talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-23--Trump’s Boosterism Of Unproven COVID-19 Cures Has Huge Unexpected Consequences

When Donald Trump boosted an old anti-malaria drug on Thursday as a potential therapy for COVID-19 , falsely suggesting the FDA had approved it for use , he spurred a global rush for the drug that ’ s having serious knock-on effects .
At a press briefing Thursday , referring to the drug hydroxychloroquine , Trump falsely said that “ the nice part is , it ’ s been around for a long time , so we know that if things don ’ t go as planned , it ’ s not going to kill anybody.
” And on Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ & AZITHROMYCIN , taken together , have a real chance to be one of the biggest game changers in the history of medicine.
” In fact , the drugs ’ efficacy against COVID-19 is shaky at best : Chloroquine and hydrochloroquine have long been used against malaria , though the latter is a safer alternative to the former , and has for decades also been used with lupus and rheumatoid arthritis patients .
Azithromycin is an antibiotic — and while its use alongside hydroxychloroquine on COVID-19 patients has shown some very limited promise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data to suggest the duo is ready as a widespread treatment .
“ What worries me is that doctors now are giving hydroxychloroquine without any information about whether or not it works , ” Dr. Paul Offit , a virology and immunology expert and an attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children ’ s Hospital of Philadelphia , told TPM Monday .
“ That ’ s a dangerous , ill-informed thing to do , ” he said .
Trump ’ s suggestion that the anti-malaria medications chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the market .
Several large drug makers have reported shortages of the medicines in recent days , according to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists , and pharmacy boards in several states have moved in recent days to restrict the number of doses that can be given out .
“ There has been a huge uptick in prescriptions of these drugs and we need to make sure that they are being used in the most appropriate way , ” Ohio Gov .
Mike DeWine ( R ) said on Twitter yesterday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ these medications.
” DeWine authorized the state ’ s pharmacy board to issue an emergency rule on hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine , restricting off-label prescriptions for COVID-19 treatment to 14-day doses — and only if the virus ’ presence has been confirmed by a documented positive test result .
Patients with lupus and rheumatoid arthritis face a distinct risk from the rush — a shortage of medications that they ’ ve used for years .
“ We want to make sure that our patients have access to these medications and that they are not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr. David R. Karp , the president-elect of the American College of Rheumatology , told TPM Monday .
“ We ’ re not trying to pit one American versus another here , ” Karp added .
The shortage is largely fueled by consumers overseas , in Africa and South Asia , who are stocking up on the drug following Trump ’ s comments , The Wall Street Journal reported Monday .
But doctors in the United States appear to be fueling the spike in demand as well .
Erin Fox , senior director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health , told The New York Times on Sunday that staff in the system ’ s retail pharmacies had noticed doctors prescribing the drug for themselves , or for their families .
“ We saw this specifically at our organization and we worked quickly to not fill those prescriptions , ” Fox said .
The executive director of Texas ’ pharmacy board , Allison Benz , similarly told NBC affiliate KXAN that “ apparently , prescribers are writing prescriptions to stockpile the drugs for themselves/family members and their office staff as a preventative.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to start hoarding these medications just like they ’ ve been hoarding toilet paper and water , ” Benz said .
The Trump-fueled hype surrounding the drugs also may be responsible for what appear to be dangerous attempts at self-medicating : On Monday , the hospital operator Banner Health said that a man had died and his wife was in critical care “ after the couple , both in their 60s , ingested chloroquine phosphate , an additive commonly used at aquariums to clean fish tanks.
” “ Given the uncertainty around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to find new ways to prevent or treat this virus , but self-medicating is not the way to do so , ” Dr. Daniel Brooks , medical director of Banner ’ s Poison and Drug Information Center medical director , said .
“ We are strongly urging the medical community to not prescribe this medication to any non-hospitalized patients.
” State pharmacy boards “ should prohibit the use of the drug for the treatment of COVID-19 , ” said Offit , the physician at Children ’ s Hospital of Philadelphia .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this drug is of value .
For all we know , the drug may only be harmful and not in any sense helpful .
”

When Donald Trump boosted an old anti-malaria drug on Thursday as a potential therapy for COVID-19, falsely suggesting the FDA had approved it for use, he spurred a global rush for the drug that’s having serious knock-on effects.
At a press briefing Thursday, referring to the drug hydroxychloroquine, Trump falsely said that “the nice part is, it’s been around for a long time, so we know that if things don’t go as planned, it’s not going to kill anybody.”
And on Saturday, the President tweeted that “HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE & AZITHROMYCIN, taken together, have a real chance to be one of the biggest game changers in the history of medicine.”
In fact, the drugs’ efficacy against COVID-19 is shaky at best: Chloroquine and hydrochloroquine have long been used against malaria, though the latter is a safer alternative to the former, and has for decades also been used with lupus and rheumatoid arthritis patients.
Azithromycin is an antibiotic — and while its use alongside hydroxychloroquine on COVID-19 patients has shown some very limited promise, there’s been no clinical data to suggest the duo is ready as a widespread treatment.
“What worries me is that doctors now are giving hydroxychloroquine without any information about whether or not it works,” Dr. Paul Offit, a virology and immunology expert and an attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, told TPM Monday.
“That’s a dangerous, ill-informed thing to do,” he said.
Trump’s suggestion that the anti-malaria medications chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine can fight COVID-19 has led to a rush on the market. Several large drug makers have reported shortages of the medicines in recent days, according to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, and pharmacy boards in several states have moved in recent days to restrict the number of doses that can be given out.
“There has been a huge uptick in prescriptions of these drugs and we need to make sure that they are being used in the most appropriate way,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) said on Twitter yesterday. “There is hoarding going on of these medications.”
DeWine authorized the state’s pharmacy board to issue an emergency rule on hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, restricting off-label prescriptions for COVID-19 treatment to 14-day doses — and only if the virus’ presence has been confirmed by a documented positive test result.
Patients with lupus and rheumatoid arthritis face a distinct risk from the rush — a shortage of medications that they’ve used for years.
“We want to make sure that our patients have access to these medications and that they are not cut out without some thought,” Dr. David R. Karp, the president-elect of the American College of Rheumatology, told TPM Monday.
“We’re not trying to pit one American versus another here,” Karp added.
The shortage is largely fueled by consumers overseas, in Africa and South Asia, who are stocking up on the drug following Trump’s comments, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday. But doctors in the United States appear to be fueling the spike in demand as well.
Erin Fox, senior director of drug information at University of Utah Health, told Reuters on Sunday that staff in the system’s retail pharmacies had noticed doctors prescribing the drug for themselves, or for their families.
“We saw this specifically at our organization and we worked quickly to not fill those prescriptions,” Fox said.
The executive director of Texas’ pharmacy board, Allison Benz, similarly told NBC affiliate KXAN that “apparently, prescribers are writing prescriptions to stockpile the drugs for themselves/family members and their office staff as a preventative.”
“It seems like people are trying to start hoarding these medications just like they’ve been hoarding toilet paper and water,” Benz said.
The Trump-fueled hype surrounding the drugs also may be responsible for what appear to be dangerous attempts at self-medicating: On Monday, the hospital operator Banner Health said that a man had died and his wife was in critical care “after the couple, both in their 60s, ingested chloroquine phosphate, an additive commonly used at aquariums to clean fish tanks.”
“Given the uncertainty around COVID-19, we understand that people are trying to find new ways to prevent or treat this virus, but self-medicating is not the way to do so,” Dr. Daniel Brooks, medical director of Banner’s Poison and Drug Information Center medical director, said.
“We are strongly urging the medical community to not prescribe this medication to any non-hospitalized patients.”
State pharmacy boards “should prohibit the use of the drug for the treatment of COVID-19,” said Offit, the physician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “There are no data to suggest that this drug is of value. For all we know, the drug may only be harmful and not in any sense helpful.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-23--Rand Paul Defends His Decision To Not Self-Quarantine Sooner

