UK doctors are threatening to quit because they have not been given enough safety equipment to protect them from the coronavirus

Thomas Colson 3/25/2020

Getty Images/Christopher Furlong


Doctors in the UK could quit the NHS if they are not given better equipment to protect themselves from the coronavirus, according to a group representing them.
'Some doctors may feel they have no choice but to give up the profession they love, because they feel so abandoned by not being given the PPE that the World Health Organization recommends,' Dr Rinesh Parmar, chair of the Doctors' Association UK, told the Guardian.

The move threatens to undermine an NHS recruitment drive which the government launched last week.

There have been 8,077 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the UK and 422 deaths.


LONDON — Doctors leading the fight against the coronavirus in the UK have threatened to quit if the UK government fails to provide them with adequate protective equipment soon.

As the outbreak continues to grow in the UK, with 8,077 confirmed cases and 422 deaths, doctors say they are being forced to endanger their own health due to a nationwide shortage of the right equipment.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) includes masks, respirators, and gowns, and can help prevent transmission of the virus between medical staff and patients.

Dr Rinesh Parmar, chair of the Doctors' Association UK, told the Guardian: "The longer this epidemic goes on for, if doctors feel that there is a widespread lack of personal protective equipment, then some doctors may feel they have no choice but to give up the profession they love, because they feel so abandoned by not being given the PPE that the World Health Organization recommends.

"That's the travesty of this situation, that the government needs to protect frontline health workers and in return they will give 100%. But the government hasn't kept its side of the bargain with NHS staff by not having enough PPE available to safeguard the health of doctors and nurses."

Organisations representing nurses, paramedics, GPs, and midwives have also echoed concerns about the lack of protective equipment in recent weeks.

The move threatens to undermine a recruitment drive which the government launched last week.

Matt Hancock, the government, said on Tuesday that nearly 12,000 retired NHS workers had already agreed to return to hospitals and support efforts to tackle the coronavirus.

The Doctors Association, a lobby group, warned last week that NHS staff felt like "lambs to the slaughter" and said that a lack of safety equipment was endangering the lives of patients as well.

Matt Hancock admitted on Tuesday that there had been "challenges" with the supply of PPE to medical staff in England. He said the government purchased a million face masks over the weekend and was taking the issue "very seriously."

"I am determined to ensure that the right kit gets to the right hospital, the right ambulance service, the right doctors' surgery, right across the country," he said.

"There have been challenges and I can see that. We're on it and trying to solve all the problems."

The shortage of safety equipment came under further scrutiny on Wednesday, when a large-scale PPE manufacturer said it had emailed NHS trusts twice since January offering further supplies.

Pam Parker, managing director of PPS in Milton Keynes, told BBC's Today programme that representatives for the NHS "said they had it all under control and they didn't need them."

"We did offer [equipment to] local authorities and that was just a few weeks ago. They said, no thank you, we've got enough."


She said the equipment was subsequently sent to Spain, Germany, and Chile.

Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, said last week there was already an adequate supply of equipment but there were logistical problems in distributing it quickly enough.

"We have obviously been talking to national NHS leaders and what they say to us is there are sufficient national stocks of personal protection equipment but there is currently a problem in terms of the logistical distribution of them," he told iNews.

"What's happened is that, because of the sudden and understandable spike in demand, it is taking a bit of time for the logistical distribution to catch up, but the bit that they are saying to us is there are sufficient national stocks; the issue is actually ensuring that those stocks reach the front line in the right numbers, in the right places, at the right time."

CHUCK HOLDS BALL FOR LUCY 
Chuck Schumer made sure businesses controlled by Trump, his family, and top US officials couldn't get money from the government's $2 trillion coronavirus bailout fund

Tom Porter 3/25/2020

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and President Donald Trump speak in the White House State Dining Room on January 23, 2017. Getty Images/Pool

Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer secured a condition in the government's $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package that barred President Donald Trump's businesses from receiving money.

Under the proviso, businesses owned by members of Congress, Vice President Mike Pence, and top members of the executive branch are also excluded from the bailout.
Trump owns a string of high-end hotels and golf resorts — and several of his businesses have been shuttered during the pandemic. 

