thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-22--Surging U.S. Virus Cases Raise Fear That Progress Is Slipping

The disturbing signs in the Sunshine State as well as places like Arizona , Alabama , Texas and South Carolina — along with countries such as Brazil , India and Pakistan — are raising fears that the progress won after months of lockdowns is slipping away .
“ It is snowballing , ” said Dr. Marc Boom , CEO and president of Houston Methodist Hospital , noting that the number of hospitalizations in the Texas Medical Center system that includes the hospital has more than doubled since Memorial Day .
“ If we don ’ t do what we can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spread , the virus will take our choices away from us.
” The number of newly confirmed coronavirus cases across the country per day has reached more than 26,000 , up from about 21,000 two weeks ago , according to an Associated Press analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University .
The analysis looked at a seven-day rolling average through Sunday .
Over 120,000 deaths in the U.S. have been blamed on the virus .
“ A lot of transmission happened there , ” Pino said .
“ People are very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
People are drinking , shouting , dancing , sweating , kissing and hugging , all the things that happen in bars .
And all those things that happen are not good for COVID-19.
” Although he asked health officials to renew calls for people to wear masks and keep their distance , Gov .
Ron DeSantis has not signaled he will retreat from reopening the state after three months of shutdowns that have damaged the economy .
Dr. Michael Ryan , the World Health Organization ’ s emergencies chief , said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the U.S. and a number of other countries , dismissing the notion that the record daily levels of new COVID-19 cases simply reflect more testing .
He noted that numerous countries have also noted marked increases in hospital admissions and deaths .
The stat ’ s positive test rate is at a seven-day average of 20.4 % , well above the national average of 8.4 % and the 10 % level that public health officials say is a problem .
When the positive test rate rises , it means that an outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people are getting tested .
At Maryland ’ s Fort Washington Medical Center on the outskirts of the nation ’ s capital , workers described a scramble to find new beds , heartbreaking interactions with family members of critically ill patients and their frustration with Americans who do not believe the coronavirus threat is real .
“ Everybody is out lounging on the beaches .
Just thinking that it ’ s over .
And it ’ s not , ” respiratory therapist Kevin Cole said .
“ It ’ s far from being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s those people that keep we ’ ll keep this pandemic going.
” Nearly 9 million people have been confirmed infected by the virus worldwide and about 470,000 have died , according to Johns Hopkins , though experts say the actual numbers are much higher because of limited testing and cases in which patients had no symptoms .
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , who has faced criticism from President Donald Trump , said during a videoconference for the Dubai-based World Government Summit that it took over three months for the world to see 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days to see the most recent 1 million cases .
Trump has criticized the WHO for its early response to the outbreak and what he considers its excessive praise of China , where the outbreak began , though his own administration ’ s response in the U.S. has come under attack .
Trump has threatened to end all U.S. funding for the WHO .
Companies around the world are racing to find a vaccine , and there is fierce debate over how to make sure it is distributed fairly .
WHO ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nabarro , said he believes it will be “ 2 1/2 years until there will be vaccine for everybody in the world .
”

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Coronavirus cases in Florida surpassed 100,000 on Monday, part of an alarming surge across the South and West as states reopen for business and many Americans resist wearing masks or keeping their distance from others.
The disturbing signs in the Sunshine State as well as places like Arizona, Alabama, Texas and South Carolina — along with countries such as Brazil, India and Pakistan — are raising fears that the progress won after months of lockdowns is slipping away.
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“It is snowballing,” said Dr. Marc Boom, CEO and president of Houston Methodist Hospital, noting that the number of hospitalizations in the Texas Medical Center system that includes the hospital has more than doubled since Memorial Day. “If we don’t do what we can RIGHT NOW as a community to stop the spread, the virus will take our choices away from us.”
The number of newly confirmed coronavirus cases across the country per day has reached more than 26,000, up from about 21,000 two weeks ago, according to an Associated Press analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The analysis looked at a seven-day rolling average through Sunday. Over 120,000 deaths in the U.S. have been blamed on the virus.
In Orlando, 152 coronavirus cases were linked to one bar near the University of Central Florida campus, said Dr. Raul Pino, a state health officer in the resort city.
“A lot of transmission happened there,” Pino said. “People are very close. People are not wearing masks. People are drinking, shouting, dancing, sweating, kissing and hugging, all the things that happen in bars. And all those things that happen are not good for COVID-19.”
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Although he asked health officials to renew calls for people to wear masks and keep their distance, Gov. Ron DeSantis has not signaled he will retreat from reopening the state after three months of shutdowns that have damaged the economy.
Dr. Michael Ryan, the World Health Organization’s emergencies chief, said that the outbreak is “definitely accelerating” in the U.S. and a number of other countries, dismissing the notion that the record daily levels of new COVID-19 cases simply reflect more testing. He noted that numerous countries have also noted marked increases in hospital admissions and deaths.
“The epidemic is now peaking or moving towards a peak in a number of large countries,” he warned.
Arizona, in particular, is seeing disturbing trends in several benchmarks, including the percentage of tests that prove positive for the virus. Arizona’s is the highest in the nation.
The stat’s positive test rate is at a seven-day average of 20.4%, well above the national average of 8.4% and the 10% level that public health officials say is a problem. When the positive test rate rises, it means that an outbreak is worsening — not just that more people are getting tested.
At Maryland’s Fort Washington Medical Center on the outskirts of the nation’s capital, workers described a scramble to find new beds, heartbreaking interactions with family members of critically ill patients and their frustration with Americans who do not believe the coronavirus threat is real.
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“Everybody is out lounging on the beaches. Just thinking that it’s over. And it’s not,” respiratory therapist Kevin Cole said. “It’s far from being over. And unfortunately, it’s those people that keep we’ll keep this pandemic going.”
Nearly 9 million people have been confirmed infected by the virus worldwide and about 470,000 have died, according to Johns Hopkins, though experts say the actual numbers are much higher because of limited testing and cases in which patients had no symptoms.
Amid the global surge, the head of WHO warned that world leaders must not politicize the outbreak but unite to fight it.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who has faced criticism from President Donald Trump, said during a videoconference for the Dubai-based World Government Summit that it took over three months for the world to see 1 million confirmed infections, but just eight days to see the most recent 1 million cases.
Tedros did not mention Trump ;by name or his determination to pull the United States out of the U.N. health agency but warned against “politicizing” the pandemic.
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“The greatest threat we face now is not the virus itself, it’s the lack of global solidarity and global leadership,” he said. “We cannot defeat this pandemic with a divided world.”
Trump has criticized the WHO for its early response to the outbreak and what he considers its excessive praise of China, where the outbreak began, though his own administration’s response in the U.S. has come under attack. Trump has threatened to end all U.S. funding for the WHO.
Companies around the world are racing to find a vaccine, and there is fierce debate over how to make sure it is distributed fairly. WHO’s special envoy on COVID-19, Dr. David Nabarro, said he believes it will be “2 1/2 years until there will be vaccine for everybody in the world.”
India’s health care system has been slammed by the virus. The country’s caseload climbed by nearly 15,000 Monday to over 425,000, with more than 13,000 deaths.
After easing a nationwide lockdown, the Indian government in recent weeks ran special trains to return thousands of migrant workers to their home villages.
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In Pakistan, infections are accelerating and hospitals are having to turn away patients, with new cases up to 6,800 a day. The government has relaxed its coronavirus restrictions, hoping to salvage a near-collapsed economy in the country of 220 million people.
___


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-22--Trump Won't Say If He Really Asked For Coronavirus Testing To Slow Down

President Donald Trump would not directly respond when pressed about his comment at his Saturday rally that he had ordered staff to “ slow the testing down ” for coronavirus .
During an interview on Monday , Joe St. George , a Scripps reporter , asked Trump about his remarks at the rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , about slowing testing .
Specifically , the president said : “ When you do testing to that extent , you ’ re going to find ... more cases .
So I said to my people , ’ Slow the testing down , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respond to St. George ’ s question , instead going on about how many tests the U.S. has done .
“ We do more testing than any country in the world by far , ” Trump said .
“ Every time you do a test — as you do more tests , it shows more and more cases .
So we ’ re so far advanced both in terms of the quality and the amount .
And we ’ re doing all these tests and it shows cases — if other countries aren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did slow it down , we wouldn ’ t show nearly as many cases.
” When the reporter asked again , “ But did you ask to slow it down ?
” Trump repeated his previous claims suggesting that less testing for COVID-19 would lead to fewer actual cases .
“ If it did slow down , frankly I think we ’ re way ahead of ourselves , if you want to know the truth .
We ’ ve done too good a job , ” Trump responded , dodging the question again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up , with 25 million tests , you ’ re gon na find more people — so then they say , ‘ Oh , you have more cases in the United States.
’ The reason we have more cases is because we do more testing than any other country by far.
” After Trump ’ s remarks on Saturday , White House officials told reporters that the president had been joking .
White House trade advisor Peter Navarro on Sunday similarly claimed the president was being “ tongue-in-cheek.
” Trump has repeatedly made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fewer COVID-19 cases , when in fact less testing would have no impact on the actual spread of the virus , and would simply mean that fewer cases would be publicly reported .
After Trump ’ s Saturday remarks , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) slammed the president in a statement , saying : “ The President ’ s efforts to slow down desperately needed testing to hide the true extent of the virus mean more Americans will lose their lives … The American people are owed answers about why President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much more is needed.
” The U.S. continues to lead the world in coronavirus cases and deaths , with over 2.2 million confirmed cases and over 120,000 dead so far .
While the number of new coronavirus cases has been dropping in some countries — like Spain and France , which implemented strict lockdowns in early spring — the World Health Organization reported the largest single day increase in coronavirus cases worldwide on Sunday , led by Brazil and followed by the U.S .