Sen. Rand Paul ( R-KY ) defended his decision to not self-quarantine as he waited for the results of his coronavirus test , in a Monday afternoon statement .
Paul , who became the first senator to test positive for the coronavirus on Sunday , said that both the extensive travel that he and his wife had taken in recent weeks and the higher risks he faces following the removal of part of his lung last year prompted him to take a COVID-19 test upon arriving in Washington , D.C. last Monday .
Paul said that he felt that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would test positive .
He said he was asymptomatic and did not having contact with anyone who has come down with the virus or exhibited symptoms .
“ For those who want to criticize me for lack of quarantine , realize that if the rules on testing had been followed to a tee , I would never have been tested and would still be walking around the halls of the Capitol , ” Paul wrote .
“ The current guidelines would not have called for me to get tested nor quarantined .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concern for my damaged lung , that led me to get tested.
” Paul added that he believed his risk factor would be similar to those of his colleagues , given how every member travels by plane across the U.S. multiple times per week , attends large gatherings regularly and that multiple congressional staffers had tested positive weeks ago .
Paul also called for more testing immediately , including those who are asymptomatic .
Writing that COVID-19 put him in a “ Catch-22 situation , ” Paul said he didn ’ t fit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Additionally , Paul confirmed in the statement that despite testing positive , he is still feeling fine .
Paul ’ s latest statement comes on the heels of five Senate Republicans going into quarantine , including Sen. Mitt Romney ( R-UT ) and Sen. Mike Lee ( R-UT ) , who decided to self-quarantine on Sunday evening in light of being in close proximity to Paul shortly before his diagnosis .
On Sunday , Sen. Jerry Moran ( R-KS ) told reporters during a GOP lunch that he saw Paul swimming at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shortly before his office announced that he tested positive for the coronavirus .
In response to Moran ’ s remarks , Paul ’ s office said in a Sunday afternoon tweet that the Kentucky senator departed the Senate “ IMMEDIATELY ” upon learning that he tested positive for the coronavirus .
Following Paul ’ s latest statement , Sen. Shelley Moore Capito ( R-WV ) told CNN on Monday that she was concerned upon hearing about Paul ’ s actions due to how “ his office is right next door to mine.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it up to Paul to decide whether he should apologize to other senators for not self-quarantining sooner , Capito said that Paul knowing he had a test outstanding and still continuing to be in public — which she said is “ obviously a reason that he got a test ” — “ causes a question ” for her .

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) defended his decision to not self-quarantine as he waited for the results of his coronavirus test, in a Monday afternoon statement.
Paul, who became the first senator to test positive for the coronavirus on Sunday, said that both the extensive travel that he and his wife had taken in recent weeks and the higher risks he faces following the removal of part of his lung last year prompted him to take a COVID-19 test upon arriving in Washington, D.C. last Monday.
Paul said that he felt that it was “highly unlikely” that he would test positive. He said he was asymptomatic and did not having contact with anyone who has come down with the virus or exhibited symptoms.
“For those who want to criticize me for lack of quarantine, realize that if the rules on testing had been followed to a tee, I would never have been tested and would still be walking around the halls of the Capitol,” Paul wrote. “The current guidelines would not have called for me to get tested nor quarantined. It was my extra precaution, out of concern for my damaged lung, that led me to get tested.”
Paul added that he believed his risk factor would be similar to those of his colleagues, given how every member travels by plane across the U.S. multiple times per week, attends large gatherings regularly and that multiple congressional staffers had tested positive weeks ago.
Paul also called for more testing immediately, including those who are asymptomatic. Writing that COVID-19 put him in a “Catch-22 situation,” Paul said he didn’t fit the criteria for testing or quarantine.
Additionally, Paul confirmed in the statement that despite testing positive, he is still feeling fine.
Paul’s latest statement comes on the heels of five Senate Republicans going into quarantine, including Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), who decided to self-quarantine on Sunday evening in light of being in close proximity to Paul shortly before his diagnosis.
On Sunday, Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) told reporters during a GOP lunch that he saw Paul swimming at the Senate gym pool in the morning, shortly before his office announced that he tested positive for the coronavirus.
In response to Moran’s remarks, Paul’s office said in a Sunday afternoon tweet that the Kentucky senator departed the Senate “IMMEDIATELY” upon learning that he tested positive for the coronavirus.
Following Paul’s latest statement, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) told CNN on Monday that she was concerned upon hearing about Paul’s actions due to how “his office is right next door to mine.”
After telling CNN that she would leave it up to Paul to decide whether he should apologize to other senators for not self-quarantining sooner, Capito said that Paul knowing he had a test outstanding and still continuing to be in public — which she said is “obviously a reason that he got a test” — “causes a question” for her.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-23--Stocks Slump Again As COVID-19 Aid Bill Stalls In Congress

NEW YORK ( AP ) — Stocks fell about 3 % on Wall Street Monday as Congress hit another roadblock in talks to inject nearly $ 2 trillion into the coronavirus-weakened economy .
Even an extraordinary flood of support for markets from the Federal Reserve wasn ’ t enough to lift stocks , as frustration with Washington and the number of virus cases rise .
Another attempt to advance the aid bill failed on Capitol Hill in an afternoon vote .
The plan would send checks to U.S. households and offer support for small businesses and the hard-hit travel industry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say it too heavily favors corporations at the expense of public health and workers .
As Congress was locked in stalemate , the number of known infections worldwide jumped past 350,000 .
After just a few weeks , the United States has more than 35,000 cases and more than 400 deaths .
“ The Fed is only important to the extent that it keeps the markets running smoothly , ” said Chris Zaccarelli , chief investment officer for Independent Advisor Alliance .
“ It ’ s completely up to the federal government , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ branch , at this point.
” With Monday ’ s losses , the stock market has lost more than a third of its value since its record last month , as more businesses shut down in hopes of slowing the spread of the coronavirus .
Economists increasingly say a recession seems inevitable , and no one can say for sure how deep it will be or how long it will last .
Markets are likely to remain incredibly volatile as long as the number of new infections accelerates .
Until then , investors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governments to do their parts to support the economy .
The Fed came through Monday , saying it would buy as many Treasurys and mortgage-backed securities as it takes to stabilize bond markets .
It goes way beyond the $ 700 billion in purchases announced last week , which economists called a “ bazooka ” of support .
It also said it will buy corporate bonds and other investments to help improve trading in markets , which have been thrown into mayhem amid a rush for cash .
Investors are rushing to sell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which has caused prices for even high-quality bonds to fall and trading to get snarled .
The Fed ’ s efforts are aimed at helping those markets .
“ This is excellent , comprehensive , covering many areas of the financial markets , their function , the flow of credit — this is exactly what was needed , ’ ’ said Donald Kohn , former Fed vice chair and now senior fellow at the Brookings Institution .
“ The Fed has hit it out of the park as far as I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is getting the fiscal response straight , ’ ’ said Kohn , saying that Congress needs to finance a stabilization fund to back up the Fed ’ s efforts .
Congress debated through the weekend on the rescue plan , but top White House officials and congressional leaders are struggling to finalize it .
Democrats blocked a vote to advance the package Monday , trying to steer more of the assistance to public health and workers .
Still , optimism remains that they ’ ll get to a compromise .
“ If the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ ll do everything you can to not crash the plane , ” said Thomas Martin , senior portfolio manager at Globalt .
“ Ultimately the government will get there.
” Even if the two sides find a compromise , Congress may need to go through more rounds of similar negotiations if the outbreak isn ’ t brought under control .
“ It ’ s battlefield dressing meant to keep the patient alive , but more will be needed to be done before a complete healing is accomplished , ” said Sam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ What we need to do is arrest the spread of the coronavirus — flatten the curve , if you will — and at the same time flatten consumers ’ anxiety , because we could simply end up seeing a rotation in frenzied buying from toilet paper to other commodities , and conceivably bank accounts.
” The S & P 500 lost 67.52 points , or 2.9 % to 2,237.40 in another day of sudden swings .
It was down as much as 4.9 % and as little as 0.2 % earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , futures for the S & P 500 swung from a loss of 5 % to a gain following the Fed ’ s announcement , a microcosm of the extreme volatility dominating the market in recent weeks .
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 582.05 points , or 3 % to 18,591.93 .
The Nasdaq lost only 18.84 points , or 0.3 % , to 6,860.67 as technology stocks held up better than the rest of the market .
For most people , the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms , such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with mild illness recover in about two weeks .
Severe illness including pneumonia can occur , especially in the elderly and people with existing health problems , and recovery could take six weeks in such cases .
Trading on the New York Stock Exchange went all-electronic for the first time Monday after the exchange temporarily closed its trading floor as a precaution .
The exchange announced the move last week after two employees tested positive for the virus .
The number of floor traders had dwindled sharply in recent years as more trading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is operating smoothly , or as well as it could given the conditions .
“ Things are sort of seamless , as far as speed and execution go , ” said Peter Tuchman .
He ’ s usually on the NYSE floor trading for Quattro Securities but now working from home .
“ Surely , it runs smoother when we ’ re there , but these are strange times calling for strange measures and to protect the community we have to stay home .
”

