U.S. Not Remotely Ready To Re-open, According To WHO Criteria | Rachel Maddow | MSNBC

Rachel Maddow looks at the six criteria listed by the World Health Organization for countries considering lifting precautionary restrictions against the spread of coronavirus and notes that the U.S. is not even past step one and remains distressingly distant from step two. Aired on 4/14/2020.
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U.S. Not Remotely Ready To Re-open, According To WHO Criteria | Rachel Maddow | MSNBC

104 comments

  1. “What President Obama left Trump, was a global health infrastructure that we had set up, informed by the lessons of the Ebola outbreak,” Ben Rhodes, Former Deputy National Security Adviser under Obama said, referring to the NSC pandemic directorate that was dismantled by the Trump in 2018.

    “One year later I was mystified when the White House dissolved the office, leaving the country less prepared for pandemics like COVID-19,” Beth Cameron, the first director of the unit, wrote in an op-ed. She said the directorate was set up to be the “smoke alarm” and get ahead of emergencies and sound a warning at the earliest sign of fire — “all with the goal of avoiding a six-alarm fire.”

    Trump has defended his record, arguing, “I’m a “businessperson.” I don’t like having thousands of people around when you don’t need them. When we need them, we can get them back very quickly.”

    But experts argue that’s not how pandemic preparedness works, and that’s definitely not how a virus works.  “You build a fire department ahead of time,” Tom Inglesby, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security stated. “You don’t wait for a fire.”

    Trump, being the stable genius that he is,  believed it was smarter to wait and put together a fire department, AFTER a five alarm fire starts.

    1. All true ; the SYCOPHANTS called the GoP are so terrified of the FAT ORANGE CLOWN……. removing as much of the republicans in 2020 will allow the country to heal and put the pandemic infrastructure back in place. Republican cant pull the wool over AMERICANS EYES EVER AGAIN.

    2. @Just Say’n your article makes different claims without proof. It does not correlate directly with the above comment which is mostly an opinion.

    3. If Obama was white, trump would’ve kept that office open. He hates everything Obama stand for.

    4. That is the biggest dumb I ever heard and seem in my life I never though to see anybody like him ever!!!!

  2. “Lying is second nature to him. More than anyone else I have ever met, Trump has the ability to convince himself that whatever he is saying at any given moment is true, or sort of true, or at least ought to be true. Every American ought to be concerned about his character.”
    –Tony Schwartz, the ghost writer for Trump’s book “The Art of the Deal”:

    1. @Trogdor Trogdor Because it’s not attributed to someone doesn’t make it false. The whole world can see Drumpf for what he is, Narcissistic Sociopathic Failure without empathy, morality or Balls. Draft dodger like his father and grandfather before him.
      Greetings from Ireland, Mug.

    2. David J, trump’s sick narcissism, convinces him he is all knowing, remember he knows more than all the generals, all the experts of anything, his uncle was a doctor, so he absorbed everything he knew, he really has a knack for knowing and understanding stuff like this coronavirus, “I AM THE CHOSEN ONE,” says it all!! As a pathological, lying liar, his lies are his truths, trump is about as damaged a person I’ve ever seen, the problem being, he is so mentally sick, it is beyond belief, so people don’t see it!!! Apparently he is a dictator, because nobody seems to be able to get rid of him!! We have been through every conceivable thing with him, even impeachment, now that he is directly responsible for sickening and killing us, and intends to keep doing it, and all for him!! trump does nothing unless it benefits him!! If you look up Mayo Clinics definition of NARCISSISM, you will see they used trump as a model for it!!! Here is one more big thing, deep within the recesses of trump’s addled brain, lies his fantasy, magical thinking, where reality does not and cannot penetrate and never will!!

    1. @Jeff Gibson Yes I do, my question is more of a distress call. People are dying and he’s killing us kind of question you know.

    2. @Isaiah Coronavirus is a terror weapon from China and is killing people. And the fact that YOU won’t blame China is proof that they are defeating you.