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President Donald Trump would not directly respond when pressed about his comment at his Saturday rally that he had ordered staff to “slow the testing down” for coronavirus.
During an interview on Monday, Joe St. George, a Scripps reporter, asked Trump about his remarks at the rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, about slowing testing. Specifically, the president said: “When you do testing to that extent, you’re going to find ... more cases. So I said to my people, ’Slow the testing down, please.’”
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Trump did not directly respond to St. George’s question, instead going on about how many tests the U.S. has done.
“We do more testing than any country in the world by far,” Trump said. “Every time you do a test — as you do more tests, it shows more and more cases. So we’re so far advanced both in terms of the quality and the amount. And we’re doing all these tests and it shows cases — if other countries aren’t doing, or if we did slow it down, we wouldn’t show nearly as many cases.”
When the reporter asked again, “But did you ask to slow it down?” Trump repeated his previous claims suggesting that less testing for COVID-19 would lead to fewer actual cases.
“If it did slow down, frankly I think we’re way ahead of ourselves, if you want to know the truth. We’ve done too good a job,” Trump responded, dodging the question again. “Because every time we go up, with 25 million tests, you’re gonna find more people — so then they say, ‘Oh, you have more cases in the United States.’ The reason we have more cases is because we do more testing than any other country by far.”
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After Trump’s remarks on Saturday, White House officials told reporters that the president had been joking. White House trade advisor Peter Navarro on Sunday similarly claimed the president was being “tongue-in-cheek.”
The White House did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
VIDEO: Just asked President Trump if he actually ordered testing to be slowed down. He said in his Saturday speech he did. He didn't answer the direct question. pic.twitter.com/aDKGu6F2Ok — Joe St. George (@JoeStGeorge) June 22, 2020
Trump has repeatedly made claims suggesting that less testing would mean fewer COVID-19 cases, when in fact less testing would have no impact on the actual spread of the virus, and would simply mean that fewer cases would be publicly reported.
After Trump’s Saturday remarks, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) slammed the president in a statement, saying: “The President’s efforts to slow down desperately needed testing to hide the true extent of the virus mean more Americans will lose their lives … The American people are owed answers about why President Trump wants less testing when experts say much more is needed.”
The U.S. continues to lead the world in coronavirus cases and deaths, with over 2.2 million confirmed cases and over 120,000 dead so far.
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While the number of new coronavirus cases has been dropping in some countries — like Spain and France, which implemented strict lockdowns in early spring — the World Health Organization reported the largest single day increase in coronavirus cases worldwide on Sunday, led by Brazil and followed by the U.S.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-22--Experts Predict What A Second Wave Of Coronavirus Will Be Like

There ’ s been much speculation about if and when a second coronavirus wave will come crashing down on us , and whether it has the potential to be more severe than the first crest .
But epidemiologists — the people who study the patterns and causes of diseases — warn against assuming that COVID-19 will behave like the infectious diseases we ’ ve seen before .
This is a brand-new virus and it ’ s not clear this pandemic will even see a second wave .
What ’ s more likely , several epidemiologists who spoke to HuffPost suggested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue to swell , with daily cases and death counts rising and falling in particular areas , until the population eventually achieves herd immunity ― which seems unlikely without a widely available vaccine .
That said , we ’ ve never dealt with this specific virus before , so we really don ’ t know what the pandemic will look like three months from now .
“ We ’ re in totally uncharted waters here , ” said Anne Rimoin , a professor of epidemiology at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Let ’ s first get into what we know about second waves in general by looking at our old friend influenza .
The flu is a seasonal illness .
It spreads well in cold , dry air , especially when people huddle together indoors during the winter .
The flu virus also mutates easily .
Each year , we see new variations of the flu , and second and third waves in a given flu season are often caused by strains different from the one behind the first wave .
We just saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ B strains struck first , then A-strain variations came in a second wave .
Recent flu pandemics — like the avian influenza in 2005 and the H1N1 outbreak in 2009 — may have given us the wrong idea about how COVID-19 will play out , Horney said .
Those past outbreaks came in multiple waves because of how their flu viruses behaved and were transmitted .
Epidemiologists are doing their best with past models and adjusting as we learn more about this coronavirus .
But ultimately , the COVID-19 virus has its own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s novel , we don ’ t know what it ’ s going to look like yet , ” Horney said .
Here ’ s what could happen with COVID-19 .
We know this coronavirus spreads easily from person to person .
In the summer months , people are outside more and able to stay further apart — this definitely decreases transmission , according to Johnson .
But in the fall and winter , people will take more activities indoors and the coronavirus could thrive in enclosed environments .
“ When schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the office ― a lot of people are saying we ’ ll go back to the office after Labor Day ― you could see a big spike in cases again because you ’ re going to have people coming together , ” Rimoin said .
Unfortunately , we don ’ t know how the coronavirus responds to changes in the weather .
While the flu ebbs and flows with the seasons , right now there ’ s no proof that COVID-19 does the same .
Just look at what ’ s going down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Texas .
( Not to mention Brazil and Peru . )
Lastly , for a second wave to even occur , the first wave needs to be controlled and new cases need to be near zero for weeks at a time , Johnson said .
Some countries have achieved this — including New Zealand and Iceland — but the U.S. has not even come close .
Coronavirus cases are rising in nearly half of U.S. states , and as states continue to reopen , all the experts who spoke to HuffPost expect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We ’ ve never seen COVID-19 before .

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There’s been much speculation about if and when a second coronavirus wave will come crashing down on us, and whether it has the potential to be more severe than the first crest.
After all, that’s what unfolded with past respiratory infections like the 1918 flu pandemic, which had a second wave far more devastating and fatal than the first.
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But epidemiologists — the people who study the patterns and causes of diseases — warn against assuming that COVID-19 will behave like the infectious diseases we’ve seen before. This is a brand-new virus and it’s not clear this pandemic will even see a second wave.
What’s more likely, several epidemiologists who spoke to HuffPost suggested, is that the first wave will continue to swell, with daily cases and death counts rising and falling in particular areas, until the population eventually achieves herd immunity ― which seems unlikely without a widely available vaccine.
That said, we’ve never dealt with this specific virus before, so we really don’t know what the pandemic will look like three months from now. “We’re in totally uncharted waters here,” said Anne Rimoin, a professor of epidemiology at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.
Here’s what the epidemiologists think about a second wave:
Why do second waves happen?
Let’s first get into what we know about second waves in general by looking at our old friend influenza. The flu is a seasonal illness. It spreads well in cold, dry air, especially when people huddle together indoors during the winter.
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“We see first and second waves with those because seasonally, they go away,” said Christine Johnson, a University of California, Davis professor of epidemiology and researcher on the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Emerging Pandemic Threats PREDICT project.
The flu virus also mutates easily. Each year, we see new variations of the flu, and second and third waves in a given flu season are often caused by strains different from the one behind the first wave. We just saw this in the 2019-2020 flu season: B strains struck first, then A-strain variations came in a second wave.
But we’re dealing with COVID-19, not the flu — and that’s an important distinction to make. Jennifer Horney, a disaster epidemiologist and founding director of the University of Delaware’s epidemiology program, said that predicting a new virus’s behavior based on other illnesses risks a “false expectations paradox.”
Recent flu pandemics — like the avian influenza in 2005 and the H1N1 outbreak in 2009 — may have given us the wrong idea about how COVID-19 will play out, Horney said. Those past outbreaks came in multiple waves because of how their flu viruses behaved and were transmitted.
Epidemiologists are doing their best with past models and adjusting as we learn more about this coronavirus. But ultimately, the COVID-19 virus has its own viral behavior patterns. “Since it’s novel, we don’t know what it’s going to look like yet,” Horney said.
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Nuthawut Somsuk via Getty Images
Here’s what could happen with COVID-19.
It’s hard to say for certain, but here’s what epidemiologists think could occur as time passes.
We know this coronavirus spreads easily from person to person. In the summer months, people are outside more and able to stay further apart — this definitely decreases transmission, according to Johnson. But in the fall and winter, people will take more activities indoors and the coronavirus could thrive in enclosed environments.
The closure of schools and the restrictions on businesses this spring has also kept people apart, just as the reopenings will let us congregate again.
“When schools reopen and people are going back to the office ― a lot of people are saying we’ll go back to the office after Labor Day ― you could see a big spike in cases again because you’re going to have people coming together,” Rimoin said.
Unfortunately, we don’t know how the coronavirus responds to changes in the weather. While the flu ebbs and flows with the seasons, right now there’s no proof that COVID-19 does the same. Just look at what’s going down in hot-weather places like Arizona, Florida and Texas. (Not to mention Brazil and Peru.)
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The coronavirus has also mutated already, but not as rapidly and drastically as the flu virus. Rimoin said a new mutation could potentially cause a bigger wave but so far this virus hasn’t mutated in a way indicating that’ll happen.
Lastly, for a second wave to even occur, the first wave needs to be controlled and new cases need to be near zero for weeks at a time, Johnson said. Some countries have achieved this — including New Zealand and Iceland — but the U.S. has not even come close. Coronavirus cases are rising in nearly half of U.S. states, and as states continue to reopen, all the experts who spoke to HuffPost expect cases to increase.
In other words, the current wave will keep coming in. “We’re sort of on a very slow rollercoaster,” Horney said.
Rimoin added that it’ll likely continue as such until we have herd immunity ― when the great majority of the population is immune to the disease. Realistically, we can’t count on achieving herd immunity without a vaccine.
“Without a vaccine, getting to herd immunity just through prior infections that offer antibody protection is pretty impossible,” Horney said.
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Bottom line: We’ve never seen COVID-19 before.
The truth is we really can’t say what’s going to happen next. We can create models and make predictions, but so much about COVID-19 remains unknown.
“I think we would all love to know what’s going to happen [but] we’ve never been in this situation before,” Rimoin said.
We need to keep social distancing, wearing our masks and washing our hands to curb this epidemic. Areas that see greater surges in new cases may need to consider shutting things down again to avoid overwhelming their local health care systems.
“I understand some of the fatigue and exhaustion and the need for us to have societal well-being and economic progress,” Johnson said. “But the virus doesn’t abide by any of those other concerns that we have.”
Experts are still learning about the novel coronavirus. The information in this story is what was known or available as of press time, but it’s possible guidance around COVID-19 could change as scientists discover more about the virus. Please check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the most updated recommendations.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-22--Why Health Care Workers Don’t Have Paid Sick Days During The Pandemic

