirus cases.
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| 10 Great Deals on Apparel From REI’s 25% off Sale Posted: 02 Apr 2020 08:23 AM PDT |
| Coronavirus turned the 2020 presidential race upside down, but not in Wisconsin Posted: 01 Apr 2020 03:53 PM PDT  June 2 has now replaced April 28 as one of the biggest days in the Democratic presidential primary.
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| Iran parliament speaker, Israeli health minister have virus Posted: 01 Apr 2020 10:02 PM PDT  Iran's parliament speaker has contracted the new coronavirus, the country's highest-ranking government figure yet to catch the disease, while in Israel, several top officials entered quarantine when the health minister tested positive on Thursday. Iran's parliament announced Ali Larijani's illness on its website, saying he was receiving treatment in quarantine. Iran, the regional epicenter of the virus, has been fighting one of the world's worst outbreaks.
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| India PM plans staggered exit from vast coronavirus lockdown Posted: 02 Apr 2020 01:40 AM PDT  India will pull out of a three-week lockdown in phases, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday, as officials battle to contain the country's biggest cluster of coronavirus infections in the capital, New Delhi. Modi ordered India's 1.3 billion people indoors to avert a massive outbreak of coronavirus infections, but the world's biggest shutdown has left millions without jobs and forced migrant workers to flee to their villages for food and shelter. India has had 2,069 confirmed infections, of whom 53 have died, low figures by comparison with the United States, China, Italy and Spain.
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| Angry Wuhan next-of-kin seek answers over virus handling Posted: 02 Apr 2020 12:42 AM PDT  Zhang took his elderly father to a Wuhan hospital for a surgical procedure in January, just as coronavirus was consuming the central Chinese city. Devastated and angry, Zhang is now demanding answers from a government that he accuses of incompetence and lying about the extent of the virus. Zhang says he has linked online with dozens of other people whose grief over lost loved ones is paired with anger.
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| Russian plane with coronavirus medical gear lands in U.S. after Trump-Putin call Posted: 01 Apr 2020 03:08 PM PDT  A Russian military transport plane left an airfield outside Moscow and arrived at New York's John F. Kennedy airport in late afternoon on Wednesday.
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| Chinese government rejects allegations that its face masks were defective, tells countries to 'double check' instructions Posted: 02 Apr 2020 12:58 PM PDT  The Chinese government told other countries to "double-check" the instructions for using the defective face masks.
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| Naval Patrol Boat Takes on Cruise Ship. Loses Real Bad. Posted: 02 Apr 2020 12:38 PM PDT  Turns out you shouldn't ram a cruise ship built to withstand sea ice.
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| California appears to be flattening the curve. But its testing lags behind other states Posted: 02 Apr 2020 08:22 AM PDT  The state's testing delays have limited understanding of the outbreak and hindered containment * Coronavirus – latest US updates * Coronavirus – latest global updates * See all our coronavirus coverageCalifornia has not seen the surge in coronavirus cases that have overwhelmed cities like New York and Detroit in the past week, which suggests that the state's early and restrictive shelter-in-place orders could be slowing the virus's spread. But experts say delays in testing have limited the understanding of the outbreak and have hindered containment efforts.California implemented one of the earliest and strictest orders to stay at home in the United States in mid-March, and as of Wednesday, there were 8,584 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 183 deaths in the state compared with the 76,000 cases and 1,714 deaths in New York. Dr Deborah Birx, the White House's coronavirus taskforce coordinator, said on Tuesday that she was "reassured by what California has been able to do" to help control the virus with physical distancing orders.Some doctors have said California appears to be succeeding at "flattening the curve", meaning slowing the spread so hospitals have enough resources and workers to manage the number of cases. The California governor, Gavin Newsom, said on Tuesday that "the current modeling is on the lower end of our projection". Last month, Newsom had warned that more than half of the state could be infected within two weeks. "We are in a completely different place than the state of New York," Newsom said at a briefing on Wednesday. "And I hope we continue to be, but we won't unless people continue to practice physical distancing."Indeed, the state's early and ambitious efforts to enforce shelter-in-place rules do seem to have prevented hospitals from becoming as overwhelmed as New York's system, Robert Siegel, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford University, told the Guardian. "But it's difficult to accurately know the impact of your interventions if you don't have adequate testing," he said.As of Tuesday, more than 86,100 tests had been administered in the state, and of those, 57,400 