    3. @Jeff Gibson LOL no sir, I’m blaming the ones who didn’t prepare us for this pandemic. This is America, and 3rd world countries handled this better then we did. YOU think this is about a weapon or whatever conspiracy well its not. This is our own federal government’s ignorance and the man “in charge” that has “total authority”… The fact we were warned and didn’t act is to blame.

  3. when i see ‘no testing for mild symptoms’, my first reaction is… hmm… transparently hiding numbers?

    1. @Bobbun Oh it’s actually quite simpel: If 100 new people get infected per day, but you only test 50 who got infected 2 weeks ago and now have severe symtpoms, you are hiding about… well 2 weeks makes 14 days, plus the 50 from the first day who didn’t got severe symptoms: so that 1450 hidden infected.
      And that’s with linear infection. But infection is exponential up until hitting somewhat of the halfway point of full-spread. Soooo it’s very possible the USA have about 10times as many infected as currently confirmed. And you how it is with catching up: you need to be faster than whatever you are trying to catch.
      Covid-19 infections double about every 2-3 days. So unless we double the amount of tests done every 1-2 days, the only way we can catch up is by waiting for the spread to slow down. And as I said, that will only happen close to the halfway-point of full spread (and even then “slowing down” is not “stopping”). Full-spread is expected to be 70%, halfway is 35% of the population, so somewhere around 115 MILLION infected US-citizen.
      And how long does it take to test 115 million people with what? 50k test a day? 2300 days, almost 7 years, just to test the HALFWAY point of the spread.

    2. @Shuizid Yes, it will hide the extent of the epidemic if we don’t expand testing. But that’s not what I’m suggesting. While you’re arguing a deliberate macro scale test shortage to conceal cases. I’m talking about a local choice, as demonstrated by the sign, to test specific people using the limited supply of tests that actually are available.

      In that context, it’s actually more revealing to test severe cases than mild ones. A mild case has a greater chance of being flu, cold, or allergy and coming up negative for COVID-19. So if you have, say, 2000 tests available at a site and you test 2000 severe cases, you may get 1800 positives that get added to the total. But testing 2000 mild cases might only get you 500 positives.

      What matters isn’t what happened in the past. If you started the day with 10,000 cases and had the result I described above, the next number you paste on the big board says 11,800 from testing severe cases, or 10,500 if you tested mild cases. Nothing is revealed or changed about the untested fraction of the population, so while it’s true that testing is inadequate, the decision you made didn’t really have any effect on that.

      The sign says that the test doesn’t inform treatment at all–they treat based on symptoms, not based on test results–so the choice to limit the test to severe cases seems strange if you’re trying to hold the numbers down. We should be serious about testing so we can properly monitor the spread of the disease (required for reopening the economy for those particularly interested in that goal) and so that we can guide better outcomes for patients. If we’re not going to be making a decision based on the result a test gives, though, there’s no reason to run the test at all.

    3. @Shuizid Actually, giving it a bit more thought, the likely purpose of the test given the sign is to determine where to divert you for treatment. Go to the COVID ward for a positive test, the non-COVID ward for a negative test. That’s a legitimate use for the test, but it’s probably not the one that immediately comes to mind for most people.

    4. @Bobbun This allocation to a (non)covid-19 ward only works, if there actually is a seperation. Which might not be the case or not for a lot longer, given numbers are mostly still rising.
      With that in mind, testing less severe cases could be more interesting.
      I mean, if there is no special covid-19 treatment, knowing whether someone has covid-19 or not is of little use. Assuming with severe symtpoms, they will be treated in the hospital anyway. Testing those with mild symptoms, who would go home afterwards, could help limit the spread by NOT letting them go home if they are positive.

      Ofcourse I don’t know how exactly treatment within hospitals is handled or if we are at any point to even consider mitigating the spread. After all, there are propably several million (!) infected without anybody knowing it. Many might have none or only slight symptoms or just simply not the money/freedom to be sick (which in itself id already fked up for a country). So controlling the spread is not really an option at this point.

