COVID-19 Megathread 3: Third time's a charm

[Blue3]

"Second wave" hitting Asia
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-second-wave-surge-hong-kong-china-uk-cases-a9420876.html

Also, Prince Charles has it in the UK

[Blue3]

"Second wave" hitting Asia
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-second-wave-surge-hong-kong-china-uk-cases-a9420876.html

Also, Prince Charles has it in the UK

[Torrain]

https://mobile.twitter.com/Telegraph/status/1242762567413571587

Well. The next fortnight is going to be a tabloid fever dream here. Nothing gets the UK media roiled up like a good royal panic.

While we shouldn't get too hung up on the illness of one man, amongst hundreds of thousands of patients, this does have constitutional ramifications for us.

If Charles is incapacitated, or worse, it could affect the line of succession, and more importantly, puncture morale.

BBC News is reporting that the Queen hasn't met with Charles since March 12th, so that shouldn't be an issue.

Oh come now, I'm sure The Sun and dailymail will be very civilized and reasonable.  

This may be a dumb question, but the tweet says "working from home". What does this "work" entail for Prince Charles?  Genuinely asking. 

He runs a couple of businesses, selling honey, and 'rustic', tourist stuff like that. He's also big on environmentalism and building conservation, so he does a bit of activism, funding repair works on a bunch of historic buildings and speaking on renewable energy.

He also shares the Queen's duties these days, so he shakes a lot of hands, opens train stations, tours schools, hospitals etc. That's presumably how he contracted the virus.

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

https://mobile.twitter.com/Telegraph/status/1242762567413571587

Well. The next fortnight is going to be a tabloid fever dream here. Nothing gets the UK media roiled up like a good royal panic.

While we shouldn't get too hung up on the illness of one man, amongst hundreds of thousands of patients, this does have constitutional ramifications for us.

If Charles is incapacitated, or worse, it could affect the line of succession, and more importantly, puncture morale.

BBC News is reporting that the Queen hasn't met with Charles since March 12th, so that shouldn't be an issue.

Oh come now, I'm sure The Sun and dailymail will be very civilized and reasonable.  

This may be a dumb question, but the tweet says "working from home". What does this "work" entail for Prince Charles?  Genuinely asking. 

He runs a couple of businesses, selling honey, and 'rustic', tourist stuff like that. He's also big on environmentalism and building conservation, so he does a bit of activism, funding repair works on a bunch of historic buildings and speaking on renewable energy.

He also shares the Queen's duties these days, so he shakes a lot of hands, opens train stations, tours schools, hospitals etc. That's presumably how he contracted the virus.

Thank you, Torrain!

[Blue3]

Why don’t we have a national lockdown yet?

Because we live in a federal constitutional republic of 4 million square miles and 330 million people. 

Yet India...

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

https://mobile.twitter.com/NYDailyNews/status/1242650624803704833

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Finally, though we still have yet to see the actual text of the bill.  

[]

AOC claims it is lacking in worker relief and has $0.5 trillion in corporate bailouts.

Twitter is pretty full of confusion right now.  Lots and lots of figures, numbers, rumors, etc. getting thrown around.  

-  "I'm a dependent who recently graduated from college and got a job.  I filed taxes in 2019 but not 2018 as I was not working. Will I see any money?"

- "I'm on social security but don't make enough to file taxes. Are people on social security even included in this bill? Will I see any money?"

- "I make more than 75K but live in an area with an extremely high cost of living.  Will I see any money?"

Etc. Etc.

It probably should be universal for ease of distribution but these people really all think they are special. I think the first had already cleared up by the last bill and is probably the most legitimate of these concerns.

If your only income is social security, nothing about your situation has changed. If it's a matter of medical cost concerns, that can be handled separately. Sorry, no free money for you.

I'm also perpetually sick of the whiners in high COL areas asking for special treatment. 75k isn't enough? If you are making 87k, you were still getting half of it. If your financial situation has changed, you are probably eligible for $3-4k+ a month so long as you apply for jobs.

There are definitely some people actually in need that this misses. These hypotheticals aren't it.

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Finally, though we still have yet to see the actual text of the bill.  

[]

AOC claims it is lacking in worker relief and has $0.5 trillion in corporate bailouts.

Twitter is pretty full of confusion right now.  Lots and lots of figures, numbers, rumors, etc. getting thrown around.  

-  "I'm a dependent who recently graduated from college and got a job.  I filed taxes in 2019 but not 2018 as I was not working. Will I see any money?"

- "I'm on social security but don't make enough to file taxes. Are people on social security even included in this bill? Will I see any money?"

- "I make more than 75K but live in an area with an extremely high cost of living.  Will I see any money?"

Etc. Etc.

It probably should be universal for ease of distribution but these people really all think they are special. I think the first had already cleared up by the last bill and is probably the most legitimate of these concerns.

If your only income is social security, nothing about your situation has changed. If it's a matter of medical cost concerns, that can be handled separately. Sorry, no free money for you.

I'm also perpetually sick of the whiners in high COL areas asking for special treatment. 75k isn't enough? If you are making 87k, you were still getting half of it. If your financial situation has changed, you are probably eligible for $3-4k+ a month so long as you apply for jobs.

