The COVID-2019 Thread

[panama hat]

why don't you share with us another of your loony conspiracy theory about Russia or China

I'd rather give credibility to someone who doesn't glibly and chico-esquely say:

a famous professor suggested

[SKkin]

No doubt...

How long before Gilead dumps?

Today apparently...



Gilead antiviral drug remdesivir flounders in first trial

Gilead antiviral drug remdesivir flops in first trial
Subscribe to read | Financial Times

[jabir]

Bold article in the Bkk post:

Covid-19 exposes our broken system

The government's constant mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic evokes two images in my mind. One is a badly infected wound. The other is an overblown balloon ready to burst.

I return to the same question every day: How long can we go on with this broken system?

Here are some of the messes that have arisen from the government's handling of the pandemic:

• Face-mask corruption, a shameless cover-up and drive to punish the whistleblower. <money>

• Putting money over public safety by welcoming tourists from China and other high-risk countries amid the pandemic. <money>

• The abrupt Bangkok lockdown that caused the virus to spread into the provinces. <panic, incompetence, shortsightedness>

• The military-run boxing stadium serving as a coronavirus super spreader. <monkeys>

• The order from health authorities prohibiting doctors and nurses from asking the public for help in procuring protective gear because it makes the government lose face. <TiT>

• The stay-at-home and social distancing policy that is blind to the situation of the impoverished masses and their needs for assistance. <Thais should be used to it by now>

• The lack of concern for migrant workers' need for protection against ethnic prejudice, which has come with fatal consequences. <Thai superiority>

• Immigration authorities' <initial> business-as-usual approach to expatriates' visa extensions despite the pandemic. <even our glorious leaders figured this out in less than a fortnight>

• The senseless "fit to fly" document demands for Thais overseas, endless red tape and unwillingness to help them to return home. <let's pretend we know what we're doing>

• The double standard treatment for Thai returnees based on their socio-economic status. <TiT>

• The disastrous 5,000-baht compensation scheme. <how much given out vs stolen?>

• Daylight robbery by electricity authorities.

• The prohibition <and seizure> of food donations by good Samaritans on the ground they are breaking social distancing rules. <theft from the mouths of hungry people, for the common good>

• The prime minister's soliciting of help from 20 billionaires, which is tantamount to admitting the pandemic exceeds the government's ability to cope. <freedom lover here, no comment>

Have I left anything out?

A picture that went viral on social media underscores the government's lack of empathy in its handling of the pandemic, as well as the gross disparity in Thailand. The photo shows a group of desperate workers prostrating themselves on the floor to write their petitions against the problematic 5,000-baht cash handouts scheme at the Ministry of Finance. Right behind them is a luxurious, empty reception room which the poor were prohibited from entering.

This is the mandarins' standard treatment of people they view to be lesser than themselves.

Despite loud calls for financial assistance across the board to ease their suffering, the government insists on the selective cash handouts. When people complain about the flawed process that leaves the needy in the lurch, they are hit with more paperwork.

Officialdom's rigidity is not the only reason why the government fiercely resists the idea of universal coverage of welfare benefits. Be it in normal times or national emergencies, the government's constant refrain is lack of money. This is a hollow excuse.

Thailand is fortunate to have a universal healthcare system and nationwide grassroots health personnel to protect people during this pandemic. It's clear during these troubled times that human security and health safety are more important than tanks, submarines and other military toys.

People now realise that handouts wouldn't be unnecessary if they had universal welfare coverage to fall back on. They are now asking the same questions: Why not cut the military's bloated budget (among others) to expand the social safety net and strengthen the healthcare system?

We know what the answer is, and why. Notwithstanding bureaucratic rigidity and officialdom's blase attitude toward the poor, the government chooses handouts because charities extol givers, cheapen recipients, and keep the status quo intact.

Universal welfare coverage, meanwhile, shows respect for human dignity and equal rights, levels the playing field and gives people more choices in life. A strong welfare system empowers people and shakes the patronage system -- the last thing the powers-that-be want.

To see through what the self-serving bureaucratic state and elites stand for, look at the national purse. Look at the budget allocations which boil down to money, power and the protection of the status quo. Who cares if the country and the majority of people suffer in the process? The daily policy flip-flops also reveal a serious lack of vision, planning, empathy and principles.

Last week, Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha triggered public outrage by announcing on TV that he would ask 20 billionaires to help the government fight the pandemic since they are "the richest in the land".

"Tell me how you can cooperate with us, how you can help Thailand more?" he asked in a tone denoting a military order.

