freedomdaily--2020-03-31--China’s Propaganda Machine Loves WHO Official Bruce Aylward

World Health Organization official Bruce Aylward has become a favorite of the Chinese government ’ s propaganda machine over his praise for the communist regime ’ s handling of the coronavirus pandemic , a review of China ’ s state-controlled media outlets shows .
Propaganda mills like Xinhua News Agency , China Global Television Network ( CGTN ) and China Daily have amplified numerous clips of Aylward , a WHO assistant director-general , praising Beijing ’ s response to the coronavirus crisis .
“ If I had COVID-19 , I ’ d want to be treated in China , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CGTN highlighted on Feb. 27 .
“ They ’ ve done this at scale , they know what they ’ re doing .
They ’ re really , really good at it , and they ’ re really keen to help , ” Aylward said of Chinese health officials .
Aylward , who led a 25-person team on a fact-finding mission to China last month , has also called China ’ s response to the pandemic “ agile and aggressive.
” He said during a Feb. 24 press conference highlighted by Xinhua News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” had “ changed the course ” of the spread of coronavirus around the world .
While the Chinese government ’ s draconian measures seemingly have slowed the spread of coronavirus within its own borders , the regime has been widely criticized for letting the pandemic get out of hand in the first place .
The government has been accused of covering up the extent of the outbreak , threatening doctors who called attention to the crisis , lying about case numbers , and waging a disinformation campaign to pin blame for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Western nations .
As of Monday , the United States has recorded nearly 160,000 cases of coronavirus .
China has reported around 82,000 cases , though those figures are widely disputed .
The cover-up allegations have not deterred Aylward and WHO from defending China ’ s response to the pandemic .
WHO as an organization has been dogged by allegations of doing China ’ s bidding during the coronavirus crisis .
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus won his election in 2017 with the backing of China .
On Jan. 14 , WHO published @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s claim that there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission of coronavirus .
Coronavirus is widely recognized now as being highly transmissible .
Aylward ’ s deference to Beijing was highlighted during an interview he conducted Friday with a Hong Kong-based journalist who asked the WHO official about Taiwan ’ s response to coronavirus .
The democratic nation , which has claimed independence from China , has kept a tight lit on coronavirus cases there .
During the interview , Aylward appeared to pretend not to hear questions during an interview when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of China .
China does not recognize Taiwan ’ s independence .
After pretending not to hear the question about Taiwan , Aylward ended the interview , which was conducted over the internet .
When he was contacted again , he told the reporter asking about Taiwan that he had already addressed China ’ s handling of coronavirus .
Whether witting or unwitting , Aylward ’ s remarks have been in line with the Chinese government ’ s spin of its response to the pandemic .
The State Department warned earlier in March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ machine has waged a disinformation campaign to portray Beijing as helping other nations cope with outbreak .
State Department official Lea Gabrielle said Friday that the propaganda campaign aims “ to turn the crisis into a news story highlighting supremacy of the Chinese Communist Party in handling the health crisis.
” In mid-February , the State Department classified all of the news outlets as being part of a “ foreign mission.
” The U.S. Justice Department already requires them to register as foreign agents of the Chinese government .
On Feb. 24 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s “ bold approach ” to containing the spread of coronavirus .
“ There ’ s no question that China ’ s bold approach to the rapid spread of this new respiratory pathogen has changed the course of what was a rapidly escalating , and continues to be a deadly epidemic , ” he said .
Aylward failed to mention the extent of the Chinese government ’ s clampdown in Wuhan .
Various news outlets reported that officials in the Hubei province erected barricades , welded shut the doors of houses and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slow the spread of coronavirus .
China Daily , another leading propaganda outlet , quoted Aylward praising China ’ s response to coronavirus as the reason that cases had dropped substantially there .
Aylward also granted an exclusive interview to China Daily in which he said that he was fielding phone calls from colleagues asking him how China was able to curtail the spread of coronavirus .
Xinhua News Agency , the largest government-controlled news outlet , quoted Aylward praising the Chinese government ’ s “ agile and aggressive ” response through 5G @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions on China in late January .
Though he was heavily criticized at the time , Dr. Anthony Fauci , the top infectious disease expert in the United States , has praised the move for preventing a heavy influx of cases to the United States .
Since Aylward ’ s remarks , shipments from China of coronavirus tests and equipment have been found to be defective .
Spain , the Netherlands , and the Czech Republic have all reported that shipments from China contained defective equipment and test kits .
There is also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more widely in Wuhan and other parts of China than the government lets on .
Residents of Wuhan has told reporters at independent news outlets about a massive number of urns that have showed up at funeral homes there , indicating that there are far more coronavirus fatalities than the government has acknowledged .
The South China Morning Post , an independent news agency , reported on March 22 that Chinese government officials quarantined more than 43,000 residents of Wuhan who had coronavirus but displayed few symptoms .
South China Morning Post reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients in its official tally of coronavirus patients .
Not only did the report provide evidence that Beijing has fudged its numbers , it also undercut assurances that Aylward made after his WHO investigation about the transmissibility of the disease .
Aylward told The New York Times in an interview that data from China ’ s Guangdong suggested little evidence that coronavirus was being spread by asymptomatic carriers .
“ There is no evidence that we ’ re seeing only the tip of a grand iceberg , with nine-tenths of it made up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re seeing is a pyramid : most of it is aboveground , ” he told TheNYT .
WHO did not respond to a request for comment for this story .


freedomdaily--2020-03-31--Florida Sheriff Issues Arrest Warrant For Pastor Who Refused To Cancel Services

A Florida Sheriff has obtained an arrest warrant for a pastor who defied coronavirus social distancing orders and held church services on Sunday .
Florida Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister issued a Monday warrant for megachurch pastor Rodney Howard-Browne after the pastor held two Sunday religious services at the River at Tampa Bay Church in Florida , the Tampa Bay Times reports .
A live stream of the service shows that the service was widely attended .
“ Because of the reckless disregard of public safety and after repeated requests and warnings , I worked with our state attorney , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for unlawful assembly and violation of public health emergency rules , both of which are second degree misdemeanors , ” Chronister said at a news conference , the publication reports .
“ Our goal here is not to stop anyone from worshiping , but the safety and well-being of our community must always come first.
” Chronister said at a news conference that the Sheriff ’ s Office had warned both Howard-Browne and church attorneys at The River at Tampa Bay Church not to endanger worshipers by holding church services .
There have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths from the virus in Florida , Axios reports as of Monday morning .
“ In a time of national crisis , we expect certain institutions to be open and certain people to be on duty , ” the River at Tampa Bay Church said in a statement .
“ We expect hospitals to have their doors open 24/7 to receive and treat patients .
We expect our police and firefighters to be ready and available to rescue and to help and to keep the peace.
” “ The Church is another one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ church added in the statement .
“ It is a place where people turn for help and for comfort in a climate of fear and uncertainty.
” The River at Tampa Bay said the church is continuously cleaning and sanitizing surfaces and encouraged parishioners who are not feeling well to stay home and watch services online .
“ We feel that it is very important , at this time , that we keep our doors open for anyone who needs prayer or ministry and to make ourselves available to minister hope and healing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ church added .
“ We are the Body of Christ and the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ .
We believe God ‘ s Word to us , which says to trust Him and to not be fearful but to have faith in Him .
We are praying—as are our fellow Christians around the world—and we know that God answers prayers.
” The church has not responded to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation .

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freedomdaily--2020-03-31--Coronavirus Impact:  US Returning Illegal Aliens to Mexico Just 96 Minutes After Capture

Bolstered by new emergency measures brought on by the coronavirus pandemic , Border Patrol agents at the U.S.-Mexico border are able to return illegal crossers at an extremely fast rate .
Aliens who unlawfully cross into the U.S. are currently being sent back to Mexico in an average of 96 minutes , according to government officials who spoke with the Washington Post .
The rapid return rate is largely thanks to the Trump administration ’ s emergency order , which was put into place earlier this month .
Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf , following orders from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , announced on March 20 that the northern and southern borders would be closed to all non-essential traffic to stop the spread of COVID-19 and that nearly anyone caught illegally crossing into the U.S. would be immediately sent back .
Since that announcement , the Department of Homeland Security leaders has reported a roughly 50 % decline in illegal border crossings .
Wolf and Mark Morgan , the acting commissioner of Customs and Border Protection , have publicly confirmed the dramatic fall in illegal crossings this month .
The emergency measures are also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , which oversees Border Patrol , to quickly return those that do choose to illegally cross the southern border .
Per the new guidelines , Border Patrol agents are processing foreign nationals from Mexico , Honduras , El Salvador , and Guatemala “ in the field ” before they enter a Border Patrol station .
Medical exams are reportedly not administered to these aliens , which dramatically shortens processing time , and then they are ultimately rushed back to Mexico .
An agent said the hastened process diminishes the risk of exposure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is to minimize the exposure to the alien , agent and our country , ” a CBP official told the Washington Post .
The Mexican government is not accepting migrants other than their own nationals and those from the Northern Triangle region of Central America — Guatemala , Honduras , and El Salvador .
While Mexican leaders said they would accept these migrants on a “ case by case ” basis , U.S. officials say the Mexican government is accepting virtually all migrants from the four countries involved .
CBP initially said unaccompanied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new emergency rules , but on Monday the agency announced that , in at least some cases , minors who arrive unlawfully at the border without a parent or guardian could be deported .
However , exceptions are made if U.S. authorities suspect trafficking is involved , the child is ill , or repatriation is simply not feasible .


