Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #46

[nhmemorymaker]

I grew up on Velveeta. I never knew what real cheese even tasted like until I moved out to a house of my own as a junior in college and started cooking for myself.

And I was NEVER allowed to have Valveeta...my dad was very picky about cheese. I had a bunch of Catholic kids in my neighborhood... In the summertime, I would purposely wander to their houses on Fridays... They had bologna sandwiches every Mon-Thur, but always had valveeta sandwiches on Fridays!! yummmm. back then, anywho.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

The Nasopharyngeal swabs pick up the live virus from the posterior nasopharynx where they are in the highest concentration. The swabs are in a viral transport media for transport to the laboratory. Transport of these swabs in their containers is highly regulated by FDA and CDC biohazard protocols, in a tightly sealed, lined, specific metal container. ie: They should not just be in plastic bags.

The sample is then processed in the laboratory by adding specific chemicals that kill the virus and leave the RNA.

The non-contagious RNA particles are then analyzed by the RT-PCR or NAAT techniques.

No one is going to risk coming up with a live viral test such as a tissue culture. And Coronaviruses do not have characteristic viral changes such as CMV or Herpesvirus types do in tissue cultures.

So, certainly these 15 minute tests don't have as strict a protocol, right? How do they test?

 

[NuttMegg]

Just listened to Cuomo. Some troubling news... major numbers in nursing/senior homes. And NY cannot get any tests. Tests, tests, tests ....we need them so badly. Now, this SHOULD be run by the Fed government.... you simply cannot have 50 states trying to bid up on these tests. THEY must be distributed by clusters and need.
Coronavirus US live: Cuomo says Trump is 'spoiling for a fight' over re-opening economy

I heard that presser. He's so right. That is one discrete task that FEMA really should do. And right away. Just do it. If the white house is going to have several committees to get the nation back to work, they should have a commission to finally get the testing straightened out after all this time. Getting some tests from S Korea is not enough.

 

[otto]

<modsnip: quoted post was removed>

What we're seeing in Canada is that when politicians say things that raise eyebrows, someone turns it into a jingle and t-shirt slogan. Two examples are "speaking moistly" and "stay the blazes home." Media continues to report, rather than predict, news, and Canadians continue to find good humour between the lines.

 

[RoadToSerfdom]

See, that's one problem that hasn't been discussed. (Not that you got your check, I'm happy for you.). But Mnuchin, and all of the newspaper articles I've seen say, paraphrased, direct deposits will go to 1) tax filers who have declared their bank routing information for refunds. or 2) SS recipients who don't file and get their monthly deposits in their bank account. Then maybe even a month later they will send out checks to people who have only their addresses on file.

But there are holes in that.....what if a taxpayer, ie maybe self employed, doesn't normally get a refund? I file my routing info every year, despite not getting refunds. But a few months ago they sent me a tax payment via a check to my house. When they have years of my stating my routing info.

I'm not broke, but I just want things to be fair. Which is why I wonder if any SS recipients have got their payments via the bank where they normally get their check.

I think you will get the electronic deposit but I read a lot of media reports and it they have been vague on your specific situation. In theory they could send it electronically since they took your payment out out electronically it is the same info. To be safe you can keep checking the link below for information and also enter in your bank information there soon when that feature is activated..

Economic Impact Payments | Internal Revenue Service

 

[branmuffin]

What we're seeing in Canada is that when politicians say things that raise eyebrows, someone turns it into a jingle and t-shirt slogan. Two examples are "speaking moistly" and "stay the blazes home." Media continues to report, rather than predict, news, and Canadians continue to find good humour between the lines.

The press had a field day with the water bottle... milk bottle.... drink box, water bottle sorta thing. I don't know how many memes I've seen about that.

 

[Herat]

The way I've heard that they stick those swabs so far up the nose, I wonder.....is the test wrecked if one has a dry enough nose to bleed? I'm sure that would happen to me, no matter how much h20 I drink.

The target area for taking the swab is not really the inside of your nose. It is the very very back wall of the air passages that are really the top of the throat ( the posterior nasopharynx).

It isn't wrecked if your nose bleeds a little, as long as they can get the swab to touch that most farthest back area. There will be viral particles in the inside of the nose, but they will be fewer and the test might not pick up enough of them.

 

[oceanblueeyes]

See, that's one problem that hasn't been discussed. (Not that you got your check, I'm happy for you.). But Mnuchin, and all of the newspaper articles I've seen say, paraphrased, direct deposits will go to 1) tax filers who have declared their bank routing information for refunds. or 2) SS recipients who don't file and get their monthly deposits in their bank account. Then maybe even a month later they will send out checks to people who have only their addresses on file.

But there are holes in that.....what if a taxpayer, ie maybe self employed, doesn't normally get a refund? I file my routing info every year, despite not getting refunds. But a few months ago they sent me a tax payment via a check to my house. When they have years of my stating my routing info.

I'm not broke, but I just want things to be fair. Which is why I wonder if any SS recipients have got their payments via the bank where they normally get their check.

I read yesterday that starting tomorrow (15th) on their website everyone who did not give their bank routing information to the IRS or SSA will have an opportunity to submit it online. You may want to check to see if there is a way to input your banking info there too for self employed.

Imoo

 

[NuttMegg]

I think you will get the electronic deposit but I read a lot of media reports and it they have been vague on your specific situation. In theory they could send it electronically since they took your payment out out electronically it is the same info. To be safe you can keep checking the link below for information and also enter in your bank information there soon when that feature is activated..

