Coronavirus ~ COVID-19

[GeorgiaMa'am]

For fans of Dr. Anthony Fauci (and I know there are some here) - NPR's Fresh Air podcast today was about him. They interviewed a reporter who has followed him for many years, not Dr. Fauci himself. It was very interesting. Not only did they discuss COVID-19 and Dr. Fauci's talent for getting along with people in power while telling them the truth, they went back to the early days of HIV and how Dr. Fauci was an advocate for HIV positive gay men. Apparently, he's been offered the job as head of NIH three times, and he's turned it down every time, for various reasons.

Available wherever you find your podcasts.

[Kätzchen]

Originally Posted by GeorgiaMa'am

For fans of Dr. Anthony Fauci (and I know there are some here) - NPR's Fresh Air podcast today was about him. They interviewed a reporter who has followed him for many years, not Dr. Fauci himself. It was very interesting. Not only did they discuss COVID-19 and Dr. Fauci's talent for getting along with people in power while telling them the truth, they went back to the early days of HIV and how Dr. Fauci was an advocate for HIV positive gay men. Apparently, he's been offered the job as head of NIH three times, and he's turned it down every time, for various reasons.

Available wherever you find your podcasts.

I've sort of followed him over the years, mainly because back in the day, way back when AIDS was surging across the country, my folks were diehard Republicans and bought every short sighted agenda pushed by that political party and because my mother spent years and years in the field of Nursing, often times our dinner time conversation revolved around the latest nursing and doctor profession issues. I remember how he spearheaded the idea that treatment for HIV/AIDS needed to consider the patient first, not the other away around, concerning clinical trials. Quoting from the NPR coverage:

"This new system [for AIDS treatment] basically forced people to realize that you can't run drug trials and decide what to do with patients without ever consulting patients," Specter says. "I think it changed medicine in America forever."

As it was, my youngest brother, a big gay bear but never out to my family during the 1980s, eventually came out to my family during his medical crisis where he discovered he had AIDS/HIV during the early 1990s.

Anyway, for those of you looking for that podcast and article, here is the link below:

NPR: Long Before COVID-19, Dr. Anthony Fauci 'Changed Medicine in America Forever.'

[FireSignFemme]

5 Reasons Why You Might Not Have Gotten Your Stimulus Check Yet -

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/polit...ney/index.html

https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/non-...ment-info-here

[A. Spectre]

Israel Is Reporting That The Trump Admin Reached Out To Them Back In November To Warn about pandemic



Israel Is Now Reporting That The Trump Administration Reached Out To Them Back In November To Warn Them About Impending The Times of Israel claims Israeli television reported tonight that US intelligence agencies warned the country of an impending pandemic with coronavirus, gaining speed in China, a startling five months ago.

“The US intelligence community became aware of the emerging disease in Wuhan in the second week of that month and drew up a classified document,” the report alleged.


https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-ale...vember-report/

*This intentional death and chaos was imo done intentionally, maybe they didn't invent the virus but they are stealing billions that goes directly into the pockets of their already sickening wealthy friends and family. Firing the IG's, first saying he is a DICKtator by telling Governors what and when to close or open, then doing a 180 the very next day. His admin is purposely keeping our heads spinning with the madness of king mango.

Watch what they are doing while all of the attention is on c-19. A federal judge just recently blocked the opening of new pristine land for drilling for the Keystone pipeline. THIS is why down ballot voting is so important! As well as voting the death cult that IS the GOP out of office.

[FireSignFemme]

Even though they are extremely scare, near next to impossible to get hands on right now, here is a good FAQ put out by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention concerning respirators.

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/topi...lthcare.html#e

[Lyte]

Not sure if I should be worried or grateful or a bit of both. I need new reading glasses and turns out that my Doc is going to open up next week sometime. I don't think I can hold my breath through the reading of an eye chart! lol But I really need to update my prescription!

Thoughts?