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks fell about 3% on Wall Street Monday as Congress hit another roadblock in talks to inject nearly $2 trillion into the coronavirus-weakened economy. Even an extraordinary flood of support for markets from the Federal Reserve wasn’t enough to lift stocks, as frustration with Washington and the number of virus cases rise.
Another attempt to advance the aid bill failed on Capitol Hill in an afternoon vote. The plan would send checks to U.S. households and offer support for small businesses and the hard-hit travel industry, among other things, but Democrats say it too heavily favors corporations at the expense of public health and workers.
As Congress was locked in stalemate, the number of known infections worldwide jumped past 350,000. After just a few weeks, the United States has more than 35,000 cases and more than 400 deaths.
“The Fed is only important to the extent that it keeps the markets running smoothly,” said Chris Zaccarelli, chief investment officer for Independent Advisor Alliance. “It’s completely up to the federal government, and I mean Congress and the executive branch, at this point.”
With Monday’s losses, the stock market has lost more than a third of its value since its record last month, as more businesses shut down in hopes of slowing the spread of the coronavirus. Economists increasingly say a recession seems inevitable, and no one can say for sure how deep it will be or how long it will last.
Markets are likely to remain incredibly volatile as long as the number of new infections accelerates. Until then, investors are looking for both central banks and governments to do their parts to support the economy.
The Fed came through Monday, saying it would buy as many Treasurys and mortgage-backed securities as it takes to stabilize bond markets. It goes way beyond the $700 billion in purchases announced last week, which economists called a “bazooka” of support. It also said it will buy corporate bonds and other investments to help improve trading in markets, which have been thrown into mayhem amid a rush for cash.
Investors are rushing to sell what they can to raise cash, which has caused prices for even high-quality bonds to fall and trading to get snarled. The Fed’s efforts are aimed at helping those markets.
“This is excellent, comprehensive, covering many areas of the financial markets, their function, the flow of credit — this is exactly what was needed,’’ said Donald Kohn, former Fed vice chair and now senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. “The Fed has hit it out of the park as far as I’m concerned.”
“The key issue now is getting the fiscal response straight,’’ said Kohn, saying that Congress needs to finance a stabilization fund to back up the Fed’s efforts.
Congress debated through the weekend on the rescue plan, but top White House officials and congressional leaders are struggling to finalize it. Democrats blocked a vote to advance the package Monday, trying to steer more of the assistance to public health and workers.
Still, optimism remains that they’ll get to a compromise.
“If the alternative is crashing the plane, then you’ll do everything you can to not crash the plane,” said Thomas Martin, senior portfolio manager at Globalt. “Ultimately the government will get there.”
Even if the two sides find a compromise, Congress may need to go through more rounds of similar negotiations if the outbreak isn’t brought under control.
“It’s battlefield dressing meant to keep the patient alive, but more will be needed to be done before a complete healing is accomplished,” said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist a CFRA.
“What we need to do is arrest the spread of the coronavirus — flatten the curve, if you will — and at the same time flatten consumers’ anxiety, because we could simply end up seeing a rotation in frenzied buying from toilet paper to other commodities, and conceivably bank accounts.”
The S&P 500 lost 67.52 points, or 2.9% to 2,237.40 in another day of sudden swings. It was down as much as 4.9% and as little as 0.2% earlier in the day. Before trading opened, futures for the S&P 500 swung from a loss of 5% to a gain following the Fed’s announcement, a microcosm of the extreme volatility dominating the market in recent weeks.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 582.05 points, or 3% to 18,591.93. The Nasdaq lost only 18.84 points, or 0.3%, to 6,860.67 as technology stocks held up better than the rest of the market.
For most people, the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, and those with mild illness recover in about two weeks. Severe illness including pneumonia can occur, especially in the elderly and people with existing health problems, and recovery could take six weeks in such cases.
Trading on the New York Stock Exchange went all-electronic for the first time Monday after the exchange temporarily closed its trading floor as a precaution. The exchange announced the move last week after two employees tested positive for the virus. The number of floor traders had dwindled sharply in recent years as more trading become electronic.
Traders said the market is operating smoothly, or as well as it could given the conditions.
“Things are sort of seamless, as far as speed and execution go,” said Peter Tuchman. He’s usually on the NYSE floor trading for Quattro Securities but now working from home.
“Surely, it runs smoother when we’re there, but these are strange times calling for strange measures and to protect the community we have to stay home.”
___
AP Economics Writer Paul Wiseman contributed.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-23--No, You Won’t Receive A COVID-19 Stimulus Check For Filling Out The Census

CHICAGO ( AP ) — You won ’ t get a check in the mail for filling out this year ’ s census as claims circulating on social media suggest .
The inaccurate posts on sites including Facebook and Twitter urge people to respond to the census .
They claim if you do so you will receive one of the stimulus checks that the federal government is considering sending to American households to buffer the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic .
The virus spreading across the U.S. has left millions out of work and sent the economy into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were struggling Monday to agree on a nearly $ 2 trillion economic rescue package that could include sending a one-time rebate check of about $ 1,200 to those who qualify or $ 3,000 for a family of four .
But even if Congress agrees to send money directly to Americans , federal law prohibits the government from using information on the census to mail out those stimulus checks .
The U.S. Census Bureau can not legally share individual responses on the once-every-decade form , and is only allowed to use that information to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not be used to impact your eligibility for any government benefits , including any potential stimulus package , ” the bureau said in a statement Saturday , quashing the rumors that have circulated in recent days .
The timing could be fueling some of those social media rumors .
The Census Bureau mailed invitations asking Americans to fill out the census online earlier this month , just as the coronavirus hastened its spread in the U.S. , leading to the closure of schools and businesses .
The pandemic has kept more than a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of work , and at least 350,000 people infected worldwide .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever or coughing .
But for some older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia .
Over 100,000 people have recovered , mostly in China .
The census helps determine how $ 1.5 trillion worth of federal money is distributed , and this is the first year that people can fill out the census form @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out to knock on the doors of homes of people who haven ’ t responded by May .

CHICAGO (AP) — You won’t get a check in the mail for filling out this year’s census as claims circulating on social media suggest.
The inaccurate posts on sites including Facebook and Twitter urge people to respond to the census. They claim if you do so you will receive one of the stimulus checks that the federal government is considering sending to American households to buffer the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The virus spreading across the U.S. has left millions out of work and sent the economy into a tailspin.
Congress and the White House were struggling Monday to agree on a nearly $2 trillion economic rescue package that could include sending a one-time rebate check of about $1,200 to those who qualify or $3,000 for a family of four.
But even if Congress agrees to send money directly to Americans, federal law prohibits the government from using information on the census to mail out those stimulus checks.
The U.S. Census Bureau cannot legally share individual responses on the once-every-decade form, and is only allowed to use that information to produce statistics.
“Your answers cannot be used to impact your eligibility for any government benefits, including any potential stimulus package,” the bureau said in a statement Saturday, quashing the rumors that have circulated in recent days.
The timing could be fueling some of those social media rumors.
The Census Bureau mailed invitations asking Americans to fill out the census online earlier this month, just as the coronavirus hastened its spread in the U.S., leading to the closure of schools and businesses. The pandemic has kept more than a billion people at home, left millions out of work, and at least 350,000 people infected worldwide.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever or coughing. But for some older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. Over 100,000 people have recovered, mostly in China.
The census helps determine how $1.5 trillion worth of federal money is distributed, and this is the first year that people can fill out the census form online. Census workers will be sent out to knock on the doors of homes of people who haven’t responded by May.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-23--Fauci Privately Warns Trump Admin Against Reversing Social Distancing Rules

Dr. Anthony Fauci , the National Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases director at the National Institutes of Health ( NIH ) , has reportedly been trying to push back against the possibility of the Trump administration lifting its social distancing guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic .
The Washington Post reported on Monday that Fauci and other public health experts have been privately emphasizing to those in President Donald Trump ’ s orbit , including GOP lawmakers , the importance of the White House ’ s 15-day social distancing rule in the battle against the coronavirus .
Trump , Treasury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reportedly become concerned that social distancing will hurt the economy , leading them to argue that such measures ought to be rolled back .
Trump ’ s fear stems from the fact that a tanking economy would imperil his reelection prospects , according to the Post .
Echoing Trump ’ s declaration that “ the cure can ’ t be worse than the disease , ” White House Director of the National Economic Council Larry Kudlow said on Monday that “ we ’ re going to have to make difficult trade-offs ” at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Unnamed sources told the Post that Fauci and his colleagues have warned the administration that health care workers ’ vigorous response to the outbreak would be put in jeopardy if the social distancing guidelines were to be lifted once the period ends .
On Monday morning , U.S .
Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams told NBC News ’ “ Today Show ” host Savannah Guthrie that “ we really , really need everyone to stay at home ” to avoid further spread of the coronavirus .
“ I want America to understand this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get bad , ” he said .

