buzzfeednews--2020-05-01--Coronavirus Advice: Can I Yell At My Neighbors?

We at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you a range of stories , from the serious to the lighthearted .
To help keep it all free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
I ’ m Scaachi Koul , a culture writer for BuzzFeed News , taking over from your trusted How To Plague columnist Katie Notopoulos ( who is on maternity leave ! )
.
I 'm not an expert on anything but I am very bossy so naturally I ’ m here to tell you how to live during a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out advice on the best coronavirus-related etiquette , how to handle moral quandaries , and little squabbles , sometimes with actual expert input .
I live in a housing complex in Venice , California with four other women that I do not know very well/at all that live in the three front housing units and I live in the back .
I 've asked them to not use my furniture ( in general ) or stand by my front door to talk on the phone in order to respect social distancing .
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempted to argue my patio furniture is communal .
I notice that my neighbors also do not wear face masks when using the common area in the front or even when going on walks .
What is proper etiquette for people that live in complexes where there are communal areas , entrances , etc.
?
Please help , I feel like a bitch , but it 's a # pandemic so… —Kelly If you really don ’ t want your neighbors to use furniture that you ’ ve left in what sounds like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t leave your furniture in a common area .
It ’ s not like they ’ re sipping on a drink you left behind while you went to the restroom ; they ’ re sitting on a seat in a courtyard that belongs to all of you .
If your neighbors are entering your sectioned-off outdoor property , that indeed sucks and merits a larger conversation with them about trespassing .
But it sounds like you ’ ve left a chair and table out and they ’ re using it when you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t really stop someone from using a communal space , even if they ’ re doing so without care or concern for everyone else .
Do you want to be the lady who brings her patio furniture in after using it ?
Have you tried talking to them about using masks when they ’ re in the common areas ?
Are there some other rules you can put in place that ’ ll make you feel better ?
Would you be comforted if they wiped down the furniture they use with Lysol wipes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real easy for people , like leaving sanitizers out for everyone to use .
It is a burden to be right .
I would also suggest talking to a landlord or property manager who might be able to put down some ground rules for the tenants so it doesn ’ t all fall on you .
If you don ’ t feel like doing any of this , there are passive-aggressive ways to handle the situation .
Dump water on the chairs so they ’ re dripping wet at all times .
Put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take a call near your door and you can hear it , start screaming .
Just start screaming .
You can ’ t force people to behave the way you might want them to during a pandemic , but you can be annoying enough to get them to leave you the fuck alone .
So I guess the real question is : Is the relationship you have with your neighbors important , or are you ready to just lose your goddamn mind already and start screaming ?
?
?
Can you please give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on online dates during the lockdown ?
I matched with a guy on Bumble and so far we ’ ve watched movies and played online card games “ together , ” but any other tips would be appreciated !
—Ellie Listen , I ’ m not a doer .
I don ’ t like going places or having fun .
For people like me , this quarantine is a unique hell , because video calls can ’ t really replicate the thing I enjoy doing the most with the people I like : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comfortable silences that no one really questions .
Remote hangs require activity , so I appreciate how challenging this situation is .
And since I don ’ t like to do anything and I especially hate meeting new people , I called my friend Barb for some advice .
Barb dates a lot , is a great deal of fun , and when I FaceTimed her to ask for suggestions for you , she answered the phone wearing nothing but her bra and balancing a bowl of granola , yogurt , raspberries , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between her boobs .
That ’ s who Barb is .
She does yoga and takes long walks and aligns her chakras daily .
She is enjoying life on a level that I can ’ t even conceive of , and it makes me mad .
Here ’ s what she suggested : “ They could both make the same recipe .
Choose a cookbook and have dinner together .
There ’ s also that game I bought , We ’ re Not Really Strangers .
If you ’ re in a stage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weird online dates to creating some level of connection , it can be really good.
” We ’ re Not Really Strangers is kind of like Cards Against Humanity , but instead of shitty anti-trans jokes and gags about date rape , it allows you both to have a deeper ( to Barb ) and more stressful ( to me ) conversation .
There ’ s also the Houseparty app , which lets you and your date play some games together online if you ’ re looking for something to do other than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which again is Barb ’ s dream and my nightmare .
( If you want my advice , I ’ d say that if you want to know what a person ’ s really like , play Pictionary with them .
No one can hide when you play Pictionary . )
You ’ re at the beginning of a relationship , where everything is new and fun and the person you ’ re dating is still kind of a mystery so it ’ s an ideal time to just enjoy talking to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nice to slow things down and have somebody write to you and be forced to be a little bit more consistent and have the space and distance to see if you really like someone or if you ’ re just going through the motions , ” Barb said .
It ’ s not bad advice , even if the woman giving it is an açai smoothie bowl come to life .
Hi .
I have a question about wearing a face mask and being claustrophobic .
I feel like I 'm being smothered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I get VERY anxious , and just can NOT tolerate anything covering my face .
I know I 'm not alone on this .
What do I do ?
What are MY rights ?
—Debbie Discomfort and real anxiety are different things , so I ’ m going to assume that this goes beyond the vague discomfort of , say , wearing a shirt with a tag that keeps poking you .
Claustrophobia triggered from the masks we ’ re now being conditioned to wear is a real thing — have you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
?
HELL !
— but there are ways to combat it .
Personally , I have a number of phobias ( not to brag ) , but I haven ’ t even begun to deal with any of them , so I consulted Tom Bunn , a licensed therapist , retired airline pilot , and author of Panic Free : The 10-Day Program to End Panic , Anxiety , and Claustrophobia , who has some suggestions on how to deal with a stuffy face mask .
He explained that when you start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sympathetic nervous system revving you up .
This increases your heart rate , your breathing rate , your perspiration , and gives you all the signals that you are Not Enjoying This .
Your parasympathetic nervous system , however , is the thing that calms that stress down .
“ Babies can ’ t calm themselves .
They need someone else to do it for them .
What research shows is that three things activate a baby ’ s parasympathetic nervous system , ” Bunn said .
“ A face that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That ’ s what mom does .
Mom ’ s face , her voice , and her touch activates the calming system.
” But , look , you ’ re an adult , and thinking of your mom might not calm you down so much as make you worry about whatever needlessly judgmental comment she ’ s going to make about your upper arms , AS IF I NEED THIS RIGHT NOW , MONA .
You can practice this using someone else who maybe didn ’ t once make you cry when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ front of her in the third grade .
“ Think of a moment with a totally accepting person .
A buddy , nonjudgmental , not critical , ” Bunn said .
“ The next thing is to take the feelings she has when she starts thinking of putting on a mask and link them to being with her friend .
She could imagine she ’ s with her friend and she ’ s holding the mask there , thinking about putting it on .
Then she wants to talk to her friend , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next step is to put it on temporarily and take it off .
It ’ s not just to desensitize it , but to link it to her friend.
” This will probably not cure your claustrophobia overnight .
But associating the mask with a trusted friend might work better than thinking it ’ s a harbinger of doom .
Something else that might help is connecting wearing the mask to positive activities like walking to a street or a park you like , or visiting a friend on their stoop ( 6 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wearing it .
If the mask has become a symbol of stressful errands you have to do — Costco runs with people standing too close to you , long lines at the pharmacy where everyone seems to have a cold — it ’ s not surprising that you ’ ve begun to feel strangled by this little piece of cloth .
As for your final question — “ What are MY rights ?
” — your rights are manifold .
In some states , you still have the right , for now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But what you do have at all times and in all places is the privilege of doing something that could stop someone else from getting sick , since you likely don ’ t know if you have the coronavirus .
And if that ’ s not enough , you can stop yourself from getting sick , thereby saving your friends and family from having to worry about you .
You have an obligation to everyone else around you , some of whom have weaker immune systems , are at a greater risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t have access to any PPE themselves , to try to do your part to keep them from getting ill. That , Debbie , is your right .
It ’ s a pretty good one to have .
●

