npr--2020-04-25--Tracking The Pandemic: How Quickly Is The Coronavirus Spreading State By State?

Tracking The Pandemic : How Quickly Is The Coronavirus Spreading State By State ?
Since the first coronavirus case was confirmed in the United States on Jan. 21 , over a half-million people in the U.S. have confirmed cases of COVID-19 .
On April 12 , the U.S. became the nation with the most deaths globally , but there are early signs that the U.S. case and death counts may be leveling off , as the growth of new cases and deaths plateaus .
The pattern is n't consistent across the country , as new hot spots emerge and others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state 's case count is growing , click here .
Click here to see a global map of confirmed cases and deaths .
In response to mounting cases , state and federal authorities have emphasized a social distancing strategy , widely seen as the best available means to slow the spread of the virus .
Most states have put in place measures such as closing schools and nonessential businesses and ordering citizens to stay home as much as possible .
It 's not clear how long such measures need to be in place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wuhan , the city in China where the virus originated , a strictly enforced lockdown and widespread testing have slowed the outbreak dramatically , enough to bring an end to the 76-day lockdown .
A large portion of U.S. cases are centered on New York City .
Since March 20 , New York state , Connecticut and New Jersey have accounted for around 50 % of all U.S. cases .
As of April 9 , nearly 60 % of all deaths from COVID-19 have been in these three states .
While New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as seen below , it notched between 8,000 and 10,000 new cases each day between March 31 and April 12 .
To understand how one state 's outbreak compares with another 's , it 's helpful to look at not just the daily counts but the rate of change day over day .
In the following chart , we display cases on a logarithmic scale , meaning that every axis line is 10 times greater than the previous one .
This type of scale emphasizes the rate of change .
When case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's curve trends sharply upward , as New York 's does over the first 15 days past 100 cases .
Generally , this is evidence of unbridled community transmission of the disease .
As new cases slow , the curve bends toward horizontal , showing that the state 's outbreak may be leveling off .
This does n't mean the number of cases has stopped growing , but the rate of growth has slowed , which could signify that social distancing measures are having an effect .
In some areas , there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the earliest outbreaks — such as California and Washington — seem to be having success at suppressing the disease .
The outlook in Washington has improved to the point that the state has returned unused Army hospital beds it had received in preparation for a peak in cases .
Elsewhere , limited access to testing may make the number of cases look smaller than it really is .
As testing becomes more readily available , we are likely to see the number of confirmed cases continue to grow , even if not at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used here are compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources , including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ; the World Health Organization ; national , state and local government health departments ; 1point3acres ; and local media reports .
The JHU team automates its data uploads and regularly checks them for anomalies .
State-by-state testing and hospitalization data are still being assessed for reliability .
State-by-state recovery data are unavailable at this time .
There may be discrepancies between what you see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local health department 's website .
Stephanie Adeline , Alyson Hurt , Connie Hanzhang Jin , Ruth Talbot and Thomas Wilburn contributed to this story .

Tracking the coronavirus around the U.S.: See how your state is doing
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Note: This page was last updated on Feb. 1, 2023. It will no longer be updated. For current data on COVID cases and deaths, demographics, and hospitalizations, consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As of Feb. 1, there have been more than 101 million confirmed coronavirus infections in the U.S. and more than 1 million people have died of COVID-19. In the graphics below, explore the trends in your state.
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The above charts show average new cases per 100,000 people for each state over the last 12 months.
Note: Actual cases may be substantially higher, since many who test positive with at-home tests don't report their cases.
For additional data about COVID-19 in the U.S, including cases and deaths, demographics, and hospitalizations, consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
To show trends, the table below shows the change in average new cases per day in each state, week over week for the last 28 days. States marked in shades of red have growing outbreaks; those in shades of green, are declining.
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Methodology
The graphics on this page pull from data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the World Health Organization; national, state and local government health departments; 1point3acres; and local media reports.
The JHU team automates its data uploads and regularly checks them for anomalies. This may result in occasional data discrepancies on this page as the JHU team resolves anomalies and updates its feeds. There may be discrepancies between what you see here and what you see on your local health department's website. Figures shown do not include cases on cruise ships.
Fluctuations in the numbers may happen as health authorities review old cases, process testing backlogs or update their methodologies. The JHU team maintains a list of such changes.
This story was originally published on March 16, 2020. Elena Renken was a co-author on that version. Sean McMinn and Audrey Carlsen contributed to this story. Carmel Wroth edited this story.


npr--2020-04-25--A 56-Year-Old Finally Learned To Write His Name — Because Of A Coronavirus Lockdown

A 56-Year-Old Finally Learned To Write His Name — Because Of A Coronavirus Lockdown All his life , 56-year-old Pratap Singh Bora has been sticking his thumb in ink to sign documents .
He did n't go to school when he was a kid .
Little did he know that he would learn to write his first words at a coronavirus lockdown center during a global pandemic .
Bora is a construction laborer working in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand .
He was returning to his native Nepal in late March when India announced a three-week coronavirus lockdown ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May 3 ) .
The government shut off public transport and sealed borders .
Like tens of millions of migrant laborers across India , Bora was stuck .
On April 10 , Indian authorities housed Bora and dozens of other stranded migrants in a school converted into a relief camp in the town of Tanakpur along the India-Nepal border .
India has set up more than 20,000 camps across the country to provide food and shelter to poor people affected by the lockdown .
But at the Tanakpur relief camp , residents get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It 's one of 10 centers in Uttarakhand 's Champawat district where authorities are running literacy programs for illiterate migrant workers .
About 200 inhabitants are learning to read and write for the first time , says Ramesh Chandra Purohit , chief education officer for Champawat district .
`` We wanted the laborers to get something out of the lockdown and not just kill time , '' says Purohit .
Purohit explains that Champawat sits on the Indo-Nepal border and sees a huge influx of poor , illiterate laborers .
Bora was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ India nearly two decades ago to find work and usually goes back home twice a year to visit his family .
When the relief camp organizers first tried to get him enrolled in the literacy program a few weeks ago , Bora was hesitant .
`` He was embarrassed that he was the oldest of all the students in the class , '' says municipal official Prema Thakur who teaches the laborers .
Most of the students are in their thirties , says Thakur .
`` He used to say , 'what am @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and write at this age ? '
'' says Thakur .
But Thakur and her colleagues motivated him .
They brought notebooks and pencils for their students .
And after just two days of classes , Bora was able to write his name in Hindi , Thakur says .
In fact , he learned faster than many of his younger classmates , including his 30-year-old son , Thakur adds .
`` It felt really nice [ when I wrote my name ] , '' Bora says .
`` When I was a kid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hilly area and there was no school nearby . ''
Bora says his family was also too poor to send him to school .
`` We feel like kids again when our class begins and the teacher comes , '' says 26-year-old Navidad , who 's also staying at the Tanakpur facility .
`` We feel like we 're in school . ''
Navidad , who goes by one name , learned to read and write when he was a kid but dropped out in middle school .
Now , he 's helping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` The teacher tells others to come to me if they have any doubts after class , '' Navidad says .
In addition to literacy programs , the relief camp also has yoga classes and an initiative to help the migrant workers quit tobacco , says Purohit .
The camp organizers screen movies and encourage those who are literate to read magazines and newspapers that they provide .
In the evenings they play a popular Indian singing game called antakshari , in which participants have to sing a song that starts with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with .
That 's different from how laborers stranded in some other parts of the country are coping with the lockdown .
In India 's financial capital Mumbai , hundreds of migrant workers defied curfew earlier this month and thronged a railway station .
They were demanding that the government allow them to go back to their villages .
In the end , police used batons to disperse the crowd .
Purohit says entertainment activities conducted in their relief camps help avoid a similar situation by keeping the workers engaged .
Utilizing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to read and write is a great idea , says Vachaspati Shukla , assistant professor at the Sardar Patel Institute of Economic and Social Research in Gujarat , India .
`` If possible , it must be implemented wherever migrant laborers are staying [ in camps ] , '' Shukla told NPR in an email .
Shukla says laborers mostly come from states that have very low adult literacy rates .
India has more than one-third of the world 's illiterate adults .
Literacy programs for adults in temporary settings like relief camps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had similar programs for years .
But conducting reading and writing classes in facilities for people stranded due to the coronavirus is a novel idea .
Such shelters in many parts of India lack basic sanitation let alone learning opportunities for their inhabitants .
Purohit says he and his colleagues are planning to conduct a short examination at the end of the lockdown for the laborers who 've learned to read and write .
Those who pass will be awarded a certificate as a sign of their achievement .
He hopes they will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thakur , the teacher , says she 's observed personal growth in all of her students .
She 's now teaching them numbers and the English alphabet .
One 19-year-old has already filled his notebook , she says .
As for Bora , Thakur says , he 's become enthusiastic .
And not just about studying but also in activities like singing and dancing .
`` It 's like the inner child in him is awake again , '' Thakur says .

