Wuhan Flu

Flu news and fake news: Say it with me: *viral RNA doesn’t necessarily mean live virus was present.* Now you’re going to see “coronavirus can live on surfaces for 17 days!” over and over…

All California trials delayed; L.A. County courts close to public

They report it as though the OLD outbreak ended: Beijing’s leading doctor warns of a NEW coronavirus outbreak in China after the country reported its first case of someone ‘catching the illness from a person returning from abroad’

Bottom feeder of the day.

Nearly half of Canada’s cases now community spread.

But Trump! False hope! New York Governor @andrewcuomo announces that beginning tomorrow, the State will begin treating some patients with a combination of Hydroxychloroquine and Azithromycin.

WHO launches global megatrial of the four most promising coronavirus treatments

You can add your own links — on topic please — in the comments.

64 Replies to “Wuhan Flu”

  1. Not sure if you noticed; an average of 750 Canadians died EACH DAY for the past 4 years. More than 287,000 Canadians died last year.

    https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1310071001
    https://www.statista.com/statistics/443061/number-of-deaths-in-canada/

    Why is government shutting down the country? For the Coronavirus disease that has killed less than 50 Canadians???

    Nothing wrong with implementing reasonable health measures; but to send everyone home from work; bankrupting lower income Canadians & business owners. Taking away our enjoyment of life while destroying Canada’s economy… Methinks government restrictions are more dangerous than the disease.

    1. My disillusionment with so-called “conservatives” continues. The threads here and on other conservative blogs are deteriorating into more of this nonsense. People who are plugging their fingers in their ears and refusing to listen to what the medical community is saying; covering their eyes and refusing to see what’s happened in Italy and elsewhere; people who seem to think that the health care system will cope just fine with this virus if it’s left to run amok; people who think making the almighty dollar is more valuable than peoples’ lives.

      At least Karl Denninger over at the Market Ticker is brutally honest in what that means. His proposal is this: the economy reopens, most emergency measures are ended, BUT. If you are 55+ years of age, and you present symptoms, and your hospital is full, you ARE NOT admitted. You live or you die but you get no help whatsoever.

      If THAT’S what you and others propose, fine. Come out and say it. Don’t leave out the very real and very significant risks to all of us and those we love. Don’t deteriorate into ranting about government overreach. NOT NOW. You’ll only ensure Trudeau remains PM for a generation, because anyone listening to you will remember that conservatives went INSANE during this time, and never even CONSIDER voting for the likes of you or those you support ever again.

      I have voted straight “team blue” for nearly 20 years (including Reform & Alliance over the PCs pre-merger, hardly a winning move this far east) and comments like yours are making me question it.

      1. People willing to give up freedom of speech, freedom of association, any freedom at all, because they have succumbed to irrational panic…

      2. The Globe and Mail has a pretty good site https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-coronavirus-cases-canada-world-map-explainer/ that provides good stats world wide along with a breakdown by state/province in Canada, USA and China. I looked at the states representing the 10 with most cases. They represent about 80% of the active cases. The states are New York, New Jersey, Washington, California, Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Georgia. The first six are run by democrats, the last four are republican. The first six account for 89% of the active cases the, bottom 4 – 11%. Just saying.

      3. “One who cannot think for themselves is not alive, they are a program that will execute then terminate.”
        -old programmer

      4. I’ve got a news flash for you, sunshine. If there is no economy, then we can’t pay for health care! For anyone! THEN you’re gonna see death tolls spike and they’re going to make this virus look like a Sunday-school picnic.

        BTW nowhere in his post did he say do absolutely nothing for those who are most vulnerable. But running our economy off a cliff in a fit of irrational panic based on a complete lack of understanding of the demographics of the hardest hit European nations and their affect on the outcomes is not the correct approach.

        1. Don’t call me sunshine, and don’t talk to me like I’m some stupid leftist who thinks money comes from trees.

          How do you propose to have ANY kind of functioning economy if the virus runs rampant? If it infects 10% of the populace? 20%? 30%? More? If even 5% of those infected require hospitalization, we’re talking HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of hospital beds we don’t have. Health care for any other serious condition effectively ceases or, as I cited, we become so brutal that we simply start cutting people off. “Death panels” come to life.

