The Lost Month: A failure of leadership (at multiple levels)

I think the problem, fundamentally, can be summarized by two things....ease of transmission, and generalized symptoms.

This is a disease which can transmit from mere proximity...no one needs to sneeze in your mouth. It's viable on air and surfaces for significant amounts of time.

The other problem is that the symptoms are non-serious about 97-96% of the time. That means the majority of people who have it or have had it won't know it. It will pass like a mild flu or short cold.

I don't think that realistically, there's any real hope this could be contained. I think that realistically, it was spreading for weeks or months before China reported it. It probably reached our shores long before a first reported case.

Ana the Ist said:

I think the problem, fundamentally, can be summarized by two things....ease of transmission, and generalized symptoms.

This is a disease which can transmit from mere proximity...no one needs to sneeze in your mouth. It's viable on air and surfaces for significant amounts of time.

The other problem is that the symptoms are non-serious about 97-96% of the time. That means the majority of people who have it or have had it won't know it. It will pass like a mild flu or short cold.

I don't think that realistically, there's any real hope this could be contained. I think that realistically, it was spreading for weeks or months before China reported it. It probably reached our shores long before a first reported case.

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I think your right. I think the first reported case was in Washington a couple of weeks before it exploded in NYC. So it appears that it was in NYC for weeks before the case in Washington.

Another problem I see is that some people are asymptomatic, Rand Paul is one of these people. He had been in contact with someone who had it so he was tested or he wouldn't have known.

wing2000 said:

....how did S. Korea and Taiwan contain it? Early testing, through tracking and isolating hot spots.

The U.S. never made it past testing...

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What makes you think they've contained it?

As far as I know, S Korea still gets new confirmed cases. They're also bracing for a resurgence.

That's despite having the second highest number of tests per person in the world.

Coronavirus: South Korea has more recovered patients than sick

They're 10th in the world for cases and deaths ...and they still have thousands of active cases today.

It's also worth pointing out that while social distancing and disinfecting helps....we're talking about a nation that will fine or imprison people who disobey quarantine measures.

OldWiseGuy said:

It's been spun into confusion for sure.

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I don't think it has at all. One can go back and look at what medical and pandemic experts were saying in the press.

rambot said:

I don't think it has at all. One can go back and look at what medical and pandemic experts were saying in the press.

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That's who I listen to seriously.

OldWiseGuy said:

That's who I listen to seriously.

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This is a pretty run of the mill site but it DOES have links to more credible reports that DO indicate that Trump received disconcerting reports by midJanuary.
Was The Novel Coronavirus Really Sneaky In Its Spread To The U.S.? Experts Say No.


And pretty clearly shows the experts concern in January and Trump not catching on until March.

Ana the Ist said:

I think the problem, fundamentally, can be summarized by two things....ease of transmission, and generalized symptoms.

This is a disease which can transmit from mere proximity...no one needs to sneeze in your mouth. It's viable on air and surfaces for significant amounts of time.

The other problem is that the symptoms are non-serious about 97-96% of the time. That means the majority of people who have it or have had it won't know it. It will pass like a mild flu or short cold.

I don't think that realistically, there's any real hope this could be contained. I think that realistically, it was spreading for weeks or months before China reported it. It probably reached our shores long before a first reported case.

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I have to admit I never thought of that. You are probably right. There most likely have been travelers who came from China with it before China even announced it. They were trying to hide it. How many people hadvit before it was made public and where did they go,? How many did they infect? There is no way of knowing.

rambot said:

This is a pretty run of the mill site but it DOES have links to more credible reports that DO indicate that Trump received disconcerting reports by midJanuary.
Was The Novel Coronavirus Really Sneaky In Its Spread To The U.S.? Experts Say No.


And pretty clearly shows the experts concern in January and Trump not catching on until March.

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That's patently false. Trump had things going in January. In fact he was criticized for it. He got the COVID team together, got tests going. There was all kinds of things happening. He asked for money. You guys need to quit buying into the falsehhoods.

