theduran--2020-04-11--Denmark, Sweden and Pandemic Politics (Video)

The Duran ’ s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris compare how Sweden and Denmark are dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic .
It now appears that after rejecting a lockdown strategy , Sweden may be changing course towards a more strict policy as Covid-19 cases are seeing a steep rise , especially in comparison to neighbor Denmark , which will be slowly easing lockdown restrictions next week .
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Topline : After taking a laid back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no lockdowns like the rest of Europe , Sweden ’ s daily coronavirus death rate has spiked over two days and has put more pressure on officials to enact tougher restrictions on movement to hinder the virus ’ spread .
• Unlike other European countries with widespread shelter-in-place orders , Sweden has not enforced a nationwide lockdown and instead aims to isolate and treat confirmed coronavirus cases—with many businesses , gyms , restaurants , bars and schools remaining open .
• Experts say the Swedish government approach may be a contributing factor in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compared to other countries , with nearly 8 % of Swedes infected with coronavirus dying from it , compared to less than 2 % and 4 % for neighbors Norway and Denmark , respectively .
• On Thursday , there were nearly 10,000 cases nationwide , with 719 Swedes in intensive care .
More than 100 Swedes have died per day for two days in a row , according to the Swedish Public Health Agency , bringing the total death count to 782 .
• Statistics show Swedes appear to be practicing social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drops in public transport ridership and half of Stockholm residents reportedly working from home—but it may not have been enough to slow the virus ’ spread .
• Sweden ’ s chief epidemiologist Anders Tegnell has continuously advocated for laid back measures , saying on Swedish TV Sunday that the pandemic could be defeated by herd immunity , or the indirect protection from a large portion of a population being immune to an infection , or a combination of “ immunity and vaccination.
” • However , critics have argued that with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year away , and insufficient evidence that coronavirus patients that recover are immune from becoming infected again , the strategy of relying on herd immunity and vaccinations ineffective .
Key background : Recent numbers show Swedes appear to be following social distancing guidelines even when they ’ re not required by law .
Passenger numbers on public transportation in Stockholm have fallen by half , and polls indicate that half of residents there are working from home .
However , some critics say people need more stringent guidelines to follow as both deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , more than 2,000 academics signed an open letter to demand tougher measures from the government .
According to YouGov data , Sweden is the country least afraid of the coronavirus pandemic , with only 31 % of Swedes saying they are “ very ” or “ somewhat ” scared that they will contract the virus , which could reflect the population ’ s higher-than-average trust in their own government .
What to watch for : The implementation of more strict coronavirus guidelines .
According to Swedish media reports , the government is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it the power to impose emergency measures like shutting businesses and public transport , which for the most part remain open , CBC reported .

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris compare how Sweden and Denmark are dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic.
It now appears that after rejecting a lockdown strategy, Sweden may be changing course towards a more strict policy as Covid-19 cases are seeing a steep rise, especially in comparison to neighbor Denmark, which will be slowly easing lockdown restrictions next week.
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Subscribe to The Duran on YouTube – Find us on BitChute.
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Via Forbes…
Topline: After taking a laid back approach to the pandemic that has involved no lockdowns like the rest of Europe, Sweden’s daily coronavirus death rate has spiked over two days and has put more pressure on officials to enact tougher restrictions on movement to hinder the virus’ spread.
Unlike other European countries with widespread shelter-in-place orders, Sweden has not enforced a nationwide lockdown and instead aims to isolate and treat confirmed coronavirus cases—with many businesses, gyms, restaurants, bars and schools remaining open.
Experts say the Swedish government approach may be a contributing factor in why Sweden has experienced high death rates compared to other countries, with nearly 8% of Swedes infected with coronavirus dying from it, compared to less than 2% and 4% for neighbors Norway and Denmark, respectively.
On Thursday, there were nearly 10,000 cases nationwide, with 719 Swedes in intensive care. More than 100 Swedes have died per day for two days in a row, according to the Swedish Public Health Agency, bringing the total death count to 782.
Statistics show Swedes appear to be practicing social distancing on their own, resulting in drops in public transport ridership and half of Stockholm residents reportedly working from home—but it may not have been enough to slow the virus’ spread.
Sweden’s chief epidemiologist Anders Tegnell has continuously advocated for laid back measures, saying on Swedish TV Sunday that the pandemic could be defeated by herd immunity, or the indirect protection from a large portion of a population being immune to an infection, or a combination of “immunity and vaccination.”
However, critics have argued that with a coronavirus vaccine could be more than a year away, and insufficient evidence that coronavirus patients that recover are immune from becoming infected again, the strategy of relying on herd immunity and vaccinations ineffective.
Key background: Recent numbers show Swedes appear to be following social distancing guidelines even when they’re not required by law. Passenger numbers on public transportation in Stockholm have fallen by half, and polls indicate that half of residents there are working from home. However, some critics say people need more stringent guidelines to follow as both deaths and new cases spike. Last month, more than 2,000 academics signed an open letter to demand tougher measures from the government. According to YouGov data, Sweden is the country least afraid of the coronavirus pandemic, with only 31% of Swedes saying they are “very” or “somewhat” scared that they will contract the virus, which could reflect the population’s higher-than-average trust in their own government.
What to watch for: The implementation of more strict coronavirus guidelines. According to Swedish media reports, the government is looking to the Swedish parliament to give it the power to impose emergency measures like shutting businesses and public transport, which for the most part remain open, CBC reported.
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theduran--2020-04-11--The OPCW is used as a political tool against Syria

OPCW Fact-Finding Mission ( FFM ) has determined that chemical weapons have been used or likely used in Syria .
The first report of the OPCW was released April 8 and points a finger at the Syrian Arab Air Force concerning 3 attacks which occurred in Ltamenah , on March 24 , 25 , and 30 , in 2017 .
The report claims the investigation team conducts its activities in an impartial and objective manner .
The only reason to believe the conclusion of such a report would be the belief that the team is honest , unbiased , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no proof presented and the 82-page report clearly states that they are not a legal body with the authority to assign criminal responsibility .
The Investigation and Identification Team ( IIT ) Coordinator , Mr. Santiago Oñate-Laborde remarked that the investigative team has concluded that there are reasonable grounds to believe a chemical was used in the attacks .
He further added , “ In the end , the IIT was unable to identify any other plausible explanation.
” In the report , other plausible explanations were identified , but the report sticks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who has some military experience , though is not identified .
The report stated : “ a military expert advising the IIT noted the use of chemical weapons in this area would not be inconsistent with a strategy aimed at inflicting terror on both civilians and combatants , at eliminating infrastructure such as the medical facilities required to continue fighting , and at ensuring that no one felt safe even behind the front lines proper .
The IIT however also took into account that armed groups opposing the Government of the Syrian Arab @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might have had an incentive in “ staging ” a chemical attack against civilians and their own fighters , to blame the Syrian Arab Republic ’ s authorities.
” The report continued , that the alleged incidents in Ltamenah could potentially be explained through similar scenarios , including the ‘ staging ’ of an attack with sarin brought from elsewhere .
Also notable in the report , is the fact that the team never visited the site , and only spoke with 20 witnesses .
The Syrian Foreign and Expatriates Ministry released a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Syrian Arab Republic condemns , in the strongest terms , what has come in the report of the illegitimate so-called Investigation and Identification Team , and rejects what has been included in it , in form and content , ” the statement said , and added that Syria , at the same time , categorically denies using toxic gases in Ltamenah town or in any city or village , and affirms that the Syrian army has never used such weapons in the most difficult battles carried out against armed terrorist organizations.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Federation released a statement on April 9 .
“ The authors of the report , and consequently the leaders of the OPCW Technical Secretariat , have thus become accomplices in the consistent violation of the basic principles and procedures of objective and unbiased investigations stipulated in the CWC , which requires the mandatory dispatch of experts directly to the sites of alleged incidents .
