ON JOE BIDEN'S DANGEROUS COVID LIES

[thelivyjr]

THE CAPE CHARLES MIRROR SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

OPINION: On Joe Biden’s dangerous COVID lies

Special Opinion to the Mirror by Paul Plante

By way of introduction to this thread, which is a rational and critical analysis based on science and fact, not hype, or hysteria or emotion, of the toxic and poisonous political speech Joe Biden made to the people of this nation concerning COVID on 9 September 2021, never before in all my time on the globe which spans back to a simpler time in a much different America than exists today in a different century and a different millennium, back when Democrat Harry S. “The Buck Stops Here” Truman was in the White House, never before have I heard an American president spew such poison as Joe Biden did that night, and never before in my lifetime as an American citizen born here and raised here and educated in American values such as honesty, truthfulness, forthrightness and integrity have I heard such a toxic and poisonous political speech laced with falsehoods by an American president that reminded me so much of speeches by the rug-chewing, vitriol-spewing madman Adolph Hitler ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ3N_2r6R-o ), and with that said, and without further ado, let’s go straight to Joe’s own words in the transcript of his speech, as follows:

THE WHITE HOUSE

Remarks by President Biden on Fighting the COVID-⁠19 Pandemic

SEPTEMBER 09, 2021

5:02 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Good evening, my fellow Americans.

I want to talk to you about where we are in the battle against COVID-19, the progress we’ve made, and the work we have left to do.

And it starts with understanding this: Even as the Delta variant 19 [sic] has — COVID-19 — has been hitting this country hard, we have the tools to combat the virus, if we can come together as a country and use those tools.

end quotes

And there we are only three sentences in and there we have classic Joe Biden feeding us outright lies because the truth is that there are no “tools” that a mediocre, career politician of limited intelligence and no public health credentials or experience or expertise like Joe Biden can use to “combat” the virus, and for the truth of that statement, let’s go to a real medical expert for some facts on the matter in a CNBC article entitled “WHO says Covid will mutate like the flu and is likely here to stay” by Rich Mendez on September 7, 2021, just two days before Joe’s toxic COVID speech on 9 September 2021, to wit:

“I think this virus is here to stay with us and it will evolve like influenza pandemic viruses, it will evolve to become one of the other viruses that affects us,” Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organization’s Health Emergencies Program, said at a press briefing.

Several leading health experts, including White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci and Stephane Bancel, CEO of Covid vaccine maker Moderna, have warned that the world will have to live with Covid forever, much like influenza.

“People have said we’re going to eliminate or eradicate the virus,” Ryan said.

“No we’re not, very, very unlikely.”

end quotes

So, people, since it your life, you have to be the judge as to who is lying to us here.

Is it Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organization’s Health Emergencies Program, along with White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci and Stephane Bancel, CEO of Covid vaccine maker Moderna, all of whom have warned that the world will have to live with COVID forever, much like influenza?

Or is it Joe Biden?

Getting back to the transcript:

THE PRESIDENT: If we raise our vaccination rate, protect ourselves and others with masking and expanded testing, and identify people who are infected, we can and we will turn the tide on COVID-19.

end quotes

Identify people who are “infected?”

How so, Joe?

But let’s move along, because that is a minor issue right now, to wit:

THE PRESIDENT: Many of us are frustrated with the nearly 80 million Americans who are still not vaccinated, even though the vaccine is safe, effective, and free.

end quote

HUH?

Frustrated?

The president of the United States of America, whose job pursuant to OUR Constitution is to take care that OUR laws are faithfully enforced is frustrated (feeling or expressing distress and annoyance) with American citizens?

How so?

Where does Joe Biden get any authority, jurisdiction or discretion to divide up the population and to then single out a portion of it for him to be frustrated with in the first place?

Who is Joe Biden to be calling out ANYBODY in America for special treatment because he happens to be frustrated with them?

Does he not know what country he is in?

Does he think in his mind that he is another Hitler to decide who is in his favor and who is not?

And what of his statement that the vaccine is safe and effective?

Is that true?

Or is that hype?

And let’s go to an expert for that answer, as follows:

Press Briefing by White House COVID-⁠19 Response Team and Public Health Officials

AUGUST 18, 2021

11:10 A.M. EDT

MR. ZIENTS: Next question, please.

MODERATOR: Weijia, at CBS.

Q Hi, thanks so much for taking my question.

If — it sounds like effectiveness begins to wane sooner than eight months.

And please correct me if I’m wrong.

So, if the supply is not an issue, can you walk us through the science of how you landed on eight months, please?

Thanks.

DR. MURTHY: Sure.

So, thank you, Weijia, for that — for that question.

So, let me talk you through how we were looking at this.

We did see that around the six-month mark in the data, you start to see increases in mild-to-moderate infection.

But our anticipation is that if the trajectory that we are seeing continues, then we will likely see, in the future, an increase in breakthrough hospitalizations and breakthrough deaths.

end quotes

So, people, again, you must all decide for yourselves as to who is trying to mislead us here for political reasons!

When the esteemed Surgeon General of the United States of America, put in that office by Joe Biden himself, tells us on August 18, 2021, twenty-two (22) days before Joe Biden’s poisonous and toxic COVID speech on 9 September 2021, that the anticipation of the medical experts is that if the trajectory of waning effectiveness they are seeing continues, then we will likely see, in the future, an increase in breakthrough hospitalizations and breakthrough deaths of those who got the vaccines Joe Biden is telling us twenty-two days later on September 9, 2021 are safe and effective, is he trying to scare us?

Is he feeding us hysterical hype?

Is he lying to us?

Or is that the truth?

And if so, what’s this horsecrap Joe is peddling on 9 September 2021 about these vaccines being safe and effective?

If they instill a false sense of confidence and security, when all the time their effectiveness is waning, are they really “safe?”

Think about it and we are barely into the speech so stay tuned for more poison from Joe Biden courtesy of the Cape Charles Mirror when we return.

http://www.capecharlesmirror.com/news/o ... s/#respond

[thelivyjr]

THE CAPE CHARLES MIRROR SEPTEMBER 12, 2021 AT 12:13 PM

Paul Plante says:

And before we go any further in here, does everyone understand that what Joe Biden was calling the “tools to combat the virus” in his speech to the nation on 9 September 2021 are experimental mRNA “vaccines” which have never been produced before for use by human beings, which makes this all a huge science experiment using unwitting American citizens as guinea pigs or lab rats?

Does anyone out there who praises these “vaccines” understand what “mRNA” actually is?

Does anyone who praises these experimental “vaccines” understand the theory behind them, if there even is one, something that is highly doubtful if one looks at the actual science, not the hog swill peddled by Joe Biden, who is worthy of all the contempt that can be heaped on him by the people of the United States of America who do not like getting lied to and misled by the chief executive officer of the United States of America, whose duty pursuant to OUR Constitution, which he took an oath to uphold, is to take care OUR laws are faithfully enforced?

Simply stated, “mRNA” stands for “messenger RNA”, where RNA, short for Ribonucleic acid, is a naturally-occurring molecule in the human body similar to DNA, but unlike DNA, is single-stranded, with a backbone made of alternating sugar (ribose) and phosphate groups, with some small RNAs being found to be involved in regulating gene expression, which happen be to be a vital function in the human body if we want to remain healthy.

As to the natural role or function of mRNA in the human body, and this is important, indeed critical information to understand in evaluating Joe Biden’s empty assurance that these experimental mRNA “vaccines” are “safe,” messenger RNA (mRNA) carries the genetic information copied from DNA in the form of a series of three-base code “words,” each of which specifies a particular amino acid.