freedomdaily--2020-03-31--These groups are among the most vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic

How is the COVID-19 crisis impacting the most vulnerable among us ?
Tens of millions of Americans fit that description – the poor , the homeless , immigrants , the detained and incarcerated , the precariously employed and the uninsured .
Nearly one-quarter of adult Americans do not have access to medical benefits , paid sick leave or access to medical care .
Already , the virus has revealed the faults , cracks and inequities in the U.S. health care system .
As scholars in humanitarian aid , we ’ re keenly attuned to these inequities .
Here ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faces to protect the health of everyone in our communities .
Approximately 20 % of U.S. adults have a mental health condition .
More than 4 million endure serious mental illness .
COVID-19 has the potential to make things much worse ; isolation exacerbates depression and anxiety .
Those with mental health issues who are self-isolating may find it difficult to get proper medication and therapy .
As a result , some may turn to alcohol or drugs to self-medicate .
Not only does this hurt the individual , it greatly increases the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Intimate partner violence , pervasive in the U.S. , touches 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men .
Studies suggest that a crisis only increases its incidence and severity .
Often , the increases last well beyond the crisis .
In China , there ’ s evidence that intimate partner violence went up when COVID-19 forced people to stay at home .
Then there ’ s an added risk factor : guns .
COVID-19 brought with it a jump in the number of gun purchases .
Studies show gun ownership is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; the risk of homicide goes up 500 % .
On average , 600 women are shot to death by a partner each year , and gun-related domestic killings rose more than a quarter between 2010-2017 , a significant increase after four decades of decline .
In the U.S. , up to 4 million children receive services for child abuse every year .
Every day , five children die from abuse and neglect .
Social isolation , economic fallout , closing schools and the stress resulting from families constantly in close quarters puts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with more guns in homes , the number of children killed by firearms will likely go up .
It ’ s already the second-leading cause of death for them .
There are also millions of low-income children that face school closures .
Many of them are without home computers , so unlike most of their classmates , they can ’ t do the online assignments .
Other children , enrolled in Individualized Education Programs , are also often left behind , both in online and home-school scenarios .
When emergencies occur , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it the “ tyranny of the urgent , ” and it is not a uniquely American problem .
During the COVID-19 outbreak in China , and the earlier Ebola pandemic in Africa , maternity care sometimes ceased altogether .
In other cases , pregnant women were moved out to make room for pandemic patients .
In the U.S. , as hospital resources are diverted , women who miscarry in early pregnancy may face delays , even for emergency procedures , with Black and Native American women particularly at risk .
The U.S. already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any high-income country in the world .
What can people do ?
People can work within their communities to identify needs .
That includes , along with our neighborhoods , our virtual , religious and professional communities .
One approach that ’ s working in remote African communities – called Champion Communities – targets the needs of the most vulnerable .
The program can be adapted in the U.S. to provide online tools ( like Google forms ) to collect information on needs and resources .
Social media –like neighborhood-focused apps , messaging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Messenger – can also be used to check on the most vulnerable ; # ittakesavillage is being used on social media to highlight these efforts .
And a footnote : Every telemedicine call should screen for intimate partner violence and child abuse .
Every call needs to record the presence of firearms in the house .
Providers , in cooperation with intimate partner violence and child abuse help lines , need to come up with protocols for identifying and safely checking in on those at risk .
During this crisis , the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fear .
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The authors do not work for , consult , own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article , and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment .


freedomdaily--2020-04-01--World Health Organization Spends Twice As Much On Travel As On Medical Supplies

The World Health Organization ( WHO ) spends twice as much on travel as it does on medical supplies , according to the WHO ’ s most recent financial report .
Eight percent of the WHO ’ s budget in 2018 went to travel expenses , while just four percent went to medical supplies and materials , the report shows .
“ Of total travel expenditure , only 45 % was for staff travel , the rest was incurred for non-staff travel , mainly for meeting participants nominated by Member States , ” the report states .
The WHO ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the past .
The Associated Press reported in 2017 that the WHO “ routinely has spent about $ 200 million a year on travel expenses , more than what it doles out to fight some of the biggest problems in public health , including AIDS , tuberculosis and malaria combined.
” The organization has only barely cut its travel spending since then .
Travel expenses dropped by just one percent between 2017 and 2018 , according to the WHO ’ s report .
The WHO didn ’ t return an email seeking comment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more on medical supplies , in light of the shortage that many countries are experiencing as a result of the coronavirus crisis .
The WHO , the health arm of the United Nations , has come under fire over its cozy relationship with China .
The organization ’ s leadership has echoed the Chinese government ’ s talking points on the virus , providing ammunition for the communist regime in its propaganda war .
Republican Florida Sen. Rick Scott on Tuesday called for a congressional investigation into whether the WHO helped China ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in its early stages .
The senator also called for congressional hearings on whether the United States should continue funding the WHO .
The U.S. contributes nearly 15 % of WHO ’ s annual budget , far more than any other WHO member .
“ They need to be held accountable for their role in promoting misinformation and helping Communist China cover up a global pandemic , ” Scott said Tuesday .


freedomdaily--2020-03-31--Trump Admin Deploying 500 Troops To Southern Border As Coronavirus Pandemic Continues

The Department of Defense approved a request to send more than 500 additional troops to the U.S.-Mexico border , with an official saying the move is meant to help manage the coronavirus pandemic .
The Pentagon is deploying 540 military personnel to the U.S. southern border , a spokesman confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation on Tuesday .
The border — which touts an average of about 5,000 troops assisting Border Patrol agents by conducting non-law enforcement roles — will receive the surge as the Trump administration deals with the quickly-spreading viral outbreak .
“ I can confirm that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this happened last night .
540 personnel to the SW border , performing the same kinds of duties already being performed there , ” Christian Mitchell , a Pentagon spokesperson , said to the DCNF .
News of the 500 troop surge , a request made by the Department of Homeland Security , was first reported by Reuters .
“ Intent is to plus up numbers a bit to help DHS deal with COVID concerns , ” Mitchell continued .
The Trump administration is going to great lengths to stop the spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afternoon , has infected more than 183,500 people and killed more than 3,720 across the U.S. Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf , per orders from the Centers for Disease Control ( CDC ) , announced on March 20 that the northern and southern borders would be closed to all non-essential traffic to stop the spread of COVID-19 , and that nearly all individuals caught illegally crossing into the U.S. would be immediately sent back .
The move has proven effective , with border crossings dropping by roughly half since it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deploying troops to its northern border , but opted not to after push back from the Canadian government — including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau .
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freedomdaily--2020-04-01--Antibodies in the blood of COVID-19 survivors know how to beat coronavirus – and researchers are alr

Antibodies in the blood of COVID-19 survivors know how to beat coronavirus – and researchers are already testing new treatments that harness them