It seems obvious that during a pandemic , at whatever stage , workers who feel sick should stay home — especially those working in high-risk situations , like in nursing homes or hospitals .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has consistently told Americans that not going to work when you feel sick is essential to slowing the spread of the disease .
And yet .
Millions of essential workers are going without paid sick leave in this pandemic .
In fact , the paid sick leave law that Congress passed in March to deal with coronavirus leaves out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 69.4 million Americans , according to a report from the Kaiser Family Foundation released last week .
That includes an astonishing 17.7 million health care workers , like Andrews , who are either excluded or exempted from the law .
At least 100 grocery store workers have died since March , according to a Washington Post analysis released last month .
Amazon and Walmart workers have died .
At least 20 meatpacking workers had died from coronavirus as of last month , and thousands more were infected , according to the CDC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s have crafted coronavirus sick leave policies that seem generous , but are difficult to use if you can ’ t see a doctor or get a positive test for the virus .
Some employers , like Amazon , have offered workers unpaid leave if they wish to stay home ― or extra money if they come in to work .
While there ’ s no hard data to show that a lack of access to paid sick leave has led to an increase in infections or deaths from the disease , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sick leave does help reduce the spread of other illnesses ― like the flu .
As the country opens back up — even as cases increase in certain places — it ’ s more important than ever to have paid sick leave for essential workers .
If governments and businesses want people to feel safe back out in stores , restaurants and movie theaters , there should be a degree of confidence that if workers are sick , they ’ re not coming to work .
A strong paid sick leave policy at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The sick leave law passed in March as part of the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act initially seemed groundbreaking .
It was the first federal policy requiring that Americans get any kind of sick leave — in this case , it was up to 80 hours paid time off if a worker comes down with coronavirus or needs to quarantine .
First , only a very narrow band of companies are required to comply with the law .
Workers at companies with more than 500 employees aren ’ t eligible , which adds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workforce .
Companies with fewer than 50 employees can also be exempted from some requirements of the law .
“ The Department of Labor has done nothing to get the word out .
They ’ ve not really prioritized making people aware .
Millions of people don ’ t know they might be eligible for paid leave , ” said Debra Ness , the president of the National Partnership for Women and Families .
While some health care facilities do offer a limited amount of paid sick leave to workers , it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of time that would be needed to recover from the coronavirus , as the Kaiser report points out .
At most companies , paid time off needs to be accrued , which is not a possibility for every worker .
We call these workers essential , but we don ’ t pay or support them to reflect that , Ness said .
“ We treat them as expendables .
In every way .
Lack of paid sick days .
Lack of paid leave .
Lack of protective equipment .
Lack of paying them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earns $ 15.85 an hour , up from the $ 8 she made when she started at the home 20 years ago , but hardly enough to build up a cushion of savings .
She has a 13-year-old daughter , and she ’ s also taking care of her 73-year-old father .
As things stand now , she can ’ t afford health insurance for her daughter .

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Many of Trece Andrews’ coworkers contracted COVID-19 at the Detroit-area nursing home, Regency St. Clair Shores, where she works. Two residents in the home have died from the disease, she said.
But Andrews, 49, keeps coming to work. She and her colleagues don’t have much choice: The home doesn’t offer paid sick leave.
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“Some people come in knowing they don’t feel good. You have administrative staff threatening to fire people if they don’t report to work,” she said. “It’s been very challenging. Very scary.”
It seems obvious that during a pandemic, at whatever stage, workers who feel sick should stay home — especially those working in high-risk situations, like in nursing homes or hospitals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has consistently told Americans that not going to work when you feel sick is essential to slowing the spread of the disease.
And yet. Millions of essential workers are going without paid sick leave in this pandemic. In fact, the paid sick leave law that Congress passed in March to deal with coronavirus leaves out 4 in 10 workers: a total of 69.4 million Americans, according to a report from the Kaiser Family Foundation released last week. That includes an astonishing 17.7 million health care workers, like Andrews, who are either excluded or exempted from the law.
Ciena Healthcare, the parent company of Regency St. Clair Shores, did not respond to requests to comment on its paid leave policy.
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Trece Andrews, pictured here, is a union steward with SEIU Healthcare Michigan. Two residents of the nursing home where she works have died of coronavirus. HuffPost US
Seventy-five percent of those health care workers are women, and about a third are women of color. Andrews, who is Black, said that most of her coworkers at the home are also people of color.
Andrews is a union steward with SEIU Healthcare Michigan, part of a coalition in Michigan and nationwide that is demanding protections for nursing home workers ― including paid sick days, hazard pay, free COVID-19 testing and living wages.
Their concerns are life and death.
More than 50,000 nursing home residents and workers have died from coronavirus, so far, according to an estimate in The Wall Street Journal. That’s about 40% of all COVID-19 related deaths.
At least 100 grocery store workers have died since March, according to a Washington Post analysis released last month. Amazon and Walmart workers have died. At least 20 meatpacking workers had died from coronavirus as of last month, and thousands more were infected, according to the CDC.
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Part of the issue are policies that encourage workers to come in by tying bonuses to attendance — essentially, the opposite of what a good paid sick leave policy would do.
Other employers like Walmart and McDonald’s have crafted coronavirus sick leave policies that seem generous, but are difficult to use if you can’t see a doctor or get a positive test for the virus. Some employers, like Amazon, have offered workers unpaid leave if they wish to stay home ― or extra money if they come in to work.
HuffPost US
While there’s no hard data to show that a lack of access to paid sick leave has led to an increase in infections or deaths from the disease, we do know that access to paid sick leave does help reduce the spread of other illnesses ― like the flu.
As the country opens back up — even as cases increase in certain places — it’s more important than ever to have paid sick leave for essential workers. If governments and businesses want people to feel safe back out in stores, restaurants and movie theaters, there should be a degree of confidence that if workers are sick, they’re not coming to work.
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So far, there’s little reason anyone should feel that confidence.
A strong paid sick leave policy at the federal level could have helped. The sick leave law passed in March as part of the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act initially seemed groundbreaking. It was the first federal policy requiring that Americans get any kind of sick leave — in this case, it was up to 80 hours paid time off if a worker comes down with coronavirus or needs to quarantine.
But it was riddled with exemptions and loopholes, the result of pressure from big businesses, Republicans and the White House.
First, only a very narrow band of companies are required to comply with the law. Workers at companies with more than 500 employees aren’t eligible, which adds up to about 50% of the workforce. Companies with fewer than 50 employees can also be exempted from some requirements of the law.
“The pandemic breakout changed everything. It should’ve changed things for everybody. Us nursing home workers, we’ve been put to the back burner. But we are the essential workers. We’re dealing with the COVID.” - Trece Andrews
Also exempt? Health care workers, who are considered essential during the crisis. And the Labor Department has been very broad in defining who is called a health care worker ― not only doctors and nurses, but low-paid employees like hospital janitors, pharmacy clerks and nursing home assistants like Andrews.
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Meanwhile, even workers who are eligible might not know about these benefits, as the Labor Department has done very little outreach.
“The Department of Labor has done nothing to get the word out. They’ve not really prioritized making people aware. Millions of people don’t know they might be eligible for paid leave,” said Debra Ness, the president of the National Partnership for Women and Families.
While some health care facilities do offer a limited amount of paid sick leave to workers, it’s typically far short of the amount of time that would be needed to recover from the coronavirus, as the Kaiser report points out. At most companies, paid time off needs to be accrued, which is not a possibility for every worker.
We call these workers essential, but we don’t pay or support them to reflect that, Ness said. “We treat them as expendables. In every way. Lack of paid sick days. Lack of paid leave. Lack of protective equipment. Lack of paying them enough money to live on.”
Last month, the House passed the HEROES act, which would close the loopholes on paid sick leave and expand the policy. The Republican-led Senate is unlikely to take up the legislation.
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Andrews earns $15.85 an hour, up from the $8 she made when she started at the home 20 years ago, but hardly enough to build up a cushion of savings. She has a 13-year-old daughter, and she’s also taking care of her 73-year-old father. As things stand now, she can’t afford health insurance for her daughter.
Andrews said they still don’t get proper personal protective equipment at the home, and that she has to buy her own masks.
The nursing home does screen workers each day by taking their temperature, and a few have been sent home — without pay, Andrews said.
She is fired up now to fight with her union for stronger benefits.
“The pandemic breakout changed everything. It should’ve changed things for everybody,” she said. “Us nursing home workers, we’ve been put to the back burner. But we are the essential workers. We’re dealing with the COVID. It’s really putting us in the front lines.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-22--The Inside Story Of How Arkansas Exploited COVID To Stop Abortions