In the human body, the cell, of which there are 724 trillion cells in the human body, uses RNA for a number of different tasks, one of which is called messenger RNA, or mRNA, and that is the nucleic acid information molecule that transfers information from the genome into proteins by translation, where the genome is an organism’s, in this case, a human beings’ versus say the genome for a horse or aardvark, complete set of genetic instructions.

Each genome contains all of the information needed to build that organism and allow it to grow and develop.

The instructions in our genome are made up of DNA.

Within DNA is a unique chemical code that guides our growth, development and health.

Now, people, that is very basic “science” which is at the level of tenth grade biology, if not eighth grade health, and it is not disputable, except by mindless idiots.

So, people, before I go further, with that very basic “science” before us, if the real function of mRNA in the body is to keep us functioning and growing as human beings, and if mRNA is naturally produced by our cells, what exactly then is this experimental “mRNA vaccine” Joe Biden is pushing on behalf of BIG PHARM doing to our natural systems?

Ask yourself this question, which is a simple one: if, as the science clearly tells us, COVID-19 is a disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 that can trigger what doctors call a respiratory tract infection affecting your upper respiratory tract (sinuses, nose, and throat) or lower respiratory tract (windpipe and lungs), then why on earth would a shot in the arm have any real affect on it, and here I will close with these words from Dr. Tony Fauci himself on that subject, to wit:

Press Briefing by White House COVID-⁠19 Response Team and Public Health Officials

AUGUST 18, 2021

11:10 A.M. EDT

MR. ZIENTS: Okay, so why don’t we take the last question, Kevin.

MODERATOR: All right, Brenda (WebMD).

Q Thanks.

I just have a question a little bit to do with the rationale here.

So, do you have any evidence from the U.S. or from other countries that waning immunity is playing a role in transmission of Delta because it’s so highly contagious?

Do you anticipate that boosters will help to slow the spread?

MR. ZIENTS: Dr. Fauci, you want to go first there?

DR. FAUCI: Yeah.

Thank you, Jeff, and thank you for that question.

Transmissibility is a bit more tricky than looking at a clinical phenomenon such as infection, seriousness of disease, and hospitalization.

It is entirely conceivable — and we will be looking at that — that when you boost and have a high level — and as I showed you on the next-to-last slide, the increase with a boost is really quite striking: multiple-fold increase — that it is conceivable that that would be important in lowering the level of virus in the nasopharynx, which could have an impact on transmission.

I certainly hope that’s the case.

If it is, then you could really get multiple benefits from doing this.

You can get benefits for disease, severity of disease, and then, ultimately, infection and transmission.

But the bottom line, with full transparency: We don’t know that right now.

end quotes

So if Tony Fauci and all the real medical experts and scientists out there DO NOT KNOW, then how does a hack career politician with limited intelligence and no public health experience or qualifications know anything with the certainty Joe Biden is saying he has?

And please, stay tuned, for more on this subject is yet to come.

http://www.capecharlesmirror.com/news/o ... ent-422172

[thelivyjr]

THE CAPE CHARLES MIRROR SEPTEMBER 12, 2021 AT 6:15 PM

Paul Plante says:

And before I go further in here, let me make it clear that in addition to being a parent and grandparent, I am speaking as someone who made the arduous climb up the ladder of responsibility in the field of public health at the state level, which is where the public’s health is supposed to be not only maintained, but improved, from a technician doing field studies and gathering evidence in the 1960s to becoming certified by examination at the associate level as a public health engineer in the state of New York, where pursuant to 10 NYCRR 11.100, “The term public health engineer shall mean a person who applies engineering principles for the detection, evaluation, control and management of those factors in the environment which influence the public’s health,” a climb that takes years of patience and diligence to make, given you first have to become educated as an engineer, and then licensed as a professional engineer pursuant to §7201 of the New York State Education Law titled “Definition of practice of engineering,” which profession is defined as performing professional service such as consultation, investigation, evaluation, planning, design or supervision of projects wherein the safeguarding of life, health and property is concerned, when such service or work requires the application of engineering principles and data, a process itself that can take nine years or more to accomplish.

As an associate level public health engineer, I was personally responsible for protecting, safeguarding, maintaining and improving the health of 154,000 people in a health district in upstate New York, a responsibility I took quite seriously then, and now, although I no longer actively practice in that field.

As an associate public health engineer, I was personally responsible to the people of the State of New York and ultimately, to the Commissioner of Health of the state of New York, for providing advice and guidance to local officials and the general public in regard to environmental health problems and the measures necessary for improvement and compliance with legal requirements, as well as providing leadership in the health district in the promotion of public health through the application of environmental health practices, and in addition, I was responsible for the enforcement of the provisions of the Public Health Law in the state of New York, a law the enforcement of which Joe Biden as president has no control over whatsoever, as well as local and State Sanitary Codes in relation to environmental health matters.

That is all pursuant to Section 3 of ARTICLE XVII of the New York State Constitution, entitled SOCIAL WELFARE, which section states thusly:

§3. The protection and promotion of the health of the inhabitants of the state are matters of public concern and provision therefor shall be made by the state and by such of its subdivisions and in such manner, and by such means as the legislature shall from time to time determine. (New. Adopted by Constitutional Convention of 1938 and approved by vote of the people November 8, 1938.)

I would further note that Section 1 of ARTICLE XII of the New York State Constitution provides in clear and unequivocal language as follows:

§1. The defense and protection of the state and of the United States is an obligation of all persons within the state.

Which takes us back to the transcript of Joe’s speech to the nation on 9 September 2-21, where we have some real crazy talk from Joe Biden, as follows:

THE WHITE HOUSE

Remarks by President Biden on Fighting the COVID-⁠19 Pandemic

SEPTEMBER 09, 2021

5:02 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: As your President, I’m announcing tonight a new plan to require more Americans to be vaccinated, to combat those blocking public health.

end quotes

To “combat” those “blocking” public health?

What on earth is Joe Biden talking about there with his threat to “combat” people who are American citizens in the United States of America, where the word “combat” means a fight or contest between individuals or groups?

With regard to protection and promotion of the public’s health in the United States of America, Joe Biden is the equivalent of a “minister without portfolio,” where in politics, a portfolio is a minister’s responsibility for a particular area of a government’s activities.

So Joe has absolutely no jurisdiction, authority or discretion to be sticking his nose into what is clearly not his business.

http://www.capecharlesmirror.com/news/o ... ent-422344

[thelivyjr]

THE CAPE CHARLES MIRROR SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 AT 10:33 AM

Paul Plante says:

And while we are on that important subject of authority and jurisdiction with respect to public health threats or concerns or emergencies in the United States of America, by way of background, let’s first go to the CDC’s own website for the subject of the Health Alert Network that exists in the United States of America, where we have as follows:

CDC’s Health Alert Network (HAN) is CDC’s primary method of sharing cleared information about urgent public health incidents with public information officers; federal, state, territorial, tribal, and local public health practitioners; clinicians; and public health laboratories.

CDC’s HAN collaborates with federal, state, territorial, tribal, and city/county partners to develop protocols and stakeholder relationships that will ensure a robust interoperable platform for the rapid distribution of public health information.

end quotes

If one carefully scans that information, what one does not find in there is Joe Biden’s name, nor does one see the office of president listed anywhere on that list, for the simple reason that it is not the job of an American president who is not qualified as a public health professional to be involved in public health matters which are best left to public health professionals, not hack politicians of limited intelligence who would only get in the way and make a mess of things.

And that brings us to a key date in our time line in here, that being January 8, 2020, which is the date the CDC used the Health Alert Network to issue an alert on COVID, as follows:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This is an official CDC Health Advisory

Distributed via the CDC Health Alert Network

January 8, 2020, 1615 ET (04:15 PM ET)

CDCHAN-00424

Summary

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is closely monitoring a reported cluster of pneumonia of unknown etiology (PUE) with possible epidemiologic links to a large wholesale fish and live animal market in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China.