A 56-Year-Old Finally Learned To Write His Name — Because Of A Coronavirus Lockdown
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sanju Chand Sanju Chand
All his life, 56-year-old Pratap Singh Bora has been sticking his thumb in ink to sign documents. He didn't go to school when he was a kid. Little did he know that he would learn to write his first words at a coronavirus lockdown center during a global pandemic.
Bora is a construction laborer working in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand. He was returning to his native Nepal in late March when India announced a three-week coronavirus lockdown (the lockdown has since been extended to May 3). The government shut off public transport and sealed borders. Like tens of millions of migrant laborers across India, Bora was stuck.
On April 10, Indian authorities housed Bora and dozens of other stranded migrants in a school converted into a relief camp in the town of Tanakpur along the India-Nepal border. India has set up more than 20,000 camps across the country to provide food and shelter to poor people affected by the lockdown.
But at the Tanakpur relief camp, residents get something extra: an opportunity to learn.
It's one of 10 centers in Uttarakhand's Champawat district where authorities are running literacy programs for illiterate migrant workers. About 200 inhabitants are learning to read and write for the first time, says Ramesh Chandra Purohit, chief education officer for Champawat district.
"We wanted the laborers to get something out of the lockdown and not just kill time," says Purohit.
Purohit explains that Champawat sits on the Indo-Nepal border and sees a huge influx of poor, illiterate laborers. Bora was one of them. He came to India nearly two decades ago to find work and usually goes back home twice a year to visit his family.
When the relief camp organizers first tried to get him enrolled in the literacy program a few weeks ago, Bora was hesitant.
toggle caption Sanju Chand
"He was embarrassed that he was the oldest of all the students in the class," says municipal official Prema Thakur who teaches the laborers. Most of the students are in their thirties, says Thakur. "He used to say, 'what am I going to do learning to read and write at this age?'" says Thakur.
But Thakur and her colleagues motivated him. They brought notebooks and pencils for their students. And after just two days of classes, Bora was able to write his name in Hindi, Thakur says. In fact, he learned faster than many of his younger classmates, including his 30-year-old son, Thakur adds.
"It felt really nice [when I wrote my name]," Bora says. "When I was a kid, we used to live in a hilly area and there was no school nearby."
Bora says his family was also too poor to send him to school.
"We feel like kids again when our class begins and the teacher comes," says 26-year-old Navidad, who's also staying at the Tanakpur facility. "We feel like we're in school."
Navidad, who goes by one name, learned to read and write when he was a kid but dropped out in middle school. Now, he's helping his lockdown classmates with their homework.
"The teacher tells others to come to me if they have any doubts after class," Navidad says.
In addition to literacy programs, the relief camp also has yoga classes and an initiative to help the migrant workers quit tobacco, says Purohit. The camp organizers screen movies and encourage those who are literate to read magazines and newspapers that they provide. In the evenings they play a popular Indian singing game called antakshari, in which participants have to sing a song that starts with the syllable that their competitor's song ended with.
That's different from how laborers stranded in some other parts of the country are coping with the lockdown.
In India's financial capital Mumbai, hundreds of migrant workers defied curfew earlier this month and thronged a railway station. They were demanding that the government allow them to go back to their villages. In the end, police used batons to disperse the crowd.
Purohit says entertainment activities conducted in their relief camps help avoid a similar situation by keeping the workers engaged.
Utilizing the lockdown time to teach migrant laborers how to read and write is a great idea, says Vachaspati Shukla, assistant professor at the Sardar Patel Institute of Economic and Social Research in Gujarat, India.
"If possible, it must be implemented wherever migrant laborers are staying [in camps]," Shukla told NPR in an email.
Shukla says laborers mostly come from states that have very low adult literacy rates. India has more than one-third of the world's illiterate adults.
Literacy programs for adults in temporary settings like relief camps are not new. Refugee camps have had similar programs for years. But conducting reading and writing classes in facilities for people stranded due to the coronavirus is a novel idea. Such shelters in many parts of India lack basic sanitation let alone learning opportunities for their inhabitants.
Purohit says he and his colleagues are planning to conduct a short examination at the end of the lockdown for the laborers who've learned to read and write. Those who pass will be awarded a certificate as a sign of their achievement. He hopes they will continue to study after they leave.
Thakur, the teacher, says she's observed personal growth in all of her students. She's now teaching them numbers and the English alphabet. One 19-year-old has already filled his notebook, she says.
As for Bora, Thakur says, he's become enthusiastic. And not just about studying but also in activities like singing and dancing.
"It's like the inner child in him is awake again," Thakur says.


npr--2020-04-25--Augusta Mayor Pushes Back On Georgia's Reopening: 'We're Woefully Behind'

Augusta Mayor Pushes Back On Georgia 's Reopening : 'We 're Woefully Behind' Barbershops , nail salons , gyms and a host of other businesses once considered nonessential are reopening to the public across Georgia , as the state eases its coronavirus restrictions .
But even as storefronts begin to reopen , Gov .
Brian Kemp 's move has drawn a bevy of criticism from across the political spectrum — from President Trump , a fellow Republican , to mayors throughout the state .
Augusta Mayor Hardie Davis Jr. , a Democrat , joined NPR 's Weekend Edition on Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I do n't think we 're ready to reopen , '' Davis said .
`` I 'm optimistic that we 're going to continue to do the things that we had in place prior to the governor 's most recent order — and that is , individuals will continue to shelter in place .
If there 's no need for them to go outside of their homes , I 'm encouraging folks to continue to stay inside so that we can flatten the curve . ''
Under Kemp 's direction , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were allowed to reopen Friday , so long as they carry out `` minimum basic operations '' and adhere to social distancing and sanitation guidelines .
The move comes just over three weeks after Kemp became one of the last governors in the nation to issue a statewide shelter-in-place order .
And in a variety of ways , the state has yet to meet the benchmarks established for beginning Phase 1 of the White House 's reopening guidelines .
Those benchmarks include being able to demonstrate a two-week decline in COVID-like illnesses .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with other mayors in the state .
`` The success of us getting our arms around COVID-19 is predicated on being able to sufficiently test , to be able to contact trace and then provide treatment , which coincides with the White House 's phased plan for reopening , '' Davis said .
`` To abandon that process in the middle of the fourth quarter , I think it puts us in jeopardy and in harm 's way , in terms of being able to flatten the curve and stop the spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Georgia has reported more than 22,000 cases of the coronavirus and 899 deaths .
Davis said that until the state catches up on testing , it will not be ready to take the steps toward reopening that it has already formally embarked upon .
`` I think we 're woefully behind , '' he added , `` and it 's impractical for us to be open in the state at this early stage . ''

Augusta Mayor Pushes Back On Georgia's Reopening: 'We're Woefully Behind'
Barbershops, nail salons, gyms and a host of other businesses once considered nonessential are reopening to the public across Georgia, as the state eases its coronavirus restrictions. But even as storefronts begin to reopen, Gov. Brian Kemp's move has drawn a bevy of criticism from across the political spectrum — from President Trump, a fellow Republican, to mayors throughout the state.
Augusta Mayor Hardie Davis Jr., a Democrat, joined NPR's Weekend Edition on Saturday to explain his misgivings about the decision.
"I don't think we're ready to reopen," Davis said. "I'm optimistic that we're going to continue to do the things that we had in place prior to the governor's most recent order — and that is, individuals will continue to shelter in place. If there's no need for them to go outside of their homes, I'm encouraging folks to continue to stay inside so that we can flatten the curve."
Under Kemp's direction, a slew of businesses originally deemed nonessential were allowed to reopen Friday, so long as they carry out "minimum basic operations" and adhere to social distancing and sanitation guidelines.
The move comes just over three weeks after Kemp became one of the last governors in the nation to issue a statewide shelter-in-place order. And in a variety of ways, the state has yet to meet the benchmarks established for beginning Phase 1 of the White House's reopening guidelines. Those benchmarks include being able to demonstrate a two-week decline in COVID-like illnesses.
Davis has expressed his doubts, along with other mayors in the state.
"The success of us getting our arms around COVID-19 is predicated on being able to sufficiently test, to be able to contact trace and then provide treatment, which coincides with the White House's phased plan for reopening," Davis said. "To abandon that process in the middle of the fourth quarter, I think it puts us in jeopardy and in harm's way, in terms of being able to flatten the curve and stop the spread of the virus."
As of Saturday, Georgia has reported more than 22,000 cases of the coronavirus and 899 deaths. Davis said that until the state catches up on testing, it will not be ready to take the steps toward reopening that it has already formally embarked upon.
"I think we're woefully behind," he added, "and it's impractical for us to be open in the state at this early stage."


npr--2020-04-25--Threadgill's, The Austin Venue That Helped Launch Janis Joplin, Closes Down

Threadgill 's , The Austin Venue That Helped Launch Janis Joplin , Closes Down With public life paralyzed by the coronavirus shutdown , a sad announcement came last week from a beloved cafe and music venue in Austin , Texas .
Threadgill 's , the Depression-era beer joint where Janis Joplin got her start — and later a place that fed Austin 's appetite for good food and good music — is closing for good .
Threadgill 's is part of Austin 's creation story .
A welder and bootlegger named Kenneth Threadgill converted a gas station into a beer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as soon as Prohibition was repealed .
But it was in the early 1960s that Threadgill 's entered American musical history .
A rebellious undergrad at the University of Texas named Janis Joplin , who played blues on her autoharp , began coming to the Wednesday-night folk sessions at Threadgill 's .
She sang like nobody the salty old proprietor had ever heard .
`` Kenneth Threadgill , as I understand , welcomed Janis Joplin to Threadgill 's and nurtured her — and this , at a time when no one liked how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a Threadgill 's regular , remembers .
`` A lot of people did n't like how she sang .
And he gave her confidence , and she ended up going out to San Francisco and the rest is history . ''
After Joplin left for the West Coast and went on to become a rock and roll idol , Kenneth Threadgill came into his own as a country singer , known for his Jimmie Rodgers-style yodeling .
Joplin and Threadgill remained close , even after his tavern went out of business .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ music promoter named Eddie Wilson acquired the decrepit structure on North Lamar Boulevard and renovated it .
Threadgill 's was reborn .
For nearly four decades , the scuffed wooden stage would be home to acclaimed singer-songwriters Jimmy LaFave , Jimmie Dale Gilmore and many others .
And the kitchen would create Southern comfort food prepared in the spirit of Wilson 's mother , Beulah .
The vegetables were slow-cooked with ham hocks — and the chicken-fried steak was legendary .
`` When you start with the right stuff , you really ca @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wilson says .
`` And it 's really a matter of getting it really good and soaked in that buttermilk dip that we put it in .
And then into the seasoned flour , and really pressed in good and hard .
And then back in the dip and then in the fryer .
So that it goes in the fryer wet and just kind of explodes . ''
The 76-year-old Wilson , with his white beard and cowboy boots , has decorated the walls of his cafe with the artifacts of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : musical instruments , signed photographs , concert posters and his extensive collection of neon beer signs .
Some of the memorabilia dates to the 1970s , when Wilson co-owned Armadillo World Headquarters , the fabled concert hall that helped create Austin 's offbeat musical persona .
There was also a second , larger Threadgill 's that closed a couple of years ago .
Then came the pandemic .
The virus is proving fatal to both people and businesses with pre-existing conditions .
In the case of Threadgill 's , Wilson describes the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' 80 and it being pretty marginal anyway . ''
Business had been hurting , and tastes have changed .
Young diners in this foodie town favor fusion cuisine like Tex-Mex/Indian and Asian/smokehouse over Beulah 's meatloaf and black-eyed peas .
Wilson and his wife Sandra have been looking to retire .
The coronavirus pushed them toward the exit .
`` I would 've never gotten around to it probably if the shutdown had n't come along and put all the people out of work that I would have had to put out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` It just felt like it was time . ''
The property is now for sale .
The wall art will be auctioned off later this summer .
And the renowned kitchen staff is considering new offers .