Illustrations by Mikyung Lee for HuffPost
Above: When coronavirus came to Arkansas, Marsha Boss, a longtime abortion opponent and member of the board of health, got to work.
On the first day of April, Marsha Boss, a 68-year-old Catholic pharmacist, uploaded a photo to Facebook. Snapped on a sunny day, it showed the parking lot outside Little Rock Family Planning Services, one of two abortion clinics left in Arkansas. “We watched three cars from Texas come in, three from Tennessee and one from Alabama all coming to our great state to get an abortion,” she wrote in her post. “How sad is that?”
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In private, around the same time, Boss was extending her disapproval to state health officials. Over text messages and in phone calls, she complained that the clinic was violating social distancing guidelines, performing “25 to 30” abortions a day, and warned that out-of-town patients ― many of whom were fleeing abortion bans their states put in place after coronavirus hit ― might spread the infectious disease in Arkansas. She also said she saw someone carrying coveted surgical masks into the clinic, as well as beer.
“The abortion clinic think[s] they are above the laws and certainly above any rules but Now we have Covid 19,” she texted Laura Shue, general counsel of the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH). “I know you are busy Laura and I hate to bother you with all of this but I do think it’s so important.”
Long before coronavirus made its way to Arkansas, Boss was a vigilant observer of the Little Rock clinic, keeping close tabs on its activity. Since 2008, she had organized anti-abortion protests at the clinic, rallying church members to participate in 40 Days for Life campaigns as well as recruiting volunteers to pray outside its doors year-round. Unlike the radical evangelical protesters who carried grisly, blown-up photos of fetuses and called women murderers, her crew had a softer touch, favoring silent prayer and signs like “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.” Still, she often intercepted patients as they pulled into the driveway, handing them literature through their car window and imploring them to turn around, according to the clinic security guard, Guy Hooper, who spoke to HuffPost in a phone interview. Sometimes she’d wear a white lab coat or scrubs, Hooper said, perhaps a nod to her pharmacy degree. But since she was not an employee of the clinic, the uniform had the potential to confuse arriving patients. On her LinkedIn page, she describes her profession as an “Ongoing Prayer Warrior at God.”
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Arkansas is considered one of the most anti-abortion states in the U.S. Since 2012, when Republicans took control of the state legislature, it has enacted some of the strictest laws in the nation, a handful of which are currently being challenged in court. These days, women seeking abortions must overcome an ever-expanding list of obstacles, from a 72-hour waiting period to mandated counseling on the medically debunked concept of “abortion reversal.” For some, the hurdles are simply too high; 1 in 5 women seeking an abortion will leave the state to obtain it. In 2019, abortion dropped to its lowest level in Arkansas in 42 years.
Shuttering the Little Rock clinic has long been the holy grail of the local anti-abortion movement, as it is the only clinic in the state that provides “surgical abortions.” The term itself is a misnomer, as technically no incisions or general anesthesia are performed. “Surgical abortion” refers to all abortion procedures performed in an office, such as ones that involve suction to empty the uterus. The Little Rock clinic also provides abortion by pill, as does the other remaining clinic in the state. But the medication can only be taken up to the 10th week of pregnancy, so for women in Arkansas whose pregnancies have progressed further, the Little Rock clinic is their only in-state option.
Boss referred to the Little Rock clinic as “the gates of hell” in an interview with the Arkansas Catholic in 2015. “Really, those babies are being crucified there.” In the past, she sent documentation of the clinic’s alleged misdeeds to the Pro-Life Action League, a national anti-abortion organization, and used social media to bolster opposition to the clinic. “Another poor momma went to the hospital today via ambulance from LRFP Abortion Clinic around 2 pm,” she wrote on Facebook at the end of December. “ABORTION HURTS WOMEN!!!” It’s not clear what happened that day or why an ambulance was called ― abortion is one of the safest medical procedures in America ― but Boss’s alarmist post is a common tactic of abortion foes. The goal is to make abortion appear dangerous and unregulated.
Fear was her ammunition, and when the novel coronavirus hit Arkansas in March, Boss was ready to fire. She also had a tactical advantage. In 2018, Boss was appointed to the board of health by the Republican governor of Arkansas, Asa Hutchinson, a staunch supporter of the anti-abortion movement. The board sets all the rules and regulations for licensing health care providers, including abortion clinics. In addition, it has the power to take away licenses that allow clinics to perform abortions.
As a board member, Boss took part in quarterly meetings where she voiced her concerns about the state’s abortion facilities. The meetings were regularly attended by the top health officials in the state, including Health Secretary Nate Smith, who serves in the governor’s Cabinet. And so during the biggest health crisis in a century, Boss had a direct line to those in charge of the pandemic response.
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A little over a week after Boss posted about the parking lot at the Little Rock clinic, the facility would be forced to stop providing surgical abortions, setting off a catastrophe in reproductive health care in the state.
In the early months of the pandemic, many states took aggressive steps to contain the virus, ordering residents to stay home and shutting down what were deemed nonessential services. Ostensibly a series of public health calls, these measures were also acutely shaped by political pressure.
From March to May, governors in 12 states determined that abortion was not an essential health care procedure, triggering widespread confusion and some temporary clinic closures. To better understand how states came to decide whether abortion was an essential procedure, HuffPost narrowed in on one state, Arkansas, and reviewed hundreds of pages of internal communications from the state health department in April and May.
What emerged was a story of how a health department, under pressure by anti-abortion legislators and activists ― including a board of health member ― was weaponized in the war against abortion and used to justify the cessation of surgical abortions in the state.
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The documents we reviewed were obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request submitted by attorneys for the Little Rock clinic. (HuffPost tried to request documents directly from the department of health but was denied because of out-of-state residence.) We spoke to six people associated with the Little Rock clinic, as well as experts in public health and abortion. Boss declined our request for an interview. So did the department of health, citing ongoing “litigation around this issue.” A spokesperson for Hutchinson noted that the directive used to halt surgical abortions had been litigated and upheld. “Surgical abortions were not entitled to a special exemption from the State’s directive,” a spokesperson for the attorney general, Leslie Rutledge, said in an email.
The consequences of the surgical abortion ban were incalculable. Scores of women had their abortion appointments canceled and had to travel out of state during the pandemic. And in a few known cases, women who wanted abortions were unable to get one before the legal cutoff and remain pregnant against their will today.
Marsha Boss sent many texts to the general counsel for the Arkansas Department of Health, Laura Shue, complaining about the Little Rock clinic. (This graphic is based on copies of the texts obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request.) HuffPost U.S.
The first case of coronavirus in Arkansas was recorded on March 11. By the beginning of April, almost 600 people had tested positive. Hutchinson closed schools and gyms, banned on-site dining at restaurants and prohibited indoor social gatherings of more than 10 people. But unlike almost every other state, he did not issue a stay-at-home order, leaving it up to residents to determine what was safe, and many retail businesses remained open.
The state did, however, order health facilities to halt procedures that could be “safely postponed” to preserve personal protective equipment for health care professionals. The elective surgery directive, issued by the Arkansas Department of Health on April 3, carved out an exception for urgent care and situations where a condition would progress or worsen if surgery was not performed.
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Most governors issued similar directives on elective procedures. However, whether abortion was considered an essential procedure or one that could be safely postponed differed depending on who was giving the orders. In neighboring Texas, an equivalent emergency order was used to shutter clinics despite concerns by medical groups, such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, who warned that delaying abortion by days or weeks “may increase the risks or potentially make it completely inaccessible.”
Arkansas’s directive did not include a specific reference to abortion, and in public remarks after its release, Hutchinson and Smith, an infectious disease specialist and the head of the ADH, dodged questions from reporters about how it should be interpreted with respect to abortion. When asked directly on April 6 at a news conference, Smith said the directive was not “intended to replace a physician’s judgment” on whether a procedure could be safely deferred. In other words, the doctor had the final say.
Five miles away from the Little Rock clinic, employees at the state health department were scrambling to make sense of the vague order. A hotline set up to handle questions about the coronavirus was getting repeated calls about abortion, and staffers were unclear how to respond.
“Can we get clarification on whether or not abortion is considered an elective or essential procedure?” Joyce Gorney, a staffer working on the coronavirus hotline on April 6, asked in an email to a department lawyer. The lawyer said they were reviewing the concern and would get back to her. A few days later, she asked again for guidance, adding that “angry callers” were complaining about the Little Rock clinic still operating. It’s not clear if she heard back from the lawyer, but at the same time, other officials were putting together a script for operators. In an email, it was suggested that operators thank the caller “for sharing their personal perspective on the matter.” Operators were encouraged to tell callers that they were reviewing their concerns.
ADH employees were also under persistent pressure from Boss, who, in her role at the board of health, serves as a policy adviser to the department. Since the beginning of April, she had been reaching out to top officials at ADH and other staff regularly to complain about the Little Rock clinic, sending photos of cars parked outside and alleging that the health center was violating social distancing guidelines.
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Boss was “very upset/irate at this moment,” an executive assistant to ADH’s chief of staff wrote in an email to department lawyers on April 1. “She wants someone to go to these places and see what’s going on and she wants to know who it will be and when.” Boss also called Smith’s office, according to emails.
On April 7, ADH received another complaint about the Little Rock clinic, this time from a retired nurse whose name was redacted in records reviewed by HuffPost. The complaint echoed many of Boss’s concerns. “There has been a great increase in the number of Women seeking abortions at this Little Rock facility from Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma as noted from the license plates in the parking lot,” the person wrote in an email sent directly to Smith. “They are busy busy busy making money and using valuable PPE that could be used in hospital settings to save lives.”
Within hours, Becky Bennett, chief of health facilities services, a division of ADH that handles complaints about medical facilities, sent her staff to investigate. But the scene they encountered stood in stark contrast to the allegations made by the unnamed nurse and Boss. There was only one patient car in the parking lot, and the clinic appeared to have taken measures to ensure social distancing. Screening information was posted on the front door. Inside, the waiting room had signs taped to the chairs requiring social distancing of at least 6 feet. The clinic provided 15 abortions that day, and 12 were scheduled for the following day — a far cry from the “25 to 30” claimed by Boss.
Lori Williams, the clinic’s director, explained to ADH staff that the facility had seen a slight increase in patients from Texas due to its abortion ban. Producing a copy of the April 3 directive, she told investigators that, as she understood the order, abortions qualified under the exception for time-sensitive care. The order allowed procedures if there was a risk of a condition progressing if surgery was not performed. Abortions are considered essential, she added, because any increase in gestational age increases risk to the patient, according to notes in a report written after the visit.
ADH investigators seemed to concur. They wrote that “no deficiencies were cited” and recommended no further action. The following day, ADH crafted a letter to Williams that said the clinic was in compliance with the agency’s rules and regulations. Bennett, the chief of health facilities services, signed it and asked another employee to email the letter directly to Williams. But before that employee had time to do anything, Bennett sent another email: “WAIT.”
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The department would not be sending its normal letter this time. Instead, for reasons unknown, Bennett forwarded the findings to two top bosses at ADH: Renee Mallory, deputy director for public health programs, and Connie Melton, director of the Center for Health Protection. Another employee took over the responsibility of drafting the letter and looped in a lawyer in the governor’s office. By the time it came back to Bennett for her signature, the letter was unrecognizable from its original form. According to an email sent by Melton to department lawyers, the “AG modified the draft letter for the complaint investigation.” “AG” refers to Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, according to Bettina Brownstein, one of the lawyers representing the Little Rock clinic.
It was now a cease-and-desist order, directing the clinic to stop providing surgical abortions immediately or lose its license.
Above: As Arkansas stopped providing surgical abortions, other states instituted similar bans, leaving women in the region with very few options. I talked to Williams, a nurse practitioner and the clinical director of Little Rock Family Planning Services, via a Zoom call in June. Williams, who wore navy scrubs with a light blue trim, was at the clinic, her hair pulled up into a loose ponytail. The bright overhead lights cast small shadows on her face, and she spoke in the clipped but warm tone of an experienced nurse.
“I’m always here,” she said, breaking into a brief smile. Beyond her administrative duties, Williams, who has worked at the clinic since 2004, serves primarily as the clinic’s guardian, protecting it against attacks from legislators, protesters and others intent on seeing the clinic close. In her 16 years at the clinic, she has been involved in 12 lawsuits challenging state attempts to restrict abortion access. Former and present co-workers described her as calm under pressure and professional to a fault.
Williams began her career in labor-and-delivery before going back to school for an advanced degree. After graduation, she responded to an ad in the newspaper for a job at an abortion clinic in Little Rock. Four years later, that clinic closed and she began at Little Rock Family Planning Services. She has never seen her transition from delivering babies to helping women end pregnancies as incongruent. “It wasn’t any different than the other care that I had delivered in the past,” she said. “It’s all health care, helping women in a time of need.”
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As soon as the coronavirus outbreak hit Arkansas, Williams said, the clinic’s medical team put measures in place to protect patients and staff, understanding that one wrong step could be used as grounds to close them down. Abortion clinics are highly monitored in Arkansas, subject to 35 pages of rules and regulations issued by the board of health and enforced by the health department. In a sign of its immense power, ADH representatives are authorized to enter clinics without warning at any time, and they may suspend or revoke a clinic license over a single violation.
In order to reduce patient load, the clinic stopped providing basic gynecological care, such as Pap tests and sexually transmitted disease testing, Williams said, remaining open only for abortions. They staggered appointments and asked patients to wait in their cars until a private room was available. Clinic escorts ― volunteers who help patients get into the front door safely, shielding them from protesters ― were told to stay home out of an abundance of caution.
Concerns over the coronavirus did not keep the protesters away, though. Their numbers grew, Williams said, and they did not always wear masks or respect social distancing guidelines. They seemed emboldened by clinic closures in neighboring states, she thought, and eager for Arkansas to join their ranks. Boss was frequently outside, peering through the wooden slats on the security fence to take photos, the clinic’s security guard said. Twice, protesters called the police to allege illegal behavior at the clinic.
Williams was worried that Boss might try to use her power on the board of health to close the clinic, using the coronavirus to her advantage. “That was my concern,” she said. “It seems like an enormous conflict and very unethical for her to intermingle her personal opinions and her professional work.”
In the beginning of April, Williams had two phone calls with ADH in which she explained the measures the clinic was taking. She was not told that abortion was considered nonessential, she said. Nor did anyone tell her that when ADH made an unannounced visit on April 7. So when a health official showed up three days later on Good Friday with a cease-and-desist order, she was surprised.
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That day, the clinic was scheduled to provide surgical abortions for eight patients, including one who was 17 weeks pregnant. (Currently, women in Arkansas can get an abortion up to the 20th week; an 18-week ban signed into law by Hutchinson in 2019 is temporarily blocked by a federal judge.)
It was the second visit to the clinic for all of the women, as they were required to come in 72 hours earlier for mandated counseling. Many of them had driven long distances ― twice. Now they were being told they could not get an abortion after all.
Williams’s first concern was helping them find an appointment elsewhere. But many of the surrounding states were struggling with similar abortion bans. “Louisiana and Texas and Tennessee all were unable to provide surgical care at some point during this,” she said. “It was difficult to navigate who was still open to seeing patients and where would be the closest place for them to drive. Air travel wasn’t an option at all.”
As clinic staff counseled frantic women, anti-abortion protesters and state representatives were celebrating outside. Boss arrived at the clinic before ADH staff delivered the letter, according to Hooper, the clinic’s security guard. Standing by the driveway, Republican state Sen. Jason Rapert livestreamed on Facebook. “Right through that door, they enter there and they’re making a decision that will change their lives and will end the lives of little human beings,” he said. “We need to take a stand for human life.” He was not wearing a mask.
On Twitter, another GOP state senator, Trent Garner, applauded the news. “It looks like the enforcement of the directive stopping abortions is starting,” he wrote. (A few weeks earlier, he had pressured the governor to ban abortion in an insensitive tweet: “We shouldn’t expose women to the risk of the Wuhan COVID-19 virus for an unnecessary elective procedure, and we could save the unborn babies lives.”)
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In a statement posted online, Rutledge, the attorney general, promised to take decisive action if the directive was violated.
Williams, who has the American Civil Liberties Union on speed dial, called for help.
Marsha Boss advises Laura Shue, general counsel for the Arkansas Department of Health, when to send investigators to the clinic. (This graphic is based on copies of the texts obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request.) HuffPost US
The following Monday, on April 13, the ACLU, along with the law firm of O’Melveny & Myers, sued the state on behalf of the clinic, asking a district court to block the surgical abortion ban. “This was a political decision made by the governor,” Brownstein said. “In my opinion, the Department of Health did not want to do the cease-and-desist order. There was so much political pressure, not just from Marsha Boss but certain anti-choice legislators, and they made so much noise that the governor acquiesced.”
By late Tuesday night, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order, allowing surgical abortion services to resume. Williams spent all day Wednesday calling patients and rescheduling their appointments. A few women were nearing the legal limit for abortion, and the race was on to get them seen. For three days the clinic was able to perform surgical abortions before the courts stepped in again.
On April 22, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit reinstated the ban, reversing the lower-court decision. The judges wrote that the ADH directive was really “a delay, not a ban,” because it would expire on May 11 unless the governor renewed the state of emergency.
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Once again, the clinic had to stop providing surgical abortions. Williams canceled dozens of appointments at the last minute. By this point, she said, the delays had sown confusion and created a severe bottleneck, with more and more patients desperate for appointments as their pregnancies progressed. “We had at least 40 patients that we helped to find other places to go,” she said. “But there were dozens and dozens of women calling us trying to make appointments who we couldn’t provide care to.”
The clinic was still providing medication abortions, she said, but the two-drug regimen can only be used within the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.
On April 27, the state issued a new elective surgery directive. Under the modified rules, elective surgeries could resume as long as the patient could obtain a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours of their procedure. Amid a nationwide shortage of coronavirus test kits, patients seeking surgical abortions were now given the hopeless task of tracking down a facility that would test asymptomatic patients and return the results rapidly.
“They kept moving the goal posts on us,” Williams said. “It was extraordinarily difficult.” She called more than 15 hospitals and urgent care facilities to ask about obtaining quick and reliable testing for her patients without luck. That week, the Little Rock clinic had to turn away more than 50 patients who sought care, including 14 who attempted but were unable to obtain COVID-19 testing results in time. Williams emailed ADH asking for assistance in finding a laboratory that could guarantee the short turnaround time but did not receive a response.
On May 1, the Little Rock clinic filed another emergency lawsuit, asking for relief from the testing requirement and warning that there were several women who were days away from the state cut-off for an abortion and who had not been able to obtain a COVID-19 test. This time, the court would not intervene. On May 7, a federal judge denied the clinic’s request, citing the 8th Circuit opinion, which said that when facing a public health crisis, a state may take measures that infringe on constitutional rights.
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Then, almost two weeks later, ADH announced it was relaxing the testing requirement. Effective May 18, patients had 72 hours prior to the elective procedure to obtain a test. By that point, Williams said, the clinic was able to develop relationships with some laboratories to facilitate rapid testing, and more tests were available statewide. It still wasn’t easy for their patients, and for some it was an obstacle they couldn’t overcome, but the clinic decided to dismiss the lawsuit.
“We still think the orders are unconstitutional, but we are fighting many battles to keep reproductive choice a reality in this state,” Brownstein said. “There are certainly more to come.”
The full toll of America’s clinic closures during the coronavirus pandemic is still being understood. How many did not have enough money to travel to another state for care? How many today are carrying to term babies they did not want? How many attempted a secret abortion at home?
These are questions without answers, at least not yet.
In Arkansas, the Little Rock clinic saw far fewer patients in April and May than it did last year because of the evolving bans on surgical abortion. Williams wonders what has happened to those women whom the clinic was not able to help. She knows of at least two patients who missed the window for a legal abortion and are still pregnant.
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Even the patients who were able to obtain an abortion under the governor’s rules were severely affected by the stress of the experience, she said.
One woman had to drive to Little Rock seven times before she was able to obtain an abortion. “She had a COVID test, and it didn’t come back in time. So then she had to retest, and wait to see if it came back before her appointment, and we just went through this terrible cycle over and over,” Williams said.
The woman almost lost her job because of unexplained absences, Williams said, adding that she called the patient’s boss to explain why she needed so many days off. On top of the financial cost ― lost wages and paying for gas to and from health care facilities ― the woman was traumatized from having to continue an unwanted pregnancy for an additional month. “She felt like she was doing everything she was being asked to do and still being denied an abortion,” William said.
Williams is careful not to blame any one person for what happened to abortion access in Arkansas during the pandemic. “It’s the Department of Health, it’s the governor,” she said. She also suspects that Boss, in her dual position as anti-abortion protester and board of health member, played a significant role. In a statement sent to HuffPost, Hutchinson defended Boss, writing that she was “entitled to express her beliefs” and noting the importance of diverse perspectives on the board of health.
To Williams, it seems like women were denied their constitutional right to obtain an abortion over a callous political stunt.
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It didn’t have to be this way, she added.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-22--Can Your Blood Type Actually Predict Your Coronavirus Risk?