results were still pending. By comparison, New York, which has about half the population of California, has processed more than 200,000 tests. Washington state, which has less than a fifth of California's population, has processed 65,462 tests.Testing efforts in California have been set back due to a lack of swabs, vials and media for collecting patient samples, as well as a shortage of kits and bottlenecks at labs.Across the state, tests are in short supply and currently largely limited to people with severe symptoms and those with underlying health conditions, meaning large swaths of the state's population are left untested. "The general idea is that if somebody that has been to the hospital, and they have symptoms, then you assume they're infected," said Siegel. But by testing more, doctors and health officials could be more strategic and selective about who they isolate, he noted.Administering more than one type of test could also help California, and the country as a whole, better understand how the coronavirus spreads through communities. The tests being used in the US detect for the presence of viral RNA. Another type of test – called a serology or antibody test – can help detect if a person's immune system has faced off against Covid-19 and recovered from it. Antibody tests are not currently being done in the US. "It's really important to test for immunity," Siegel said, because people who are immune could return to work without endangering themselves or others. "They could more safely work as frontline healthcare providers," Siegel said.Wendy Parmet, a Northeastern University health policy expert, said the testing problems made tracking the virus challenging: "You need testing to make sure you quickly identify new outbreaks and trace contacts. Put out the small sparks before they become another conflagration." The lack of adequate testing could drag out the sheltering period, she said. "Many of the plans of how you go from where we are now to the next stage rely on testing," she said.A bottleneck in the commercial laboratory Quest Diagnostics, which is processing tests, has further exacerbated California's challenges. Despite initial promises of delivering results within one to two days, the private lab in southern California, which has received tests from hospitals across the country, has not been able to ramp up processing fast enough, meaning some healthcare professionals have had to wait more than a week for results.And although some in Silicon Valley are working on testing solutions, efforts in the international tech hub have been slow and largely unsuccessful."Why California would be lagging I really don't know," Siegel said. "Especially because it does strike me that we do have a lot of experts."South Korea's widespread testing of its population, including people who did not have symptoms but might be at risk of spreading, played a major role in allowing the country to control the virus with significantly less disruption than other nations. Widespread, random testing in Iceland has similarly helped epidemiologists better understand how the virus affects people – data from the country found that half of those who tested positive are non-symptomatic, and overall a low population had been infected.The test shortage not only prevents people suspected of having Covid-19 from getting a diagnosis and being counted and traced, it also hampers officials' efforts to prevent an outbreak in the most vulnerable and high-risk communities.California has the largest homeless population in the US, with 40,000 people living in crowded shelters where advocates say testing access has improved over the last week, but continues to fall short."It's impeding the ability of shelters to identify people who have been infected with the virus and remove them from this incredibly dangerous environment, where the virus has the potential to spread like wildfire," said Eve Garrow, the homelessness policy analyst with the ACLU of Southern California. She argued that all residents and staff should be tested, and noted that she recently heard from one shelter resident who has a fever, but was unable to get a test.> You need testing to make sure you quickly identify new outbreaks and trace contacts. Put out the small sparks before they become another conflagration> > Wendy ParmetAt one shelter at Skid Row in Los Angeles, where an employee tested positive this week, staff have isolated more than 100 people who may have been exposed, and are working to test as many people as they can. "They were slow to come … but hopefully we get enough tests," said the Rev Andy Bales, who runs the shelter. He said he hoped health officials would provide enough tests for those potentially exposed and residents with symptoms."In New York, they were more aggressive about testing," Siegel said. "We in California moved ahead with aggressive public health interventions in the absence of testing." And although testing is crucial, ultimately, distancing measures are more important, he said, adding that California will probably have many more cases, especially in big cities, as testing ramps up. Still, Siegel doesn't think the state will follow New York's pattern.Parmet said when federal and state leaders tout California's progress, it could encourage people to stay home and distance and pressure other jurisdictions to follow suit: "It's important for people to see that there are possibilities, that efforts can make a difference."