I’m Scaachi Koul, a culture writer for BuzzFeed News, taking over from your trusted How To Plague columnist Katie Notopoulos (who is on maternity leave!). I'm not an expert on anything but I am very bossy so naturally I’m here to tell you how to live during a pandemic. I’ll be doling out advice on the best coronavirus-related etiquette, how to handle moral quandaries, and little squabbles, sometimes with actual expert input.
I live in a housing complex in Venice, California with four other women that I do not know very well/at all that live in the three front housing units and I live in the back. I've asked them to not use my furniture (in general) or stand by my front door to talk on the phone in order to respect social distancing. One of them called me tightly wound and attempted to argue my patio furniture is communal. I notice that my neighbors also do not wear face masks when using the common area in the front or even when going on walks. What is proper etiquette for people that live in complexes where there are communal areas, entrances, etc.? Please help, I feel like a bitch, but it's a #pandemic so…
—Kelly
If you really don’t want your neighbors to use furniture that you’ve left in what sounds like a common area, then don’t leave your furniture in a common area. It’s not like they’re sipping on a drink you left behind while you went to the restroom; they’re sitting on a seat in a courtyard that belongs to all of you.
If your neighbors are entering your sectioned-off outdoor property, that indeed sucks and merits a larger conversation with them about trespassing. But it sounds like you’ve left a chair and table out and they’re using it when you’re not outside and you can’t really stop someone from using a communal space, even if they’re doing so without care or concern for everyone else. Do you want to be the lady who brings her patio furniture in after using it?
Have you tried talking to them about using masks when they’re in the common areas? Are there some other rules you can put in place that’ll make you feel better? Would you be comforted if they wiped down the furniture they use with Lysol wipes? Sometimes you have to make it real easy for people, like leaving sanitizers out for everyone to use. It is a burden to be right.
I would also suggest talking to a landlord or property manager who might be able to put down some ground rules for the tenants so it doesn’t all fall on you. If you don’t feel like doing any of this, there are passive-aggressive ways to handle the situation. Dump water on the chairs so they’re dripping wet at all times. Put gum on the seats. If they take a call near your door and you can hear it, start screaming. Just start screaming. You can’t force people to behave the way you might want them to during a pandemic, but you can be annoying enough to get them to leave you the fuck alone. So I guess the real question is: Is the relationship you have with your neighbors important, or are you ready to just lose your goddamn mind already and start screaming???
Can you please give me some suggestions for what to do on online dates during the lockdown? I matched with a guy on Bumble and so far we’ve watched movies and played online card games “together,” but any other tips would be appreciated!—Ellie
Listen, I’m not a doer. I don’t like going places or having fun. For people like me, this quarantine is a unique hell, because video calls can’t really replicate the thing I enjoy doing the most with the people I like: sitting around and drinking and falling into comfortable silences that no one really questions. Remote hangs require activity, so I appreciate how challenging this situation is.
And since I don’t like to do anything and I especially hate meeting new people, I called my friend Barb for some advice. Barb dates a lot, is a great deal of fun, and when I FaceTimed her to ask for suggestions for you, she answered the phone wearing nothing but her bra and balancing a bowl of granola, yogurt, raspberries, and something called “pecan butter” between her boobs. That’s who Barb is. She does yoga and takes long walks and aligns her chakras daily. She is enjoying life on a level that I can’t even conceive of, and it makes me mad.
Here’s what she suggested: “They could both make the same recipe. Choose a cookbook and have dinner together. There’s also that game I bought, We’re Not Really Strangers. If you’re in a stage where you want to go from having weird online dates to creating some level of connection, it can be really good.” We’re Not Really Strangers is kind of like Cards Against Humanity, but instead of shitty anti-trans jokes and gags about date rape, it allows you both to have a deeper (to Barb) and more stressful (to me) conversation.
There’s also the Houseparty app, which lets you and your date play some games together online if you’re looking for something to do other than make unbroken eye contact for three hours, which again is Barb’s dream and my nightmare. (If you want my advice, I’d say that if you want to know what a person’s really like, play Pictionary with them. No one can hide when you play Pictionary.)
You’re at the beginning of a relationship, where everything is new and fun and the person you’re dating is still kind of a mystery so it’s an ideal time to just enjoy talking to them.
“It’s just nice to slow things down and have somebody write to you and be forced to be a little bit more consistent and have the space and distance to see if you really like someone or if you’re just going through the motions,” Barb said. It’s not bad advice, even if the woman giving it is an açai smoothie bowl come to life.
Hi. I have a question about wearing a face mask and being claustrophobic. I feel like I'm being smothered literally! I don't breathe right, I get VERY anxious, and just can NOT tolerate anything covering my face. I know I'm not alone on this. What do I do? What are MY rights?
—Debbie
Discomfort and real anxiety are different things, so I’m going to assume that this goes beyond the vague discomfort of, say, wearing a shirt with a tag that keeps poking you. Claustrophobia triggered from the masks we’re now being conditioned to wear is a real thing — have you tried wearing one with your glasses??? HELL! — but there are ways to combat it.
Personally, I have a number of phobias (not to brag), but I haven’t even begun to deal with any of them, so I consulted Tom Bunn, a licensed therapist, retired airline pilot, and author of Panic Free: The 10-Day Program to End Panic, Anxiety, and Claustrophobia, who has some suggestions on how to deal with a stuffy face mask.
He explained that when you start to panic, it’s your sympathetic nervous system revving you up. This increases your heart rate, your breathing rate, your perspiration, and gives you all the signals that you are Not Enjoying This. Your parasympathetic nervous system, however, is the thing that calms that stress down. “Babies can’t calm themselves. They need someone else to do it for them. What research shows is that three things activate a baby’s parasympathetic nervous system,” Bunn said. “A face that’s benevolent, touch, and voice quality. That’s what mom does. Mom’s face, her voice, and her touch activates the calming system.”
But, look, you’re an adult, and thinking of your mom might not calm you down so much as make you worry about whatever needlessly judgmental comment she’s going to make about your upper arms, AS IF I NEED THIS RIGHT NOW, MONA. You can practice this using someone else who maybe didn’t once make you cry when you tried on a bathing suit in front of her in the third grade.
“Think of a moment with a totally accepting person. A buddy, nonjudgmental, not critical,” Bunn said. “The next thing is to take the feelings she has when she starts thinking of putting on a mask and link them to being with her friend. She could imagine she’s with her friend and she’s holding the mask there, thinking about putting it on. Then she wants to talk to her friend, putting the mask on. Then the next step is to put it on temporarily and take it off. It’s not just to desensitize it, but to link it to her friend.”
This will probably not cure your claustrophobia overnight. But associating the mask with a trusted friend might work better than thinking it’s a harbinger of doom. Something else that might help is connecting wearing the mask to positive activities like walking to a street or a park you like, or visiting a friend on their stoop (6 feet away, please!) while wearing it. If the mask has become a symbol of stressful errands you have to do — Costco runs with people standing too close to you, long lines at the pharmacy where everyone seems to have a cold — it’s not surprising that you’ve begun to feel strangled by this little piece of cloth.
As for your final question — “What are MY rights?” — your rights are manifold. In some states, you still have the right, for now, to go outside without wearing a mask. But what you do have at all times and in all places is the privilege of doing something that could stop someone else from getting sick, since you likely don’t know if you have the coronavirus. And if that’s not enough, you can stop yourself from getting sick, thereby saving your friends and family from having to worry about you. You have an obligation to everyone else around you, some of whom have weaker immune systems, are at a greater risk of getting sick, and maybe don’t have access to any PPE themselves, to try to do your part to keep them from getting ill.
That, Debbie, is your right. It’s a pretty good one to have. ●


buzzfeednews--2020-03-10--Fox News And Donald Trump Are Embracing Xenophobia To Defend Against The Coronavirus