It ’ s looking increasingly likely that having blood type O might give you some protective effects against COVID-19 , while blood type A may be linked to more severe illness from the virus .
A new European study involving 1,980 patients with COVID-19 revealed people with blood group A had a higher risk of catching coronavirus and developing severe symptoms than other blood groups .
However , among those with blood group O , there appeared to be some form of “ protective effect.
” Another preprint study involving 1,559 coronavirus patients in New York found those with blood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to test positive for Covid-19 than other blood types , and those with O-negative and O-positive blood types were less likely to test positive .
Why might this be happening ?
“ People have seen that O blood group people are likely to be more protected against Sars-CoV previously compared to people with A blood type , ” explains Sakthivel Vaiyapuri , an associate professor in cardiovascular and venom pharmacology at the University of Reading .
“ This was suggested to occur due to the presence of anti-A and anti-B antibodies in people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Hong Kong hospital reported that anti-A antibodies were able to inhibit , or even block , the binding of the virus to the host cell , which may provide some explanation as to why being in the O blood group could offer more protection .
Should people with blood type A be worried ?
He pointed out that no one has so far reported that those with blood group O are 100 % protected against the virus and those with blood group A are 100 % susceptible .
“ Only a small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are several other factors associated with this disease , and therefore further research is required to establish this link , ” he says .
Danny Altmann , a professor at Imperial College London ’ s Department of Medicine , adds that in terms of the study , “ there ’ s not much you can do in terms of behavioural change , knowing that you ’ re slightly higher or lower risk.
” But he does say the findings “ open doors to whole new directions for medical research and drug discovery to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may be working.
” People with A blood group should not panic about these results , and at the same time , those in the O blood group should not be too relaxed about it , says Vaiyapure .
Everyone should continue to stick to the lockdown rules : social distancing , washing hands regularly , not touching your face when out in public and wearing face covers where social distancing isn ’ t possible .
How do you find out what blood group you are ?
If you are don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you can ask your doctor ― however you will only be able to find out if you ’ ve previously had a sample of blood taken and tested .
Failing that , you can find out your blood type if you give blood .
Ask your local blood bank what your options are .
Experts are still learning about the novel coronavirus .
The information in this story is what was known or available as of press time , but it ’ s possible guidance around COVID-19 could change as scientists discover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the most updated recommendations .

