COVID-19 News

[Randall]

No, if you look at the states where wearing masks and social distancing mandates were resumed, the case numbers are going down.

Correlation doesn't equal causation. There could be and probably are other reasons, and even if the numbers are going down because of mask wearing, what numbers exactly are we talking about? Those in high-risk situations are already wearing masks anyway ( as they should be ), so maybe that's where the numbers are falling. But the numbers for the rest of the population are not only uncertain, they are largely unimportant and overdramatized. The discomfort, lower quality of life, impact on businesses, and increased health risks in some cases doesn't justify mandatory mask wearing in low-risk environments.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

The numbers of positives and deaths.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams not only wants people to stop buying facemasks to prevent the novel coronavirus, but warns that you actually might increase your risk of infection if facemasks are not worn properly.

One of our "swamp drainers" in the Trump administration. Or rather a member of the swamp.

 

[Randall]

The IPI has been tracking media freedom violations since the pandemic began. Such repression includes arrests and charges, restrictions to access to information, censorship, excessive fake news regulation, and physical attack.

How COVID-19 gives cover to press crackdowns the world over

Governments around the world are taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to justify — or to divert attention from —crackdowns on press freedom.

www.stcatharinesstandard.ca

- Apparently, the largest drop in credit card debt has taken place as a result of government handouts. This is contrary to the fears of CC companies that had assumed there would be more defaults because of the economic collapse.This situation is a double edged sword. On one hand, it puts money in citizen's hands before the CC companies ( which IMO is good ), but at the same time it still serves the purpose of bailing out the credit card companies ( of which I'm dubious ).

 

[ALPHA ROMEO UNIFORM]

Well Taiwan seems to got a handle on the COVID-19 .

 

[Randall]

Here's some of the science:

auspice

nextstrain.org

 

[marduk]

For the life of me Randall I can't figure out why you're so stuck on wearing a mask being bad, or not helping with Covid.

It's clearly not bad, falls into the annoyance category at best, and clearly helps with the transmission. Not sure why this is a big deal to you.

 

[Constance]

For the life of me Randall I can't figure out why you're so stuck on wearing a mask being bad, or not helping with Covid.

It's clearly not bad, falls into the annoyance category at best, and clearly helps with the transmission. Not sure why this is a big deal to you.

Seconding that observation and question.

 

[Randall]

For the life of me Randall I can't figure out why you're so stuck on wearing a mask being bad, or not helping with Covid. It's clearly not bad, falls into the annoyance category at best, and clearly helps with the transmission. Not sure why this is a big deal to you.

Why the "big deal"? ( sigh )

There are a number of posts that explain the various physical, social, and psychological problems that can and do happen with masks, and why they're not needed everywhere. These aren't merely opinions, but you seem to have simply hand waved them all. That is fine with me so long as you're not part of the crowd that even when you know the reasons why mandatory masking isn't needed, still supports threatening people with enforcement or taking part in mask shaming, because that speaks to the type of person you are, and if the type of person you are isn't a "big deal" at least to you. Then what is?

 

[marduk]

Why the "big deal"? ( sigh )

There are a number of posts that explain the various physical, social, and psychological problems that can and do happen with masks, and why they're not needed everywhere. These aren't merely opinions, but you seem to have simply hand waved them all. That is fine with me so long as you're not part of the crowd that even when you know the reasons why mandatory masking isn't needed, still supports threatening people with enforcement or taking part in mask shaming, because that speaks to the type of person you are, and if the type of person you are isn't a "big deal" at least to you. Then what is?

I don’t want to start a fight with you, but there are literally tens of millions of health care professionals that have somehow been wearing masks for decades without a problem.

Why is it suddenly a problem now?

 

[Randall]

I don’t want to start a fight with you ...

Don't worry about our discussions going beyond just that ( a discussion ). Even if we were enemies ( which we're not ), my preferred method of resolution is peaceful communication based on reason. After that it's passive resistance, and after that I honestly don't know. Being a Murphy, I was once approached by an IRA recruiter. I told them that when people from other countries immigrate to Canada, they should leave their war behind instead of bringing it with them.