For a man who campaigned on inflammatory rhetoric and made anti-immigrant policies a cornerstone of his agenda , it should perhaps come as little surprise that appears to be the next turn in Donald Trump ’ s defense against the coronavirus .
With COVID-19 spreading across the US , Trump tweeted on Tuesday morning that “ we need the wall more than ever !
” falling back on his tried and tested trope of blaming immigrants for the country ’ s ills .
Trump ’ s allies in Washington and on Fox News have ramped up their rhetoric against China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ core dilemma : how to prepare the population for severe disruptions while ensuring no blowback on the man in the White House ?
At least part of the answer seems to be : xenophobia .
Fox News has shifted to nearly nonstop coverage of the coronavirus .
During the day , viewers get largely straightforward information about the virus ’ s spread , the administration ’ s response , the danger of cruise ships , and general health advice .
When the channel ’ s opinion powerhouses come out at night , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday night , two of the network ’ s three main opinion hosts — Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham — leaned heavily into the fact that the virus originated in China and that any response should further isolate the US from the country .
( The third , Sean Hannity , focused on combating criticism of Trump ’ s handling of the crisis . )
“ People you know will get sick .
Some may die .
This is real , ” Carlson said at the top of his hour , striking a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the network .
He called out those on the right , including those in government for being overly blasé .
“ People you trust — people you probably voted for — have spent weeks minimizing what is a very serious problem , ” he said .
But first , he had words for the left , speaking next to a graphic that blared : “ the Chinese coronavirus.
” “ On the left , you ’ ve heard them tell you that the real worry is you might use the wrong word to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country , ” he said .
“ It ’ s racist , they ’ re telling you , to blame the most racist country in the world for the spread of this virus .
Right.
” “ It 's extraordinarily predictable , ” said Paul Lombardo , a professor at Georgia State University and expert on eugenics .
“ It 's consistent with the usual historical trend — you decide who you want to stay away from , people you do n't want in the country , and then you exploit them.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Trump and his allies since before they entered the White House , and the language of infestation often deployed against those looking to enter America .
“ The bigotry against actual or would-be immigrants kind of goes hand in hand with the scapegoating of those same groups at a time of medical crisis.
” Attaching a Chinese descriptor to the virus — formally known as COVID-19 — has become a means of signaling xenophobic intent .
When the virus first emerged late last year , many called it the “ Wuhan flu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the World Health Organization formally gave the virus a name .
“ On the one hand I think that there could be a relatively innocent reason , ” Lombardo said .
“ But that the messaging is coming out from people who know about messaging is not by chance.
” Rep. Kevin McCarthy has taken to calling the virus “ the Chinese coronavirus , ” first in a tweet Monday evening and then repeatedly that night in an interview with Laura Ingraham on Fox .
Rep. Grace Meng , vice-chair of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement Tuesday that his use of the term was “ embarrassing , disrespectful , offensive , and downright disgusting.
” She continued : “ Wrongly inserting ‘ Chinese ’ into the name of this disease only reinforces the disparaging and negative stereotypes of Asian Americans.
” Asian Americans and Asians around the world have already been targeted by racist slurs and attacks in the wake of the virus .
“ The naming of a novel disease is so critically important because of the power that a name — especially tied to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — can have in producing stigma , ” said Alexandre White , an assistant professor of sociology and the history of medicine at Johns Hopkins .
In the past , diseases were often named after where they originated — from Lyme to West Nile — but White said those diseases were “ quite old ” and standards had evolved since then .
The way previous outbreaks of disease were discussed worked to both stigmatize entire populations and to mask forms of transmission , White said , pointing in particular to the HIV epidemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the administration to further disengage the US from the global , and particularly the Chinese , economy .
“ One of the first things we can do to prepare ourselves is break our dependence on China for essential medical supplies , ” Carlson said .
Ingraham said Trump should take “ steps that harken back to his original America First agenda.
” “ We can ’ t keep flooding America with migrant families on the bogus asylum pretense .
We got ta be stronger on these borders , ” she said , while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people are being flown back to Mexico pending their cases , thousands are still getting in and impossible to screen completely — for health , ” she said .
“ Now is not the time to take in any extra burdens on our schools or the health care system.
” “ The question I would have for Fox News especially is : What is the benefit of this blame ?
” White asked .
“ And the answer is , foundationally , that it allows you to justify very aggressive responses against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way in the interest of public health and solely in the interest of racist xenophobic anxieties or economic protectionism.
” “ The US has a particular history of epidemic control and particularly Sinophobia , ” he said , pointing to a 1900 outbreak of the bubonic plague in Hawaii following an epidemic in Asia .
Local authorities dealt with the outbreak through a strict quarantine of Honolulu ’ s Chinatown — avoiding buildings occupied by white people .
Later , they burned much of that Chinatown down .

For a man who campaigned on inflammatory rhetoric and made anti-immigrant policies a cornerstone of his agenda, it should perhaps come as little surprise that appears to be the next turn in Donald Trump’s defense against the coronavirus.
With COVID-19 spreading across the US, Trump tweeted on Tuesday morning that “we need the wall more than ever!” falling back on his tried and tested trope of blaming immigrants for the country’s ills.
Trump’s allies in Washington and on Fox News have ramped up their rhetoric against China, as they are faced with a core dilemma: how to prepare the population for severe disruptions while ensuring no blowback on the man in the White House? At least part of the answer seems to be: xenophobia.
Fox News has shifted to nearly nonstop coverage of the coronavirus. During the day, viewers get largely straightforward information about the virus’s spread, the administration’s response, the danger of cruise ships, and general health advice. When the channel’s opinion powerhouses come out at night, it’s a different story.
On Monday night, two of the network’s three main opinion hosts — Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham — leaned heavily into the fact that the virus originated in China and that any response should further isolate the US from the country. (The third, Sean Hannity, focused on combating criticism of Trump’s handling of the crisis.)
“People you know will get sick. Some may die. This is real,” Carlson said at the top of his hour, striking a more alarmist tone than anyone else on the network. He called out those on the right, including those in government for being overly blasé. “People you trust — people you probably voted for — have spent weeks minimizing what is a very serious problem,” he said. But first, he had words for the left, speaking next to a graphic that blared: “the Chinese coronavirus.”
“On the left, you’ve heard them tell you that the real worry is you might use the wrong word to describe what’s happening to the country,” he said. “It’s racist, they’re telling you, to blame the most racist country in the world for the spread of this virus. Right.”
“It's extraordinarily predictable,” said Paul Lombardo, a professor at Georgia State University and expert on eugenics. “It's consistent with the usual historical trend — you decide who you want to stay away from, people you don't want in the country, and then you exploit them.” He pointed to the anti-immigrant rhetoric coming from Trump and his allies since before they entered the White House, and the language of infestation often deployed against those looking to enter America. “The bigotry against actual or would-be immigrants kind of goes hand in hand with the scapegoating of those same groups at a time of medical crisis.”
Attaching a Chinese descriptor to the virus — formally known as COVID-19 — has become a means of signaling xenophobic intent. When the virus first emerged late last year, many called it the “Wuhan flu” or something similar, but shifted after the World Health Organization formally gave the virus a name. “On the one hand I think that there could be a relatively innocent reason,” Lombardo said. “But that the messaging is coming out from people who know about messaging is not by chance.”
Rep. Kevin McCarthy has taken to calling the virus “the Chinese coronavirus,” first in a tweet Monday evening and then repeatedly that night in an interview with Laura Ingraham on Fox. Rep. Grace Meng, vice-chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, said in a statement Tuesday that his use of the term was “embarrassing, disrespectful, offensive, and downright disgusting.” She continued: “Wrongly inserting ‘Chinese’ into the name of this disease only reinforces the disparaging and negative stereotypes of Asian Americans.” Asian Americans and Asians around the world have already been targeted by racist slurs and attacks in the wake of the virus.
“The naming of a novel disease is so critically important because of the power that a name — especially tied to a particular geography, region or place — can have in producing stigma,” said Alexandre White, an assistant professor of sociology and the history of medicine at Johns Hopkins. In the past, diseases were often named after where they originated — from Lyme to West Nile — but White said those diseases were “quite old” and standards had evolved since then.
The way previous outbreaks of disease were discussed worked to both stigmatize entire populations and to mask forms of transmission, White said, pointing in particular to the HIV epidemic.
Both Carlson and Ingraham called on the administration to further disengage the US from the global, and particularly the Chinese, economy. “One of the first things we can do to prepare ourselves is break our dependence on China for essential medical supplies,” Carlson said. Ingraham said Trump should take “steps that harken back to his original America First agenda.”
“We can’t keep flooding America with migrant families on the bogus asylum pretense. We gotta be stronger on these borders,” she said, while discussing the coronavirus. “While some people are being flown back to Mexico pending their cases, thousands are still getting in and impossible to screen completely — for health,” she said. “Now is not the time to take in any extra burdens on our schools or the health care system.”
“The question I would have for Fox News especially is: What is the benefit of this blame?” White asked. “And the answer is, foundationally, that it allows you to justify very aggressive responses against the Chinese economically, which are in no way in the interest of public health and solely in the interest of racist xenophobic anxieties or economic protectionism.”
“The US has a particular history of epidemic control and particularly Sinophobia,” he said, pointing to a 1900 outbreak of the bubonic plague in Hawaii following an epidemic in Asia. Local authorities dealt with the outbreak through a strict quarantine of Honolulu’s Chinatown — avoiding buildings occupied by white people. Later, they burned much of that Chinatown down.


buzzfeednews--2020-03-10--Take This Survey About Coronavirus Testing In Hospitals Across The US

As the coronavirus outbreak spreads from coast to coast in the US , there ’ s been a lot of concern about whether people who are sick can actually get tested for COVID-19 , the disease caused by the virus .
Testing for COVID-19 has been slow to scale up during the virus ’ s first weeks in the US — so slow that some experts say the outbreak is now past the point of being contained .
Critics blame the critical delay on the CDC ’ s sending out faulty testing kits to state health departments last month and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who qualified for testing .
The federal agency has since fixed the kits and expanded its testing criteria , leading the White House to claim that the US testing shortage is over .
Still , it ’ s clear that Americans are not currently getting tested fast enough , if at all .
A BuzzFeed News review found that at least 2,187 people had been tested across the country , either at the state level or by the CDC , by the end of last week .
And while this number has slowly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have started testing , it ’ s still far below the 75,000 to 1 million tests promised by various Trump administration officials .
By comparison , South Korea has been testing about 15,000 people a day .
We want to hear from you directly about how the coronavirus testing shortage is affecting you .
If you ’ re a person who has been experiencing symptoms , were you able to get tested ?
What was it like trying to request a test ?
Fill out our survey here .
If you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been able to test everyone who ’ s asked ?
How do you determine whether to test a patient ?
Fill out our survey here .
Share your experiences with us .
We may follow up with you to learn more about your story .
( If you ’ d rather submit an anonymous tip and/or share documents separately , please contact us via our secure tip line at tips @ buzzfeed.com . )