Threadgill's, The Austin Venue That Helped Launch Janis Joplin, Closes Down
Enlarge this image toggle caption AP AP
With public life paralyzed by the coronavirus shutdown, a sad announcement came last week from a beloved cafe and music venue in Austin, Texas. Threadgill's, the Depression-era beer joint where Janis Joplin got her start — and later a place that fed Austin's appetite for good food and good music — is closing for good.
Threadgill's is part of Austin's creation story. A welder and bootlegger named Kenneth Threadgill converted a gas station into a beer joint and opened it in 1933, as soon as Prohibition was repealed. But it was in the early 1960s that Threadgill's entered American musical history.
A rebellious undergrad at the University of Texas named Janis Joplin, who played blues on her autoharp, began coming to the Wednesday-night folk sessions at Threadgill's. She sang like nobody the salty old proprietor had ever heard.
"Kenneth Threadgill, as I understand, welcomed Janis Joplin to Threadgill's and nurtured her — and this, at a time when no one liked how she looked," pianist Floyd Domino, a Threadgill's regular, remembers. "A lot of people didn't like how she sang. And he gave her confidence, and she ended up going out to San Francisco and the rest is history."
After Joplin left for the West Coast and went on to become a rock and roll idol, Kenneth Threadgill came into his own as a country singer, known for his Jimmie Rodgers-style yodeling.
Joplin and Threadgill remained close, even after his tavern went out of business. Then in 1981, a local hippie music promoter named Eddie Wilson acquired the decrepit structure on North Lamar Boulevard and renovated it. Threadgill's was reborn.
For nearly four decades, the scuffed wooden stage would be home to acclaimed singer-songwriters Jimmy LaFave, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and many others. And the kitchen would create Southern comfort food prepared in the spirit of Wilson's mother, Beulah. The vegetables were slow-cooked with ham hocks — and the chicken-fried steak was legendary.
"When you start with the right stuff, you really can't screw it up," Eddie Wilson says. "And it's really a matter of getting it really good and soaked in that buttermilk dip that we put it in. And then into the seasoned flour, and really pressed in good and hard. And then back in the dip and then in the fryer. So that it goes in the fryer wet and just kind of explodes."
The 76-year-old Wilson, with his white beard and cowboy boots, has decorated the walls of his cafe with the artifacts of his life at the center of Austin culture: musical instruments, signed photographs, concert posters and his extensive collection of neon beer signs. Some of the memorabilia dates to the 1970s, when Wilson co-owned Armadillo World Headquarters, the fabled concert hall that helped create Austin's offbeat musical persona. There was also a second, larger Threadgill's that closed a couple of years ago.
Then came the pandemic. The virus is proving fatal to both people and businesses with pre-existing conditions. In the case of Threadgill's, Wilson describes the problem as "A combination of pushin' 80 and it being pretty marginal anyway."
Business had been hurting, and tastes have changed. Young diners in this foodie town favor fusion cuisine like Tex-Mex/Indian and Asian/smokehouse over Beulah's meatloaf and black-eyed peas. Wilson and his wife Sandra have been looking to retire. The coronavirus pushed them toward the exit.
"I would've never gotten around to it probably if the shutdown hadn't come along and put all the people out of work that I would have had to put out of work myself," he says. "It just felt like it was time."
The property is now for sale. The wall art will be auctioned off later this summer. And the renowned kitchen staff is considering new offers.


npr--2020-04-25--Black Pastors Say They Have Trouble Accessing SBA Loan Program

Black Pastors Say They Have Trouble Accessing SBA Loan Program A new government program that funnels taxpayer money to churches , synagogues and mosques has brought welcome relief to some financially stressed houses of worship , while leaving others — many of them serving communities of color — still struggling to survive .
`` It 's a huge boon for us , '' said Father Carl Beekman , parish priest at the Church of St. Mary , which serves about 1,300 families in Sycamore , Ill. Beekman learned this week that his church will receive a loan under the Paycheck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Administration .
With that assistance , part of a coronavirus rescue package enacted by Congress , Beekman does not anticipate that any parish employees will have to be furloughed , even though money collected through church offerings is down significantly as a result of being closed .
Thousands of churches around the country are benefiting from the program , though the SBA is not releasing precise numbers .
`` I was a little surprised that nonprofits and churches could take part , '' said Paul Ott , chairman of the administrative council at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Texas , which was approved for a PPP loan of about $ 52,000 .
If the program rules are followed , the loan will not have to be repaid .
`` This was very helpful to us , '' Ott said .
`` [ This year ] was not going to be a good year for us .
We knew we were going to be in real trouble . ''
Less fortunate was Greater Christ Baptist Church in Detroit , which has a predominantly African-American congregation .
`` We applied when the program @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not receive any funding , '' said Rev .
James Perkins , the church pastor .
As a consequence , Perkins has had to lay off most of his nine church employees , and he has asked the remaining staff to take salary cuts .
His experience was shared by other black pastors in Detroit and across the country .
`` I have n't taken any scientific survey , but a number of black pastors with whom I have relationships in Detroit are concerned , because they did not receive funding , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Kenneth Flowers , pastor at Greater New Mount Moriah Missonary Baptist in Detroit .
`` We tried to submit an application to our bank , but they kept saying they were not ready , '' Flowers said , `` and then we got an email saying all the funds have been deployed .
We 're discovering that there 's a pattern here of minority businesses and black churches not receiving the funds . ''
`` We have representation from all of our nine major African-American denominations , '' said Derrick Johnson , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Most of them have complained about the lack of responsiveness from the banks to which they have submitted applications .
These are churches from San Francisco to Detroit to Florida to Connecticut .
We hear a consistent concern from church leaderships across the country . ''
In all , the SBA approved nearly 1.7 million PPP loans .
No data have been collected that would indicate a racial disparity among the successful recipients .
The New York Times and Wall Street Journal have both reported that large enterprises with established connections to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were small businesses — or churches — with less experience dealing with financial institutions .
The largest SBA lender , JPMorgan Chase , approved about 27,000 loans out of about 300,000 applications received .
The bank serves several churches and other religious institutions in the New York City area that were unsuccessful in their loan applications .
The Metro Industrial Areas Foundation , a network of community organizations , identified 28 churches , two synagogues , and a mosque that were among those unsuccessful in their application .
The bank has since begun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in applying for loans in the next PPP installment .
`` We received about 75,000 applications in the first hour of the form going live , '' said Anne Pace , a Chase spokesperson .
`` [ We ] served clients as they came to us , and no business or client segment was prioritized over another . ''
About 60 % of the loans went to clients with fewer than 25 employees , according to the bank .
Those enterprises that were well organized and in strong positions to apply , however @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` You had to have your paperwork ready and your payroll verified , '' Pace acknowledged .
Banks also gave priority to those customers with whom they already had banking relationships .
`` A bank needs to know who the customer is . ''
Such factors could explain why well-resourced churches with strong institutional support and good connections have been more successful in getting PPP loans through the SBA .
The successful loan application submitted by the Church of St. Mary in Sycamore , Ill. , was actually prepared by the financial officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the parish belongs .
The officer prepared loan applications for all the parishes in the diocese that wanted to take part in the program .
Of the approximately 17,000 Catholic parishes across the country , about 8,000 applied for PPP loans , according to Pat Markey , executive director of the Diocesan Fiscal Management Conference , an association of diocesan financial officers .
As of April 17 , about 20 % had been approved , according to Markey , and more were notified in recent days .
`` I have n't heard any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` But if they 're going to complain , they probably do n't call me . ''
At Grace United Methodist in Dallas , the administrative council , a lay group , prepared the church 's PPP application after it was alerted to the opportunity by the church 's district superintendent , who outlined the application process and advised the church what it could apply for .
Much of the application was prepared by the council treasurer , a retired attorney and Certified Public Accountant .
Many churches in low income communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but have greater financial needs .
Markey , who advises Catholic diocesan officers , says he suggests that parishes assess their needs carefully .
`` If the needs can be met in other ways , they should not apply , '' Markey said .
`` As Christians , we do n't just take money because it 's available .
If there 's not a real need , it 's not ethical .
You ca n't take funds away from the small pizza place down the street just because it 's available and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ''