Amid the chaos of an epidemic , those who survive a disease like COVID-19 carry within their bodies the secrets of an effective immune response .
Virologists like me look to survivors for molecular clues that can provide a blueprint for the design of future treatments or even a vaccine .
Researchers are launching trials now that involve the transfusion of blood components from people who have recovered from COVID-19 to those who are sick or at high risk .
Called “ convalescent-plasma therapy , ” this technique can work even without doctors knowing exactly what component of the blood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work of the first treatment using therapeutic serum in 1891 ( against diphtheria ) , Emil von Behring later earned the Nobel Prize in medicine .
Anecdotal reporting of the therapy dates back as far as the devastating 1918-19 influenza pandemic , although scientists lack definitive evidence of its benefits during that global health crisis .
The extraordinary power of this passive immunization has traditionally been challenging to harness , primarily due to the difficulty of obtaining significant amounts of plasma from survivors .
Due to scarce quantities , infusions of plasma pooled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vulnerable to infection .
Fast forward to the 21st century , and the passive immunization picture changes considerably , thanks to steady advances in molecular medicine and new technologies that allow scientists to quickly characterize and scale up the production of the protective molecules .
The immune systems of COVID-19 survivors figured out how to combat and defeat the invading SARS-CoV-2 virus .
Neutralizing antibodies are one kind of immunological front-line response .
These antibodies are proteins that are secreted by immune cells called B lymphocytes when they encounter an invader , such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bind proteins on the surface of virus particles .
For each infection , the immune system designs antibodies that are highly specific for the particular invading pathogen .
For instance , each SARS-CoV-2 virus is covered by distinctive spike proteins that it uses like keys to unlock the doors to the cells it infects .
By targeting these spikes – imagine covering the grooves of a key with tape – antibodies can make it nearly impossible for the virus to break in to human cells .
Scientists call these kind of antibodies “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before it can gain entry .
A holy grail for vaccinologists is figuring out how to spark the production of these ingenious antibodies .
On first infection , your B lymphocytes train themselves to become expert producers of NAbs ; they develop a memory of what a particular invader looks like .
If the same invader is ever detected again at any time , your veteran B lymphocytes ( known as memory B cells by this stage ) spring into action .
They rapidly secrete large quantities of the potent NAbs , preventing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this ability , safely provoking an immune response and then relying on the immune system ’ s memory to be able to fend off the real pathogen if you ever encounter it .
Passive immunization is a process in which neutralizing antibodies from one individual can be used to protect or treat another .
A clever example of this process exploited by nature is breastmilk , which passes protective antibodies from the mother to the infant .
In addition to their potential preventative role , neutralizing antibodies are starting to prove beneficial in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their protective power has been challenging , though , primarily because isolating enough antibodies to be effective is laborious .
Recent advances in the technology of molecular medicine at last allowed the kind of scale-up that enabled researchers to test the immunological principle .
In 2014-15 , Ebola virus disease surfaced in West Africa , triggering an epidemic that raged for over a year , killing more than 11,000 people .
About 40 % of those infected died .
There were no treatments and no vaccine .
In the midst of the devastation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of three synthetic NAbs showed early promising results in ameliorating disease in people infected with EBOV .
By the time Ebola again emerged from the rainforest , this time in 2018 in the Democratic Republic of Congo , the science was ready .
In November 2018 , doctors launched three parallel trials comparing three different antibody cocktails .
Nine months later , spectacular results allowed for an immediate end of the experimental trials so the cocktails could be used in the field .
While ZMapp did not work as well as anticipated , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from two different companies that did suppress Ebola symptoms in infected patients .
The earlier in their infection that patients received therapy , the better the protection .
Infectious disease experts around the globe heralded the results as a vital breakthrough .
At that time last fall , it would have been difficult to imagine that within six months there ’ d be an even greater need for the powerful strategy of passive immunization .
While the SARS-CoV-2 virus is moving quickly , with almost 1 million confirmed infections worldwide as of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ catch up .
Days ago a report published by scientists working in Shenzhen , China , suggested that plasma – which contains antibodies – from survivors of COVID-19 was successful in treating five critically ill patients .
At the end of March , the FDA approved the use of convalescent plasma in treating severely ill people here in the U.S .
In addition , Mt .
Sinai in New York has established a collaboration with the FDA and other hospitals to begin clinical trials to scientifically determine whether this strategy of passive immunization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to evaluate this novel treatment is a moment for celebration , the science must keep moving .
Convalescent plasma , which is isolated from recently recovered survivors , is in too short of a supply to be broadly useful .
The most potent neutralizing antibodies must be quickly characterized and then produced efficiently in large quantities .
Several companies , as well as a number of powerhouse academic labs , aim to meet the challenge of identifying and generating these life-saving NAbs .
At the fore is Regeneron , the pharmaceutical company that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ targeting a different virus , their overall strategy remains the same .
They ’ ve isolated and characterized NAbs and plan to engineer a cocktail of the most potent molecules .
The viral target of these antibodies is the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein ; the NAbs work by preventing the virus from entering cells .
Clinical trials are planned for early summer , essentially three months ’ time .
It is a breakneck pace for the development of such a sophisticated tool of intervention .
As the U.S. enters the exponential phase of COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not come soon enough .
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freedomdaily--2020-04-01--Hydroxychloroquine Shows Promise In Coronavirus Study

Researchers in China found that the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine was effective in treating patients with mild cases of COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus , according to a study released Tuesday .
Patients treated with hydroxychloroquine ( HCQ ) saw improvements in coughs , fever and pneumonia compared to a control group , the researchers found .
The randomized trial looked at 62 patients admitted to Renmin Hospital at Wuhan University from Feb. 4-Feb. 28 .
Half were treated with a five-day regimen of 400 milligrams of HCQ .
The study excluded patients with severe or critical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the study progressed to severe illness , but all of those were in the group not treated with the malaria drug .
“ Considering that there is no better option at present , it is a promising practice to apply HCQ to COVID-19 under reasonable management , ” reads the study , which was posted to medRvix , a website that publishes medical research .
An expert on infectious disease expressed optimism at the findings , but noted that more research needs to be done to see if it works on patients with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s going to send a ripple of excitement out through the treating community , ” Dr. William Schaffner , an expert on infectious disease at Vanderbilt University , told The New York Times .
“ If you want to treat people who are already seriously ill , we don ’ t know how well this will work.
” The time to clinical recovery , or TTCR , was shorter in the test group , researchers found .
Twenty-five of the 31 patients in the test group saw improvements with pneumonia , compared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control group .
President Donald Trump began touting HCQ last month after several studies showed it was effective against coronavirus .
Researchers in China found that it was effective against the virus in vitro , or in a test tube .
French scientists released a study last month showing improvements in 24 patients treated with HCQ and azithromycin , an antibiotic .
That research helped boost the profile of HCQ as a potential COVID-19 treatment , but some scientists have viewed it with caution because it was not a randomized clinical study .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease expert on the White House coronavirus task force , has urged caution in interpreting the initial research on HCQ .
He has said that randomized clinical trials have to be conducted to determine if HCQ is both effective at treating coronavirus and safe for patients .
The study out of China found that two patients administered HCQ experienced mild side effects , a rash and a headache .
Trump directed the Food and Drug Administration to fast track clinical studies of the drug .
Researchers at the University of Minnesota began a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The state of New York is also conducting its own study .
Scientists hope that existing drugs such as HCQ or antiviral medications can be used to treat coronavirus patients until a vaccine can be developed .
Researchers are also working on a therapy that uses blood plasma from recovered coronavirus patients either as a treatment for people infected with the virus , or to prevent infection in high-risk individuals .


freedomdaily--2020-04-01--Scientist Who Predicted Pandemic Blasts WHO: ‘They Set Us Back A Great Deal’

A world-renowned epidemiologist credited with predicting the coronavirus pandemic blasted the World Health Organization in an interview this week for creating a false sense of security that the virus could be easily contained .
“ Many of us were incredibly disappointed for lack of a better word in the WHO and its response , ” Dr. Michael Osterholm , the Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota , said in a podcast interview published Tuesday .
“ When you look at what WHO did I think they set us back a great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just a few countries that were going to get this would just do the containment work , we could stop it.
” “ Trying to stop this kind of transmission is like trying to stop the wind , ” he said .
“ So we held back on a preparedness , and gave people excuses not to do it.
” Osterholm , considered a premier expert in the field of infectious disease , gained national attention through an interview he gave on March 11 with podcaster Joe Rogan .
Osterholm issued a sober @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the United States and rest of the world because of how easily it could be transmitted from person to person .
In his 2017 book , “ Deadliest Enemy , ” Osterholm laid out a hypothetical pandemic that plays at much as the coronavirus outbreak has so far .
As of Wednesday , the United States has reported nearly 190,000 cases of coronavirus .
Nearly 890,000 have been confirmed across the globe .
WHO has come under intense scrutiny not only for its early assessment of the coronavirus threat , but because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heavily to the Chinese government ’ s claims about how it handled an outbreak that began in Wuhan in November 2019 .
On Jan. 14 , WHO published a tweet citing the Chinese government ’ s claim that there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission of coronavirus .
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus opposed early requests to shut down travel to and from China .
He praised the Chinese government following a Jan. 28 trip to Beijing for its “ openness to sharing information.
” Dr. Bruce Aylward , a WHO official who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to China in February , has heaped praise on the Chinese government for its draconian response to the pandemic .
He also said at a press conference that he saw no evidence that coronavirus was being spread by patients who experience no symptoms .
Coronavirus is not only spread easily through person-to-person contact , but a significant proportion of carriers are asymptomatic .
Dr. Robert Redfield , the director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) said Tuesday that as many as 25 % of people who have coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s interviews have been picked up and amplified by Chinese government propaganda outlets .
The Canada-born epidemiologist also gave an interview to China Daily , a government-controlled news outlet .
Osterholm said that WHO ’ s actions in the early weeks of the outbreak led health officials around the world to believe that if China had clamped down on coronavirus it could be contained in other countries .
“ There was this sense that China ’ s going to contain it , the whole world can contain it , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for what they did , but they didn ’ t contain it .
They slowed it down , I surely give them that.
” Osterholm said that there is growing evidence that coronavirus is reappearing in China and that the communist regime is trying to keep it secret .
He noted that the government shut down movie theaters last week and removed outside reporters from the country two weeks ago .
“ I think many of us think that they are in part experiencing a resurgence as they ’ re opening up their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t want anybody to know it , ” Osterholm said .
Dr. Deborah Birx , the coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force , said Tuesday that China ’ s data was misleading .
“ The medical community interpreted the Chinese data as , this was serious , but smaller , ” she said at a White House press briefing .
“ Because , I think , probably we were missing a significant amount of the data.
” WHO ’ s repeated stumbles have prompted calls from Congress to investigate whether the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Sen. Rick Scott on Tuesday called for an investigation into whether WHO was complicit in helping the Chinese government push out misinformation downplaying the extent of the coronavirus outbreak .


freedomdaily--2020-04-01--Should we wear masks or not? An expert sorts through the confusion