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| 'Ventilators' donated by Elon Musk can't be used on coronavirus patients, health officials say Posted: 02 Apr 2020 08:00 AM PDT  Elon Musk's ventilator giveaway may do more harm than good.After weeks of brushing off the COVID-19 pandemic as "dumb," the billionaire Tesla founder earlier this week announced he had 1,000 "FDA-approved ventilators" and ended up donating 40 to New York City's hospital system. Except the devices Musk gave away aren't powerful enough to use in the ICU, and health officials have actually warned against using them on COVID-19 patients because they could spread the virus further.What Musk purchased and gave to New York's hospitals were BiPAP machines made by ResMed, a photo shared by the hospital system reveals. ResMed CEO Mick Farrell later confirmed Musk's purchase of 1,000 5-year-old "bi-level, non-invasive ventilators" known as BiPAPs to CNBC, and said it was "fantastic" that Tesla could transport ResMed's product like it did.But hospitals are far more desperate for ventilators more invasive than BiPAP and CPAP machines, which are usually used to treat sleep apnea — many doctors don't even call them "ventilators," the Los Angeles Times' Russ Mitchell reports. In fact, CPAP machines may have only helped spread COVID-19 through the nursing home outside Seattle that was the center of the U.S.'s initial coronavirus outbreak, NPR reports. These machines can "possibly increase the spread of infectious disease by aerosolizing the virus," NPR writes. Health officials in King County, Washington, have since warned against using CPAP machines on coronavirus patients, as did the American Society of Anesthesiologists back in February.What would actually help, Farrell added to CNBC, is if Musk's Tesla could produce and donate lithium ion batteries — ResMed can use them to make invasive ventilators that hospitals actually need.More stories from theweek.com The Secret Service signed an 'emergency order' this week — for 30 golf carts Navy removes aircraft carrier captain who sounded alarm over COVID-19 outbreak on board his ship Wisconsin's primary is still set for Tuesday, and both sides of the aisle are refusing to push it back
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| Fauci says threats to his personal security 'secondary' to curbing coronavirus Posted: 02 Apr 2020 06:13 AM PDT  The infectious diseases expert at the forefront of the U.S. fight against the coronavirus outbreak on Thursday downplayed reports that his personal security was being threatened, saying he felt safe and was focused on doing his job. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has faced growing threats to his safety, and the government will step up his security, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday. Asked on NBC's "Today" show if he felt safe, Fauci said, "I do."
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| Outbreak: bankruptcies, layoffs, quiet skies and empty rails Posted: 02 Apr 2020 08:15 AM PDT  The outbreak of the coronavirus has dealt a shock to the global economy with unprecedented speed. Following are developments on Thursday related to the global economy, the work place and the spread of the virus. CEO Eric Yuan is addressing some of the security concerns that have arisen as tens of millions of workers fled the office and logged in to Zoom.
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| Iran, US heat up war of words despite virus pandemic Posted: 01 Apr 2020 05:48 PM PDT  Iran said Thursday it "only acts in self-defence" after President Donald Trump warned it against attacks on US troops in Iraq, as a new war of words heated up despite the coronavirus pandemic. Tensions between the arch-foes flared in Iraq where the United States deployed Patriot air defence missiles prompting neighbouring Iran to warn of consequences and demand a US withdrawal. Both countries have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has claimed more than 5,000 lives in the United States and more than 3,000 in Iran.
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| 'This is just so anti-consumer': Southwest early-boarding fee policy reversed after coronavirus backlash Posted: 02 Apr 2020 03:41 PM PDT  Southwest Airlines wasn't offering refunds or credit for some EarlyBird fees, but the airline announced a temporary change Thursday.
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| Tekashi 6ix9ine will serve the rest of prison sentence at home due to coronavirus threat Posted: 02 Apr 2020 03:01 PM PDT  Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine will serve the balance of his federal sentence in home confinement, a judge ordered, due to coronavirus-related conditions in prison.
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| 3 people who survived the coronavirus describe what it's like and what they wish they would have known Posted: 02 Apr 2020 09:01 AM PDT  Three Americans told Insider what it feels like to be diagnosed with the coronavirus and recover. Here's what we can learn from them.
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| Bill Gates explains 3 steps the U.S. should take now to make up for lost time on COVID-19 Posted: 31 Mar 2020 10:37 PM PDT  Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates says there is "no question the United States missed the opportunity to get ahead of the novel coronavirus," and there are three steps that must be taken now in order to soften the blow to the economy and slow the number of deaths.In an op-ed for The Washington Post published Tuesday, Gates said there has to be "a consistent nationwide approach to shutting down." In some states, restaurants are still serving diners and beaches are open, which is a "recipe for disaster," Gates said. "Because people can travel freely across state lines, so can the virus. The country's leaders need to be clear: Shutdown anywhere means shutdown everywhere." It could take at least 10 weeks to get the number of COVID-19 coronavirus cases down, he said, and until then, "no one can continue business as usual or relax the shutdown."The federal government also needs to do more testing, with the results aggregated "so we can quickly identify potential volunteers for clinical trials and know with confidence when it's time to return to normal," Gates said. Health care workers and first responders should have priority, followed by "highly symptomatic people who are at most risk of becoming seriously ill and those who are likely to have been exposed."There has to be a "data-based approach to developing treatments and a vaccine," Gates said, and politicians need to stay quiet and stop spreading rumors about both. Once there is a safe and effective vaccine, billions of doses will need to be manufactured, he said, and facilities where they will be made can be built now. The country has "a long way to go," Gates said, but he still believes "if we make the right decisions now, informed by science, data, and the experience of medical professionals, we can save lives and get the country back to work."More stories from theweek.com The Trump administration is adding an extra barrier for Social Security recipients to get their stimulus check Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is what real coronavirus leadership looks like China is bracing for a second wave of coronavirus
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| Why is New Orleans' coronavirus death rate twice New York's? Obesity is a factor Posted: 02 Apr 2020 11:07 AM PDT  Doctors, public health officials and available data say the Big Easy's high levels of obesity and related ailments may be part of the problem. "We're just sicker," said Rebekah Gee, who until January was the health secretary for Louisiana and now heads Louisiana State University's healthcare services division.