Black Pastors Say They Have Trouble Accessing SBA Loan Program
Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy James Perkins Courtesy James Perkins
A new government program that funnels taxpayer money to churches, synagogues and mosques has brought welcome relief to some financially stressed houses of worship, while leaving others — many of them serving communities of color — still struggling to survive.
"It's a huge boon for us," said Father Carl Beekman, parish priest at the Church of St. Mary, which serves about 1,300 families in Sycamore, Ill. Beekman learned this week that his church will receive a loan under the Paycheck Protection Program administered by the Small Business Administration.
With that assistance, part of a coronavirus rescue package enacted by Congress, Beekman does not anticipate that any parish employees will have to be furloughed, even though money collected through church offerings is down significantly as a result of being closed.
Thousands of churches around the country are benefiting from the program, though the SBA is not releasing precise numbers.
"I was a little surprised that nonprofits and churches could take part," said Paul Ott, chairman of the administrative council at Grace United Methodist Church in Dallas, Texas, which was approved for a PPP loan of about $52,000. If the program rules are followed, the loan will not have to be repaid.
"This was very helpful to us," Ott said. "[This year] was not going to be a good year for us. We knew we were going to be in real trouble."
Less fortunate was Greater Christ Baptist Church in Detroit, which has a predominantly African-American congregation.
"We applied when the program first became public, but we did not receive any funding," said Rev. James Perkins, the church pastor. As a consequence, Perkins has had to lay off most of his nine church employees, and he has asked the remaining staff to take salary cuts. His experience was shared by other black pastors in Detroit and across the country.
"I haven't taken any scientific survey, but a number of black pastors with whom I have relationships in Detroit are concerned, because they did not receive funding," Perkins said.
Among them is Rev. Kenneth Flowers, pastor at Greater New Mount Moriah Missonary Baptist in Detroit.
"We tried to submit an application to our bank, but they kept saying they were not ready," Flowers said, "and then we got an email saying all the funds have been deployed. We're discovering that there's a pattern here of minority businesses and black churches not receiving the funds."
Nationwide concern
"We have representation from all of our nine major African-American denominations," said Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP. "Most of them have complained about the lack of responsiveness from the banks to which they have submitted applications. These are churches from San Francisco to Detroit to Florida to Connecticut. We hear a consistent concern from church leaderships across the country."
In all, the SBA approved nearly 1.7 million PPP loans. No data have been collected that would indicate a racial disparity among the successful recipients. The New York Times and Wall Street Journal have both reported that large enterprises with established connections to big banks were far more successful than were small businesses — or churches — with less experience dealing with financial institutions.
Coronavirus Live Updates Opposing Church Closures Becomes New Religious Freedom Cause Opposing Church Closures Becomes New Religious Freedom Cause Listen · 3:44 3:44
The largest SBA lender, JPMorgan Chase, approved about 27,000 loans out of about 300,000 applications received. The bank serves several churches and other religious institutions in the New York City area that were unsuccessful in their loan applications.
The Metro Industrial Areas Foundation, a network of community organizations, identified 28 churches, two synagogues, and a mosque that were among those unsuccessful in their application. The bank has since begun working with the institutions to assist them in applying for loans in the next PPP installment.
"We received about 75,000 applications in the first hour of the form going live," said Anne Pace, a Chase spokesperson. "[We] served clients as they came to us, and no business or client segment was prioritized over another." About 60% of the loans went to clients with fewer than 25 employees, according to the bank.
Knowing the customer
Those enterprises that were well organized and in strong positions to apply, however, were clearly at an advantage.
"You had to have your paperwork ready and your payroll verified," Pace acknowledged. Banks also gave priority to those customers with whom they already had banking relationships. "A bank needs to know who the customer is."
Such factors could explain why well-resourced churches with strong institutional support and good connections have been more successful in getting PPP loans through the SBA.
Coronavirus Live Updates Another Break From The Past: Government Will Help Churches Pay Pastor Salaries Another Break From The Past: Government Will Help Churches Pay Pastor Salaries Listen · 3:53 3:53
The successful loan application submitted by the Church of St. Mary in Sycamore, Ill., was actually prepared by the financial officer for the Rockford Diocese, to which the parish belongs. The officer prepared loan applications for all the parishes in the diocese that wanted to take part in the program.
Of the approximately 17,000 Catholic parishes across the country, about 8,000 applied for PPP loans, according to Pat Markey, executive director of the Diocesan Fiscal Management Conference, an association of diocesan financial officers. As of April 17, about 20% had been approved, according to Markey, and more were notified in recent days.
"I haven't heard any major complaints," Markey told NPR. "But if they're going to complain, they probably don't call me."
At Grace United Methodist in Dallas, the administrative council, a lay group, prepared the church's PPP application after it was alerted to the opportunity by the church's district superintendent, who outlined the application process and advised the church what it could apply for. Much of the application was prepared by the council treasurer, a retired attorney and Certified Public Accountant.
Many churches in low income communities of color lack access to such support, but have greater financial needs.
Markey, who advises Catholic diocesan officers, says he suggests that parishes assess their needs carefully.
"If the needs can be met in other ways, they should not apply," Markey said. "As Christians, we don't just take money because it's available. If there's not a real need, it's not ethical. You can't take funds away from the small pizza place down the street just because it's available and you have more access to them."


npr--2020-04-25--As States Reopen, Health Experts Seek To Understand Coronavirus's Early Silent Spread

As health officials across the country try to slow the coronavirus pandemic , a growing body of evidence and research suggests the virus may have been silently spreading in different parts of the country far earlier than initially believed and officially reported .
Preliminary results from antibody testing in New York and Florida show that hundreds of thousands , if not millions , of people , may have already contracted the virus .
Similar , and more controversial , surveys in California suggest wider spread than previously acknowledged .
And in the state 's Bay Area , health officials have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in early February , meaning the first known death from the coronavirus in the U.S. occurred weeks earlier than previously believed .
The earlier deaths `` are like iceberg tips , '' said Dr. Sara Cody , Santa Clara County 's health director , during the announcement .
They are indicators , she said , `` that we had community transmission , probably to a significant degree , far earlier than we had known . ''
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , there were only 11 reported cases of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6 , the day that a 57-year-old San Jose woman died after a brief illness with flu-like symptoms .
The coroner in Santa Clara County was suspicious .
The woman , identified by family as Patricia Dowd , was otherwise healthy .
But testing for the coronavirus was limited , and the Trump administration 's focus was still directed outwards .
A week earlier , President Trump had blocked travel from China and declared the novel virus a public health emergency , but his administration repeatedly emphasized that the risk of contracting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Recent travelers were viewed as being most at risk .
To die from the virus though , Dowd must have contracted it days , if not weeks , earlier , suggesting that people were passing it among one another in the Bay Area in late January , if not sooner .
For researchers and practitioners who 've been tracking the virus 's spread , the earlier deaths in Santa Clara County are proof that there were `` invisible chains of transmission '' occurring in various U.S. cities in mid-January , says Alessandro Vespignani @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Northeastern University .
The first publicly acknowledged case of community spread in the U.S. was a month later on Feb. 27 , when a patient in Sacramento , Calif. , was diagnosed as having COVID-19 , despite having no contact with other known cases and no history of travel .
The state 's lockdown , one of the first statewide stay-at-home orders in the country , would n't go into effect for another three weeks .
During that time , the virus silently spread .
A model created by Vespignani and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , travel and disease transmission data , sheds light on that invisible stage of the epidemic .
`` While we had a few cases detected in the United States , we actually already had hundreds and then thousands of transmission events occurring across the country , '' he says .
The preliminary results from an antibody test in New York , released earlier this week , found that 1 in 5 residents of New York City who were tested may have already contracted the coronavirus .
As many as 2.7 million people may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggest .
A similar serology survey in Florida , conducted by researchers at the University of Miami , found that as many as 165,000 people in Miami-Dade County , about 6 % of the population , have antibodies that suggest an earlier infection too .
Health and public officials say that serology tests — that is , tests that look for antibodies to an infection — are vital to understanding the scale of the coronavirus pandemic and are crucial for efforts to reopen parts of the country .
So , too , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrived in the U.S. and how it initially spread .
`` This epidemic had been with us for basically one month and a half before we realized it was so widespread , '' Vespignani says .
`` What are we doing to make sure we do n't fall into the February trap again ? ''
A pair of studies done by researchers from Stanford University and the University of Southern California made headlines earlier this week , after they suggested that the infection rate in two California communities were far greater than had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the research indicated , hundreds of thousands of people may have been infected by the virus .
Both studies were criticized by outside experts , who , among other things , questioned the reliability of the antibody tests the researchers used .
California officials , anxious to get a better understanding of the virus 's prevalence and history in the state , are looking at other ways to collect data .
At a press conference earlier this week , the state 's governor , Gavin Newsom , said he directed county medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Santa Clara , looking back at deaths that occurred in January and February for a possible connection to COVID-19 .
Numerous medical examiners in the state said that they had not received an official directive from the governor , but that they were screening decedents for possible coronavirus connections as far back as late-January .
Many pointed out that the vast majority of coronavirus deaths would have been classified as `` natural , '' so they would not have been investigated by medical examiners , limiting the number of deaths that could get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the directive at a press conference Friday , Newsom deferred to the state 's health director Dr. Sonia Angell .
Angell did not say whether a directive was given , but said the state would continue to work with coroners to understand the progression of COVID-19 in the state 's communities .
`` It is very important for us , as we look forward , to really understand what happened at the beginning of this whole process , '' she said .
Elizabeth Baker and Brooklyn Riepma contributed to this report .