The information gathered by the IIT mostly came from anti-government armed groups and pseudo-humanitarian NGOs affiliated with them , including the notorious White Helmets.
” The statement further adds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the report contains references to certain secret services data – apparently from the same states obsessed with a change of power in Damascus .
There is no other word for it but misinformation.
” In March 2011 , the US-NATO attack on Syria began with the goal of ‘ regime change ’ .
The plan has cost billions , which was to remove the President Assad administration , which is part of the ‘ axis-of-resistance ’ , and to replace it with a pro-US regime headed by the Muslim Brotherhood , such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Syria proved to be stronger than the CIA backed terrorists , and finally , in 2017 President Trump cut off the funding , but the US-NATO plan has not died a natural death .
It is being kept alive by artificial means : such as dubious reports of chemical use , which may illicit US-NATO military intervention , under the ruse of ‘ humanitarian intervention ’ , such as was accomplished in Libya in 2011 .
It was President Obama who handed the terrorists following Radical Islam with the scheme of using chemical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a US military intervention .
Obama delivered his famous “ Red-Line ” speech and the terrorists took the bait .
In East Ghouta they staged a chemical attack and filmed a video which was shown around the globe .
An un-verified video almost caused the US military to attack Syria in a massive planned intervention .
Obama stopped short of ordering the attack when the UK military lab at Porton Down informed him the sarin used was not from Syrian military sources .
There are still many Republicans and Democrats in the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Obama ’ s inaction .
They blame him for being weak , although his actions were based on facts , not opinions .
The OPCW sent a team of experts to investigate allegations that a chemical attack took place in Douma on April 7 , 2018 .
However , the report was discredited after an email was leaked to the well-known journalist Peter Hitchens , who confirmed the email was sent by a member of the team to his superiors , in which he exposes the report was ‘ tweaked ’ to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video purported to show victims being treated in the hospital after the attack went viral , with major western media still showing the video whenever Syrian chemical attacks are mentioned .
However , the symptoms shown in the video are not consistent with what witnesses reported having seen and experienced that day .
This glaring inconsistency was intentionally stricken from the OPCW report .
Seemingly , once again , an unconfirmed video is believable .
If a picture tells a thousand words , a video tells a million .
Ian Henderson , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with military experience , visited the Douma site .
His investigation concluded there was a ‘ higher probability that both cylinders were manually placed … rather than being delivered from aircraft ’ .
Mr. Henderson stored a copy of his research findings in the ‘ Documents Registry Archive ( DRA ) when it became apparent his work would be excluded from the final report .
After a senior OPCW official became aware of Mr. Henderson ’ s actions , the official sent an email to his staff saying : ‘ Please get this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remove all traces , if any , of its delivery/storage/whatever in DRA ’ .
The OPCW has become a political tool for the US-NATO goal of ‘ regime change ’ in Syria .
Instead of being an independent investigative body operating on a basis of integrity , it has delivered reports which could have been written before the investigation .

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator…
OPCW Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) has determined that chemical weapons have been used or likely used in Syria. The first report of the OPCW was released April 8 and points a finger at the Syrian Arab Air Force concerning 3 attacks which occurred in Ltamenah, on March 24, 25, and 30, in 2017.
The report claims the investigation team conducts its activities in an impartial and objective manner. The only reason to believe the conclusion of such a report would be the belief that the team is honest, unbiased, and has no political agenda.
There is no proof presented and the 82-page report clearly states that they are not a legal body with the authority to assign criminal responsibility. The Investigation and Identification Team (IIT) Coordinator, Mr. Santiago Oñate-Laborde remarked that the investigative team has concluded that there are reasonable grounds to believe a chemical was used in the attacks. He further added, “In the end, the IIT was unable to identify any other plausible explanation.”
In the report, other plausible explanations were identified, but the report sticks with the personal opinion of one person who has some military experience, though is not identified. The report stated: “a military expert advising the IIT noted the use of chemical weapons in this area would not be inconsistent with a strategy aimed at inflicting terror on both civilians and combatants, at eliminating infrastructure such as the medical facilities required to continue fighting, and at ensuring that no one felt safe even behind the front lines proper. The IIT however also took into account that armed groups opposing the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic, on the other hand, might have had an incentive in “staging” a chemical attack against civilians and their own fighters, to blame the Syrian Arab Republic’s authorities.”
The report continued, that the alleged incidents in Ltamenah could potentially be explained through similar scenarios, including the ‘staging’ of an attack with sarin brought from elsewhere. Also notable in the report, is the fact that the team never visited the site, and only spoke with 20 witnesses.
The Syrian Foreign and Expatriates Ministry released a statement on April 9. “The Syrian Arab Republic condemns, in the strongest terms, what has come in the report of the illegitimate so-called Investigation and Identification Team, and rejects what has been included in it, in form and content,” the statement said, and added that Syria, at the same time, categorically denies using toxic gases in Ltamenah town or in any city or village, and affirms that the Syrian army has never used such weapons in the most difficult battles carried out against armed terrorist organizations.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation released a statement on April 9. “The authors of the report, and consequently the leaders of the OPCW Technical Secretariat, have thus become accomplices in the consistent violation of the basic principles and procedures of objective and unbiased investigations stipulated in the CWC, which requires the mandatory dispatch of experts directly to the sites of alleged incidents. The information gathered by the IIT mostly came from anti-government armed groups and pseudo-humanitarian NGOs affiliated with them, including the notorious White Helmets.” The statement further adds, “We have also noted that the report contains references to certain secret services data – apparently from the same states obsessed with a change of power in Damascus. There is no other word for it but misinformation.”
In March 2011, the US-NATO attack on Syria began with the goal of ‘regime change’. The plan has cost billions, which was to remove the President Assad administration, which is part of the ‘axis-of-resistance’, and to replace it with a pro-US regime headed by the Muslim Brotherhood, such as was accomplished in Egypt. However, Syria proved to be stronger than the CIA backed terrorists, and finally, in 2017 President Trump cut off the funding, but the US-NATO plan has not died a natural death. It is being kept alive by artificial means: such as dubious reports of chemical use, which may illicit US-NATO military intervention, under the ruse of ‘humanitarian intervention’, such as was accomplished in Libya in 2011.
It was President Obama who handed the terrorists following Radical Islam with the scheme of using chemical use in Syria as the reason for a US military intervention. Obama delivered his famous “Red-Line” speech and the terrorists took the bait. In East Ghouta they staged a chemical attack and filmed a video which was shown around the globe. An un-verified video almost caused the US military to attack Syria in a massive planned intervention. Obama stopped short of ordering the attack when the UK military lab at Porton Down informed him the sarin used was not from Syrian military sources. There are still many Republicans and Democrats in the US Congress who are united in their blame of Obama’s inaction. They blame him for being weak, although his actions were based on facts, not opinions.
The OPCW sent a team of experts to investigate allegations that a chemical attack took place in Douma on April 7, 2018. However, the report was discredited after an email was leaked to the well-known journalist Peter Hitchens, who confirmed the email was sent by a member of the team to his superiors, in which he exposes the report was ‘tweaked’ to intentionally misrepresent the facts.
A shocking video purported to show victims being treated in the hospital after the attack went viral, with major western media still showing the video whenever Syrian chemical attacks are mentioned. However, the symptoms shown in the video are not consistent with what witnesses reported having seen and experienced that day. This glaring inconsistency was intentionally stricken from the OPCW report. Seemingly, once again, an unconfirmed video is believable. If a picture tells a thousand words, a video tells a million.
Ian Henderson, a veteran OPCW inspector and specialist chemical engineer with military experience, visited the Douma site. His investigation concluded there was a ‘higher probability that both cylinders were manually placed … rather than being delivered from aircraft’. Mr. Henderson stored a copy of his research findings in the ‘Documents Registry Archive (DRA) when it became apparent his work would be excluded from the final report. After a senior OPCW official became aware of Mr. Henderson’s actions, the official sent an email to his staff saying: ‘Please get this document out of DRA … And please remove all traces, if any, of its delivery/storage/whatever in DRA’.