As a professor at Boston University ’ s School of Medicine and a geriatrician at Boston Medical Center caring for the most vulnerable in this pandemic , I ’ ve been asked a lot of questions about COVID-19 .
It turns out there is good science out there that helps us know what masks we need to wear and when to wear them .
That being said , some of the following advice could change as scientists learn more about why some people get a bad or even lethal case of this virus while many more get through it OK. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seems to be about masks .
Much of the decision about wearing masks depends on what the essential businesses that remain open are doing to ensure social distancing and therefore , our safety .
Guidance about wearing a mask has to do with the different ways viruses like COVID-19 spread from person to person : through contact , droplets and as airborne , also called aerosolized , particles .
People get infected with COVID-19 when they touch a contaminated surface like a subway handle , or shake hands and then touch their face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ live virus for three days .
On average , people touch their faces every two-and-a-half minutes , so it is easy to see how this virus can spread so easily from one person to the next by touching surfaces .
Another way to get the virus is by droplets that people produce by coughing and sneezing .
Droplets are relatively large and contain mostly water plus the virus , so they usually fall from the air within six feet ( one of the reasons for the six-foot social distancing rule ) .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and a strong sneeze – they ’ ve been clocked at 50-100 meters per second – can spread a droplet 18 feet away .
This is why people who aren ’ t already wearing a mask because they are sick should cough or sneeze into their elbow .
Coughs and sneezes also produce aerosolized virus , smaller particles that float in the air far longer than droplets and that can also travel farther .
Aerosols are also produced by talking , yelling and just normal breathing .
A big problem is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 can hang in the air and stay infectious for three hours .
Another thing to know is that common medical devices , like nebulizer machines for people with asthma and CPAP machines for those with sleep apnea , are good at aerosolizing virus .
Two different types of masks to choose from There are two basic kinds of masks – surgical masks and N95 respirator masks .
Surgical masks are worn to protect patients from infectious droplets should the health care provider sneeze or cough .
Someone who is suspected of being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should also wear a surgical mask to protect anyone around them from their sneeze or cough .
As far as protection for the user , surgical masks can protect the nose and mouth against splashes of bodily fluids , as a surgeon might encounter during a surgery .
But don ’ t wear a surgical mask or a do-it-yourself mask if you think it ’ s going to protect you from COVID-19 that ’ s suspended in the air , say in a closed , poorly ventilated space .
Aerosolized COVID-19 is so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gaps between the mask and face and breathed in through the material of the mask .
Some countries are requiring everyone to wear a surgical mask at least in potentially high people density , closed spaces .
For example , the Austrian government now requires supermarkets and pharmacies to hand out surgical masks to all customers who must wear them when in the store .
The purpose of the masks is to prevent the wearer from spreading the virus to others by coughing and sneezing .
If markets and other businesses and our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good social distancing and even just some people who are coughing or sneezing don ’ t wear masks when they venture out , then the United States and other countries might have to follow suit .
Several U.S. government officials have suggested that widespread public use of masks will help .
FDA Commissioner Gottlieb argued that a mask can be “ an additional layer of protection for those who have to go out.
” To be clear though , surgical or DIY masks and scarves are used primarily to protect others by preventing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not be lulled into a false sense of security in thinking that these types of masks will protect them from airborne , aerosolized virus in for example , poorly ventilated spaces frequented by others .
The best thing to do is avoid such spaces and stay home as much as possible .
A N95 respirator mask ( in Europe , it ’ s called a FFP2 ) does protect the wearer from breathing in COVID-19 if it ’ s worn properly so that there is a really good seal around the face .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ provider caring for someone who has or might have COVID-19 , you should wear the N95 to protect yourself .
That is , assuming there are enough of these masks to go around beyond those needed by care providers on the front lines at the hospitals .
If you don ’ t have a N95 , open a window in the patient ’ s room and maybe even use a fan if you have one to decrease the amount of virus floating around .
Of course provide plenty of blankets to keep them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t need a mask with really good social distancing ( staying at least six feet away from others ) when you are outdoors .
Even in a well-ventilated , large room where businesses are doing a good job of keeping the density of people small and you are there for as short a time as possible , I would not feel the need for a mask .
But if those who are sneezing or coughing are not wearing masks , if social distancing doesn ’ t seem to be slowing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and others will likely need to follow in Austria ’ s footsteps with mandatory masks inside buildings and going further to include any public transportation including taxis and ride sharing services .
If you are coughing or sneezing and therefore producing droplets that can contaminate other people or surfaces , wear a surgical mask to protect others .
Even if you think it ’ s just a cold , wear a mask , or if you don ’ t have one , then a scarf .
Pretty soon we may all be asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public places even if we aren ’ t coughing or sneezing , if some people don ’ t take this responsibility very seriously .
A N95 mask should be worn by people caring for COVID-19-suspected or infected people which , when worn properly , can protect against airborne virus .
Because health care professionals are caring for many COVID-19 patients , they must have N95 masks .
If there are enough , then asymptomatic caregivers of COVID-19 patients at home should also wear them .
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Thomas Perls does not work for , consult , own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article , and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment .


freedomdaily--2020-04-01--Sen Sanders, Mayor Bill De Blasio, Toss Support Behind Amazon Worker Who Was Fired For Breaking Coro

Sen Sanders, Mayor Bill De Blasio, Toss Support Behind Amazon Worker Who Was Fired For Breaking Coronavirus Quarantine

Sen. Bernie Sanders is expressing support for an Amazon employee who was fired Monday for breaking a coronavirus quarantine while trying to organize a mass walk-out .
Amazon warehouse employee Chris Smalls was fired for violating a quarantine after he came into contact with a co-worker who tested positive for the virus , The Washington Post reported Tuesday .
Smalls , who tried to orchestrate a walk-out at a New York warehouse , told ABC News on Tuesday afternoon that he was sent home Saturday on quarantine .
Mayor Bill de Blasio and Sanders are tossing their lot in with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company was retaliating against him for organizing the walkout , which resulted in only 15 workers walking out , according to a statement Tuesday from Amazon spokeswoman Lisa Levandowski .
“ Mr .
Smalls received multiple warnings for violating social distancing guidelines and putting the safety of others at risk , ” Amazon said in a press statement .
Still , Sanders , de Blasio , and New York Attorney General Letitia James want the matter investigated as they believe Amazon ’ s actions could indeed be retaliatory .
Coronavirus , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsible for the deaths of thousands of people worldwide “ It ’ s disgraceful that Amazon , which is owned by the richest man in the world , is not only failing to protect its workers but has now fired a worker for protesting dangerous conditions , ” Sanders , a Vermont Democrat , told his Twitter followers Tuesday night .
“ I stand with Chris and all Amazon workers fighting for their safety.
” De Blasio , for his part , ordered New York City ’ s Commission on Human Rights to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was fired for raising health concerns .
“ If so , that would be a violation of our city human rights law and we would act on it immediately , ” the Democratic mayor said at a press conference Tuesday .
“ I should also note the sheriff ’ s office did an inspection of the facility to ensure that social distancing is being observed and they will continue to inspect as needed.
” James , a Democrat , also expressed anger over how she believes Smalls was treated .
She said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Relations Board should investigate Smith ’ s firing , adding that Amazon ’ s move is “ disgraceful.
” James said she is “ considering all legal options.
” Smalls ’ s complaints about conditions at the warehouse came after reports in 2019 suggested the brutal working conditions at the company leave some workers to reach out for help before ultimately seeking relief through suicide .
Emergency workers were summoned to Amazon warehouses nearly 200 times between 2013 and 2018 , the Daily Beast reported in 2019 , citing police records .
Neither @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation .


freedomdaily--2020-04-01--7 estrategias basadas en la ciencia para afrontar la ansiedad del coronavirus

COVID-19 could lead to an epidemic of clinical depression


freedomdaily--2020-04-01--COVID-19 could lead to an epidemic of clinical depression

Isolation , social distancing and extreme changes in daily life are hard now , but the United States also needs to be prepared for what may be an epidemic of clinical depression because of COVID-19 .
We are clinical psychological scientists at the University of Washington ’ s Center for the Science of Social Connection .
We study human relationships , how to improve them , and how to help people with clinical depression , emphasizing evidence-based approaches for those who lack resources .
We do not wish to be the bearers of bad news .
But this crisis , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have psychological consequences .
Individuals , families and communities need to do what they can to prepare for a depression epidemic .
Policymakers need to consider – and fund – a large-scale response to this coming crisis .
Most of us know the emotional components of depression : sadness , irritability , emptiness and exhaustion .
Given certain conditions , these universal experiences take over the body and transform it , sapping motivation and disrupting sleep , appetite and attention .
Depression lays waste to our capacity to problem-solve , set and achieve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public understands depression as a brain disease .
Our genes do influence how easily we may fall into clinical depression , but depression is also , for most of us , substantially influenced by environmental stress .
The unique environmental stressors of the COVID-19 crisis suggest that an unusually large proportion of the population may develop depression .
This pain is likely to be distributed inequitably .
Exacerbating the widespread stress of this crisis , many of us are suffering significant personal losses and grief reactions , which are robust predictors of depression @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these stressors adds an additional layer of risk .
As this crisis unfolds , death tolls will rise .
For some , especially those on the front lines , acute experiences of grief , trauma and exhaustion will compound the stress and place them at even greater risk .
Prolonged social isolation – our primary strategy to reduce the spread of the virus – adds another layer of risk .
Our bodies are not designed to handle social deprivation for long .
Past studies suggest that people forced to “ shelter in place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ living alone and lacking social opportunities are at risk .
Loneliness breeds depression .
Families , who must navigate unusual amounts of time together in confined spaces , may experience more conflict , also increasing risk .
China experienced an increase in divorce following their COVID-19 quarantine .
Divorce predicts depression , especially for women , largely due to increased economic hardship over time .
The biggest stressor for many is financial .
Unemployment and economic losses will be severe .
Research on past recessions suggests that rising unemployment and financial insecurity lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Home foreclosures during the 2008 recession produced a 62 % increased risk of depression among those foreclosed .
The mental health burden of economic recession will be distributed inequitably .
When the stock market crashed in 2008 , the rich experienced large wealth losses but not increased rates of depression .
In contrast , those who experience unemployment , debt and financial deprivation during recessions are at significant risk for depression due to increased stress and difficult life circumstances .
Minority-owned businesses may be at particular risk for buckling under the strain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for depression , depression will make recovery from the crisis harder across a spectrum of needs .
Given depression ’ s impact on motivation and problem-solving , when our economy recovers , those who are depressed will have a harder time engaging in new goal pursuits and finding work .
When the period of mandated social isolation ends , those who are depressed will have a harder time re-engaging in meaningful social activity and exercising .
When the threat of coronavirus infection recedes , those who are depressed will face increased immunological dysfunction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suffer other infections .
Depression amplifies symptoms of chronic illness .
The inequitable distribution of the burden of the crisis will exacerbate existing racial health disparities , including disparities in access to depression treatment .
What to do ?
Self-help suggestions are readily available .
A good list , more evidence-based than most , is here .
It is our experience , however , that such self-help encouragements for depression are not enough , and at times even insulting , for those who are truly struggling .
We need higher-level shifts in policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Economic relief measures from the federal government are crucial responses both to economic recession and psychological depression .
We call for a public health campaign to increase awareness of depression and treatment options , and for improvements in mental health sick-leave policies and insurance reimbursement to minimize barriers to treatment access .
How we talk about depression must change .
The distress we feel is a normal human response to a severe crisis .
Acknowledging and accepting these feelings prevents distress from turning into disorder .
Describing depression solely as a brain disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are depressed and decreases help-seeking .
Emphasizing the causal role of our environmental context , in contrast , matches how depressed individuals across different ethnicities view the causes of their suffering , decreases stigma and increases help-seeking .
Finally , we recommend specific treatment options be prioritized .
As we have discussed elsewhere , easy-to-train , cross-culturally applicable and effective treatment options exist .
We wish for an army of practitioners to be trained and embedded in community and treatment centers across the country , and this army should represent the great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. economy US $ 210 billion yearly .
That is under normal conditions .
An epidemic of depression requires a multi-faceted , multi-level response .
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freedomdaily--2020-04-01--‘We don’t talk in terms of supply numbers, we talk in terms of days’