As States Reopen, Health Experts Seek To Understand Coronavirus's Early Silent Spread
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mark J. Terrill/AP Mark J. Terrill/AP
As health officials across the country try to slow the coronavirus pandemic, a growing body of evidence and research suggests the virus may have been silently spreading in different parts of the country far earlier than initially believed and officially reported.
Preliminary results from antibody testing in New York and Florida show that hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people, may have already contracted the virus. Similar, and more controversial, surveys in California suggest wider spread than previously acknowledged.
And in the state's Bay Area, health officials have now identified two coronavirus-related deaths that occurred in early February, meaning the first known death from the coronavirus in the U.S. occurred weeks earlier than previously believed.
The earlier deaths "are like iceberg tips," said Dr. Sara Cody, Santa Clara County's health director, during the announcement. They are indicators, she said, "that we had community transmission, probably to a significant degree, far earlier than we had known."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were only 11 reported cases of the coronavirus in the U.S. on Feb. 6, the day that a 57-year-old San Jose woman died after a brief illness with flu-like symptoms. The coroner in Santa Clara County was suspicious. The woman, identified by family as Patricia Dowd, was otherwise healthy.
But testing for the coronavirus was limited, and the Trump administration's focus was still directed outwards. A week earlier, President Trump had blocked travel from China and declared the novel virus a public health emergency, but his administration repeatedly emphasized that the risk of contracting the virus in the U.S. was low. Recent travelers were viewed as being most at risk.
This epidemic had been with us for basically one month and a half before we realized it was so widespread. What are we doing to make sure we don't fall into the February trap again?
To die from the virus though, Dowd must have contracted it days, if not weeks, earlier, suggesting that people were passing it among one another in the Bay Area in late January, if not sooner.
"Invisible chains of transmission"
For researchers and practitioners who've been tracking the virus's spread, the earlier deaths in Santa Clara County are proof that there were "invisible chains of transmission" occurring in various U.S. cities in mid-January, says Alessandro Vespignani, director of the Network Science Institute at Northeastern University.
The first publicly acknowledged case of community spread in the U.S. was a month later on Feb. 27, when a patient in Sacramento, Calif., was diagnosed as having COVID-19, despite having no contact with other known cases and no history of travel. The state's lockdown, one of the first statewide stay-at-home orders in the country, wouldn't go into effect for another three weeks.
During that time, the virus silently spread.
A model created by Vespignani and other researchers at Northeastern University, using population, travel and disease transmission data, sheds light on that invisible stage of the epidemic.
"While we had a few cases detected in the United States, we actually already had hundreds and then thousands of transmission events occurring across the country," he says.
The preliminary results from an antibody test in New York, released earlier this week, found that 1 in 5 residents of New York City who were tested may have already contracted the coronavirus. As many as 2.7 million people may have had it statewide, the numbers suggest.
A similar serology survey in Florida, conducted by researchers at the University of Miami, found that as many as 165,000 people in Miami-Dade County, about 6% of the population, have antibodies that suggest an earlier infection too.
Health and public officials say that serology tests — that is, tests that look for antibodies to an infection — are vital to understanding the scale of the coronavirus pandemic and are crucial for efforts to reopen parts of the country.
So, too, is an understanding of when the virus first arrived in the U.S. and how it initially spread.
"This epidemic had been with us for basically one month and a half before we realized it was so widespread," Vespignani says. "What are we doing to make sure we don't fall into the February trap again?"
Understanding California's timeline
A pair of studies done by researchers from Stanford University and the University of Southern California made headlines earlier this week, after they suggested that the infection rate in two California communities were far greater than had been reported. In Los Angeles County, the research indicated, hundreds of thousands of people may have been infected by the virus.
Both studies were criticized by outside experts, who, among other things, questioned the reliability of the antibody tests the researchers used.
California officials, anxious to get a better understanding of the virus's prevalence and history in the state, are looking at other ways to collect data.
At a press conference earlier this week, the state's governor, Gavin Newsom, said he directed county medical examiners to take a similar approach to Santa Clara, looking back at deaths that occurred in January and February for a possible connection to COVID-19.
Numerous medical examiners in the state said that they had not received an official directive from the governor, but that they were screening decedents for possible coronavirus connections as far back as late-January.
Many pointed out that the vast majority of coronavirus deaths would have been classified as "natural," so they would not have been investigated by medical examiners, limiting the number of deaths that could get a second look.
Asked by NPR about the directive at a press conference Friday, Newsom deferred to the state's health director Dr. Sonia Angell.
Angell did not say whether a directive was given, but said the state would continue to work with coroners to understand the progression of COVID-19 in the state's communities.
"It is very important for us, as we look forward, to really understand what happened at the beginning of this whole process," she said.
Elizabeth Baker and Brooklyn Riepma contributed to this report.


npr--2020-04-25--LA Reaches Legal Settlement With Company For 'False Advertising' Of COVID-19 Test

LA Reaches Legal Settlement With Company For 'False Advertising ' Of COVID-19 Test In late March , the California company RootMD started advertising `` at-home Covid-19 exposure and immunity tests '' for consumers worried about the coronavirus .
For $ 249 , the company said it would mail out a test kit — including a `` lancet '' that buyers could use to prick their finger and collect a blood sample .
Then , the company promised , consumers could mail that sample back to `` certified MD immunologists '' to test for antibodies to the coronavirus , and get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , the Food and Drug Administration had not authorized any at-home tests for COVID-19 .
But the company 's marketing materials appeared to suggest the FDA had vetted the RootMD kits .
On Instagram and Twitter , the company 's messages included the hashtags `` # FDA # Approved . ''
On its website , the company 's messaging was different .
The site stated that `` the test has not yet completed the several month investigation periods by the FDA to be labeled as approved . ''
Still , the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` allowing its use under emergency provisions . ''
In fact , the FDA has made clear that any tests sold under its emergency guidance are only for use in health care settings , and that the policy `` does not apply to at home testing '' — including home collection of test samples .
The RootMD test soon caught the attention of the city attorney of Los Angeles , who in a lawsuit filed this week alleged that the company violated food and drug regulations , as well as laws against false @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reached on Thursday , the company agreed to pay a $ 5,000 penalty , refund all customers and cease all sales of COVID-19 tests unless it receives authorization from the FDA .
In an interview before the lawsuit was filed , RootMD 's co-founder , Dr. Elroy Vojdani , said he had sold around 800 kits .
He expressed regret about statements made by the company on social media , but he maintained that RootMD had complied with FDA guidelines .
Vojdani said he had already ceased sales of the test kits due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the company was offering refunds to customers .
In response to the lawsuit , RootMD issued a statement saying , `` All of our blood collection and laboratory testing materials used were of the highest standard . ''
The company also said it `` follows all governing regulations . ''
An attorney for RootMD did not respond to a request for comment on the settlement .
The LA city attorney 's office declined to comment for this story .
RootMD launched in 2020 with an emphasis on treatments for `` chronic gut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and even offers a `` GutCheck '' at-home blood test .
The company says it can `` analyze your blood to find the root cause of disease '' and develop a personalized treatment plan that will often include the use of dietary supplements .
Amid the coronavirus pandemic , Vojdani appeared in a Facebook Live video and recommended a variety of supplements to help combat the spread of the virus .
Some of those supplements were also available through his medical practice and its online shop .
There has been a surge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus .
But experts have warned that no supplements have been shown to effectively treat the coronavirus , and some may even cause harm if taken in excessive doses .
One of Vojdani 's recommendations , colloidal silver spray , has come under intense scrutiny from federal regulators and medical experts at the Mayo Clinic and the National Institutes of Health , among others , who say it is neither safe nor effective for treating any medical conditions .
The FDA has also warned several companies against marketing silver products as a treatment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones of InfoWars and the televangelist Jim Bakker .
In his Facebook Live video , Vojdani claimed , `` Colloidal silver is very well demonstrated to have antiviral properties and antibacterial properties '' and recommended `` using colloidal silver spray in the nose as a preventative measure . ''
NPR asked Vojdani for comment , given the warnings among medical and government authorities that colloidal silver spray is ineffective and potentially unsafe .
In a statement , he said his medical practice `` stresses the importance of being proactive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ includes being mindful of what one eats , how much one exercises , and what type of energy one puts out into the world . ''
With RootMD 's expansion into COVID-19 testing , Vojdani joined a growing number of scientists and researchers across the country who have been conducting blood tests that look for antibodies — also known as serology tests — to try to determine how many people have been exposed to the coronavirus .
The FDA has allowed a large number of companies to sell COVID-19 blood tests for use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care settings .
But as the LA city attorney 's office notes in its suit against RootMD , the FDA has not authorized any at-home tests for COVID-19 , and that includes collecting blood samples at home .
One reason why , according to experts , is that even in lab settings , blood tests can come with certain limitations .
For one , it remains unclear whether people with antibodies to the virus are actually immune .
But visitors to the RootMD website got a different message .
If your test results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claimed , `` you will be able to confidently put those around you at ease by helping them know with certainty that they ca n't contract the coronavirus from you . ''
Experts say that is untrue .
`` There is just no data on whether someone with antibodies against the virus is protected from reinfection , '' explained Matthew Frieman , a professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine who researches coronaviruses , in an email .
In response to questions from NPR , Vojdani himself voiced concern about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , agreeing it was problematic .
The company has since removed the claim from its site .
`` I did not approve that message being put on the website , '' he said .
`` I feel really bad that that statement was on the website .
I do n't agree with it . ''
Another issue with at least some of the serology tests for the coronavirus now on the market is that they can be inaccurate , providing an unacceptably high percentage of false positive or negative results .
`` There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how those tests perform , '' according to Kelly Wroblewski of the Association of Public Health Laboratories .
Vojdani himself said he found problems with the accuracy of his kits .
He said he was using test kits from three separate manufacturers .
He said he tested samples from the same sources on all the kits , and found `` tremendous variation '' in the results .
`` Obviously , that was a little bit eye-opening and concerning , '' he said .
On April 7 , the Los Angeles city attorney 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company stopped selling test kits the next day .
Vojdani said the halt in test sales was due to his concerns about the tests ' accuracy , and not the legal inquiry .
`` We do n't want to be distributing false information to people . ''
he said .
`` And these tests are super important and super needed . ''
The FDA has agreed that serology testing is an important part of the country 's response to the coronavirus .
But this week , Dr. Stephen Hahn , the FDA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ companies manufacturing and marketing these tests , saying the agency would `` go after '' those that make misleading claims .
`` It 's not OK for someone to say that a test has been authorized or approved by FDA when it has n't , '' said Hahn .