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the National Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases director at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has reportedly been trying to push back against the possibility of the Trump administration lifting its social distancing guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Washington Post reported on Monday that Fauci and other public health experts have been privately emphasizing to those in President Donald Trump’s orbit, including GOP lawmakers, the importance of the White House’s 15-day social distancing rule in the battle against the coronavirus.
Trump, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and several Republicans have reportedly become concerned that social distancing will hurt the economy, leading them to argue that such measures ought to be rolled back. Trump’s fear stems from the fact that a tanking economy would imperil his reelection prospects, according to the Post.
Echoing Trump’s declaration that “the cure can’t be worse than the disease,” White House Director of the National Economic Council Larry Kudlow said on Monday that “we’re going to have to make difficult trade-offs” at the end of the 15-day period.
Unnamed sources told the Post that Fauci and his colleagues have warned the administration that health care workers’ vigorous response to the outbreak would be put in jeopardy if the social distancing guidelines were to be lifted once the period ends.
On Monday morning, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams told NBC News’ “Today Show” host Savannah Guthrie that “we really, really need everyone to stay at home” to avoid further spread of the coronavirus.
“I want America to understand this week, it’s going to get bad,” he said.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-23--Scammers Trick Medicare Recipients With Fake COVID-19 Tests

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — Scam artists are preying on older people ’ s fears by peddling fake tests for the coronavirus to Medicare recipients , a federal law enforcement agency warned on Monday .
The Health and Human Services inspector general ’ s office said it ’ s seeing marketing schemes rapidly pivot to offering tests for COVID-19 and “ Senior Care Packages ” with hand sanitizer or even tout a vaccine , which doesn ’ t exist .
Some marketers falsely claim that President Donald Trump has ordered that seniors get tested .
It ’ s all a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be used to bill federal and state health programs , said Christian Schrank , assistant inspector general for investigations .
“ It ’ s a straight-up ruse to get your Medicare number or your Social Security number under the guise of having a test kit or a sanitary kit sent to you , ” Schrank said .
Often the caller will hang up as soon as that number is provided .
Low-income Medicaid recipients also are being targeted .
The sales pitches are coming via telemarketing calls , robocalls , social media posts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explained .
As legitimate businesses close their doors and send workers home to comply with social distancing measures , fraud operators have ramped up recruiting for their call centers , Schrank said .
For seniors , the consequences can be long term .
Health care fraud is one of the most prevalent forms of identity theft .
Once a person ’ s Medicare information is in the hands of fraudsters , it can be used repeatedly to bill for unwanted goods and services .
That can create problems if a Medicare enrollee ever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported to authorities : — In Florida , seniors have been contacted by fraudsters claiming that Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have mandated they get tested and that their Medicare number is required .
— A scheme in the Midwest offers a “ Senior Care Package ” that includes hand sanitizer .
“ As we know , it ’ s very difficult for beneficiaries to get out to the store , ” Schrank said .
“ At this time when seniors are searching for answers , these individuals are preying on their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Several online operations are offering coronavirus vaccines , when none has been developed and approved .
“ The first time you hear about a vaccine , it ’ s not going to be through an email or a telemarketing call , ” Schrank said .
Federal and state law enforcement officials have set up a working group to share information on the quickly evolving scams and route leads to the agencies best equipped to investigate .
The phone number for the HHS inspector general ’ s hotline is 800-HHS-TIPS , and the National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 866-720-5721 .
For most people , the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia .
Worldwide , about 350,000 cases have been reported , and while most people recover in weeks , more than 15,000 have died .
Fraud against government health care programs is a pervasive problem that costs taxpayers tens of billions of dollars a year .
The true extent is unknown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calls to just hang up the phone .
The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .

WASHINGTON (AP) — Scam artists are preying on older people’s fears by peddling fake tests for the coronavirus to Medicare recipients, a federal law enforcement agency warned on Monday.
The Health and Human Services inspector general’s office said it’s seeing marketing schemes rapidly pivot to offering tests for COVID-19 and “Senior Care Packages” with hand sanitizer or even tout a vaccine, which doesn’t exist. Some marketers falsely claim that President Donald Trump has ordered that seniors get tested.
It’s all a trick to get personal information that can be used to bill federal and state health programs, said Christian Schrank, assistant inspector general for investigations.
“It’s a straight-up ruse to get your Medicare number or your Social Security number under the guise of having a test kit or a sanitary kit sent to you,” Schrank said. Often the caller will hang up as soon as that number is provided.
Low-income Medicaid recipients also are being targeted.
The sales pitches are coming via telemarketing calls, robocalls, social media posts, emails and door-to-door visits, Schrank explained.
As legitimate businesses close their doors and send workers home to comply with social distancing measures, fraud operators have ramped up recruiting for their call centers, Schrank said.
For seniors, the consequences can be long term. Health care fraud is one of the most prevalent forms of identity theft.
Once a person’s Medicare information is in the hands of fraudsters, it can be used repeatedly to bill for unwanted goods and services. That can create problems if a Medicare enrollee ever does need them.
Among the schemes reported to authorities:
— In Florida, seniors have been contacted by fraudsters claiming that Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have mandated they get tested and that their Medicare number is required.
— A scheme in the Midwest offers a “Senior Care Package” that includes hand sanitizer. “As we know, it’s very difficult for beneficiaries to get out to the store,” Schrank said. “At this time when seniors are searching for answers, these individuals are preying on their desire to speak with somebody.”
— Several online operations are offering coronavirus vaccines, when none has been developed and approved. “The first time you hear about a vaccine, it’s not going to be through an email or a telemarketing call,” Schrank said.
Federal and state law enforcement officials have set up a working group to share information on the quickly evolving scams and route leads to the agencies best equipped to investigate. The phone number for the HHS inspector general’s hotline is 800-HHS-TIPS, and the National Center for Disaster Fraud hotline is at 866-720-5721.
For most people, the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. Worldwide, about 350,000 cases have been reported, and while most people recover in weeks, more than 15,000 have died.
Fraud against government health care programs is a pervasive problem that costs taxpayers tens of billions of dollars a year. The true extent is unknown.
Officials advise seniors who get fraudulent calls to just hang up the phone.
___
The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-23--Here’s Why FL Got All The Emergency Medical Supplies It Requested While Others Did Not

ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom .
Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox .
On March 11 , Florida requested a cache of emergency supplies from the federal government to protect its medical workers against the novel coronavirus .
Three days later , the state got everything it wanted .
Other states had only tiny slivers of their requests fulfilled , including some that had asked for them earlier than Florida .
Oregon and Oklahoma received only about 10 % ; New Jersey got less than 6 % .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the states that feel shortchanged in their requests from the Strategic National Stockpile , a trove of supplies managed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services .
Officials fear that hospitals will be overwhelmed by far more patients than they can safely treat if the current pace of infections continues .
This month , officials estimated that if the outbreak lasts a year , the U.S. could need 3.5 billion of the N95 masks that protect health care workers .
The national stockpile had only 12 million N95 masks and 30 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis began .
While it may appear like the federal government is playing favorites , federal officials said their decisions were based on their best assessment of relative needs .
HHS told states this week that it is giving out 25 % of the stockpile to states according to population size , and sending another 25 % strategically to states with the most severe outbreaks , which can be used for needs such as testing passengers on cruise ships brought back to shore .
The remaining 50 % will be held in “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if there ’ s a huge spike of critical needs around the country .
The inability of the United States to deploy widespread testing for the coronavirus has further complicated how the supplies are being apportioned because health officials do not have a complete picture of where the virus is circulating most widely .
But many states , worried that their case counts are about to soar and their hospitals will be swamped , have been unsatisfied with their allotment .
The system appears to roughly conform to states ’ populations , rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Florida , a state of 21 million , got all 180,000 N95 masks it wanted .
Oregon , a state of 4 million , only received 40,000 of the 400,000 masks it requested , and New Jersey , a state of 9 million , got 85,000 of the 2.9 million masks it feels it needs .
It is hard to assess what constitutes a reasonable request .
All states are starting with different stockpiles of supplies .
Some have been hit harder than others by the virus , and some anticipate they might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secure as much as possible for its health workers , who are raising alarms that they are running out of basic supplies .
This pandemic will require enormous amounts of personal protective equipment , or PPE , for health care workers in part because the symptoms of COVID-19 are not unusual — it ’ s hard to quickly distinguish a COVID-19 patient from someone suffering from the flu .
Anyone doctors suspect of being infected with the coronavirus needs to be treated with great care , lest the infection spread .
Many items @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks , are designed to be used once then thrown away , but some hospitals and long-term care facilities are already experimenting with reusing their equipment to stretch their supplies .
“ It ’ s very frustrating and very scary to hear the numbers , ” said Kimberly Green-Yates , chief operating officer of Diakonos Group , which runs about 20 skilled nursing and long-term care facilities across Oklahoma .
“ The people we take care of are the most vulnerable .
Without PPE , we can ’ t keep them safe.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company heard about the deaths in Washington state in a nursing facility , Diakonos ordered a large supply of PPE and locked it away for emergencies .
Some of the protective equipment , she said , was used up during this year ’ s flu season .
“ If [ the virus ] gets in , our supply is going to be gone in days , ” she explained .
“ Then what do you do ?
… We ’ re working our absolute hardest to keep our elders safe right now .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that if we don ’ t even have equipment ?
” There is no set formula for how to distribute stockpiled goods in a disaster , but this crisis will place an unprecedented strain on America ’ s backup supply system .
Most emergencies , like weather-related disasters or chemical plant explosions , are geographically confined and don ’ t require HHS to make tough decisions about what is most needed where .
Through state departments of emergency management , governors request assistance , which can either arrive in the form of “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can be sent to a state within 12 hours or more customized supplies stored by government warehouses and private companies around the country .
In a statement to ProPublica , HHS acknowledged that the population-based distribution system means that allocations are “ likely less than what states are currently requesting , ” but noted that “ jurisdictions are receiving 100 % of their allocations ” under the government ’ s formula .
The formula only applies to PPE , and not to ventilators , HHS said .
It ’ s up to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the agency isn ’ t immune to political pressure .
“ If a governor jumps up and down and yells and screams , it gets attention , ” said Nicole Lurie , former head of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response under the Obama administration .
“ It probably helps to have a really loud megaphone.
” Florida , which has regular experience with hurricanes , isn ’ t waiting on the sidelines , despite having received its entire wishlist .
On Monday , the state ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second request , saying that it was still not sufficiently prepared to handle the looming pandemic ; it asked for 2 million N95 masks , 500,000 gloves , 500,000 gowns and 250,000 coveralls .
The division also asked for thousands of ventilators and hospital beds , as well five mobile intensive care units .
States Are Fighting for Themselves Several states have voiced their dismay about how the stockpile is being distributed .
“ The support we have received from the administration is woefully insufficient , ” Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. , D-N.J. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t call it complete radio silence from federal officials , but their communications are barely flickering .
… If our health workers , doctors and nurses especially , don ’ t have masks , or gloves , or cotton swabs , lives will be lost — full stop.
” Along with 11 other members of Congress from New Jersey , Pascrell co-signed a letter to HHS pushing the agency to send more supplies to their home state .
They argued that since the state sits right between New York City and Philadelphia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from them frequently , New Jersey residents have unique vulnerabilities that HHS has failed to recognize .
New Jersey first requested supplies from the stockpile on Feb. 24 , according to a spokeswoman for the state ’ s Department of Health .
Nothing arrived until March 13 , more than two weeks later .
In addition to the 2.9 million N95 masks , the state requested 864,000 surgical gowns , 864,000 face shields and 2,880,000 pairs of gloves .
New Jersey received less than 5 % of its request for each of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York City asked for 2.2 million N95 masks from the stockpile and received only 78,000 , according to Health Department spokesman Michael Lanza .
All of them were marked as expired .
“ Public health emergency preparedness , which includes the Strategic National Stockpile , has been chronically underfunded for years , ” Lanza said .
In Oklahoma , the state Department of Health sent the Strategic National Stockpile a request on March 11 for supplies including 500,000 N95 masks , 300,000 face shields and 400,000 surgicals gowns .
The state began receiving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has not gotten 90 % of what it wants .
“ 100 % of all items were expired , ” according to Department of Public Safety spokesperson Cody McDonell , although HHS sent them a letter saying that some of the masks had been performance-tested by the CDC and “ they should be just fine to use.
” According to an HHS letter reviewed by ProPublica , most of the stockpile ’ s personal protective equipment was acquired in 2007 with supplemental funds for pandemic influenza preparedness “ and many have exceeded their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got everything it wanted , received expired goods .
In Oregon , a spokesperson for the governor ’ s office said the state has been told it will receive an additional 15 % of its initial order , but that second shipment is yet to arrive .
The Oregon Health Authority told its Legislature this week that the state had about 590,000 N95 masks in its stockpile at the start of the outbreak .
The supply is down to 421,000 .
The number of surgical masks has gone from 49,000 to 18,000 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the 23,000 gowns it started with .
Nurses say they can ’ t wait .
“ Some of our facilities are reporting that they will be out of PPE within the next 48 hours , ” said Lynda Pond , president of the Oregon Nurses Association .
She said she ’ s never heard of a hospital being that close to being out of supplies in her 35-year career .
What the state has received so far compared to its needs , she said , is “ a drop in the bucket.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ scrambling to replenish the stockpile as it runs out .
President Donald Trump has said he may use the Defense Production Act , a law that gives him powers to rapidly expand domestic manufacturing of protective masks and clothing , and automakers are trying to figure out if their production lines can be retooled to make medical equipment .
But ramping up won ’ t be simple , according to Irwin Redlener , a professor and director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University .
“ It ’ s like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Redlener said .
“ They ’ ve gone out to every vendor on the planet and every manufacturer to try to get the stockpile built up .
But right now every state in the union and many countries are going to the same limited number of vendors .
So it ’ s a real problem.
” The crucial medical devices needed to keep patients alive will likely also be in short supply , Redlener said .
He said he understood that the reserve had at least 70,000 ventilators when he served @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The current total is fewer than 13,000 , the National Institutes of Allergies and Infectious Diseases director Dr. Anthony Fauci has said , with a few thousand more at the Department of Defense .
Hospitals , which have switched to a just-in-time inventory system that allows them to save money by keeping less equipment in reserve , have about 160,000 ventilators nationwide .
Redlener estimates that twice that number may ultimately be needed .
At the moment , states aren ’ t receiving much in the way of assurances from the federal government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump said that while domestic manufacturers of face masks have gone into overdrive and the White House is helping , governors need to work to find supplies themselves .
“ The government ’ s not supposed to be out there buying vast amounts of items and then shipping , we ’ re not a shipping clerk , ” Trump said .
“ As with testing , the governors are supposed to be doing it .
”

ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.
On March 11, Florida requested a cache of emergency supplies from the federal government to protect its medical workers against the novel coronavirus.
Three days later, the state got everything it wanted.
Other states had only tiny slivers of their requests fulfilled, including some that had asked for them earlier than Florida. Oregon and Oklahoma received only about 10%; New Jersey got less than 6%.
This disparity has not been lost on the states that feel shortchanged in their requests from the Strategic National Stockpile, a trove of supplies managed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Officials fear that hospitals will be overwhelmed by far more patients than they can safely treat if the current pace of infections continues. This month, officials estimated that if the outbreak lasts a year, the U.S. could need 3.5 billion of the N95 masks that protect health care workers. The national stockpile had only 12 million N95 masks and 30 million surgical masks on hand when the crisis began.
While it may appear like the federal government is playing favorites, federal officials said their decisions were based on their best assessment of relative needs. HHS told states this week that it is giving out 25% of the stockpile to states according to population size, and sending another 25% strategically to states with the most severe outbreaks, which can be used for needs such as testing passengers on cruise ships brought back to shore. The remaining 50% will be held in “strategic reserve,” to be used if there’s a huge spike of critical needs around the country.
The inability of the United States to deploy widespread testing for the coronavirus has further complicated how the supplies are being apportioned because health officials do not have a complete picture of where the virus is circulating most widely. But many states, worried that their case counts are about to soar and their hospitals will be swamped, have been unsatisfied with their allotment.
The system appears to roughly conform to states’ populations, rather than the size of their requests. Florida, a state of 21 million, got all 180,000 N95 masks it wanted. Oregon, a state of 4 million, only received 40,000 of the 400,000 masks it requested, and New Jersey, a state of 9 million, got 85,000 of the 2.9 million masks it feels it needs.
It is hard to assess what constitutes a reasonable request. All states are starting with different stockpiles of supplies. Some have been hit harder than others by the virus, and some anticipate they might be. Each state is trying to secure as much as possible for its health workers, who are raising alarms that they are running out of basic supplies.
This pandemic will require enormous amounts of personal protective equipment, or PPE, for health care workers in part because the symptoms of COVID-19 are not unusual — it’s hard to quickly distinguish a COVID-19 patient from someone suffering from the flu. Anyone doctors suspect of being infected with the coronavirus needs to be treated with great care, lest the infection spread. Many items, like gloves and some types of masks, are designed to be used once then thrown away, but some hospitals and long-term care facilities are already experimenting with reusing their equipment to stretch their supplies.
“It’s very frustrating and very scary to hear the numbers,” said Kimberly Green-Yates, chief operating officer of Diakonos Group, which runs about 20 skilled nursing and long-term care facilities across Oklahoma. “The people we take care of are the most vulnerable. Without PPE, we can’t keep them safe.”
Green-Yates said that as soon as her company heard about the deaths in Washington state in a nursing facility, Diakonos ordered a large supply of PPE and locked it away for emergencies. Some of the protective equipment, she said, was used up during this year’s flu season. “If [the virus] gets in, our supply is going to be gone in days,” she explained. “Then what do you do? … We’re working our absolute hardest to keep our elders safe right now. And how are we supposed to do that if we don’t even have equipment?”
A System, Built in the Dark
There is no set formula for how to distribute stockpiled goods in a disaster, but this crisis will place an unprecedented strain on America’s backup supply system.
Most emergencies, like weather-related disasters or chemical plant explosions, are geographically confined and don’t require HHS to make tough decisions about what is most needed where. Through state departments of emergency management, governors request assistance, which can either arrive in the form of “push packages” of ready-to-go aid that can be sent to a state within 12 hours or more customized supplies stored by government warehouses and private companies around the country.
In a statement to ProPublica, HHS acknowledged that the population-based distribution system means that allocations are “likely less than what states are currently requesting,” but noted that “jurisdictions are receiving 100% of their allocations” under the government’s formula. The formula only applies to PPE, and not to ventilators, HHS said.
It’s up to the states to decide what they ask for, and the agency isn’t immune to political pressure. “If a governor jumps up and down and yells and screams, it gets attention,” said Nicole Lurie, former head of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response under the Obama administration. “It probably helps to have a really loud megaphone.”
Florida, which has regular experience with hurricanes, isn’t waiting on the sidelines, despite having received its entire wishlist. On Monday, the state’s Division of Emergency Management made a second request, saying that it was still not sufficiently prepared to handle the looming pandemic; it asked for 2 million N95 masks, 500,000 gloves, 500,000 gowns and 250,000 coveralls. The division also asked for thousands of ventilators and hospital beds, as well five mobile intensive care units.
States Are Fighting for Themselves
Several states have voiced their dismay about how the stockpile is being distributed.
“The support we have received from the administration is woefully insufficient,” Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-N.J., told ProPublica. “I wouldn’t call it complete radio silence from federal officials, but their communications are barely flickering. … If our health workers, doctors and nurses especially, don’t have masks, or gloves, or cotton swabs, lives will be lost — full stop.”
Along with 11 other members of Congress from New Jersey, Pascrell co-signed a letter to HHS pushing the agency to send more supplies to their home state. They argued that since the state sits right between New York City and Philadelphia, and people move back and forth from them frequently, New Jersey residents have unique vulnerabilities that HHS has failed to recognize.
New Jersey first requested supplies from the stockpile on Feb. 24, according to a spokeswoman for the state’s Department of Health. Nothing arrived until March 13, more than two weeks later. In addition to the 2.9 million N95 masks, the state requested 864,000 surgical gowns, 864,000 face shields and 2,880,000 pairs of gloves. New Jersey received less than 5% of its request for each of those items, the spokeswoman said.
New York City asked for 2.2 million N95 masks from the stockpile and received only 78,000, according to Health Department spokesman Michael Lanza. All of them were marked as expired. “Public health emergency preparedness, which includes the Strategic National Stockpile, has been chronically underfunded for years,” Lanza said.
In Oklahoma, the state Department of Health sent the Strategic National Stockpile a request on March 11 for supplies including 500,000 N95 masks, 300,000 face shields and 400,000 surgicals gowns. The state began receiving supplies five days later, but it has not gotten 90% of what it wants. “100% of all items were expired,” according to Department of Public Safety spokesperson Cody McDonell, although HHS sent them a letter saying that some of the masks had been performance-tested by the CDC and “they should be just fine to use.”
According to an HHS letter reviewed by ProPublica, most of the stockpile’s personal protective equipment was acquired in 2007 with supplemental funds for pandemic influenza preparedness “and many have exceeded their shelf life.” Even Florida, which got everything it wanted, received expired goods.
In Oregon, a spokesperson for the governor’s office said the state has been told it will receive an additional 15% of its initial order, but that second shipment is yet to arrive. The Oregon Health Authority told its Legislature this week that the state had about 590,000 N95 masks in its stockpile at the start of the outbreak. The supply is down to 421,000. The number of surgical masks has gone from 49,000 to 18,000, and the state has used 83% of the 23,000 gowns it started with.
Nurses say they can’t wait. “Some of our facilities are reporting that they will be out of PPE within the next 48 hours,” said Lynda Pond, president of the Oregon Nurses Association. She said she’s never heard of a hospital being that close to being out of supplies in her 35-year career. What the state has received so far compared to its needs, she said, is “a drop in the bucket.”
The Government Is Panic Shopping
Now, the federal government is scrambling to replenish the stockpile as it runs out. President Donald Trump has said he may use the Defense Production Act, a law that gives him powers to rapidly expand domestic manufacturing of protective masks and clothing, and automakers are trying to figure out if their production lines can be retooled to make medical equipment.
But ramping up won’t be simple, according to Irwin Redlener, a professor and director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University.
“It’s like panic shopping on the part of government,” Redlener said. “They’ve gone out to every vendor on the planet and every manufacturer to try to get the stockpile built up. But right now every state in the union and many countries are going to the same limited number of vendors. So it’s a real problem.”
The crucial medical devices needed to keep patients alive will likely also be in short supply, Redlener said. He said he understood that the reserve had at least 70,000 ventilators when he served on an advisory committee in 2016. The current total is fewer than 13,000, the National Institutes of Allergies and Infectious Diseases director Dr. Anthony Fauci has said, with a few thousand more at the Department of Defense. Hospitals, which have switched to a just-in-time inventory system that allows them to save money by keeping less equipment in reserve, have about 160,000 ventilators nationwide. Redlener estimates that twice that number may ultimately be needed.
At the moment, states aren’t receiving much in the way of assurances from the federal government. During a press conference on Thursday, Trump said that while domestic manufacturers of face masks have gone into overdrive and the White House is helping, governors need to work to find supplies themselves.
“The government’s not supposed to be out there buying vast amounts of items and then shipping, we’re not a shipping clerk,” Trump said. “As with testing, the governors are supposed to be doing it.”
Perla Trevizo contributed reporting.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-23--Temper Erupts On Senate Floor Over Impasse In COVID-19 Response