The OPCW has become a political tool for the US-NATO goal of ‘regime change’ in Syria. Instead of being an independent investigative body operating on a basis of integrity, it has delivered reports which could have been written before the investigation.
Steven Sahiounie is a Syrian-American award-winning journalist.


theduran--2020-04-11--COVID Orthodox Church closures part III – An interview from the front

When starting this series , we fully expected to find really strong arguments supporting the position taken by most Orthodox Christian Church jurisdictions – that the parish temples be closed to laity during the period of quarantine imposed on most of us in the “ First World ” ( Europe , the Americas , China , Australia , the Far East ) by the coronavirus and COVID-19 mitigation efforts .
Indeed , I made it a point to try to approach this topic in a manner that worked against my own gut instinct – that this closure or restriction is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to meet the crisis .
It may indeed by logical to do this to prevent transmission of the disease through crowds , but it is not what Christian believers advocated in times past with far worse plagues than this one .
Up to now , however , we failed .
What we did find was a strong and compelling body of evidence that suggests that the only church closures that took place during plagues were probably because the clergy serving in them died from the plague or other complications .
To date we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an historical precedent , the present-day actions .
Perhaps other people more clever than I will be successful , and I sincerely hope that those people will either relay what they found to me or submit their own pieces to The Duran , to give as much balance as possible to this topic .
However , an interview with an American registered nurse , currently on the front lines of this pandemic , does give perhaps the clearest body of information to at least explain the highly unusual nature of the action to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the historically conservative Orthodox Christian jurisdictions , not only in the US , but in many places around the world .
It is important to prefact the interview .
As an American , as well as an American who is not living in the United States presently , but in Russia , my “ outside the fishbowl ” perspective allows me to make a few assertions about the US and its capabilities which are quite likely to be correct , despite the immeasurable political churn that is present in both politicians themselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , most of whom are resolutely determined that the only real problem in the United States is the present occupant of the White House .
Yes , even now , as the US leads the world by far in COVID-19 cases and deaths soon to follow .
However , having developed a rather practiced eye for these things , it appears possible to lay out a few overall points to best frame our perspective : • The United States coronavirus numbers are likely the most accurate counts in the world , with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is because the US has a massive capability for travel and distribution of testing equipment and facilities throughout the nation .
• The very free nature of private and public communication gives us a lot of chaos , but it also does deliver accurate information when properly used , without government control .
In other words , President Trump ’ s course of using the Federal Government as something like a coordination center rather than a top-level base is extremely apt and is the best method possible for the gathering and dissemination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While the Trump-opposing “ peanut gallery ” doesn ’ t stop throwing rocks at the president , the reality is that not one of them could actually have handled this situation any better .
In fact , the most successful solutions would have involved doing precisely what the President did , for , knowing that he himself is not the “ supreme know-it-all ” about the virus , the President is the “ prime coordinator ” , the one to find the best possible resources and people who do know .
Further , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his political ideology .
For him , solving the problem is the most important matter .
This was manifested in his recent phone call with candidate Joe Biden , who is waging a sleepy but contentious campaign for the Presidency , and who , in his campaign , generally has nothing good to say about the President , as is appropriate for party and tradition .
The US has a way of “ broadcasting ” its internal affairs very publicly , and what we see is what such actions would look like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control is much simpler in appearance , but it is also significantly more difficult to trust .
Example : China .
We may seem to be departing from the theme of this series with is about the Orthodox Church response to the virus , but all of this information has turned up as necessary in order to properly frame this crisis .
While it may be more “ convenient ” and certainly more attractive for views and hits to deliver some punchy piece that is not balanced , the nature of the crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not snark .
In order to properly characterize our assessment ( opinion , only ! )
of how the Church is handling it , we need one more piece of information .
In the few days that have passed since my Part II of this series was published , I conducted an interview with a registered nurse in the United States who is , logically , quite privy to the current situtation with the coronavirus pandemic in the United States .
This person ( who we are naming “ Julie ” ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ground ” take , and it reflects the state of that person ’ s understanding and knowledge of the virus at this time ( ranging from April 6-10 , 2020 ) .
We present that information here .
To make it a little more simple to follow , I have taken the liberty of creating “ questions ” before the significant points so that it makes the information a little more bite-size .
The information is given exactly as stated , with the only corrections being punctuation or spelling if needed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the raw data are my attempts to step-by-step take the reader through it .
The Duran ( TD ) : I am … investigating the closures of churches and places of worship because of Covid-19 .
I see several problems , but one of them is probably related to not clearly understanding what it is exactly about coronavirus that makes it such a severe threat that basically all of the civilized world is shut down .
The last major pandemic , the Spanish Flu , took a huge number of people – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world population at that time .
But this one seems far less lethal , though it is scary to see the images of people on ventilators and doctors in biohazard suits and so on .
Can you tell me in your own words what you understand the threat of this to be – and how it might actually justify the closures ?
Nurse Julie ( NJ ) : You ask some very good questions .
The first problem is that this virus is new to the human population , so there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any immunity whatsoever .
This means the disease progresses much farther before the body even realizes there is an invader to fight , so the person gets much sicker overall .
When Columbus landed in America , he brought smallpox with him .
None of the populations here had ever encountered this illness , and it is estimated that 50 million Native Americans died from it .
Again , the flu pandemic of 1918 jumped from animals to humans and no one had immunity to it , it took 50 million lives .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it will be because of modern medical care… they didn ’ t have ventilators in 1918 so anyone in respiratory failure just died .
They also didn ’ t have a strong grasp on epidemiology or disease transmission , so they didn ’ t attempt to mitigate the spread at the community level .
Because this virus has been known to science for less than 6 months , we are still learning what it does to the body and HOW it does it .
Instead , we are looking at the symptoms presented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disease process within the body on a cellular level , we can not predict how it will make patients sick , to what extent , how to best treat it , and who will be most sick .
There is a lot of talk about the need for ventilators , but this is not representative of what the disease is doing to people .
They estimate 10 % will need a ventilator to survive , but half of those put on one still can ’ t be saved… they go into multiple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they resort to dialysis to keep them alive and find their blood is so coagulated it clogs up the dialysis machine .
TD : What is actually happening at medical facilities in the US ?
NJ : Many COVID positive ( Covid+ hereafter ) people are showing up at the ER with heart attacks and strokes , because their blood is so coagulated it caused a secondary medical crisis .
This is a seriously nasty disease , and presents a way that NO ONE wants to die .
TD : What information do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
We have heard all sorts of claims , ranging from not-communicable person to person to highly so .
What do you see now ?
NJ : Another major problem we are facing is lack of consensus on how this is transmitted .
Originally it was believed to be airborne , meaning if someone exhales the virus can stay aloft in the air for 3-6 hours and travel up to 27 feet ( about 9 meters ) .
Anyone who walks through the area in that 3-6 hours is susceptible to inhaling it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus prior to the US treated it as an airborne illness , and the US initially did also .
But it didn ’ t take us long to figure out we were not prepared for airborne illness and do not have adequate personal protective equipment ( PPE ) supplies .
So the CDC downgraded its classification to droplet , which is a different ballgame .
I believe this was done because they feared acknowledging both that it is highly contagious and the proper measures of protection are unavailable would make healthcare workers disinclined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to risk the lives of themselves and their families .
I recently came across evidence that [ President ] George W. Bush realized this situation was inevitable and began preparation during his time in office , but the effort fell to the wayside after he left office .
So , lack of valid information and lack of appropriate PPE are two major problems faced here in the US , and they are intertwined .
The Spanish Flu circled the globe with alarming speed , and they are trying to prevent that happening now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once it will be over quickly , but the death toll would be quite high because the healthcare system would be unable to address the sheer number of people needing care all at once .