As the coronavirus outbreak spreads from coast to coast in the US, there’s been a lot of concern about whether people who are sick can actually get tested for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.
Testing for COVID-19 has been slow to scale up during the virus’s first weeks in the US — so slow that some experts say the outbreak is now past the point of being contained. Critics blame the critical delay on the CDC’s sending out faulty testing kits to state health departments last month and initially setting strict, narrow restrictions on who qualified for testing. The federal agency has since fixed the kits and expanded its testing criteria, leading the White House to claim that the US testing shortage is over.
Still, it’s clear that Americans are not currently getting tested fast enough, if at all. A BuzzFeed News review found that at least 2,187 people had been tested across the country, either at the state level or by the CDC, by the end of last week. And while this number has slowly increased as more states and private labs have started testing, it’s still far below the 75,000 to 1 million tests promised by various Trump administration officials. By comparison, South Korea has been testing about 15,000 people a day.
We want to hear from you directly about how the coronavirus testing shortage is affecting you.
If you’re a person who has been experiencing symptoms, were you able to get tested? What was it like trying to request a test? Fill out our survey here.
If you’re a health care provider, have you been able to test everyone who’s asked? How do you determine whether to test a patient? Fill out our survey here.
Share your experiences with us. We may follow up with you to learn more about your story. (If you’d rather submit an anonymous tip and/or share documents separately, please contact us via our secure tip line at tips@buzzfeed.com.)


buzzfeednews--2020-03-10--Bernie Sanders And Joe Biden Canceled Election Night Rallies Over Coronavirus Concerns

The Sanders campaign said that all future campaign events would “ be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
” Biden ’ s campaign said they would “ continue to consult with public health officials ” on future events .
ROMULUS , Michigan — Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden canceled their election night rallies in Cleveland at the last minute Tuesday over concerns about the coronavirus outbreak .
In accordance with guidance from public officials and out of an abundance of caution , our rally in Cleveland , Ohio tonight is cancelled .
We will continue to consult with public health officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about future events 1/ “ Out of concern for public health and safety , we are canceling tonight ’ s rally in Cleveland , ” Sanders communications director Mike Casca told reporters late on Tuesday afternoon , hours before he was scheduled to board a plane for a 7:30 p.m. rally in Cleveland .
“ We are heeding the public warnings from Ohio state officials , who have communicated concern about holding large , indoor events during the coronavirus outbreak .
Sen. Sanders would like to express his regret to the thousands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ event tonight , ” Casca said in a statement .
Ohio Gov .
Mike DeWine said earlier Tuesday that he would recommend Ohioans avoid events with large crowds , after announcing three confirmed cases of COVID-19 .
DeWine asked that , among other things , indoor athletic events across the state proceed without spectators .
The recommendation to stay away from big public events would include political rallies , DeWine spokesperson Dan Tierney said .
But DeWine stopped short of calling on Sanders or Biden to cancel their planned events in Cleveland , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporters at an airport here outside Detroit that the candidate made the decision to cancel his event after seeing DeWine ’ s public guidance about spectators at athletic events .
`` We ’ re gon na continue to listen to health officials in the areas where we ’ re supposed to go , ” he said of campaign events going forward .
Sanders plans to take off for his home of Burlington , Vermont , on Tuesday evening , Casca said .
Biden 's campaign told reporters he would fly to speak to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Sanders campaign said they had heard no new guidance on whether Sunday ’ s CNN debate between Sanders and Biden in Arizona would be affected by the growing outbreak .
Over the last two weeks , as the virus has spread across the US , Sanders has held rallies before tens of thousands of people , including in states with active cases of COVID-19 , such as California .
Six states will vote in Tuesday ’ s primary contests , marking a crucial point for the Sanders campaign ’ s quest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ s been casting as a two-person race with a stark policy contrast .
At an event in Detroit on Monday , Biden aides greeted attendees with squirts of hand sanitizer .
That same afternoon , Sanders held a policy discussion on the issue of COVID-19 .
“ All future Bernie 2020 events will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis , ” Casca said in his statement .

“Out of concern for public health and safety, we are canceling tonight’s rally in Cleveland,” Sanders communications director Mike Casca told reporters late on Tuesday afternoon, hours before he was scheduled to board a plane for a 7:30 p.m. rally in Cleveland.
“We are heeding the public warnings from Ohio state officials, who have communicated concern about holding large, indoor events during the coronavirus outbreak. Sen. Sanders would like to express his regret to the thousands of Ohioans who had planned to attend the event tonight,” Casca said in a statement.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said earlier Tuesday that he would recommend Ohioans avoid events with large crowds, after announcing three confirmed cases of COVID-19. DeWine asked that, among other things, indoor athletic events across the state proceed without spectators. The recommendation to stay away from big public events would include political rallies, DeWine spokesperson Dan Tierney said. But DeWine stopped short of calling on Sanders or Biden to cancel their planned events in Cleveland, citing First Amendment issues.
Casca told reporters at an airport here outside Detroit that the candidate made the decision to cancel his event after seeing DeWine’s public guidance about spectators at athletic events.
"We’re gonna continue to listen to health officials in the areas where we’re supposed to go,” he said of campaign events going forward. Sanders plans to take off for his home of Burlington, Vermont, on Tuesday evening, Casca said. Biden's campaign told reporters he would fly to speak to reporters in Philadelphia later in the night.
The Sanders campaign said they had heard no new guidance on whether Sunday’s CNN debate between Sanders and Biden in Arizona would be affected by the growing outbreak.
Over the last two weeks, as the virus has spread across the US, Sanders has held rallies before tens of thousands of people, including in states with active cases of COVID-19, such as California.
Six states will vote in Tuesday’s primary contests, marking a crucial point for the Sanders campaign’s quest to catch up to Biden in what he’s been casting as a two-person race with a stark policy contrast.
At an event in Detroit on Monday, Biden aides greeted attendees with squirts of hand sanitizer. That same afternoon, Sanders held a policy discussion on the issue of COVID-19.
“All future Bernie 2020 events will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis,” Casca said in his statement.


buzzfeednews--2020-03-10--A Q&A With A Woman Living Inside Italy’s Coronavirus Lockdown

Italian authorities imposed nationwide travel restrictions Monday , grounding the country ’ s 60 million inhabitants .
With more than 10,000 registered cases of the coronavirus , Italy is the second-largest center of the rapidly spreading virus after China .
Italian authorities restricted travel to and from northern regions of Italy , and local governments shut down clubs and museums and mandated restaurants to keep customers at least 1 meter — roughly 3 feet — apart .
BuzzFeed News spoke to an American who lives in Italy , Anne Wingenter , 51 , about how her life has changed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Loyola University Chicago campus in Rome , where she ’ s lived since 2003 .
( Wingenter ’ s answers have been edited for clarity . )
How did you hear about the shutdown ?
Anne Wingenter : I was out with friends last night at a bar to have an aperitivo ...
While we were at this bar , one of my friends got a notification that they were going to lock down the whole country .
It ’ s still not clear to me what that really means .
How has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes ?
I noticed that there are places that I walked by when I went to the market this morning that were closed .
The grocery stores are still open .
I was trying to figure out what shelves looked particularly empty to see what kinds of things people were stocking up on .
I didn ’ t notice any obvious shortages .
[ The grocery stores ] set up little stations here with spray bottles and disposable rubber gloves .
Everyone in the supermarket has these rubber gloves on , which seems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and so I was doing it too .
I was at the market on Saturday and a lot of the vendors in the market were wearing masks .
Walking down , I noticed some gelaterias and restaurants that have “ closed for holiday ” signs , but I don ’ t know if that was because of the shutdown or not .
It ’ s been hard for Italians to stop the cheek kissing [ to greet each other ] , and you see people moving in and wondering , are we doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are still people out and about .
It ’ s not Planet of the Apes , yet .
But it ’ s weird .
Did you do anything to prepare ?
No…not personally .
You know , I ’ m washing my hands .
I ’ m trying not to touch my face .
There are people who are buying masks .
I did make sure that I was stocked up on wine .
But yeah…I don ’ t think I have done anything else differently .
Maybe I ’ ll regret that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your social life ?
Has that been affected ?
I haven ’ t avoided going out , but there are a number of things that are completely shut down .
Movie theaters and clubs are closed .
As of yesterday , even restaurants and bars are supposed to close earlier .
So there ’ s not a lot of places for gatherings .
The weather here is gorgeous .
Romans tend to do their gatherings in the piazza .
The numbers are much smaller .
I will probably stay home more .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people I met up with yesterday , they didn ’ t wan na come and didn ’ t wan na take public transportation to get there .