The Conversation is running a series of dispatches from clinicians and researchers operating on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic .
Brown paper bags line the windowsill of the COVID-19 intensive care unit at Eskenazi Hospital in downtown Indianapolis .
The bags are filled with the N95 masks we ’ re reusing , labeled with the handwritten names of my staff : Patrick , Angela , Brittany .
They are mothers , fathers , brothers and sisters .
As of this writing , we are caring for more than double our average number of ICU patients and using more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We expect those numbers to keep climbing .
To prevent exposure to coronavirus , we use gowns , gloves , goggles and masks .
The N95 mask in particular is critical because it protects front-line hospital staff from aerosols emitted during high-risk procedures , such as placing someone on life support .
One of my roles as the chief of internal medicine and an intensivist working in the ICU is to teach my staff why we are taking steps that we wouldn ’ t ordinarily take , such as saving their N95 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of protective gear are dwindling .
We are worried about the number of ventilators we have available for patients .
We don ’ t talk about supplies in terms of numbers anymore ; we talk in terms of days .
And I need a way to talk to my staff about this that is both truthful and calming .
My team of nurses , physicians and therapists are selflessly serving patients afflicted with a deadly and highly contagious virus .
I need words that work .
Communicating decisions like this is difficult , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and how I say it has never been more important .
I prepare myself .
“ What do we do when we run out ?
” I am asked frequently , regarding personal protective equipment and ventilators .
Given the effect that SARS-CoV-2 has on the lungs , many patients require mechanical ventilators to infuse enough oxygen into their bodies to keep them alive .
These machines use hospital supplies of oxygen and deliver air into the lungs under pressure to open them up .
Ventilators are used all of the time in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are expensive and strictly limited in supply .
Ventilator allocation describes a process in which a committee , typically comprised of three people including an intensivist , follow a predetermined algorithm taking into account a patient ’ s age , underlying illness and severity of current illness to determine who should get priority to receive a ventilator when there are none left .
The idea is that we would make decisions in advance based on objective data , so we aren ’ t influenced by bias and emotion when tough decisions have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country are preparing their allocation teams and documents , and it is terrifying .
We are encouraged to see factories ramping up production of ventilators , but we are still worried .
Will they be here in time , or will it be too little too late ?
On a national level , I serve the American Thoracic Society as chair of the Section on Medical Education .
I have been working on documents to rapidly communicate important information to patients and providers , including two Twitter chats .
These serve to increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care systems and providers worldwide .
In addition to interviews on local and national news outlets , I am using social media to share the truth about the virus and advocate for communities to keep social distancing to slow the spread of COVID-19 .
I am saying , prepare , but don ’ t panic .
Now that the virus is endemic with community spread , we are seeing hospitals fill up .
Systems to conserve protective equipment , cohort patients with the virus together and keep hospital staff educated are vital .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in case , ” in the event that the ventilator supply runs low , by creating allocation teams and electronic medical records that extract data for those teams .
We need to prepare for this to continue .
Early estimates considering how the virus acted in China mean we could be looking at surge capacity for hospitals well into April .
We also need to prepare our staffs mentally .
Celebrate “ wins ” when patients get better .
Take time to reflect on all that is good .
I look at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each other as a symbol of solidarity in mission and purpose .
We are all in it together .
We have never needed each other more .
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W. Graham Carlos does not work for , consult , own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article , and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment .


freedomdaily--2020-04-02--‘Printing Money’: Chinese Manufacturers Are Profiting From Coronavirus Pandemic

Chinese manufacturers of medical masks are cashing in on the coronavirus pandemic that started in their country .
Chinese manufacturers are seeing profits spike as global demand for masks and other medical equipment has reached a fever pitch .
Nearly a fifth of mask manufacturers in the country only jumped into the business after January , the Financial Times reported , citing official data .
“ A mask machine is a real cash printer , ” Shi Xinghui , a sales manager of an N95 mask manufacturer in China , told Agence France-Presse .
“ The profit of a mask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to less than one in the past , ” Xinghui added .
“ Printing 60,000 or 70,000 masks a day is equivalent to printing money.
” Mask-making machines “ pay for themselves in 15 days , ” the owner of another Chinese mask manufacturer told AFP .
A director at a company that helps factories obtain certification to sell their products told the FT that “ everyone wants to profit from the global shortage.
” But defective products remain a serious problem .
Several countries have already recalled or stopped using hundreds of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they received from Chinese manufacturers .
Manufacturers have used regulatory loopholes to quickly start selling masks in the U.S. , the FT reported .
“ Some Chinese factories are so keen to make a fortune from the virus that they are cutting corners where they can , ” Jian Runfu , an official at a medical equipment trade association , told the FT. Runfu said that the rate of defective masks has doubled from the start of this year .
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freedomdaily--2020-04-02--Georgia Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Attack the White House with Explosives

Today Hasher Jallal Taheb , 23 , of Cumming , Georgia , has pleaded guilty to a charge of attempting to destroy , by fire or an explosive , a building owned by or leased to the United States .
Taleb had planned an attack on the White House using weapons and explosives .
As part of the plea agreement , the defendant and the government agreed that the defendant should receive a 15-year sentence of imprisonment .
“ Taheb planned to conduct a terrorist attack on the White House as part of what he claimed was his obligation to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers .
“ And that was just one of the iconic American landmarks he wanted to target .
Thanks to a tip from a member of the community and the work of the agents , analysts , and prosecutors responsible for this case , the threat posed by the defendant was neutralized and the defendant has admitted his guilt and will now be held accountable for his crime.
” “ Taheb hatched a dangerous plan that would have resulted in unimaginable injury , ” said Byung @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia .
“ We are grateful to community members who noticed his dangerous evolution and alerted law enforcement .
Along with our federal , state and local partners , we will remain vigilant in order to disrupt these types of attacks before they happen.
” “ This plea is the result of a more than year-long intensive investigation by FBI Atlanta ’ s Joint Terrorism Task Force , which was because of a tip from the community , ” said Chris Hacker , Special Agent in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizens are our most important weapons in fighting terrorism , our eyes and ears in our communities , and why we say to please contact law enforcement if you see or hear something suspicious.
” According to U.S. Attorney Pak , the charges and other information presented in court : In March 2018 , a member of the Atlanta community reported concerns about Taheb to a local law enforcement agency , which then contacted the FBI .
The community member specifically alerted law enforcement that Taheb had become radicalized and was making plans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operation conducted by the FBI , federal investigators learned in October 2018 that Taheb planned to travel overseas and that he had applied for a United States passport in July 2018 .
The FBI also learned that Taheb had begun planning domestic attacks in the United States as part of his desire to engage in “ jihad.
” His targets initially included the White House and the Statue of Liberty .
Later , in December 2018 , Taheb broadened his prospective targets in the Washington , D.C. area , to include the Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lincoln Memorial , and a synagogue .
During undercover meetings with Taheb in January 2019 , he produced sketches of the White House and described the types of weapons and explosives he wished to use in the attack , including semi-automatic weapons , improvised explosive devices , an anti-tank weapon , and hand grenades .
FBI special agents arrested Taheb on Jan. 16 , 2019 , after he arrived at a pre-arranged location where he expected to obtain semi-automatic assault rifles , explosive devices , and an anti-tank weapon .
Sentencing for Taheb @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , at 9:30 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Mark H. Cohen .