    5. As a person who went through testing, if you display mild symptoms, you will be sent home to quarantine. There are not enough kits for everyone. The testing facilities are backed up. So they reserve tests to the ones who are showing lower oxygen levels and lungs may not be clear. Unfortunately that does lead to lower numbers because they don’t count people who aren’t tested. Also, remember those mild cases who were sent home had contact with bunches of people before they went into quarantine. For everyone who thinks Trump is doing a good job and is a good president, go home and pray the virus away or go back to work. Just do it. This is a Darwin moment.

  4. Hey Americans.
    If trump didn’t pay any attention when Navarro warned him in January that the pandemic could cost 2 million lives—-do you think he would bat an eyelid if 60,000 people your parent’s and grandparent’s age kick the bucket—as long as his numbers are good?

    1. @The Collective 1.716ik what common knowledge means. who was talking about infected test here? That’s not what I needed citation for, everyone knows at this point the CCP has been sending out defective and infected supplies…for a while now.

    2. @Trogdor Trogdor I may have misunderstood the thread, or some comments are deleted and my comment is irrelevant now.. Much Love

    3. @The Collective 1.716 well which is it? Did you miss understand the thread, or are you implying that I deleted something in this thread to intentionally make you look a certain way? I mean you did come at me specifically in the first place did you not?

    4. @Trogdor Trogdor Im not saying you deleted anything. I am well aware that youtube and content creators both can remove comments. I am definitely implying that after reviewing this thread i certainly feel my comment is out of place.. However it being made over a week ago, Im having trouble recalling the thread by memory.. So i can not be sure which one it is in reality.

    1. @Jason Ramos You are obviously not in touch with reality and unable to wake up from the ‘wet dream’ you are having

    1. @The Collective 1.716 Thanks for the unasked for advice but I’m fine. Plenty of food in my country as our farmers ,food processors, and supermarkets are all deemed to be essential industries. We are still exporting plenty of foodstuffs as well.
      In addition, our CONVID-19 virus cases are now down to just a handful each day due to us staying at home for a few weeks, having a good practice of social distancing and hand-washing, doing plenty of COVID-19 testing and tracing, plus closing our border to non-residents. Based on our very positive results to date in handling the CONVID-19 virus I do expect my country’s economy to be up and running again very shortly.

  5. Trump can’t fight the whole world. He can’t lie through this one. The pandemic has got you baby. You are toast.

    1. @rashadb76 they are so pathetic they are trying to say the bodies in the body bags are dummies. They should consider applying for the job.

    2. Ay, I wanted to know who said that about the body bags? Did I miss where you said who? Gonna leave me hangin?

    3. Yeah especially when opposing party will make sure it spreads in trump zone. One never knows. Deceiving and being deceived.

  6. I wonder myself, right? would there have been people who have said or thought,
    I vote for Trump, he can’t do much worse.
    it turns out, yes, he can.

    1. I met a guy who told me he voted for Trump to say “F U” to the “system”. Wonder often how that “F U” is going for him.

    2. imagine the shame that trump voters are secretly feeling. Their to ashamed to admit that he is the death squad. Wait until the trump voters parents and grand parents become infected after trump lifts all restrictions. Long way until November.

    3. @Debra Bashaw The real ticking time-bomb is the rural South. All the Madgre’ and Spring-Break returnees are about 2-3 contacts away from really tipping the scales. If this thing does get a second wind and we have any kind of flare-up… Then we will really see the dog and phony snake-oil salesman lose his mind.

  7. I hope the first thing Trump does is hold one of his MAGA rallies. Put your money where your mouth is Trump!

    1. oh but he will.. or he will try to.. watch.. he does not care.. he is a malignant narcissist and, as such, is incapable of empathy or sympathy for anyone but his own hide so people getting sick from his rallies would be the last thing he worries about.

    2. And also hope he shakes hands with numerous people carrying the COVID-19 virus. (Like Boris Johnson in the UK)

    3. @lima leaf frog Boris was also a lucky man who has to thank those overseas nurses from New Zealand and Portugal working for the British NHS who nursed him through the worst while he was in ICU.

    4. @gbnz53 …definitely, I’m sure he’ll be doing a lot of thinking especially with a wee one on he way.

    1. I’m actually hoping it’s the Ark of the Covenant like in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Let him get his own face melted off while we stay in isolation out of sight of the ghostly spirits, hellfire, and the angels of death.

