npr--2020-05-08--One-Way Sidewalks And Parking Lot Dining Rooms: Is This The Future?

One-Way Sidewalks And Parking Lot Dining Rooms : Is This The Future ?
Small businesses are essential to cities and towns across the country .
They create jobs , they create a sense of place — think of New York City without bodegas , Portland , Ore. , without bike shops , or your town without its dance studio or hardware store — but they also create sales , income , and property tax revenues .
`` [ It 's ] super important that we make it very easy for people to keep their purchases local , '' said Karina @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mobility and Infrastructure in Pittsburgh , Pa. Cities like Pittsburgh must make it possible to return to the streets and shop without losing the safety of physical distancing , said Ricks .
If only so many people are allowed into a store at one time , how can others line up outside ?
If restaurants operate at 25 percent capacity , where will expectant diners wait ?
`` It 's going to require us to reimagine our streets , '' she said .
`` How much of our streets can we turn over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cars from streets to allow more people to walk and bike .
They 'll need even more space if people are allowed to go to shops and restaurants again , said Brent Toderian , the former chief planner for Vancouver , Canada who now leads his own company , TODERIAN UrbanWORKS .
`` All of it requires more space between buildings , more life between buildings , '' he said .
`` If we try to do all that without inconveniencing the cars , we will fail . ''
In Tampa , Fla. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tables to streets in front of their establishments .
In an Atlanta , Ga. suburb parking lots are the new dining room .
Ricks wonders if one-way sidewalks could limit people 's exposures to one another the way one-way aisles do in grocery stores .
She said some Pittsburgh streets may open to cars only at certain times of the day , or speeds could be dramatically reduced .
That way , street parking could be dedicated for walking , biking , or cafe tables while an adjacent travel lane for cars remains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ answers right now , but it 's something that we 're actively looking at , '' she said , citing a new city task force that will investigate the issue .
Public space always influences health outcomes and can produce health risks , said Keshia Pollack Porter , a professor at John Hopkins University 's Bloomberg School of Public Health .
Whatever `` normal '' cities think they 're returning to , this is a chance to evaluate how the public realm worked before , she said .
`` We know that there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , pointing to pedestrian and cyclist fatalities that continue to rise , and communities that have lacked access to safe streets for decades .
In a post-pandemic world , with even fewer dollars for infrastructure and transportation , officials must be more careful than ever , said Toderian .
`` Where we put our money based on our assumed narratives around what people will want to do — drive more , take public transit less — will create self-fulfilling prophecies , '' he said , and could exacerbate that other existential threat , @ @ @

One-Way Sidewalks And Parking Lot Dining Rooms: Is This The Future?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images
Small businesses are essential to cities and towns across the country. They create jobs, they create a sense of place — think of New York City without bodegas, Portland, Ore., without bike shops or your town without its dance studio or hardware store — but they also create sales, income and property tax revenues.
"[It's] super important that we make it very easy for people to keep their purchases local," said Karina Ricks, director of the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure in Pittsburgh.
Cities like Pittsburgh must make it possible to return to the streets and shop without losing the safety of physical distancing, Ricks said. If only so many people are allowed into a store at one time, how can others line up outside? If restaurants operate at 25% capacity, where will expectant diners wait?
"It's going to require us to reimagine our streets," she said. "How much of our streets can we turn over?"
Many cities have already removed cars from streets to allow more people to walk and bike. They'll need even more space if people are allowed to go to shops and restaurants again, said Brent Toderian, the former chief planner for Vancouver, British Columbia, who now leads his own company, TODERIAN UrbanWORKS.
"All of it requires more space between buildings, more life between buildings," he said. "If we try to do all that without inconveniencing the cars, we will fail."
In Tampa, Fla., officials will allow restaurants to add tables to streets in front of their establishments. In an Atlanta suburb, parking lots are the new dining room. Ricks wonders if one-way sidewalks could limit people's exposures to one another the way one-way aisles do in grocery stores. She said some Pittsburgh streets may open to cars only at certain times of the day, or speeds could be dramatically reduced. That way, street parking could be dedicated for walking, biking, or cafe tables while an adjacent travel lane for cars remains.
"I don't have the answers right now, but it's something that we're actively looking at," she said, citing a new city task force that will investigate the issue.
Public space always influences health outcomes and can produce health risks, said Keshia Pollack Porter, a professor at Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health. Whatever "normal" cities think they're returning to, this is a chance to evaluate how the public realm worked before, she said.
"We know that there are significant inequities," she said, pointing to pedestrian and cyclist fatalities that continue to rise, and communities that have lacked access to safe streets for decades.
In a post-pandemic world, with even fewer dollars for infrastructure and transportation, officials must be more careful than ever, Toderian said.
"Where we put our money based on our assumed narratives around what people will want to do — drive more, take public transit less — will create self-fulfilling prophecies," he said, and could exacerbate that other existential threat, climate change.


npr--2020-05-08--The President As A Model For The Nation: From Toasters And Sweaters To Masks

The President As A Model For The Nation : From Toasters And Sweaters To Masks Presidents have been asked all manner of questions about their behavior , but no one had ever asked whether the president should wear a mask .
Until now .
In the midst of this hydra-headed medical-economic-social crisis , the Trump administration 's guidelines recommend Americans wear a face covering in public spaces to slow the spread of the coronavirus .
That makes it controversial when President Trump and Vice President Pence are out and about unmasked .
The point of the mask is mainly to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nation 's leaders wear them is to encourage the nation to do the same .
So what if they do n't ?
Are they then modeling something else ?
On Wednesday , Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , could not have been more emphatic .
The president , she said , should wear a mask in public ( as she does ) to set an example for the public .
Masks were much in evidence on Capitol Hill this week when senators returned to work , and the Supreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But face wear remains out of fashion at the White House , apparently -- at least during public events .
When the president signed a proclamation for National Nurses Day on Wednesday , for example , none of the group gathered in the Oval Office wore a mask .
The White House has been regularly testing those who come into contact with the president and vice president .
After a White House military aide tested positive for the coronavirus , Trump said on Thursday that testing at the White House would become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for me Trump first addressed the notion of a mask a month ago ( `` I do n't think I 'm going to be doing it '' ) when the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the practice .
This week he left Washington to tour , of all things , a Honeywell mask-manufacturing site in Phoenix , Ariz. Once there , he wore protective goggles over his eyes – but no mask .
This immediately reminded people of Vice President Pence 's tour of the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota on April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House task force on the virus , wore no mask at Mayo , even though all the officials and medical personnel clustered around him did .
The widely republished photographs of him elbow-bumping with masked patients made this painfully clear .
Initially Pence offered explanations and debated the rules .
Days later , Pence relented and said he should have worn a mask while in a hospital .
Trump , however , was not apologetic after his visit to Honeywell this week , claiming he had put on a mask at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he did not have to wear one .
Amazingly enough , masks seem to be turning into one more emblem of our political polarization .
Wear one and you are taking the virus and the social distancing prescription seriously .
Refuse , and you signify something else that may be denial or even defiance .
Viewpoints also differ when it comes to national leaders ' setting a good ( or bad ) example .
Most would agree it 's nice if the president models the most desirable social behavior .
But when ideals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results can be less than ideal .
Which fireside are you on ?
Take recent history 's best-known case of an earnest president modeling best behavior for the nation .
That would be President Jimmy Carter , in 1977 , after less than two weeks in the White House , delivering a nationwide TV address telling Americans to get serious about using less energy ( turn off lights , adjust the thermostat , drive less ) .
But what people saw and remembered was Carter delivering that speech wearing a cardigan sweater , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House .
That last detail was widely interpreted as a reference to President Franklin Roosevelt 's legendary `` fireside chats , '' which were radio addresses from the White House .
The chats began as soon as FDR took office in 1933 in the midst of a Depression-era banking panic .
He took to the airwaves to announce a temporary , nationwide closing of the banks .
But he called it a `` bank holiday '' and sounded quite confident that things would be fine .
When Carter brought back the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a successful and sincere demonstration .
Others found his show of humility and downbeat demeanor less than presidential .
If the energy crisis of the 1970s was indeed `` the moral equivalent of war , '' as he called it , maybe the commander in chief should look a little more like a warrior .
Even trivial details of a president 's behavior can become exercises in political messaging .
Then-President Gerald Ford and his staff wanted to contrast his `` regular guy '' image with the `` imperial presidency '' of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we learned that he toasted his own English muffins in the morning in a kitchen off the Oval Office , and sometimes scooped up after his golden retriever on the White House lawn ( even at times while still in his presidential bathrobe ) .
The idea of the president modeling a particular kind of behavior gets complicated , as all questions of presidential messaging do .
Putting on a show for the sake of the public can easily slide into creating a false impression .
In fact , the controversies over presidents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about concealment – particularly of physical challenges .
The same FDR fondly remembered for his voice on the radio was rarely seen by the public in his wheelchair .
The tanned and virile John F. Kennedy who urged the country to exercise and popularized the word `` vigor '' was suffering from several chronic conditions and undergoing extensive medical treatments .
These presidents felt they had to project health and strength to be elected and to be respected once in office .
And something similar may be motivating Trump .
A masked president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of reasons , and a president trapped in the White House does not communicate confidence .
Communicating confidence is essential to the persona of this president .
Beyond that , Trump has apparently decided that the way out of the current crisis is to be bold about reopening as quickly as possible in as many places as possible .
He concedes there will be consequences and some will be `` affected badly , '' but insists the economic damage can not be allowed to continue .
So we can expect to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country , projecting confidence in the nation 's health and resilience .
And that is what he is modeling by not wearing a mask .