The aid package, agreed on by the White House and Senate early Wednesday morning, provides assistance to Americans laid off in the crisis and businesses struggling amid a sharp economic downturn. 

Democratic Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer secured an agreement in the $2 trillion federal coronavirus stimulus package that barred businesses owned by President Donald Trump, his family, top US officials, and members of Congress from receiving any money from the fund.

A spokesman for Schumer's office told Reuters that under the proviso, businesses owned by Vice President Mike Pence and heads of the executive branch would also be barred from receiving Treasury department loans and investments in the aid program.

The Senate and White House agreed on a massive $2 trillion stimulus package to help American workers and businesses mitigate the devastating economic impact of the coronavirus. They reached the agreement early Wednesay morning.

Under the deal, direct payment and an unemployment benefits will be sent to millions of Americans whose livelihood are imperiled by the pandemic, and states and businesses will receive aid to help them offset the economic impact of the crisis.

From left to right: Vice President Mike Pence, Trump, and Schumer in the Oval Office. Evan Vucci/AP Images

Before the agreement was reached, there was speculation about how an aid package would affect businesses owned by Trump, a real-estate developer who owns a string of high-end hotels and golf courses across the US — several of which have been shuttered as part of measures to contain the outbreak.


The businesses closed include six of Trump's seven most profitable businesses, including resorts and hotels in south Florida, New Jersey, and Las Vegas, The Washington Post reported.

According to Trump's most recent financial statements, in 2018, the businesses account for $174 million a year of Trump's annual revenue.

In recent days, Trump has advocated easing strict quarantining measures introduced to stop the outbreak in order to ease the impact on the economy. Many critics have said that easing the measures could imperil public health.

A sparsely populated outdoor space in New York City on March 4, 2020. Getty Images

One of the major sticking points of the $2 trillion aid bill had been the provision of oversights to ensure the business fund was distributed fairly, and that Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin did not allow Trump and his allies to profit.

Trump no longer has a direct role in the day-to-day operation of his businesses, and has handed over control to his two sons, Eric and Donald Jr.

Under Schumer's proviso, businesses owned by the children or spouses of top officials and lawmakers are also barred from the aid package, CNN's Manu Raju tweeted.

But earlier in the week neither Trump not his company, the Trump Organization, had ruled out applying to for congressional bailout funds if they became available.

"Everything's changing, just so you understand, it's all changing," Trump said on Sunday. "But I have no idea."

Jeff Bezos, Larry Fink, and other top US execs dodged $1.9 billion in losses by selling their own stock as the coronavirus outbreak worsened


Ben Winck Mar. 24, 2020

Top executives sold a total of $9.2 billion in their firms' stock before markets hit fresh lows on March 20, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

The sales made between February 1 and March 19 led corporate leaders to avoid potential losses totaling $1.9 billion, according to The Journal's analysis. Markets tanked through late February and March as coronavirus risks weighed on investors' nerves.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos accounted for roughly one-third of executives' 2020 sales. The chief executive offloaded $3.4 billion in the e-commerce giant's stock in the first week of February, leading him to dodge losses of about $317 million.

Financial sector giants including BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, Apollo Global Management Director Marc Rowan, and Intercontinental Exchange Chief Executive Jeffrey Sprecher also dumped shares amid the market turmoil.

more stories.

US executives spanning several sectors cashed out a total of $9.2 billion in company stock before markets bottomed on coronavirus fears, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

Corporate leaders avoided losses totaling $1.9 billion through sales between February 1 and March 19, according to The Journal's analysis. Much of the selling took place through pre-established trading schedules, which help executives skirt allegations of insider trading.

While executives often sell stock at the beginning of the year, sale volume was about 33% greater in recent weeks compared to comparable periods over the last two years, The Journal reported.

US stocks tanked over the six-week period as the coronavirus pandemic intensified and an oil-market struggle between Saudi Arabia and Russia fueled additional volatility. Equities slid into their first bear market in 11 years, and by March 20, the S&P 500 sat roughly 30% from its February 19 peak.