Italian authorities imposed nationwide travel restrictions Monday, grounding the country’s 60 million inhabitants. With more than 10,000 registered cases of the coronavirus, Italy is the second-largest center of the rapidly spreading virus after China.
Italian authorities restricted travel to and from northern regions of Italy, and local governments shut down clubs and museums and mandated restaurants to keep customers at least 1 meter — roughly 3 feet — apart.
BuzzFeed News spoke to an American who lives in Italy, Anne Wingenter, 51, about how her life has changed. She’s a professor at a Loyola University Chicago campus in Rome, where she’s lived since 2003. (Wingenter’s answers have been edited for clarity.)
How did you hear about the shutdown?
Anne Wingenter: I was out with friends last night at a bar to have an aperitivo ... While we were at this bar, one of my friends got a notification that they were going to lock down the whole country. It’s still not clear to me what that really means.
How has Rome changed since the government started implementing changes?
I noticed that there are places that I walked by when I went to the market this morning that were closed. The grocery stores are still open. I was trying to figure out what shelves looked particularly empty to see what kinds of things people were stocking up on. I didn’t notice any obvious shortages.
[The grocery stores] set up little stations here with spray bottles and disposable rubber gloves. Everyone in the supermarket has these rubber gloves on, which seems ridiculous, but everyone was doing it and so I was doing it too.
I was at the market on Saturday and a lot of the vendors in the market were wearing masks. Walking down, I noticed some gelaterias and restaurants that have “closed for holiday” signs, but I don’t know if that was because of the shutdown or not.
It’s been hard for Italians to stop the cheek kissing [to greet each other], and you see people moving in and wondering, are we doing this or not doing this?
There are still people out and about. It’s not Planet of the Apes, yet. But it’s weird.
Did you do anything to prepare?
No…not personally. You know, I’m washing my hands. I’m trying not to touch my face. There are people who are buying masks.
I did make sure that I was stocked up on wine. But yeah…I don’t think I have done anything else differently. Maybe I’ll regret that in a little while.
What about your social life? Has that been affected?
I haven’t avoided going out, but there are a number of things that are completely shut down. Movie theaters and clubs are closed. As of yesterday, even restaurants and bars are supposed to close earlier. So there’s not a lot of places for gatherings.
The weather here is gorgeous. Romans tend to do their gatherings in the piazza. The numbers are much smaller. I will probably stay home more. I’ve had some friends, the people I met up with yesterday, they didn’t wanna come and didn’t wanna take public transportation to get there.


buzzfeednews--2020-03-09--Six People Have Died After Riots Broke Out In Italian Prisons Over Coronavirus Lockdown

Inmates on the roof of Milan 's San Vittore Prison during a revolt .
Six people have died after violent @ @ @ @ @ across Italy following new restrictions on seeing family members due to the coronavirus outbreak .
@ @ @ @ @ result of a riot in a jail in the city of Modena on Sunday .
@ @ @ @ @ after overdosing on methadone looted from a prison infirmary , Italian news agency ANSA reported @ @ @ @ @ quoted a penitentiary police union chief as saying all the deaths were due to overdoses @

Six people have died after violent protests broke out in prisons across Italy following new restrictions on seeing family members due to the coronavirus outbreak.
All six deaths were the result of a riot in a jail in the city of Modena on Sunday.
At least two prisoners died after overdosing on methadone looted from a prison infirmary, Italian news agency ANSA reported, but the Associated Press quoted a penitentiary police union chief as saying all the deaths were due to overdoses.


buzzfeednews--2020-03-09--These Updating Charts Show How The Coronavirus Is Spreading Across The US

Follow the latest data on COVID-19 cases and deaths in the US .
COVID-19 , the disease caused by a novel coronavirus first identified in late December in Wuhan , China , is now spreading in the US .
The map and charts below will update automatically with the latest data compiled by researchers at Johns Hopkins University .
This map shows confirmed cases of COVID-19 , relative to their populations .
On Jan. 20 , the CDC confirmed the first US case , a 35-year-old man in Snohomish County , Washington , who had recently traveled to Wuhan .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the country .
The intensity of color on this map will in large part reflect the extent to which different states have rolled out testing for the virus .
This map , showing the number of deaths by state relative to their populations , provides a clearer picture of how hard each has been hit by COVID-19 .
US confirmed cases and deaths by state This chart shows the cumulative total of confirmed cases in the US .
There may be many more cases going undetected , however .
New confirmed cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of new cases diagnosed by day shows what experts call the “ epidemic curve.
” As a disease outbreak continues , the number of new cases rises over time and then may fall as the outbreak is controlled or naturally declines .
That has not yet happened with COVID-19 in the US .
You can also use this COVID-19 tracker to compare the US outbreak with those in other countries .
In addition to regularly updating the data in the charts and maps , this post will be updated with other information as @ @ @ @

This map shows confirmed cases of COVID-19, relative to their populations. On Jan. 20, the CDC confirmed the first US case, a 35-year-old man in Snohomish County, Washington, who had recently traveled to Wuhan. Since then, cases have been confirmed across the country.
The intensity of color on this map will in large part reflect the extent to which different states have rolled out testing for the virus.
US deaths by state


buzzfeednews--2020-03-09--The Coronavirus Quarantine Has Officially Hit Congress

WASHINGTON — Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz jokingly wore a large gas mask on the House floor when the chamber voted on a coronavirus spending bill last Wednesday .
By Monday , his office announced the Florida lawmaker was in self-quarantine after coming into contact with a person who was diagnosed with the coronavirus at CPAC , a conservative political conference , almost two weeks ago .
“ Congressman Gaetz was informed today that he came into contact with a CPAC attendee 11 days ago who tested positive for COVID-19 , ” his office tweeted Monday afternoon .
“ Congressman Gaetz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given the elevated frequency of travel and human contact , and demonstrated his concern last week on the House Floor.
” Gaetz doesn ’ t have any symptoms of the coronavirus , his office said on Twitter , and he has been tested for the virus , but the results haven ’ t come back yet .
He will remain in self-quarantine until later this week , after a two-week period since coming in contact with the person expires .
Gaetz also said on Twitter that his DC office will be closed while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that his district office in Pensacola , Florida , will remain open .
One person from Gaetz ’ s district died from COVID-19 over the weekend .
Gaetz is one of four members of Congress currently in self-quarantine after interacting with a person diagnosed with the virus at CPAC last month .
Republicans Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona announced Sunday night that they were going into quarantine , and Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia announced he was going into quarantine Monday afternoon .
The CDC has recommended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ avoid shaking hands .
Last week , after the CPAC conference , Collins visited the CDC with President Donald Trump and shook hands with the president Friday .

WASHINGTON — Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz jokingly wore a large gas mask on the House floor when the chamber voted on a coronavirus spending bill last Wednesday.
By Monday, his office announced the Florida lawmaker was in self-quarantine after coming into contact with a person who was diagnosed with the coronavirus at CPAC, a conservative political conference, almost two weeks ago.
“Congressman Gaetz was informed today that he came into contact with a CPAC attendee 11 days ago who tested positive for COVID-19,” his office tweeted Monday afternoon. “Congressman Gaetz had expected COVID-19 to impact Congress, given the elevated frequency of travel and human contact, and demonstrated his concern last week on the House Floor.”
Gaetz doesn’t have any symptoms of the coronavirus, his office said on Twitter, and he has been tested for the virus, but the results haven’t come back yet. He will remain in self-quarantine until later this week, after a two-week period since coming in contact with the person expires. Gaetz also said on Twitter that his DC office will be closed while the member is in quarantine, and that his district office in Pensacola, Florida, will remain open. One person from Gaetz’s district died from COVID-19 over the weekend.
Gaetz is one of four members of Congress currently in self-quarantine after interacting with a person diagnosed with the virus at CPAC last month. Republicans Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona announced Sunday night that they were going into quarantine, and Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia announced he was going into quarantine Monday afternoon.
The CDC has recommended that, as coronavirus spreads, people avoid shaking hands. Last week, after the CPAC conference, Collins visited the CDC with President Donald Trump and shook hands with the president Friday.


buzzfeednews--2020-06-06--Another Paper By A Scientist Behind The Retracted Hydroxychloroquine Study Is Now Under Question