          Make the honest argument if you’re going to make it. Think it all the way through and present all the real risks of it. But cut the rest of the crap.

    2. Gord, just an aside, but about 132,400,000 people die every year, at least 250 every second. You know how the precautionary principal works, if it only saves one life, the hell with the millions who lose their freedom to the insanity. I think the objective is to destroy it all. Never let a crisis go to waste and really gin it up if necessary. Your are correct, the restrictions are more dangerous than the virus. If life progressed as normal people would indeed get sick and some would die, yet, when the virus ran it’s course the population would be immune from the exposure. Preventing this from happening will prolong the cycle and do more damage.

  2. “…country reported its first case of someone ‘catching the illness from a person returning from abroad’…

    When it comes to predictability, it’s pretty hard to beat the chicomms.

  3. Wuflu rebound. Well, that’s the crux of the problem isn’t it? Without a vaccine, this only goes away with natural immunity. Even if the population self isolates for weeks, without an expansion of herd immunity, we are still as vulnerable coming out as we were going in, and burdened with staggering costs for not much gain. The Brits realized this and hoped to game the virus, but along came Italy. That’s why it is so critical to know if the Italian experience is the norm and coming to a neighborhood near you, or if Italy is an outlier.

    1. It would be interesting to know if Italy has tried any of the chloroquine analogs. Information on it has been circulating for at least 2 months.

      1. Re: chloroquine analogs Not to be a Debbie Downer, there is a reason for controlled, randomized, double blind studies. Take it from me, as someone who has watched for any treatment that might push back Alzheimers, I have been disappointed many dozens of times. People were popping the champagne corks for exciting drugs, with substantial anecodotal success, that ultimately were no better than a placebo. Im all in for compassionate use, but caution against relying on the effectiveness of this treatment as a basis for policy decisions.

        1. Why is double blind necessary? It isn’t as though there are not enough untreated patients. Unless there is a difference between untreated and treating with a placebo, LOL.
          As for the study for the treatment, ask for volunteers from among those suffering the disease. I bet you will have plenty of them.

          1. For compassionate use it isn’t. I don’t begrudge anyone with coronavirus pneumonia access to these treatments. I hope that it works and that I can get it if I need it. All double blind does is control for bias and placebos. I hope that the PTB are keeping track in a precise and consistent manner that is reproducible. This may not work for everyone or may be harmful to some subsets of patients. We have to know that.

          2. Ex, sometimes a drug will work with one person and not with another. Unless there is a large percentage who benefit from testing it just becomes guess as to who will be harmed as opposed to cured. You are correct.

    2. U.S. National Library of Medicine

      Chloroquine Is a Potent Inhibitor of SARS Coronavirus Infection and Spread
      Martin J Vincent et al. Virol J. 2005

      Conclusion: Chloroquine is effective in preventing the spread of SARS CoV in cell culture. Favorable inhibition of virus spread was observed when the cells were either treated with chloroquine prior to or after SARS CoV infection. In addition, the indirect immunofluorescence assay described herein represents a simple and rapid method for screening SARS-CoV antiviral compounds.

      https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16115318/

    3. Italy has lost ~20,000 people a year to influenza for the last four years, largely because it has a huge population of people over 70 who have smoked their entire lives and are in poor health, living in cramped conditions, in a European country with European standards of living. Plus the 100,000 Han Chinese living in Northern Italy regularly shuttling back and forth.

      Given that Kung Flu seems to be worse than influenza, but not Zika or Ebola Zaire levels of worse, one might expect 30,000 deaths from it (I’m basically guessing, I haven’t run any modelling). So far Italy is at 4,000, the overwhelming majority of those deaths are elderly with pre-existing health conditions, and it’s not possible to know how many of those deaths were actually influenza or unrelated respiratory failure.

      So no, Italy’s not representative of anything and shouldn’t be used in any modelling.

      Unless you’re trying to make this disease look worse than it is.

      1. I dont know if the Italian experience is applicable to the United States. It would help to see year over year excess death stats. That said, it sure is weird that the Italian medical establisment is running around with their hair on fire over just the flu.
        It does occur to me, though, that Germans, Brits, Canadians, and Americans, over 60, are just as likely to have comorbidities so that is not very reassuring.