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| Fake news or the truth? Russia cracks down on virus postings Posted: 31 Mar 2020 11:25 PM PDT  Two weeks ago, an opposition-leaning radio station in Russia interviewed political analyst Valery Solovei, who alleged the government was lying when it said no one had died in the country from the coronavirus. Solovei told radio station Echo Moskvy at least 1,600 people might have died since mid-January. Russia's media and internet watchdog, Roscomnadzor, quickly pressured the station to delete the interview from its website.
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| Iran warns US after Patriot deployment to Iraq Posted: 01 Apr 2020 03:06 AM PDT  Iran warned the US Wednesday that it was leading the Middle East to disaster in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic after it deployed Patriot air defence missiles to Iraq. Washington had been in talks with Baghdad about the proposed deployment since January but it was not immediately clear whether it had secured its approval or not. Iran, which wields huge influence in its western neighbour, said that it had not.
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| Dr Fauci: security reportedly expanded as infectious disease expert faces threats Posted: 01 Apr 2020 07:46 PM PDT  Reports say immunologist who has become celebrity amid coronavirus has received unwelcome messages from critics and supportersSecurity for Dr Anthony Fauci, the 79-year-old infectious disease expert who has become a calm, reassuring foil to Donald Trump at coronavirus briefings, has been expanded, according to multiple reports.While Fauci's straight talk and willingness to gently correct the president's outrageous exaggerations have drawn admiration from late-night talkshow hosts, professional basketball players and doughnut shop owners alike, the doctor has received threats and unwelcome communications from both critics and fervent admirers. The Washington Post first reported the news.At a coronavirus taskforce briefing at the White House on Wednesday, Fauci declined to comment on whether he was receiving security protection, deferring to the health department's inspector general.Trump interjected, saying that Fauci "doesn't need security, everybody loves him". If anyone were to attack Fauci, Trump added, "they'd be in big trouble", touting the disease expert's high school athletic career."He was a great basketball player, did anybody know that?" Trump said. "He was a little on the short side for the NBA but he was talented." As basketball captain at Regis high school in 1958, Fauci had helped lead the team to an unlikely victory.Asked to comment on any increase in Fauci's security detail, Tesia Williams, a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) spokeswoman, said: "For more than two decades, the office of inspector general has provided professional protective services for the HHS secretary and, as needed, to departmental leadership. In each case, OIG assesses and recommends the appropriate level of protection. I cannot confirm, at this time, that we are providing such services for Dr Fauci."The immunologist has become an unlikely celebrity, representing the US scientific community facing off against the coronavirus pandemic. The NBA star Stephen Curry has called him "the Goat" – greatest of all time. Fans have plastered his likeness on cupcakes, doughnuts, socks and prayer candles.But Fauci has also become a public target for rightwing pundits and bloggers who believe he is undermining the president. An article in the rightwing outlet American Thinker called Fauci a "Deep-State Hillary Clinton-loving stooge", and referred to a seven-year-old email in which he praised Clinton for her stamina through the Benghazi hearings. Tom Fitton, the president of the conservative group Judicial Watch, a conservative group; and Bill Mitchell, host of the far-right online talkshow YourVoice America, have also reinforced Fauci criticisms and conspiracy theories.
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| Great Recession showed countries can’t fight the coronavirus economic crisis alone Posted: 02 Apr 2020 06:00 AM PDT  Trade represents close to 60% of world GDP, and national economies can't thrive in isolation. We needed a global response in 2008 and we need one now.
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| 'Above-average' hurricane season predicted this year, top experts say Posted: 02 Apr 2020 09:14 AM PDT  An "above-normal" hurricane season, which begins June 1, is expected this year, according to Colorado State forecasters.
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| Feds distribute thousands of surgical masks, gloves seized by FBI Posted: 02 Apr 2020 10:05 AM PDT  The masks, gloves, gowns and hand sanitizer were seized by the Hoarding and Price Gouging Task Force.
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| Iran warns U.S. over Iraq deployment amid virus Posted: 01 Apr 2020 07:06 AM PDT  On Wednesday Iran warned the U.S. it was "warmongering during the coronavirus outbreak," after it deployed Patriot air defense missiles to Iraq.
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