Trump's former pandemic adviser: 'We are 10 days from our hospitals getting creamed'

Theweek.com ^ | March 10, 2020 | Tim O'Donnell -WaPOS

[Red Badger]

Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus are swiftly ballooning across the United States, and President Trump's former Homeland Security Adviser Thomas Bossert says time is running out to control the spread.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D), who is overseeing one of the country's largest clusters, said "if you do the math" there could be 64,000 cases of COVID-19 in the Evergreen State by May, while New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the positive cases in the city are "coming in so intensely now" that public officials are struggling to keep up with them. He said he wasn't in a position to give the media a "detailed case breakdown" because of the rapidly changing number.

That seems to lend credence to Bossert's claim Tuesday that hospitals could soon be overwhelmed.

Bossert, who in his old position coordinated the U.S. response to global pandemics (he was not replaced by Trump, who made cuts to national security), wrote an op-ed published Monday by The Washington Post saying the U.S. should take notes from places like Hong Kong and Singapore, which were able to level off their infection rate thanks to tougher measures early on.

[BenLurkin]

bttt

[babble-on]

That’s what the countries that have contained the virus have done. You slow the spread because over the course of two weeks of quarantine you know who has the virus, because those are the people who get sick. Then you keep them separated, and everyone else can resume their lives. The sick people get tested. If they have the virus either they well on their own, or go to the hospital and get well with the help of ventilators that allow them to live long enough for their body to beat the virus, or they die. But at least in the meantime they have not unknowingly infected hundreds of other people during the long latency period between when they are exposed and when the show symptoms.

[babble-on]

“Never let a small crisis turn into a huge one.” - anyone with a brain

[Afterguard]

“the U.S. should take notes from places like Hong Kong and Singapore”

I wonder if these morons have noticed that the Hong Kong and Singapore have slightly smaller populations than the continental U.S.? Not to mention that both are essentially totalitarian entities.

I am not minimizing the obvious potential impact of the unknown (novel) disease that we are facing, but geese, it’s not the U.S.’ fault. It’s not even Donald Trump’s fault.

I truly despise these alarmists.

[nikos1121]

Might be a good time not to buy any stock

[Lazamataz]

Most people are indeed recovering!

I didn't.

[txrefugee]

If you take this story seriously, you would cancel any elective surgery and you would get your loved ones out of the hospitals. Being in a hospital is the worst place you can be during a pandemic.

[null and void]

Hospitals creamed? but but but but it's just the flu, bro!...

Bring Out Your Dead

Post to me or FReep mail to be on/off the Bring Out Your Dead ping list.

The purpose of the “Bring Out Your Dead” ping list (formerly the “Ebola” ping list) is very early warning of emerging pandemics, as such it has a high false positive rate.

So far the false positive rate is 100%.

At some point we may well have a high mortality pandemic, and likely as not the “Bring Out Your Dead” threads will miss the beginning entirely.

*sigh* Such is life, and death...

If a quarantine saves just one child's life, it's worth it.

[txrefugee]

The Week is a Leftist rag published by the NY Slimes, so don’t take it seriously.

[null and void]

This ain’t a “Pandemic”.... It is a “Dem-Panic”!

I'm stealing that BossBird!

[WildHighlander57]

LouieFisk wrote:

“You fell for a prank post.”

Louie Fisk,

Did you check the background of that OP (not grampa Dave, the guy with the foreign name)?

[1Old Pro]

This ain’t a “Pandemic”.... It is a “Dem-Panic”! I'm stealing that BossBird!

You and all the bright people in the world - it's perfect.

[thefactor]

Exactly. But the media hates Trump and everyone here hates the media so the proper protocols are being ignored and this will go on longer than it should and we will go into a real recession.

[Artcore]

Over the past 6 months there are roughly 4000 Coronavirus deaths globally vs roughly 300,000 flu deaths.... This is insanity.

....

Exactly! And these are people who under normal circumstances understand that our media regularly lies, and will do anything to undermine Trump and damage our nation to help the Democrats regain their fleeting power!

Rush had a very good take on the media’s strategy in pushing this as yet another way to try and hurt him. It’s a quick read from yesterday’s show:

https://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2020/03/10/were-watching-hurricane-coronavirus-coverage/

[MNJohnnie]

When this fails to materialize what are the consequence that should be imposed by the US people on the knowing lying panic mongering chicken littles in the Fake News

Or, as usual, are we going to let them get away with it yet again?

I think a $5 trillion class action lawsuit for the the economic damages to the US caused by this deliberate knowing lying is in order

[Vermont Lt]

When there have been hurricane warnings out for weeks, when you start to feel the wind, it is a little late to start screaming.

Hospitals will get hit. But they will survive.

I would caution anyone that if you don’t need to be in the hospital, it would be a good time to stay away. But that is true with every flu season.

[SaxxonWoods]

“This mass hysteria has to end.”

My wife and I are both noticing that people have gone from worry to joking about it. You can only wallow in hysteria for so long before you break down or throw it off.

[babble-on]

That, I am afraid, is correct.

The media, having cried “wolf” before, is not believed in the presence of actual wolf.

[MNJohnnie]

I see the same old shameless liars are here ignoring all fact to cling to their lying by anecdote

Real facts for those interested in Science and data not politically motivated panic mongering and lying.

121,340 total cased WORLD WIDE. 50,00 active cases 70,000 resolved case

4380 deaths. Average age of death: 80 years old

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

[Vermont Lt]

That letter made sense until he started going all “reality TV” on the prospects of missing a wedding or graduation.

My daughter’s school is about to cancel the second half of the semester of grad school. At $18k a semester, with no student loans involved...that will leave a mark.