Tag: coronavirus

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FDA Approves ‘Quick Result’ Coronavirus Test

The Washington Post reports the FDA has approved a new “rapid result” coronavirus test that can deliver results in 45 minutes.

The FDA granted “emergency use authorization” to Cepheid, a California company that makes a rapid molecular test for the coronavirus. Getting results in 45 minutes would be far quicker than the current situation in which tests typically are sent to central reference labs that can take days to deliver results.

The FDA authorization covers “patient care settings,” including doctors’ offices, but initially will be used primarily by hospitals and emergency departments, the company said.

The specimen can be collected either by a nasal swab or by a saline wash using a small catheter. Neither is particularly comfortable, but the advantage of the wash is that it doesn’t require swabs, which are in short supply.

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Full Ground Stop At All NYC Area Airports Due To Staffing Shortages

(image via Erik Odiin/Unsplash)
UPDATE: The Federal Aviation Administration lifted its brief suspension of flights to New York City-area airports due to coronavirus-related staffing issues at a regional air-traffic control center.

The halt was lifted after about 30 minutes. Initially, air traffic controllers were warned it could last several hours.

Apparently someone in the regional New York center for air traffic control tested positive, so the FAA shut it down. Inbound flights are being diverted and take-offs have been canceled. From CBNC:

Air traffic into major New York City-area airports was halted on Saturday, the Federal Aviation Administration said, as coronavirus continues to cause staffing issues at FAA facilities around the country.

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Trump Promotes Anti-Malaria Drug Not Approved As Treatment For Coronavirus

Donald Trump continues to push the idea that anti-malaria drug chloroquine has been approved as treatment for COVID-19. It has not. Via Mediaite:

At a White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing Friday, Fox News reporter John Roberts asked Fauci about the anti-malaria drug chloroquine, which is being tested as a treatment for COVID-19 but has not been approved for that use, despite Trump’s claim to the contrary yesterday.

“It was explained yesterday there has been some promise with hydroxychloroquine, this potential therapy for people who are infected with coronavirus,” Roberts said, then asked, “Is there any evidence to suggest that as with malaria it might be used as a prophylaxis against COVID-19?”

“The answer is no, and the evidence that you’re talking about, John, is anecdotal evidence,” Dr. Fauci replied, adding “So as the commissioner of FDA and the president mentioned yesterday, we’re trying to strike a balance between making something with a potential of an effect to the American people, available, at the same time that we do it under the auspices of a protocol that would give us information to determine if it’s truly safe and truly effective.”

Trump tweeted about the drug again this morning:

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News Round-Up: March 20, 2020

Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Woofy Steve_in_LA (above) looks handsome as ever self-isolating in style as he works from home. • LGBTQ Nation: At least four LGBTQ people who were at the Winter Party – a huge circuit party held in Miami earlier this month – have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Other partiers have also developed symptoms. • CNBC: The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 913 points lower, or more than 4%, after rallying more than 400 points earlier in the day. The S&P 500 slid 4.4%. The Nasdaq Composite closed 3.8% lower after jumping more than 2%. • KIT212: Kenneth’s weekly round-up of the what’s what in local gay rags like Scissor Sister’s lead singer Jake Shears in the latest issue of GRAB. • Washington Post: U.S. intelligence agencies were issuing ominous, classified warnings in January and February about the global danger posed by the coronavirus while President Trump and lawmakers played down the threat and failed to take action that might have slowed the spread of the pathogen, according to U.S. officials familiar with spy agency reporting. • CNN: Economists at Goldman Sachs predict next week’s unemployment report will show 2.25 million Americans filing for their first week of unemployment benefits this week — eight times the number of people who filed last week and the highest level on record. • New Music: Scottish singer/writer ONR (pronounced “honor”) shares new track and video “Human Enough,” the latest from his forthcoming Must Stop EP.

ONR says of the new track: “I liked the idea that ‘being human’ wasn’t a defining quality, but rather a sliding-scale… that you could consider yourself ’not human enough’ to be someone else’s equal. The video is dark, confused, frustrated; it exists within this fantastical alternative reality where the concept of being human is (literally) different from our own.”