freedomdaily--2020-04-02--Dr Fauci: Trump Took Coronavirus Seriously ‘From The Beginning’

Dr. Anthony Fauci said in an interview released Thursday that President Donald Trump took the coronavirus threat seriously “ from the beginning ” of the pandemic .
“ I think he always understood the seriousness of it .
Right now as the numbers are becoming crystal clear , he himself is articulating an awareness of that seriousness , ” Fauci said in an interview on “ The Daily , ” a New York Times podcast .
“ But from the beginning , he always took it seriously.
” “ The President has his own style , that ’ s obvious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speak to him about issues that are substantive he listens.
” Trump ’ s critics have accused him of downplaying the threat from coronavirus , which began as an outbreak in Wuhan , China in November 2019 and has since spread across the globe .
Trump claimed in the early days of the U.S. outbreak that health officials had the virus under control and would likely be able to contained the pandemic .
“ And again , when you have 15 people , and the 15 within a couple of days is going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that ’ s a pretty good job we ’ ve done , ” he said at a Feb. 26 press conference when the U.S. had recorded only 15 cases of coronavirus .
As of Thursday , the United States has reported more than 216,000 cases of COVID-19 , the disease caused by coronavirus .
More than 5,100 Americans have died .
Trump in recent days has struck a more alarming tone about the coronavirus threat .
“ This is going to be a very painful — a very , very painful two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press conference on Tuesday .
Fauci credited Trump in the podcast interview for shutting down travel from China in January .
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freedomdaily--2020-04-02--Department of Justice and Department of Health and Human Services Partner to Distribute More Than Ha

Department of Justice and Department of Health and Human Services Partner to Distribute More Than Half a Million Medical Supplies Confiscated from Price Gougers | OPA

The U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ( HHS ) today announced the distribution of hoarded personal protective equipment ( PPE ) , including approximately 192,000 N95 respirator masks , to those on the frontline of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID-19 ) response in New York and New Jersey .
The FBI discovered the supplies during an enforcement operation by the Department of Justice ’ s COVID-19 Hoarding and Price Gouging Task Force on March 30 and alerted HHS which used its authority under Defense Production Act ( DPA ) to order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States .
In addition to the N95 respirator masks , the supplies found included 598,000 medical grade gloves and 130,000 surgical masks , procedure masks , N100 masks , surgical gowns , disinfectant towels , particulate filters , bottles of hand sanitizer , and bottles of spray disinfectant .
“ If you are amassing critical medical equipment for the purpose of selling it at exorbitant prices , you can expect a knock at your door , ” said Attorney General William P. Barr .
“ The Department of Justice ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is working tirelessly around the clock with all our law enforcement partners to ensure that bad actors can not illicitly profit from the COVID-19 pandemic facing our nation.
” “ Cracking down on the hoarding of vital supplies allows us to distribute this material to the heroic healthcare workers on the frontlines who are most in need , ” said HHS Secretary Alex Azar .
“ Thanks to the quick work of the White House , the Department of Justice , and HHS , the seized resources were distributed in days to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need them .
President Trump ’ s all-of-America approach to combating the coronavirus involves an aggressive approach to stopping hoarding , and the American public can play a role by being on the lookout for this behavior.
” HHS will pay the owner of the hoarded equipment pre-COVID-19 fair market value for the supplies and has begun distributing to meet the critical need for the supplies among healthcare workers in New York and New Jersey .
Specifically , after inspecting the supplies , HHS arranged for the delivery of the PPE to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York State Department of Health and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene .
“ This is the first of many such investigations that are underway , ” said Peter Navarro , DPA Policy Coordinator and Assistant to the President .
“ Our FBI agents and other law enforcement agencies are tracking down every tip and lead they get , and are devoting massive federal resources to this effort .
All individuals and companies hoarding any of these critical supplies , or selling them at well above market prices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them over to local authorities or the federal government now or risk prompt seizure by the federal government.
” Vendors interested in selling PPE to the federal government should contact the Federal Emergency Management Agency at https : //www.fema.gov/coronavirus/how-to-help .
Anyone who learns of hoarding or price gouging of PPE should report it to the National Center for Disaster Fraud by dialing 1-866-720-5721 or emailing [ email protected ] HHS and the Federal Emergency Management Agency continue to collaborate with private industry to overcome the shortage of PPE across the country amid the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Presidential Executive Order are intended to prevent accumulation in excess of reasonable demands of business , personal , or home consumption , or for the purpose of resale at prices in excess of prevailing market prices , also known as hoarding and price gouging , of medical supplies critical to the COVID-19 response .


freedomdaily--2020-04-02--Inside The Dark Money Dem Group Using An Umbrella Network To Flay Trump Over His Virus Response

Two left-leaning large super PAC groups that kickstarted a digital ad campaign targeting President Donald Trump ’ s coronavirus response have ties to a wealthy , shadowy dark money network .
American Bridge 21st Century and Pacronym are reportedly cutting ads thrashing Trump ’ s handling of the virus and becoming two of the first super pacs to go after the president on the health crisis .
Both groups also have ties to two large nonprofit groups — New Venture Fund and Sixteen Thirty Fund — connected to a massive left-leaning consulting group .
NVF gave one of Pacronym ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while providing American Bridge $ 40,000 in 2018 , according to NVF ’ s 2018 IRS documents .
IRS records also indicate American Bridge pulled in $ 200,000 in 2018 from nonprofit Sixteen Thirty Fund , which reportedly spent $ 141 million on various left-leaning causes during the midterm election year .
Sixteen Thirty Fund and nonprofit NVF are tied into the same sprawling network , according to an analysis by the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Arabella Advisors , a philanthropic consulting company based in Washington , D.C. , manages four nonprofits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fund , Hopewell Fund and the Windward Fund .
Sixteen Thirty Fund has not responded to the DCNF ’ s request for comment , while NVF acknowledged making a grant to ACRONYM in 2018 but noted that it “ has nothing to do with the activities at PACRONYM or American Bridge.
” NVF also notified the DCNF that it provided a “ grant to the Daily Caller News Foundation in the past.
” Arabella representative Steve Sampson called NVF merely a “ client of ours , ” even though the consulting group shares @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all four groups , according to NVF and Sixteen Thirty Fund ’ s 2018 IRS records .
American Bridge has not responded to the DCNF ’ s request for comment .
Arabella ’ s network raked in $ 582 million in 2017 while taking advantage of tax laws allowing it to conceal the identity of most of its donors , according to a 2019 report from the Capital Research Center , a group that investigates nonprofits and other organizations ’ s spending habits .
Other groups have raised alarms about the network as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ umbrella , and they have these two funds that flow toward both of these groups .
A clearly full-blown left-wing arm that is casting itself as a nonprofit is politiicizing this event , ” former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt told the DCNF .
Laxalt is now the Outside Counsel to Americans for Public Trust , a group dedicated to uncovering unethical behavior .
Americans for Public Trust has covered the network in the past .
“ American lives are more important than scoring cheap political points , ” he added after suggesting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ iron is hot and making certain they capitalize on a crisis that has so far killed thousands of people .
Some Democrats are taking on a similar approach .
Former Vice President Joe Biden , for instance , is also criticizing Trump ’ s response , which has been off beat , with the president shifting from likening the virus to the flu to restricting travel to China where the virus originated .
Laxalt is referring to Pacronym ’ s announcement on March 17 to plow $ 5 million into a digital advertising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response .
One of the group ’ s Facebook ads on March 25 suggests Trump “ dismantle a federal team working on pandemics ” ahead of the virus outbreak .
The ad is published through Four is Enough , a Pacronym project .
American Bridge , for its part , is also thrashing Trump ’ s handling of the issue .
The group is running coronavirus-related ads in Michigan , Wisconsin , and Pennsylvania , all of which are battleground states that the president won in 2016 but Democrats believe are in play @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ads lashing out at Trump are similar to Pacronym ’ s content .
“ Neglect .
Botched responses .
Cuts at the Centers for Disease Control , ” American Bridge noted in a March 18-30 ad .
ACRONYM ’ s founder argues the campaign makes sense from a public health and national security perspective .
“ This is a public health issue and a national security issue , but it ’ s also a public policy issue and thus a political one , ” Tara McGowan , chief executive of the group ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on March 17 .
Democratic operative David Plouffe , who managed former President Barack Obama ’ s 2008 Whit House bid , sits alongside McGowan on Acronym ’ s board .
Acronym has not responded to the DCNF ’ s repeated requests for comment .
Some academics argue that orchestrating such a campaign skirts ethical rules .
Running advertisements thrashing the president during a health crisis looks bad , according to Daniel Kreiss , a professor of political communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill .
“ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president has the legitimacy to speak authoritatively on what Americans must do in order to be safe , and the very real and legitimate questions to raise regarding how the president has handled this crisis given that he ’ s on the ballot in November , ” Kreiss told The Washington Post in a March 17 report addressing the ad campaign push .
Laxalt , Nevada ’ s former attorney general , expressed a similar position .
“ The timing of attacking the president in battleground states is appalling .
If they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you name the place .
I think that doing it right this second is outrageous , ” he told the DCNF .
Meanwhile , ACRONYM ’ s McGowan is also creating a constellation of local news websites that act as progressive arms targeting the president and his policies .
McGowan , a digital producer for Obama for America in 2011 and the proprietor behind ACRONYM , raised at least $ 25 million from wealthy liberals to create a media company called Courier Newsroom that is designed to deliver information favorable to Democrats .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ states to counter what its founder believes is right-wing spin on Facebook and across the digital domain .
Along with the Courier Newsroom , McGowan is also creating Virginia Dogwood and Arizona ’ s Copper Courier , among others that are expected to roll out in Michigan , North Carolina , Pennsylvania , Virginia and Wisconsin , all battleground states .