There are definitely some people actually in need that this misses. These hypotheticals aren't it.

I'd imagine it's a delicate balance between getting the money to those (a) most in need and (b) those that will quickly spend the money at businesses to help give the economy some traction.  Though I have no idea if those two circles overlap. 

[Person Man]

Finally, though we still have yet to see the actual text of the bill.  

[]

AOC claims it is lacking in worker relief and has $0.5 trillion in corporate bailouts.

Twitter is pretty full of confusion right now.  Lots and lots of figures, numbers, rumors, etc. getting thrown around.  

-  "I'm a dependent who recently graduated from college and got a job.  I filed taxes in 2019 but not 2018 as I was not working. Will I see any money?"

- "I'm on social security but don't make enough to file taxes. Are people on social security even included in this bill? Will I see any money?"

- "I make more than 75K but live in an area with an extremely high cost of living.  Will I see any money?"

Etc. Etc.

It probably should be universal for ease of distribution but these people really all think they are special. I think the first had already cleared up by the last bill and is probably the most legitimate of these concerns.

If your only income is social security, nothing about your situation has changed. If it's a matter of medical cost concerns, that can be handled separately. Sorry, no free money for you.

I'm also perpetually sick of the whiners in high COL areas asking for special treatment. 75k isn't enough? If you are making 87k, you were still getting half of it. If your financial situation has changed, you are probably eligible for $3-4k+ a month so long as you apply for jobs.

There are definitely some people actually in need that this misses. These hypotheticals aren't it.

Explain. I think you know what you are saying but not sure. If this guy lives in a northern state that has fully funded unemployment, then I agree.. They (the person who makes $87000 a year) probably would get like $600 a week in unemployment. If they live in one of these sunbelt cities where the smallest apartment is $1000 a month but Unemployment basically only covers up to minimum wage, yeah. That's an issue. Hopefully the senate bill will let people collect full unemployment for 4 months.

[GeorgiaModerate]

https://twitter.com/AliVelshi/status/1242795405517217801

[Donald Trump’s Toupée]

Hahaha Teflon Don

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/public_approval_of_president_trumps_handling_of_the_coronavirus-7088.html

[Bidenworth2020]

https://twitter.com/AliVelshi/status/1242795405517217801

That gap on trust in the national media is... something.

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Hahaha Teflon Don

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/public_approval_of_president_trumps_handling_of_the_coronavirus-7088.html

Hey! What happened to doom-and-gloom Donald Trump's Hair from a few days ago?

[Vaccinated Russian Bear]

https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1242533762375827456

[ilikeverin]

https://twitter.com/AliVelshi/status/1242795405517217801

Governors, governors, governors... everything comes down to governors.

[roxas11]

Hahaha Teflon Don

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/public_approval_of_president_trumps_handling_of_the_coronavirus-7088.html

I dont think he is telflon at all

I said it before and I will say it again
any positive Bump trump is getting right now will ultimately be pointless in the long run since things will be getting far worse in the coming weeks

We are about to head into some tough economic times and Trump knows it
that is why he is trying very hard to reopen everything by Easter because he knows that once the upcoming recession starts to really take hold things are going to get very ugly for him

Plus if anything reopening the government wont actually prevent the recession from happening  
at best it may shorten it a little but all it will really do is just make the US death toll a lot worse

Trump's so called telflon is about to be put to the test and we will see if can maintain that high support he is getting right now once he and the american people are potentially looking at 20 percent unemployment a month or 2 from now.....




    

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Coronavirus Treatment Developed by Gilead Sciences Granted “Rare Disease” Status, Potentially Limiting Affordability

On Monday afternoon, the Food and Drug Administration granted Gilead Sciences “orphan” drug status for its antiviral drug, remdesivir. The designation allows the pharmaceutical company to profit exclusively for seven years from the product, which is one of dozens being tested as a possible treatment for Covid-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.

Experts warn that the designation, reserved for treating “rare diseases,” could block supplies of the antiviral medication from generic drug manufacturers and provide a lucrative windfall for Gilead Sciences, which maintains close ties with President Donald Trump’s task force for controlling the coronavirus crisis. Joe Grogan, who serves on the White House coronavirus task force, lobbied for Gilead from 2011 to 2017 on issues including the pricing of pharmaceuticals.

“The Orphan Drug Act is for a rare disease, and this is about as an extreme opposite of a rare disease you can possibly dream up,” said James Love, director of Knowledge Ecology International, a watchdog on pharmaceutical patent abuse.

You may remember Gilead Sciences from this:

Untangling the Trump administration’s lawsuit over an HIV prevention drug

The U.S. government says in a lawsuit that Gilead, the maker of the anti-HIV drug Truvada, owes the U.S. public royalty money.