An outbreak investigation by local officials is ongoing in China; the World Health Organization (WHO) is the lead international public health agency.

Currently, there are no known U.S. cases nor have cases been reported in countries other than China.

CDC has established an Incident Management Structure to optimize domestic and international coordination if additional public health actions are required.

This HAN Advisory informs state and local health departments and health care providers about this outbreak and requests that health care providers ask patients with severe respiratory disease about travel history to Wuhan City.

Wuhan City is a major transportation hub about 700 miles south of Beijing with a population of more than 11 million people.

Background

According to a report from the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission, as of January 5, 2020, the national authorities in China have reported 59 patients with PUE to WHO.

The patients had symptom onset dates from December 12 through December 29, 2019.

Patients involved in the cluster reportedly have had fever, dyspnea, and bilateral lung infiltrates on chest radiograph.

Of the 59 cases, seven are critically ill, and the remaining patients are in stable condition.

No deaths have been reported and no health care providers have been reported to be ill.

The Wuhan Municipal Health Commission has not reported human-to-human transmission.

Reports indicate that some of the patients were vendors at the Wuhan South China Seafood City (South China Seafood Wholesale Market) where, in addition to seafood, chickens, bats, marmots, and other wild animals are sold, suggesting a possible zoonotic origin to the outbreak.

The market has been closed for cleaning and disinfection.

Local authorities have reported negative laboratory test results for seasonal influenza, avian influenza, adenovirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV), and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) among patients associated with this cluster.

Additional laboratory testing is ongoing to determine the source of the outbreak.

Health authorities are monitoring more than 150 contacts of patients for illness.

CDC has issued a level 1 travel notice (“practice usual precautions”) for this destination. (https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/wa … onia-china).

On January 5, 2020, WHO posted an update on this situation, including an early risk assessment, which is available at: https://www.who.int/csr/don/05-january- … n/external icon.

Recommendations for Health Care Providers

1. Providers should consider pneumonia related to the cluster for patients with severe respiratory symptoms who traveled to Wuhan since December 1, 2019 and had onset of illness within two weeks of returning, and who do not have another known diagnosis that would explain their illness.

Providers should notify infection control personnel and local and state health departments immediately if any patients meet these criteria.

State health departments should notify CDC after identifying a case under investigation by calling CDC’s Emergency Operations Center at (770) 488-7100.

2. Multiple respiratory tract specimens should be collected from persons with infections suspected to be associated with this cluster, including nasopharyngeal, nasal, and throat swabs.

Patients with severe respiratory disease also should have lower respiratory tract specimens collected, if possible.

Consider saving urine, stool, serum, and respiratory pathology specimens if available.

3. Although the etiology and transmissibility have yet to be determined, and to date, no human-to-human transmission has been reported and no health care providers have been reported ill, CDC currently recommends a cautious approach to symptomatic patients with a history of travel to Wuhan City.

Such patients should be asked to wear a surgical mask as soon as they are identified and be evaluated in a private room with the door closed.

Personnel entering the room to evaluate the patient should use contact precautions and wear an N95 disposable facepiece respirator.

For patients admitted for inpatient care, contact and airborne isolation precautions, in addition to standard precautions, are recommended until further information becomes available.

For additional information see:

https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/gu … index.html.

This guidance will be updated as more information becomes available.

For More Information

1-800-CDC-INFO

https://www.cdc.gov/cdc-info/index.html

CDC’s Emergency Operations Center: 770-488-7100

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) protects people’s health and safety by preventing and controlling diseases and injuries; enhances health decisions by providing credible information on critical health issues; and promotes healthy living through strong partnerships with local, national and international organizations.

This message was distributed to state and local health officers, state and local epidemiologists, state and local laboratory directors, public information officers, HAN coordinators, and clinician organizations.

Page last reviewed: January 8, 2020

end quotes

So there is where the COVID clock started ticking, with that alert, and again, if one looks at the distribution, one notices that it went to public health professionals, not a politician in the white house, because politics are not supposed to interfere with public health matters.

Then, nine (9) days later, on 17 January 2020, the NYS Department of Health issued the following notice about COVID, to wit:

TO: Healthcare Providers, Healthcare Facilities, Clinical Laboratories, and Local Health Departments (LHDs)

FROM: New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH)

Bureau of Communicable Disease Control (BCDC)

SUMMARY

• The enclosed Health Update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides updated information about an outbreak of a 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China that began in December 2019.

• CDC will today begin screening travelers on direct and indirect flights from Wuhan to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), San Francisco International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport.

• NYSDOH is working closely with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and other public health partners to support CDC’s efforts at JFK.

• In accordance with the current requirements and expectations from the 2014 Commissioner’s Order, healthcare providers and facilities are required to collect a travel history for patients presenting with febrile illness and remain aware of current outbreaks overseas.

• As described in CDC’s Health Update, patients who meet either of the following criteria should be evaluated as a person under investigation (PUI) in association with the 2019-nCoV outbreak.

o Fever AND symptoms of lower respiratory illness (e.g., cough, shortness of breath) and in the last 14 days before symptom onset had:

▪ A history of travel from Wuhan City, China OR

▪ Close contact with a person who is under investigation for 2019-nCOV while that person was ill.

o Fever OR symptoms of lower respiratory illness (e.g., cough, shortness of breath) and in the last 14 days before symptom onset:

▪ Had close contact with an ill laboratory-confirmed 2019-nCoV patient.

• Providers caring for patients who meet either PUI criteria should follow CDC’s recommended infection prevention and control guidelines and immediately notify the local health department (LHD) where the patient resides.

Notification is required under the New York State Sanitary Code (10NYCRR 2.10).

o Providers who are unable to reach the LHD can contact the NYSDOH Bureau of Communicable Disease Control at 518-473-4439 during business hours or the NYSDOH Public Health Duty Officer at 1-866-881-2809 evenings, weekends, and holidays.

• NYSDOH will assist providers in determining and accessing appropriate laboratory testing for respiratory pathogens and if indicated, 2019-nCoV. Specimen collection and shipping instructions will also be provided.

end quotes

So there we see the Health Alert Network working as it is supposed to.

As to the CDC guidance on 17 January 2020, it reads as follows:

HEALTH ADVISORY: INTERIM GUIDANCE FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS AND FACILITIES IN NEW YORK STATE ON THE OUTBREAK OF 2019 NOVEL CORONAVIRUS (2019 n C o V)

This is an official CDC HEALTH UPDATE

Distributed via the CDC Health Alert Network

January 17, 2020, 2030 ET (8:30 PM ET)

CDCHAN-00426

Update and Interim Guidance on Outbreak of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Wuhan, China

Summary

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to closely monitor an outbreak of a 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China that began in December 2019.

CDC has established an Incident Management System to coordinate a domestic and international public health response.

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses.

Some cause illness in people; numerous other coronaviruses circulate among animals, including camels, cats, and bats.

Rarely, animal coronaviruses can evolve and infect people and then spread between people such as has been seen with Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/mers/index.html) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) (https://www.cdc.gov/sars/index.html).

Chinese authorities report most patients in the Wuhan City outbreak have been epidemiologically linked to a large seafood and animal market, suggesting a possible zoonotic origin to the outbreak.

Chinese authorities additionally report that they are monitoring several hundred healthcare workers who are caring for outbreak patients; no spread of this virus from patients to healthcare personnel has been reported to date.

Chinese authorities are reporting no ongoing spread of this virus in the community, but they cannot rule out that some limited person-to-person spread may be occurring.