LA Reaches Legal Settlement With Company For 'False Advertising' Of COVID-19 Test
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times via Getty Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times via Getty
In late March, the California company RootMD started advertising "at-home Covid-19 exposure and immunity tests" for consumers worried about the coronavirus. For $249, the company said it would mail out a test kit — including a "lancet" that buyers could use to prick their finger and collect a blood sample. Then, the company promised, consumers could mail that sample back to "certified MD immunologists" to test for antibodies to the coronavirus, and get results within 48 hours.
At the time, the Food and Drug Administration had not authorized any at-home tests for COVID-19. But the company's marketing materials appeared to suggest the FDA had vetted the RootMD kits. On Instagram and Twitter, the company's messages included the hashtags "#FDA #Approved."
On its website, the company's messaging was different. The site stated that "the test has not yet completed the several month investigation periods by the FDA to be labeled as approved." Still, the company claimed, the FDA had issued guidance "allowing its use under emergency provisions."
In fact, the FDA has made clear that any tests sold under its emergency guidance are only for use in health care settings, and that the policy "does not apply to at home testing" — including home collection of test samples.
The RootMD test soon caught the attention of the city attorney of Los Angeles, who in a lawsuit filed this week alleged that the company violated food and drug regulations, as well as laws against false advertising. As part of a settlement reached on Thursday, the company agreed to pay a $5,000 penalty, refund all customers and cease all sales of COVID-19 tests unless it receives authorization from the FDA.
In an interview before the lawsuit was filed, RootMD's co-founder, Dr. Elroy Vojdani, said he had sold around 800 kits. He expressed regret about statements made by the company on social media, but he maintained that RootMD had complied with FDA guidelines. Vojdani said he had already ceased sales of the test kits due to concerns about their accuracy, and said the company was offering refunds to customers.
In response to the lawsuit, RootMD issued a statement saying, "All of our blood collection and laboratory testing materials used were of the highest standard." The company also said it "follows all governing regulations."
An attorney for RootMD did not respond to a request for comment on the settlement. The LA city attorney's office declined to comment for this story.
RootMD's origins
RootMD launched in 2020 with an emphasis on treatments for "chronic gut conditions" such as irritable bowel syndrome, and even offers a "GutCheck" at-home blood test. The company says it can "analyze your blood to find the root cause of disease" and develop a personalized treatment plan that will often include the use of dietary supplements.
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Vojdani appeared in a Facebook Live video and recommended a variety of supplements to help combat the spread of the virus. Some of those supplements were also available through his medical practice and its online shop.
There has been a surge in supplement sales in response to the coronavirus. But experts have warned that no supplements have been shown to effectively treat the coronavirus, and some may even cause harm if taken in excessive doses.
One of Vojdani's recommendations, colloidal silver spray, has come under intense scrutiny from federal regulators and medical experts at the Mayo Clinic and the National Institutes of Health, among others, who say it is neither safe nor effective for treating any medical conditions. The FDA has also warned several companies against marketing silver products as a treatment or preventive measure for COVID-19, including the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones of InfoWars and the televangelist Jim Bakker.
In his Facebook Live video, Vojdani claimed, "Colloidal silver is very well demonstrated to have antiviral properties and antibacterial properties" and recommended "using colloidal silver spray in the nose as a preventative measure."
NPR asked Vojdani for comment, given the warnings among medical and government authorities that colloidal silver spray is ineffective and potentially unsafe. In a statement, he said his medical practice "stresses the importance of being proactive in our approach to health. That includes being mindful of what one eats, how much one exercises, and what type of energy one puts out into the world."
Limitations of blood tests
With RootMD's expansion into COVID-19 testing, Vojdani joined a growing number of scientists and researchers across the country who have been conducting blood tests that look for antibodies — also known as serology tests — to try to determine how many people have been exposed to the coronavirus.
The FDA has allowed a large number of companies to sell COVID-19 blood tests for use in labs, hospitals and other health care settings. But as the LA city attorney's office notes in its suit against RootMD, the FDA has not authorized any at-home tests for COVID-19, and that includes collecting blood samples at home.
One reason why, according to experts, is that even in lab settings, blood tests can come with certain limitations. For one, it remains unclear whether people with antibodies to the virus are actually immune.
But visitors to the RootMD website got a different message.
If your test results came back positive, the RootMD site claimed, "you will be able to confidently put those around you at ease by helping them know with certainty that they can't contract the coronavirus from you."
Experts say that is untrue.
"There is just no data on whether someone with antibodies against the virus is protected from reinfection," explained Matthew Frieman, a professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine who researches coronaviruses, in an email.
In response to questions from NPR, Vojdani himself voiced concern about the testing claim made on the RootMD site, agreeing it was problematic. The company has since removed the claim from its site.
"I did not approve that message being put on the website," he said. "I feel really bad that that statement was on the website. I don't agree with it."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Brandon/AP Alex Brandon/AP
Concerns about accuracy
Another issue with at least some of the serology tests for the coronavirus now on the market is that they can be inaccurate, providing an unacceptably high percentage of false positive or negative results.
"There's not a lot of data on how those tests perform," according to Kelly Wroblewski of the Association of Public Health Laboratories.
Vojdani himself said he found problems with the accuracy of his kits. He said he was using test kits from three separate manufacturers. He said he tested samples from the same sources on all the kits, and found "tremendous variation" in the results.
"Obviously, that was a little bit eye-opening and concerning," he said.
On April 7, the Los Angeles city attorney's office says it contacted RootMD, and the company stopped selling test kits the next day.
Vojdani said the halt in test sales was due to his concerns about the tests' accuracy, and not the legal inquiry.
"We don't want to be distributing false information to people." he said. "And these tests are super important and super needed."
The FDA has agreed that serology testing is an important part of the country's response to the coronavirus. But this week, Dr. Stephen Hahn, the FDA commissioner, also issued a warning to companies manufacturing and marketing these tests, saying the agency would "go after" those that make misleading claims.
"It's not OK for someone to say that a test has been authorized or approved by FDA when it hasn't," said Hahn.


npr--2020-04-25--Georgia Democrat Jon Ossoff Attempts Homebound Political Comeback