This is happening in NYC as we speak .
( Interestingly , city officials instructed people there to not worry about the virus , encouraged them to continue going to restaurants and attending major public events . )
It ’ s likely that social isolation won ’ t impact the final total of people who contract the illness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them from all showing up in the ER in the next month .
This gives those gravely ill a greater chance of survival , as they are more likely to receive adequate medical attention .
TD : We understand that there are fears in the US of a permanent loss of personal liberty because of this crisis .
NJ : [ Yes ] , meanwhile , the powers that be seem to be grappling with temptation to use this crisis as justification for a power grab .
[ Jared Polis ] , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are using cell phones to track people ’ s movements .
This creates a conflict between public safety and preservation of individual liberty .
The genuine concern for public health has brought a situation where church and state are clashing .
( I don ’ t know if you heard , but the pastor of a megachurch in Texas was arrested for continuing services against governmental orders . )
TD : But all of this seems to come back to the ability or inability to render needed care .
Trump seems to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states rights and the autonomy that goes with that concept , but the end result is individual states vying for crucial PPE in the marketplace .
Meanwhile my hospital is building negative pressure rooms for covid+ patients , but we have neither the PPE or the experience to care for critically ill patients .
We are about to run out of hand sanitizer , and are trying to learn how to make our own .
We are running low on gloves , and are almost completely out of medium gloves .
All basic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the clowns at the CDC are advising that we cover our faces with a scarf or bandana , and wear the same gloves room to room without changing them .
This would have gotten me fired and likely cost me my license six months ago .
Sorry this response is so long , I ’ ve been following the development of this very closely for about a month now and am attempting to simply hit on the major problems… but they are myriad… While this might seem like a long , rambling response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ truly interconnected .
As such , one impacts the other and creating change with one causes changes in the other factors .
The greatest argument for social distancing is preservation of the greater population over time .
Going forward in my research I will be alert of anything that might prove useful to you and send it your way .
I encourage you to read the article on airborne vs droplet transmission by JAMA that I shared to my timeline .
This one uncertainty stands to define the outcome of the situation and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : What else can you tell us about coronavirus itself ?
NJ : [ The coronavirus ] requires two genes to do what it is currently doing .
One allows it to infect humans , the other allows it to pass human to human .
There was no evidence SARS acquired this second gene , as the reported cases were animal-to-human .
This helped curb the outbreak of SARS .
( At least the one in China , I ’ ve not researched the one in the Middle East . )
TD : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April 10 , 2020 , 18:03 UTC ] Russia has 11,917 cases confirmed , 94 fatalities , 795 recoveries .
Moscow has 7,822 cases .
We are locked down hard but churches are still running in certain places .
NJ : I am concerned by the numbers , but it might be that you are testing better than the US , which has been laughable so far .
For context , we had 8 cases in Colorado on March 8th .
One month later on April 5th , we have 4950 .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I read that moscow reported 700+ cases in a day early last week , which is about twice the CO state average of daily increase .
If these numbers are accelerated because of adequate testing , that ’ s in your favor .
If the numbers are such because the cases are genuinely accelerating at that rate , then I fear Moscow is in danger of seeing something comparable to Italy and New York .
This is my reason for repeatedly asking you to be cautious .
I think one of the hardest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including my parents .
TD : But I am also trying to find evidence for Church closures in other plagues .
So far , I have not found this – I HAVE found that Christians were historically the fearless people who went into the sick houses and treated and cared for people , even if they lost their own lives in the process .
I am uncomfortable with the closure orders , but I can not say I do not understand them , especially in light of what you [ shared with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been a huge outcry amongst Orthodox in the US over the closures , with much conversation.. someone reported that services were last cancelled during one of the plague outbreaks .
I don ’ t remember the year tho , it was several hundred years ago if I recall correctly .
Also of interest , we hear over and over its mostly older adults that are impacted but the numbers don ’ t represent this .
Also , deaths are 60 % /40 % male to female ratio… not sure why .
For your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aspects of the disease that is proving fatal is a cytokine storm .
These are chemicals that the body makes to combat illness , but the response is disproportionate.. so many cytokines are created that they poison the body .
This is a factor in the coagulation issues I spoke of , and also plays a definite role in multiple organ failure .
It is currently unknown how many of the perished had this happen in their bodies .
The lab test to detect this response is elevated ferritin levels , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treating the storm .
I pray that you never need this info , but if someone close to you takes ill please keep this in mind .
TD : Are there any other thoughts you have about this , maybe any unusual things you have seen or heard about ?
NJ : Yes , we Americans love our individual liberty .
There is a growing conspiracy theory that this is all a hoax , [ that ] there is no virus .
…I keep thinking of the Passover story.. the blood on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in place while it all went down .
Part of that is the time of year , and part is my sincere desire to hide in my house and not face this nightmare daily at work ( laughs ) .

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
When starting this series, we fully expected to find really strong arguments supporting the position taken by most Orthodox Christian Church jurisdictions – that the parish temples be closed to laity during the period of quarantine imposed on most of us in the “First World” (Europe, the Americas, China, Australia, the Far East) by the coronavirus and COVID-19 mitigation efforts. Indeed, I made it a point to try to approach this topic in a manner that worked against my own gut instinct – that this closure or restriction is the wrong way to go for us to meet the crisis. It may indeed by logical to do this to prevent transmission of the disease through crowds, but it is not what Christian believers advocated in times past with far worse plagues than this one.
Up to now, however, we failed. What we did find was a strong and compelling body of evidence that suggests that the only church closures that took place during plagues were probably because the clergy serving in them died from the plague or other complications. To date we have not located any information supporting as an historical precedent, the present-day actions. Perhaps other people more clever than I will be successful, and I sincerely hope that those people will either relay what they found to me or submit their own pieces to The Duran, to give as much balance as possible to this topic.
However, an interview with an American registered nurse, currently on the front lines of this pandemic, does give perhaps the clearest body of information to at least explain the highly unusual nature of the action to close places of worship, even those of the historically conservative Orthodox Christian jurisdictions, not only in the US, but in many places around the world.
It is important to prefact the interview. As an American, as well as an American who is not living in the United States presently, but in Russia, my “outside the fishbowl” perspective allows me to make a few assertions about the US and its capabilities which are quite likely to be correct, despite the immeasurable political churn that is present in both politicians themselves and the news media in that country, most of whom are resolutely determined that the only real problem in the United States is the present occupant of the White House. Yes, even now, as the US leads the world by far in COVID-19 cases and deaths soon to follow. However, having developed a rather practiced eye for these things, it appears possible to lay out a few overall points to best frame our perspective:
The United States coronavirus numbers are likely the most accurate counts in the world , with the possible contender being South Korea. This is because the US has a massive capability for travel and distribution of testing equipment and facilities throughout the nation. The very free nature of private and public communication gives us a lot of chaos, but it also does deliver accurate information when properly used, without government control. In other words, President Trump’s course of using the Federal Government as something like a coordination center rather than a top-level base is extremely apt and is the best method possible for the gathering and dissemination of both information and assistance. While the Trump-opposing “peanut gallery” doesn’t stop throwing rocks at the president, the reality is that not one of them could actually have handled this situation any better. In fact, the most successful solutions would have involved doing precisely what the President did, for, knowing that he himself is not the “supreme know-it-all” about the virus, the President is the “prime coordinator”, the one to find the best possible resources and people who do know. Further, the President is a pragmatist in terms of his political ideology. For him, solving the problem is the most important matter. This was manifested in his recent phone call with candidate Joe Biden, who is waging a sleepy but contentious campaign for the Presidency, and who, in his campaign, generally has nothing good to say about the President, as is appropriate for party and tradition.
The US has a way of “broadcasting” its internal affairs very publicly, and what we see is what such actions would look like from most any country. Centralized government control is much simpler in appearance, but it is also significantly more difficult to trust. Example: China.
