Thread by @rocza

For YOU, I am listening to this Trump presser.

This is the first time I've actually listened to him in years. You guys owe me for this, and I DO have a kofi 😝

BTW, no, experts do NOT think that the travel bans or quarantines were a good idea, necessary, aggressive, or anything like that re #COVID19. NOR have the US actions been "the most aggressive in the world." Please see, cordon sanitaire, 110 million people. FFS.

Also remember: no one working for the federal health systems are allowed to speak on #COVID19 without first having the message approved by Pence. So no one from CDC is going to be able to say "yeah no, mate, not true."
nytimes.com/2020/02/27/us/…

I am NOT looking forward to what these "strict edicts" are. I imagine I'm going to scream a bit.

And although it pains me to say this: Trump is right when he says people should not panic. #COVID19

Pence says the task force is doing the following:
• travel bans on Iran. Oh, again? But now it includes ANY foreign national who has been in Iran for the last 14 days.
• regions in Italy and South Korea will have their travel advisory to level 4

• State will coordinate medical screening in Italy and South Korea anyone trying to come into America from those countries in those countries

If that's it, well. I was expecting worse.

#COVID19

"The president mentioned masks. The president mentioned medical supplies. Let me reiterate: the average American does not need to go out and buy a mask." -Pence

Okay. This pains me, but yes. He is right.

#COVID19

Pence is talking about extra masks, 3M going into more production, other companies also manufacturing masks - for health care workers and high risk patients.

So, yeah, I mean. That's fine. This is not the garbage fire I was expecting. Aside from the outright lies. #COVID19

Azar (??? wow, that's an effective way of "I've been working hard!") is right. We knew deaths were going to happen for a small percent of people, especially those with other medical issues, but that for most people? This will be a mild illness where they stay at home. #COVID19

I've been saying that for, gods, has it been over a month? I'm so tired. We are all tired. We have all-NO TONY, WE DO NOT TALK ABOUT PEOPLE EXPIRING.

You have media training, can you please pretend to use it?

#COVID19

Once more, Tony is doubling down on travel bans working. They don't, we know they don't, this is an administration talking point that Trump wants in order to show he is TAKING CHARGE SO STRONG blah blah blah.

This is not a public health message, this is politics. #COVID19

Look, think about this. We are an interconnected world. Thousands of people (Ore-gun. Not Orey-gone. Ngh.) travel to & from China a day. So if COVID19 was circulating in China since mid-to-end of November, chances are good it's been circulating worldwide for longer than we know.

We also know - because again, science collects data, and then processes that data and makes reports, etc - that when travel bans are implemented, they at most slow the progress of disease two weeks. #COVID19

vox.com/2020/1/23/2107…

Hahahah: are you muzzling Tony Fauci?
"That's a very dishonest question."
"He is not being muzzled?"
Tony says: I have never been muzzled.

Oh really? businessinsider.com/coronavirus-an…

Apparently "being recleared" is not "being muzzled."

Like I said: politics, not public health #COVID19

Trump is such a child. He keeps repeating hoaxes, he keeps saying he should get credit for doing something never done before-quarantine, a thing literally around the world since the late 1300s.

I don't know how you listen to him all the time. #COVID19

Someone asked Fauci about the fatality, are you okay if you're healthy, etc. Fauci notes about 80% of people do quite well - he says a bad flu or cold, but that's actually incorrect. It's a /mild/ cold. I have that report, right here:
weekly.chinacdc.cn/en/article/id/…
#COVID19

It's also not correct to say 20% are going to require serious medical intervention. Again, this is a very simple paper to read: weekly.chinacdc.cn/en/article/id/…

If you have questions, please ask. #COVID19

Fauci tells some reporter (who was breathlessly excited to ask whether there were variants that would allow reinfection) that we have no reason to believe you will become "reinfected" with SARSCOV2. (No one tell that reporter about the connection here to SARS, k?) #COVID19

Regarding the case in Washington-the initial report this morning spoke of a male death. Trump et al are speaking of a female death; it sounds like the known case in King County. Personally, I would wait until the 1pm ET WA health dept presser to learn about the case. #COVID19

Trump admits that they are thinking about closing all borders. DEEP SIGH. #COVID19

"This can bring the world closer." #COVID19

"What guarantee can you give Americans that no ideology will affect American response to #COVID19?" Paraphrasing a question about Pence's refusal of needle exchanges and the spread of HIV.

Pence is blowing smoke up the CDC's ass in his response. #COVID19

Did Pence or Trump say "we guarantee that we will not allow our personal religious beliefs or ideology to affect how we respond to #COVID19"? NOPE. Lots of deflecting.

No guaranteeing. Just that he's proud of the work he did in Indiana.

Keep that in mind.

"It's always good to be prepared. We are super prepared."

Sigh. Too bad he didn't mention what "be prepared" means. I imagine folks want to know what "be prepared" means? I mean, besides not cutting CDC funding. #COVID19
fortune.com/2020/02/26/cor…

Following up: no surprises here, Trump and Pence got that information wrong. Much coordination, wow.

"The patient was a man in his 50s who had underlying health conditions, according to Dr. Jeffrey Duchin, health officer for Seattle" statecnn.com/2020/02/29/hea… #COVID19

This would be a new case, separate from the two cases that were announced last night. The death occurred at EvergreenHealth hospital in Kirkland, Wash. #COVID19

washingtonpost.com/health/first-u…

Inslee has also declared a state of emergency for Washington, presumably due to the death and what appears to be community transmission. (Seems a bit excess to me, but 🤷🏼‍♀️Haven't seen the order details yet.) #COVID19

kiro7.com/news/local/dep…

And no, as of right now–and sorry, I missed the WA press conference–there's no news on when the patient was admitted, who he was, when symptoms began, how long it took to test him, etc. #COVID19
washingtonpost.com/health/first-u…