The largest seller was Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, according to The Journal, who offloaded $3.4 billion in company shares during the first week of February. The sale led Bezos to avoid losses of about $317 million had he held the stock until March 20. The sold position accounted for more than a third of executive sales this year, according to The Journal.

Read more: 'If you're going to dip a toe, start here': Citi says these 17 cash-rich stocks are perfect for traders seeking cheap opportunities in a coronavirus-hit market

Financial sector giants accounted for some of the biggest sales over the period. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink cashed out $25 million worth of shares on February 14, avoiding more than $9.3 million in potential losses. Fink offloaded $18 million worth of BlackRock shares around the same time last year, a spokesperson told The Journal.

Marc Rowan, co-founder and director of private equity firm Apollo Global Management, sold $99 million in company shares between February and early March, The Journal reported, escaping potential losses of about $40 million.





Jeffrey Sprecher, CEO of New York Stock Exchange-parent Intercontinental Exchange, traded in $18 million in stock to avoid a $3 million loss.

Moody's CEO Raymond McDaniel offloaded $10 million worth of shares, roughly triple his monthly sale average in 2019, according to The Journal's analysis. The sales saved about $2.7 million in potential losses.

Lance Uggla, CEO of data provider IHS Markit, dumped $47 million of shares in the firm around February 19, dodging a $19.2 million loss had he held the shares into late March, The Journal reported.

Read more: 'Historically attractive': BlackRock's bond chief who oversees $2.3 trillion told us 5 places to buy the dip as the coronavirus crisis ravages markets

Even executives leading industries hit hardest by the virus' economic fallout sold shares before suffering greater financial hits. MGM Resorts CEO James Murren sold $22.2 million of the company's stock between February 19 and February 20, just one week after he announced he will leave the hotel chain. The trades helped Murren shake a $15.9 million loss, The Journal reported.

The coronavirus outbreak swiftly tore into travel and tourism industries through February and into March, leaving exposed industries concerned about a sudden demand shock.

The Journal combed over more than 4,000 regulatory filings from February 1 to March 19 for its executive sale analysis. Calculations for avoided losses are based on the change in stock price from the time of the sale to its level on March 20.

Why companies like Goldman Sachs, Apple, and Facebook had all of those N95 masks to donate in the first place

Various N95 respiration masks at a laboratory of 3M, that has been contracted by the U.S. government to produce extra marks in response to the country's novel coronavirus outbreak, in Maplewood, Minnesota, U.S. March 4, 2020. Reuters/Nicholas Pfosi

Companies like Facebook, Apple, and Goldman Sachs are donating their stockpiles of face masks including N95 respirators to healthcare workers. 

The companies have these masks in preparation for wildfires or from past epidemics like the avian flu or swine flu. 

There has been a shortage of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers all across the US. 

Large institutions like Facebook, Apple, and Goldman Sachs have donated masks to healthcare workers amid shortages during the coronavirus outbreak, several news agencies reported.

Facebook donated 72,000 masks out of its emergency reserve, Reuters reported; Apple donated 9 million masks, Vice President Mike Pence said on Tuesday; and last week, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that Goldman Sachs donated 100,000 masks to his state, CNN reported.

Leslie Shribman, a spokesperson for Goldman Sachs told Business Insider in an email that the company is donating 100,000 N95 masks to both New York and New Jersey. Additionally, the company will also donate 50,000 N95s to the NHS in the United Kingdom.

Shribman also said they were also working with hospitals in states like California and Utah to send masks "based on where the needs are most acute."

N95 masks are an important protective equipment component used by healthcare workers dealing with the coronavirus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, those masks are able to filter out at least 95% of particles in the air.

These organizations had these mask supplies as a means to protect employees from other threats, such as wildfires.

"To help, Facebook donated our emergency reserve of 720,000 masks that we had bought in case the wildfires continued," CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a post.

Additionally, Regina Phelps, president of Emergency Management and Safety Solutions told The Wall Street Journal that some financial institutions began gathering face masks 15 years ago in light of the avian-flu outbreak in China. It was believed that face masks could protect people from being infected with a respiratory illness. Companies continued to stockpile those materials in 2009, in light of the swine flu pandemic.