China has reported that two of the patients have died, including one with pre-existing medical conditions.

Chinese health officials publicly posted the genetic sequence of the 2019-nCoV on January 12, 2020.

This will facilitate identification of infections with this virus and development of specific diagnostic tests.

Thailand and Japan have confirmed additional cases of 2019-nCoV in travelers from Wuhan, China.

It is possible that more cases will be identified in the coming days.

This is an ongoing investigation and given previous experience with MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV, it is possible that person-person spread may occur.

There is much more to learn about the transmissibility, severity, and other features associated with 2019-nCoV as the investigations in China, Thailand, and Japan continue.

Additional information about this novel virus is needed to better inform population risk.

This HAN Update provides a situational update and guidance to state and local health departments and healthcare providers that supersedes guidance in CDC’s HAN Advisory 424 distributed on January 8, 2020.

This HAN Update adds guidance for evaluation of patients under investigation (PUI) for 2019-nCoV, prevention and infection control guidance, including the addition of an eye protection recommendation, and additional information on specimen collection.

Background

An outbreak of pneumonia of unknown etiology in Wuhan City was initially reported to WHO on December 31, 2019.

Chinese health authorities have confirmed more than 40 infections with a novel coronavirus as the cause of the outbreak.

Reportedly, most patients had epidemiological links to a large seafood and animal market.

The market was closed on January 1, 2020.

Currently, Chinese health authorities report no community spread of this virus, and no transmission among healthcare personnel caring for outbreak patients.

No additional cases of infection with 2019-nCoV have been identified in China since January 3, 2020.

On January 13, 2020 public health officials in Thailand confirmed detection of a human infection with 2019-nCoV in a traveler from Wuhan, China.

This was the first confirmed case of 2019-nCoV documented outside China.

On January 17, 2020 a second case was confirmed in Thailand, also in a returned traveler from Wuhan City.

On January 15, 2020 health officials in Japan confirmed 2019-nCoV infection in a returned traveler from Wuhan City.

These persons had onset dates after January 3, 2020.

These cases did not report visiting the large seafood and animal market to which many cases in China have been linked.

On January 11, 2020, CDC updated the level 1 travel health notice (“practice usual precautions”) for Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China with additional information (originally issued on January 6, 2020):

end quotes

So what happened after that?

Where did things go south?

Where did the wheels come off?

Stay tuned, and we shall soon find out, and the short answer is that the wheels started coming off the day that hack politicians inserted themselves into the process, like Joe Biden is doing now, and essentially took it over.

http://www.capecharlesmirror.com/news/o ... ent-422809

[thelivyjr]

THE CAPE CHARLES MIRROR SEPTEMBER 14, 2021 AT 10:28 AM

Paul Plante says:

So once again, people, after reviewing the above HEALTH ADVISORY: INTERIM GUIDANCE FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS AND FACILITIES IN NEW YORK STATE ON THE OUTBREAK OF 2019 NOVEL CORONAVIRUS (2019-nCoV), an official CDC HEALTH UPDATE distributed via the CDC Health Alert Network on January 17, 2020, 2030 ET (8:30 PM ET), CDCHAN-00426, Update and Interim Guidance on Outbreak of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Wuhan, China, Recommendations for Healthcare Providers, we have to each of us individually ask ourselves what happened after that?

Focus in on who that guidance was for – Recommendations for Healthcare Providers,

Aren’t the healthcare providers that guidance was for on 17 January 2020 the same for-profit hospitals that were caught flatfooted by COVID after 17 January 2020?

So how can that be?

Look at what the guidance to these same healthcare providers caught flatfooted was saying:

Clinical judgment should be used to guide testing of patients in such situations:

Close contact with a person who is under investigation for 2019-nCOV.

Close contact is defined as—

a) being within approximately 6 feet (2 meters), or within the room or care area, of a novel coronavirus case for a prolonged period of time while not wearing recommended personal protective equipment or PPE (e.g., gowns, gloves, NIOSH-certified disposable N95 respirator, eye protection).

end quotes

Is that language not clear?

Is it confusing?

Would healthcare providers in the most advanced nation ever on the face of the earth not be able to understand what the CDC was saying when it talked in what I thought was clear and unequivocal language about wearing recommended personal protective equipment or PPE, e.g., gowns, gloves, NIOSH-certified disposable N95 respirator, eye protection?

Do you need several Ph.D and MD degrees to comprehend what personal protective gear in a hospital setting consists of?

So where did things go south?

Why didn’t the healthcare providers have that stuff on hand after getting that warning?

And what about this on 17 January 2021:

Although the transmission dynamics have yet to be determined, CDC currently recommends a cautious approach to patients under investigation for 2019-nCoV.

Such patients should be asked to wear a surgical mask as soon as they are identified and be evaluated in a private room with the door closed, ideally an airborne infection isolation room if available.

Healthcare personnel entering the room should use standard precautions, contact precautions, airborne precautions, and use eye protection (e.g., goggles or a face shield).

end quotes

Don’t healthcare providers in America know what surgical masks are?

So why weren’t there any?

Where did the wheels come off?

And to help us ferret out that answer, because clearly, after all that notification, things clearly did not go right here, let us go to a press release picked up by the media and further reported on from Rensselaer County (NYS) County Executive Steve McLaughlin on 2 March 2020, 54 days AFTER the CDC issued the January 8, 2020 public health alert about COVID to state and local health officers, state and local epidemiologists, state and local laboratory directors, public information officers, HAN coordinators, and clinician organizations, where we have as follows:

“Rensselaer County Officials Working with State and Federal Officials on Coronavirus Issue”

3/2/20

With confirmed cases of coronavirus in the nation and the state, Rensselaer County health officials took part in calls with the Centers for Disease Control and the New York State Department of Health regarding the issue.

At this time, there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus in the county.

Federal and state health officials have termed the spread of the illness nationally and in the state as “isolated” cases.

end quotes

And stop right there, people, for a moment and re-read that last sentence a time or two about Federal health officials terming the spread of the illness nationally as “isolated” cases.

That is on 2 March 2020, thirty-one (31) days AFTER the World Health Organization issued a Global Health Emergency on 31 January 2020, as follows:

With a worldwide death toll of more than 200 and an exponential jump to more than 9800 cases, the WHO finally declares a public health emergency, for just the sixth time.

Human-to-human transmission is quickly spreading and can now be found in the United States, Germany, Japan, Vietnam, and Taiwan.

end quotes

So what was the political response to that, because that is why this all went off the tracks very early on?

Let’s go back to the March 2, 2020 press release to find that out, to wit:

“We want residents to know that our team at the Health Department is monitoring this situation closely and working with state and federal officials to share information and get updates.”

“However, there is no need for undue concern or worry,” said County Executive Steve McLaughlin.

“We have been informed that New York State remains at a low risk for coronavirus.”

“Our Health Department is doing a solid job monitoring this situation and residents can be assured that we will be providing updates and news as needed,” said McLaughlin.

end quotes

So who dropped the ball here, people, right in the very beginning, that caused this PANDEMIC?

Donald Trump?

Or was it the CDC itself?

Think about it, people, for it is your life that has been put at risk here by an obviously shoddy and slipshod public healthcare system in America that blew it BIG TIME!

Who in the CDC told Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin to tell the people of New York state, “However, there is no need for undue concern or worry, we have been informed that New York State remains at a low risk for coronavirus?”

Tony Fauci?

Or did that come from Trump, as well?