We may seem to be departing from the theme of this series with is about the Orthodox Church response to the virus, but all of this information has turned up as necessary in order to properly frame this crisis. While it may be more “convenient” and certainly more attractive for views and hits to deliver some punchy piece that is not balanced, the nature of the crisis itself mandates careful, sober evaluation and not snark. In order to properly characterize our assessment (opinion, only!) of how the Church is handling it, we need one more piece of information.
In the few days that have passed since my Part II of this series was published, I conducted an interview with a registered nurse in the United States who is, logically, quite privy to the current situtation with the coronavirus pandemic in the United States. This person (who we are naming “Julie”), gave me a real “conditions on the ground” take, and it reflects the state of that person’s understanding and knowledge of the virus at this time (ranging from April 6-10, 2020). We present that information here. To make it a little more simple to follow, I have taken the liberty of creating “questions” before the significant points so that it makes the information a little more bite-size. The information is given exactly as stated, with the only corrections being punctuation or spelling if needed. In other words, the only refinement to the raw data are my attempts to step-by-step take the reader through it.
The Duran (TD): I am … investigating the closures of churches and places of worship because of Covid-19. I see several problems, but one of them is probably related to not clearly understanding what it is exactly about coronavirus that makes it such a severe threat that basically all of the civilized world is shut down. The last major pandemic, the Spanish Flu, took a huge number of people – enough to make a significant dent in the world population at that time. But this one seems far less lethal, though it is scary to see the images of people on ventilators and doctors in biohazard suits and so on. Can you tell me in your own words what you understand the threat of this to be – and how it might actually justify the closures?
Nurse Julie (NJ): You ask some very good questions. The first problem is that this virus is new to the human population, so there is not one person on the planet with any immunity whatsoever. This means the disease progresses much farther before the body even realizes there is an invader to fight, so the person gets much sicker overall.
When Columbus landed in America, he brought smallpox with him. None of the populations here had ever encountered this illness, and it is estimated that 50 million Native Americans died from it. Again, the flu pandemic of 1918 jumped from animals to humans and no one had immunity to it, it took 50 million lives.
If this one proves less lethal, it will be because of modern medical care… they didn’t have ventilators in 1918 so anyone in respiratory failure just died. They also didn’t have a strong grasp on epidemiology or disease transmission, so they didn’t attempt to mitigate the spread at the community level.
Because this virus has been known to science for less than 6 months, we are still learning what it does to the body and HOW it does it. Instead, we are looking at the symptoms presented and treating them. Until we understand the disease process within the body on a cellular level, we cannot predict how it will make patients sick, to what extent, how to best treat it, and who will be most sick.
There is a lot of talk about the need for ventilators, but this is not representative of what the disease is doing to people. They estimate 10% will need a ventilator to survive, but half of those put on one still can’t be saved… they go into multiple organ failure, when the kidneys fail they resort to dialysis to keep them alive and find their blood is so coagulated it clogs up the dialysis machine.
TD: What is actually happening at medical facilities in the US?
NJ: Many COVID positive (Covid+ hereafter) people are showing up at the ER with heart attacks and strokes, because their blood is so coagulated it caused a secondary medical crisis. This is a seriously nasty disease, and presents a way that NO ONE wants to die.
TD: What information do you have about how COVID-19 is transmitted? We have heard all sorts of claims, ranging from not-communicable person to person to highly so. What do you see now?
NJ: Another major problem we are facing is lack of consensus on how this is transmitted.
Originally it was believed to be airborne, meaning if someone exhales the virus can stay aloft in the air for 3-6 hours and travel up to 27 feet (about 9 meters). Anyone who walks through the area in that 3-6 hours is susceptible to inhaling it. All the countries affected by the virus prior to the US treated it as an airborne illness, and the US initially did also.
But it didn’t take us long to figure out we were not prepared for airborne illness and do not have adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies. So the CDC downgraded its classification to droplet, which is a different ballgame. I believe this was done because they feared acknowledging both that it is highly contagious and the proper measures of protection are unavailable would make healthcare workers disinclined to continue reporting to work, only to risk the lives of themselves and their families.
I recently came across evidence that [President] George W. Bush realized this situation was inevitable and began preparation during his time in office, but the effort fell to the wayside after he left office. So, lack of valid information and lack of appropriate PPE are two major problems faced here in the US, and they are intertwined.
The Spanish Flu circled the globe with alarming speed, and they are trying to prevent that happening now. If everyone takes sick all at once it will be over quickly, but the death toll would be quite high because the healthcare system would be unable to address the sheer number of people needing care all at once. This is happening in NYC as we speak. (Interestingly, city officials instructed people there to not worry about the virus, encouraged them to continue going to restaurants and attending major public events.)
It’s likely that social isolation won’t impact the final total of people who contract the illness over time, but it will prevent them from all showing up in the ER in the next month. This gives those gravely ill a greater chance of survival, as they are more likely to receive adequate medical attention.
TD: We understand that there are fears in the US of a permanent loss of personal liberty because of this crisis.
NJ: [Yes], meanwhile, the powers that be seem to be grappling with temptation to use this crisis as justification for a power grab. [Jared Polis], the governor of Colorado admitted on TV that they are using cell phones to track people’s movements. This creates a conflict between public safety and preservation of individual liberty.
The genuine concern for public health has brought a situation where church and state are clashing. (I don’t know if you heard, but the pastor of a megachurch in Texas was arrested for continuing services against governmental orders.)
TD: But all of this seems to come back to the ability or inability to render needed care.
Trump seems to be trying to preserve the tradition of states rights and the autonomy that goes with that concept, but the end result is individual states vying for crucial PPE in the marketplace.
Meanwhile my hospital is building negative pressure rooms for covid+ patients, but we have neither the PPE or the experience to care for critically ill patients. We are about to run out of hand sanitizer, and are trying to learn how to make our own. We are running low on gloves, and are almost completely out of medium gloves. All basic supplies are on nationwide backorder.
Meanwhile the clowns at the CDC are advising that we cover our faces with a scarf or bandana, and wear the same gloves room to room without changing them. This would have gotten me fired and likely cost me my license six months ago. Sorry this response is so long, I’ve been following the development of this very closely for about a month now and am attempting to simply hit on the major problems… but they are myriad…
While this might seem like a long, rambling response covering diverse topics, they are all truly interconnected. As such, one impacts the other and creating change with one causes changes in the other factors.
The greatest argument for social distancing is preservation of the greater population over time. Going forward in my research I will be alert of anything that might prove useful to you and send it your way. I encourage you to read the article on airborne vs droplet transmission by JAMA that I shared to my timeline. This one uncertainty stands to define the outcome of the situation and the toll on the population.
TD: What else can you tell us about coronavirus itself?
NJ: [The coronavirus] requires two genes to do what it is currently doing. One allows it to infect humans, the other allows it to pass human to human. There was no evidence SARS acquired this second gene, as the reported cases were animal-to-human. This helped curb the outbreak of SARS. (At least the one in China, I’ve not researched the one in the Middle East.)
TD: [updated for current numbers as of April 10, 2020, 18:03 UTC] Russia has 11,917 cases confirmed, 94 fatalities, 795 recoveries. Moscow has 7,822 cases. We are locked down hard but churches are still running in certain places.
NJ: I am concerned by the numbers, but it might be that you are testing better than the US, which has been laughable so far. For context, we had 8 cases in Colorado on March 8th. One month later on April 5th, we have 4950. That’s for the entire state. I read that moscow reported 700+ cases in a day early last week, which is about twice the CO state average of daily increase. If these numbers are accelerated because of adequate testing, that’s in your favor. If the numbers are such because the cases are genuinely accelerating at that rate, then I fear Moscow is in danger of seeing something comparable to Italy and New York. This is my reason for repeatedly asking you to be cautious. I think one of the hardest parts is working about those far away, including my parents.
