COVID Update November 13: Regrets, I’ve had a few....but I did it the wrong way....

I will introduce you to someone you must meet. @paulgazelka. 1/
A governor uttered the famous pandemic words today: “I wish I had _____ earlier.” 2/
The blank in this case was “a mask mandate.” But it could have been a lot of things— “closed the bars,” “taken this seriously,” “limited gatherings.”

Pandemics are full of regrets.
3/
No one is going to get it right every time. A pandemic is hard to best every time. But as March become May become July and September, it becomes increasingly difficult to pretend you didn’t know. 4/
You saw it in Wuhan, in Lombardi, in New York, in Detroit, in New Orleans , in Phoenix, in Houston...
What did you think?? Did you really think it couldn’t happen on Grand Forks or Duluth?? 5/
One regret is that governors have no support from Washington— no payments from McConnell for bar owners if they close, no help from the ex-Trump Administration (they quit May 1), no coordination from CDC. 6/
Governors— you have known these realities. But they’re not going to improve until noon on Jan 20. 7/
Jan 20– you know that’s the day Trump will declare he’s running for president in 2024 during the inauguration at a competing rally. He will run on a record of wrecking a perfectly good economy and allowing more people to die. Good times again. 8/
Lawmakers should be required to take a rudimentary class in high school math— particularly the part when you learn exponential math. Maybe also the part of high school science where they show delayed reactions. 9/
Then there’s this guy: @paulgazelka

Paul, is the GOPAnon leader of the Minnesota Senate. Yesterday he told us he has ALWAYS said COVID was serious. Well Paul, sorry to take the gloves off, but you’ve been about the best friend COVID has ever had. 10/
Your understanding of exponential math led you astray. 11/
Who could have foreseen this could have happened??

Besides high school math & science students. 12/
So @paulgazelka proposed an idea before the election. He called it the “Contract to open up Minnesota.” 13/
Paul’s promise was to loosen all public health restrictions & take all emergency powers from @GovTimWalz. 14/

startribune.com/republicans-of…
Paul saw COVID. But Paul thought this was a problem restricted to the “blue parts of the state.” He thought it was outrageous that people in his rural part of the state wear masks. So he defied this frequently and publicly.

But then something happened. COVID came to his town.15/
Paul did it his way all right. But I started thinking. No one is this friendly to a virus unless something is going on. I wondered what it was. Who is this friendly to a virus. And then photos were slipped under my door...16/
Some compromising photos of Paul alone with the virus told me the whole story. Of course, I thought. Virus love. ❤️ 🦠

It never occurred to me. 17/
Some of the pictures were touching. (Some were just gross.)

This is a happy man. The virus always looks a little trapped TBH. 18/
I have a suggestion for a first dance. 19/
But I think I’ll pass on the wedding. I hear it’s indoors with lots of people and of course no masks. 20/
To @paulgazelka, we all have regrets. More than a few. /end
P.S. It turns out the prompting this tweet are facts we are discovering now. Members of the GOPAnon (@mnsrc) Qaucus have tested positive for COVID.

They have been coming to the Senate floor with masks. Did not notify Democrats or non-partisan staff.

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More from @ASlavitt

15 Nov
COVID Update November 15: Yesterday we hit a milestone where the number of daily new cases will equate to the number of deaths on 9/11...potentially by Christmas.

On this day I want to address the topic of sacrifice. 1/
Sacrifice is what first responders did on 9/11 when they ran into the building and up stairs. 2/
Sacrifice is what EMTs are doing every day they give mouth to mouth to a dying COVID patient. 3/
Read 24 tweets
13 Nov
COVID Update November 12: We are a nation who has mastered denial.

It’s an especially dangerous time to have to humor the babies. 1/
“Don’t worry, it’s not that bad. Doctors are faking the charts.”

150,000 new cases today. 2/
“It’s mild. It doesn’t matter if people catch it.”

Hospitalizations are at peak and growing. 3/
Read 20 tweets
11 Nov
Today @ScottGottliebMD and I spoke with all 50 states about the current state, challenges & outlook of the pandemic.

Will summarize here. Follow if interested.
Scott’s summarized where we are as the equivalent of March 15%- it’s about to get much much worse. 1/
Nursing home deaths are growing rampant. 2000 last week at least.

I spoke to the person who oversees nursing home safety. They are EXTREMELY worried.
Read 14 tweets
11 Nov
COVID Update November 10: The next 3 months are essential in the COVID battle. 1/
The next 3 months will be the worst period of the virus. We are living in the horrible exponential phase of growth of the virus in the midst of a moment of the greatest promise. 2/
130,000 daily cases.
46 states have uncontrolled growth.
16 states have the potential ICU capacity concerns. 3/
Read 15 tweets
10 Nov
UPDATE: The ACA Oral Arguments in SCOTUS are wrapped.

I will be on TV shortly & throughout the day. But I will drop some notes below shortly.
My summary is that the Trump Administration Justice Department did not make the sale.

I suspect that will be the consensus based on the Justices asked but no guarantees.
So put aside all the human arguments— the stupidity and the cruelty of ending the ACA. In a pandemic. Today is a day for structural legal arguments.
Read 8 tweets
9 Nov
COVID Update November 9: Today is the day for some joy.

I have talked to @EricTopol @larrybrilliant and 3 other world class scientists about the new vaccine candidate.

Follow here if interested.
Sorry finishing up one more convo then will tweet. 2/
It feels like we had 4 years if nothing but shitty news & all our good news was saved up for one week.

What’s up with that? 3/
Read 25 tweets

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