Stay tuned!

http://www.capecharlesmirror.com/news/o ... ent-423461

[thelivyjr]

THE CAPE CHARLES MIRROR SEPTEMBER 14, 2021 AT 9:47 PM

Paul Plante says:

And staying with the timeline here, precisely because timelines in this case are quite important in determining how this whole COVID train went off the tracks subsequent to 8 January 2020, the date the CDC activated the Health Alert Network to put state and local health officers, state and local epidemiologists, state and local laboratory directors, public information officers, HAN coordinators, and clinician organizations on notice that COVID was on its way and to get prepared for it, something that never happened, let’s go to a press release by Democrat governor of New York Andy Cuomo, a politician, not a public health professional, as well as being a Biden Elector on the Electoral College, on January 24, 2020, sixteen (16) days after the 8 January 2020 CDC Health Network Alert about COVID, and thirty-eight (38) days before Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin issued a press release entitled “Rensselaer County Officials Working with State and Federal Officials on Coronavirus Issue” on 3/2/20 informing people therein that with confirmed cases of coronavirus in the nation and the state, Rensselaer County health officials had taken part in calls with the Centers for Disease Control and the New York State Department of Health regarding the issue, and at that time, there were no confirmed cases of coronavirus in the county, and that Federal and state health officials had termed the spread of the illness nationally and in the state as “isolated” cases so that there was no need for undue concern or worry and that Rensselaer County officials had been informed that New York State remains at a low risk for coronavirus, this just before New York state became the epicenter for the COVID outbreak that killed 54,271 people in the state with 12,913 COVID cases in Rensselaer County alone, where we have as follows:

Albany, NY

Governor Cuomo Outlines State Response to First Two Confirmed Cases of Novel Coronavirus in United States

New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said, “This virus is being carefully monitored at federal, state and city levels to ensure the public’s health and safety, and while awareness is important, the current risk to New Yorkers is low.”

end quotes

And how wrong he was.

Why?

Thereafter, on January 26, 2020, governor Cuomo issued another press release entitled “Governor Cuomo Announces State’s Continued Response to Novel Coronavirus as Three More Individuals are Identified for Testing in New York State” wherein was stated as follows concerning COVID:

“While the experts still believe the risk of catching this novel coronavirus is currently low in New York, I want all New Yorkers to know we are prepared and continue to take all necessary steps to keep people informed and safe,” Governor Cuomo said.

“I have directed the Department of Health and other state agencies to continue working closely with the CDC, the World Health Organization, our local and federal government partners, and New York’s healthcare providers to ensure we stay ahead of this situation.”

end quotes

But as subsequent events make incandescently clear, not only did they not stay ahead of the “situation,” they got way behind the eight ball and people died as a result!

But Andy was on a roll, trying to reassure people that he was in charge, so he issued yet another press release on January 27, 2020 entitled “Governor Cuomo Issues Update on Novel Coronavirus as Two More New Yorkers Identified for Testing Bringing Total to Nine” where he stated as follows:

“While the risk for New Yorkers is currently low, we are still working to keep everyone informed, prepared and safe.”

end quote

On January 28, 2020, Andy issued yet another press release entitled “Governor Cuomo Issues Update on Novel Coronavirus as One More New Yorker is Identified for Testing Bringing Total to 10” where the people were informed as follows:

So far, there are no confirmed cases in New York State.

“While we continue to closely monitor the spread of this novel coronavirus, I have directed our Department of Health to continue communicating with and providing updates to our local communities, healthcare providers, colleges, universities and New York companies with locations or business interests in China,” Governor Cuomo said.

“My message to New Yorkers is: take this coronavirus seriously, take proper precautions, stay informed, but also feel confident that our Health Department and this administration are prepared and ready.”

end quotes

And then another press release on January 30, 2020, entitled “Governor Cuomo Provides Update on Novel Coronavirus While Reminding New Yorkers Flu is Still Prevalent” as follows:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today advised New Yorkers that State and local health departments and healthcare partners are remaining vigilant and have a high state of readiness to protect New Yorkers from novel coronavirus.

“New York does not have one single confirmed case of the novel coronavirus, but we are taking every necessary precaution to protect against its spread into our state.”

“We have been here before, and I want to remind New Yorkers that it is much more likely that they will be exposed to the influenza virus than to the coronavirus,” Governor Cuomo said.

end quotes

That was followed by yet another Cuomo press release on February 2, 2020 entitled “Governor Cuomo Issues Update on Novel Coronavirus and Announces New Hotline Staffed by State Health Department Experts” wherein was stated as follows:

There are no confirmed cases of novel coronavirus in New York State.

“In situations like this, we take every precaution necessary to ensure the safety of New Yorkers,” Governor Cuomo said.

“At the same time, perspective is key – and I want to remind people that New York currently has zero confirmed cases of this virus.”

“We want all New Yorkers to know that the State and its agencies and authorities are on top of this situation and we will continue doing everything we can to keep people safe.”

New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said, “We are working hand in glove with our federal, state and local partners, as well as healthcare providers all over the state to ensure the health of New Yorkers.”

“Bottom line, as this public health response evolves, we continue to be prepared.”

end quotes

Except they weren’t prepared at all and as a result, people died, which takes us to yet another in a seemingly endless progression of press releases by Democrat Andy Cuomo that were self-serving in that they touted his leadership, this one on February 4, 2020, entitled “Governor Cuomo Issues Update on Novel Coronavirus,” wherein was stated as follows:

“Even though there are no confirmed cases of novel coronavirus in New York State, we continue to take every precaution necessary to ensure the health and safety of all New Yorkers,” Governor Cuomo said.

“While the risk to New Yorkers is still low, we urge everyone to remain vigilant, stay informed, follow the recommended steps to protect themselves and their families, and call our coronavirus hotline if you still have questions or concerns.”

New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said, “As this situation continues to evolve, the State Department of Health remains in close contact with our federal, state and local partners to protect the health of all New Yorkers.”

“It is important for people to take appropriate precautions, just as they should to protect themselves against the flu, and have confidence that we are prepared to handle this public health issue.”

end quotes

Yeah, right, Howie!

The next press release to come along was on February 7, 2020, this one entitled “Governor Cuomo Updates New Yorkers on Novel Coronavirus and Urges Continued Awareness While Flu is Still Prevalent” wherein was stated as follows:

“While we do not have a confirmed case of the novel coronavirus in the state, we are continuing to take every necessary precaution to protect New Yorkers from this dangerous virus,” Governor Cuomo said.

“I also want to remind New Yorkers they are more likely to be exposed to the influenza virus than the coronavirus, and urge everyone to take commonsense precautions to protect against both, such as regular hand washing and avoiding close contact with people who are sick.”

On January 3, the State Department of Health issued a statewide health advisory alerting healthcare providers to the dramatic increase in flu activity across New York State.

Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said, “While New York does not have a confirmed case of coronavirus, the flu is here and can be very serious.”

“Taking simple preventive steps such as washing hands often, covering a cough or sneeze with your arm and staying home when experiencing flu-like symptoms will help prevent the spread of the flu.”

“These same actions will help protect New Yorkers against the novel coronavirus.”

end quotes

The next press release to come along was dated February 13, 2020 anbd entitled “Governor Cuomo Reminds New Yorkers That Flu Cases Continue to Increase, as Flu Season Expected to Set Record-High Levels,” which press release carried this message, to wit:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today reminded all New Yorkers to take recommended precautions to protect themselves from the flu as new numbers released today show flu activity still has not reached its peak this season.

Flu cases in New York this season are expected to set record-high levels since the New York State Department of Health began tracking flu cases during the 1998-99 season.

“As flu season has not yet peaked across New York, I urge everyone to remain vigilant and take simple precautions to protect themselves and their families,” Governor Cuomo said.

“I encourage all New Yorkers older than six months to get their flu shot – it’s not too late.”