... but there are literally tens of millions of health care professionals that have somehow been wearing masks for decades without a problem.

Actually there have been lots of problems. I posted a picture of healthcare workers with some serious mask marks as well as an article about the issues. Here's another one:

How to Avoid Skin Problems from Wearing a Face Mask

Is your protective face mask causing pressure marks, irritation, maskne breakouts or a rash? Save your skin with these dermatologist-recommended tips.

www.wederm.com

What I don't get is why you would just make such a completely unsubstantiated claim. I'm beginning to think I should be more worried about you than you are about me.

At any rate, I've never claimed that masks shouldn't be worn by healthcare workers when needed. However not all places are hospitals, long-term care facilities, retirement homes, clinics, or other places where mask wearing might be advisable, and even in those settings, making it enforceable by police rather than administrative policy is going too far.

Our right to gather has been compromised, which includes the right to peacefully protest. Now the right to simply communicate what we believe to be true and/or reasonable is being eroded by laws that carry penalties for "spreading misinformation about COVID-19". Who decides exactly what qualifies as "misinformation"? This is a really slippery slope.

When it comes to the courts, the facts are often more a matter of opinion than of reason, depending upon what "expert" witnesses you can afford to bring in on your case. Some cases will be obvious, but COVID-19 and mask bylaws aren't one of them. With mask bylaws, what is happening is that everyone is assumed to be guilty of either being a disease carrier or putting themselves or others at serious risk of harm for not wearing a mask.

The problem with this is that we are supposed to be considered innocent until proven guilty, and on a case by case basis, there may be zero evidence that an individual is either carrying the disease, or is in any danger of contracting the disease or spreading it to others. You are free to remain of the opinion that these issues are unimportant. But I don't think you'll have an easy time convincing me of that.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

We do have the right to peacefully protest even here in the states so long as mask and social distancing requirements are met. In fact, the Black Lives Matter protests were largely safe, and there's little evidence they caused any outbreaks of COVID-19. Where bars and inside social gatherings are crowded, all bets are off. The latter are being blamed for a large part of the increase in positive test results here.

Making mask wearing a crime, however, is going too far. I think social pressure should convince most people to just follow the rules. Well, assuming certain extreme commentators and politicians aren't hectoring the public that protecting people against possible infections violates free speech.

 

[Randall]

We do have the right to peacefully protest even here in the states so long as mask and social distancing requirements are met.

I used the word "compromised" rather than "abolished" for exactly that reason.

Making mask wearing a crime, however, is going too far. I think social pressure should convince most people to just follow the rules. Well, assuming certain extreme commentators and politicians aren't hectoring the public that protecting people against possible infections violates free speech.

Agreed. Enforcement of masks outside high-risk environments isn't reasonable. Even then I'm not convinced that the enforcement should be done by public police. It should be up to the administrations running the various facilities. Everyone should also be free to voice their concerns on all sides of the issues. There should be certain obvious exceptions, e.g. false advertising. But even "consumer protection" can also go too far.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

A report about the Chinese scientist who first sequenced coronavirus and it offers some insights into what really happened in those early days.

When Trump said they had it all under control and it would soon go away — he still says that as the death count mounts.

Exclusive: The Chinese Scientist Who Sequenced the First COVID-19 Genome Speaks Out About the Controversies Surrounding His Work — TIME

Professor Zhang Yongzhen is seeking to set the record straight about his work in the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak

apple.news

 

[Gene Lionberg]

Gene, I admire your levelhandedness throughout this discourse. You operate with a genuine and unyielding vigilance that few are able to muster.

 

[Randall]

A report about the Chinese scientist who first sequenced coronavirus and it offers some insights into what really happened in those early days.

When Trump said they had it all under control and it would soon go away — he still says that as the death count mounts.

Exclusive: The Chinese Scientist Who Sequenced the First COVID-19 Genome Speaks Out About the Controversies Surrounding His Work — TIME

Professor Zhang Yongzhen is seeking to set the record straight about his work in the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak

apple.news

No mention of Dr. Li Wenliang, who was punished by police for “spreading rumors” about the epidemic:

Wuhan Whistleblower Doctor Dies of Coronavirus

Li Wenliang, who was punished by police for “spreading rumors” about the epidemic, has passed away, according to Global Times.

thediplomat.com

No mention of Dr. Shi Zhengli who was actually the first to profile the bat coronavirus and identify the key to modifying it to infect humans, or how SARS-COV-2 is virtually identical to the virus she was developing at the Wuhan lab.

