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The TP thing is intriguing. Not sure how it started. Sanitizer, sure. But TP is a staple with a strong supply chain and local shortages caused by hoarding are going to be short lived.

I agree, there's no need to hoard anything. This is a virus, not an earthquake. Power, water, gas, and internet service will continue. Netflix will continue to release a mix of good and crappy content. There is no reason to believe food will be scarce, except when hoarders clear the shelves, though having things on hand makes sense to minimize trips to the store and in case of quarantine or isolation.
 
I can't tell if this is satire or not.
No, I really am wondering. I'm not totally up on the health-legal interplay, but haven't there been court cases involving deliberate HIV transmission? Could deliberate exposure of COVID-19 to those in the high risk demographic be considered illegal?
 
The TP thing started in Hong Kong and in order to understand it you have to roll the wheels of time backwards. Back when HK was a British colony HK had a lot of access to world markets in order to ship out goods and to receive goods. I went there many times when I was in the Navy and when you entered the harbor there were ships from all over the world bringing in tons of western products including TP. In turn HK was shipping tons of electronics and other products to the west. Now fast forward to when the United Kingdom turned HK over to the Chinese communist, in the turn over agreement it was stated that China would allow some freedom and self rule in HK. Now as time has progressed China is continuing to press harder and harder on HK and one of the first things they started doing was to reroute HK's supply chains from the west to China. HK was a large market to be tapped plus it made HK more dependent on China for goods and services. When the political unrest started last year over the new laws that were being imposed on the people by the chicoms and a China friendly HK government the first thing China did was to squeeze down the supply chain form the Chinese factories to the HK stores. And guess what, one of the things that went into high demand was TP. Now when the virus stuff started China started rerouting massive amounts of supplies to the infected areas. Where did a lot of those supplies come from ? Yep supplies bound for HK were cut way back. So if you will remember when this stuff started hitting the world news they were showing all kinds of things that was happening in China. Well buried in all of that were stories of TP shortages in HK, there were reports of extreme shortages of TP and other goods, stories of hoarding, robberies, etc. Well people remembered those stories and when the spotlight shifted here to the United States so did the stories of shortages of TP and other vital supplies. So with that planted in everybody's minds and people fearing that they will be locked in their homes for weeks at a time it kicked off the hoarding. Plus it's one small measure that tells folks that they are still in control of their lives.

My .02 cents
 
I see the TP thing a little differently, because there tends to be a run on it every year when it snows here. I think it's more that people think about things that they don't want to be without no matter what, and TP is high on the list. Plus it doesn't expire, so there's no risk of it going bad like some food stocks. You'll definitely use it, so it doesn't hurt you to stock up.
 
Before the conspiracy nuts chime in, there are hundreds of warehouses of supplies all across the country for emergencies. Most do not have supplies that are helpful for COVID.
There is nothing in that article which has any conspiracy element to it. The warehouse locations are secret so TERRORIST acts don't take them out. Preparation for terrorism is one of the reasons for the existence of those warehouses.
 
Almost as fast as a pregnancy test.

MARCH 13, 2020
Researchers prepare COVID-19 diagnostic for human testing

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-03-covid-diagnostic-human.html

For the past several years, Gehrke, Bosch, and others in the lab have been working on diagnostic devices that work similar to a pregnancy test but can identify viral proteins from patient samples. The researchers have used this technology, known as lateral flow technology, to create tests for Ebola, dengue fever, and Zika virus, among other infectious diseases.

The tests consist of strips of paper that are coated with antibodies that bind to a specific viral protein. A second antibody is attached to gold nanoparticles, and the patient's sample is added to a solution of those particles. The test strip is then dipped in this solution. If the viral protein is present, it attaches to the antibodies on the paper strip as well as the nanoparticle-bound antibodies, and a colored spot appears on the strip within 20 minutes.

Currently, there are two primary types of Covid-19 diagnostics available. One such test screens patient blood samples for antibodies against the virus. However, antibodies are often not detectable until a few days after symptoms begin. Another type of test looks for viral DNA in a sputum sample. These tests can detect the virus earlier in the infection, but they require polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a technology that amplifies the amount of DNA to detectable levels and takes several hours to perform.

"Our hope is that, similar to other tests that we've developed, this will be usable on the day that symptoms develop," Gehrke says. "We don't have to wait for antibodies to the virus to come up."

If the U.S. Food and Drug Administration grants the emergency authorization, E25Bio could start testing the diagnostic with patient samples, which they haven't been able to do yet. "If those are successful, then the next step would be to talk about using it for actual clinical diagnosis," Gehrke says.

Another advantage of this approach is that the paper tests can be easily and inexpensively manufactured in large quantities, he adds.
 