TD: But I am also trying to find evidence for Church closures in other plagues. So far, I have not found this – I HAVE found that Christians were historically the fearless people who went into the sick houses and treated and cared for people, even if they lost their own lives in the process. I am uncomfortable with the closure orders, but I cannot say I do not understand them, especially in light of what you [shared with] me.
NJ: There has been a huge outcry amongst Orthodox in the US over the closures, with much conversation.. someone reported that services were last cancelled during one of the plague outbreaks. I don’t remember the year tho, it was several hundred years ago if I recall correctly.
Also of interest, we hear over and over its mostly older adults that are impacted but the numbers don’t represent this. Also, deaths are 60%/40% male to female ratio… not sure why.
For your own personal knowledge, one of the aspects of the disease that is proving fatal is a cytokine storm. These are chemicals that the body makes to combat illness, but the response is disproportionate.. so many cytokines are created that they poison the body. This is a factor in the coagulation issues I spoke of, and also plays a definite role in multiple organ failure. It is currently unknown how many of the perished had this happen in their bodies. The lab test to detect this response is elevated ferritin levels, and the drug Tocilizumab has shown definite promise in treating the storm. I pray that you never need this info, but if someone close to you takes ill please keep this in mind.
TD: Are there any other thoughts you have about this, maybe any unusual things you have seen or heard about?
NJ: Yes, we Americans love our individual liberty. There is a growing conspiracy theory that this is all a hoax, [that] there is no virus.
…I keep thinking of the Passover story.. the blood on the doorposts and God’s faithful sheltering in place while it all went down. Part of that is the time of year, and part is my sincere desire to hide in my house and not face this nightmare daily at work (laughs).
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theduran--2020-04-11--Trump’s Presidency Hangs on One Decision

Easter may not bring America the victory in the war against the coronavirus pandemic that President Donald Trump anticipated .
But in this Holy Week , we may be reaching our Saratoga moment , our turning point .
While New York state reported a record number of deaths from the virus on Tuesday , over 1,800 , new hospitalizations were down .
Referrals of patients to ICUs were down .
Intubations were down .
And the discharge rate for patients from hospitals was holding steady .
The thousands of ventilators Gov .
Andrew Cuomo had been crying out for are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The U.S. Navy hospital ship Comfort moored on the Hudson with a capacity of 1,000 beds remains largely empty .
So , too , are the thousands of beds in Manhattan ’ s Javits Center , which has been converted into an emergency hospital .
“ We are flattening the curve , ” exulted Cuomo on Wednesday , “ Thank God .
Thank God .
Thank God.
” Predictions of 1 million to 2 million U.S. deaths are no longer heard .
Last week ’ s projection from the White House briefing room @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revised , sharply downward .
Tuesday , Dr. Deborah Birx said the model she is working with projects 81,000 deaths .
By Wednesday , that had dropped 25 % to an estimated 60,000 U.S. deaths .
A terrible toll , still more than all the Americans who died in the Vietnam war , but compared to earlier estimates , hopeful news .
Social distancing and sheltering in place are working .
California , Oregon and Washington have begun to ship medical equipment to states where infections are still surging .
Moreover , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 were caused by underlying conditions patients had when they came to the hospital , such as cancer , heart disease , hypertension , pneumonia , diabetes , asthma .
Yes , this could be a false dawn .
We are warned of the possibility that the coronavirus , after cutting its initial murderous swath by August , could revisit us in the fall with a new season of lethal attacks .
But by then , we may have developed vaccines or drugs to prevent , mitigate or even cure the disease .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ The American people and nation are aware , fully engaged in the fight , and , on several fronts , gaining the whip hand over the pandemic .
Hence , understandably , consideration is being given to resuscitating the U.S. economy before this nationwide shutdown plunges America into a full-blown depression that exacts its own toll of premature deaths .
Upon this question now , the Trump presidency appears to hang : Will Trump ’ s actions flatten the curve and put the pandemic on an irreversible downward course in daily cases and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if not a V-turn , dramatically driving the economy upward from depression and toward national prosperity ?
Can he revive the economy without reviving the virus ?
Or will the coronavirus so severely cripple the economy that the depression it produces will kill the Trump presidency ?
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie framed the issue thus : “ Politically , nothing else matters .
… I have never seen a time when an opponent is more irrelevant .
And that ’ s not an insult to Vice President Biden .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people are going to decide , has the president of the United States stood up to this crisis , and done right by them and protected their lives and their property , or hasn ’ t he ?
” Trump ’ s true adversary in this election is not Joe Biden , the hermit candidate sheltering in place .
Biden is but a name on the November ballot you mark if you want to remove and replace Donald Trump .
Trump ’ s real antagonists are the media who detest him and are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remove him , to drive him from office by portraying him as a foolish , failed president in the worst crisis to hit the country since Pearl Harbor .
The crucial decision Trump will make is to choose the exact moment to reopen the country and the economy , without igniting a new spike in the pandemic that induces despair and causes a panic .
The president ’ s aides in charge of the medical crisis want the longest delay possible .
His economic and political advisers , fearing Trump could be forced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the nadir of a new depression , want an earlier decision to start opening up the country .
Action can not long be delayed if we are to survive the medical crisis only to endure a longer and more costly economic crisis .
Thursday morning , jobless claims revealed that another 6.6 million Americans had lost their jobs , bringing to 16.7 million the number who have filed for unemployment in just three weeks .
One in 10 Americans is now out of work .
Six weeks ago , Trump was boasting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the greatest economy of any president in recent memory .
Now , the possibility exists that he could go into the fall election with the worst economy since Hoover and the Great Depression of 1932 .
Trump ’ s decision , which will determine the fate of his presidency , is likely close at hand .
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The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Authored by Patrick Buchanan via Buchanan.org:
The crucial decision Trump will make is to choose the exact moment to reopen the country and the economy, without igniting a new spike in the pandemic that induces despair and causes a panic.
Easter may not bring America the victory in the war against the coronavirus pandemic that President Donald Trump anticipated. But in this Holy Week, we may be reaching our Saratoga moment, our turning point.
While New York state reported a record number of deaths from the virus on Tuesday, over 1,800, new hospitalizations were down.
Referrals of patients to ICUs were down. Intubations were down. And the discharge rate for patients from hospitals was holding steady.
The thousands of ventilators Gov. Andrew Cuomo had been crying out for are, apparently, not immediately needed. The U.S. Navy hospital ship Comfort moored on the Hudson with a capacity of 1,000 beds remains largely empty. So, too, are the thousands of beds in Manhattan’s Javits Center, which has been converted into an emergency hospital.
“We are flattening the curve,” exulted Cuomo on Wednesday, “Thank God. Thank God. Thank God.”
Predictions of 1 million to 2 million U.S. deaths are no longer heard.
Last week’s projection from the White House briefing room of 100,000 to 240,000 dead has been revised, sharply downward.
Tuesday, Dr. Deborah Birx said the model she is working with projects 81,000 deaths. By Wednesday, that had dropped 25% to an estimated 60,000 U.S. deaths.
A terrible toll, still more than all the Americans who died in the Vietnam war, but compared to earlier estimates, hopeful news.
Social distancing and sheltering in place are working.
California, Oregon and Washington have begun to ship medical equipment to states where infections are still surging.
Moreover, it appears that some deaths being attributed to COVID-19 were caused by underlying conditions patients had when they came to the hospital, such as cancer, heart disease, hypertension, pneumonia, diabetes, asthma.
Yes, this could be a false dawn. We are warned of the possibility that the coronavirus, after cutting its initial murderous swath by August, could revisit us in the fall with a new season of lethal attacks.
But by then, we may have developed vaccines or drugs to prevent, mitigate or even cure the disease.
What appears conclusive now is this: The American people and nation are aware, fully engaged in the fight, and, on several fronts, gaining the whip hand over the pandemic.
Hence, understandably, consideration is being given to resuscitating the U.S. economy before this nationwide shutdown plunges America into a full-blown depression that exacts its own toll of premature deaths.