Sounds like US was best prepared for pandemic

rjs330 said:

That's patently false. Trump had things going in January.

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PLEASE! I would LOVE to see a list of all the things that Trump, IN PARTICULAR "had going" in January.
Note, I don't want to hear about the things the CDC was doing because they were doing their JOB. I want to hear SPECIFICALLY about what Trump has done. Because even the thing he was touted to have done.....
Trump never actually banned flights from China or Europe. Why?

In fact he was criticized for it. He got the COVID team together, got tests going. There was all kinds of things happening. He asked for money. You guys need to quit buying into the falsehhoods.

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*"Got the COVID team together?" Well that's the most ludicrous bunch of twaddle I've heard. The CDC created a team when they first heard about it at the start of January.
*"Got tests going". Yes. On that note, you got me; he got tests going. Of course, he got tests going about 1.5-2 months late which, SO many experts have said, is going to hamper the fight. And even then he hasn't really resolved the problem fully.

He asked for money.

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Boy. You are really convincing me that Trump has stayed on top of this COVID thing by saying that....without explanation as to what the money was for...who he was saying it to....where the money was coming from....when he said it....or, I don't know, a source to support that.
I'm not saying he didn't.

You guys need to quit buying into the falsehhoods.

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Dude. Let's analyze your arguments:
1)Well that one was just totally false. But I would LOVE to see you provide a source that explicitly says "Trump starts up a COVID...."anything.

2) He got tests going?
a) Pffft:
https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/27/21197026/trump-coronavirus-testing-website-plan-google-covid-19 . So again he lies (at worst) or misrepresents (at best). It doesn't matter, he was WRONG and what he says is NOT the reality of the situation.
What should be ANOTHER example of terrible leadership

b) Find me an expert in epidemiology OR at the CDC who has something positive to say about how Trump has handled the testing crisis.
I am fullying willing to admit that my google algorhythms will likely give me negative stories. So I need you to find me positive ones so I can read them.

c) The Lost Month: How a Failure to Test Blinded the U.S. to Covid-19
Every article I've read, international or otherwise states Trump completely screwed up testing.
I see you couldn't read that article. Apologies. Here though, feel free to look at one of these sites:
https://www.google.ca/search?ei=JCe...hUKEwixko_O18LoAhVPqJ4KHUJ_AusQ4dUDCAs&uact=5

Sounds like US was best prepared for pandemic

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I'd be careful putting up arguments that the US was the BEST prepared for the pandemic. Because if they were the best prepared, then ALL the blame rests on the person in charge of using the tools that are created for that pandemic. And that is Trump.

Say, I'll give you 10 Canadian dollars (so maybe 7.5o$ American) if Trump does NOT blame all this on the CDC. He already says he holds no responsibility.


Lastly, don't talk to me about believing lies when I post reported facts while you listen to a proven liar who doesn't feel responsible for his mistakes.[/QUOTE]

wing2000 said:

...yes, Trump shutdown air traffic from China on the 31st. From there, I suggest you actually read the article I noted in the op. Leaders failed at the CDC, FDA, DHA and ultimately, the White House through the month of February. The Lost Month: How a Failure to Test Blinded the U.S. to Covid-19

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Sorry can't read it. Needs a subscription.

rambot said:

PLEASE! I would LOVE to see a list of all the things that Trump, IN PARTICULAR "had going" in January.
Note, I don't want to hear about the things the CDC was doing because they were doing their JOB. I want to hear SPECIFICALLY about what Trump has done.






*"Got the COVID team together?" Well that's the most ludicrous bunch of twaddle I've heard. The CDC created a team when they first heard about it at the start of January.
*"Got tests going". Yes. On that note, you got me; he got tests going. Of course, he got tests going about 1.5 months late which, SO many experts have said, is going to hamper the fight.