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‘Walking Dead’s’ Daniel Newman Goes To ER For COVID-19, Can’t Get Tested

Daniel Newman (image via Instagram)
Walking Dead actor Daniel Newman shared via Instagram he is currently self-quarantining after being told he’d been exposed to the coronavirus and has now developed symptoms. “I was just in Australia with Sam Smith, Dua Lipa, and thousands of people from around the world for Mardi Gras Pride,” writes the openly gay actor. “I was exposed to some sick people and I started developing symptoms and then back in the states I was notified someone in our group tested positive for #Covid19.” Upon hearing the news, Newman set out to get properly tested, But that turned out to be more difficult than he imagined. Even though he “spent all day calling every urgent care and hospital,” Newman was told repeatedly facility after facility didn’t have tests. “Finally I found one emergency room that told me my symptoms match and to come in immediately. I did all the tests and they told me because I have ‘mild symptoms’ the government won’t allow them to process my tests!” Newman was informed that the only tests being processed were for those with “severe symptoms,” the elderly, or individuals who had recently traveled to Italy or China. And just to make things a bit worse, the ER visit cost him $9,116 but provided no results. “They sent me home and tons of other ill people that could potentially infect their communities, just telling us to ‘self quarantine,’” wrote Newman. He went on to express frustrations many have voiced about the government’s lack of planning despite watching China’s epidemic for months. “Why after almost 3 months since China is our country not prepared with tests, masks, hand sanitizer, toilet paper! Why after one day of shaky stock markets did they invest $1.5 trillion into the markets, but not the healthcare system after three months! This was not a surprise, this was not being prepared.” Noting the H1N1 and SARS health threats in the recent past, Newman added, “Why didn’t we have a pandemic unit ready when this happens every few years?” As has been reported, the Trump administration chose to dismantle a National Security Council directorate at the White House in 2018 which would have been prepared for when another pandemic would hit the nation. Newman also reminded folks to wash hands, practice social distancing and to remember that “young people are not immune.” You can read Newman’s full post on Instagram below.

View this post on Instagram

Thanks for all the concern! I guess a lot of #WalkingDead fans saw me in the emergency room regarding #CoronaVirus. Sorry I didn’t reply I needed time to process. So here’s what happened. Yes I was just in Australia with Sam Smith, Dua Lipa, and thousands of people from around the world for Mardi Gras Pride. I was exposed to some sick people and I started developing symptoms and then back in the states I was notified someone in our group tested positive for #Covid19. I spent all day calling every urgent care and hospital no one had tests! Finally I found one emergency room that told me my symptoms match and to come in immediately. I did all the tests and they told me because I have “mild symptoms“ the government won’t allow them to process my tests! They don’t have enough they’re not prepared, even though all my symptoms match. They’re only allowed to process “severe symptoms, elderly, or people recently in Italy and China”. It cost me $9,116!! and they didn’t even give me results. They sent me home and tons of other ill people that could potentially infect their communities, just telling us to “self Quarantine“. Why after almost 3 months since China is our country not prepared with tests, masks, hand sanitizer, toilet paper! Why after one day of shaky stock markets did they invest 1.5 trillion into the markets, but not the Healthcare system after three months! This was not a surprise, this was not being prepared. We’ve already gone through #H1N1 #SARS why didn’t we have a pandemic unit ready when this happens every few years!? Everyone please treat each other with kindness and Love ❤️! We are all going through this together. Young people are not immune, thousands of people are dying around the world. Please be safe, wash your hands, stay 6 feet or more away from people and stay home. I love you guys so much you can get a hold of me on here or Twitter if you need to talk I’m here for you. Love – D

A post shared by DANIEL NEWMAN (@danielnewman_) on

Several famous folks have been diagnosed with the coronavirus including Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Andy Cohen, Idris Elba, and the Bachelor’s Colton Underwood.

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California: Gov. Newsom Issues ‘Stay At Home’ Order

Gov. Gavin Newsom (CA)

All Californians, nearly 40 million people, have been ordered to stay at home except for when it is absolutely necessary for them to leave “until further notice” in response to the ongoing coronavirus threat. There are exemptions for public safety and health care operations as well as other essential services, including laundromats, grocery stores, and restaurants that offer takeout or delivery.

Gov. Gavin Newsom (image via Facebook)
From Buzzfeed News:

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the order late Thursday just an hour after officials in Los Angeles County, the most populous county in the US, issued a similar mandate. Earlier this week, their Bay Area counterparts handed down similar “shelter-in-place” orders, the strictest measures taken in the country so far.

Across the state of California, health officials have confirmed 675 cases of COVID-19 and 16 deaths from the disease as of Wednesday evening, behind Washington state and New York, where more than 5,000 cases have been confirmed.

The state’s order takes effect immediately and will be in place indefinitely with Newsom telling reporters that officials “could not give a deadline that we really could believe in.”

The Los Angeles order, which will stay in effect until at least April 19, requires all businesses, including museums, malls, retail stores, and workplaces, to stop operations and only allows people to leave their home for “essential activities,” like to pick up food, go to the doctor, or take a walk in the neighborhood.