Coronavirus Testing: Criteria and Numbers by Country [data is only up to 9 Mar 2020, but US figures are pitiful]

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/covid-19-testing/

Dr. Fauci isn't a BSer and the only federal guy involved in this I respect. He has recently said in CONgressional testimony that our private medical networks are not set up for or responsive to rapid deployment of testing. WHY wouldn't rapid deployment of widespread testing be a KEY part of any pandemic plan including preparation to overcome those network problems when necessary?

Fauci 'Optimistic' Coronavirus Testing System Will Be Fixed Within 'The Next Week Or Two'
13 Mar 2020

https://www.zerohedge.com/health/fa...-system-will-be-fixed-within-next-week-or-two

Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, says he is 'optimistic' that the ongoing bottlenecks delaying coronavirus testing will be fixed.

Fauci acknowledged to ABC News that the government needs to do better to meet the flood of demand as COVID-19 begins to blanket the country.

"I mean, we have to admit that in the beginning we didn't have what we needed, but now we will fix it," he said.


US cases have dropped significantly from yesterday on this infographic because "presumptive positives" (positives in field tests) have been dropped from their data. The bottleneck is the need for confirmation from the CDC to which samples must be transferred and tested:

https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html
 
COVID-19 SURVEY: IMPACTS ON GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAINS
Institute for Supply Management® study reveals virus’ supply chain effects

https://ism.files.cms-plus.com/ISMReport/ISM_Coronavirus Survey Release_3.11.20_FINAL.pdf

TEMPE, Ariz. (March 11, 2020) – Today the Institute for Supply Management® (ISM®) revealed the first-round results of a survey focused on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) business and supply chain impacts.

Notably, nearly 75 percent of companies report supply chain disruptions in some capacity due to coronavirus-related transportation restrictions, and more than 80 percent believe that their organization will experience some impact because of COVID-19 disruptions. Of those, one in six (16%) companies report adjusting revenue targets downward an average of 5.6 percent due to the coronavirus.

“The story the data tells is that companies are faced with a lengthy recovery to normal operations in the wake of the virus outbreak,” said Thomas W. Derry, Chief Executive Officer of ISM. “For a majority of U.S. businesses, lead times have doubled, and that shortage is compounded by the shortage of air and ocean freight options to move product to the United States -- even if they can get orders filled.”

Primary reported supply chain impacts include the following:

• 57 percent noted longer lead times for tier-1 China-sourced components, with average lead times more than doubling compared to the end of 2019.
• Manufacturers in China report operating at 50 percent capacity with 56 percent of normal staff.
[what China "reports" is usually BS if the truth would hurt their markets and currency - W]
• More than 44 percent of respondents do not have a plan in place to address supply disruption from China. Of those, a majority (23 percent of respondents) report current disruptions.
• Of the companies expecting supply chain impacts, the severity anticipated increases after the first quarter of 2020.
• Six in 10 (62%) respondents are experiencing delays in receiving orders from China.
• More than half (53%) are having difficulty getting supply chain information from China.
• Nearly one-half are experiencing delays moving goods within China (48%).
• Almost one-half (46%) report delays loading goods at Chinese ports.
 
Video at link. LOTS of crazy monkeys. Unforeseen consequences from this virus will be numerous. This is one of the humorous ones... except for people who live there.

Planet of the apes! Hundreds of hungry monkeys swarm across Thai street as 'rival gangs' fight over food after tourists who normally feed them stay away because of coronavirus
- Monkeys normally well fed by tourists in city of Lopburi, central Thailand
- But visitors have plummeted because of the coronavirus gripping the world
- Skirmish between monkey began after one had a juicy banana
- Monkeys part of 'rival gangs' - those from city and those from temples

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...oronavirus.html?ito=social-twitter_mailonline

At first the primates are seen running independently as they appear to look for food.

But then the noise of their cries increases dramatically as dozens chase a single monkey which seems to have a banana.

They are seen jumping on it and others as they fight over the food.

Even locals who are used to seeing the monkeys were shocked by their ferocity.

Onlooker Sasaluk Rattanachai captured the scene from outside a shop where she works.

She said: 'They looked more like wild dogs than monkeys. They went crazy for the single piece of food. I've never seen them this aggressive.
 
As pointed out by Dr. Fauci in CONgressional testimony, the main problem is with the deployment and use of test kits within our medical network, not with the number of test kits available (ever since CDC's screw-up was fixed at least).
This isn't a test kit so much as a set of reagents, testing protocol and the process that are used on very large hospital/lab analyzers. If the lab/hospital has one of these analyzers already, there is no additional training needed to use these new tests. The tests are staged throughout the US already and can be in any hospital/lab within a very few days depending on local logistics. Any hospital/lab that has the analyzer can be running hundreds of tests per day.