What It Means When Trump Doesn't Wear A Mask
Enlarge this image toggle caption Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 10:25 a.m. ET
Presidents have been asked all manner of questions about their behavior, but no one had ever asked whether the president should wear a mask. Until now.
In the midst of this hydra-headed, medical-economic-social crisis, the Trump administration's guidelines recommend that Americans wear a face covering in public spaces to slow the spread of the coronavirus. That makes it controversial when President Trump and Vice President Pence are out and about unmasked.
The point of the mask is mainly to protect others. The point of having the nation's leaders wear them is to encourage the nation to do the same.
So what if they don't? Are they then modeling something else?
On Wednesday, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., could not have been more emphatic. The president, she said, should wear a mask in public (as she does) to set an example for the public.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrew Harnik/AP Andrew Harnik/AP
Masks were much in evidence on Capitol Hill this week when senators returned to work, and the Supreme Court has begun hearing oral arguments remotely.
But facewear remains out of fashion at the White House, apparently -- at least during public events.
When the president signed a proclamation for National Nurses Day on Wednesday, for example, none of the group gathered in the Oval Office wore a mask.
The White House has been regularly testing those who come into contact with the president and vice president. After a White House military aide tested positive for the coronavirus, Trump said on Thursday that testing at the White House would become daily rather than weekly.
In an interview on Fox on Friday, Trump added that valets who serve food and work around him will now be required to wear face masks.
But not for me
Trump first addressed the notion of a mask a month ago ("I don't think I'm going to be doing it") when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the practice. This week he left Washington to tour, of all things, a Honeywell mask-manufacturing site in Phoenix. Once there, he wore protective goggles over his eyes — but no mask.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jim Mone/AP Jim Mone/AP
This immediately reminded people of Vice President Pence's tour of the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota on April 28. Pence, who leads the White House task force on the virus, wore no mask at Mayo, even though all the officials and medical personnel clustered around him did. The widely republished photographs of him elbow-bumping with masked patients made this painfully clear.
Initially, Pence offered explanations and debated the rules. Days later, Pence relented and said he should have worn a mask while in a hospital.
Trump, however, was not apologetic after his visit to Honeywell this week, claiming he had put on a mask at the plant "backstage" before being told he did not have to wear one.
Amazingly enough, masks seem to be turning into one more emblem of our political polarization. Wear one and you are taking the virus and the social distancing prescription seriously. Refuse, and you signify something else that may be denial or even defiance.
Viewpoints also differ when it comes to national leaders' setting a good (or bad) example. Most would agree it's nice if the president models the most desirable social behavior. But when ideals of that sort meet reality, the results can be less than ideal.
Which fireside are you on?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Harvey Georges/AP Harvey Georges/AP
Take recent history's best-known case of an earnest president modeling best behavior for the nation. That would be President Jimmy Carter. In 1977, after less than two weeks in the White House, he delivered a nationwide TV address telling Americans to get serious about using less energy (turn off lights, adjust the thermostat, drive less).
But what people saw and remembered was Carter delivering that speech wearing a cardigan sweater, sitting in front of a fireplace in the White House.
That last detail was widely interpreted as a reference to President Franklin Roosevelt's legendary "fireside chats," which were radio addresses from the White House. The chats began as soon as FDR took office in 1933 in the midst of a Depression-era banking panic. He took to the airwaves to announce a temporary, nationwide closing of the banks. But he called it a "bank holiday" and sounded quite confident that things would be fine.
When Carter brought back the fireside trope, some saw his effort as a successful and sincere demonstration. Others found his show of humility and downbeat demeanor less than presidential. If the energy crisis of the 1970s was indeed "the moral equivalent of war," as he called it, maybe the commander in chief should look a little more like a warrior.
Even trivial details of a president's behavior can become exercises in political messaging. Then-President Gerald Ford and his staff wanted to contrast his "regular guy" image with the "imperial presidency" of his predecessor, Richard Nixon.
So we learned that he toasted his own English muffins in the morning in a kitchen off the Oval Office and sometimes scooped up after his golden retriever on the White House lawn (even at times while still in his presidential bathrobe).
Enlarge this image toggle caption Harvey Georges/AP Harvey Georges/AP
The idea of the president modeling a particular kind of behavior gets complicated, as all questions of presidential messaging do. Putting on a show for the sake of the public can easily slide into creating a false impression.
Another kind of mask
In fact, the controversies over presidents and masks in the past have been about concealment — particularly of physical challenges. The same FDR fondly remembered for his voice on the radio was rarely seen by the public in his wheelchair. The tanned and virile John F. Kennedy who urged the country to exercise and popularized the word "vigor" was suffering from several chronic conditions and undergoing extensive medical treatments.
Enlarge this image toggle caption AP AP
These presidents felt they had to project health and strength to be elected and to be respected once in office. And something similar may be motivating Trump. A masked president is not a good look for any number of reasons, and a president trapped in the White House does not communicate confidence. Communicating confidence is essential to the persona of this president.
Beyond that, Trump has apparently decided that the way out of the current crisis is to be bold about reopening as quickly as possible in as many places as possible. He concedes there will be consequences and some will be "affected badly" but insists the economic damage cannot be allowed to continue.
So we can expect to see the president out and about around the country, projecting confidence in the nation's health and resilience. And that is what he is modeling by not wearing a mask.


npr--2020-05-08--Spring Snow Forecast For Northeast As Polar Vortex Arrives From Canada

Spring Snow Forecast For Northeast As Polar Vortex Arrives From Canada A late-season polar vortex is headed for the Northeastern United States , bringing with it snow and perhaps record low temperatures for the Mother 's Day weekend , according to the National Weather Service .
The frigid Canadian air is being dragged south by a low pressure system now moving across the southern Plains , reaching the Mid-Atlantic by Friday and the Gulf of Maine by Saturday .
On its journey , the front will bring rain and thunderstorms , some possibly severe , to parts of the southern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says snow will begin to fall over parts of the Great Lakes Friday , moving into the Ohio Valley by evening .
Snow will develop overnight in Central Appalachia and parts of the Northeast , reaching Northern New England by Saturday .
The interior of New England is expected to receive a `` significant amount of wet snow '' accompanied by strong and gusty northerly winds , according to the NWS .
As the polar vortex is pulled farther south , record low temperatures are possible as far south as the Gulf Coast @

Spring Snow Forecast For Northeast As Polar Vortex Arrives From Canada
toggle caption National Weather Service
A late-season polar vortex is headed for the northeastern United States, bringing with it snow and perhaps record low temperatures for the Mother's Day weekend, according to the National Weather Service.
The frigid Canadian air is being dragged south by a low-pressure system now moving across the southern Plains, reaching the Mid-Atlantic by Friday and the Gulf of Maine by Saturday.
On its journey, the front will bring rain and thunderstorms, some possibly severe, to parts of the southern Plains through Friday morning.
The NWS says snow will begin to fall over parts of the Great Lakes on Friday, moving into the Ohio Valley by evening. Snow will develop overnight in central Appalachia and parts of the Northeast, reaching northern New England by Saturday.
The interior of New England is expected to receive a "significant amount of wet snow," accompanied by strong and gusty northerly winds, according to the NWS.
As the polar vortex is pulled farther south, record low temperatures are possible as far south as the Gulf Coast.


npr--2020-05-08--Friday's Jobs Numbers Will Be Brutal But Won't Tell The Whole Story

Friday 's Jobs Numbers Will Be Brutal But Wo n't Tell The Whole Story The Labor Department is expected to deliver a historically bad employment report Friday , showing millions of jobs lost last month as the jobless rate soared to around 16 % — the highest level since the Great Depression .
Unemployment inched up to 4.4 % in March as the coronavirus began to take hold in the United States .
It approached 25 % during the Great Depression and remained elevated until World War II .
As painful as the report for April will be , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the economic wreckage left by the coronavirus and the government 's drastic efforts to control it .
The report is based on surveys conducted in the middle of April , and claims for jobless benefits suggest that millions of additional jobs have been lost since then .
What 's more , the headline unemployment figure includes only people who are actively looking for work and those on temporary furlough , ignoring millions more who have been involuntarily idled by the pandemic .
Even with those limitations , the April snapshot will be staggering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that was abruptly and deliberately stopped in its tracks in a desperate bid to slow the spread of a deadly virus .
`` The whole world is kind of at a standstill now , so we 're feeling the effects of that , '' said Carmine DiBiase , a longshoreman in Florida whose work loading cruise ships was suspended weeks ago .
The payroll company ADP foreshadowed the carnage earlier this week , reporting that private-sector employers shed more than 20 million jobs last month .
By comparison , the worst monthly job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in March 2009 .
`` All the plans for this year went out the window , '' said David Edwards , who expected to spend the summer guiding people around a zoo in Coal Valley , Ill. , that 's now shuttered , and working as a mascot for a minor league baseball team whose games have been suspended .
`` The two seasonal jobs that I had are both shut down for now , '' he said .
`` I feel very scared about my future . ''
ADP said leisure and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but workers in almost every industry suffered layoffs , including retail clerks , construction crews and even health care workers .
Forecasts of the April unemployment rate vary widely — from 14 % to 17 % or even higher .
Even the low end of that range would be well above the postwar peak of 10.8 % in 1982 and four times the rate in February , which matched a 50-year low .