Upon this question now, the Trump presidency appears to hang:
Will Trump’s actions flatten the curve and put the pandemic on an irreversible downward course in daily cases and deaths, as he produces a U-turn, if not a V-turn, dramatically driving the economy upward from depression and toward national prosperity?
Can he revive the economy without reviving the virus?
Or will the coronavirus so severely cripple the economy that the depression it produces will kill the Trump presidency?
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie framed the issue thus: “Politically, nothing else matters. … I have never seen a time when an opponent is more irrelevant. And that’s not an insult to Vice President Biden.
“But in the end, the American people are going to decide, has the president of the United States stood up to this crisis, and done right by them and protected their lives and their property, or hasn’t he?”
Trump’s true adversary in this election is not Joe Biden, the hermit candidate sheltering in place. Biden is but a name on the November ballot you mark if you want to remove and replace Donald Trump.
Trump’s real antagonists are the media who detest him and are determined, having failed to impeach and remove him, to drive him from office by portraying him as a foolish, failed president in the worst crisis to hit the country since Pearl Harbor.
The crucial decision Trump will make is to choose the exact moment to reopen the country and the economy, without igniting a new spike in the pandemic that induces despair and causes a panic.
The president’s aides in charge of the medical crisis want the longest delay possible. His economic and political advisers, fearing Trump could be forced to run as Herbert Hoover did, at the nadir of a new depression, want an earlier decision to start opening up the country.
Action cannot long be delayed if we are to survive the medical crisis only to endure a longer and more costly economic crisis.
Thursday morning, jobless claims revealed that another 6.6 million Americans had lost their jobs, bringing to 16.7 million the number who have filed for unemployment in just three weeks.
One in 10 Americans is now out of work.
Six weeks ago, Trump was boasting, and justifiably so, of having the greatest economy of any president in recent memory. Now, the possibility exists that he could go into the fall election with the worst economy since Hoover and the Great Depression of 1932.
Trump’s decision, which will determine the fate of his presidency, is likely close at hand.
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theduran--2020-04-10--Boris Johnson moved out of intensive care as Britain asks NATO for help

Submitted by InfoBrics , authored by Johanna Ross , journalist based in Edinburgh , Scotland… After three nights British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been moved out of the intensive care unit at St Thomas ’ hospital in London after testing positive for coronavirus almost a fortnight ago .
The PM will continue to be monitored in hospital however for the time being , as he still experiences symptoms of the disease .
The country watched with bated breath as Johnson was admitted to hospital on Monday night , with rumours circulating that he was to be put on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported as being in ‘ extremely good spirits ’ as his treatment in intensive care came to an end .
The news regarding Johnson ’ s recovery comes as a 52 year old doctor , Abdul Mabud Chowdhury , who warned Boris Johnson in March that there wasn ’ t enough Personal Protective Equipment ( PPE ) for NHS workers , sadly died after also falling victim to Covid-19 .
The medic , who was a locum urologist based at Homerton Hospital in East London , had written to the Prime Minister on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each and every care workers with adequate protective equipment .
He said that healthcare workers “ are in direct contact with patients ” and have a “ human right like others to live in this world disease-free with our family and children ” .
Mr Chowdhury himself has left behind a wife and two children .
The call for urgent provision of PPE is one echoed by so many in not only medical circles but in all fields of public service .
Transport workers and supermarket staff also continue to work without sufficient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their work , at a high risk of contracting the virus .
The situation has been equated to going into battle without armour .
London Mayor Sadiq Khan was lambasted on popular morning TV show Good Morning Britain this week for not providing London bus and underground staff with proper PPE .
He explained that the advice the government was giving was that it wasn ’ t necessary for transport staff ; the reality being that there simply isn ’ t enough to go around .
Ironically , after voting to leave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ itself now reliant on its European partners ’ assistance at this time of crisis .
It was reported that after an appeal to its NATO allies , Germany has decided to send 60 ventilators to the UK , a small number given the target of 18,000 set by Health Secretary Matt Hancock , but nevertheless every little helps at a time like this .
More than 480 ventilators were obtained by the UK last month from China , the US , Taiwan and Sweden .
In total Britain has around 10,000 ventilators , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steadily up the coronavirus graph ‘ curve ’ .
Some are criticising the UK ’ s decision to reject an EU scheme to work together to order the life-saving equipment , stating it is politically motivated by Brexiteers .
The government for its part claims that it missed an e-mail inviting it to join .
The UK government was expected to make a statement regarding the current lockdown conditions towards the end of this week , but with the Prime Minister having taken ill it ’ s now expected that an announcement will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Based on the recent statements made by both the government and its medical advisors , it ’ s likely that the lockdown will continue for a number of weeks .
With the number of deaths to Covid-19 continuing to rise in Britain – the latest figure for deaths on Thursday was 919 – the government does want to wind back its social distancing measures at this stage .
Experts emphasize that the current death toll would be much higher if it wasn ’ t for the social distancing implemented over the last three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chris Vallance , has said that the peak in the pandemic is at least two weeks away .
This can still be reduced by staying at home measures .
Over the next month or so the government will have to play a balancing act between protecting public health , supporting the NHS and managing the economy .
They have had to rethink their strategy from the days when they were advocating ‘ herd immunity ’ and Johnson appeared on daytime TV describing how one just needed to let the disease spread amongst the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear that Johnson and his team didn ’ t have a clear understanding of the virulence of this disease and what the consequences would be for the health service if overwhelmed .
The image of the PM stating back then at a press conference that he had happily shaken the hands of coronavirus patients will stick in our minds forever .
Since then , Johnson himself has succumbed to Covid-19 and remains in hospital .
His pregnant girlfriend also contracted it .
The Health Secretary Matt Hancock has been diagnosed and other members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Having experienced this deadly disease first hand and having been in intensive care , Johnson will likely be very careful moving forward and won ’ t want to lift social distancing measures too soon .
With Easter weekend approaching , it will be one like no other , as the government urges everyone to stay at home .

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Submitted by InfoBrics, authored by Johanna Ross, journalist based in Edinburgh, Scotland…
After three nights British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been moved out of the intensive care unit at St Thomas’ hospital in London after testing positive for coronavirus almost a fortnight ago. The PM will continue to be monitored in hospital however for the time being, as he still experiences symptoms of the disease. The country watched with bated breath as Johnson was admitted to hospital on Monday night, with rumours circulating that he was to be put on a ventilator. The 53 year old was reported as being in ‘extremely good spirits’ as his treatment in intensive care came to an end.
The news regarding Johnson’s recovery comes as a 52 year old doctor, Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, who warned Boris Johnson in March that there wasn’t enough Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for NHS workers, sadly died after also falling victim to Covid-19. The medic, who was a locum urologist based at Homerton Hospital in East London, had written to the Prime Minister on 18th March, urging him to provide each and every care workers with adequate protective equipment. He said that healthcare workers “are in direct contact with patients” and have a “human right like others to live in this world disease-free with our family and children”. Mr Chowdhury himself has left behind a wife and two children.
The call for urgent provision of PPE is one echoed by so many in not only medical circles but in all fields of public service. Transport workers and supermarket staff also continue to work without sufficient protection and are by the very nature of their work, at a high risk of contracting the virus. The situation has been equated to going into battle without armour. London Mayor Sadiq Khan was lambasted on popular morning TV show Good Morning Britain this week for not providing London bus and underground staff with proper PPE. He explained that the advice the government was giving was that it wasn’t necessary for transport staff; the reality being that there simply isn’t enough to go around.