freedomdaily--2020-04-02--What the coronavirus does to your body that makes it so deadly

COVID-19 is caused by a coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2 .
Coronaviruses belong to a group of viruses that infect animals , from peacocks to whales .
They ’ re named for the bulb-tipped spikes that project from the virus ’ s surface and give the appearance of a corona surrounding it .
A coronavirus infection usually plays out one of two ways : as an infection in the lungs that includes some cases of what people would call the common cold , or as an infection in the gut that causes diarrhea .
COVID-19 starts out in the lungs like the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ havoc with the immune system that can lead to long-term lung damage or death .
SARS-CoV-2 is genetically very similar to other human respiratory coronaviruses , including SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV .
However , the subtle genetic differences translate to significant differences in how readily a coronavirus infects people and how it makes them sick .
SARS-CoV-2 has all the same genetic equipment as the original SARS-CoV , which caused a global outbreak in 2003 , but with around 6,000 mutations sprinkled around in the usual places where coronaviruses change .
Think whole milk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ human coronaviruses like MERS-CoV , which emerged in the Middle East in 2012 , the new virus has customized versions of the same general equipment for invading cells and copying itself .
However , SARS-CoV-2 has a totally different set of genes called accessories , which give this new virus a little advantage in specific situations .
For example , MERS has a particular protein that shuts down a cell ’ s ability to sound the alarm about a viral intruder .
SARS-CoV-2 has an unrelated gene with an as-yet unknown function in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cow milk versus almond milk .
Every coronavirus infection starts with a virus particle , a spherical shell that protects a single long string of genetic material and inserts it into a human cell .
The genetic material instructs the cell to make around 30 different parts of the virus , allowing the virus to reproduce .
The cells that SARS-CoV-2 prefers to infect have a protein called ACE2 on the outside that is important for regulating blood pressure .
The infection begins when the long spike proteins that protrude from the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s ACE2 protein .
From that point , the spike transforms , unfolding and refolding itself using coiled spring-like parts that start out buried at the core of the spike .
The reconfigured spike hooks into the cell and crashes the virus particle and cell together .
This forms a channel where the string of viral genetic material can snake its way into the unsuspecting cell .
SARS-CoV-2 spreads from person to person by close contact .
The Shincheonji Church outbreak in South Korea in February provides a good demonstration of how and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one or two people with the virus sat face to face very close to uninfected people for several minutes at a time in a crowded room .
Within two weeks , several thousand people in the country were infected , and more than half of the infections at that point were attributable to the church .
The outbreak got to a fast start because public health authorities were unaware of the potential outbreak and were not testing widely at that stage .
Since then , authorities have worked hard and the number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ falling steadily .
SARS-CoV-2 grows in type II lung cells , which secrete a soap-like substance that helps air slip deep into the lungs , and in cells lining the throat .
As with SARS , most of the damage in COVID-19 , the illness caused by the new coronavirus , is caused by the immune system carrying out a scorched earth defense to stop the virus from spreading .
Millions of cells from the immune system invade the infected lung tissue and cause massive amounts of damage in the process of cleaning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Each COVID-19 lesion ranges from the size of a grape to the size of a grapefruit .
The challenge for health care workers treating patients is to support the body and keep the blood oxygenated while the lung is repairing itself .
SARS-CoV-2 has a sliding scale of severity .
Patients under age 10 seem to clear the virus easily , most people under 40 seem to bounce back quickly , but older people suffer from increasingly severe COVID-19 .
The ACE2 protein that SARS-CoV-2 uses as a door to enter cells @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and it does not do its job when the virus gets there first .
This is one reason COVID-19 is more severe in people with high blood pressure .
SARS-CoV-2 is more severe than seasonal influenza in part because it has many more ways to stop cells from calling out to the immune system for help .
For example , one way that cells try to respond to infection is by making interferon , the alarm signaling protein .
SARS-CoV-2 blocks this by a combination of camouflage , snipping off protein markers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beacons and finally shredding any anti-viral instructions that the cell makes before they can be used .
As a result , COVID-19 can fester for a month , causing a little damage each day , while most people get over a case of the flu in less than a week .
At present , the transmission rate of SARS-CoV-2 is a little higher than that of the pandemic 2009 H1N1 influenza virus , but SARS-CoV-2 is at least 10 times as deadly .
From the data that is available now , COVID-19 seems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( SARS ) , though it ’ s less likely than SARS to be severe .
There are still many mysteries about this virus and coronaviruses in general – the nuances of how they cause disease , the way they interact with proteins inside the cell , the structure of the proteins that form new viruses and how some of the basic virus-copying machinery works .
Another unknown is how COVID-19 will respond to changes in the seasons .
The flu tends to follow cold weather , both in the northern and southern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a low level year-round , but then seem to peak in the spring .
But nobody really knows for sure why these viruses vary with the seasons .
What is amazing so far in this outbreak is all the good science that has come out so quickly .
The research community learned about structures of the virus spike protein and the ACE2 protein with part of the spike protein attached just a little over a month after the genetic sequence became available .
I spent my first 20 or so years working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This bodes well for better understanding , preventing and treating COVID-19 .
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Benjamin Neuman does not work for , consult , own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article , and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment .


freedomdaily--2020-04-02--Coronavirus: Telemedicine is great when you want to stay distant from your doctor, but older laws ar

Coronavirus: Telemedicine is great when you want to stay distant from your doctor, but older laws are standing in the way

As of April 1 , there are more than 179,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S .
Nowhere has been hit harder than New York City where there are more than 76,000 confirmed cases and 1,550 people have died .
As many had feared , the city failed to “ flatten the curve ” and medical need has exceeded what the health system can provide .
In an effort to free up critical beds and resources , all elective surgeries have been canceled .
Health officials are even urging people symptomatic for COVID-19 but less vulnerable – those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of age – to stay home and away from emergency rooms for fear of infecting others or taking up much-needed beds .
With access to in-person care extremely limited – and potentially dangerous – many hospitals have started treating and meeting patients through phone calls and over the internet .
I am a former member of the Medical Board of California and have been working with telemedicine regulation since 2006 when California Gov .
Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed me to the board .
After years of steady but frustratingly slow growth in telehealth across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see telehealth finally being utilized as an important tool to deliver care .
Telehealth , also known as telemedicine , has long been discussed as an effective way to give people access to medical professionals from the comfort of their own homes .
Using a phone , a tablet or a computer , a health care provider can diagnose , treat , prescribe and educate a patient sitting miles away .
In response to the coronavirus , hundreds , if not thousands , of care providers across the country have gone partially digital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Prior to the coronavirus , my own university hospital , Keck Medicine at the University of Southern California , used telemedicine primarily for certain cancer and dermatology patients .
Over the last week , however , the USC health system encouraged and initiated more than 5,000 telemedicine appointments , the majority of which were not for COVID-19 symptoms .
Across the country , Boston Medical Center launched a telemedicine site on March 16 and within 48 hours , 1,500 patients scheduled virtual visits .
By using telehealth services , these hospitals are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need them most while simultaneously limiting risk to those who can be treated at home .
Telehealth services can deal with a large range of problems including skin issues , minor infectious diseases like the flu or cold , psychiatry and minor orthopedic problems like sprains .
Physicians can also prescribe medications after a video or phone discussion .
But despite telehealth ’ s obvious benefits during this crisis , it is remarkably underutilized .
Only a few hospital systems in the nation have the technological capability to ramp up to even 50 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ importantly , there are unnecessary regulatory roadblocks preventing telehealth from use at a mass scale across the nation .
The fight to go digital In the early 1990s , disparities in health care in rural counties and an aging population with greater needs prompted California to consider telemedicine .
The University of California at Davis launched a telemedicine program in 1992 to assist with fetal monitoring in rural counties .
In 1996 , California passed the first law regulating telehealth which allowed only California-licensed physicians to treat residents of California through telehealth technology @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a doctor from Iowa , for instance , can not treat a person living in Los Angeles .
As laws went on the books around the country , access to telehealth remained difficult .
Many states required written consent from patients before they could receive virtual care .
Others required at least one in-person medical examination before telehealth appointments .
Insurers refused to reimburse telehealth providers at the same rates as in-person health care visits .
Reasons for refusal included the simple interpretation of a definition of a medical office visit to concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laws were meant to protect patients , but reflected concerns of the traditional face-to-face medicine and were counterproductive to the use of this technology .
Patient advocacy groups and some state agencies – like the California Medical Board that I was a part of – saw the potential of telehealth .
In the years that followed , many of the restrictive laws and regulations were removed or changed .
Additionally , laws were added in many places that forced insurance companies or government-provided health coverage to pay physicians the same amount for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For all this progress , 21 states and a few territories still do not allow the practice of medicine across state lines – arguably in the interest of protecting their own licensees and the quality of care .
My home state of California is one of these states , as is New York , although a bill was introduced in the state house last month to allow telehealth across state lines .
Particularly now , the ability for a patient in New York – where medical resources are extremely overburdened – to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in some place not yet as badly affected would be invaluable .
Old regulation is preventing this .
For the last few years momentum has been on the side of telehealth technology but utilization had still remained low .
This year 91 % of employers will offer telemedicine to their employees .
Less than 10 % of Americans have ever used the technology .
The coronavirus crisis has demonstrated the need unlike anything before .
As health care providers have moved en masse to virtual medicine , regulators and government officials are showing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will almost certainly save lives .
On Monday , the Federal Communications Commission announced US $ 200 million in funding to support telehealth services across the U.S. On March 17 , Medicare and Medicaid expanded the range of telehealth services that will be reimbursed .
And state governments around the nation are requiring insurers to more broadly cover telehealth appointments .
This support and interest for telehealth is unprecedented and it seems the nation has finally realized what a powerful and valuable tool telehealth can be .
Harder-hit areas are literally begging doctors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laws would allow it , telehealth could get them there instantly .
Of course not all medicine can be done virtually , but a lot can , both now and in the future .
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Frank V. Zerunyan does not work for , consult , own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article , and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment .


freedomdaily--2020-04-02--There are many COVID-19 tests in the US – how are they being regulated?