The U.S. government routinely sues pharmaceutical companies for making false claims, bilking Medicare, illegal kickbacks, and sloppy manufacturing practices. But on 6 November, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed suit against Gilead Sciences Inc. of Foster City, California, for reasons that cannot easily fit on a bumper sticker. At the center of the dispute are monkey studies done by researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with a Gilead drug called Truvada, and the drug’s use as part of a highly effective HIV prevention strategy called pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

Truvada for PrEP has earned Gilead billions of dollars, and the government contends it deserves some of those earnings because it helped develop the intervention. Specifically, the government alleges Gilead failed to obtain licenses to use four patents that CDC obtained on research results related to PrEP. “Gilead has repeatedly refused to obtain a license from CDC to use the patented regimens,” the federal lawsuit states. “Meanwhile, Gilead has profited from research funded by hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars … but has not paid any royalties to CDC.” The lawsuit contends that “Gilead’s conduct was malicious, wanton, deliberate, consciously wrongful, flagrant, and in bad faith.”

Drugmaker Gilead reaches multiyear agreement with White House to donate HIV prevention med

Pharmaceutical giant Gilead Sciences has agreed to donate drugs that reduce the risk of HIV transmission for up to 200,000 people a year, the Trump administration says.

The agreement between Gilead and the Trump administration will last until at least Dec. 31, 2025, and possibly through the end of 2030, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement Thursday. Gilead will donate its PrEP medication Truvada, which is used to reduce the risk of HIV infection and usually sells for $1,600 to $2,000 a month in the United States.

The deal will "help us achieve our goal of ending the HIV epidemic in America!," President Donald Trump said in a tweet.

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

Hahaha Teflon Don

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/public_approval_of_president_trumps_handling_of_the_coronavirus-7088.html

Hey! What happened to doom-and-gloom Donald Trump's Hair from a few days ago?

It actually seems like Trump is whatever the opposite of Teflon would be.  He simply cannot take advantage of situations that should put him in a dominating position.  During this crisis, he ticks up to 45% job approval, while other leaders in the same spot surge to 70%.

[MABA 2020]

Hahaha Teflon Don

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/public_approval_of_president_trumps_handling_of_the_coronavirus-7088.html

I dont think he is telflon at all

I said it before and I will say it again
any positive Bump trump is getting right now will ultimately be pointless in the long run since things will be getting far worse in the coming weeks

We are about to head into some tough economic times and Trump knows it
that is why he is trying very hard to reopen everything by Easter because he knows that once the upcoming recession starts to really take hold things are going to get very ugly for him

Plus if anything reopening the government wont actually prevent the recession from happening  
at best it may shorten it a little but all it will really do is just make the US death toll a lot worse

Trump's so called telflon is about to be put to the test and we will see if can maintain that high support he is getting right now once he and the american people are potentially looking at 20 percent unemployment a month or 2 from now.....

You're mistaken if you think Trump knows what his doing, the guy is clueless to the s***storm thats about to hit, if he wanted to get himself reelected the best thing to do would be to be honest with the public about the tough times ahead not lie about everything and present an overly rosy view of the situation. It's the same short term thinking that got us into this mess in the first place.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

https://twitter.com/markmackinnon/status/1242798008170938369

[Mr. Reactionary]

https://twitter.com/AliVelshi/status/1242795405517217801

That gap on trust in the national media is... something.

Unsurprising though. I didn't trust the media on most news before this, now Im not even sure I trust them to tell me the correct time. They've become an active danger to society now.

[The Free North]

https://twitter.com/markmackinnon/status/1242798008170938369

As has been stated before, without adjusting for population, this data means nothing. Italy's infection and death rate are far higher as a % of their overall population and frankly, thats what matters in judging effectiveness of treatment and severity of outbreak.

Chinese data is suspect to say the least and the government subject large parts of the country to draconian lockdown policies. India has been oddly immune to the virus despite going on lockdown recently too. The US is bound to have the most cases at this rate by sheer population alone.

[Calthrina950]

"Second wave" hitting Asia
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-second-wave-surge-hong-kong-china-uk-cases-a9420876.html

Also, Prince Charles has it in the UK

Coronavirus really is an anti-elitist disease. The number of celebrities and politicians who have caught it at this point is truly astonishing.

[Calthrina950]

https://twitter.com/AliVelshi/status/1242795405517217801

That gap on trust in the national media is... something.

Unsurprising though. I didn't trust the media on most news before this, now Im not even sure I trust them to tell me the correct time. They've become an active danger to society now.

The media has sensationalized this crisis, which shouldn't be surprising to anyone. Although I'm continuing to follow what is going on online, I've refrained from watching the television over the past few weeks. Nonstop coverage of the pandemic has proven to be very depressing.

[Green Line]

https://twitter.com/markmackinnon/status/1242798008170938369

As has been stated before, without adjusting for population, this data means nothing. Italy's infection and death rate are far higher as a % of their overall population and frankly, thats what matters in judging effectiveness of treatment and severity of outbreak.

Chinese data is suspect to say the least and the government subject large parts of the country to draconian lockdown policies. India has been oddly immune to the virus despite going on lockdown recently too. The US is bound to have the most cases at this rate by sheer population alone.

Not to mention the fact that the graph cannot account for differences in testing methods between countries.  These countries are testing at different rates, and they have different requirements for who is eligible for a test.  Comparing from country to country in this way is completely meaningless.  It just looks pleasing to the eye.