Ironically, after voting to leave the European Union, Britain has found itself now reliant on its European partners’ assistance at this time of crisis. It was reported that after an appeal to its NATO allies, Germany has decided to send 60 ventilators to the UK, a small number given the target of 18,000 set by Health Secretary Matt Hancock, but nevertheless every little helps at a time like this. More than 480 ventilators were obtained by the UK last month from China, the US, Taiwan and Sweden. In total Britain has around 10,000 ventilators, which leaves a shortfall as we progress steadily up the coronavirus graph ‘curve’. Some are criticising the UK’s decision to reject an EU scheme to work together to order the life-saving equipment, stating it is politically motivated by Brexiteers. The government for its part claims that it missed an e-mail inviting it to join.
The UK government was expected to make a statement regarding the current lockdown conditions towards the end of this week, but with the Prime Minister having taken ill it’s now expected that an announcement will be made some time next week. Based on the recent statements made by both the government and its medical advisors, it’s likely that the lockdown will continue for a number of weeks. With the number of deaths to Covid-19 continuing to rise in Britain – the latest figure for deaths on Thursday was 919 –
the government does want to wind back its social distancing measures at this stage. Experts emphasize that the current death toll would be much higher if it wasn’t for the social distancing implemented over the last three weeks. Britain’s Chief Scientists Chris Vallance, has said that the peak in the pandemic is at least two weeks away. This can still be reduced by staying at home measures.
Over the next month or so the government will have to play a balancing act between protecting public health, supporting the NHS and managing the economy. They have had to rethink their strategy from the days when they were advocating ‘herd immunity’ and Johnson appeared on daytime TV describing how one just needed to let the disease spread amongst the population. At that point it was clear that Johnson and his team didn’t have a clear understanding of the virulence of this disease and what the consequences would be for the health service if overwhelmed. The image of the PM stating back then at a press conference that he had happily shaken the hands of coronavirus patients will stick in our minds forever.
Since then, Johnson himself has succumbed to Covid-19 and remains in hospital. His pregnant girlfriend also contracted it. The Health Secretary Matt Hancock has been diagnosed and other members of his cabinet may follow suit. Having experienced this deadly disease first hand and having been in intensive care, Johnson will likely be very careful moving forward and won’t want to lift social distancing measures too soon. With Easter weekend approaching, it will be one like no other, as the government urges everyone to stay at home.
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theduran--2020-04-16--Ron Paul: People ‘Should Be Leery About’ a Coronavirus Vaccine

Authored by Adam Dick via The Ron Paul Institute for Peace & Prosperity : Ron Paul , in a Monday interview with host Dan Dicks at Press for Truth , warns that people “ should be leery about ” coronavirus vaccines that may come out .
Further , says Paul , a doctor and former United States House of Representatives member , “ right now I wouldn ’ t think there is any indication for anybody to take them , ” noting that “ scare tactics ” are being used to pressure people into thinking they should take such potential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supports this conclusion by stressing in the interview the potential danger of a vaccine as well as the overstated threat from coronavirus .
Regarding the potential danger from a coronavirus vaccine , Paul discusses at the beginning of the interview how , in 1976 in his first week as a House member , Paul was one of only two members , both doctors , who voted against legislation that helped rush through a vaccine in response to swine flu .
Paul describes the results of the push for people to take the swine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vaccine through .
The vaccine was not properly made .
It had nothing to do with the virus that was out there , so it saved nobody ’ s life from it .
It caused a lot of harm .
More people ended up dying from the inoculation than died from the flu that year .
And that sort of was a lesson , like that ’ s a little bit too extreme .
But , that ’ s about what happens when governments get involved and you do things for political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of people ended up getting the vaccine , I think there were like 50 people or more who got Guillain-Barré syndrome , which is temporary total paralysis and you can die from it but most of them did get better .
But , it was a very , very serious complication of a viral injection , you know , a vaccine .
Paul also discusses in the interview the overstated danger from coronavirus that is being used to scare people to take actions including to potentially take a coronavirus vaccine .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ whose deaths have been blamed on coronavirus are elderly people , including people living in nursing homes , who have multiple other diseases .
Further , explains Paul , doctors have “ been instructed by [ the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ] and other politicians that , when the doctors sign the death certificate , if [ patients ] have four different things but they happen to have a positive test for the virus that is to be put down as the major cause of death.
” “ The numbers mean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daily tabulation of coronavirus deaths .
In addition , Paul explains that many more people than officially recorded have contracted coronavirus .
Some of these individuals never became sick .
Others got better without any treatment , says Paul , pointing to his son Sen. Rand Paul ( R-KY ) as an example .
While Rand Paul was given a test that confirmed he had coronavirus , most people who have had coronavirus and suffered no to minor medical problems have not been tested .
With “ probably millions of people ” having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percentage of people who have contracted coronavirus and have died as a result “ is probably very , very small.
” While Paul says he would choose not to take a vaccine for the coronavirus should one appear next week even if people claim it is 99 percent effective , he says that the decision to take or not take a vaccine is one that should be made by each individual , who can discuss the vaccine alternative with a doctor .
Absolutely , Paul concludes , that decision should not be made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s complete interview , in which he also discusses how government actions taken in the name of fighting coronavirus are harming the economy and his support for people speaking out for ending coronavirus-justified encroachments on freedom :

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Authored by Adam Dick via The Ron Paul Institute for Peace & Prosperity:
Ron Paul, in a Monday interview with host Dan Dicks at Press for Truth, warns that people “should be leery about” coronavirus vaccines that may come out. Further, says Paul, a doctor and former United States House of Representatives member, “right now I wouldn’t think there is any indication for anybody to take them,” noting that “scare tactics” are being used to pressure people into thinking they should take such potential vaccines to protect against coronavirus.
Paul supports this conclusion by stressing in the interview the potential danger of a vaccine as well as the overstated threat from coronavirus.
Regarding the potential danger from a coronavirus vaccine, Paul discusses at the beginning of the interview how, in 1976 in his first week as a House member, Paul was one of only two members, both doctors, who voted against legislation that helped rush through a vaccine in response to swine flu. Paul describes the results of the push for people to take the swine flu vaccine as follows:
They rushed the vaccine through. The vaccine was not properly made. It had nothing to do with the virus that was out there, so it saved nobody’s life from it. It caused a lot of harm. More people ended up dying from the inoculation than died from the flu that year. And that sort of was a lesson, like that’s a little bit too extreme. But, that’s about what happens when governments get involved and you do things for political reasons. There was also, because a lot of people ended up getting the vaccine, I think there were like 50 people or more who got Guillain-Barré syndrome, which is temporary total paralysis and you can die from it but most of them did get better. But, it was a very, very serious complication of a viral injection, you know, a vaccine.
Paul also discusses in the interview the overstated danger from coronavirus that is being used to scare people to take actions including to potentially take a coronavirus vaccine.
Paul notes that many of the people whose deaths have been blamed on coronavirus are elderly people, including people living in nursing homes, who have multiple other diseases. Further, explains Paul, doctors have “been instructed by [the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] and other politicians that, when the doctors sign the death certificate, if [patients] have four different things but they happen to have a positive test for the virus that is to be put down as the major cause of death.” “The numbers mean nothing,” concludes Paul regarding the daily tabulation of coronavirus deaths.
In addition, Paul explains that many more people than officially recorded have contracted coronavirus. Some of these individuals never became sick. Others got better without any treatment, says Paul, pointing to his son Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) as an example. While Rand Paul was given a test that confirmed he had coronavirus, most people who have had coronavirus and suffered no to minor medical problems have not been tested. With “probably millions of people” having contracted coronavirus, Paul concludes that the percentage of people who have contracted coronavirus and have died as a result “is probably very, very small.”
While Paul says he would choose not to take a vaccine for the coronavirus should one appear next week even if people claim it is 99 percent effective, he says that the decision to take or not take a vaccine is one that should be made by each individual, who can discuss the vaccine alternative with a doctor. Absolutely, Paul concludes, that decision should not be made by government.
Watch here Paul’s complete interview, in which he also discusses how government actions taken in the name of fighting coronavirus are harming the economy and his support for people speaking out for ending coronavirus-justified encroachments on freedom:
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