Dr. Shi Zhengli

When COVID-19 broke out she mysteriously went dark while the Wuhan lab was completely sanitized. Then on July 15, 2020 Shi surfaced with a denial about any involvement by her lab in the pandemic. However Shi admitted that over the past 15 years, her lab isolated and grew cultures of three SARS bat coronaviruses that could infect humans. Given the proven cover-up by the CCP, including the censure of Dr. Li Wenliang, and others who have simply disappeared, it isn't much of a stretch to think that Shi Zhengli was given an ultimatum to either tow the party line or end-up in the same situation.

Was the coronavirus created by Chinese scientist who tried to cover her tracks — and failed? - Population Research Institute

This article was originally published in LifeSite News, May 15th, 2020 Dr. Shi Zhengli, known as China’s batwoman, was worried. Her creation, a highly infectious coronavirus, had leaked from her lab in October. Early efforts to stop the widening circle of infections had failed. It had spread...

www.pop.org

Finally the article was written by Time's East Asia Correspondent in Shanghai and bears markers of CCP damage control, including strong innuendo that the CCP the cover-up and implications of the Wuhan lab is "racist".

 

[Gene Steinberg]

Lots of stories to deal with. I have little doubt the leaders in Beijing wanted to keep it down. At the end of the day, much of that country was shut down till the situation abated. Even the plants that build iPhones and iPads, actually. They got control of it far better than other countries, particularly the U.S. The main point, however, is that the U.S. authorities knew in January something bad was coming our way, but the Oval Office tried to dismiss it all with magical thinking. Over 170,000 deaths later, the U.S. is pretty much the worst country on the planet when it comes to recorded infections and deaths, while having less than 4.25% of the population. No magical thinking can swat that away, although the RNC convention this week will reveal lots of attempts to paint Earth-86 rather than the one we live in.

 

[Randall]

Utah State quarantining 287 students after elevated COVID-19 levels found in wastewater

This is totally outrageous. It's fine to test wastewater, and another to use COVID-19 as an excuse to lockdown whatever zone they want. The disease just isn't that bad. There are probably things a lot more dangerous in most wastewater than COVID-19, but it has become a free pass to excess control.

Utah State quarantining 287 students after elevated COVID-19 levels found in wastewater

<b>Editor’s note:</b> <i>The Salt Lake Tribune is providing free access to critical stories about the coronavirus. Sign up for </i><a href="https://sltrib.formstack.com/forms/topstories"><i>our Top Stories newsletter</i></a><i>, sent to your inbox every weekday morning. To support journalism...

www.sltrib.com

 

[Randall]

Police Access to the COVID-19 Health Database Has Ended. Earlier this month CCLA and partners filed legal challenges to stop the blanket disclosure of personal medical information to law enforcement by the Ontario Government. Canadian citizens have the right to privacy in regards to their personal medical information and, in light of the provincial government’s withdrawal of the unrestricted access to this information, we have withdrawn our suit, however, we continue to fight against the erosion of privacy. We learned that the COVID testing results database was accessed 95,000 times by Ontario police services, and that 40% of that access was by Thunder Bay Police and Durham Regional Police Services. Thunder Bay Police Service in particular accessed the personal health information in the database over 14,800 times – a rate of access that is ten times higher than the provincial average – even though the area has reported only 100 positive cases since the outset of the pandemic. We are calling on police services to destroy the personal health data they have collected to date, and have reached out requesting information on who has access to this information and how it is being stored.​

 

[Randall]

Is Our Fight Against Coronavirus Worse Than the Disease?

"The data from South Korea, where tracking the coronavirus has been by far the best to date, indicate that as much as 99 percent of active cases in the general population are “mild” and do not require specific medical treatment. "

Article: Opinion | Is Our Fight Against Coronavirus Worse Than the Disease?