  4. The Police and the government here in New Brunswick are promoting a citizen’s snitch line. Citizens are encouraged to rat out their neighbours when they think that someone is not obeying the social distancing or isolation protocols. Is this type of Stasi 1984 police state phone line happening elsewhere? And does anyone but me think it’s disturbing ,and way beyond the normal crime reporting or is this acceptable?

    1. Those snitches are everywhere and they’re abnormal weirdos. As Ontario John noted, kids haven’t started reporting on their parents…yet.

    2. Hmmm…the GESTAPO had similar operations throughout Europe. a FREELAND idea perhaps…? Yea, her and that NAZI bastard BUTTS.

    1. Construction is on-going. Roads and bridges, maintenance, etc. Hardware stores are still open.
      Frankly, with the exception of guns and ammo, I’m surprised and thankful the list is as long as it is.
      Beer is essential.

    2. “overpriced cat food” – hate to tell you, Reminder, but some of the bargain-priced stuff is not that great. Male cats, in particular, are at serious risk for getting “blocked” unless they avoid certain foods.

  5. “…reported its first case of someone ‘catching the illness from a person returning from abroad’…

    So, did you hear the one about this Beijinger who visits Canada and went home with a souvenir stamped ‘Made in PRC’ ?

  6. There are some signs that the prefix-quine -suffixes are going to work spectacularly. First there is the medical buzz around why they work and the success of the French and Australian trials, then there’s antidotal and the very public Trump instincts (just try it – forces pills on NYC – what have we got to lose) vs the virulent liberal reaction, the fact that WHO is now making hay with publicity on trialing same and finally this: https://www.dominionpost.com/2020/03/20/mylan-to-restart-production-of-possible-covid-19-drug-at-its-morgantown-plant/ West Virginia to the rescue. True people will still get sick from it but if it isn’t plugging up critical hospitalage and people aren’t dying en mass it’s manageable within the parameters of supply chain, production rates, some level of normal life activity and peak sickness rate. PS apparently there is a third prefix-quine with fluorines. Interestingly what all of these prefix-quine-suffixes have in commmon its the 1benzazine structure also called Quinoline or Chin-o-line. Chin-o-line to fix the China virus? is that the simulation winking? This has potential to be scripted for success and maximum amusement. A little John Denver seems appropriate. So sip your Chin-o-ine containing G&Ts, toast WVA, stay away from the aquarium cleaner and don’t get WuFlu or at least not until May, earliest.

  7. UNIFOR Television News did the usual BS after Blackie did his show yesterday morning.
    They wanted to sit in Blackie’s lap face first and Orangeman is bad.

  8. No breakdown as to death statistics.
    I want to know how many were the institutionalised elderly.
    Institutions hospital/frailcare facilities probably lead to exposure to aerosolised virus going straight to the lungs and higher dose of virus so the infected get sicker quicker before body’s immune response kicks in.
    Theoretically those infected by mouth or eye mucosa can mount an immune response before the virus reaches their lungs therefore a mild infection.
    If you’re stuck at home with a coughing cohabitee make them wear a mask and stay separatelyin a roommto avoid aerosol infection.

      1. This is the best theory to explain Italy that I’ve see. The perfect storm of perfect storms. Its not so much the existence of comorbities, most countries will parallel that but the transmission to the most vulnerable subset of the population, where it percolated under the radar. After that the virus just cascaded and overwhelmed the healthcare delivery system exacerbating the fatality rate.

  9. Now Trump NEEDS the Deep State …

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trump-is-endangering-lives-with-his-contempt-for-truth/2020/03/09/c453cd9c-622a-11ea-b3fc-7841686c5c57_story.html

    Trump is a dictatorial, authoritarian … just like Chairman Xi

    Wait! What!? The left LOVES China and their Dear Leader. But now they’re comparing Trump to Xi … in a bad way? Oh wait … this article is two weeks old … and China is back to work (they say) … and the spread of the virus is far less than predicted in China. Oh well … I don’t expect things like intelligence, or consistency from our media.