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It’s looking increasingly likely that having blood type O might give you some protective effects against COVID-19, while blood type A may be linked to more severe illness from the virus.
A new European study involving 1,980 patients with COVID-19 revealed people with blood group A had a higher risk of catching coronavirus and developing severe symptoms than other blood groups. However, among those with blood group O, there appeared to be some form of “protective effect.”
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Previous studies have shown similar findings. A preprint study of 2,173 patients with Covid-19 in China found people with blood group A were at a higher risk of contracting the disease, while people with blood group O had a lower risk of infection.
Another preprint study involving 1,559 coronavirus patients in New York found those with blood group A were 33% more likely to test positive for Covid-19 than other blood types, and those with O-negative and O-positive blood types were less likely to test positive.
Why might this be happening?
There are four main blood groups. These are:
Blood group A, which has A antigens on the red blood cells with anti-B antibodies in the plasma.
Blood group B, which has B antigens with anti-A antibodies in the plasma.
Blood group O, which has no antigens, but both anti-A and anti-B antibodies in the plasma.
Blood group AB, which has both A and B antigens, but no antibodies.
Previous research into other forms of coronavirus found that certain antibodies linked to blood group O helped to fight off the virus better than others.
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“People have seen that O blood group people are likely to be more protected against Sars-CoV previously compared to people with A blood type,” explains Sakthivel Vaiyapuri, an associate professor in cardiovascular and venom pharmacology at the University of Reading. “This was suggested to occur due to the presence of anti-A and anti-B antibodies in people with O blood group.”
Doctors at a Hong Kong hospital reported that anti-A antibodies were able to inhibit, or even block, the binding of the virus to the host cell, which may provide some explanation as to why being in the O blood group could offer more protection.
bortonia via Getty Images
Should people with blood type A be worried?
Vaiyapuri says while the new study is high quality, it “does not provide strong evidence” that blood group type can lead to more severe COVID-19.
He pointed out that no one has so far reported that those with blood group O are 100% protected against the virus and those with blood group A are 100% susceptible. “Only a small percentage of protection/susceptibility clearly demonstrates that there are several other factors associated with this disease, and therefore further research is required to establish this link,” he says.
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Danny Altmann, a professor at Imperial College London’s Department of Medicine, adds that in terms of the study, “there’s not much you can do in terms of behavioural change, knowing that you’re slightly higher or lower risk.” But he does say the findings “open doors to whole new directions for medical research and drug discovery to try and explain how the blood-group effect may be working.”
People with A blood group should not panic about these results, and at the same time, those in the O blood group should not be too relaxed about it, says Vaiyapure. Everyone should continue to stick to the lockdown rules: social distancing, washing hands regularly, not touching your face when out in public and wearing face covers where social distancing isn’t possible.
He concludes: “Everyone should follow the guidelines provided by the health authorities and be extremely cautious to protect themselves and others around them.”
How do you find out what blood group you are?
If you are don’t already know what blood group you are, you can ask your doctor ― however you will only be able to find out if you’ve previously had a sample of blood taken and tested. Failing that, you can find out your blood type if you give blood. Ask your local blood bank what your options are.
This article originally appeared in HuffPost UK.
Experts are still learning about the novel coronavirus. The information in this story is what was known or available as of press time, but it’s possible guidance around COVID-19 could change as scientists discover more about the virus. Please check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the most updated recommendations.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-22--I Get It. You Want To Restart Your Life. But Doing So Could Kill My Child.