When it comes to COVID-19 testing in the United States , the situation is about as messy as it gets .
The U.S. went from having no tests , or assays , available for COVID-19 diagnostics to having multiple different tests available in a span of just a few weeks .
Today more than 230 test developers have alerted the Food and Drug Administration that they are requesting emergency authorization for their tests ; 20 have been granted .
And 110 laboratories around the country , including my own , are also using their own tests .
Having this number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ single virus in such a short time frame is unprecedented .
Which tests are good and which tests are bad isn ’ t immediately apparent .
According to a March 30 press release from the FDA , “ The FDA revised the process to allow labs to begin testing prior to FDA review of their validation data .
This policy change was an unprecedented action to expand access to testing.
” The guidance the FDA provides to test makers requires laboratories provide some evidence of their assay ’ s performance and consistency in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thought is put into assay design .
Assays meeting these requirements may then be permitted for clinical use prior to receiving approval by the FDA .
I am a physician scientist who studies viruses in my research laboratory and directs a clinical microbiology facility for a large hospital system .
Since COVID-19 made it to the U.S. , laboratory directors like me haven ’ t had a spare moment to focus on anything other than developing tests to respond to this pandemic .
SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes the disease .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family that was first identified in November 2019 in Wuhan , China .
Like other viruses , this one is believed to have first infected animals and then jumped over to humans .
Because of their zoonotic origins , these viruses are often ill-suited to spread from person to person .
What makes COVID-19 so different is it ’ s readily spread between people , which lies at the heart of the current pandemic .
There is a lot that we just don ’ t yet know about COVID-19 .
For example , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that protect us from getting infected by them again .
This is referred to as immunity .
We assume that we ’ ll develop immunity from having been exposed to COVID-19 infections , but it hasn ’ t exactly been around long enough for us to know this for certain .
Will this virus mutate so that our immunity won ’ t work ?
Will this virus become seasonal , much like the flu ?
Only time will tell .
Developing a test to detect this novel virus has been at the center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ combat its spread .
If infected people can be quarantined early , they are much less likely to transmit it to others .
But right now there are at least 22 different COVID-19 tests on the U.S. market , not including at least 110 developed by individual laboratories across the country .
So you many be wondering : Why do we need so many ?
Why so many different tests ?
Most of the available tests are based on collecting the virus ’ s RNA ( ribonucleic acid ) and converting it to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the easy part of test development because all these tests use the same basic methods .
The next step is making many millions or billions of copies of the DNA so that it can be detected .
This is where most tests differ .
COVID-19 is a large virus with many different genes that can be used to detect it .
While one test may target one or more virus genes , another test may target a completely different set of genes .
The World Health Organization developed testing specifications for COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , developed separate testing specifications in early February 2020 .
The CDC started off as the single testing center for the U.S. , but as demand rose , they distributed their test to public health laboratories across the country .
This first CDC test probed the sample for three short sections of the virus ’ s genetic material .
Within days , testing kits manufactured and distributed by the CDC were proven to be problematic , likely from impurities in the testing materials that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Despite increasing testing demand and problems with the CDC assay , the FDA remained steadfast that hospitals , academic centers and companies were not to develop their own COVID-19 tests .
These regulations were lifted at the end of February 2020 , and centers across the U.S. were finally free to develop their own tests .
There was so much pent-up energy to develop COVID-19 tests that the country rapidly ended up with a surplus of different tests .
Because the U.S. never settled upon a single standard for detecting the virus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left to their own devices to forge their own paths forward .
So which test is the best available right now in the U.S. ?
There ’ s no certain answer .
None of these tests from different manufacturers have been around long enough to know which is best at detecting the virus .
The most common question I get asked is , “ What is the accuracy of my institution ’ s COVID-19 test ?
” It ’ s impossible to answer because my institution uses five different tests , each of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
These tests generally differ in the virus ’ s genes they target and the laboratory instrumentation on which they are performed .
We have tests that can detect as few as 100 copies of a virus gene and tests that require as many as 400 copies for detection .
We have chosen to use so many tests because testing kits to detect the virus are so limited that when we run out of kits from one manufacturer , we switch to another .
It is inevitable that we will learn that some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were all developed so quickly that it ’ s unlikely they ’ ll have the same performance characteristics .
We can only hope that none of the assays currently in use performs poorly .
Many of us laboratory directors in the U.S. have a love-hate relationship with the FDA .
We love the FDA because their stringent oversight helps to protect us from using products that don ’ t work well .
The hate stems from their standards being so high that products often come to market in Europe and Canada before they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FDA took a decidedly different approach to regulating COVID-19 diagnostics .
Due to the dearth of available testing in the U.S. , they allowed hospitals , academic centers and companies to develop their own tests and begin using them if they could meet minimal standards .
The FDA will eventually do their due diligence in evaluating the COVID-19 tests that are available .
Until that happens , we may have tests in use in the U.S. that don ’ t live up to their normal high standards .
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David Pride does not work for , consult , own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article , and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment .


freedomdaily--2020-04-02--Coronavirus cases are growing exponentially – here’s what that means

In the U.S. , scientists stress that the number of coronavirus cases has been growing exponentially .
In ordinary speech , the term “ exponential ” usually means “ really fast.
” To mathematicians like myself , and to scientists and public health officials , the term has a precise and subtly different meaning : A quantity is “ exponential ” if its rate of change at each point is proportional to the current size .
Let ’ s explore why the difference matters , and how exponential processes can mislead our perception of risk .
When an exponential quantity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; when the quantity is large , the change is rapid .
Thanks to exponential growth , epidemics start slowly , then balloon with surprising speed .
This pattern presents a distinctive challenge .
People intuitively underestimate exponential growth .
By the time individuals sense their peril and act , the damage has been multiplied many-fold .
In an epidemic , numerical data and mathematical models are like night-vision goggles , illuminating what can not be directly perceived .
To a good approximation , viruses spread exponentially in unexposed populations .
Each infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each meeting , there is some chance of the virus being transmitted .
The number of new cases in a one-day period – the rate of increase of infection , in individuals per day – is proportional to the number currently infected .
Exponential quantities have a characteristic interval over which the quantity doubles .
For illustration , consider an epidemic that doubles daily .
If one person is infected today , two are infected tomorrow , four the day after tomorrow , eight the day after that , then 16 , 32 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 128 .
Three days after that , 1,024 are infected .
Let ’ s flag two items about this example .
First , the number of new cases tomorrow equals the total number of cases today .
Second , 10 doublings , here 10 days , gives a thousand-fold increase in cases .
How many doublings give a million-fold increase ?
A million is a thousand thousand .
It takes 10 doublings for 1,000 to become 1,000,000 , 20 days total .
This percentage growth is constant , one doubling per day .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ initial trickle grows rapidly into an uncontrollable flood .
In an epidemic , early action saves lives .
Conversely , delay in public health response inflates case numbers exponentially .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization had flagged the coronavirus as a U.S. public health concern by Jan. 21 .
At that time , there were only a few confirmed U.S. cases .
Isolation of the infected and monitoring of their social contacts was technically feasible .
Aggressive testing could have better revealed the true number and locations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first half of March was mostly confined to individuals needing hospitalization , even those numbers show the coronavirus doubling time in the U.S. was at most two and a half days .
Under these conditions , each eight-day delay in public health response translates into roughly 10 times as many cases and deaths as immediate action .
An exponential quantity is characterized by its starting value and its doubling time .
By waiting until mid-March to act as a nation , the U.S. lost control over the starting value .
At any stage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lengthen the doubling time .
Personal hygiene and social distancing effectively reduce viral transmission .
Slowing the epidemic “ flattens the curve.
” The goal is to reduce the maximum number who are hospitalized at any given time and avoid overwhelming the medical system .
There are at least two civic lessons .
We citizens must recognize and respect the creeping-to-explosive nature of exponential growth .
Epidemics start small and slowly .
The CDC is equipped to detect potential outbreaks in early stages , but it needs the backing of government and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we must understand that the public health system undercuts its own public reputation by succeeding .
When an epidemic is halted in its early stages , the public seldom knows .
The enormous invisible benefits of public health take the form of averted disaster .
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Andrew D. Hwang does not work for , consult , own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article , and has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appointment .