Duplicated sections in images from a scientific paper from the founder of Surgisphere , highlighted by science consultant Elisabeth Bik .
The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
The founder of Surgisphere , the little-known health data analytics company blamed for the retraction of two prominent scientific papers on COVID-19 , is in more trouble .
On Friday evening , Elisabeth Bik , a consultant who specializes in analyzing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , spotted multiple duplications in images from a paper published by Sapan Desai in 2004 , four years before he founded Surgisphere .
Manipulating images to change their scientific meaning , sometimes involving subtle duplications using the clone tools in Photoshop or similar software , is a major cause of scientific misconduct .
BuzzFeed News asked two other independent experts in scientific data manipulation to review the images .
Both confirmed Bik ’ s findings , and one said it was one of the most egregious examples he had seen .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Photoshop , ” Daniel Acuna , a computer scientist at Syracuse University in New York , who has developed software to spot image duplications in scientific images , told BuzzFeed News .
Desai did not immediately return requests for comment .
The paper in question was published by the Journal of Neurophysiology in 2004 , as part of Desai ’ s graduate studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago .
The new concerns about its validity add to the growing number of questions about Desai and Surgisphere .
Desai was one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ published on May 22 that linked hydroxychloroquine , the malaria drug hyped by President Donald Trump as a treatment for COVID-19 , to an increased risk of death .
The paper said the study was based on data on more than 96,000 COVID-19 patients from 671 hospitals across six contents provided by Surgisphere .
Other studies have also concluded that the drug isn ’ t effective against the coronavirus .
But after the Lancet published the study about the drug ’ s potentially lethal effects , the World Health Organization paused its human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retracted on June 4 after scientists and journalists raised questions about inconsistencies and demanded access to the study ’ s raw data .
In the retraction notice , the three other members of the research team admitted that they could `` no longer vouch for the veracity of the primary data sources.
” They wrote that they wanted outside experts to independently audit the data , but Surgisphere would not hand it over due to “ client agreements and confidentiality agreements.
” Another study using Surgisphere data to study the coronavirus and cardiovascular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ researchers , was also retracted on June 4 by the New England Journal of Medicine .
This time Desai was an author of the retraction notice , which similarly explained that the scientists were “ unable to validate the primary data sources.
” Surgisphere , which Desai founded in 2008 while a surgical resident at Duke University , is based in Palatine , a suburb of Chicago .
Scientists have wondered how this little-known company has been able to obtain all the data it claims to have .
The retractions followed stories about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including that the company only appeared to have a handful of employees and that raised serious questions about the legitimacy of its data sources .
Desai has previously stood by his company ’ s data .
“ Our strong privacy standards are a major reason that hospitals trust Surgisphere and we have been able to collect data from over 1,200 institutions across 46 countries , ” he told BuzzFeed News by email last week , before the two studies were retracted .
The 2004 paper was on the anatomy of the vestibular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important for the sense of balance , in various rodents including rats , mice , and squirrels .
The main panel of images in the paper shows images of sections of tissue from a structure called the crista ampullaris , which detects rotational movement .
Bik looked at Desai ’ s past papers after learning of the concerns about Surgisphere .
“ I immediately saw that there seemed to be very repetitive areas in these images , ” Bik told BuzzFeed News .
After spending a couple of hours finding multiple duplications within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on PubPeer , a website where scientists critique one another ’ s work .
Bik also published a blog post about her concerns on Saturday .
“ This is highly unusual , ” Bik said .
“ It ’ s a very , very severe case of duplication.
” Acuna , the computer scientist from Syracuse University , ran the images through his software , confirming many of the problems flagged by Bik .
“ I ’ ve never seen something like this , It ’ s outrageous , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ there appear to be numerous small duplicated regions in the photographs , ” Mike Rossner , a former managing editor of the Journal of Cell Biology who now runs a consultancy firm called Image Data Integrity , told BuzzFeed News by email .
The Journal of Neurophysiology said it would look into the matter , after BuzzFeed News reached out about the paper .
“ This has been referred to the journal ’ s ethics officer for investigation , ” Bill Yates , a neuroscientist at the University of Pittsburgh and editor-in-chief of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ email .
Anna Lysakowski , the professor who supervised Desai ’ s graduate work at the University of Illinois and was named as the senior author on the paper , did not immediately respond to a request for comment .

The founder of Surgisphere, the little-known health data analytics company blamed for the retraction of two prominent scientific papers on COVID-19, is in more trouble.
On Friday evening, Elisabeth Bik, a consultant who specializes in analyzing scientific papers for signs of data manipulation, spotted multiple duplications in images from a paper published by Sapan Desai in 2004, four years before he founded Surgisphere.
Manipulating images to change their scientific meaning, sometimes involving subtle duplications using the clone tools in Photoshop or similar software, is a major cause of scientific misconduct.
BuzzFeed News asked two other independent experts in scientific data manipulation to review the images. Both confirmed Bik’s findings, and one said it was one of the most egregious examples he had seen.
“It’s like the guy went crazy with Photoshop,” Daniel Acuna, a computer scientist at Syracuse University in New York, who has developed software to spot image duplications in scientific images, told BuzzFeed News.
Desai did not immediately return requests for comment.
The paper in question was published by the Journal of Neurophysiology in 2004, as part of Desai’s graduate studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The new concerns about its validity add to the growing number of questions about Desai and Surgisphere.
Desai was one of four researchers behind a massive study published on May 22 that linked hydroxychloroquine, the malaria drug hyped by President Donald Trump as a treatment for COVID-19, to an increased risk of death. The paper said the study was based on data on more than 96,000 COVID-19 patients from 671 hospitals across six contents provided by Surgisphere.
Other studies have also concluded that the drug isn’t effective against the coronavirus. But after the Lancet published the study about the drug’s potentially lethal effects, the World Health Organization paused its human trial of hydroxychloroquine.
The paper was retracted on June 4 after scientists and journalists raised questions about inconsistencies and demanded access to the study’s raw data. In the retraction notice, the three other members of the research team admitted that they could "no longer vouch for the veracity of the primary data sources.”
They wrote that they wanted outside experts to independently audit the data, but Surgisphere would not hand it over due to “client agreements and confidentiality agreements.”
Another study using Surgisphere data to study the coronavirus and cardiovascular disease, involving several of the same researchers, was also retracted on June 4 by the New England Journal of Medicine. This time Desai was an author of the retraction notice, which similarly explained that the scientists were “unable to validate the primary data sources.”
Surgisphere, which Desai founded in 2008 while a surgical resident at Duke University, is based in Palatine, a suburb of Chicago. Scientists have wondered how this little-known company has been able to obtain all the data it claims to have. The retractions followed stories about Surgisphere in the Guardian and the Scientist, including that the company only appeared to have a handful of employees and that raised serious questions about the legitimacy of its data sources.
Desai has previously stood by his company’s data. “Our strong privacy standards are a major reason that hospitals trust Surgisphere and we have been able to collect data from over 1,200 institutions across 46 countries,” he told BuzzFeed News by email last week, before the two studies were retracted.
The 2004 paper was on the anatomy of the vestibular system, part of the inner ear important for the sense of balance, in various rodents including rats, mice, and squirrels. The main panel of images in the paper shows images of sections of tissue from a structure called the crista ampullaris, which detects rotational movement.
Bik looked at Desai’s past papers after learning of the concerns about Surgisphere. “I immediately saw that there seemed to be very repetitive areas in these images,” Bik told BuzzFeed News. After spending a couple of hours finding multiple duplications within the images, she posted her concerns on PubPeer, a website where scientists critique one another’s work. Bik also published a blog post about her concerns on Saturday.
“This is highly unusual,” Bik said. “It’s a very, very severe case of duplication.”
Acuna, the computer scientist from Syracuse University, ran the images through his software, confirming many of the problems flagged by Bik. “I’ve never seen something like this, It’s outrageous,” he said.
“I concur with the allegation that there appear to be numerous small duplicated regions in the photographs,” Mike Rossner, a former managing editor of the Journal of Cell Biology who now runs a consultancy firm called Image Data Integrity, told BuzzFeed News by email.
The Journal of Neurophysiology said it would look into the matter, after BuzzFeed News reached out about the paper. “This has been referred to the journal’s ethics officer for investigation,” Bill Yates, a neuroscientist at the University of Pittsburgh and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Neurophysiology, said by email.
Anna Lysakowski, the professor who supervised Desai’s graduate work at the University of Illinois and was named as the senior author on the paper, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


buzzfeednews--2020-06-06--Facebook Contractors Wanted Better Working Conditions. They Lost Their Jobs Instead.