Friday's Jobs Numbers Will Be Brutal But Won't Tell The Whole Story
Enlarge this image toggle caption Paul Sancya/AP Paul Sancya/AP
The Labor Department is expected to deliver a historically bad employment report Friday, showing millions of jobs lost last month as the jobless rate soared to around 16% — the highest level since the Great Depression.
Unemployment inched up to 4.4% in March as the coronavirus began to take hold in the United States. It approached 25% during the Great Depression and remained elevated until World War II.
As painful as the report for April will be, it won't tell the full story of the economic wreckage left by the coronavirus and the government's drastic efforts to control it.
The report is based on surveys conducted in the middle of April, and claims for jobless benefits suggest that millions of additional jobs have been lost since then. What's more, the headline unemployment figure includes only people who are actively looking for work and those on temporary furlough, ignoring millions more who have been involuntarily idled by the pandemic.
Even with those limitations, the April snapshot will be staggering — a freeze-frame image of an economy that was abruptly and deliberately stopped in its tracks in a desperate bid to slow the spread of a deadly virus.
"The whole world is kind of at a standstill now, so we're feeling the effects of that," said Carmine DiBiase, a longshoreman in Florida whose work loading cruise ships was suspended weeks ago.
The payroll company ADP foreshadowed the carnage earlier this week, reporting that private-sector employers shed more than 20 million jobs last month. By comparison, the worst monthly job loss during the Great Recession was 800,000 in March 2009.
"All the plans for this year went out the window," said David Edwards, who expected to spend the summer guiding people around a zoo in Coal Valley, Ill., that's now shuttered, and working as a mascot for a minor league baseball team whose games have been suspended.
"The two seasonal jobs that I had are both shut down for now," he said. "I feel very scared about my future."
ADP said leisure and hospitality jobs were especially hard hit, but workers in almost every industry suffered layoffs, including retail clerks, construction crews and even health care workers.
Forecasts of the April unemployment rate vary widely — from 14% to 17% or even higher. Even the low end of that range would be well above the postwar peak of 10.8% in 1982 and four times the rate in February, which matched a 50-year low.


npr--2020-05-07--First Death Of Detainee In An ICE Detention Center From COVID-19

First Death Of Detainee In An ICE Detention Center From COVID-19 A 57-year-old Salvadoran man who was held at the Otay Mesa Detention Center in California died from COVID-19 on Wednesday .
It is the first confirmed death from the disease of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainee in an ICE detention center .
Carlos Escobar-Mejia had been in ICE custody since Jan. 10 , when he was stopped in a car by the Border Patrol in Chula Vista .
Before then , he had been living in the United States for 40 years .
He was denied bond by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because he was considered a `` flight risk . ''
By that time , several employees and detainees at Otay Mesa had already tested positive for COVID-19 .
Escobar-Mejia was on a list that a federal judge last week ordered ICE to compile of those considered medically vulnerable and eligible for immediate release .
But by the time the list was compiled , Escobar-Mejia was already hospitalized .
He died early Wednesday at Paradise Valley Hospital in National City , Calif. '' Despite what the government might say , and despite what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigration detention is civil detention .
It 's not necessary , and it should have never been a death sentence for this person , '' said Monika Langarica , an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of San Diego and Imperial Counties .
Last month , the ACLU sued ICE in federal court for the release of medically vulnerable detainees at the detention center .
The ACLU has been pushing ICE to expedite its release of detainees at Otay Mesa .
But as of Monday , only two detainees deemed medically vulnerable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A status hearing in the case is set for Friday .
In a statement on Escobar-Mejia 's death , ICE wrote that the agency `` is firmly committed to the health and welfare of all those in its custody and is undertaking a comprehensive agency-wide review of this incident , as it does in all such cases . ''
As of Thursday morning , there are 140 confirmed cases at the facility , which is holding 629 ICE detainees .
Otay Mesa has not accepted new ICE detainees since April 2 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the facility , has said it has followed CDC guidelines and protocols for containing the spread of the virus .
But detainees there have complained of not being given enough space to `` socially distance '' inside the facility or protective devices like clean masks to stop the spread of the disease .
Several have launched hunger strikes to protest their conditions .
CoreCivic initially asked detainees to sign waivers in exchange for masks .
The waivers freed the company from liability if they were to contract COVID-19 while wearing a mask .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ CoreCivic stopped requiring detainees to sign the waiver .
Last month , activists and advocates delivered hundreds of masks to the detention center to help protect detainees .
ICE did n't accept the donations .

First Death Of Detainee In An ICE Detention Center From COVID-19
Enlarge this image toggle caption Elliot Spagat/AP Elliot Spagat/AP
A 57-year-old Salvadoran man who was held at the Otay Mesa Detention Center in California died from COVID-19 on Wednesday. It is the first confirmed death from the disease of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainee in an ICE detention center.
Carlos Escobar-Mejia had been in ICE custody since Jan. 10, when he was stopped in a car by the Border Patrol in Chula Vista. Before then, he had been living in the United States for 40 years.
He was denied bond by an immigration court judge on April 15, because he was considered a "flight risk." By that time, several employees and detainees at Otay Mesa had already tested positive for COVID-19.
Escobar-Mejia was on a list that a federal judge last week ordered ICE to compile of those considered medically vulnerable and eligible for immediate release.
But by the time the list was compiled, Escobar-Mejia was already hospitalized. He died early Wednesday at Paradise Valley Hospital in National City, Calif.
"Despite what the government might say, and despite what the government did in this case, immigration detention is civil detention. It's not necessary, and it should have never been a death sentence for this person," said Monika Langarica, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of San Diego and Imperial Counties.
Last month, the ACLU sued ICE in federal court for the release of medically vulnerable detainees at the detention center. The ACLU has been pushing ICE to expedite its release of detainees at Otay Mesa. But as of Monday, only two detainees deemed medically vulnerable had been released from the detention center. A status hearing in the case is set for Friday.
In a statement on Escobar-Mejia's death, ICE wrote that the agency "is firmly committed to the health and welfare of all those in its custody and is undertaking a comprehensive agency-wide review of this incident, as it does in all such cases."
As of Thursday morning, there are 140 confirmed cases at the facility, which is holding 629 ICE detainees. Otay Mesa has not accepted new ICE detainees since April 2.
CoreCivic, the private company that runs the facility, has said it has followed CDC guidelines and protocols for containing the spread of the virus. But detainees there have complained of not being given enough space to "socially distance" inside the facility or protective devices like clean masks to stop the spread of the disease. Several have launched hunger strikes to protest their conditions.
CoreCivic initially asked detainees to sign waivers in exchange for masks. The waivers freed the company from liability if they were to contract COVID-19 while wearing a mask. After several detainees refused to sign, CoreCivic stopped requiring detainees to sign the waiver.
Last month, activists and advocates delivered hundreds of masks to the detention center to help protect detainees. ICE didn't accept the donations.


npr--2020-05-08--Answering Your Coronavirus Questions: Testing, Unemployment And Musicians

On this broadcast of The National Conversation , a doctor answers some of your questions about testing efforts for the @ @ @ @ @ discusses some of the challenges .
We 'll also answer your questions about the latest @ @ @ @ @ and musicians .

Answering Your Coronavirus Questions: Testing, Unemployment And Musicians
Enlarge this image toggle caption Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images
On this broadcast of The National Conversation, a doctor answers some of your questions about testing efforts for the coronavirus and antibodies, and discusses some of the challenges. We'll also answer your questions about the latest unemployment numbers, first-generation graduates and musicians.


npr--2020-05-08--Tyson's Largest Pork Plant Reopens As Tests Show Surge In Coronavirus Cases

A meat-packing plant in Waterloo , Iowa , where a coronavirus outbreak exploded a few weeks ago , resumed operations on Thursday after a two-week closure .
The reopening of Tyson Foods ' largest U.S. pork plant came the same day that health officials in Black Hawk County , where the plant is located , announced that 1,031 of the plant 's estimated 2,800 employees have tested positive for the virus .
That 's higher than previous estimates by state officials .
Tony Thompson , sheriff of Black Hawk County , was among the public officials who called for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His call to close the plant came after he first toured the facility on April 10 .
Thompson says that when he toured the plant then , he `` fully expected '' to see barriers , masks and other personal protective equipment in place .
That was n't the case .
`` What I saw when we went into that plant was an absolute free-for-all , '' he says .
`` Some people were wearing bandannas .
Some people were wearing surgical masks .
... .
Most people were n't wearing anything .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ elbow to elbow , sometimes reaching over each other , processing the meat that was coming down the line .
`` There was absolutely no opportunity for social distancing , '' he says .
`` We left the plant thinking , 'oh , my gosh , we 've got a huge problem here . '
'' Health officials say 90 % of the cases of coronavirus in the county are linked to the Tyson facility .
During the closure , Tyson installed clear plastic mats to divide workstations and hand sanitizing stations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and provides workers with surgical masks when they arrive and when they leave .
After touring the facility last week , Thompson is in cautious support of the reopening , saying he feels `` reserved encouragement '' after seeing the new safety measures .
If , however , the outbreak continues at this facility , Thompson says he would support a second shutdown .
Thompson 's primary focus is on the safety and security of the roughly 131,000 citizens of Black Hawk County — and he says he feels especially responsible for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bacon , but we do n't want to think about how it 's actually done .
When you got a carcass hanging there , bleeding on the floor , you do n't want to think about that ... a byproduct of that is the people that actually do that work , '' he says .
`` Unfortunately , these are oftentimes marginalized citizens because they are refugees , because they do n't speak English , because they do a job that not many people want to do , '' he continues .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not right that I hope that they have corrected .
And I 'll hold my breath and pray that that is true .
If it 's not , we 'll back up , regroup and go at this again . ''
Listen to the full interview with NPR 's Ailsa Chang at the audio link above .

