| A massive stockpile of 39 million N95 masks is being sold to American hospitals — around 27 million more than the US government's emergency stockpile Posted: 26 Mar 2020 02:58 PM PDT  The Service Employees International Union said in a statement, circulating on Twitter, that it's selling 39 million masks to hospitals around the country.
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| Why are so few Germans dying from the coronavirus? Experts wonder Posted: 25 Mar 2020 09:06 AM PDT  "I would be happy if we can come back in two months' time and still be able to talk about what Germany did right," one expert said.
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| After Putin's Big Fail, Russia Braces for COVID-19 Onslaught Posted: 26 Mar 2020 03:18 AM PDT  Only days after the Kremlin assured the Russians that the coronavirus pandemic was under control, Moscow's Mayor Sergei Sobyanin told Russian President Vladimir Putin that "the momentum is high and a serious situation is unfolding." Contrary to the previously reported low rate of infection, "the real number of those who are sick is significantly higher," Sobyanin said. He added that the number of tests conducted to date has been extremely low "and no one on earth knows the real picture."Russia Swore It Whipped the Virus, and Fox and CNN Bought ItOn Wednesday, officially released statistics listed 658 coronavirus infections and no deaths. To date, there have been at least 3 known deaths of coronavirus patients in Russia, but they are being attributed to other causes and thereby deceptively omitted from government reports. The official bulletin about the coronavirus, released by Russia's federal agency Rospotrebnadzor on March 24, states that more than 112,074 people remain under medical supervision.Concerned Russian doctors sounded the alarm that potential coronavirus cases are being ascribed to pneumonia and seasonal flu without testing. For example, the city of St. Petersburg experienced a sharp jump of SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) virus cases. During just one week in March, 63,000 SARS cases and 406 cases of pneumonia have been recorded, according to Interfax. The city's administration emphasized that the incidence of SARS is at the epidemiological threshold. The Interfax news report did not point out that the official name of the novel coronavirus is SARS-CoV-2.In light of the Kremlin's pandemic propensity for lying, the public disregarded initial claims that the government successfully curtailed the spread of the coronavirus. Panic buying ensued, leading to the rising prices of sugar, buckwheat, produce and other food items.As the coronavirus curve keeps on climbing, President Putin is on a mission to demonstrate his leadership. He postponed a nationwide vote on pending constitutional changes, which are meant to secure his lifelong presidency. The voting may take place later in the year and possibly be conducted by mail. The decision is being left solely to Putin.Putin Worries Coronavirus Could Screw Up His Constitutional 'Coronation'In a televised address to the nation Wednesday, Putin announced a sweeping array of measures, which he said were designed to prevent "what is happening today in many Western countries, both in Europe and overseas" from becoming Russia's future. Starting on March 28, Russians are getting one week of paid leave to stay home, in an attempt to "flatten the curve" of the pandemic. With exception of the Russians trying to return from abroad, Russia stopped all international flights.Russian pundits and medical experts described the fight against the coronavirus pandemic as a rehearsal for biological warfare. Vladimir Putin has ordered the Russian army to carry out drills designed to increase its readiness to fight the novel coronavirus. The drills will include specialist medical units and nuclear, biological and chemical protection troops. Discussions are underway as to the potential cancellation of the Victory Day parade in May of this year, but final determination will be made depending on the efforts to curtail the spread of the coronavirus. There is a possibility the parade, commemorating the surrender of the Nazis in WWII, may be held without spectators. U.S. National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien is currently set to attend the event, in lieu of Donald J. Trump. Kremlin-controlled state TV shows are taking unprecedented measures to protect some of their most cherished assets: the hosts, whose full-throated support of Vladimir Putin is especially important during these challenging times. Popular Russian info-talk show 60 Minutes is now filming its segments without audiences. After the host Olga Skabeeva could be heard coughing during a commercial break, she was separated from her husband and co-host Evgeny Popov. The married couple are now hosting 60 Minutes separately, on different days. Likewise, they are staying apart during the off-work hours, because even if one of them falls ill, the show must go on.Speaking of performance art, Vladimir Putin embarked on a visit to Moscow's hospital for monitoring suspected coronavirus patients. Unlike U.S. President Donald J. Trump, who frequently claims that the threat of coronavirus is widely overblown, Vladimir Putin is an old Chekist who believes in science, facts and bio-warfare. Taking no chances, Putin donned a hazmat suit and visited only one patient— Dmitry Garkavi, who is a doctor and a social media influencer. The drop-in was not particularly risky, since Garkavi was hospitalized with pneumonia, and tested negative for coronavirus—twice. In his social media posts, Garkavi remarked that he communicated with Vladimir Putin for all of "10-15 seconds." After the brief exchange, Putin observed other patients through the glass of the hospital's control room, was helped out of his outfit and promptly left the building. The hazmat suit sported by the Russian leader was distinctly different than the protective attire worn by hospital workers. It was