A few weeks ago , Georgia Democratic Senate candidate Jon Ossoff held his first digital organizing event over the video conferencing service Zoom , geared at teaching volunteers how to conduct phone banks from home .
`` There is nothing more effective than going door to door and having those face-to-face conversations , '' Ossoff told over 70 attendees .
Since moving his primary campaign online over a month ago , the campaign held several virtual town halls and events with local political organizations .
`` So now that we can not do that , we have to bring that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's doorsteps to conversations that we 're having at a distance , '' he added .
Three years ago , Ossoff ran in a special election in a Republican-leaning congressional district in the Atlanta metro area and lost by less than 4 % of the vote .
The investigative documentary filmmaker and former congressional staffer received national attention and Georgia Democrats turned out in notably high numbers for an off-year election , one of the very first after President Trump 's election .
More money went into the 2017 Georgia special election than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House race and it maintains that title today .
Ossoff 's campaign raised over $ 30 million and his opponent , Karen Handel , raised nearly $ 9 million .
Now , Ossoff is running for the U.S. Senate , hoping to challenge GOP incumbent Sen. David Perdue .
He 's competing in the June 9 primary against two major Democratic challengers , former Columbus Mayor Teresa Tomlinson and businesswoman Sarah Riggs Amico .
Ossoff has higher national name recognition and more money in comparison to his Democratic competitors — bringing in $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — but rousing momentum similar to what his congressional campaign did three years ago poses difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic .
`` It 's unusual and it 's a challenge adapting a political campaign to this moment .
But that pales in comparison to what so many people are going through , '' Ossoff told NPR .
Georgia has also become the subject of a political and public health debate following Gov .
Brian Kemp 's executive order to allow selected businesses to reopen — a move that President Trump and public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ met the White House guidelines of having a two-week descending trend in cases before opening businesses .
On Friday , businesses including gyms , bowling alleys , and hair salons are able to open , and on Monday , theaters and sit-down restaurants are permitted to as well .
Though , the state 's stay at home order remains in place until April 30 .
All three Democratic Senate candidates have opposed Kemp 's decision : Amico called it `` reckless endangerment , '' Tomlinson referred to it as `` premature , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him to `` reject Kemp 's incompetent policy . ''
Perdue addressed Kemp 's decision in an interview on Friday .
`` I applaud the fact that he 's stepped up to a reality that we are going to have to phase in reopening the economy , '' the senator said , `` and what he 's done so far , from what I can see , is a measured approach to doing that . ''
In the interview , Perdue also said he agreed with Trump 's guidelines .
Despite the limitations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ views campaigning during this time as a two-part obligation .
`` What I 'm doing is simultaneously getting the word out there about what people need to do to stay safe and slow the spread and also resolutely pointing out how , where and why our leaders have failed to wrap their heads around this crisis swiftly enough , '' Ossoff said .
The campaign 's first TV ad aired Tuesday , praising health care workers including Ossoff 's wife , Dr. Alisha Kramer , who is an Emory Healthcare OBGYN resident .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at insurance and pharmaceutical companies saying they have `` bought off Congress '' and pledges to better the healthcare system .
More than half of Ossoff 's $ 3.4 million remains in cash on hand heading into the primary .
His competitors are not as well-funded : while Tomlinson has raised $ 2 million in total and Amico has raised $ 1.4 million , both candidates had less than $ 500,000 on hand according to the most recent figures from March 31 .
Despite Ossoff 's financial edge , his spotlight remains small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to Emory University political science professor Andra Gillespie .
`` While Ossoff has certainly amassed an impressive fundraising lead among Democrats , it must be frustrating to him that he wo n't get the normal amount of earned media because of the pandemic , '' Gillespie said .
Tomlinson , who is the only Democratic candidate to have previously held elected office , argues that the coronavirus pandemic has made her candidacy more appealing because voters `` are much more concentrated on electability and seriousness . ''
The former Columbus , Ga. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been holding virtual events daily , sometimes with multiple events in a day .
`` I think people have often equated politicians and electability with celebrity these last couple of cycles , and this time it 's very different , '' Tomlinson said .
`` They 're less about any splash and pizzazz , which of course , it 's harder to convey virtually anyway . ''
Tomlinson says that while her campaign had their strongest fundraising quarter to date and remains on track for the primary , donations may have been limited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we would have done better without the coronavirus .
I suspect that that was a , you know , a couple hundred thousand-dollar hit to us .
But I know all campaigns were probably suffering the same type of setback , '' Tomlinson said .
For candidate Sarah Riggs Amico , the actual act of asking for donations has become harder .
`` It almost feels uncouth to call and ask people for large checks when they 're in the middle of a pandemic , '' Amico said .
`` At the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the need to flip the Senate . ''
In 2018 , Amico ran for Democratic lieutenant governor alongside Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams .
She also serves as the executive chairwoman for Jack Cooper Ventures , a truck transportation company .
Amico argues that her business experience proves useful during the current economic crisis .
`` I know what it takes to create great paying jobs with great benefits that take care of working families in the middle of a very difficult economy , '' she said .
Outside of fundraising , Ossoff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in engagement over social media .
At the end of March , the campaign posted a video of Ossoff and his wife , Dr. Kramer , giving public health tips .
The video has since reached close to 100,000 views across social media platforms , as of early April .
But Gillespie argues that Ossoff 's online popularity is not a direct sign of support among the Georgia electorate .
`` One of the reasons why Jon Ossoff has such a strong social media following is in part because of what he accomplished @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's also a function of the fact that he 's a millennial and , you know , is more of a digital native than perhaps his competitors are , '' Gillespie said .
With minimal public polling done on the Democratic Senate race , Gillespie also refrains from naming a front-runner in the Democratic primary .
The only public poll so far from the Atlantic Journal-Constitution in March showed Ossoff leading with 29 % of likely Democratic voters followed by Tomlinson at 15 % and Amico at 14 % .
Notably , 37 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has left the path open for both Tomlinson and Amico .
`` [ Ossoff ] got a lot of attention for that congressional district race .
But the reality is , you know , he still has the build name identification outside of metro Atlanta , '' Gillespie said .
Georgia is the only state in the country to hold two Senate elections this year .
A special election will be held alongside the Perdue race this November , due to the retirement of Sen. Johnny Isakson at the end of 2019 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ no Republican challenger in June .

Georgia Democrat Jon Ossoff Attempts Homebound Political Comeback
Enlarge this image toggle caption David Goldman/AP David Goldman/AP
A few weeks ago, Georgia Democratic Senate candidate Jon Ossoff held his first digital organizing event over the video conferencing service Zoom, geared at teaching volunteers how to conduct phone banks from home.
"There is nothing more effective than going door to door and having those face-to-face conversations," Ossoff told over 70 attendees. Since moving his primary campaign online over a month ago, the campaign held several virtual town halls and events with local political organizations.
"So now that we cannot do that, we have to bring that same spirit that we bring to people's doorsteps to conversations that we're having at a distance," he added.
Three years ago, Ossoff ran in a special election in a Republican-leaning congressional district in the Atlanta metro area and lost by less than 4% of the vote. The investigative documentary filmmaker and former congressional staffer received national attention and Georgia Democrats turned out in notably high numbers for an off-year election, one of the very first after President Trump's election.
More money went into the 2017 Georgia special election than ever previously recorded in a congressional U.S. House race and it maintains that title today. Ossoff's campaign raised over $30 million and his opponent, Karen Handel, raised nearly $9 million.
Now, Ossoff is running for the U.S. Senate, hoping to challenge GOP incumbent Sen. David Perdue. He's competing in the June 9 primary against two major Democratic challengers, former Columbus Mayor Teresa Tomlinson and businesswoman Sarah Riggs Amico.
Ossoff has higher national name recognition and more money in comparison to his Democratic competitors — bringing in $3.4 million total as of March 31 — but rousing momentum similar to what his congressional campaign did three years ago poses difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It's unusual and it's a challenge adapting a political campaign to this moment. But that pales in comparison to what so many people are going through," Ossoff told NPR.
Georgia has also become the subject of a political and public health debate following Gov. Brian Kemp's executive order to allow selected businesses to reopen — a move that President Trump and public health experts disagree with.
Georgia has not met the White House guidelines of having a two-week descending trend in cases before opening businesses. On Friday, businesses including gyms, bowling alleys and hair salons are able to open, and on Monday, theaters and sit-down restaurants are permitted to as well. Though the state's stay at home order remains in place until April 30.
All three Democratic Senate candidates have opposed Kemp's decision: Amico called it "reckless endangerment," Tomlinson referred to it as "premature," and Ossoff singled out Perdue, asking him to "reject Kemp's incompetent policy."
Perdue addressed Kemp's decision in an interview on Friday. "I applaud the fact that he's stepped up to a reality that we are going to have to phase in reopening the economy," the senator said, "and what he's done so far, from what I can see, is a measured approach to doing that." In the interview, Perdue also said he agreed with Trump's guidelines.
Despite the limitations posed by the coronavirus pandemic, Ossoff views campaigning during this time as a two-part obligation.
"What I'm doing is simultaneously getting the word out there about what people need to do to stay safe and slow the spread and also resolutely pointing out how, where and why our leaders have failed to wrap their heads around this crisis swiftly enough," Ossoff said.
The campaign's first TV ad aired Tuesday, praising health care workers including Ossoff's wife, Dr. Alisha Kramer, who is an Emory Healthcare OBGYN resident. In the ad, Ossoff takes aim at insurance and pharmaceutical companies, saying they have "bought off Congress," and pledges to better the health care system.
More than half of Ossoff's $3.4 million remains in cash on hand heading into the primary. His competitors are not as well-funded. While Tomlinson has raised $2 million in total and Amico has raised $1.4 million, both candidates had less than $500,000 on hand according to the most recent figures from March 31.
Despite Ossoff's financial edge, his spotlight remains small as a result of the crisis, according to Emory University political science professor Andra Gillespie.
"While Ossoff has certainly amassed an impressive fundraising lead among Democrats, it must be frustrating to him that he won't get the normal amount of earned media because of the pandemic," Gillespie said.
Tomlinson, who is the only Democratic candidate to have previously held elected office, argues that the coronavirus pandemic has made her candidacy more appealing because voters "are much more concentrated on electability and seriousness."
The former Columbus, Ga., mayor and public safety director has been holding virtual events daily, sometimes with multiple events in a day.
"I think people have often equated politicians and electability with celebrity these last couple of cycles, and this time it's very different," Tomlinson said. "They're less about any splash and pizzazz, which of course, it's harder to convey virtually anyway."
Tomlinson says that while her campaign had their strongest fundraising quarter to date and remains on track for the primary, donations may have been limited due to the crisis.
"Clearly we would have done better without the coronavirus. I suspect that that was a, you know, a couple hundred thousand-dollar hit to us. But I know all campaigns were probably suffering the same type of setback," Tomlinson said.
For candidate Amico, the actual act of asking for donations has become harder.
"It almost feels uncouth to call and ask people for large checks when they're in the middle of a pandemic," Amico said. "At the same time, the present crisis has highlighted the need to flip the Senate."
In 2018, Amico ran for Democratic lieutenant governor alongside Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams. She also serves as the executive chairwoman for Jack Cooper Ventures, a truck transportation company.
Amico argues that her business experience proves useful during the current economic crisis. "I know what it takes to create great-paying jobs with great benefits that take care of working families in the middle of a very difficult economy," she said.
Outside of fundraising, Ossoff also surpasses his Democratic and Republican competitors in engagement over social media.
At the end of March, the campaign posted a video of Ossoff and his wife, Dr. Kramer, giving public health tips. The video has since reached close to 100,000 views across social media platforms, as of early April.
But Gillespie argues that Ossoff's online popularity is not a direct sign of support among the Georgia electorate.
"One of the reasons why Jon Ossoff has such a strong social media following is in part because of what he accomplished during his 2017 campaign, but it's also a function of the fact that he's a millennial and, you know, is more of a digital native than perhaps his competitors are," Gillespie said.
With minimal public polling done on the Democratic Senate race, Gillespie also refrains from naming a front-runner in the Democratic primary.
The only public poll so far from the Atlantic Journal-Constitution in March showed Ossoff leading with 29% of likely Democratic voters followed by Tomlinson at 15% and Amico at 14%. Notably, 37% remained undecided, a stat that has left the path open for both Tomlinson and Amico.
"[Ossoff] got a lot of attention for that congressional district race. But the reality is, you know, he still has the build name identification outside of metro Atlanta," Gillespie said.
Georgia is the only state in the country to hold two Senate elections this year. A special election will be held alongside the Perdue race this November, due to the retirement of Sen. Johnny Isakson at the end of 2019.
Perdue is running as an incumbent with no Republican challenger in June.