The latest influenza surveillance report for the week ending February 8th shows seasonal flu activity continues to be widespread across New York State for the eleventh consecutive week.

As indicated in the report, there were 17,233 laboratory-confirmed flu cases reported to the State Department of Health, the second highest weekly total since the 1998-1999 flu season.

The most lab-confirmed influenza cases reported during a single week in a flu season was 18,252 in 2017-18.

There have been a total of 106,824 lab-confirmed cases reported in New York State this season, with three flu-associated pediatric deaths.

Last week, 1,993 New Yorkers were hospitalized with lab-confirmed influenza.

So far this season, there have been 15,541 flu-related hospitalizations.

Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said, “While flu activity is higher than usual this season and it has not yet peaked, taking basic preventive steps such as washing hands often, covering a cough or sneeze with your arm, and staying home when experiencing flu-like symptoms, will help prevent the spread of the flu.”

On January 3, the State Department of Health issued a statewide health advisory alerting healthcare providers to the dramatic increase in flu activity across New York State.

end quotes

Now, things start to get interesting as we see from the next press release on February 26, 2020, forty-nine (49) days after the 8 January 2020 CDC Health Network Alert about COVID, this one entitled “Governor Cuomo Announces $40 Million Emergency Appropriation to Support DOH Staffing and Equipment to Respond to Potential Novel Coronavirus Pandemic,” as follows:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced a $40 million appropriation for the New York State Department of Health to hire additional staff, procure equipment and any other resources necessary to respond to the potential novel coronavirus pandemic.

The Governor will also propose legislation to grant authority to DOH Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker to ensure local health departments and public and private hospitals statewide take certain actions and measures in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak as needed.

DOH will convene local health departments and hospitals statewide to review protocols, best practices and procedures to help ensure they are prepared to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus.

“As we are seeing the novel coronavirus spread to new countries around the world, in New York we are continuing to take all necessary precautions to protect New Yorkers from this dangerous virus,” Governor Cuomo said.

“While there are still no confirmed cases of novel coronavirus in New York, these aggressive actions including $40 million in emergency funding will help ensure our healthcare system is equipped with the necessary staff, supplies and equipment needed to respond to any emergency situation that may arise in the future.”

end quotes

That should say New York’s for-profit healthcare system, which failed us greatly, which takes us to yet another Cuomo press release on February 29, 2020 entitled “Statement from Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on Coronavirus,” as follows:

“When I spoke to Vice President Pence, I urged him to approve New York State’s Coronavirus test — we just received word that our test has been approved by the FDA.”

“New York State will begin testing immediately at Wadsworth Lab.”

“This approval will expedite wait time and improve New York’s ability to more effectively manage the Coronavirus situation as it unfolds. ”

end quotes

Vice president Pence?

What on earth did he have to do with New York’s COVID response, besides nothing at all?

So why was Andy asking Mike Pence to give an approval to New York’s Coronavirus test?

What would Mike Pence know about coronavirus tests?

And see what I have been saying about the wheels coming off because of the involvement of politicians with no medical experience or public health qualifications in matters they had no business meddling in?

Things now start to change in the next press release on March 1, 2020, entitled
“Governor Cuomo Issues Statement Regarding Novel Coronavirus in New York” where he stated as follows:

“This evening we learned of the first positive case of novel coronavirus — or COVID-19 — in New York State.”

“There is no cause for surprise — this was expected.”

“As I said from the beginning, it was a matter of when, not if there would be a positive case of novel coronavirus in New York.”

“Last week I called for the Legislature to pass a $40 million emergency management authorization to confront this evolving situation — I look forward to its swift passage.”

“There is no reason for undue anxiety — the general risk remains low in New York.”

“We are diligently managing this situation and will continue to provide information as it becomes available.”

end quotes

Yes, people, take it from a real expert – "nothing to see here, folks, nothing to be concerned about, now get back in your basements and stay there!”

Keeping the flow of press releases touting Andy’s prowess as governor coming, we go to March 2, 2020, and a press release entitled “At Novel Coronavirus Briefing, Governor Cuomo Announces State is Partnering with Hospitals to Expand Novel Coronavirus Testing Capacity in New York,” where Andy told us as follows:

“We have the best health-care system in the world, and we are leveraging that system to help contain any potential spread of the novel coronavirus in New York,” Governor Cuomo said.

“This isn’t our first rodeo – we are fully coordinated, we are fully mobilized, and we are fully prepared to deal with the situation as it develops.”

The Governor will also propose legislation to clarify authority for governor to take certain statewide actions and measures in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak as needed.

end quotes

And yes, people, this is all about promoting Andy Cuomo, not protecting the public’s health, and as of today, New York state ranks third in the nation in COVID deaths behind front runner New Jersey and second-place finisher Mississippi, and let’s stop there for a moment to let that all sink in before we get back to Joe Biden, so stay tuned.

http://www.capecharlesmirror.com/news/o ... ent-423777

[thelivyjr]

THE CAPE CHARLES MIRROR SEPTEMBER 15, 2021 AT 8:15 PM

Paul Plante says:

As to why the for-profit healthcare system dropped the ball here and was woefully unprepared despite the warnings from the CDC in January 2020, that answer is quite simple: the bean counters didn’t have a pandemic built into their financial model.

I wonder if people are clued to the fact that in a for-profit healthcare system, there are stockholders, and it is to those stockholders that the corporations running the healthcare system are responsible to, providing them with ROI, or return on investment.

No ROI, they bail, plain and simple.

That’s why Andy issued his February 26, 2020 press release, forty-nine (49) days after the 8 January 2020 CDC Health Network Alert about COVID, this one entitled “Governor Cuomo Announces $40 Million Emergency Appropriation to Support DOH Staffing and Equipment to Respond to Potential Novel Coronavirus Pandemic,” as follows:

“While there are still no confirmed cases of novel coronavirus in New York, these aggressive actions including $40 million in emergency funding will help ensure our healthcare system is equipped with the necessary staff, supplies and equipment needed to respond to any emergency situation that may arise in the future.”

end quotes

Except they weren’t and people died as a result, and where did the $40 million in taxpayer money end up going?

Nobody really knows!

http://www.capecharlesmirror.com/news/o ... ent-424382

[thelivyjr]

THE CAPE CHARLES MIRROR SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 AT 5:22 PM

Paul Plante says:

By way of background, U.S. health care spending grew 4.6 percent in 2019, reaching $3.8 trillion or $11,582 per person.

As a share of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, health spending accounted for 17.7 percent.

According to the Investopedia article “6 Reasons Healthcare Is So Expensive in the U.S. And why we get less bang for our bucks” by THE INVESTOPEDIA TEAM, Reviewed by MICHAEL J BOYLE on April 27, 2021, we have on that subject as follows:

The Bottom Line

The pressure on our sprawling healthcare system in the U.S. has never been greater.

end quotes

Keeping in mind that this is the same sprawling “healthcare” system that failed the nation and its people greatly since January of 2020, when it was put on notice by the CDC that COVID was coming.

Getting back to the article:

There’s an urgent need to expand testing and treatment for COVID-19 to all residents who need it, regardless of health insurance status.

Massive federal cash influxes have sought to shore up hospitals sagging under the weight of the coronavirus burden and the related cessation of elective surgery and regular medical care.

end quotes

Ah yes, privatize profits, socialize losses.

That’s the way you do it, because as Hussein Obama was always fond of saying, in a capitalistic country with a for-profit healthcare system, it’s the right thing to do.

Getting back to it:

Long before this crisis, the U.S. led other industrialized nations in high spending on healthcare and getting a low bang for the buck in terms of health outcomes and the percentage of the population served.