purchased for the Russian president by his staff especially for his hospital visit. Putin's yellow jumpsuit is now in high demand, but is completely sold out at the store where it was bought.Vladimir Putin's coronavirus photo op promptly made the rounds on Russian state television. During his show, The Evening with Vladimir Soloviev, the host beamed with pride when he pointed out: "Out of all of the world leaders, only [China'a President] Xi Jinping and [Russian President] Vladimir Putin went to visit the sick." For contrast, Soloviev introduced a clip of the U.S. President Donald J. Trump rapidly moving away from the White House's coronavirus task force response coordinator, Dr Deborah Birx, as soon as she mentioned her low grade fever.In spite of Russia's own issues with coronavirus testing, widespread shortages of medical equipment and protective medical gear, the Kremlin is posturing by offering to help other countries in fighting the coronavirus pandemic. Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov offered to help Washington in the fight against the outbreak of the novel coronavirus and complained about "rude" American media trying to switch the focus to other countries (like Russia).State TV host Vladimir Soloviev pompously predicted: "I have a feeling that we will end up saving humanity—again, like we've done more than once," an apparent reference to Russia's sacrifices defeating the Nazis in World War II. Russian state media are framing the failure by the Trump administration to offer help to its European allies in their fight against the deadly pandemic as the defeat of the United States, the end of NATO, and the virtual nonexistence of transatlantic unity. Russian experts believe that the outcome of the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic will change the entire balance of power in the world. Russian state media outlet Vesti described the course chosen by the administration of the U.S. President Donald J. Trump as "indecisive," "poorly coordinated" and hesitant to implement the tough measures recommended by the experts in curtailing the deadly pandemic.Vesti argued that "coronavirus will determine the winner in the rivalry between China and the United States." But the stakes are much higher. Kremlin-controlled media believe that on a larger scale, "the success or failure of the United States will form a global view of the effectiveness of democracy compared to autocracy. This, in turn, will affect America's global position, its ability to attract vacillating allies into its orbit from China's sphere of influence, and possibly determine the global geopolitical leader for years to come."Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| U.S. playing dangerous game, China says, after warship sails through Taiwan Strait Posted: 25 Mar 2020 05:43 PM PDT |
| ‘Light at the end of the tunnel’ becomes a Trump team mantra Posted: 26 Mar 2020 06:56 AM PDT  Members of the administration's coronavirus task force are repeating versions of the same rosy language in relation to the pandemic.
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| 5 reasons the coronavirus hit Italy so hard Posted: 26 Mar 2020 05:09 AM PDT  Italy is one of the nations worst hit by the global coronavirus pandemic. As a scholar in the field of security and emergency management who has studied and worked in Italy, I have determined that there are at least five major reasons why the country is suffering so much. 1\. Lots of old peopleItalians have the sixth-longest life expectancy in the world – 84 years old. That means lots of Italians are elderly: In 2018, 22.6% of its population was 65 or over, among the highest proportions in Europe.Medical researchers have said the coronavirus poses a more serious threat to older people than to younger ones. Older people are more likely to contract the COVID-19 disease and, mostly, to have a more severe case of it. That can also increase the demand for hospitals' intensive-care units.Many older Italians may have been also exposed to the virus in the workplace; in 2019 the average Italian retirement age was expected to be 67, at least two years later than average retirees in other Western developed nations. 2\. Close proximityItalians aren't used to social distancing. They are very physically affectionate people: Hugs and cheek-kisses are common not just among family members but also friends and even work colleagues.Even when they're just chatting, Italians are closer together than many other people, because their culture's psychological perception of personal space is smaller than in other countries. Large social gatherings, formerly common in public areas, were banned by Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte at the beginning of March 2020. 3\. Dense populationThere isn't a lot of space in Italy for people to spread out in. Italy is a densely populated country, with an average density of 533 people per square mile. In comparison, Germany has a population density of 235 people per square mile while the U.S. has 94.Two-thirds of Italians live in urban areas that are even more dense. Rome has 5,800 people per square mile, and Milan packs more than 19,000 people into every square mile. That's almost twice the density of Berlin and Washington, D.C. 4\. Northern Italy is a business hubMilan, in northern Italy, is the country's financial capital, and has close trade and educational connections with China. The whole region of northern Italy is home to offices for many multinational corporations. Workers travel from all over the world to attend meetings and conventions in northern Italy. An infected person not only could infect others, but those people could rapidly spread out across the entire country. 