npr--2020-04-26--Science On The Ballot: Coronavirus Brings Culture And Expertise To 2020 Election

Science On The Ballot : Coronavirus Brings Culture And Expertise To 2020 Election It now seems apparent that COVID-19 will dominate American life for months to come , quite possibly through the national election in November .
That means the disease , and efforts to respond to it , will likewise dominate the 2020 campaign and make it largely about something it has never been about before .
That something is science .
It is hard to think of a time when hard science — biology , virology , epidemiology — has been so much the core of our political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cells to vaccination have long been a part of our political conversation , but not at the forefront of presidential elections .
This virus crisis has largely taken over the political conversation .
Americans are all learning new , polysyllabic vocabulary and complex truths about threats they can not see .
And that is likely to bring out all of the culture 's ambivalence about science .
Last summer , a Pew Research Center survey found that 86 % of Americans expressed `` a fair amount or a great deal of faith '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But the survey 's co-author told NPR , `` It tends to be kind of soft support . ''
In fact , only 48 % were willing to say that medical doctors `` make fair and accurate research statements and recommendations all or most of the time . ''
And only 32 % were willing to say as much for `` medical research scientists . ''
A YouGov poll in April 2017 found an even less sanguine attitude , as reported in Scientific American .
That measure found only 35 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' in scientists .
A plurality ( 45 % ) had `` a little , '' while those with `` none at all '' had grown substantially since YouGov polled the same question in 2013 .
Little wonder then that political figures such as Texas Lt. Gov .
Dan Patrick , a Republican , and media personalities such as Fox News ' Tucker Carlson pounce on the difference between various projections of deaths from COVID-19 .
They interpret lower death totals ( thus far ) as evidence the threat was overblown , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the shutdowns and social distancing are working — and note that the threat is not over .
Scientific experts , like experts in general , have fared poorly in the populist atmosphere of the past decade in Europe and the U.S. '' Voters say they reject expertise because experts , whom they think of as indistinguishable from governing elites , have failed them , '' writes Tom Nichols , a professor of national security affairs at the U.S. Navy War College .
Nichols published a book in 2017 called The Death of Expertise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Why It Matters .
Summing up his argument for Politico , Nichols observed that Americans have always had a healthy skepticism about `` eggheads '' of various kinds .
He says that skepticism renewed itself in the `` social and political traumas '' of the 1960s and 1970s .
But since then , he argues , `` Globalization and technological advances have created a gulf between people with enough knowledge and education to cope with these changes and people who feel threatened and left behind in the new world of the 21st century @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for many , science is a source of wisdom but by no means the only one .
There can be a `` balancing '' of science with religious teaching or humanistic ethics — or what people may regard as their own common sense .
That is why so many Americans may identify with President Trump 's overeagerness about potential drug therapies for COVID-19 that have worked on other diseases .
Trump 's hopefulness for the anti-malarial hydroxychloroquine , for example , was apparently not shared by one of the administration 's own leading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tried to limit broad use of the drug because its application lacked `` scientific merit . ''
As a result , he says , he was removed as director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority ( BARDA ) .
In a statement released by his attorneys this week , Bright sounded the alarm : `` To combat this deadly virus , science , not politics or cronyism , has to lead the way . ''
Also this past week , the president stood at the podium of the White House briefing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the coronavirus in the fall .
He then deferred to his top scientific adviser on the question .
`` We will have the virus in the fall , '' said Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health .
Trump also insisted the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had been misquoted about the difficulties of managing COVID-19 in the fall .
Dr. Robert Redfield took the lectern to say he had not been misquoted .
But all this was prelude to the Thursday night stunner , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game changer '' therapy ideas to raising the question of whether injecting a disinfectant ( which can kill the coronavirus on a surface ) into a person could kill the virus ( in reality , doing so would be toxic ) .
This prompted such immediate blowback — from scientists , hospital personnel and even the makers of Lysol — that the president later insisted he had made the comment sarcastically .
And the next evening 's briefing was cut off at just 22 minutes with the president taking no questions .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even as it spreads through the human population .
It will stress both in myriad ways .
Americans ' conflicted relationship with science will play a role in how they deal with that stress .
For the moment , most are accepting the scientific approach of social distancing in service of a greater good .
But there are rejections of stay-at-home orders in street protests and in some statehouses .
Saturday night , Trump repeated a line used to argue for reopening the country sooner rather than later : `` Remember , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem itself . ''
He added , `` Be careful , be safe , use common sense ! ''
The struggle has been joined , and it will likely outlast both this one campaign season and this one pandemic .

Science Becomes A Dividing Issue In Year Of Election And Pandemic
Enlarge this image toggle caption Michael Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images Michael Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images
It now seems apparent that COVID-19 will dominate American life for months to come, quite possibly through the national election in November.
That means the disease, and efforts to respond to it, will likewise dominate the 2020 campaign and make it largely about something it has never been about before.
That something is science.
It is hard to think of a time when hard science — biology, virology, epidemiology — has been so much the core of our political conflict. Issues from evolution to stem cells to vaccination have long been a part of our political conversation, but not at the forefront of presidential elections.
This virus crisis has largely taken over the political conversation. Americans are all learning new, polysyllabic vocabulary and complex truths about threats they cannot see.
And that is likely to bring out all of the culture's ambivalence about science.
Trust in science
Last summer, a Pew Research Center survey found that 86% of Americans expressed "a fair amount or a great deal of faith" that scientists act in their best interests.
But the survey's co-author told NPR, "It tends to be kind of soft support." In fact, only 48% were willing to say that medical doctors "make fair and accurate research statements and recommendations all or most of the time." And only 32% were willing to say as much for "medical research scientists."
A YouGov poll in April 2017 found an even less sanguine attitude, as reported in Scientific American. That measure found only 35% of Americans had "a lot of confidence" in scientists. A plurality (45%) had "a little," while those with "none at all" had grown substantially since YouGov polled the same question in 2013.
Little wonder then that political figures such as Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Republican, and media personalities such as Fox News' Tucker Carlson pounce on the difference between various projections of deaths from COVID-19.
They interpret lower death totals (thus far) as evidence that the threat was overblown, even though public health experts consider it proof that shutdowns and social distancing are working — and note that the threat is not over.
Rejecting expertise
Scientific experts, like experts in general, have fared poorly in the populist atmosphere of the past decade in Europe and the United States.
"Voters say they reject expertise because experts, whom they think of as indistinguishable from governing elites, have failed them," writes Tom Nichols, a professor of national security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College.
Nichols published a book in 2017 called The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why It Matters. Summing up his argument for Politico, Nichols observed that Americans have always had a healthy skepticism about "eggheads" of various kinds.
He says that skepticism renewed itself in the "social and political traumas" of the 1960s and 1970s. But since then, he argues, "Globalization and technological advances have created a gulf between people with enough knowledge and education to cope with these changes and people who feel threatened and left behind in the new world of the 21st century."
Lacking "scientific merit"
The plain fact is that for many, science is a source of wisdom but by no means the only one. There can be a "balancing" of science with religious teaching or humanistic ethics — or what people may regard as their own common sense.
That is why so many Americans may identify with President Trump's overeagerness about potential drug therapies for COVID-19 that have worked on other diseases.
Trump's hopefulness for the antimalarial hydroxychloroquine, for example, was apparently not shared by one of the administration's own leading vaccine scientists, Richard Bright. Bright tried to limit broad use of the drug because its application lacked "scientific merit." As a result, he says, he was removed as director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.
In a statement released by his attorneys last week, Bright sounded the alarm: "To combat this deadly virus, science, not politics or cronyism, has to lead the way."
Also this past week, the president stood at the podium of the White House briefing room and cast doubt on the survival of the coronavirus in the fall. He then deferred to his top scientific adviser on the question.
"We will have the virus in the fall," said Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health.
Trump also insisted the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had been misquoted about the difficulties of managing COVID-19 in the fall. Dr. Robert Redfield took the lectern to say he had not been misquoted.
But all this was prelude to the Thursday night stunner, when the president extended his embrace of "game-changer" therapy ideas to raising the question of whether injecting a disinfectant (which can kill the coronavirus on a surface) into a person could kill the virus (in reality, doing so would be toxic).
This prompted such immediate blowback — from scientists, hospital personnel and even the makers of Lysol — that the president later insisted he had made the comment sarcastically. And the next evening's briefing was cut off at just 22 minutes, with the president taking no questions.
A long-term struggle
The crisis is spreading through the body politic even as it spreads through the human population. It will stress both in myriad ways. Americans' conflicted relationship with science will play a role in how they deal with that stress.
For the moment, most are accepting the scientific approach of social distancing in service of a greater good. But there are rejections of stay-at-home orders in street protests and in some statehouses.
Saturday night, Trump repeated a line used to argue for reopening the country sooner rather than later: "Remember, the Cure can't be worse than the problem itself." He added, "Be careful, be safe, use common sense!"
The struggle has been joined, and it will likely outlast both this one campaign season and this one pandemic.