    1. The left right paradigm has got you good, I would start spending your time learning to farm your own food to keep it for winter.. if I was you.

    2. Oh, while I feel like puking every time he holds one of these “Praise” Conferences, I love that he’s so exposed as the pathological narcissist & carnival clown he is as he stands before the American people each day. He is not only his worst enemy, he’s our worst nightmare. With every day’s Press Conference, his support among us declines. Yet this psychopath can’t help himself.

    3. @Coma White I disagree, divide people has been modus operadi since as far back as I can read in History.

    4. @Coma White “The Prince is a 16th-century political treatise by the Italian diplomat and political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli.”

  8. Triump need to be put in asylum. He is mentally unsound. It is a shame for those who side with him. Either they are also partly unsound .They are of no principle but just because they are gaining or hoping to gain benefits from him. With him around America is heading to doom.

    1. His Multimillionaire father that built NYC City Housing Complexes passed in 1999 after a 6 year battle with Alzheimer’s, it eventually develops into total Dementia. Think that MIGHT have something to do with it?

    1. @Lion Singh You are aware? Many many international news agencies have published that the caronavirus tests were/are contaminated with caronavirus. That should common knowledge at this point. Good luck with your tests .. i will pray for your good health.

    2. @LB I agree with most everything stated in that video. watched it for the first time maybe two days ago. Provocative for sure. Thanks for the compliment btw..

      I thought you were insinuating that all the international news articles about caronavirus tests being contaminated are fake news.

    1. @Allan Gregory The horse jumped over the taxi and ate blended steel before kicking the table that was eating mushrooms.

    2. astro ayumi yes your right and it’s horrifying. His supporters are letting themselves get led to the slaughter.

  9. And voila! The explanation for why the dumpster wants to stop funding the WHO – they’ve exposed his failings so he has to punish them.

    1. @Jessaroo No, just a political organization. The ideologies of those in charge are manifested in policy. Not rocket science.

    2. @Itz Cyclops …Trump’s supposed to be a big boy. Tedros & China are responsible for their incompetence but I don’t think it was conspiratorial. Trump needs to accept his part of the responsibility, not being prepared for a pandemic that everyone knew was a possibility. Will he learn to listen to others …of course not.

    3. Tbf, the WHO has lost all credibility and trust with the population too. Don’t get me wrong, the guidelines they posted are right and Trump’s actions are fking disgusting.

    1. That’s one reason but I think he’s looking to direct the focus of his unpreparedness from him, and blame WHO.

  10. Trump: “Let’s reopen the country.”
    Me: “You what now? You haven’t even yet slowed down the infection rate to any meaningful degree. You are driving towards a cliff and want to hit the gas again, after you didn’t even touch the breaks?!”

    1. The numbers are propped up by false positives and inflation. They’re literally counting anyone with a flu who dies a victim of covid. The test they’re issuing is not 100% accurate. Have you driven by these Covid camps in the hospital parking lots? They are EMPTY. I live in Los Angeles county(highly populated) and there are not tons of flu victims here. The seasonal flu killed just as many people last year according to the CDC but everyone doesn’t even wash their fu@#ing hands for that but Covid warrants a global shutdown? Naw. Wake up

    2. @Jason Ramos Even healthy people have no immunity against the SARS CoV 2 virus. Most people have immunity against the seasonal flu. A lower percentage of people infected with the flu die than From Covid 19. A MUCH higher percentage of people die from coronavirus than the flu. The infection rate is much higher as well. But I’m sure you knew those superficial facts before trying to downplay whats going on.

    3. Not downplaying anything. I am suggesting that the punishment does not fit the crime. Covid has not manifested nearly as bad as they’ve projected in the states. Yes, people have died but shutting down the Country is not the answer. We get sick, it happens. Over 300 million Americans and the last time I saw the numbers we were less than 25k deaths. Run the numbers on DUI deaths, Tylenol deaths, Cancer, influenza deaths, work related deaths……I think you’re picking up what I’m putting down. They don’t shut the economy down for that.

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