    1. Kenji,China sure has thrown a screwing to Canada and the U.S. Subtle, yet effective at shutting down the countries and their economies. A war could not have been more effective, given the insanity that surrounds the current “CRISIS”. Who ya gonna blame?

  10. Received a phone call from a family friend who works for a ground handling company at Pearson International Airport. This person was informed of layoff status, however could continue to work if they agreed to provide service to the scheduled Chinese airlines still arriving at Pearson…China Eastern, Cathay Pacific et al. (check for yourself at the link, below).
    No one, absolutely no one, is being checked for symptoms of Wuhan virus. CBSA Agents refuse to interact with passengers from these flights.
    It appears we are continuing to be fed false information by this sorry excuse for a government.

    https://www.bing.com/search?q=toronto+international+airport+arrivals+today&form=EDGSPH&mkt=en-ca&httpsmsn=1&msnews=1&plvar=0&refig=138275ddcc04415290c1c4d9547281a4&PC=HCTS&sp=2&qs=AS&pq=toronto+international+airport+arrivals&sk=AS1&sc=6-38&cvid=138275ddcc04415290c1c4d9547281a4&cc=CA&setlang=en-US

      1. Blackie is waiting for his Chicom masters to order more medical supplies from Canada and to close Canadian borders to keep Chicoms safe.

    1. Greta Thunberg and her dad may have caronavirus, after their recent European trip. Horrors!

      1. Kenji, Americans and Canadians have finally gotten a look at what total government control looks like. They are so stupid that they just can’t see the forest for the trees. Wait for it to be used to abolish the Second Amendment.

  11. I dont know if the Italian experience is applicable to the United States. It would help to see year over year excess death stats. That said, it sure is weird that the Italian medical establisment is running around with their hair on fire over just the flu.
    It does occur to me, though, that Germans, Brits, Canadians, and Americans, over 60, are just as likely to have comorbidities so that is not very reassuring.

  12. Here is an interesting fact: yesterday and today (so far, still waiting for BC) the majority of new cases, about 80%, came from the shithole of Kebek. Not sure if this is a long term trend developing but a clearer case for Kebek separation cannot be made :p

    Also the global kill rate that so many idiots believe is low has climbed for another day. We’re at 4.5% now. Yes, I know it is among the detected cases. No, it does not make things better.

    1. BC just released numbers, 145 new cases. Still for the last two days, it remains primarily a French disease? Interestingly, Ontario is doing remarkably well given the population size. Alberta not doing well at all.

      1. “French” indeed. It’s not a French disease. It’s just the French who will die from it.

        For a long time, Montreal has had its heart set on a piece of the Chinese money laundering action that made it impossible for Canadians to buy in Vancouver and Toronto. The Quebec government has actively encouraged Chinese immigration to replace the Jews and Protestants the PQ spent a generation scaring away.

        If it bothered the average indépendantiste from the slums of Montreal’s east end that the Chinese were everything their disgusting pedophile parish priest claimed the Jews were, it never showed.

      2. Another anomaly. during the last two days BC has declared about 170 people recovered. That is out of the total of 185 recovered for the country since the start of the pandemic. So either people in BC recover much faster or BC health system is in a much greater rush to cook up some good news.

        P.S. A friend’s mother is dying in hospice. Alone. No visitors allowed. Just another consequence of not closing the borders months ago. Thank you Blackie, thank you Blackie’s Chicom masters. This will not be forgotten.

        1. Thoughts and prayers for your friend and mother. The hospices here have been allowing one visitor in but under strict controls.

          1. Thanks,.

            I was told that is no longer the case as of today. Perhaps it varies depending on local conditions?

  13. The White House is now advising anybody who has visited New York City in the last 14 days to self-isolate.

    No word on whether the order will be enforced by armed men with orders to block the tunnels and bridges to Manhattan and to shoot to kill. Because that might actually do some good.

    1. From what I’ve heard, they need to go up to the Hamptons and retrieve all the the rich New Yorkers fleeing to their second homes and – incidentally – grabbing up all the food and supplies so the locals don’t have enough.

  14. Just an Fyi for what it is worth. Italian physicians were using chloroquine, the two HIV antvirals, and steroids

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