[Baby_Yoda]

Originally Posted by Lyte

Not sure if I should be worried or grateful or a bit of both. I need new reading glasses and turns out that my Doc is going to open up next week sometime. I don't think I can hold my breath through the reading of an eye chart! lol But I really need to update my prescription!

Thoughts?

I personally get the ones you can pick up just about anywhere but then my prescription is almost non-existent according to my last eye exam so some 1.5 work well for me. Other than that... I personally would put it off. There has not been a 14 day streak of fewer cases each day as recommended to reopen.

[Kätzchen]

Anybody experiencing trouble with receiving Unemployment? And, likewise, is anybody experiencing trouble with getting COVID 19 CARES act financial assistance to survive since shuttering your small business venture?

I'm curious, because for me it has been three weeks since I was furloughed and in my state, they just processed the first week of benefits I am eligible for last Thursday, but the first benefit check comes in paper form and there is no telling how many days before it comes. In our metro area? There is only a couple of county Work Source Offices (read: unemployment field office) that are fully staffed. In the largest county of our metro area, most of those field offices are not fully staffed, nor do Unemployment case workers take a phone call. The state hot-line number is imploded and does not work, and the state knows it. And, on top of it all, each week as millions of people in our state file for Unemployment benefits, the website is blown up, sometimes on an hourly basis, which I am sure is driving the state IT team crazy and is terribly stressful.

If you're self employed in our state, there is no help and there's no one to process your claim. If you're a small business owner? Same story. You're out of 'luck' because there is no staff to process your claim or to help you secure CARES ACT funding to save you from falling off the social grid.

I took an emergency loan out, shortly after I was laid off, because thankfully our credit union helpful like that. If I am fortunate enough to have those Unemployment benefit claim checks show up in paper form or direct deposited *BEFORE* May 1st, then I'm returning the full amount of the emergency loan, so I don't have to worry about huge monthly payments over a 12 month span of time. Of course, I have another back up plan to activate should my Unemployment funds never show up.

So.... I worry about relatives (my own family) who live in another state because while some states actively care about small business owners, apparently my home state cares nothing for small business owners and in similar ways, it's looking like small business owners and those who are self employed in my state are perilously close to financial ruin.

I personally don't see how the economy can reopen in timely ways but I did have a sneak preview of how long the current funding for people who are approved for Unemployment benefits in my state. And that deadline is July 25th, the anticipated time line for when the current CARES ACT funding is depleted. At least, this is what my physical copies of documents say that were mailed to me from my state UI (Unemployment Insurance) Office.

Super scary right now for everyone. Thankfully I still experience no virus impacts but that's because I abide by social distancing policy and I stay home (for the most part, except for necessity runs to the pharmacy) and when I do go out for a walk or a bike ride, I wear a mask, scarf, gloves and I am super careful.

Just yesterday, I had to go pick up medications and I overheard, while waiting in the waiting 'lounge' nearby, that staffers at my pharmacy location were exposed to COVID-19 (asymptomatically exposed) and now half of their 6 member staff are out on quarantine. They have plexi-glass barriers installed, but the weird part and most telling sign of all, is that none of them were mandated to wear masks or gloves, as an added safety barrier for not only Pharmacy employees, but for the general public who show up to get meds.

So here, again, even in the face of how serious this health crisis is, trained professionals at a pharmacy still do not display a "Safety First" type of mindset and because Safety First is not a core governing principle in their daily lives (personal or public), they've risked their own health and not taken this health crisis seriously, which in turn, has now cost them time off work, and possibly the risk of exposure will lead to consequences that upend their lives in terms of life or death.

I'm continuing to place a high priority for my own safety and I hope you all continue to do the same.

~K.

[Kelt]

Something I did about a month ago out of an abundance of caution was to get a pulse oximeter for the fist aid kit at the same time as replacing my dead thermometer.

In light of this article today, I'd say it's a no-brainer for everyone at this point. I hope they are still available, I got mine on Amazon I think it was about $30.

The Infection That’s Silently Killing Coronavirus Patients