Life expectancy in the U.S., for example, is 78.8 years, while it ranges from 80.7 to 83.9 in 10 other high-income countries, according to an influential study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

And only 90% of the population in the U.S. has health insurance, compared to 99% to 100% of the population in the other industrialized countries examined.

One reason for high costs is administrative waste.

Providers face a huge array of usage and billing requirements from multiple payers, which makes it necessary to hire costly administrative help for billing and reimbursements.

Americans pay almost four times as much for pharmaceutical drugs as citizens of other developed countries.

Hospitals, doctors, and nurses all charge more in the U.S. than in other countries, with hospital costs increasing much faster than professional salaries.

In other countries, prices for drugs and healthcare are at least partially controlled by the government.

In the U.S. prices depend on market forces.

Costly Healthcare Hurts Everyone

The high cost of healthcare affects everyone, sick or well.

It has depressed individual spending power for the past few decades.

Salaries for American workers have risen, but net pay has stayed the same because of increasing charges for health insurance. 

1. Multiple Systems Create Waste

“Administrative” costs are frequently cited as a cause for excess medical spending.

The U.S. spends about 8% of its healthcare dollar on administrative costs, compared to 1% to 3% in the 10 other countries the JAMA study looked at.

The U.S. healthcare system is extremely complex, with separate rules, funding, enrollment dates, and out-of-pocket costs for employer-based insurance, private insurance from healthcare.gov, Medicaid, and Medicare, in all its many pieces.

In each of these sectors consumers must choose among several tiers of coverage, high deductible plans, managed care plans (HMOs and PPOs) and fee-for-service systems.

These plans may or may not include pharmaceutical drug insurance which has its own tiers of coverage, deductibles, and copays or coinsurance.

For providers, this means dealing with myriad regulations about usage, coding, and billing.

And, in fact, these activities make up the largest share of administrative costs. 

2. Drug Costs Are Rising

On average, Americans shell out almost four times as much for pharmaceutical drugs as citizens of other industrialized countries pay.

High drug prices are the single biggest area of overspending in the U.S. compared to Europe, where drug prices are government regulated, often based on the clinical benefit of the medication.

With little regulation of drug prices, the U.S. spends an average of $1,443 per person, compared to $749, on average, spent by the other prosperous countries studied.

In the U.S. private insurers can negotiate drug prices with manufacturers, often through the services of pharmacy benefit managers.

However, Medicare, which pays for a hefty percentage of the national drug costs, is not permitted to negotiate prices with manufacturers.

3. Doctors (and Nurses) Are Paid More

The average U.S. family doctor earns $218,173 a year, and specialists make $316,000 — way above the the average in other industrialized countries.

American nurses make considerably more than elsewhere, too.

The average salary for a U.S. nurse is about $74,250, compared to $58,041 in Switzerland and $60,253 in the Netherlands.

U.S. managed care plans (HMOs and PPOs) may succeed in lowering healthcare costs by requiring prior authorization for seeing a high-priced specialist.

Use of a nurse practitioner instead of a family doctor can also save money.

4. Hospitals Are Profit Centers

Hospital care accounts for 33% of the nation’s healthcare costs.

Between 2007 and 2014, prices for inpatient and outpatient hospital care rose much faster than physician prices, according to a 2019 study in Health Affairs.

U.S. prices for surgical procedures in hospitals greatly exceed those of other countries.

A typical angioplasty to open a blocked blood vessel, for example, costs $6,390 in the Netherlands, $7,370 in Switzerland, and $32,230 in the United States.

Similarly, a heart bypass operation in the U.S. costs $78,100 compared to $32,010 in Switzerland.

Today, many hospitals are on the brink financially.

What’s more, the cessation of elective surgery and severely declining provider visits because of the coronavirus lockdown account for a big part of the decline in the overall economy.

5. U.S. Healthcare Practices Defensive Medicine

Both physicians and hospitals have an interest in preventing lawsuits, so “just in case” tests and scans may be ordered.

And these tests can be costly!

While a CT scan costs just $97 in Canada and $500 in Australia, the average cost is $896 in the U.S.

A typical MRI scan costs $1,420 in the United States, but around $450 in Britain.

Researchers have concluded that it’s not the sheer number of tests and procedures but their high price that explains why it’s so expensive to be sick in the U.S.

6. U.S. Prices Vary Wildly

Because of the complexity of the system and the lack of any set prices for medical services, providers are free to charge what the market will bear.

The amount paid for the same healthcare service can vary significantly depending on the payer (i.e. private insurance or government programs, such as Medicare or Medicaid) and geographical area.

For COVID-19, for example, the cost of an urgent care visit and lab tests averages $1,696, but can range from a low of $241 to a high of $4,510 depending on the provider.

end quotes

Nothing like having a good Pandemic to capitalize on when the taxpayers are guaranteeing your profits!

http://www.capecharlesmirror.com/news/o ... ent-425016

[thelivyjr]

THE CAPE CHARLES MIRROR SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 AT 7:58 PM

Paul Plante says:

And let us be crystal clear on something here, people – while I have been focusing in on what went on in a state with the third highest number of COVID deaths in the nation, behind California and Texas as of today, because with my limited time on the computer, it was a full time job just keeping up with what was going on in that state, the 8 January 2020 CDC Health Alert Network warning on COVID went out to state and local health officers, state and local epidemiologists, state and local laboratory directors, public information officers, HAN coordinators, and clinician organizations in EVERY state, including Virginia, with its tally as of today of 819K COVID cases and 12,170 COVID deaths, and Mississippi, with 468K COVID cases and 9,100 COVID deaths, putting them all on notice that COVID was on its way and to get prepared for it.

So once again, we have to ask ourselves this question – what went wrong?

With that warning in hand, how could this massive healthcare system
failure have happened all over the United States of America, especially when on March 2, 2020, Democrat Andy Cuomo of New York, with its 54,693 COVID deaths as of today according to Statista, the Talk-Show Pandemic Media Darling of America, told us in a press release on that date that “We have the best health-care system in the world, and we are leveraging that system to help contain any potential spread of the novel coronavirus in New York?”

If we have the best health-care system in the world, and the system was being leveraged to help contain any potential spread of the novel coronavirus, why did so many people end up dying?

What is it that we are missing here?

And for Joe Biden’s highly partisan political answer to that question, let us fast forward one hundred eighty-two (182) days into the future from March 2, 2020, when Democrat Andy Cuomo of New York, the Pandemic Media Darling of America, told us in a press release that “this isn’t our first rodeo – we are fully coordinated, we are fully mobilized, and we are fully prepared to deal with the situation as it develops,” and Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin in another press release on the same day informed people therein that with confirmed cases of coronavirus in the nation and the state, Rensselaer County health officials had taken part in calls with the Centers for Disease Control and the New York State Department of Health regarding the issue, and at that time, there were no confirmed cases of coronavirus in the county, and that Federal and state health officials had termed the spread of the illness nationally and in the state as “isolated” cases so that there was no need for undue concern or worry and that Rensselaer County officials had been informed that New York State remains at a low risk for coronavirus, this just before New York state became the epicenter for the COVID outbreak that killed 54,693 people in the state with 12,913 COVID cases in Rensselaer County alone, to August 31, 2020 and a toxic, poisonous, highly partisan political speech Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden made in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which state as of today according to the New York Times has 1.36M COVID cases and 28,696 COVID deaths, at Carnegie Mellon, where we had this spew of political poison from Joe, as follows:

Joe Biden: I want to thank Carnegie Mellon for providing this space and all the promise it holds for future jobs in the high tech world.

In recent days, we’ve had a lot of talk about who’s going where and how I’ve decided to come to Pittsburgh to talk a little bit about what’s going on right now.

