RIGHT NOW NEWS
The Retail Supply Chain Has Inverted – Formerly Efficient Operations Now Least Effective – Small Markets Best Supplied…
"CTH is spending time on this issue because the food distribution sector is the most important sector in all commerce. Having some familiarity with the supply chain might help people to understand the challenges; and possibly help you locate product."
DOJ Files To Drop Charges Against Russian 'Bot Farms' That Fought Mueller Indictment
"Less than a year after a US District court judge dealt a blow to the "Russian active measures" talking point when she ruled that Robert Mueller failed to link them to the Kremlin, the Justice Department has moved to drop all charges against the shell companies accused of interfering in the 2016 US election.
To Mueller's surprise, Concord actually showed up to a Washington courtroom to fight the charges - which Mueller's team tried to delay by claiming that Concord never served in the case, as they didn't 'properly' answer the special counsel's summons. When Concord argued that they appeared as provided by the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, US District Court Judge Dabney Friedrich agreed.
US Postpones April 15 Tax Deadline By 90 Days
"In news that will delight millions of Americans - at least those who end up owing Uncle Sam a tax bill instead of getting a refund - the US government will postpone the April 15 tax-payment deadline for tens of millions of taxpayers by 90 days, giving Americans roughly 3 months pay their 2019 income-tax bills in an unprecedented move.
The IRS, under the authority of President Trump’s national-emergency declaration, will waive interest and penalties as well, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said at the White House Tuesday. The delay will be available to people who owe $1 million or less and corporations that owe $10 million or less."
This Is The 'Terrifying' New Research That Sparked Trump's Aggressive Change Of Tone On Virus
The new research (pdf), led by epidemiologist Dr. Neil Ferguson and published Monday by the Imperial College of London, shows that merely acting to slow rather than completely stop the spread of COVID-19 would "still likely result in hundreds of thousands of deaths and health systems (most notably intensive care units) being overwhelmed many times over."
Unless you have had Public Health Courses recently, you will learn a lot from this paper.
Dr. Fauci’s Mysterious Math – The Quantifying Today Reflects Where We Were A Week Ago – Today Cannot Be Quantified Until Next Week
The commenter, Zekness, is a Canadian with a lot of knowledge of Medicine and Public health. We are posting his comments because of the risks that are not currently talked about. We might also make the comment that we have heard that the current test need to have a certain viral load in the body in order for the test to work. The current guidelines seem to indicate that the test need to be give 7-days after the onset of symptoms in order not to reflect a false negative. We added the bolding for emphasis. Thank you, Sundance and Zekness.
"zekness says:
the current PCR test is very sensitive to SARS, MERS and COVID-19…it was designed to be sensitive to all three, but only those….and it makes sense that this test was re-tooled in this way (which helps to explain why the US did NOT follow the WHO guidance in developing the field test….it did at first, but then realized…no…the test will need to be re-tooled for a much higher sensitive geared primarily for the COVID-19 virus, but ALSO for SARS and MERS…(because we want to know as early as possible in the field that any of these three may be in the wild…)
in the lab, where these tests are sent for confirmation/falsification examinations….is where the contagion is actually identified….
Dr. Fauci is talking “around” this aspect but the science and method is on solid footing.
The lab will establish exactly what genomic profile is at play..and it will confirm the field PCR test result…or not.
for the front line, the immediate actions are to take the PCR test result of positive-positive and start quarantine and begin contact tracing..and further testing…they do not wait for the lab results….but one has to realize, currently this model is based totally on people reporting feeling ill.
the reality is this model does not work effectively against a virus that has a long incubation period, mild symptoms or none at all realize a situation where many people are just not going to report illness…and become super-spreaders. and the days during incubation where no symptoms exist, they are shedding and transmitting.
then you compound this problem with the reality that testing is not feasible for “not sick” surveillance….random sampling yes….but that is like dragging a net in an ocean, catching 4 fish and assuming that will somehow give you a good idea about how many fish are in the ocean….it is a very problematic and bad way to steer pandemic control measures, or to count fish!
then you have the problem that PCR tests are very sensitive (accurate) but calibrated to only these three c-virus and only the current known strains….we know this SARS-Cov-19 will eventually mutate….it probably already has beyond the L and S known strains…will the PCR test be sensitive in it current formula to register precision sensitivity…? we have to assume it will not, based on former experiences….but if we are not taking “not ill” random sample AT SCALE…we will never know until it far too late to get those PCR tests re-tooled..
any way you cut it…we are always going to be looking back in time….and those delays will result in an always late reactionary effort…this will not express the goal of limiting the and trajectory of this pandemic.
the ONLY way to satisfy a goal of limiting this pandemic is to begin a very far reaching set of restrictions right now….travel bans domestically….shut down all non-essential travel and transmission routes….and hope and pray that citizens start taking action to self isolate and do all of the things they can to limit social contact.
possible? probably not…sigh..
just stating how this pandemic can be controlled in a far more effective way.
the downside…yes, the economy and people get distressed..
the upside…far fewer people are dead
Coronna Virus update: Monday March 16 Global Deaths From Covid-19 Pass 7,000; Silicon Valley Shuts Down: Virus Updates
Various updates for Monday from Zero Hedge.
Walz orders partial closure of restaurants, bars and more businesses in Minnesota
"(KTTC/KBJR) -- Gov. Tim Walz has ordered the partial closure of bars, restaurants, entertainment venues and other attractions to slow the spread of COVID-19 in Minnesota.
Walz's order closes restaurants and bars to dine-in customers. He also ordered the temporary closure of other places of public accommodation and amusement, including theaters, museums, fitness centers, and community clubs.
Walz said this closure order will take effect at 5 p.m. on Tuesday and is currently scheduled to end on March 27 at 5 p.m."