5\. Massive number of casesAs of March 25, China is the only country registering more COVID-19 cases than Italy. With far fewer people, Italy's infection rate is much higher than China's. No other country has a truly comparable set of circumstances.A key factor in emergency management is learning lessons from others in similar circumstances – but there is no one for Italy to learn from at this stage of the crisis. Chinese experts have traveled to Italy to help – but many of the lessons they are bringing only became clear after Italy's outbreak began, so the Italians are behind where other countries, with more recent outbreaks, may be.The Italian government has progressively worked to contain the disease, including declaring a total national lockdown on March 10. More than two weeks later, the country may finally be seeing a decline in the number of new cases. Italy has struggled – and is continuing to fight – against an unprecedented crisis that found dangerously fertile ground in elements of the country's demographics, business, geography and culture. But its people haven't lost their social habits – just adapted them, and created perhaps a temporary new national motto: "Distanti ma uniti." Distant, but united.[You need to understand the coronavirus pandemic, and we can help. Read our newsletter.]This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.Read more: * In battling the coronavirus, will 'optimistic bias' be our undoing? * How can we prepare for the coronavirus? 3 questions answeredSara Belligoni does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
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| AP PHOTOS: Virus accentuates isolation of Spain's homeless Posted: 25 Mar 2020 12:26 AM PDT  While Spanish authorities tell the public that staying home is the best way to beat the coronavirus pandemic, some people are staying out because home has come to mean the streets of Madrid and Barcelona. Spain, which ranks fourth worldwide among the countries with the most virus cases, is under a government-imposed lockdown that has closed stores, emptied office buildings and left cities largely deserted, day and night. In typically bustling Barcelona, figures with boxes and blankets, mattresses or tents, punctuate the eerie emptiness.
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| Germany Eyes Targeted Stimulus When Crisis Ends, Scholz Says Posted: 25 Mar 2020 10:03 AM PDT |
| Delta, American, and other airlines are parking planes on closed runways at major airports as carriers struggle to store grounded airliners Posted: 26 Mar 2020 10:20 AM PDT  Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, normally the busiest airport in the US, closed an entire runway to store Delta Air Lines aircraft.
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| Tripoli officials say clashes escalating over Libyan capital Posted: 25 Mar 2020 04:04 AM PDT  Clashes between rival Libyan forces for control of the capital escalated Wednesday as militias allied with the U.N.-supported government launched an offensive against a military base held by their rivals, officials said. The renewed fighting comes despite increased international pressure on both sides to halt the violence over concerns about the spread of the new coronavirus. Libya reported its first case of the virus Tuesday.
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| Trump Plans to Rank Counties by Virus Risk in Back-to-Work Drive Posted: 26 Mar 2020 12:26 PM PDT |
| Biden: ‘I think we’ve had enough debates’ Posted: 25 Mar 2020 12:13 PM PDT  When former Vice President Joe Biden was asked if he believes there should be more Democratic primary debates, he said he believes that there have been enough.
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| An influencer who licked a toilet seat says he's in the hospital with the coronavirus Posted: 26 Mar 2020 03:53 AM PDT  The TikToker, called Larz, said he took part in a bizarre "Coronavirus Challenge" and ended up with COVID-19.
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| 144 passengers and crew members have fallen ill aboard the stranded Holland America cruise so far, and a coronavirus test is still on the way Posted: 26 Mar 2020 10:11 AM PDT  A cruise ship currently off the coast of Ecuador has seen a spike in cases of illness on board — and hasn't been able to test yet if it's COVID-19.
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| For many Indians, the biggest concern isn't coronavirus. It's hunger Posted: 26 Mar 2020 11:31 AM PDT  A three-week lockdown affecting 1.3 billion people has unleashed chaos as stranded migrant workers sleep in streets and police beat curfew-breakers.
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| U.S. has most coronavirus cases in world, next wave aimed at Louisiana Posted: 26 Mar 2020 06:04 AM PDT  The number of U.S. coronavirus infections climbed above 82,000 on Thursday, surpassing the national tallies of China and Italy, as New York, New Orleans and other hot spots faced a surge in hospitalizations and looming shortages of supplies, staff and sick beds. With medical facilities running low on ventilators and protective masks and hampered by limited diagnostic testing capacity, the U.S. death toll from COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus, rose beyond 1,200. "Any scenario that is realistic will overwhelm the capacity of the healthcare system," New York Governor Andrew Cuomo told a news conference.
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| North Korea Seeks International Help for Virus Testing, FT Says Posted: 25 Mar 2020 06:23 PM PDT |
| Trump makes thinly veiled attack at AOC during coronavirus briefing after she suggests stimulus bill overly favours corporations Posted: 26 Mar 2020 02:41 PM PDT  Donald Trump took a veiled jab at New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, beloved by the far left, calling her a "little grandstander" over her threats to delay passage of a coronavirus economic aid package.Ms Ocasio-Cortez, known colloquially as "AOC," has complained that she is concerned the bipartisan measure, which cleared the Senate on a 96-0 vote, is too friendly to large corporations. She wants more provisions to help workers and those who have lost their jobs due to the super bug outbreak.