The Senate floor became the site of shouting and angry tirades Monday afternoon , as an impasse over a COVID-19 package frayed the nerves in the “ cooling saucer of democracy , ” as the Senate has been called .
“ We don ’ t have time for this , ” Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-KY ) yelled on the floor , while interrupting a Democrat ’ s floor remarks .
Things first started going off the rails Sunday evening , when Democrats blocked a procedural move to advance the economic response package , known colloquially as “ Phase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resolved with Republicans several sticking points in the measure .
McConnell excoriated Democrats for the move Sunday night , and that tone carried over into his floor speech at the opening of Monday ’ s session , as he announced the Senate would be voting on the procedural move again .
“ Suddenly , the Senate ’ s serious bipartisan process turned into this left-wing episode of ‘ Supermarket Sweep ’ , ” McConnell said , as he blamed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-NY ) for intervening and disrupting the Senate negotiations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak .
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer shot back in his own floor remarks .
“ Every time we hear the majority leader come out , it ’ s a partisan screed , while I am in my office with , the President ’ s secretary of Treasury , the President ’ s congressional liaison , getting things done , ” Schumer said .
“ We Democrats are trying to get things done , not making partisan speech after partisan speech.
” The fireworks didn ’ t end with the leader ’ s prepared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not uncommon for such a theatrics to be employed .
Sen. Susan Collins ( R-ME ) sought to take the floor to make a speech of her own , but Schumer objected to letting her speak .
The objection prompted a skirmish between Schumer and Sen. Ben Sasse ( R-NE ) who was presiding over the floor at the time .
With frustration in his voice , Sasse shot down the arcane procedural tactics Schumer was trying to use to interrupt Collins .
Schumer demanded that McConnell clarify the schedule for the day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an hour of floor remarks , the Senate would again take the procedural vote that failed Sunday night .
Collins then decried Democrats ’ “ delay ” and lack of “ urgency ” “ Unbelievably , the Democratic leader objected to my even being able to speak , ” Collins , who sometimes votes with Democrats , said .
“ Is that what we ’ ve come to ?
” The next lawmaker up to speak was a Democrat , Sen. Joe Manchin ( D-WV ) , whom , like Collins , sometimes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , however , Manchin was sticking with the Democrats , as he signaled he would vote “ no ” again in Monday ’ s procedural vote .
Manchin said he was concerned that if they voted to advance the measure — a procedural vote with a 60-vote threshold — then Republicans could pass the final vote ( a 51-vote threshold ) with their majority alone , without addressing Democrats ’ concerns with the package .
“ That seems to be the reason everyone is saying , ‘ Wait a minute , let ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move through , ' ” Manchin said , while calling for more health care spending in the measure .
The claim prompted McConnell to interrupt Manchin to pick apart his arguments about the procedural dynamics .
“ We don ’ t have time for this , we don ’ t have time , ” McConnell said , later adding that he was going to “ explain ” to Manchin how it all works .
McConnell said there would be another 60-vote threshold vote before final passage .
“ We should be able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forward , ” Manchin said , as he pivoted back to his substantive qualms with the measure .

The Senate floor became the site of shouting and angry tirades Monday afternoon, as an impasse over a COVID-19 package frayed the nerves in the “cooling saucer of democracy,” as the Senate has been called.
“We don’t have time for this,” Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) yelled on the floor, while interrupting a Democrat’s floor remarks.
Things first started going off the rails Sunday evening, when Democrats blocked a procedural move to advance the economic response package, known colloquially as
“Phase III,” because they had not resolved with Republicans several sticking points in the measure.
McConnell excoriated Democrats for the move Sunday night, and that tone carried over into his floor speech at the opening of Monday’s session, as he announced the Senate would be voting on the procedural move again.
“Suddenly, the Senate’s serious bipartisan process turned into this left-wing episode of ‘Supermarket Sweep’,” McConnell said, as he blamed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-NY) for intervening and disrupting the Senate negotiations with requests not related to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer shot back in his own floor remarks.
“Every time we hear the majority leader come out, it’s a partisan screed, while I am in my office with, the President’s secretary of Treasury, the President’s congressional liaison, getting things done,” Schumer said. “We Democrats are trying to get things done, not making partisan speech after partisan speech.”
The fireworks didn’t end with the leader’s prepared floor remarks, where it’s not uncommon for such a theatrics to be employed.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) sought to take the floor to make a speech of her own, but Schumer objected to letting her speak.
The objection prompted a skirmish between Schumer and Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) who was presiding over the floor at the time. With frustration in his voice, Sasse shot down the arcane procedural tactics Schumer was trying to use to interrupt Collins.
“This is unbelievable,” Collins complained.
Schumer demanded that McConnell clarify the schedule for the day, and McConnell laid out that after an hour of floor remarks, the Senate would again take the procedural vote that failed Sunday night. Collins then decried Democrats’ “delay” and lack of “urgency”
“Unbelievably, the Democratic leader objected to my even being able to speak,” Collins, who sometimes votes with Democrats, said. “Is that what we’ve come to?”
Sen. Susan Collins says she “cannot believe that the answer” to the coronavirus crisis from Senate Democrats “is delay, delay, delay. No sense of urgency.” “Never have I seen Republicans and Democrats fail to come together when confronted with a crisis.” https://t.co/3oS36FYgHN pic.twitter.com/0AbUHMztXt — ABC News Live (@ABCNewsLive) March 23, 2020
The next lawmaker up to speak was a Democrat, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), whom, like Collins, sometimes breaks with his party. This time, however, Manchin was sticking with the Democrats, as he signaled he would vote “no” again in Monday’s procedural vote.
Manchin said he was concerned that if they voted to advance the measure — a procedural vote with a 60-vote threshold — then Republicans could pass the final vote (a 51-vote threshold) with their majority alone, without addressing Democrats’ concerns with the package.
“That seems to be the reason everyone is saying, ‘Wait a minute, let’s have an agreement so we can move through,'” Manchin said, while calling for more health care spending in the measure.
The claim prompted McConnell to interrupt Manchin to pick apart his arguments about the procedural dynamics.
“We don’t have time for this, we don’t have time,” McConnell said, later adding that he was going to “explain” to Manchin how it all works. McConnell said there would be another 60-vote threshold vote before final passage.
“We should be able to get a deal and we can move forward,” Manchin said, as he pivoted back to his substantive qualms with the measure.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-23--British Gov’t Warns Of Stricter COVID-19 Measures As People Blow Off Social Distancing

LONDON ( AP ) — The British government warned Monday that it may introduce more draconian measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus if people persist in ignoring social distancing recommendations and crowding public places .
Following a busy weekend at U.K. parks and food markets , there were growing calls for the government to impose tighter restrictions with more rigorous enforcement , including the potential involvement of military personnel .
Officials at Snowdonia National Park in Wales , which had its “ busiest visitor weekend in living memory , ” has urged the government to be more explicit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said all the main parking lots would be closed and Snowdonia administrators are “ exploring options to close down the most popular mountains and sites if the situation continues.
” Responding to the visibly high use of parks and the London Underground during the virus pandemic , London Mayor Sadiq Khan implored people ito stay at home unless they “ absolutely need to ” move about the city .
British Health Secretary Matt Hancock expressed frustration as well .
Hancock said the government would consider locking down the country if the public kept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hancock described those not heeding official recommendations to stay two meters apart from others as “ very selfish.
” The U.K. had the 10th-highest number of virus cases in the world , 5,903 , and the sixth-highest number of virus-related deaths as of Monday , according to tallies from Johns Hopkins University .
New infections are increasing at an exponential rate , raising concern that the country will be on a trajectory like Italy ’ s in a week or two if containment efforts are not successful .
For most people , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moderate symptoms , such as fever or coughing .
But for some older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia .
Over 100,000 people have recovered , mostly in China .
But in the U.K , photos of people enjoying the sunny weekend outdoors and of London Underground trains packed with individuals afraid of losing jobs are giving the British government pause .
The prime minister ’ s spokesman , James Slack , said the government was analyzing data on public transit use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visits to gauge whether people were practicing proper social distancing .
“ If that data shows they haven ’ t stopped .
then we will need to take further measures , ” Slack said .
“ We won ’ t hesitate to do so , and we will do so quickly.
” While Britain has ordered bars and restaurants to close , the government ’ s repeated urging for people only to go out only for essential reasons such as food shopping or to exercise has offered wiggle room to a public unaccustomed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that thousands could die if action was not taken immediately , the government ’ s messages have become more dire , and its willingness to entertain a nationwide lockdown like the ones imposed in Spain and Italy more serious .
“ This is not the sort of thing that anybody would want to do , but , of course , it is the sort of thing we might have to do in order to protect life , ’ ’ Hancock told Sky News .
“ If you do go out , you must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone who isn ’ t in your household.
’ ’ Hancock suggested the military would be brought in to help distribute protective equipment to the National Health Service in what he characterized as a “ war effort ” .
“ It is a war against this virus , ’ ’ Hancock told the BBC .
“ The army have been incredibly helpful in getting those logistics so we can get the supplies to protect people on the front line.
” Hancock said the equipment was like having “ armor ” to guard against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