Tyson's Largest Pork Plant Reopens As Tests Show Surge In Coronavirus Cases
Enlarge this image toggle caption Charlie Neibergall/AP Charlie Neibergall/AP
A meat-packing plant in Waterloo, Iowa, where a coronavirus outbreak exploded a few weeks ago, resumed operations on Thursday after a two-week closure.
The reopening of Tyson Foods' largest U.S. pork plant came the same day that health officials in Black Hawk County, where the plant is located, announced that 1,031 of the plant's estimated 2,800 employees have tested positive for the virus. That's higher than previous estimates by state officials.
Tony Thompson, sheriff of Black Hawk County, was among the public officials who called for the Waterloo facility to shut down temporarily. His call to close the plant came after he first toured the facility on April 10.
Thompson says that when he toured the plant then, he "fully expected" to see barriers, masks and other personal protective equipment in place. That wasn't the case.
"What I saw when we went into that plant was an absolute free-for-all," he says. "Some people were wearing bandannas. Some people were wearing surgical masks. .... Most people weren't wearing anything. People working on the line were working elbow to elbow, sometimes reaching over each other, processing the meat that was coming down the line.
"There was absolutely no opportunity for social distancing," he says. "We left the plant thinking, 'oh, my gosh, we've got a huge problem here.'"
Health officials say 90% of the cases of coronavirus in the county are linked to the Tyson facility.
During the closure, Tyson installed clear plastic mats to divide workstations and hand sanitizing stations. The plant has also instituted temperature checks and provides workers with surgical masks when they arrive and when they leave.
After touring the facility last week, Thompson is in cautious support of the reopening, saying he feels "reserved encouragement" after seeing the new safety measures.
If, however, the outbreak continues at this facility, Thompson says he would support a second shutdown.
National Meatpacking Workers Are Struggling To Protect Themselves During The Pandemic Meatpacking Workers Are Struggling To Protect Themselves During The Pandemic Listen · 3:52 3:52
Thompson's primary focus is on the safety and security of the roughly 131,000 citizens of Black Hawk County — and he says he feels especially responsible for the Tyson workers.
"We like our bacon, but we don't want to think about how it's actually done. When you got a carcass hanging there, bleeding on the floor, you don't want to think about that ... a byproduct of that is the people that actually do that work," he says.
"Unfortunately, these are oftentimes marginalized citizens because they are refugees, because they don't speak English, because they do a job that not many people want to do," he continues. "So there's something inherent there that was not right that I hope that they have corrected. And I'll hold my breath and pray that that is true. If it's not, we'll back up, regroup and go at this again."
Listen to the full interview with NPR's Ailsa Chang at the audio link above.


npr--2020-05-08--Haitian Doctor Says This Is The Worst Epidemic He's Faced

Haitian Doctor Says This Is The Worst Epidemic He 's Faced The Pan American Health Organization this week warned of an impending humanitarian crisis in Haiti due to the coronavirus pandemic .
Haiti has reported relatively few cases of COVID-19 but it shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic , which is experiencing one of the worst outbreaks in the hemisphere .
With the Dominican Republic under lockdown , thousands of laid off migrant workers have headed home to Haiti and presumably some of them are carrying the virus with them .
`` There is real danger of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis in Haiti , '' said Carissa Etienne , the head of PAHO , in a briefing this week with reporters .
She said Haiti 's health-care system is ill-equipped to deal with an outbreak of a highly-infectious , potentially-fatal respiratory disease .
And the measures used elsewhere to stem the spread of COVID-19 are impractical or impossible in Haiti .
`` It is extremely difficult to institute proper social distancing in Haiti , '' she said — especially in the densely packed neighborhoods of Port au Prince .
`` Most Haitians do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sanitation , and many live in crowded households where quarantine and isolation are challenging , '' she noted .
`` In addition , there is the real risk that growing food insecurity will result in famine .
Civil unrest , a difficult political situation and precarious security may further complicate the situation . ''
Elections scheduled for last year fell apart due to political gridlock , the terms of most of the legislators expired and President Jovenel Moïse has been ruling the country by decree ever since .
`` I 'm extremely worried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says Dr. Jean `` Bill '' Pape about the the coronavirus situation in Haiti .
Pape did pioneering work on HIV and AIDS in Haiti in the 1980s .
He 's now co-chair of a national commission trying to address COVID-19 .
And his list of worries is long .
`` First , we have a divided country , politically .
We need to fight this virus .
We need to be united and with a divided country , that division is a big issue , '' he says .
`` Secondly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you know , a lot of poor people live in the slums .
Slums are controlled by gangs .
And how can we reach the poor people there if access is not readily available ? ''
Pape also worries about the economic impacts of the coronavirus crisis .
Haitians rely heavily on money sent home from relatives working abroad .
As the global economy has stalled , remittances to the island have dropped sharply .
As of Friday , Haiti had only reported 129 coronavirus cases , but Pape says the actual number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very limited access to testing and the pace of newly diagnosed infections is increasing .
Elsewhere most people with COVID-19 have mild symptoms , which Pape thinks could make tracking it in Haiti even more difficult .
`` We are only screening people who are symptomatic for the virus , '' he says .
`` Haitians are very tough .
They will not go to a health center if they have mild symptoms . ''
After the first official coronavirus case was detected on March 19 , the government closed schools and banned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vans that serve as public transportation , were supposed to reduce the number of passengers they carry .
But Sandra Lamarque , the head of mission for Doctors Without Borders in Haiti , says she sees many that still appear packed .
And most other commercial activities in the country are continuing .
`` It is very , very busy as usual .
Markets are crowded , '' she says .
`` Really it looks like business as usual . ''
Doctors Without Borders is setting up isolation wards for COVID-19 patients and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease .
Still , Lamarque says confronting this virus in Haiti is going to be difficult .
`` Just getting enough personal protection equipment for health staff in Haiti and getting oxygen for every single severe patient of COVID- 19 in the country will be challenging , '' she says .
Only two laboratories in the country are able to test for the virus .
One of them is at Dr. Pape 's organization GHESKIO .
The other is at the Ministry of Health .
Pape says there are other clinics nationwide that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus , but Haiti ca n't get the specific cartridge necessary to adapt these GeneXpert diagnostic machines to screen for SARS-CoV2 .
`` We do n't have access to those tests , '' he says .
`` They can not export them .
They are only kept in the U.S. '' Some of the kits have been exported but other countries including South Africa have complained that the U.S. is hampering the sale of this particular test abroad .
To meet the need for personal protect equipment Haitian factories have started producing it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fly in other medical supplies from China .
`` It 's been a nightmare , a total nightmare , '' he says of trying to import supplies and equipment .
Most commercial flights in to Haiti have been canceled .
`` We can not have a direct flight from China because we do n't have diplomatic relations with China .
Secondly , supplies are very , very expensive .
And then if you 're getting it by plane , the cost of [ chartering ] a cargo plane is $ 1.2 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not believe it . ''
He says he checked into shipping the gear via FedEx , and it was even more expensive .
`` Haiti always benefited from the support from its friends , '' he says , but `` the United Nations is no longer united .
The nations are fighting one another [ for supplies ] . ''
`` I 've lived through the AIDS epidemic , TB , cholera , malaria , Zika , Chikungunya , '' the 73-year-old says .
`` Yet this is the most difficult .
Yes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we 've had to deal with . ''