Contract workers for Facebook in Austin , Texas , say they have been retaliated against for union organizing , resulting in two workers ’ departure in recent weeks .
The workers , who help Facebook find and triage internal bugs , are unhappy with their employer , the India-based firm WiPro , and have been organizing in the workplace to pressure both companies for improvements .
In recent months , the workers have petitioned management over issues including sexism and verbal abuse from WiPro management , issues with parking , and “ consistent issues with folks not getting paid , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who requested anonymity to protect his job .
Recently , two people involved in the organizing campaign who were vocal about these issues departed the company .
Both had posted heated messages on an internal message board about the need to improve conditions for the contingent workers and encouraging remaining staff to support a union drive , and say their departures followed retaliation from WiPro .
One of those workers quit due to harassment by management , according to a source familiar with the situation .
The other individual ’ s contract was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is definitely not happy about folks that are trying to speak out and advocate for the issues we have going on here , ” the current Facebook contractor said .
Facebook declined to comment on WiPro employees .
WiPro denied allegations that it retaliates against employees involved in labor organizing and said it “ complies with all applicable rules and regulations wherever it operates.
” Since January , the Communication Workers of America ( CWA ) labor union has been promoting its Campaign to Organize Digital Employees ( CODE ) .
The organization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , like the Austin-based contingent Facebook workers , perform work for major tech firms but aren ’ t directly employed by them .
Sources with knowledge of the situation said CWA has been assisting in the Wipro contractors ’ efforts .
“ Wage theft and worker abuse are completely unacceptable , ” said a spokesperson for CWA .
“ Facebook and its contractor Wipro need to do better .
CWA through our Campaign to Organize Digital Employees ( CODE-CWA ) is committed to holding big tech accountable , standing in solidarity with workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and challenging a broken system of labor laws that prop up the invented fictions of endless layers of TVC employment relationships in the industry.
” The contingent Facebook workers in Texas are paid less than full-time Facebook employees , don ’ t receive the same benefits , and prior to the coronavirus shelter-in-place orders , worked in a different building from Facebook ’ s regular employees .
The contractors ’ day-to-day jobs , however , require that they be in regular contact with full-time Facebook employees and use internal Facebook software .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook directly for at least six months after their WiPro contracts terminate due to a noncompete clause .
“ We do a pretty important function , but it ’ s not valid enough for Facebook to hire us or take care of us , ” the Austin-based contractor said .
Facebook hires hundreds of content moderators and other hourly contract workers through firms like WiPro .
In mid-March , the Intercept reported that some of those Austin-based employees were being required to report to the office despite shelter-in-place orders , which created health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Facebook content moderators who worked for another Indian firm , Cognizant , reported that their low-paying , traumatic nature of their jobs was causing rampant mental health issues among the staff , according to the Verge .
The social media giant is also facing blowback from some of its Silicon Valley employees this week , who are frustrated by the company ’ s refusal to remove posts written by President Trump that call for violence .
Some Facebook employees announced they would resign in protest of the company ’ s policy this @ @

Contract workers for Facebook in Austin, Texas, say they have been retaliated against for union organizing, resulting in two workers’ departure in recent weeks. The workers, who help Facebook find and triage internal bugs, are unhappy with their employer, the India-based firm WiPro, and have been organizing in the workplace to pressure both companies for improvements.
In recent months, the workers have petitioned management over issues including sexism and verbal abuse from WiPro management, issues with parking, and “consistent issues with folks not getting paid,” according to a contingent Facebook worker who requested anonymity to protect his job.
Recently, two people involved in the organizing campaign who were vocal about these issues departed the company. Both had posted heated messages on an internal message board about the need to improve conditions for the contingent workers and encouraging remaining staff to support a union drive, and say their departures followed retaliation from WiPro.
One of those workers quit due to harassment by management, according to a source familiar with the situation. The other individual’s contract was not renewed by WiPro.
“Management is definitely not happy about folks that are trying to speak out and advocate for the issues we have going on here,” the current Facebook contractor said.
Facebook declined to comment on WiPro employees. WiPro denied allegations that it retaliates against employees involved in labor organizing and said it “complies with all applicable rules and regulations wherever it operates.”
Since January, the Communication Workers of America (CWA) labor union has been promoting its Campaign to Organize Digital Employees (CODE). The organization is especially interested in organizing workers who, like the Austin-based contingent Facebook workers, perform work for major tech firms but aren’t directly employed by them. Sources with knowledge of the situation said CWA has been assisting in the Wipro contractors’ efforts.
“Wage theft and worker abuse are completely unacceptable,” said a spokesperson for CWA. “Facebook and its contractor Wipro need to do better. CWA through our Campaign to Organize Digital Employees (CODE-CWA) is committed to holding big tech accountable, standing in solidarity with workers organizing for dignity and a voice, and challenging a broken system of labor laws that prop up the invented fictions of endless layers of TVC employment relationships in the industry.”
The contingent Facebook workers in Texas are paid less than full-time Facebook employees, don’t receive the same benefits, and prior to the coronavirus shelter-in-place orders, worked in a different building from Facebook’s regular employees. The contractors’ day-to-day jobs, however, require that they be in regular contact with full-time Facebook employees and use internal Facebook software. The contractors can’t be hired by Facebook directly for at least six months after their WiPro contracts terminate due to a noncompete clause.
“We do a pretty important function, but it’s not valid enough for Facebook to hire us or take care of us,” the Austin-based contractor said.
Facebook hires hundreds of content moderators and other hourly contract workers through firms like WiPro. In mid-March, the Intercept reported that some of those Austin-based employees were being required to report to the office despite shelter-in-place orders, which created health concerns during the coronavirus pandemic.
Previously, Facebook content moderators who worked for another Indian firm, Cognizant, reported that their low-paying, traumatic nature of their jobs was causing rampant mental health issues among the staff, according to the Verge.
The social media giant is also facing blowback from some of its Silicon Valley employees this week, who are frustrated by the company’s refusal to remove posts written by President Trump that call for violence. Some Facebook employees announced they would resign in protest of the company’s policy this week.


buzzfeednews--2020-03-28--The US Government Has Ordered A Study Of Chloroquine And Hydrohloroquine, The Drugs Trump Touted For

The US Government Has Ordered A Study Of Chloroquine And Hydrohloroquine, The Drugs Trump Touted For Coronavirus

The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
At a White House press conference three days after the French study appeared , Trump said “ we ’ re going to be able to make that drug available almost immediately.
” Two days later , the president tweeted that a combination of chloroquine and another drug “ have a real chance to be one of the biggest game changes in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attracted attention earlier this month after a French study involving 42 COVID-19 patients indicated that a small number treated with the drugs — which were developed for use against malaria , but also taken by patients with lupus or rheumatoid arthritis — showed positive results .
Pharmaceutical Product Development ( PPD ) is supposed to conduct a one-month study on the use of `` hydrochloroquine and chloroquine in patients with coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) , positive for SARS-COV-2 virus exposure , or pre-exposure and post-exposure prophylaxis , ” according to federal contracting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North Carolina pharmaceutical company $ 750,000 to do research on antimalarial drugs days after President Donald Trump praised the medicines as a possible treatment for COVID-19 .
HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE & AZITHROMYCIN , taken together , have a real chance to be one of the biggest game changers in the history of medicine .
The FDA has moved mountains - Thank You !
Hopefully they will BOTH ( H works better with A , International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents ) ... ..
The Food and Drug Administration urged caution , however , and said officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it can be used to treat patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 to potentially reduce the duration of symptoms , as well as viral shedding , which can help prevent the spread of disease.
” The World Health Organization agreed that further tests should be conducted , but many scientists criticized Trump ’ s comments as being overzealous and said the French study was flawed .
Nevertheless , demand for the drugs skyrocketed , leading to a shortage for patients who were taking it for other conditions .
The drugs drew widespread exposure from Fox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ study is one of many emergency contracts related to the coronavirus outbreak struck by the US government , which has marshaled some of its enormous purchasing power to enter into similar agreements for hospital beds , protective equipment , and other supplies .
Federal contracting data show that 16 agencies have spent more than $ 250 million on COVID-19 measures since January .
PPD has until April 21 to finish its work , according to the terms of the purchase order .
Information about the agreement was posted on a website that lists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain a copy of it .
The deal was first reported by the Daily Beast .
Within the Department of Health and Human Services , the assistant secretary for preparedness and response has awarded 25 contracts worth more than $ 210 million since January .
The largest of those went to 3M to produce N95 masks .
That $ 173 million contract runs until October 2021 .
Rapid Deployment Inc. , an Alabama emergency response company , received $ 28 million for “ support services.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a global giant with 23,000 employees and offices in 46 countries .
The company did not respond to detailed messages seeking comment about its coronavirus research , nor did officials from HHS .
According to the company ’ s website , it is currently working on about 80 active projects for the Department of Defense , National Institutes of Health , Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority ( BARDA ) , and other federal agencies .
Under its contract with BARDA , PPD “ supports the design and conduct of clinical studies to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , pandemic influenza and other public health emergencies.
” Since 2000 , PPD has been awarded more than $ 700 million in government contracts .
The company has also performed work for the Department of Homeland Security , NASA , and the Agency for International Development .
On Jan. 27 , PPD announced it was going public .
In its first earnings call with investors on March 5 , three weeks before its arrangement with HHS , the chair and chief executive , David Simmons , discussed how the pandemic had affected business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to contain the spread of the virus .
The outbreak had impacted “ the ability of our employees to visit hospitals and other clinical trial sites to conduct monitoring visits , ” its earnings report said .