By doing so, he implicitly admitted the pandemic is getting out of hand. Doesn't he know that public confidence in the leadership is crucial during a national crisis? Doesn't he realise the government must regulate big businesses to protect the public interest and stay clear of policies that could be interpreted as a quid pro quo?

Days earlier, the prime minister said the government had run out of money. It was only natural to interpret the announcement as a cry for money, leading to public anger and the "beggar government" condemnation.

In an apparent face-saving attempt, the prime minister on Tuesday released an open letter to the billionaires, stressing the government is not asking for money, but their efforts to help people more and do it "faster and more efficiently".

Shouldn't he save this instruction for the people in his government?

True to his military and bureaucratic top-down style, the prime minister ordered the billionaires to send him their project proposals by next week so the government can assist them accordingly.

It did not occur to him to first ask the people what they in fact need "faster, more efficiently and transparently". <risk of face/ridicule if he needs to ask>

The same day, the government made policy U-turns on the 5,000-baht handouts and the extraordinarily high power bills to appease public fury.

For the handouts, the cabinet finally increased the number of recipients from nine to 14 million.

Again, the government refuses to consider cash assistance across the board or create systematic universal welfare coverage to prepare for future crises.

For the power bill hikes, people cried foul, not only because of the gross lack of empathy for people in crisis, but also because of possible irregularities and the perennially non-transparent power cost calculations.

With cabinet approval for the electricity bill cuts, power authorities can let out a sigh of relief, having escaped public scrutiny.

The cabinet also approved a visa extension for foreigners for three more months. The decision should have been made swiftly to avoid the spread of Covid-19, but instead was forced to yield to the bureaucracy.

The Covid-19 pandemic lays bare the malaise afflicting our society. In one of the world's most unequal countries, the pandemic exposes yet again the chasm between the rich and the poor.

The government's handling of the pandemic also reveals corruption, nepotism and obsession with face, even at the expense of lives.

Importantly, it shows that centralised officialdom's business-as-usual mentality not only fails to respond to the pandemic, but aggravates it.

Covid-19 exposes our broken system and the public fury is growing every day with state inefficiency. People want comprehensive bureaucratic reform. They also want universal welfare coverage, not handouts.

Universal welfare coverage would prevent society from reaching a breaking point. But if the government insists on maintaining the status quo, the worst is yet to come. <they got the guns, lady>

Covid-19 exposes our broken system

As said before, no big deal, Thais are used to being fcuked over by their leaders.

[panama hat]

Bold article in the Bkk post:

I didn't believe you that it is a BKK Post article . . . to my surprise it's legit. (with a few annotations by you )

The author in jail yet?

[Troy]

So a word that will get a lot of publicity in coming months:

"Chaddox-1"

Coronavirus: Why Oxford university is so confident in an early vaccine win | World News | Sky News

Some more info on Chaddox-1:

Oxford COVID-19 vaccine begins human trial stage

University of Oxford researchers have begun testing a COVID-19 vaccine in human volunteers in Oxford today. Around 1,110 people will take part in the trial, half receiving the vaccine and the other half (the control group) receiving a widely available meningitis vaccine.

...

Oxford COVID-19 vaccine begins human trial stage | University of Oxford

They are not as optimistic as the Sky New report. It could take 2-6 months just to find out if the vaccine is effective.

Still, at least trials have started...any TD members in the area that want to volunteer?

=========================

edit:

The Imperial College Virus links to modelling and report can be found here. There is also a link to the software model (written in R although the first version was in Python) in Github

Estimating the number of infections and the impact of nonpharmaceutical interventions on COVID-19 in 14 European countries - Imperial College London

[harrybarracuda]

I didn't believe you that it is a BKK Post article . . . to my surprise it's legit. (with a few annotations by you )

The author in jail yet?

Well I don't know if she was being prescient in writing her job title...

FORMER EDITORIAL PAGES EDITOR

[Troy]

I didn't believe you that it is a BKK Post article . . . to my surprise it's legit. (with a few annotations by you )

The author in jail yet?

I'm not sure all that moan was completely justified. Thailand has been in lockdown and not that many returned to the provinces. The numbers reported show the virus is being controlled and I have seen no reason to doubt it here. I have no idea about Bangkok where population density is much higher.

Has the government only postponed payments for the military gear or cancelled? Subs, tanks and planes aren't much use right now...they at least realise that.

[harrybarracuda]

I don't think Twitter video links work here but just look at Dr. Birx face....


https://twitter.com/i/status/1253482576699969537

Or even better....

https://twitter.com/i/status/1253506008498003968

[harrybarracuda]

Do you think he's seen Fantastic Voyage?