COVID-19 Cases Double In Ill-Prepared Haiti
Enlarge this image toggle caption Pierre Michel Jean /AFP via Getty Images Pierre Michel Jean /AFP via Getty Images
Updated on May 13 at 12:30 p.m.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Haiti has doubled over the past week, according to the Haitian Ministry of Health.
As of May 13, there were 219 cases, up from 108 a week earlier. Cases are now being reported from all 10 departments, the local version of states, although the bulk of confirmed infections are in and around the capital Port-au-Prince.
That bump in cases comes in the wake of a Pan American Health Organization warning of an impending humanitarian crisis in Haiti because of the pandemic. Haiti shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic, which is experiencing one of the worst outbreaks in the hemisphere. With the Dominican Republic under lockdown, thousands of laid off migrant workers have headed home to Haiti, and presumably some of them are carrying the virus with them.
"There is real danger of a large-scale outbreak followed by a humanitarian crisis in Haiti," said Carissa Etienne, the head of PAHO, in a briefing with reporters. She said Haiti's health care system is ill-equipped to deal with an outbreak of a highly infectious, potentially fatal respiratory disease. And the measures used elsewhere to stem the spread of COVID-19 are impractical or impossible in Haiti.
"It is extremely difficult to institute proper social distancing in Haiti," she said — especially in the densely packed neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince.
"Most Haitians do not have access to potable water and sanitation, and many live in crowded households where quarantine and isolation are challenging," she noted. "In addition, there is the real risk that growing food insecurity will result in famine. Civil unrest, a difficult political situation and precarious security may further complicate the situation."
Elections scheduled for last year fell apart because of political gridlock, the terms of most of the legislators expired and President Jovenel Moise has been ruling the country by decree ever since.
"I'm extremely worried for a number of reasons," Dr. Jean "Bill" Pape says about the coronavirus situation in Haiti. Pape did pioneering work on HIV and AIDS in Haiti in the 1980s. He's now co-chair of a national commission trying to address COVID-19. And his list of worries is long.
"First, we have a divided country, politically. We need to fight this virus. We need to be united, and with a divided country, that division is a big issue," he says. "Secondly, there is the security issue. As you know, a lot of poor people live in the slums. Slums are controlled by gangs. And how can we reach the poor people there if access is not readily available?"
Pape also worries about the economic impacts of the coronavirus crisis. Haitians rely heavily on money sent home from relatives working abroad. As the global economy has stalled, remittances to the island have dropped sharply.
As of Friday, Haiti had only reported 129 coronavirus cases, but Pape says the actual number is likely far higher — even with very limited access to testing, and the pace of newly diagnosed infections is increasing.
Elsewhere, most people with COVID-19 have mild symptoms, which Pape thinks could make tracking it in Haiti even more difficult. "We are only screening people who are symptomatic for the virus," he says. "Haitians are very tough. They will not go to a health center if they have mild symptoms."
After the first official coronavirus case was detected on March 19, the government closed schools and banned church services. Tap-taps, the ubiquitous vans that serve as public transportation, were supposed to reduce the number of passengers they carry. But Sandra Lamarque, the head of mission for Doctors Without Borders in Haiti, says she sees many that still appear packed. And most other commercial activities in the country are continuing.
"It is very, very busy as usual. Markets are crowded," she says. "Really it looks like business as usual."
Doctors Without Borders is setting up isolation wards for COVID-19 patients and helping to run information campaigns on the disease. Still, Lamarque says confronting this virus in Haiti is going to be difficult.
"Just getting enough personal protection equipment for health staff in Haiti and getting oxygen for every single severe patient of COVID- 19 in the country will be challenging," she says.
Only two laboratories in the country are able to test for the virus. One of them is at Dr. Pape's organization GHESKIO. The other is at the Ministry of Health.
Pape says there are other clinics nationwide that have machines capable of testing for the virus, but Haiti can't get the specific cartridge necessary to adapt these GeneXpert diagnostic machines to screen for SARS-CoV-2.
"We don't have access to those tests," he says. "They cannot export them. They are only kept in the U.S." Some of the kits have been exported, but other countries including South Africa have complained that the U.S. is hampering the sale of this particular test abroad.
To meet the need for personal protective equipment, Haitian factories have started producing it themselves. And Pape has been trying to fly in other medical supplies from China.
"It's been a nightmare, a total nightmare," he says of trying to import supplies and equipment. Most commercial flights in to Haiti have been canceled. "We cannot have a direct flight from China because we don't have diplomatic relations with China. Secondly, supplies are very, very expensive. And then if you're getting it by plane, the cost of [chartering] a cargo plane is $1.2 [million] to $1.5 million. I could not believe it."
He says he checked into shipping the gear via FedEx, and it was even more expensive.
"Haiti always benefited from the support from its friends," he says, but "the United Nations is no longer united. The nations are fighting one another [for supplies]."
"I've lived through the AIDS epidemic, TB, cholera, malaria, Zika, Chikungunya," the 73-year-old says. "Yet this is the most difficult. Yes, this is the most difficult epidemic we've had to deal with."


npr--2020-05-08--Coronavirus FAQs: Do Temperature Screenings Help? Can Mosquitoes Spread It?

Coronavirus FAQs : Do Temperature Screenings Help ?
Can Mosquitoes Spread It ?
This is part of a series looking at pressing coronavirus questions of the week .
We 'd like to hear what you 're curious about .
Email us at goatsandsoda @ npr.org with the subject line : `` Weekly Coronavirus Questions . ''
More than 76,000 people in the U.S. have died because of COVID-19 , and there have been 1.27 million confirmed cases across the country — and nearly 4 million worldwide .
Though the virus continues to spread and sicken people , some states and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lift stay-at-home requirements .
This week , we look at some of your questions as summer nears and restrictions are eased .
Is it safe to swim in pools or lakes ?
Does the virus spread through the water ?
People are asking whether they should be concerned about being exposed to the coronavirus while swimming .
Experts say water need n't be a cause for concern .
The CDC says there is no evidence the virus that causes COVID-19 can be spread to people through the water in pools , hot tubs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I do n't believe that bodies of water — swimming pools , lakes or ponds or the ocean — are major ways that people can contract this virus , '' says Dr. Amesh Adalja , a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security .
`` Remember , it 's a respiratory virus that spreads through coughs and sneezes and common-touch surfaces .
So obviously , if you 're at a pool and people are sick and touching common-touch surfaces — maybe the chairs or the tables — that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ water itself : No . ''
But since the virus spreads through droplets , do we need to worry about those droplets in the water ?
Probably not .
Abraar Karan , a physician at Harvard Medical School , says there 's no data that suggests the virus could transmit through viral particles dispersed through a body of water .
The bigger concern , he says , is contact with other people while swimming .
`` The key is still social distancing , '' Karan says .
`` So if you 're in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contact and if you 're not wearing any sort of facial protection in the pool — obviously swimming with a cloth mask on your face can be dangerous for other reasons — then you can certainly still spread it in the normal respiratory way . ''
This one is straightforward : No .
`` This virus is not spread by mosquitoes , '' Adalja says .
`` There are very select viruses that can be actually spread by mosquitoes .
Remember , this is a respiratory virus .
It does n't get picked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it 's not transmitted from person to person by a mosquito .
So , no , there 's no evidence that this spreads through mosquitoes . ''
`` We have no documented cases of insect vector-borne spread , '' he says .
`` With most viral respiratory illnesses like flu and other things , you 're not having insects spreading them .
We have no reason to think that that would be the case here either , and we definitely do n't have any data suggest that . ''
I 've been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to screen employees before going into job sites .
Do those no-touch thermometers really work ?
And are temperature checks a good way to screen for COVID-19 ?
The raygun-like devices you 're seeing aimed at people 's foreheads are called infrared thermometers .
They estimate the body 's internal temperature , and their scans are generally considered reliable if they 're used correctly .
The most accurate way to measure temperature is rectally — but that 's certainly not the most convenient or comfortable way to check for fever .
Unfortunately , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the point : Experts say temperature checks simply are n't very effective at identifying people with the coronavirus .
Karan points to a recent study of 5,700 patients who were hospitalized with COVID-19 in New York City .
When the patients were assessed at triage , only 30.7 % of them had a fever .
Some went on to develop fever later in the course of their illness — but simply checking their temperature when they arrived at the hospital would not have flagged them as sick .
So checking someone 's temperature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infectious people , when only some 30 % of people who get hospitalized with the virus have fevers .
`` What we do n't want to happen is that people are falsely reassured that they do n't have a temperature and that they are fine , when in fact , they could be harboring virus and transmitting virus , '' Karan says .
There are potentially grave consequences for thinking that temperature scanning is effective at identifying people who are infected .
A number of studies have found that people who are not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ playing a significant role in its spread .
A model published in Nature Medicine last month estimated that 44 % of secondary cases were infected by virus carriers who were pre-symptomatic at the time .
Another factor that diminishes the utility of temperature screening : It 's possible to reduce a fever with drugs such as acetaminophen , ibuprofen , aspirin and naproxen .
Recent experience is n't reassuring about temperature checks , either .
Thermometer guns were used widely at airports in Africa during outbreaks of Ebola .
But a review of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found that between August 2014 and January 2016 , `` not a single Ebola case was detected among 300,000 passengers screened before boarding flights in Guinea , Liberia and Sierra Leone , which all had big Ebola epidemics .
But four infected passengers slipped through exit screening because they did n't have symptoms yet , '' a recent article in Science explains .
( However , that did not present a danger to other passengers because an Ebola patient must be symptomatic to transmit the virus . )
The review 's authors did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ despite their ineffectiveness : discouraging travel among sick people , raising awareness and maintaining operation of flights to and from affected areas .
But on balance , public health specialists believe that temperature checks at airports or workplaces may make us feel as if adequate precautions are being taken — without actually accomplishing much .
Nonetheless , Adalja predicts that we will see a lot of temperature screening in the weeks and months ahead .
Indeed , Frontier Airlines has just announced that all passengers will be screened for temperature starting June 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something that is widely adopted because it is something that lots of people think has face validity .
But there 's not really good data that it actually helps , '' he says .
`` This is n't something that 's ironclad and it should n't give people a false sense of security .
I think symptom-based screening and a lot of common sense does a lot more than temperature screening . ''
In other words , ask people if they 've experienced a dry cough , fever , loss of sense of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also be asked if they have been exposed to someone with coronavirus .
`` Those are much better ways to gauge if somebody actually is at risk than just a simple moment-in-time thermometer scan , '' Adalja says .
The CDC says temperature checks are among the optional screening methods that employers may use , along with other tactics like `` a visual inspection of the employee for signs of illness , which could include flushed cheeks or fatigue . ''
If employers want to encourage workers to stay home when they 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tip : `` Implement flexible sick leave and supportive policies and practices . ''