The US government awarded a North Carolina pharmaceutical company $750,000 to do research on antimalarial drugs days after President Donald Trump praised the medicines as a possible treatment for COVID-19.
Pharmaceutical Product Development (PPD) is supposed to conduct a one-month study on the use of "hydrochloroquine and chloroquine in patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19), positive for SARS-COV-2 virus exposure, or pre-exposure and post-exposure prophylaxis,” according to federal contracting records obtained by BuzzFeed News.
Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine attracted attention earlier this month after a French study involving 42 COVID-19 patients indicated that a small number treated with the drugs — which were developed for use against malaria, but also taken by patients with lupus or rheumatoid arthritis — showed positive results.
At a White House press conference three days after the French study appeared, Trump said “we’re going to be able to make that drug available almost immediately.” Two days later, the president tweeted that a combination of chloroquine and another drug “have a real chance to be one of the biggest game changes in the history of medicine.”
The Food and Drug Administration urged caution, however, and said officials are still trying “to determine whether it can be used to treat patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 to potentially reduce the duration of symptoms, as well as viral shedding, which can help prevent the spread of disease.” The World Health Organization agreed that further tests should be conducted, but many scientists criticized Trump’s comments as being overzealous and said the French study was flawed.
Nevertheless, demand for the drugs skyrocketed, leading to a shortage for patients who were taking it for other conditions. The drugs drew widespread exposure from Fox News and Elon Musk.
Do you have questions you want answered? You can always get in touch. And if you're someone who is seeing the impact of this firsthand, we’d also love to hear from you. Reach out to us via one of our tip line channels at tips.buzzfeed.com
The chloroquine study is one of many emergency contracts related to the coronavirus outbreak struck by the US government, which has marshaled some of its enormous purchasing power to enter into similar agreements for hospital beds, protective equipment, and other supplies. Federal contracting data show that 16 agencies have spent more than $250 million on COVID-19 measures since January.
PPD has until April 21 to finish its work, according to the terms of the purchase order. Information about the agreement was posted on a website that lists government contracts. BuzzFeed News has filed a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain a copy of it. The deal was first reported by the Daily Beast. [UPDATE: A copy of the contract was turned over to BuzzFeed News by HHS on Jan. 24, 2022.]


buzzfeednews--2020-03-28--Trump Said He May Quarantine New York, New Jersey, And Connecticut. Governors Say They Have No Idea

Trump Said He May Quarantine New York, New Jersey, And Connecticut. Governors Say They Have No Idea What He's Talking About.

Trump , who days earlier talked about reopening the country amid the coronavirus pandemic , did not elaborate on how a potential quarantine on more than 30 million people would be enforced .
President Donald Trump said Saturday he 's considering quarantining New York , New Jersey , and Connecticut as COVID-19 `` hot spots , '' even though the governors of all three states said they did not speak to Trump about a quarantine .
Trump told reporters on the South Lawn on Saturday that he had spoken to New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo and Florida Gov .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some people would like to see New York quarantined because it ’ s a hotspot . ''
`` I ’ m thinking about that right now , '' he said .
`` We might not have to do it , but there ’ s a possibility that sometime today we ’ ll do a quarantine — short-term , two weeks — on New York , probably New Jersey , certain parts of Connecticut . ''
As of Sunday , the president opted not to take that route , and instead the Centers for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advisory including the three states .
But before that , Trump 's quarantine comments prompted confusion from millions of New York , New Jersey , and Connecticut residents — as well as the states ' governors .
On Saturday , Trump told reporters that Florida is having `` problems '' with New Yorkers flocking to the state .
`` We do n't want that .
Heavily infected , '' he said .
DeSantis later confirmed that he had spoken with Trump about a quarantine .
He echoed the president 's comments about infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York City a `` perfect petri dish . ''
`` We ’ re either trying to fight this virus or we ’ re not , '' he said , adding that Floridians are `` sacrificing . ''
`` I think it ’ s an issue when you have folks in the hot zone leaving the hot zone to come to different parts of the country , '' DeSantis told reporters .
He said a passenger flying into Jacksonville from New York who had previously tested positive for COVID-19 , the disease caused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ landing and sent to a hospital .
DeSantis , meanwhile , has been criticized for his slow response to the threat of COVID-19 and only closing Florida 's beaches after throngs of spring breakers freely flocked to them .
`` These are our neighbors who may need to go out there , clear their head , '' he explained , before changing his mind amid widespread criticism .
It 's unclear how the federal government would enforce a quarantine on more than 30 million people who live in New York , New Jersey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three states were confused .
Cuomo , who appeared taken aback when asked by a reporter about the quarantine Saturday , said he did n't know what it would accomplish or how it would be enforced .
`` I don ’ t know how that could be legally enforceable and from a medical point of view don ’ t know what you would be accomplishing , but I can tell you I don ’ t even like the sound of it , '' he said .
He said though he spoke to Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital ship set to dock in the state and emergency medical sites that have been established in New York — not a quarantine .
`` I do n't even know what that means , '' Cuomo said about Trump 's remarks .
New York has become the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak in the US , with 52,318 confirmed cases and 728 deaths so far .
In a Saturday press conference , New Jersey Gov .
Phil Murphy also shot down Trump 's remarks about a quarantine .
He said they spoke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raised .
`` I literally saw the story as I was walking into this room .
I ’ ve got no more color on it , '' he said .
`` There ’ s no question the greater New York metropolitan area is the number one hotspot in America right now .
It ’ s not the only hotspot , but it ’ s the number one in terms of number of cases and until further notified we ’ re going to keep doing what we ’ re doing . ''
Gov .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ he looks forward to speaking to Trump about a possible quarantine , saying that `` confusion leads to panic . ''

President Donald Trump said Saturday he's considering quarantining New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut as COVID-19 "hot spots," even though the governors of all three states said they did not speak to Trump about a quarantine.
Trump told reporters on the South Lawn on Saturday that he had spoken to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, then added, "Some people would like to see New York quarantined because it’s a hotspot."
"I’m thinking about that right now," he said. "We might not have to do it, but there’s a possibility that sometime today we’ll do a quarantine — short-term, two weeks — on New York, probably New Jersey, certain parts of Connecticut."
As of Sunday, the president opted not to take that route, and instead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a travel advisory including the three states. But before that, Trump's quarantine comments prompted confusion from millions of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut residents — as well as the states' governors.


buzzfeednews--2020-03-28--These Charts And Maps Show How The Coronavirus Outbreak Is Affecting Your State

The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
COVID-19 has now taken hold in every US state .
Responses have differed too — testing rates vary widely from state to state , and there is huge variation in policies to limit the spread of the disease .
Use the charts and maps below to find out how your state is dealing with the crisis .
The data will be updated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your state been hit ?
This chart shows how the total number of deaths in each state has risen over the last 28 days , using data compiled by the New York Times .
Tiles are colored by the number of deaths relative to the state ’ s population , including “ probable ” COVID-19 deaths — based on symptoms and exposure to the virus , without a positive test result — where these are available .
The states are sorted by their current total number of reported deaths per 100,000 people .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths relative to a state ’ s population on each day of its outbreak for the last 28 days .
The states are sorted according to their death rates on the day with the most recent available data .
If the tiles for any state start to get lighter over time after a period with more intense colors , it suggests that its epidemic is starting to come under control .
2 .
How many tests has your state run ?
The key to understanding how far COVID-19 has spread through the population @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The US was late to start widespread testing , and there is still huge variation in its extent from state to state .
This chart gives the latest testing data for each state , including the percentage who tested positive , compiled by the COVID Tracking Project .
Search for your state or sort the data by clicking on each of the column headers — click once to sort in ascending order , or twice to sort in descending order .
This chart helps put into perspective the numbers on the percentage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The high percentage of positives in New York and New Jersey reflects the intense outbreak in New York City and the surrounding area .
3 .
What has your state done to limit viral spread ?
State policies to limit the spread of COVID-18 are being tracked by the Kaiser Family Foundation , a health policy think tank based in San Francisco .
Some states have begun to roll back some of these measures , allowing businesses to reopen , ending stay-at-home orders , or easing restrictions on dining at restaurants .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to track the epidemic at the national level for the US .
In addition to regularly updating the data in the charts and maps , this post will be updated with other information as it becomes available .

The key to understanding how far COVID-19 has spread through the population is to test people with flu-like symptoms. The US was late to start widespread testing, and there is still huge variation in its extent from state to state.
This chart gives the latest testing data for each state, including the percentage who tested positive, compiled by the COVID Tracking Project. Search for your state or sort the data by clicking on each of the column headers — click once to sort in ascending order, or twice to sort in descending order.
Testing rate versus % positive by state