In the early days of World War II, Franklin Roosevelt told the country, and I quote, “The news is going to get worse and worse before it gets better and better.”

“And the American people deserve to have it straight from the shoulder.”

Straight from the shoulder.

The job of a president is to tell it straight from the shoulder, tell the truth, to be candid, to face facts, to lead, not to insight.

end quotes

And let’s stop right there and ask Joe this pertinent question that the main-stream media who fawn on Joe failed to ask him – IF the job of a president is to tell it straight from the shoulder, tell the truth, to be candid, to face facts, to lead, not to insight, why are you “insighting” instead of telling us the truth?

IF the job of a president is to be candid and to face facts, then why aren’t you doing either?

Why are you feeding us poisonous political pig poop, instead?

And in the United States of America, Joe, the job of the president is to “take care that OUR laws are faithfully enforced.”

This America – in America, the president does not lead, and the people, who are as yet a free people, do not follow!

If we go to the “Congressional Oversight Manual” by the Congressional Research Service, https://crsreports.congress.gov , RL30240, updated January 16, 2020, we find the following with respect to the “job” of an American president, to wit:

Summary

Today’s lawmakers and congressional aides, as well as commentators and scholars, recognize that Congress’s lawmaking role does not end when it passes legislation.

Oversight is considered fundamental to making sure that laws work and are being administered in an effective, efficient, and economical manner.

This function is seen as one of Congress’s principal roles as it grapples with the complexities of American government.

Purposes, Authority, and Participants

Throughout its history, Congress has engaged in oversight — broadly defined as reviewing, monitoring, and supervising the implementation of public policy by the executive branch.

end quotes

If you are reading that as saying that the job of Joe Biden as president is the implementation of public policy set by Congress, not by Joe Biden who is not our “leader,” perish that thought, then there is absolutely nothing wrong whatsoever with your reading comprehension.

The CRS Oversight Manual, which one would think Joe Biden would be thoroughly and intimately familiar with, front to back, from all the years he spent in Congress, continues as follows:

Congress’s oversight role is also significant because it shines the spotlight of public attention on many critical issues, which enables lawmakers and the general public to make informed judgments about executive performance.

Woodrow Wilson, in his classic 1885 study Congressional Government, emphasized that the “informing function should be preferred even to its [lawmaking] function.”

He added that unless Congress conducts oversight of administrative activities, the “country must remain in embarrassing, crippling ignorance of the very affairs which it is most important it should understand and direct.”

First, oversight is an implicit constitutional responsibility of Congress.

According to historian Arthur Schlesinger Jr., the Framers believed “it was not considered necessary to make an explicit grant of such authority.”

“The power to make laws implied the power to see whether they were faithfully executed.”

Purposes

Congressional oversight of the executive is designed to fulfill a variety of purposes, such as those outlined below.

Ensure Executive Compliance with Legislative Intent

Congress, of necessity, must delegate discretionary authority to federal administrators.

To make certain that these officers faithfully execute laws according to the intent of Congress, committees and Members can review the actions taken and regulations formulated by departments and agencies.

Protect Individual Rights and Liberties

Congressional oversight can help safeguard the rights and liberties of citizens and others.

By revealing abuses of authority, oversight hearings and other efforts can halt executive misconduct and help prevent its recurrence through, for example, new legislation or indirectly by heightening public awareness of the issue(s).

Authority to Conduct Oversight

U.S. Constitution

The Constitution grants Congress extensive authority to oversee and investigate executive branch activities.

The constitutional authority for Congress to conduct oversight stems from such explicit and implicit provisions as:

 The power to organize the executive branch.

Congress has the authority to create, abolish, reorganize, and fund federal departments and agencies.

It has the authority to assign or reassign functions to departments and agencies and grant new forms of authority and staff to administrators.

Congress, in short, exercises ultimate authority over executive branch organization and generally over policy.

end quotes

So that should make it patently clear that Joe Biden is not “our leader,” which takes us back to his toxic, poisonous political speech on 31 August 2020, where he took great pains to politicize the COVID pandemic for partisan political purposes totally unrelated to protecting the public’s health from COVID, as follows:

That’s why I’m speaking to you today.

The incumbent president (Trump) is incapable of telling us the truth, incapable of facing the facts and incapable of healing.

He doesn’t want to shed light, he wants to generate heat and he’s stroking violence in our cities.

This is a tragic fact of the matter, how he’s dealing with this perilous hour in our nation.

* * * * *

We need justice in America.

We need safety in America.

We’re facing multiple crises.

Crises that under Donald Trump have kept multiplying.

COVID, economic devastation, unwarranted police violence, [inaudible] white nationalists, a reckoning on race, declining faith in the birth of the right American future.

There’s no reason why we can’t just do so much more than we’re doing.

The common threat, the incumbent president who makes things worse, not better, an incumbent president who sows chaos rather than providing order.

An incumbent president who fails in the basic duty of the job, which is to advance the truth that all of us know, that we’re all born with the right to life, Liberty, and pursuit of happiness.

That’s right.

end quotes

Yes, indeed, people – RULE ONE of American politics: DO NOT ever let a crisis go to waste without exploiting it for all it is worth!

Regardless of what really happened, COVID was all Trump’s fault, period!

And that brings us to the present time, to wit:

THE WHITE HOUSE

Remarks by President Biden on Fighting the COVID-⁠19 Pandemic

SEPTEMBER 09, 2021

5:02 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: So before I outline the new steps to fight COVID-19 that I’m going to be announcing tonight, let me give you some clear information about where we stand.

First, we have cons- — we have made considerable progress in battling COVID-19.

When I became President, about 2 million Americans were fully vaccinated.

Today, over 175 million Americans have that protection.

Before I took office, we hadn’t ordered enough vaccine for every American.

Just weeks in office, we did.

The week before I took office, on January 20th of this year, over 25,000 Americans died that week from COVID-19.

Last week, that grim weekly toll was down 70 percent.

And in the three months before I took office, our economy was faltering, creating just 50,000 jobs a month.

We’re now averaging 700,000 new jobs a month in the past three months.

This progress is real.

end quotes

Sounds like Joe Biden was sent to us by Heaven, does it not, to save the soul of America in our hour of need!

And there we are seeing what the politicization of a public health matter in the United States of America looks like in real life.

http://www.capecharlesmirror.com/news/o ... ent-425016

[thelivyjr]

THE CAPE CHARLES MIRROR SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 AT 8:23 PM

Paul Plante says:

CNBC

“Moderna releases new data on Covid breakthrough cases it says supports need for booster shots”

Berkeley Lovelace Jr. @BERKELEYJR

PUBLISHED WED, SEP 15 2021

Moderna on Wednesday released more data on so-called breakthrough cases it says supports the push for wide use of Covid-19 vaccine booster shots.

The U.S. drugmaker shared a new analysis from its phase three study that showed the incidence of breakthrough Covid cases, which occur in fully vaccinated people, was less frequent in a group of trial participants who were more recently inoculated, suggesting immunity for earlier groups had started to wane.

There were also fewer severe cases of Covid-19 cases in the group that received the vaccine more recently, according to a manuscript of the results shared by the company.

Three Covid-19 related hospitalizations occurred in the group that got the shots early on, resulting in two deaths, according to the data.

“There’s a large debate, we all know, about whether or not vaccine boosters are going to be necessary into the fall,” Moderna President Stephen Hoge said in a phone interview.

“That debate, what makes it really hard is it’s not really about whether the vaccine worked last month.”

“It’s really about whether it’s going to work this winter.”

The data shows that “we do see a significant increase in the risk of Covid-19 for those who are vaccinated a year ago versus six months ago,” Hoge said.

http://www.capecharlesmirror.com/news/o ... ent-425719