Coronavirus FAQs: Do Temperature Screenings Help? Can Mosquitoes Spread It?
Enlarge this image toggle caption PeopleImages/Getty Images PeopleImages/Getty Images
This is part of a series looking at pressing coronavirus questions of the week. We'd like to hear what you're curious about. Email us at goatsandsoda@npr.org with the subject line: "Weekly Coronavirus Questions."
More than 76,000 people in the U.S. have died because of COVID-19, and there have been 1.27 million confirmed cases across the country — and nearly 4 million worldwide. Though the virus continues to spread and sicken people, some states and countries are starting to reopen businesses and lift stay-at-home requirements. This week, we look at some of your questions as summer nears and restrictions are eased.
Is it safe to swim in pools or lakes? Does the virus spread through the water?
People are asking whether they should be concerned about being exposed to the coronavirus while swimming.
Experts say water needn't be a cause for concern. The CDC says there is no evidence the virus that causes COVID-19 can be spread to people through the water in pools, hot tubs, spas or water play areas.
"I don't believe that bodies of water — swimming pools, lakes or ponds or the ocean — are major ways that people can contract this virus," says Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security. "Remember, it's a respiratory virus that spreads through coughs and sneezes and common-touch surfaces. So obviously, if you're at a pool and people are sick and touching common-touch surfaces — maybe the chairs or the tables — that can be a risk. But the water itself: No."
But since the virus spreads through droplets, do we need to worry about those droplets in the water? Probably not.
Abraar Karan, a physician at Harvard Medical School, says there's no data that suggests the virus could transmit through viral particles dispersed through a body of water.
The bigger concern, he says, is contact with other people while swimming.
"The key is still social distancing," Karan says. "So if you're in a pool and you're having face-to-face contact and if you're not wearing any sort of facial protection in the pool — obviously swimming with a cloth mask on your face can be dangerous for other reasons — then you can certainly still spread it in the normal respiratory way."
Can mosquitoes transmit the virus?
This one is straightforward: No.
"This virus is not spread by mosquitoes," Adalja says. "There are very select viruses that can be actually spread by mosquitoes. Remember, this is a respiratory virus. It doesn't get picked up by mosquitoes in the blood, and it's not transmitted from person to person by a mosquito. So, no, there's no evidence that this spreads through mosquitoes."
Karan concurs.
"We have no documented cases of insect vector-borne spread," he says. "With most viral respiratory illnesses like flu and other things, you're not having insects spreading them. We have no reason to think that that would be the case here either, and we definitely don't have any data suggest that."
I've been seeing forehead thermometers used at airports and to screen employees before going into job sites. Do those no-touch thermometers really work? And are temperature checks a good way to screen for COVID-19?
The raygun-like devices you're seeing aimed at people's foreheads are called infrared thermometers. They estimate the body's internal temperature, and their scans are generally considered reliable if they're used correctly.
The most accurate way to measure temperature is rectally — but that's certainly not the most convenient or comfortable way to check for fever.
Unfortunately, the accuracy of the thermometer is beside the point: Experts say temperature checks simply aren't very effective at identifying people with the coronavirus.
Karan points to a recent study of 5,700 patients who were hospitalized with COVID-19 in New York City. When the patients were assessed at triage, only 30.7% of them had a fever. Some went on to develop fever later in the course of their illness — but simply checking their temperature when they arrived at the hospital would not have flagged them as sick.
So checking someone's temperature isn't a foolproof method for identifying infectious people, when only some 30% of people who get hospitalized with the virus have fevers.
"What we don't want to happen is that people are falsely reassured that they don't have a temperature and that they are fine, when in fact, they could be harboring virus and transmitting virus," Karan says.
There are potentially grave consequences for thinking that temperature scanning is effective at identifying people who are infected. A number of studies have found that people who are not yet showing symptoms of COVID-19 are likely playing a significant role in its spread. A model published in Nature Medicine last month estimated that 44% of secondary cases were infected by virus carriers who were pre-symptomatic at the time.
Another factor that diminishes the utility of temperature screening: It's possible to reduce a fever with drugs such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, aspirin and naproxen.
Recent experience isn't reassuring about temperature checks, either. Thermometer guns were used widely at airports in Africa during outbreaks of Ebola. But a review of 114 scientific papers and reports last year found that between August 2014 and January 2016, "not a single Ebola case was detected among 300,000 passengers screened before boarding flights in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, which all had big Ebola epidemics. But four infected passengers slipped through exit screening because they didn't have symptoms yet," a recent article in Science explains. (However, that did not present a danger to other passengers because an Ebola patient must be symptomatic to transmit the virus.)
The review's authors did find some upsides to the screening, despite their ineffectiveness: discouraging travel among sick people, raising awareness and maintaining operation of flights to and from affected areas.
But on balance, public health specialists believe that temperature checks at airports or workplaces may make us feel as if adequate precautions are being taken — without actually accomplishing much.
Nonetheless, Adalja predicts that we will see a lot of temperature screening in the weeks and months ahead. Indeed, Frontier Airlines has just announced that all passengers will be screened for temperature starting June 1.
"This is going to be something that is widely adopted because it is something that lots of people think has face validity. But there's not really good data that it actually helps," he says. "This isn't something that's ironclad and it shouldn't give people a false sense of security. I think symptom-based screening and a lot of common sense does a lot more than temperature screening."
In other words, ask people if they've experienced a dry cough, fever, loss of sense of smell and other symptoms. People should also be asked if they have been exposed to someone with coronavirus.
"Those are much better ways to gauge if somebody actually is at risk than just a simple moment-in-time thermometer scan," Adalja says.
The CDC says temperature checks are among the optional screening methods that employers may use, along with other tactics like "a visual inspection of the employee for signs of illness, which could include flushed cheeks or fatigue."
If employers want to encourage workers to stay home when they're feeling sick, the CDC has another tip: "Implement flexible sick leave and supportive policies and practices."


npr--2020-05-08--More Census Workers To Return To Rural Areas In 9 States To Leave Forms

More Census Workers To Return To Rural Areas In 9 States To Leave Forms The Census Bureau says it is continuing the gradual relaunch of limited field operations for the 2020 census next week in nine states where the coronavirus pandemic forced the hand-delivery of paper forms in rural areas to be suspended in mid-March .
On May 13 , some local census offices in Florida , Georgia , Kansas , Kentucky , Missouri , North Carolina , Oregon , Pennsylvania and Washington are scheduled to restart that fieldwork , according to an updated schedule the bureau published on its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be trained in CDC guidance in preventing the spread of COVID-19 , and besides a new reusable face mask for every 10 days worked and a pair of gloves for each work day , the bureau has ordered 2 ounces of hand sanitizer for each census worker conducting field operations , the bureau tells NPR in an email .
The announcement means more households that receive their mail at post office boxes or drop points are expected to find paper questionnaires left outside their front doors soon .
In areas where access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can be spotty , paper forms help ensure that all homes can participate in the once-a-decade head count of every U.S. resident .
The results are used to determine how many congressional seats and Electoral College votes each state gets through 2030 .
They also guide the redrawing of voting districts and the distribution of an estimated $ 1.5 trillion a year in federal funding for schools , roads and other public services in local communities .
The Census Bureau also announced on Friday that fingerprinting for newly hired census workers will pick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Philadelphia , Seattle , Portland , Ore. , and Pittsburgh .
With responses from close to 86 million households bringing the national self-response rate to just over 58 % as of Thursday , the federal government is relying on staffing up with enough door knockers to complete the count .
They 're currently scheduled to make in-person visits to unresponsive homes starting in August .
Last month , Census Bureau officials asked Congress to consider pushing back the legal deadlines for delivering census data used to reapportion House seats and reshape voting maps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brought on by the coronavirus .
In a letter to U.S. Senate leaders released on Friday , more than a dozen Democratic senators led by Brian Schatz of Hawaii are calling for the next COVID-19 relief package to include more funding and requirements for the Census Bureau `` to keep both field workers and the public safe while conducting this constitutionally required enumeration . ''

More Census Workers To Return To Rural Areas In 9 States To Leave Forms
Enlarge this image toggle caption Matt Rourke/AP Matt Rourke/AP
The Census Bureau says it is continuing the gradual relaunch of limited field operations for the 2020 census next week in nine states where the coronavirus pandemic forced the hand-delivery of paper forms in rural areas to be suspended in mid-March.
On May 13, some local census offices in Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Washington are scheduled to restart that fieldwork, according to an updated schedule the bureau published on its website Friday.
All workers are expected to be trained in CDC guidance in preventing the spread of COVID-19, and besides a new reusable face mask for every 10 days worked and a pair of gloves for each work day, the bureau has ordered 2 ounces of hand sanitizer for each census worker conducting field operations, the bureau tells NPR in an email.
The announcement means more households that receive their mail at post office boxes or drop points are expected to find paper questionnaires left outside their front doors soon. In areas where access to the online census form at my2020census.gov can be spotty, paper forms help ensure that all homes can participate in the once-a-decade head count of every U.S. resident.
The results are used to determine how many congressional seats and Electoral College votes each state gets through 2030. They also guide the redrawing of voting districts and the distribution of an estimated $1.5 trillion a year in federal funding for schools, roads and other public services in local communities.
The Census Bureau also announced on Friday that fingerprinting for newly hired census workers will pick up again next week in and around Philadelphia, Seattle, Portland, Ore., and Pittsburgh. With responses from close to 86 million households bringing the national self-response rate to just over 58% as of Thursday, the federal government is relying on staffing up with enough door knockers to complete the count. They're currently scheduled to make in-person visits to unresponsive homes starting in August.
Last month, Census Bureau officials asked Congress to consider pushing back the legal deadlines for delivering census data used to reapportion House seats and reshape voting maps by four months because of the delays brought on by the coronavirus.
In a letter to U.S. Senate leaders released on Friday, more than a dozen Democratic senators led by Brian Schatz of Hawaii are calling for the next COVID-19 relief package to include more funding and requirements for the Census Bureau "to keep both field workers and the public safe while conducting this constitutionally required enumeration."


