A Self-Inflicted Crisis: Overregulation has played a dangerous role in America’s coronavirus outbreak.

City Journal ^ | March 4, 2020 | Roger D. Klein

[karpov]

Earlier this week, the Washington Post reported that the coronavirus may have spread undetected for weeks in Washington State, where the first two virus-related deaths in the U.S. occurred. According to the Post, genetic-sequencing studies of samples from two Seattle-area patients—one from a person who had traveled to China in mid-January, the other from a high school student in the same county, with no known exposure to the virus—suggested a close relationship between the infections. These data led investigators to hypothesize that the coronavirus had been circulating in the state for six weeks.

In King County, a long-term care facility experienced a COVID-19 outbreak that has already been confirmed as the cause of coronavirus-related illnesses in ten residents—six of whom have died—and may have infected more than 50 residents and staff. An additional nine coronavirus cases and two deaths—one of whom was an elderly woman with medical problems—have been reported in King County. Nearby Snohomish County has confirmed six cases and one death. Meantime, Silicon Valley’s Santa Clara Health Department has reported 11 cases, two of which are under investigation. But as of March 3, the Centers for Disease Control’s website listed only 11 known cases of person-to-person infection.

It’s troubling that community spread in Washington State and other parts of the U.S.—possibly affecting hundreds to thousands of individuals—wasn’t detected sooner. Overregulation of diagnostic testing has played a major role in this delay. For weeks, the CDC operated the nation’s sole diagnostic laboratory for coronavirus, while testing in the rest of the world proceeded apace. Test protocols using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were publicly available shortly after Chinese researchers published (or described) the sequence of the virus in mid-January. The World Health Organization (WHO) used a freely available German procedure to create a test kit

[pepsionice]

Factually....nothing exists for the statement by ‘experts’ that the virus had been around for weeks. They can suggest this...but you could have three local illegal-Guatemalan barbers make the same statement with the same authenticity. We should just all stick with the facts while in this period of minor turbulence.

[silverleaf]

For all those blaming “Trump” for lack of early testing
Most of these CDC “ experts” are running a clown show CF built by the previous administration and before

[Black Agnes]

(From ‘16, just after the election)

https://www.wabe.org/atlanta-cdc-employees-express-anxiety-over-trumps-win/

“Employees at the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say the mood in their office is somber.

The employees of one of the largest federal agencies in Atlanta said they’re concerned about job safety, funding and new public health policies under Donald Trump’s presidency.

At the General Muir deli across the street from the CDC, a few employees talked to WABE, asking that their names not be used. One microbiologist said her colleagues were crying in the hallways.

“It’s really sad,” she said. “It’s depressing. I’m eating a bagel to try and be happy.””

[jjotto]

Don’t overlook the fact that Rod Rosenstein’s sister and wife are key figures in the CDC and NIH. Think they won’t exploit their positions to damage the President?

[taxcontrol]

Ummm NO

The truth is that an Obama rule (i.e. OVER regulation) prohibited state labs from using virus testing kits that were not FDA approved.

The proble is over regulation.

[ModelBreaker]

“Factually....nothing exists for the statement by ‘experts’ that the virus had been around for weeks.”

Genetic sequencing of multiple instances of the same virus does give approximate timelines. Viruses mutate and the rate of mutation among multiple instances can be measured approximately.

It can also help assess whether Patient A has a version of the virus that came from Patient B (directly or indirectly) or it came, say, by way of Iran.

So there is factual evidence for that statement. Of course, it is not conclusive and the authors do not pretend that it is.

[motor_racer]

State governors should assert authority under the Constitution that CDC and NIH have no authority, because the federal government created them illegally

[alexandria]

Liberals and their “green” policies are going to be the biggest problem with preventing the spread of this virus. I work at a California high school as a computer specialist. All of our students use Chromebooks and due to problems with and repairs for them, I handle MANY Chromebooks and chargers during the day.
Yesterday, after mentioning that I used Clorox wipes to clean my loaner units, I was told that since I had not been certified as a valid bleach-based cleaning agent handler and that the state of California requires public employees to be certified in order to handle alcohol or bleach-based cleaning agents. I was then told that someone from the district was working on getting us certification classes.

Seriously, we do not have anyone who is able to use alcohol or bleach-based cleaning agents? How the hell are we supposed to remove a virus from devices AND chargers that are used by multiple students? The cleaner they will let us use must stay wet on a surface for 4 mins to kill it.

I am one of the “vulnerable” population with a health condition and I don’t feel safe in the least but I am worried that if I ask for time off it is going to be viewed as an excuse to “get time off” and may even be used against me later when they want to squeeze out more people or drop full-time positions to part-time.