Added: That might be worth a try, remember in the movie they are trying to repair someone's damaged brain.

[harrybarracuda]

The virus has claimed Elizabeth Warren's brother.

Elizabeth Warren’s oldest brother dies of coronavirus in Oklahoma - The Boston Globe

[harrybarracuda]

Another corporation has returned $20m intended to help "small business". This after it sneakily claimed two lots of $10m by applying from each of two subsidiaries.

Ruth’s Chris Steak House to give back $20 million loan amid pressure

[harrybarracuda]

Frontline health workers and patients in France may be given nicotine patches after studies found that four times fewer smokers contracted Covid-19 than non-smokers.

It may sound counterintuitive that people who puff on Gauloises are less likely to catch a virus that can cause deadly attacks on the lungs. However, that was the statistical outcome of an in-depth study conducted by the Pasteur Institute, a leading French research centre into the disease.

The institute tested almost 700 teachers and pupils of a school in Crépy-en-Valois in one of the hardest-hit areas in France, as well as their families. The “highly accurate” tests found that only 7.2 per cent of smokers from among the adults tested were infected while four times as many non-smokers, some 28 per cent, were infected.

Smokers 'four times less likely' to contract Covid-19, prompting nicotine patch trials on patients

[harrybarracuda]

Trump's bandits at it again.

A shipment of one million N95 masks to Miami-Dade County firefighters was confiscated by the federal government last week, say top Miami-Dade officials.

Feds Seized Shipment Of One Million Masks To Miami-Dade, Say Officials | WLRN

[harrybarracuda]

Who did baldy put in this Inspector General's job? A cat groomer?

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lawyers for the ousted director of a U.S. agency responsible for the development of drugs to fight the COVID-19 pandemic said on Thursday he will file a whistleblower’s complaint with two government offices over his reassignment.

Rick Bright said on Wednesday he was replaced as director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, because he resisted the Trump administration’s efforts to push hydroxychloroquine and the related chloroquine as cures for COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus.

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly touted the malaria drugs as a treatment for coronavirus though few studies suggest a possible benefit.

“In our filing we will make clear that Dr. Bright was sidelined for one reason only — because he resisted efforts to provide unfettered access to potentially dangerous drugs, including chloroquine, a drug promoted by the administration as a panacea, but which is untested and possibly deadly when used improperly,” his lawyers said in a statement.

His lawyers said they will file the complaint with the Office of Special Counsel and the Department of Health and Human Services’ Inspector General.

Bright hopes he will be reinstated in his post at BARDA once the facts of the case become known, his lawyers said.

The Office of Special Counsel, an independent U.S. government agency, investigates and can prosecute abuses against federal employees.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-bright/lawyers-for-ousted-u-s-health-official-say-he-will-file-whistleblower-complaint-idUSKCN2253HW

[harrybarracuda]

Matt Hancock has insisted Britons must be first in the queue for any UK-developed coronavirus vaccine amid a growing row in the Government over the issue.

Downing Street and its scientific advisers are refusing to make any promises over the UK distribution of a British-made vaccine, partly to hedge their bets in case another country produces one first.

But the Health Secretary is determined that British taxpayers – who are funding two UK vaccine programmes at a cost of £42 million – should be the first to see the benefit if either of the projects is successful.

A Department of Health and Social Care source said: "Matt is the UK Health Secretary, and his job is to protect the UK health service and the UK population. If Britain is the first country to develop a vaccine, he wants to make sure British people, who paid for it, have first refusal."

Coronavirus vaccine row grows as Matt Hancock says UK jab must go to British people first

[harrybarracuda]

Fed up with people breaking virus quarantine rules, one Indonesian politician has decided to scare rulebreakers straight by locking them in a "haunted house".

Sragen regency head Kusdinar Untung Yuni Sukowati says she issued the unusual edict this week to deal with an influx of people to the area after lockdowns in the capital Jakarta and other major cities.

Some newcomers, however, weren't respecting orders that they isolate themselves for 14 days to prevent the spread of coronavirus across the region on Indonesia's densely populated Java island.

So Sukowati instructed communities to repurpose abandoned houses that were feared to be haunted -- tapping widespread beliefs in the supernatural, which play a key role in Indonesian folklore.

Five people have been tossed into Sragen's spooky jails so far.

"If there's an empty and haunted house in the village, put people in there and lock them up," Sukowati told AFP Tuesday when asked about the rule.

Officials in Sepat village chose a long-abandoned house and outfitted it with beds placed at a distance and separated by curtains.