npr--2020-05-08--Seen 'Plandemic'? We Take A Close Look At The Viral Conspiracy Video's Claims

Seen 'Plandemic ' ?
We Take A Close Look At The Viral Conspiracy Video 's Claims A slickly produced 26-minute video called Plandemic has exploded on social media in recent days , claiming to present a view of COVID-19 that differs from the `` official '' narrative .
The video has been viewed millions of times on YouTube via links that are replaced as quickly as the video-sharing service can remove them for violating its policy against `` COVID-19 misinformation . ''
In it , filmmaker Mikki Willis conducts an uncritical interview with Judy Mikovits , who he says has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accomplished scientists of her generation . ''
Never heard of her ?
You 're not alone .
Two prominent scientists with backgrounds in AIDS research and infectious diseases , who asked not to be identified over concerns of facing a backlash on social media , told NPR that they did not know who she was .
If you were aware of Mikovits before this week , it is probably for two books she published with co-author Kent Heckenlively , one in 2017 and another last month .
Heckenlively has also written a book @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the vaccines .
You might also know Mikovits for her central role in a pair of scientific controversies .
One involves a paper she co-authored in 2009 that was published in the journal Science , and the other concerns allegations that she stole notebooks and a laptop from a laboratory .
In the 2009 paper in which Mikovits is among 13 researchers who claimed to have found that a mouse retrovirus may contribute to chronic fatigue syndrome .
In the video , filmmaker Willis says the paper `` sent shock waves through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the common use of animal and human fetal tissues were unleashing devastating plagues of chronic diseases . ''
However , two years after its publication , the paper was retracted by the authors , an unusual occurrence in a peer-reviewed scientific journal .
Science wrote at the time that `` multiple laboratories , including those of the original authors , have failed to reliably detect '' the mouse retrovirus in chronic fatigue syndrome patients .
`` In addition , there is evidence of poor quality control in a number of specific experiments in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came the same year the paper was retracted and involved Mikovits being fired from Whittemore Peterson Institute , a laboratory located on the University of Nevada campus in Reno , where she was research director .
The lab claimed that she `` wrongfully removed lab notebooks and other proprietary information , '' according to a contemporaneous report by KRNV TV in Reno .
In Plandemic , Mikovits relates her arrest over the incident , saying she was `` held in jail without charges .
I was called a 'fugitive from justice . '
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be a police SWAT team executing a nighttime raid plays over her words , she says : `` No warrant .
They literally drug me out of the house .
Our neighbors are looking at what 's going on here . ''
According to the Chicago Tribune , Mikovits was arrested in California as a fugitive on a warrant issued by police from the University of Nevada , Reno .
Days later , according to KRNV , she turned herself in to authorities in Reno .
The television station 's report makes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filed against her — for possession of stolen property and for unlawfully taking computer data and equipment .
Both are felonies .
`` Mikovits ' lawyer , Scott Freeman , says his client is baffled at the criminal charges filed against her , '' the news report says .
She claims in the video that the material she was accused of stealing was `` planted '' in her house .
Although the criminal charges were later dropped , the lab where she worked subsequently won a default judgment in a civil suit against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The case was bolstered in part by a colleague at the institute ( and a co-author on the retracted study ) who admitted in an affidavit that he had taken items from the lab on behalf of Mikovits .
NPR reached out to Whittemore Peterson Institute for comment , but received no reply .
Ironically , Mikovits was a co-author on the study viewed as the final nail in that 2009 study she took part in .
In an email to Science Insider , she wrote that it was the only work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal woes .
Many of Mikovits ' claims concern perceived professional slights or conflicts that she attributes to various high-profile individuals who have become even more prominent in recent weeks because of the COVID-19 pandemic .
Most salient among them are Dr. Anthony Fauci , the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984 , Dr. Robert Redfield , the current director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , and Dr , Robert Gallo , an AIDS pioneer who is now director at the Institute of Human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Virus Network .
A statement emailed to NPR from the National Institutes of Health , which oversees Fauci 's NIAID , stated : `` The National Institutes of Health and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases are focused on critical research aimed at ending the COVID-19 pandemic and preventing further deaths .
We are not engaging in tactics by some seeking to derail our efforts . ''
In an article originally published in 2018 , Snopes reported on a claim by Mikovits that Fauci sent an email that `` threatened her with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Health to participate in a study to validate her chronic fatigue research . ''
`` I have no idea what she is talking about .
I can categorically state that I have never sent such an e-mail , '' Fauci told the fact-checking website .
`` I would never make such a statement in an e-mail that anyone 'would be immediately arrested ' if they stepped foot on NIH property . ''
Mikovits also says Fauci has profited from patents bearing his name that were derived from research done at NIAID .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard to pin down , The Associated Press did report in 2005 that scientists at the National Institutes of Health `` have collected millions of dollars in royalties for experimental treatments without having to tell patients testing the treatments that the researchers ' had a financial connection . ''
Fauci and his deputy , Clifford Lane , were among those who received royalty payments from patents at NIH .
Fauci later told The BMJ , a peer-reviewed medical journal , that as a government employee , he was required by law to put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to BMJ , Fauci `` said that he felt it was inappropriate to receive payment and donated the entire amount to charity . ''
Mikovits also appears to cast doubt on the official statistics regarding COVID-19 deaths , saying that doctors and hospitals have been `` incentivized '' to count deaths unrelated to the disease as having been caused by the coronavirus infection because of payouts from Medicare .
In fact , a 20 % premium was tacked on to Medicare payments for treatment of COVID-19 patients as part of the recent Coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
However , a fact check published recently in USA Today concluded : `` There have been no public reports that hospitals are exaggerating COVID-19 numbers to receive higher Medicare payments . ''
The 'out of lab ' theory In the video , Mikovits is asked whether she believes the novel coronavirus came out of a lab — something that NPR 's Geoff Brumfiel and Emily Kwong have thoroughly investigated and found that the vast majority of scientists in the field of infectious diseases dismiss the idea that a lab created the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other senior administration officials have pushed the accidental release theory without presenting evidence .
`` I would n't use the word 'created , ' `` Mikovits says in the video .
`` But you ca n't say 'naturally occurring ' if it was by way of the laboratory . ''
`` It 's very clear this virus was manipulated , this family of viruses was manipulated and studied in a laboratory , where the animals were taken into the laboratory , and this is what was released , whether deliberate or not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the alleged lab-release occurred , Mikovits asserts that she 's `` sure '' it happened `` between '' the North Carolina laboratories ( presumably the Virus Culture Laboratory at the North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health ) and the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases at Fort Detrick in Maryland , and the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China .
Again , there is no publicly available evidence to support her claim .
The video correctly points to U.S. cooperation with and funding for the Wuhan laboratory but implies by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sinister in nature rather than standard international cooperation .
In fact , as NPR 's Nurtith Aizenman has reported , `` many experts say [ such cooperation ] is vital to preventing the next major coronavirus outbreak . ''
Mikovits also says it 's not possible for the coronavirus , formally known as SARS-CoV-2 , to have evolved from the original severe acute respiratory syndrome virus , stating that `` would take it up to 800 years to occur . ''
Her statement belies the fact that viruses are well-known to evolve rapidly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for instance , changing so quickly that a new vaccine is required each year .
In a 2012 study of one virus , researchers at Michigan State University found that if its normal route for infection was blocked , it only took a matter of weeks for it to evolve another one .
Mikovits also claims to have worked at the Fort Detrick 's USAMRIID in 1999 , where she says her job `` was to teach Ebola how to infect human cells without killing them . ''
`` Ebola could n't infect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the laboratories and taught [ it ] , '' she states .
While NPR could not verify Mikovits ' claims to have worked at the lab nor the nature of the work she might have done there , her statements simply do n't pass the sniff test .
If , in 1999 , her research was aimed at getting Ebola to infect humans , she was behind the curve — by decades .
The first Ebola outbreak occurred in 1976 in central Africa , killing 280 people .
Between 1976 and 1999 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed hundreds of people .
Clearly , Ebola was able to infect humans long before 1999 .
In addition to Heckenlively , her book collaborator , Mikovits has made spurious claims about vaccines , although she insists in the video that she is not `` anti-vaccination . ''
As recently as July , she spoke before a group opposed to a California bill aimed at clamping down on exemptions to vaccinations in children .
Finally , a number of individuals described as doctors in the video are seen questioning the guidelines put out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prevention on social distancing and other preventative measures , or suggesting the same profit motive for COVID-19 diagnoses that Mikovits promotes .
Although none are identified by name , one appears on a television chyron to be Minnesota state Sen. Scott Jensen , a family physician from Chaska .
On Thursday , Jensen said he had `` taken a ton of heat and even some threatening messages '' over his stance , particularly since Plandemic has gone viral .
But he said he stands by his criticisms of the government response to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the video — identified as California urgent care clinic doctors — called last month for an end to stay-at-home orders .
They have since been rebuked by two national physicians groups .
`` The American College of Emergency Physicians ( ACEP ) and the American Academy of Emergency Medicine ( AAEM ) jointly and emphatically condemn the recent opinions released by Dr. Daniel Erickson and Dr. Artin Massihi .
These reckless and untested musings do not speak for medical societies and are inconsistent with current science and epidemiology regarding COVID-19 , '' a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` As owners of local urgent care clinics , it appears these two individuals are releasing biased , non-peer-reviewed data to advance their personal financial interests without regard for the public 's health . ''