Don't think like take a swab and culture it and test it by hand, think take a swab, put it in a tube with reagents, that tube goes into a machine and 3 hours later you have a result. That machine can do 96 tests at the same time. (4000 per day on the really big machine)
 
The TP thing and some of the other panic buying and stockpiling is a little bit crazy. But I did buy some extra stuff ahead of the time I would usually resupply. I don’t think there will be major shortages. I just want to minimize my trips to the store. And if I myself got sick, I’d want to be able to self-quarantine for awhile. I should be able to go a couple of weeks without leaving the house if I choose to.
 
This isn't a test kit so much as a set of reagents, testing protocol and the process that are used on very large hospital/lab analyzers. If the lab/hospital has one of these analyzers already, there is no additional training needed to use these new tests. The tests are staged throughout the US already and can be in any hospital/lab within a very few days depending on local logistics. Any hospital/lab that has the analyzer can be running hundreds of tests per day.

Don't think like take a swab and culture it and test it by hand, think take a swab, put it in a tube with reagents, that tube goes into a machine and 3 hours later you have a result. That machine can do 96 tests at the same time. (4000 per day on the really big machine)
Yes, I saw an MD on TV last night holding an example and complained that he had everything needed except the reagent(s). Vehicle-based testing figures for various states are miserably low with people waiting in lines in their cars for hours to get the test after I assume they have gotten direction from their GP or hospital to get tested. And the bottleneck for confirmed case figures is the CDC requiring samples. In the John Hopkins map of worldwide cases, the vast majority of US states previously shown as having cases appear as having NO cases at all now that they no longer count presumptive cases. The size of outbreak circles is also greatly reduced.

https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html
 
Yes, I saw an MD on TV last night holding an example and complained that he had everything needed except the reagent(s). Vehicle-based testing figures for various states are miserably low with people waiting in lines in their cars for hours to get the test after I assume they have gotten direction from their GP or hospital to get tested. And the bottleneck for confirmed case figures is the CDC requiring samples. In the John Hopkins map of worldwide cases, the vast majority of US states previously shown as having cases appear as having NO cases at all now that they no longer count presumptive cases. The size of outbreak circles is also greatly reduced.

https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html
Last night when you watched TV, the Roche test wasn't an option. As of this morning, it is. The reagents are staged all over the US in warehouses, all the hospitals/labs have to do it request it.

The CDC and some state heath departments are royally messing up. I know that in my state of Indiana, we have many hospitals and labs that can perform the tests but all tests for COVID-19 have to be done by the state dept of health and they're extremely slow since its only a single lab using older equipment.
 
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I just woke up with a major headache. I think I have the Modelovirus.

Modelo.png
 
Last night when you watched TV, the Roche test wasn't an option. As of this morning, it is. The reagents are staged all over the US in warehouses, all the hospitals/labs have to do it request it.
Great! I hope the word is getting around because that's another problem I've seen many anecdotes about. What a clown show.

The CDC and some state heath departments are royally messing up. I know that in my state of Indiana, we have many hospitals and labs that can perform the tests but all tests for COVID-19 have to be done by the state dept of health and they're extremely slow since its only a single lab using older equipment.
You're preaching to the choir on that topic. So, we have CDC and state bottlenecks against anything approaching RAPID discovery of CDC-blessed-as-confirmed cases.
 
My hospital in Northern Indiana has the lab equipment to perform the tests as well, maybe things will speed up this weekend into next week.

They are announcing today some pretty strict visitor restrictions. No visitors in the ED except for 1 parent for minors. No visitors under 18 (that has been in place since flu/RSV season began.) 1 visitor over 18 for all other units,tracked by a wristband and needs to be the same person during the hospitalization. The cafeteria is closed to the public, only staff and visitors, or patients.

No family members in our ambulances. We very rarely allowed anyone to fly with us anyway.
 
Great channel by pulmonologist & critical care specialist Roger Seheult, MD.

Flatten The COVID-19 Curve, Social Distancing, Hospital Capacities
 
My hospital in Northern Indiana has the lab equipment to perform the tests as well, maybe things will speed up this weekend into next week.

They are announcing today some pretty strict visitor restrictions. No visitors in the ED except for 1 parent for minors. No visitors under 18 (that has been in place since flu/RSV season began.) 1 visitor over 18 for all other units,tracked by a wristband and needs to be the same person during the hospitalization. The cafeteria is closed to the public, only staff and visitors, or patients.

No family members in our ambulances. We very rarely allowed anyone to fly with us anyway.
In a Chinese study in Wuhan it was found that 41% of those infected (including, unfortunately, medical personnel) were infected IN the hospital studied. Here's what we would have had long ago in the US if we'd have had our s**t together. South Korea:

image.jpg

drive-thru-coronavirus-gty-ml-200227_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg
 
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