My 5-year-old repeatedly asks to go to an amusement park because he is sure he is now tall enough to go on thrill rides with his older siblings .
My 9-year-old regularly checks in about whether I think she will be able to have a birthday party in August .
My 12-year-old asks nearly every day when he can go to the skate park or bike riding with friends , already at the stage where he finds the company of his family decidedly uncool .
My nonverbal 13-year-old hands me my car keys daily then walks to the front door @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go somewhere , anywhere , that is not home .
Lately , these conversations have become more difficult .
My children are aware that life is starting to reopen around us .
They want to know if they can have play dates , walk to the corner store for ice cream or go to the playground .
They want their lives to resume , as we all do .
She is immunocompromised .
She has asthma and epilepsy .
She has a history of heart and kidney disease and has had pneumonia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ count .
She also loves people-watching , being in the water , looking through books and magazines and watching movies .
She is a joy to be around , and those who love her want her to be around for a long time and make it through this pandemic .
No one would like to stop socially distancing and rejoin the world more than Claire .
But Claire — who normally becomes very sick from a common cold that leaves her siblings with just a runny nose — does not have the luxury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because she is fed up with quarantine .
In addition to all of Claire ’ s other risk factors , there is evidence that those with intellectual and developmental disabilities such as Claire are at a much higher risk of dying from COVID-19 .
To protect Claire , my entire family is continuing to self-isolate , but that alone is not enough to protect her .
Last week , Claire ’ s younger sister had to be seen by a doctor to treat a case of strep throat .
Occasionally we can not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foods Claire will eat , and we must go to a store .
Claire ’ s brother has a toothache , and , although I have been hoping the pain will go away , he will very likely have to go to the dentist soon .
We also still need to go through our mail and have groceries , cleaning supplies and books delivered .
None of this is risk-free .
None of it can be avoided .
Now , even though COVID-19 is not going away , the risk is much higher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interactions with those outside of their household than they were just a couple of weeks ago .
Neighbors are having dinner parties .
The packs of kids I see roaming the neighborhood together are growing larger and more frequent .
Friends and family are taking road trips and going to the beach .
I understand the desire to do these things .
I want to do them , too — when I can do them without putting myself or others at risk .
But I am worried and confused that so many are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we have already beaten , even as deaths and cases continue to rise .
Even knowing that COVID-19 is going to continue to spread and kill until about 80 % of the population has been infected or we have a vaccine .
And even knowing that up to 50 % of COVID-19 carriers may be asymptomatic but still spread the virus to others who may become very sick or die .
Although it is impossible to determine exactly how many Americans are immune , public health experts agree that the number is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 5 % .
Hundreds of thousands more deaths will occur between now and when we no longer need to worry about becoming infected with COVID-19 .
A disproportionate number of those deaths will be among people with disabilities such as my daughter .
Many of those deaths will be directly caused by those who rushed to reopen too soon .
In Washington , where I live with Claire , the mayor twice moved forward with phased openings , despite not meeting her own metrics for safely doing so .
My local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is little enforcement or sense of responsibility from other customers , such as the man behind me at the pharmacy who wore his mask dangling from one ear while he talked on the phone or the woman who removed her mask to sneeze just as I passed by her in the parking lot .
This carelessness and complete disregard for the health and well-being of the most vulnerable is a major failing of our society .
These actions speak louder than any words about how the disabled are viewed .
If you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with disabilities as an afterthought or disposable , you can continue to take steps to minimize your own exposure to COVID-19 and to protect them when you do go out by wearing a mask , staying 6 feet apart and washing your hands frequently .
Her right to live outweighs your right to watch a movie without a mask .

Angie Klaus Photography.
Quarantine is long and boring.
My 5-year-old repeatedly asks to go to an amusement park because he is sure he is now tall enough to go on thrill rides with his older siblings. My 9-year-old regularly checks in about whether I think she will be able to have a birthday party in August. My 12-year-old asks nearly every day when he can go to the skate park or bike riding with friends, already at the stage where he finds the company of his family decidedly uncool. My nonverbal 13-year-old hands me my car keys daily then walks to the front door to let me know she is ready to go somewhere, anywhere, that is not home.
The answer to all of them is always the same: We can’t because of COVID-19.
Lately, these conversations have become more difficult. My children are aware that life is starting to reopen around us. They want to know if they can have play dates, walk to the corner store for ice cream or go to the playground. They want their lives to resume, as we all do.
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I, too, miss haircuts, meeting my friends for coffee, going to the gym or for pizza. But the answer is still the same: We can’t because of COVID-19.
Even as I watch our friends, and most of America, leave fears of COVID-19 behind, I know that I cannot do the same. My 13-year-old daughter, Claire — the one who asks to go somewhere in the car daily — fits squarely into several high-risk categories for COVID-19 because of multiple preexisting conditions stemming from a chromosomal duplication.
She is immunocompromised. She has asthma and epilepsy. She has a history of heart and kidney disease and has had pneumonia so many times I’ve lost count. She also loves people-watching, being in the water, looking through books and magazines and watching movies. She is a joy to be around, and those who love her want her to be around for a long time and make it through this pandemic.
“I am worried and confused that so many are acting as though COVID-19 is a problem that we have already beaten, even as deaths and cases continue to rise.”
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No one would like to stop socially distancing and rejoin the world more than Claire. But Claire — who normally becomes very sick from a common cold that leaves her siblings with just a runny nose — does not have the luxury of ignoring the still-real risks of COViD-19 because she is fed up with quarantine. In addition to all of Claire’s other risk factors, there is evidence that those with intellectual and developmental disabilities such as Claire are at a much higher risk of dying from COVID-19. To protect Claire, my entire family is continuing to self-isolate, but that alone is not enough to protect her.
As those in our community venture outside and into gyms, movie theaters, museums, retail stores, offices and restaurants, their risk of contracting COVID-19 grows with each and every interaction. That means with each trip someone in my family takes out of the house out of necessity, the risk to Claire’s life grows that much greater.
As much as I would like to stay in a bubble where we do not have contact with the outside world until a vaccine or a cure is found, that is just not realistic. Claire and her siblings need medications that include controlled substances and refrigerated liquids that must be picked up in person.
Last week, Claire’s younger sister had to be seen by a doctor to treat a case of strep throat. Occasionally we cannot order one of the limited number of foods Claire will eat, and we must go to a store. Claire’s brother has a toothache, and, although I have been hoping the pain will go away, he will very likely have to go to the dentist soon. We also still need to go through our mail and have groceries, cleaning supplies and books delivered. None of this is risk-free. None of it can be avoided.
Before COVID-19 restrictions were eased, these interactions were scary enough, but I made them knowing that nearly everyone with whom I came into contact was likely socially isolating to the best of their ability, which kept the risk of outside contact low.
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Now, even though COVID-19 is not going away, the risk is much higher. Everyone around me is having more interactions with those outside of their household than they were just a couple of weeks ago. Neighbors are having dinner parties. The packs of kids I see roaming the neighborhood together are growing larger and more frequent. Friends and family are taking road trips and going to the beach. I understand the desire to do these things. I want to do them, too — when I can do them without putting myself or others at risk.
But I am worried and confused that so many are acting as though COVID-19 is a problem that we have already beaten, even as deaths and cases continue to rise. Even knowing that COVID-19 is going to continue to spread and kill until about 80% of the population has been infected or we have a vaccine. And even knowing that up to 50% of COVID-19 carriers may be asymptomatic but still spread the virus to others who may become very sick or die.
Although it is impossible to determine exactly how many Americans are immune, public health experts agree that the number is in the single digits and likely no more than 5%. Hundreds of thousands more deaths will occur between now and when we no longer need to worry about becoming infected with COVID-19. A disproportionate number of those deaths will be among people with disabilities such as my daughter. Many of those deaths will be directly caused by those who rushed to reopen too soon. In Washington, where I live with Claire, the mayor twice moved forward with phased openings, despite not meeting her own metrics for safely doing so.
Even among those taking these risks, many are unwilling to take even the simple step of wearing a mask that could reduce the chance of contracting COVID-19 by up to 85% and dramatically flatten the curve.
“Being responsible in the midst of a public health crisis that is nowhere near being over is not a political statement. It is a statement about who you are as a human being.”
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My local pharmacy requires masks to enter, but there is little enforcement or sense of responsibility from other customers, such as the man behind me at the pharmacy who wore his mask dangling from one ear while he talked on the phone or the woman who removed her mask to sneeze just as I passed by her in the parking lot.
I can be as careful as humanly possible, but I cannot control for the selfish and thoughtless people who would rather risk someone else’s death than wear a mask or stay 6 feet behind me during what may for them be a completely optional trip out.
Even sitting in our front yard has become hazardous as more and more people in our densely populated neighborhood head outside to socialize, not bothering to stay 6 feet away from where Claire sometimes sits on the steps with her siblings to get fresh air and feel the sunshine.
This carelessness and complete disregard for the health and well-being of the most vulnerable is a major failing of our society. These actions speak louder than any words about how the disabled are viewed. If you do not view my daughter and others with disabilities as an afterthought or disposable, you can continue to take steps to minimize your own exposure to COVID-19 and to protect them when you do go out by wearing a mask, staying 6 feet apart and washing your hands frequently. Her right to live outweighs your right to watch a movie without a mask.
Even if Claire were not my daughter, I would like to think I would do the same in order to protect both others and myself, since COVID-19 also claims the lives of those who had previously been robust and healthy.
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Being responsible in the midst of a public health crisis that is nowhere near being over is not a political statement. It is a statement about who you are as a human being. Do the right thing for Claire and for all of us.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-22--COVID-19 Will Rage 'Like A Forest Fire' In Unprepared America, Top Doc Warns