Seen 'Plandemic'? We Take A Close Look At The Viral Conspiracy Video's Claims
A slickly produced 26-minute video called Plandemic has exploded on social media in recent days, claiming to present a view of COVID-19 that differs from the "official" narrative.
The video has been viewed millions of times on YouTube via links that are replaced as quickly as the video-sharing service can remove them for violating its policy against "COVID-19 misinformation."
In it, filmmaker Mikki Willis conducts an uncritical interview with Judy Mikovits, who he says has been called "one of the most accomplished scientists of her generation."
Never heard of her? You're not alone.
Two prominent scientists with backgrounds in AIDS research and infectious diseases, who asked not to be identified over concerns of facing a backlash on social media, told NPR that they did not know who she was.
If you were aware of Mikovits before this week, it is probably for two books she published with co-author Kent Heckenlively, one in 2017 and another last month. Heckenlively has also written a book himself espousing the discredited link between autism and vaccines. You might also know Mikovits for her central role in a pair of scientific controversies. One involves a paper she co-authored in 2009 that was published in the journal Science, and the other concerns allegations that she stole notebooks and a laptop from a laboratory.
Research gone bad
In the 2009 paper, Mikovits is among 13 researchers who claimed to have found that a mouse retrovirus may contribute to chronic fatigue syndrome.
In the video, filmmaker Willis says the paper "sent shock waves through the scientific community, as it revealed the common use of animal and human fetal tissues were unleashing devastating plagues of chronic diseases."
However, two years after its publication, the paper was retracted by the authors, an unusual occurrence in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. Science wrote at the time that "multiple laboratories, including those of the original authors, have failed to reliably detect" the mouse retrovirus in chronic fatigue syndrome patients. "In addition, there is evidence of poor quality control in a number of specific experiments in the Report."
Enlarge this image toggle caption David Calvert/AP David Calvert/AP
The second controversy came the same year the paper was retracted and involved Mikovits being fired from Whittemore Peterson Institute, a laboratory located on the University of Nevada campus in Reno, where she was research director.
The lab claimed that she "wrongfully removed lab notebooks and other proprietary information," according to a contemporaneous report by KRNV TV in Reno.
In Plandemic, Mikovits relates her arrest over the incident, saying she was "held in jail without charges. I was called a 'fugitive from justice.' "
Speaking as footage of what appears to be a police SWAT team executing a nighttime raid plays over her words, she says: "No warrant. They literally drug me out of the house. Our neighbors are looking at what's going on here."
According to the Chicago Tribune, Mikovits was arrested in California as a fugitive on a warrant issued by police from the University of Nevada, Reno.
Days later, according to KRNV, she turned herself in to authorities in Reno. The television station's report makes clear that a two-count criminal complaint was filed against her — for possession of stolen property and for unlawfully taking computer data and equipment. Both are felonies.
"Mikovits' lawyer, Scott Freeman, says his client is baffled at the criminal charges filed against her," the news report says.
She claims in the video that the material she was accused of stealing was "planted" in her house.
Although the criminal charges were later dropped, the lab where she worked subsequently won a default judgment in a civil suit against her seeking the return of the items. The case was bolstered in part by a colleague at the institute (and a co-author on the retracted study) who admitted in an affidavit that he had taken items from the lab on behalf of Mikovits.
NPR reached out to Whittemore Peterson Institute for comment, but received no reply.
Ironically, Mikovits was a co-author on the study viewed as the final nail in that 2009 study she took part in. In an email to Science Insider, she wrote that it was the only work she could find after her professional and legal woes.
Accusations against Fauci
Many of Mikovits' claims concern perceived professional slights or conflicts that she attributes to various high-profile individuals who have become even more prominent in recent weeks because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Most salient among them are Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984, Dr. Robert Redfield, the current director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Dr, Robert Gallo, an AIDS pioneer who is now director at the Institute of Human Virology and scientific director at the Global Virus Network.
A statement emailed to NPR from the National Institutes of Health, which oversees Fauci's NIAID, stated: "The National Institutes of Health and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases are focused on critical research aimed at ending the COVID-19 pandemic and preventing further deaths. We are not engaging in tactics by some seeking to derail our efforts."
In an article originally published in 2018, Snopes reported on a claim by Mikovits that Fauci sent an email that "threatened her with arrest if she visited the National Institutes of Health to participate in a study to validate her chronic fatigue research."
"I have no idea what she is talking about. I can categorically state that I have never sent such an e-mail," Fauci told the fact-checking website. "I would never make such a statement in an e-mail that anyone 'would be immediately arrested' if they stepped foot on NIH property."
Profiting from patents and COVID-19 payments?
Mikovits also says Fauci has profited from patents bearing his name that were derived from research done at NIAID. While the details of her claims are hard to pin down, The Associated Press did report in 2005 that scientists at the National Institutes of Health "have collected millions of dollars in royalties for experimental treatments without having to tell patients testing the treatments that the researchers' had a financial connection."
Fauci and his deputy, Clifford Lane, were among those who received royalty payments from patents at NIH. Fauci later told The BMJ, a peer-reviewed medical journal, that as a government employee, he was required by law to put his name on patents.
According to BMJ, Fauci "said that he felt it was inappropriate to receive payment and donated the entire amount to charity."
Mikovits also appears to cast doubt on the official statistics regarding COVID-19 deaths, saying that doctors and hospitals have been "incentivized" to count deaths unrelated to the disease as having been caused by the coronavirus infection because of payouts from Medicare.
In fact, a 20% premium was tacked on to Medicare payments for treatment of COVID-19 patients as part of the recent Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act.
However, a fact check published recently in USA Today concluded: "There have been no public reports that hospitals are exaggerating COVID-19 numbers to receive higher Medicare payments."
The 'out of lab' theory
In the video, Mikovits is asked whether she believes the novel coronavirus came out of a lab — something that NPR's Geoff Brumfiel and Emily Kwong have thoroughly investigated and found that the vast majority of scientists in the field of infectious diseases dismiss the idea that a lab created the virus or accidentally released it. President Trump and other senior administration officials have pushed the accidental release theory without presenting evidence.
"I wouldn't use the word 'created,' " Mikovits says in the video. "But you can't say 'naturally occurring' if it was by way of the laboratory."
"It's very clear this virus was manipulated, this family of viruses was manipulated and studied in a laboratory, where the animals were taken into the laboratory, and this is what was released, whether deliberate or not," she adds.
Asked where the alleged lab-release occurred, Mikovits asserts that she's "sure" it happened "between" unspecified North Carolina laboratories, the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases at Fort Detrick in Maryland, and the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China.
Again, there is no publicly available evidence to support her claim.
The video correctly points to U.S. cooperation with and funding for the Wuhan laboratory but implies by way of innuendo that the link is sinister in nature rather than standard international cooperation. In fact, as NPR's Nurith Aizenman has reported, "many experts say [such cooperation] is vital to preventing the next major coronavirus outbreak."
Mikovits also says it's not possible for the coronavirus, formally known as SARS-CoV-2, to have evolved from the original severe acute respiratory syndrome virus, stating that "would take it up to 800 years to occur."
Her statement belies the fact that viruses are well-known to evolve rapidly, with the seasonal flu strain, for instance, changing so quickly that a new vaccine is required each year. In a 2012 study of one virus, researchers at Michigan State University found that if its normal route for infection was blocked, it only took a matter of weeks for it to evolve another one.
"Teaching" Ebola to infect humans?
Mikovits also claims to have worked at Fort Detrick's USAMRIID in 1999, where she says her job "was to teach Ebola how to infect human cells without killing them."
"Ebola couldn't infect human cells until we took it into the laboratories and taught [it]," she states.
While NPR could not verify Mikovits' claims to have worked at the lab nor the nature of the work she might have done there, her statements simply don't pass the sniff test. If, in 1999, her research was aimed at getting Ebola to infect humans, she was behind the curve — by decades.
The first Ebola outbreak occurred in 1976 in central Africa, killing 280 people. Between 1976 and 1999, there were several more such outbreaks that killed hundreds of people.
Clearly, Ebola was able to infect humans long before 1999.
In addition to Heckenlively, her book collaborator, Mikovits has made spurious claims about vaccines, although she insists in the video that she is not "anti-vaccination." As recently as July, she spoke before a group opposed to a California bill aimed at clamping down on exemptions to vaccinations in children.
Opposition to CDC guidelines
Finally, a number of individuals described as doctors in the video are seen questioning the guidelines put out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on social distancing and other preventative measures, or suggesting the same profit motive for COVID-19 diagnoses that Mikovits promotes.
Although none are identified by name, one appears on a television chyron to be Minnesota state Sen. Scott Jensen, a family physician from Chaska.
On Thursday, Jensen said he had "taken a ton of heat and even some threatening messages" over his stance, particularly since Plandemic has gone viral. But he said he stands by his criticisms of the government response to the pandemic.
Two others who appear in the video — identified as California urgent care clinic doctors — called last month for an end to stay-at-home orders. They have since been rebuked by two national physicians groups.
"The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) and the American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM) jointly and emphatically condemn the recent opinions released by Dr. Daniel Erickson and Dr. Artin Massihi. These reckless and untested musings do not speak for medical societies and are inconsistent with current science and epidemiology regarding COVID-19," a statement said.
The groups added: "As owners of local urgent care clinics, it appears these two individuals are releasing biased, non-peer-reviewed data to advance their personal financial interests without regard for the public's health."