So far, the village has locked up three recently-arrived residents who are being forced to spend the remainder of their two-week quarantine in the spooky abode.

Among them was Heri Susanto, who said his punishment hadn't brought him face to face with any ghosts -- so far.

"But whatever happens, happens," said Susanto, who came from neighboring Sumatra island.

"I know this is for everyone's safety. Lesson learned."

Indonesia locks virus violators in 'haunted house' - National - The Jakarta Post

[Warwick]

studies found that four times fewer smokers contracted Covid-19 than non-smokers.

It may simply be that people keep their distance from smokers.

[harrybarracuda]

It may simply be that people keep their distance from smokers.

Or it may simply be

The researchers said that a “nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR)” plays a key role in infection from the coronavirus and that nicotine may act to protect this receptor from attack. It may also lessen the overreaction of the body’s immune system that has been found in the most severe cases of Covid-19 infection.

Or they use better masks.

[Dillinger]

Bold article in the Bkk post:

Covid-19 exposes our broken system

The government's constant mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic evokes two images in my mind. One is a badly infected wound. The other is an overblown balloon ready to burst.

I return to the same question every day: How long can we go on with this broken system?

Here are some of the messes that have arisen from the government's handling of the pandemic:

• Face-mask corruption, a shameless cover-up and drive to punish the whistleblower. <money>

• Putting money over public safety by welcoming tourists from China and other high-risk countries amid the pandemic. <money>

• The abrupt Bangkok lockdown that caused the virus to spread into the provinces. <panic, incompetence, shortsightedness>

• The military-run boxing stadium serving as a coronavirus super spreader. <monkeys>

• The order from health authorities prohibiting doctors and nurses from asking the public for help in procuring protective gear because it makes the government lose face. <TiT>

• The stay-at-home and social distancing policy that is blind to the situation of the impoverished masses and their needs for assistance. <Thais should be used to it by now>

• The lack of concern for migrant workers' need for protection against ethnic prejudice, which has come with fatal consequences. <Thai superiority>

• Immigration authorities' <initial> business-as-usual approach to expatriates' visa extensions despite the pandemic. <even our glorious leaders figured this out in less than a fortnight>

• The senseless "fit to fly" document demands for Thais overseas, endless red tape and unwillingness to help them to return home. <let's pretend we know what we're doing>

• The double standard treatment for Thai returnees based on their socio-economic status. <TiT>

• The disastrous 5,000-baht compensation scheme. <how much given out vs stolen?>

• Daylight robbery by electricity authorities.

• The prohibition <and seizure> of food donations by good Samaritans on the ground they are breaking social distancing rules. <theft from the mouths of hungry people, for the common good>

• The prime minister's soliciting of help from 20 billionaires, which is tantamount to admitting the pandemic exceeds the government's ability to cope. <freedom lover here, no comment>

Have I left anything out?

A picture that went viral on social media underscores the government's lack of empathy in its handling of the pandemic, as well as the gross disparity in Thailand. The photo shows a group of desperate workers prostrating themselves on the floor to write their petitions against the problematic 5,000-baht cash handouts scheme at the Ministry of Finance. Right behind them is a luxurious, empty reception room which the poor were prohibited from entering.

This is the mandarins' standard treatment of people they view to be lesser than themselves.

Despite loud calls for financial assistance across the board to ease their suffering, the government insists on the selective cash handouts. When people complain about the flawed process that leaves the needy in the lurch, they are hit with more paperwork.

Officialdom's rigidity is not the only reason why the government fiercely resists the idea of universal coverage of welfare benefits. Be it in normal times or national emergencies, the government's constant refrain is lack of money. This is a hollow excuse.

Thailand is fortunate to have a universal healthcare system and nationwide grassroots health personnel to protect people during this pandemic. It's clear during these troubled times that human security and health safety are more important than tanks, submarines and other military toys.

People now realise that handouts wouldn't be unnecessary if they had universal welfare coverage to fall back on. They are now asking the same questions: Why not cut the military's bloated budget (among others) to expand the social safety net and strengthen the healthcare system?

We know what the answer is, and why. Notwithstanding bureaucratic rigidity and officialdom's blase attitude toward the poor, the government chooses handouts because charities extol givers, cheapen recipients, and keep the status quo intact.

Universal welfare coverage, meanwhile, shows respect for human dignity and equal rights, levels the playing field and gives people more choices in life. A strong welfare system empowers people and shakes the patronage system -- the last thing the powers-that-be want.

