Coronavirus in the United States - news and thoughts

Just a personal anecdote. My mom is 72 and lives in rural Georgia. I called today and heard background voices - turns out she drove to her friend's house near Boone, NC. Well, that's fine I guess. So she started complaining about having to wear a mask indoors at establishments in NC and how their wonderful governor in GA doesn't require that. I had to "no comment" her. Then she started in on "I can't wait until this thing goes away. Then we will all realize what a hoax it was. I mean, yes it's a real virsus, but sheesh. It's less deadly than the flu."

Me - "Mom, I don't want to talk about this." I could try to talk sense into her, but it wouldn't do a damn bit of good. Now I'd like to think my mom is not a dumba$$, but I know for sure that my stepfather is and she will just follow along with whatever he says and watches (Fox news 24/7). This is just another indicator of why our country has completely folded. Our federal and state (in that order) governments politicized a gosh darn global crisis. The "news" agencies carried on with it and too many Americans lack the intelligence to sift through the bullshit or, you know, maybe read a reliable source, rather than sitting on their lazy asses and watching the mindless tv media. This has been the biggest embarrassment (not to trivialize in any way) of the United States in my lifetime. I can't help but think that Rome is burning.

Ok - I needed that. Rant over.

 

Agree, I thought NS was a pretty embarrassing example though because it borders the US. Compare it to Maine, or any other border state. And Maine is generally more rural than NS which has a decent sized city in Halifax.
Thr last day Maine had zero cases was in March.

 

yeah since it’s your mom I feel like you just don’t say anything and let it slide. Frustrating but like you said, she’s 72. It would only bring you grief.

 

Freddie Freeman says he prayed for his life after COVID-19 fever hit 104.5 degrees

As the coronavirus continues to spread at record pace in some parts of America, some have argued younger people shouldn’t fear COVID-19 because it doesn’t pose as large a threat to them if they contract it. Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman provided an emotional rebuttal to that argument on Saturday as he detailed his experience with the illness that caused him to report to summer camp late.
…………………..……………………...
Friday night, that was the scariest night for me. I spiked to a 104.5 fever. Thankfully, [Braves trainer George Poulis] wasn’t awake when I texted him, because I probably would have gone to the hospital. Two minutes after that, I gunned my forehead again, I was 103.8, then I was 103.2 and 103.6, so I was like ‘Alright, if I go above 104 again, I’ll probably just start ringing the phone, try to figure this out.’

I said a little prayer that night. I've never been that hot before. My body was really, really hot, so I said 'Please don't take me.' I wasn’t ready. It got a little worrisome that night.
…………………..……………………………………………………………..

Keep in mind, this is a 30-year-old professional athlete at the height of his powers, with access to nearly any healthcare resource he could need. And the virus still had him in bed, miserable and fearing his life was in danger.

 

This isn't encouraging:

 

This is one of those moments where we as a country needed a leader who could unite us, do the right thing, and get both sides of the aisle to follow. We didn't have that leader. We're paying dearly for the mistakes of 2016.

 

Trump reportedly seeks to block testing funds as Covid-19 surges across south and west

 

The worst president ever, and it’s not close.

 

I mean, he's not wrong. The virus will eventually go away. We only have 4-5 billion years before our sun goes supernova. So there is a definite limit on how long the virus can survive.

I think the rest of the developed world is showing us that we don't have to wait 4 billion years, we can wear masks and shut down the virus in a matter of months.

Edit: Does anyone else remember when we were told that Trump would pivot to presidential after the campaigns were over?

 

Wallace: Mr. President, you were quoted recently as saying that "The universe will die a heat death in a couple of days". Does that discredit you?
Trump: I'll be right eventually. You know I said "It's going to die a heat death." I'll say it again.

 

What I haven't seem mentioned with regards to the proposed second round of stimulus is that we essentially wasted the first round. 3 trillion dollars for what? Throwing money, and little else, at problems is more American than apple pie.

 

Young survivors of COVID-19 speak out about how illness is still affecting them

 

This is a wonderful summary of what went wrong in our reaction to the corona-19 virus. I've yet to read an article based upon interviews and exhaustive research which defends this administration, though there has been a lot of ovine opinions excusing the president.
Inside Trump’s Failure: The Rush to Abandon Leadership Role on the Virus

 

All right Trump defenders. Defend that exchange with Chris Wallace. This ought to be entertaining. It’s perfectly clear what his priorities are with regard to Covid19. Let’s hear it.

TRUMP: “The Democrats are purposely keeping their schools closed, keeping their states closed. I called Michigan. I want to have a big rally in Michigan. Do you know we’re not allowed to have a rally in Michigan? Do you know we’re not allowed to have a rally in Minnesota? Do you know we’re not allowed to have a rally in Nevada? We’re not allowed to have rallies in these Democrat-run states.”

WALLACE: “But wait a minute, some people would say that that’s a health risk.”

TRUMP: “Some people would say … fine.”

WALLACE: “We had some issues after Tulsa.”

TRUMP: “But if everything was gone 100 percent they still wouldn’t allow it. They’re not allowing me to do it. They’re not allowing me to have rallies.”

 

I am so excited for the debates. Biden should be practicing how to stay calm in a barrage of lies.

 

The Trumpers have been awfully quiet lately. I think the Truths revealed on Too Hot have scalded them and sent them scampering to the illusory security of their alternate universe.

 

Yes he should. Don’t take the baits and keep your cool! Let The Donald hang himself, and he surely will.

 

No one arm push up challenges for a start. Just answer questions like you’re having a conversation with a voter at a diner in Scranton and let Trump implode.

 

Exactly!

Trump: Nobody saw this Pandemic Coming

Biden: We did and set up a team in 2010 specifically to monitor Wuhan

Trump: I built this economy

Biden: You mean the one we left you

Trump: Black unemployment was never this low

Biden: you need to check your numbers it’s worse now than we left after you spending trillions on tax cuts.

Trump: Your son worked on the board of Barisma

Biden: Your kid stole from kids cancer charity and your entire family is prohibited from running charities. My kid has not been accused of anything but helping to establish corporate governance.

Looks in cameras..Look folk we can go tit for tat all night but we know this Administration has been an embarrassment internationally and incompetent domestically. My agenda is to rebuild the middle class and restore respect on both side of policing...

Don’t engage just point out a lie and pivot but jab the shit out of him before pivoting. Trump will lose his shit and say something stupid.

 

Man who spent 3 months in the hospital for COVID-19 had no prior health conditions