COVID-19 will rage “ like a forest fire ” in a U.S. that has no clear plan to deal with it and has regressed to a dismissive , “ pre-pandemic ” attitude , a top infectious disease expert said Sunday .
America ’ s leadership is unfocused , Dr. Michael Osterholm told Chuck Todd on NBC ’ s “ Meet the Press , ” unlike other parts of the world that remain vigilant against the pandemic .
The spread of COVID-19 is “ like a forest fire , ” warned Osterholm , the director of the Center for Infectious Disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minnesota .
“ I don ’ t think that this is going to slow down .
I think that wherever there is wood to burn , this fire is going to burn .
And right now we have a lot of susceptible people , ” he said .
“ I don ’ t see this slowing down through the summer or into the fall .
I don ’ t think we ’ re going to see one , two and three waves .
I think we ’ re going to just see one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases.
” Other nations have “ done a much better job ” of stopping the spread of COVID-19 , said Osterholm .
“ We haven ’ t done that .
... We just have not really gotten the message across to the public yet that this is a very serious issue .
We can ’ t shut down our economy , but we just can ’ t suddenly say we ’ re done with ” COVID-19 , he added .
A number of states are now dealing with record daily increases of COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a pre-pandemic mindset , ” Osterholm pointed out .
He noted the U.S. lacks a national plan that “ really puts together what we ’ re trying to do ” — leaving states to impose a patchwork of different responses .
“ To hear the fact that we don ’ t want to do testing is wrong .
Absolutely , we should be testing as much as possible , ” Osterholm said .
“ Once we do have these positive tests , what are we doing to make sure that additional transmission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we do contact tracing ?
” President Donald Trump said at his campaign rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , on Saturday that he told his “ people ” to reduce testing in order to suppress reports of increased cases .
“ When you do testing to that extent , you ’ re going to find ... more cases , ” Trump explained .
“ So I said to my people , ’ Slow the testing down , please.
’ ” This is the President admitting on national TV to putting his need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He acknowledges what we ’ ve seen—active obstruction of testing in a pandemic which claimed 120K lives so far .
If I did this for 10 people at my hospital , it ’ d be a crime .
https : //t.co/9SbMdtoHF0 — Atul Gawande ( @ Atul_Gawande ) June 21 , 2020

LOADING ERROR LOADING
COVID-19 will rage “like a forest fire” in a U.S. that has no clear plan to deal with it and has regressed to a dismissive, “pre-pandemic” attitude, a top infectious disease expert said Sunday.
America’s leadership is unfocused, Dr. Michael Osterholm told Chuck Todd on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” unlike other parts of the world that remain vigilant against the pandemic.
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The spread of COVID-19 is “like a forest fire,” warned Osterholm, the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota.
“I don’t think that this is going to slow down. I think that wherever there is wood to burn, this fire is going to burn. And right now we have a lot of susceptible people,” he said.
“I don’t see this slowing down through the summer or into the fall. I don’t think we’re going to see one, two and three waves. I think we’re going to just see one very, very difficult forest fire of cases.”
Other nations have “done a much better job” of stopping the spread of COVID-19, said Osterholm.
“We haven’t done that. ... We just have not really gotten the message across to the public yet that this is a very serious issue. We can’t shut down our economy, but we just can’t suddenly say we’re done with” COVID-19, he added.
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A number of states are now dealing with record daily increases of COVID-19 cases because “everybody’s back to a pre-pandemic mindset,” Osterholm pointed out.
He noted the U.S. lacks a national plan that “really puts together what we’re trying to do” — leaving states to impose a patchwork of different responses.
“To hear the fact that we don’t want to do testing is wrong. Absolutely, we should be testing as much as possible,” Osterholm said. “Once we do have these positive tests, what are we doing to make sure that additional transmission isn’t occurring? How do we do contact tracing?”
President Donald Trump said at his campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday that he told his “people” to reduce testing in order to suppress reports of increased cases.
“When you do testing to that extent, you’re going to find ... more cases,” Trump explained. “So I said to my people, ’Slow the testing down, please.’”
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This is the President admitting on national TV to putting his need to not look bad above American lives. He acknowledges what we’ve seen—active obstruction of testing in a pandemic which claimed 120K lives so far. If I did this for 10 people at my hospital, it’d be a crime. https://t.co/9SbMdtoHF0 — Atul Gawande (@Atul_Gawande) June 21, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-21--Peter Navarro: Trump's Call To Slow COVID-19 Testing Was 'Tongue In Cheek'

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro insisted on CNN Sunday that President Donald Trump used “ tongue-in-cheek ” humor when he said he ordered officials to slow coronavirus testing to suppress the number of reported COVID-19 cases .
“ When you do testing to that extent , you ’ re going to find ... more cases , ” Trump said at his campaign rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , Saturday .
“ So I said to my people , ’ Slow the testing down , please.
’ ” CNN host Jake Tapper played the clip for Navarro on “ State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about it .
Navarro laughed .
“ C ’ mon now , Jake , you know that was tongue in cheek , ” he said , adding , “ That ’ s news for ya , tongue in cheek.
” Tapper pressed on .
“ I ’ m not sure that a deadly pandemic where almost 120,000 Americans [ lost their lives ] are really a good subject for a light moment.
” Navarro tried to steer the interview to jobs and the effects of what he called the “ China Wuhan virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have used for the COVID-19 virus .
Navarro also tried to discuss former national security adviser John Bolton ’ s new book .
Navarro argued without evidence that COVID-19 was a “ product of the Chinese Communist Party.
” They “ sent over hundreds of thousands of Chinese citizens here to spread that around and around the world , ” he added , again without substantiation .
“ Whether they did that on purpose , that ’ s an open question.
” There is no evidence that the novel coronavirus was engineered by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is ample evidence that the virus emerged naturally .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) blasted Trump ’ s latest testing statements .
“ The President ’ s efforts to slow down desperately needed testing to hide the true extent of the virus mean more Americans will lose their lives , ” she said in a statement .
“ The American people are owed answers about why President Trump wants less testing when experts say much more is needed.
” Dr. Atul Gawande , a surgeon and professor at Harvard Medical School @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s outlandish comment “ acknowledges what we ’ ve seen — active obstruction of testing in a pandemic which claimed 120K lives so far.
” This is the President admitting on national TV to putting his need to not look bad above American lives .
He acknowledges what we ’ ve seen—active obstruction of testing in a pandemic which claimed 120K lives so far .
If I did this for 10 people at my hospital , it ’ d be a crime .
https : //t.co/9SbMdtoHF0 — Atul Gawande ( @ Atul_Gawande @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discussed taking a similar approach to coronavirus testing in the past , implying that the best way to keep down the numbers of COVID-19 is simply not to test for cases , even as cases continue to rise .
On Monday , Trump complained that testing was making the country look bad — and that “ if we stop testing right now , we ’ d have very few cases , if any .
”

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro insisted on CNN Sunday that President Donald Trump used “tongue-in-cheek” humor when he said he ordered officials to slow coronavirus testing to suppress the number of reported COVID-19 cases.
“When you do testing to that extent, you’re going to find ... more cases,” Trump said at his campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Saturday. “So I said to my people, ’Slow the testing down, please.’”
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CNN host Jake Tapper played the clip for Navarro on “State of the Union” and asked him about it.
Navarro laughed. “C’mon now, Jake, you know that was tongue in cheek,” he said, adding, “That’s news for ya, tongue in cheek.”
Tapper responded: “I don’t know that it was tongue in cheek. He’s said similar things for months.”
Navarro called it a “light moment for Donald Trump at his rally.”
Tapper pressed on. “I’m not sure that a deadly pandemic where almost 120,000 Americans [lost their lives] are really a good subject for a light moment.”
Trump and his aides have frequently walked back embarrassing Trump statements by calling them attempts at humor.
Navarro tried to steer the interview to jobs and the effects of what he called the “China Wuhan virus,” a racist term administration officials have used for the COVID-19 virus. Navarro also tried to discuss former national security adviser John Bolton’s new book.
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Navarro argued without evidence that COVID-19 was a “product of the Chinese Communist Party.” They “sent over hundreds of thousands of Chinese citizens here to spread that around and around the world,” he added, again without substantiation. “Whether they did that on purpose, that’s an open question.”
But, he added, they’re “guilty until proven innocent.”
There is no evidence that the novel coronavirus was engineered by the Chinese government; rather, there is ample evidence that the virus emerged naturally.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) blasted Trump’s latest testing statements. “The President’s efforts to slow down desperately needed testing to hide the true extent of the virus mean more Americans will lose their lives,” she said in a statement. “The American people are owed answers about why President Trump wants less testing when experts say much more is needed.”
Dr. Atul Gawande, a surgeon and professor at Harvard Medical School, said in a tweet that Trump’s outlandish comment “acknowledges what we’ve seen — active obstruction of testing in a pandemic which claimed 120K lives so far.”
He added: “If I did this for 10 people at my hospital, it’d be a crime.”
This is the President admitting on national TV to putting his need to not look bad above American lives. He acknowledges what we’ve seen—active obstruction of testing in a pandemic which claimed 120K lives so far. If I did this for 10 people at my hospital, it’d be a crime. https://t.co/9SbMdtoHF0 — Atul Gawande (@Atul_Gawande) June 21, 2020
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Trump has discussed taking a similar approach to coronavirus testing in the past, implying that the best way to keep down the numbers of COVID-19 is simply not to test for cases, even as cases continue to rise. On Monday, Trump complained that testing was making the country look bad — and that “if we stop testing right now, we’d have very few cases, if any.”
New daily cases of COVID-19 have hit records in several states.