LONDON (AP) — The British government warned Monday that it may introduce more draconian measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus if people persist in ignoring social distancing recommendations and crowding public places.
Following a busy weekend at U.K. parks and food markets, there were growing calls for the government to impose tighter restrictions with more rigorous enforcement, including the potential involvement of military personnel.
Officials at Snowdonia National Park in Wales, which had its “busiest visitor weekend in living memory,” has urged the government to be more explicit with its social distancing advice. They said all the main parking lots would be closed and Snowdonia administrators are “exploring options to close down the most popular mountains and sites if the situation continues.”
Responding to the visibly high use of parks and the London Underground during the virus pandemic, London Mayor Sadiq Khan implored people ito stay at home unless they “absolutely need to” move about the city.
British Health Secretary Matt Hancock expressed frustration as well. Hancock said the government would consider locking down the country if the public kept disregarding calls to stop mingling in groups. Hancock described those not heeding official recommendations to stay two meters apart from others as “very selfish.”
The U.K. had the 10th-highest number of virus cases in the world, 5,903, and the sixth-highest number of virus-related deaths as of Monday, according to tallies from Johns Hopkins University.
New infections are increasing at an exponential rate, raising concern that the country will be on a trajectory like Italy’s in a week or two if containment efforts are not successful.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever or coughing. But for some older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. Over 100,000 people have recovered, mostly in China.
But in the U.K, photos of people enjoying the sunny weekend outdoors and of London Underground trains packed with individuals afraid of losing jobs are giving the British government pause.
The prime minister’s spokesman, James Slack, said the government was analyzing data on public transit use, foot traffic in stores and park visits to gauge whether people were practicing proper social distancing.
“If that data shows they haven’t stopped. then we will need to take further measures,” Slack said. “We won’t hesitate to do so, and we will do so quickly.”
While Britain has ordered bars and restaurants to close, the government’s repeated urging for people only to go out only for essential reasons such as food shopping or to exercise has offered wiggle room to a public unaccustomed to confinement.
With health officials warning that thousands could die if action was not taken immediately, the government’s messages have become more dire,and its willingness to entertain a nationwide lockdown like the ones imposed in Spain and Italy more serious.
“This is not the sort of thing that anybody would want to do, but, of course, it is the sort of thing we might have to do in order to protect life,’’ Hancock told Sky News. “If you do go out, you must not get closer than two meters from someone who isn’t in your household.’’
Hancock suggested the military would be brought in to help distribute protective equipment to the National Health Service in what he characterized as a “war effort”.
“It is a war against this virus,’’ Hancock told the BBC. “The army have been incredibly helpful in getting those logistics so we can get the supplies to protect people on the front line.”
Hancock said the equipment was like having “armor” to guard against the virus.
___
The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
___
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-24--As Coronavirus Cases Spike, Trump Insists The Economic Impact Could Be Deadlier

Comparing the threat of COVID-19 to automobile accidents , seasonal flu fatalities and suicides on Monday , President Donald Trump made his position on the novel coronavirus ’ impact on the economy clear .
“ Our country wasn ’ t built to be shut down , ” he said , over and over .
He repeatedly talked about the importance of reopening the economy , despite a spike in coronavirus cases and a growing death toll .
Trump was referencing the extreme and necessary methods some cities , states and even the federal government have suggested ( or enforced ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus .
The shuttering of restaurants , bars , schools and other public gathering places in states across the country has ground the economy to a halt , and , as he did in a tweet Monday morning , Trump suggested that he was losing patience for the life-saving measures .
“ America will again and soon be open for business , ” he said at one point during a Monday evening briefing .
“ Very soon , a lot sooner than three or four months , that somebody was suggesting.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let the cure be worse than the problem , ” he said , as the immunology expert Dr. Deborah Birx — an advocate for just the “ cure ” that Trump says is destroying the economy , social distancing — stood behind him without any noticeable reaction .
And , as he openly considered ending one method of “ flattening the curve ” of coronavirus infection , Trump congratulated himself incessantly : Compared to other countries , he said , “ I think we ’ re doing a very good job of it.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” in the United States , he said , though the United States keeps adding confirmed COVID-19 cases at an accelerating rate .
Later , he told the press assembled in the White House briefing room that he and Vice President Mike Pence were “ trying to let you ask anything you want.
” Still , when he was pressed on his timeline for drawing down social distancing measures , Trump offered no specifics .
What if experts told him that the measures to slow COVID-19 ’ s spread needed to be continued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll see what happens , ” Trump said , complimenting the “ great question.
” “ We can do two things at one time , ” he added .
He pointed to Idaho and Nebraska as two states that had a low number of confirmed COVID-19 cases , before trailing off to another topic .
Later , asked if social distancing measures would need to be taken for “ weeks ” or “ months ” in his view , Trump said said he wanted to keep it short .
“ I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can tell you right now , ” he said .
“ We ’ re going to be opening up our country and we ’ re going to be watching certain areas.
” “ You can ’ t keep it closed for years , ” he added .
“ This is going away.
” Later in the press conference , one could almost hear experts ’ eyebrows arching in unison .
“ You have almost 160 million jobs in this country now , by far the most ever , ” Trump said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off and think it ’ s going to be wonderful .
There ’ ll be tremendous repercussions .
There will be tremendous death from that .
Death .
You ’ re talking about death .
Probably more death from that than anything we ’ re talking about with respect to the virus .
”

Comparing the threat of COVID-19 to automobile accidents, seasonal flu fatalities and suicides on Monday, President Donald Trump made his position on the novel coronavirus’ impact on the economy clear.
“Our country wasn’t built to be shut down,” he said, over and over. He repeatedly talked about the importance of reopening the economy, despite a spike in coronavirus cases and a growing death toll.
Trump was referencing the extreme and necessary methods some cities, states and even the federal government have suggested (or enforced) in order to slow the spread of the virus.
The shuttering of restaurants, bars, schools and other public gathering places in states across the country has ground the economy to a halt, and, as he did in a tweet Monday morning, Trump suggested that he was losing patience for the life-saving measures.
“America will again and soon be open for business,” he said at one point during a Monday evening briefing. “Very soon, a lot sooner than three or four months, that somebody was suggesting.”
“We’re not going to let the cure be worse than the problem,” he said, as the immunology expert Dr. Deborah Birx — an advocate for just the “cure” that Trump says is destroying the economy, social distancing — stood behind him without any noticeable reaction.
And, as he openly considered ending one method of “flattening the curve” of coronavirus infection, Trump congratulated himself incessantly: Compared to other countries, he said, “I think we’re doing a very good job of it.”
“The numbers are pretty amazing” in the United States, he said, though the United States keeps adding confirmed COVID-19 cases at an accelerating rate. Later, he told the press assembled in the White House briefing room that he and Vice President Mike Pence were “trying to let you ask anything you want.”
Still, when he was pressed on his timeline for drawing down social distancing measures, Trump offered no specifics.
What if experts told him that the measures to slow COVID-19’s spread needed to be continued? one reporter asked.
“You’ll see what happens,” Trump said, complimenting the “great question.”
“We can do two things at one time,” he added. He pointed to Idaho and Nebraska as two states that had a low number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, before trailing off to another topic.
Later, asked if social distancing measures would need to be taken for “weeks” or “months” in his view, Trump said said he wanted to keep it short.
“I’m not looking at months, I can tell you right now,” he said. “We’re going to be opening up our country and we’re going to be watching certain areas.”
“You can’t keep it closed for years,” he added. “This is going away.”
Later in the press conference, one could almost hear experts’ eyebrows arching in unison.
“You have almost 160 million jobs in this country now, by far the most ever,” Trump said. “So we can’t turn that off and think it’s going to be wonderful. There’ll be tremendous repercussions. There will be tremendous death from that. Death. You’re talking about death. Probably more death from that than anything we’re talking about with respect to the virus.”