Dude. Let's analyze your arguments:
1)Well that one was just totally false. But I would LOVE to see you provide a source that explicitly says "Trump starts up a COVID...."anything.

2) He got tests going?
a) Pffft:
https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/27/21197026/trump-coronavirus-testing-website-plan-google-covid-19 . So again he lies (at worst) or misrepresents (at best). It doesn't matter, he was WRONG and what he says is NOT the reality of the situation.
What should be ANOTHER example of terrible leadership

b) Find me an expert in epidemiology OR at the CDC who has something positive to say about how Trump has handled the testing crisis.
I am fullying willing to admit that my google algorhythms will likely give me negative stories. So I need you to find me positive ones so I can read them.

c) The Lost Month: How a Failure to Test Blinded the U.S. to Covid-19
Every article I've read, international or otherwise states Trump completely screwed up testing.
I'd be careful putting up arguments that the US was the BEST prepared for the pandemic. Because if they were the best prepared, then ALL the blame rests on the person in charge of using the tools that are created for that pandemic. And that is Trump.

Say, I'll give you 10 Canadian dollars (so maybe 7.5o$ American) if Trump does NOT blame all this on the CDC. He already says he holds no responsibility.


Lastly, don't talk to me about believing lies when I post reported facts while you listen to a proven liar who doesn't feel responsible for his mistakes.

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[/QUOTE]

Hmm interesting that you guys say all the time that Trump is in charge. He's the guy etc etc. Yet when we show you all that was done suddenly he's not the guy. He's not responsible. He's only responsible when you have something negative to say. But when we show you what was done suddenly he's not responsible. The testing was a fail. But you saw that in January they tried. In JANUARY! The fact that is was a fail had nothing to do with Trump. So you can't call that a Trump fail. It wasn't even a CDC fail. It was a unfortunate series of events. They were trying.

Find me someone who can lay the manufacturing error on Trump. I guess he was suppossed to b hands on with that, building the kits and testing the processes himself. He was suppos s to collect the chemicals, the materials and discover the flaw?

The ridiculousness is astounding.

Shall I repeat all that was done from January on?

Sounds like US was best prepared for pandemic

Of course I don't expect any liberals to give any credit. They would just rather repeat the falsehood that Trump and his team did nothing. And then twist his words and take things out of context.

rjs330 said:

Of course I don't expect any liberals to give any credit.

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What does this have to do with liberals?

rjs330 said:

Sorry can't read it. Needs a subscription.

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Delete the NYTimes cookies from your browser and then you can read it.

pitabread said:

Delete the NYTimes cookies from your browser and then you can read it.

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That worked. Thanks.

This from the Times article.

Dr. Robert R. Redfield, 68, a former military doctor and prominent AIDS researcher who directs the C.D.C., trusted his veteran scientists to create the world’s most precise test for the coronavirus and share it with state laboratories. When flaws in the test became apparent in February, he promised a quick fix, though it took weeks to settle on a solution.

In reading the whole article the glaring problems was still in the original testing. It failed and they tried to fix it. That was a problem. And it sounded like the CDC was not forthcoming with the problem. Had they been perhaps things would have progressed faster.

Again this is NOT a Trump problem. As a president you rely on your professionals. People keep saying "you need to rely on your scientists.". Well apparently the scientists were not being honest about it things. So yes we ALL agree that testing was a failure. They admit that. But to point to Trump and say it was his fault is dishonest. If a CEO of a company is told everything is on track and he doesn't know it's not because they are not being honest then how do say it's all the CEOs fault. In this case it's not like the CDC is full of people who are mechanics. They are the scientists who are supposed to know what they are doing. If the test kits would have worked then we'd be off an running. But they didn't. And then they weren't honest about the issues.

It's dishonest to say Trump failed to test early. No he didn't. He was on top of it and had testing ready in January. It wasn't like he told people to wait. He didn't say, "let's wait a month or two before we start." They got the ball rolling early on. But the ball went flat.