To see through what the self-serving bureaucratic state and elites stand for, look at the national purse. Look at the budget allocations which boil down to money, power and the protection of the status quo. Who cares if the country and the majority of people suffer in the process? The daily policy flip-flops also reveal a serious lack of vision, planning, empathy and principles.

Last week, Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha triggered public outrage by announcing on TV that he would ask 20 billionaires to help the government fight the pandemic since they are "the richest in the land".

"Tell me how you can cooperate with us, how you can help Thailand more?" he asked in a tone denoting a military order.

By doing so, he implicitly admitted the pandemic is getting out of hand. Doesn't he know that public confidence in the leadership is crucial during a national crisis? Doesn't he realise the government must regulate big businesses to protect the public interest and stay clear of policies that could be interpreted as a quid pro quo?

Days earlier, the prime minister said the government had run out of money. It was only natural to interpret the announcement as a cry for money, leading to public anger and the "beggar government" condemnation.

In an apparent face-saving attempt, the prime minister on Tuesday released an open letter to the billionaires, stressing the government is not asking for money, but their efforts to help people more and do it "faster and more efficiently".

Shouldn't he save this instruction for the people in his government?

True to his military and bureaucratic top-down style, the prime minister ordered the billionaires to send him their project proposals by next week so the government can assist them accordingly.

It did not occur to him to first ask the people what they in fact need "faster, more efficiently and transparently". <risk of face/ridicule if he needs to ask>

The same day, the government made policy U-turns on the 5,000-baht handouts and the extraordinarily high power bills to appease public fury.

For the handouts, the cabinet finally increased the number of recipients from nine to 14 million.

Again, the government refuses to consider cash assistance across the board or create systematic universal welfare coverage to prepare for future crises.

For the power bill hikes, people cried foul, not only because of the gross lack of empathy for people in crisis, but also because of possible irregularities and the perennially non-transparent power cost calculations.

With cabinet approval for the electricity bill cuts, power authorities can let out a sigh of relief, having escaped public scrutiny.

The cabinet also approved a visa extension for foreigners for three more months. The decision should have been made swiftly to avoid the spread of Covid-19, but instead was forced to yield to the bureaucracy.

The Covid-19 pandemic lays bare the malaise afflicting our society. In one of the world's most unequal countries, the pandemic exposes yet again the chasm between the rich and the poor.

The government's handling of the pandemic also reveals corruption, nepotism and obsession with face, even at the expense of lives.

Importantly, it shows that centralised officialdom's business-as-usual mentality not only fails to respond to the pandemic, but aggravates it.

Covid-19 exposes our broken system and the public fury is growing every day with state inefficiency. People want comprehensive bureaucratic reform. They also want universal welfare coverage, not handouts.

Universal welfare coverage would prevent society from reaching a breaking point. But if the government insists on maintaining the status quo, the worst is yet to come. <they got the guns, lady>

Covid-19 exposes our broken system

Spot on. He even craftily has a pop at someone in a German hotel

[Dillinger]

I'm not sure all that moan was completely justified. Thailand has been in lockdown and not that many returned to the provinces. The numbers reported show the virus is being controlled and I have seen no reason to doubt it here

How would you know whats going on Nationally, when you are on lockdown in one province out in the sticks?

[nidhogg]

Towards the top of the page, a day to day count of cases in top 10 countries -pretty amazing, and worth a look.

Whilw things may change, Thailand comes off pretty bloody well:


Coronavirus symptoms: What are they and how do I protect myself? - BBC News

[OhOh]

How would you know whats going on Nationally, when you are on lockdown in one province out in the sticks

Because there are many similar, all over Thailand, where they see far less foreigners?

[Troy]

How would you know whats going on Nationally, when you are on lockdown in one province out in the sticks?

I don't but I don't hear a lot of complaining or problems from TD members who are scattered around. Europe will open up before the number of new daily cases is below 50...

[HuangLao]

Still......one of nature's revenges is getting the best of us.
We're perplexed and have yet to figure it out - if we ever do.

All the while, she's developing more resistant strains and we're waiting for the next wave or two, not knowing what to expect.

Even more howling are the species inspired political and faux intellectual themes that we attach to most everything.
She's having a decent laugh at our expense and insanity.

We haven't treated her terribly well.

[Warwick]

Or it may simply be

The researchers said that a “nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR)” plays a key role in infection from the coronavirus and that nicotine may act to protect this receptor from attack. It may also lessen the overreaction of the body’s immune system that has been found in the most severe cases of Covid-19 infection.

Oh! It's the old "nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR)" I had forgotten all about them. Don't be shy, do tell us more.