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| Netanyahu rival voted in as speaker, paving way for unity government Posted: 26 Mar 2020 09:56 AM PDT  Benny Gantz's appointment leaves the door open to a unity government between his centrist Blue and White party and Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party.
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| China cuts international flights, bars foreign residents Posted: 26 Mar 2020 05:06 PM PDT  China will drastically cut its international flight routes and bar entry to returning foreigners based in the country to stem the spread of the coronavirus, authorities said Thursday. Foreigners living in China with valid visas and resident permits will be blocked from returning to the country after midnight Saturday, the foreign ministry said in a statement. "The suspension is a temporary measure that China is compelled to take in light of the outbreak situation," it added.
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| San Francisco reported its first death of the coronavirus on Tuesday of a man in his 40s with multiple underlying health issues Posted: 24 Mar 2020 08:10 PM PDT  A man in his 40s with significant health problems died Tuesday as the city entered week two of a three-week shelter-in-place order to contain the virus.
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| Vietnam quarantines tens of thousands in camps amid vigorous attack on coronavirus Posted: 26 Mar 2020 01:41 AM PDT  Vietnam has sent tens of thousands of people to quarantine camps as waves of overseas citizens return home to escape a coronavirus pandemic spreading in Europe and the United States. "All passengers undergo quick screening," a medical official at Hanoi's Noi Bai airport told Reuters. "Those with symptoms are taken to hospital, and the rest are sent to quarantine camps, where they will share a room with 10 to 20 others on the same flight."
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| Coronavirus response coordinator questions report that had predicted 2.2 million deaths in the U.S. from the pandemic Posted: 26 Mar 2020 04:21 PM PDT  At a press briefing, Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, questioned a report that had predicted 2.2 million people in the United States would die due to the coronavirus.
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| Senate Virus Stimulus Deal Drops Airline Carbon Emissions Limits Posted: 25 Mar 2020 08:55 AM PDT |
| Whoopi Goldberg Confronts Newt Gingrich for Suggesting Nurses Will Abandon Coronavirus Patients Posted: 26 Mar 2020 10:21 AM PDT  Newt Gingrich joined The View live from Rome on Thursday morning where he has been quarantined for weeks with his wife, U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican Calista Gingrich. And yet despite living in the horror that could be America's near future, the former Republican Speaker of the House had only mild criticism for the way President Donald Trump has handled the coronavirus crisis. Gingrich acknowledged that the president and his task force should probably be "social distancing" during their daily press briefings. And he threw some cold water on Trump's promise to get the economy up and running again by Easter. "I think the president's direction is right, but probably the speed won't happen as fast as he wants it to," he said diplomatically. But the most contentious part of the interview came when co-host Sunny Hostin asked Gingrich to weigh in on the $2 trillion stimulus package passed by the Senate Wednesday night. Joe Biden Blasts Trump on 'The View': We Can't Just 'Let People Die'"Several Republican senators are worried unemployment benefits will be so enticing that people will stop working," Hostin said. "Senator Graham even implied that the benefits would incentivize well-trained nurses to stay home and collect a check." She was citing a joint statement from Senators Lindsey Graham, Ben Sasse, and Tim Scott that read, "If the federal government accidentally incentivizes layoffs, we risk life-threatening shortages in sectors where doctors, nurses, and pharmacists are trying to care for the sick, and where growers and grocers, truckers and cooks are trying to get food to families' tables." "Do you share their concern?" Hostin asked."Sure, as a practical matter you have to," Gingrich replied. "As I understand it, there's one part of this where you can actually make more money not working. That's not a very good incentive." Of course, the unemployment relief in the stimulus package would only benefit workers who are laid off due to the economic crisis—not doctors and nurses who are needed more than ever in this moment. As he continued talking, Whoopi Goldberg could be heard off-screen saying, "That's so disrespectful!" She added later, "Lindsey Graham should be ashamed of himself." "It just seems to me the suggestion that nurses who are on the front line are not going to work and sacrifice the way that they have because they're going to be making a few hundred dollars more is ludicrous," Hostin told Gingrich, "but that's just my opinion." "It's insulting! It's insulting!" Goldberg added. She repeated, "Lindsey Graham should be ashamed of himself to say something like that in the middle of all of this." Fox News Host Martha MacCallum Nails Kellyanne Conway for Rewriting Trump's Coronavirus HistoryRead more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| 9 escape from S. Dakota jail where there was a positive coronavirus test Posted: 24 Mar 2020 11:44 PM PDT  Four of the women have been captured since breaking out of the minimum-security unit of the Pierre Community Work Center.
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