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Gov. Cuomo Orders New York Workers To Stay Home

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has ordered all non-essential businesses to keep all employees at home beginning Sunday evening. Grocery stores, pharmacies & other support businesses will be allowed to stay open. There were 2,950 new cases reported in New York state in the last day alone. From the Washington Post:

All New York workers are prohibited from reporting to their workplace in person, with the exception of people who perform essential services, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D) said Friday.

The policy, to be formalized via executive order, will take effect Sunday evening and will be backed by the force of law, Cuomo said at a news conference. “These provisions will be enforced,” he said. “These are not helpful hints; this is not if you really want to be a good citizen.”

Cuomo emphasized that this policy is not an order to “shelter in place” — a term that is usually used in mass shooting situations. He said the guidance to residents to mostly stay inside may continue for months and that people should feel free to take walks for the sake of their mental health.

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2nd GOP Senator Sold Millions In Stock After Receiving Intel On Coronavirus

Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA)
Wow. Turns out a second Republican senator sold off millions in stock holdings after receiving high-level intelligence on the coronavirus. From The Daily Beast:

The Senate’s newest member sold off seven figures worth of stock holdings in the days and weeks after a private, all-senators meeting on the novel coronavirus that subsequently hammered U.S. equities.

Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) reported the first sale of stock jointly owned by her and her husband on Jan. 24, the very day that her committee, the Senate Health Committee, hosted a private, all-senators briefing from administration officials, including the CDC director and Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institutes of Health of the United States, on the coronavirus. 

“Appreciate today’s briefing from the President’s top health officials on the novel coronavirus outbreak,” she tweeted about the briefing at the time.

That first transaction was a sale of stock in the company Resideo Technologies worth between $50,001 and $100,000. The company’s stock price has fallen by more than half since then, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average overall has shed approximately 10,000 points, dropping about a third of its value.

Daily Beast reporter Sam Stein notes Loeffler had not made a single stock transaction during the three weeks she served in office prior to this one. This was her first. The day she got the coronavirus briefing. Earlier today I reported that Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) sold more than $1.5 million in stock after being briefed on the impending coronavirus crisis while publicly telling the public everything would be fine. Note – Loeffler is married to Jeffrey Sprecher, the chairman of the New York Stock Exchange, and the chairman and CEO of Intercontinental Exchange, which is NYSE’s parent company.  

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News Round-Up: March 19, 2020

(image via OMG Blog)
Some news items you might have missed: • OMG Blog: This dog (above) recreated Madonna’s iconic photos to hilarious results. • Reuters: A pill containing two HIV drugs that was touted as a potential treatment for the novel coronavirus was not effective, according to a study released late on Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine. • Slate: The Coronavirus Diaries – “The guys are wild on Grindr right now.” • The Recount: As Trump pivots to coronavirus crisis mode (finally), let’s take a look at the months of downplaying and denial.

• Washington Post: Breaking with tradition, more than 80 career national security professionals have signed an open letter of support for Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, saying that President Trump “has created an existential danger to the United States.” • Las Vegas Review-Journal: Little Darlings strip club in Las Vegas will begin offering drive-through strip shows for those who want to indulge in some adult entertainment, but do not want to enter the building, per the CDC’s recommendations that people keep 6 feet in distance between themselves and others. Ten minutes shows will cost $100 plus tip. • CBS News: Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has announced the end to her bid for the Democratic presidential nomination after consistently low rankings in national polls and dismal finishes in primary contests. Making her announcement, she endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden for president. • KIT212: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo chatting with his brother, CNN host Chris Cuomo is pretty funny as the bros fight on-air about who was their mom’s favorite child, calling their parents, and breaking curfew growing up.

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Receiving Intel Reports GOP Senator Sold Stocks A Week Before Market Tanked

Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC)
After assuring the public about the government’s coronavirus preparedness, Senate Intelligence Committee chair Richard Burr, in one day, sold off up to $1.6 million in stock. A week later, the market began its fall. ProPublica reports “Burr sold off a significant percentage of his stocks, unloading between $582,029 and $1.56 million of his holdings on February 13 in 29 separate transactions.”

As the head of the intelligence committee, Burr, a North Carolina Republican, has access to the government’s most highly classified information about threats to America’s security. His committee was receiving daily coronavirus briefings around this time, according to a Reuters story.

A week after Burr’s sales, the stock market began a sharp decline and has lost about 30% since.

His committee was receiving daily briefings. Additionally, NPR is reporting today that the North Carolina senator “warned a small group of well-connected constituents three weeks ago to prepare for dire economic and societal effects of the coronavirus, according to a secret recording obtained by NPR.” The remarks from Burr were more dire than any he had delivered in more public forums. According to the NPR report, Burr told attendees of the luncheon held at the Capitol Hill Club: “There’s one thing that I can tell you about this: It is much more aggressive in its transmission than anything that we have seen in recent history … It is probably more akin to the 1918 pandemic.”