Economic Impact Payments | Internal Revenue Service

I know, I didn't want to make this a personal campaign, just haven't heard some very common situations being addressed
by the government. So apparently there will be a tracking tool
like "where's my stimulus check", similar to the one the IRS already has, an online tool for "Where's my refund". Actually I have some sympathy with the massive task. The real small business operators who don't have established credit lines with banks are the ones who are really SOL. IMO

 

[NuttMegg]

I read yesterday that starting tomorrow (15th) on their website everyone who did not give their bank routing information to the IRS or SSA will have an opportunity to submit it online. You may want to check to see if there is a way to input your banking info there too for self employed.

Imoo

They've had the routing info for years on my 1040, but since I almost never got a refund
maybe it didn't get entered into their database. I'm just a critical person,I'm sure it will come soon.

 

[Herat]

So, certainly these 15 minute tests don't have as strict a protocol, right? How do they test?

They use the same sample swab as are used for the RT-PCR tests. ( Roche, Cepheid are the major companies that make these tests) So the sample is the same.

The shorter, NAAT test method ( Abbott version) is a very slimmed down version of the RT-PCR test and has fewer replication cycles and has fewer viral RNA "targets". By that nature you would predict it less sensitive and less specific.

But until Abbott publishes it's scientific studies we can't be sure exactly how the two tests compare.

RT-PCR is still the gold standard test and is extremely sensitive, given the sample is a good one.

 

[tresir2012]

<modsnip: quoted post was removed> I have only heard some states declaring a state of emergency. I may be wrong and misinterpreted it.

 

[BHughes]

LOUISIANA 4/14
21,518 Cases Reported*
1,013 Deaths Reported
Reported COVID-19 Patients in Hospitals
1,977
436 of those on ventilators
Tests Completed
5,681 by State Lab
Commercial Tests Completed
112,741

64 of 64 Parishes with Reported Cases


Monday 4/13
21,016 Cases Reported
884 Deaths Reported
64 of 64 parishes
Coronavirus (COVID-19) | Department of Health | State of Louisiana

 

[JaneEyre]

Your thoughts please?
[USC02] 50 USC Ch. 34: NATIONAL EMERGENCIES

1622. National emergencies
(a) Termination methods
Any national emergency declared by the President in accordance with this subchapter shall terminate if—

(1) there is enacted into law a joint resolution terminating the emergency; or

(2) the President issues a proclamation terminating the emergency.

But the governors have the right to declare an emergency in their states. It doesn’t have to be a federal emergency to do that. And it happens all the time.

 

[RoadToSerfdom]

For anyone doing the wait for a physical check method it is pretty good news unless you have a high income. In that case hopefully you probably will not need it as soon but if you do then get your electronic info in.

The following table is posted at several financial discussion forums and some news articles.

IRS Schedule For Mailing Paper Checks
Taxpayer Income Date Check Mailed
$0 to $10,000 April 24
$10,001 to $20,000 May 1
$20,001 to $30,000 May 8
$30,001 to $40,000 May 15
$40,001 to $50,000 May 22
$50,001 to $60,000 May 29
$60,001 to $70,000 June 5
$70,001 to $80,000 June 12
$80,001 to $90,000 June 19
$90,001 to $100,000 June 26
$100,001 to $110,000 July 3
$110,001 to $120,000 July 10
$120,001 to $130,000 July 17
$130,001 to $140,000 July 24
$140,001 to $150,000 July 31
$150,001 to $160,000 August 7
$160,001 to $170,000 August 14
$170,001 to $180,000 August 21
$180,001 to $190,000 August 28
$190,001 to $200,000 September 4
All Others September 11

 

[Herat]

<modsnip: quoted post was removed>

I would like to return the discussion to the science and medicine aspects that Drs. Birx and Faucci are trying to do.

It might be nice to get off of politics and back onto the issue of COVID-19 disease.

 

[Tillicum]

<modsnip: quoted post was removed>

Trump declares a national emergency to combat coronavirus - CNNPolitics

 

[nhmemorymaker]

This is a request out to some of the folks on this site who do such a great collecting/assimilating job of news articles and details. Has anyone been able to find, or keep up with what is happening with the 2trilllion dollars??? This is such a massive amount of money that has to be distributed and channeled in massive directions. Who in heavens names is managing this??? This Sean O'Donnell is currently acting in THREE positions. I have not been able to find anything recently, so would appreciate any insight. tia

In just the past four days, Trump has ousted two inspectors general and expressed displeasure with a third, a pattern that critics say is a direct assault on one of the pillars of good governance.

Glenn Fine, who had been the acting Pentagon inspector general, was informed Monday that he was being replaced at the Defense Department by Sean W. O’Donnell, currently the inspector general at the Environmental Protection Agency. O’Donnell will simultaneously be inspector general at the EPA and acting IG at the Pentagon until a permanent replacement is confirmed for the Defense Department.

On Friday, the president notified Congress that he was removing Michael Atkinson as the inspector general of the intelligence community.

 

[JaneEyre]

<modsnip: quoted post was removed>

I would like to return the discussion to the science and medicine aspects that Drs. Birx and Faucci are trying to do.

It might be nice to get off of politics and back onto the issue of COVID-19 disease.

Or cheese. I’d even rather talk about cheese.

 

[book-thinker]

Actually I'm getting kind of tired of garden spinach, quinoa, squash, carrots and chicken or tuna chunks. I could go for some Velveeta. lol. No cheese in the house right now! And I can't justify going out just to get cheese when I might pick up something worse.

Recently I ran out of the store bought bread I had in the freezer. Now I’m trying to psyche myself into baking bread today. I’ve never baked bread in my life but I have no desire to go to the grocery store. Luckily I had stocked up on my favorite tillamook cheese. So I’m just ok on cheese.