A spokesperson for Goldman Sachs told the WSJ that the company's mask supply "were procured in the wake of previous epidemics."

"At this moment in time, Apple went to their storehouses and is donating 9 million N95 masks to healthcare facilities all across the country and to the national stockpile," Pence said.


Elon Musk, Tesla's CEO, also said he'll be donating 250,000 N95 masks in an email to CleanTechnica.

Other organizations like Nasdaq Inc. and Mastercard have also pledged to donate masks, The Journal reported.

Healthcare workers and experts all across the country have said there's a shortage of personal protective equipment needed to help doctors and nurses tackle the coronavirus outbreak, Business Insider previously reported.

The US has more than 54,000 COVID-19 cases with at least 700 deaths.

Facebook and Apple did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

Apple is donating 9 million protective face masks to help fight the coronavirus pandemic

Apple is donating 9 million protective face masks to COVID-19 relief efforts in the US, the Vice President Mike Pence said in a press briefing on Tuesday.

The vice president said he and President Trump recently spoke with Apple CEO Tim Cook.
Cook is one of several tech CEOs that has pledged to donate face masks, along with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.


Apple is donating 9 million protective face masks to help combat the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Vice President Mike Pence said during a press briefing on Tuesday.

"And I spoke today, and the president spoke last week, with Tim Cook of Apple," Pence said. "And at this moment in time Apple went to their store houses and is donating 9 million N95 masks to healthcare facilities all across the country and to the national stockpile. "

Cook recently said on Twitter that Apple would be donating "millions" of masks to workers in the US and Europe, while Pence also previously said the company would be providing 2 million masks.

"Our teams at Apple have been working to help source supplies for healthcare providers fighting COVID-19," Cook wrote on Twitter on Saturday. "We're donating millions of masks for health professionals in the US and Europe. To every one of the heroes on the front lines, we thank you."

Apple is one of several technology giants donating masks as the US grapples with supply shortages as the coronavirus spreads.

Doctors in at least two hospitals in New York City, which has been a hotspot for COVID-19 infections, have been told to reuse their masks to preserve their supply, Business Insider's Jacob Shamsian reported earlier in March. In Los Angeles, some doctors are turning to seamstresses in the city's garment district for new masks.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg also recently said the company will be donating the 720,000 masks it had purchased as a protective measure against the California wildfires and plans to source millions more.

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk also recently said in an email to CleanTechnica that he'll be donating at least 250,000 N95 masks.

N95 respirators are different than surgical face masks in that they're able to form a tight enough seal to filter out at least 95% of particles in the air, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Surgical masks, comparatively, are loose-fitting and protects the wearer from large droplets and splashes.

GRIFTER IN CHIEF

'It's a two-way street': Trump suggests that federal coronavirus aid will be given to governors that 'treat us well'

President Donald Trump suggested that the federal government would give aid to state governors battling the coronavirus outbreak if they "treat us well also." 

"It's a two-way street," Trump said about discussions he has had with governors about providing them with federal aid. 

State and local officials have called out Trump and the federal government for the delay in providing them with critical supplies, like masks and ventilators, as hospitals struggle to treat patients with the virus. 

Ventilators are key in treating a respiratory illness like COVID-19, but experts have warned that America faces a shortage of critical supplies in the months ahead.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday appeared to condition giving federal aid to states battling the coronavirus outbreak if they "treat us well."

Trump spoke about providing critical support, like building new hospitals and supplying ventilators, to states hit hard by the spread of the virus during a Fox News town hall on Tuesday.

"It's a two-way street," Trump said about discussions he has had with governors about providing them with federal aid.

"They have to treat us well also, they can't say 'Oh gee, we should get this, we should get that,'" he said. "We're doing a great job."

Trump said New York was an example of how the federal government has put forward resources to support states in their coronavirus efforts.


"We're literally building hospitals and medical centers," he said. "And then I hear that there's a problem with ventilators — well, we sent them ventilators, and they could have had 15 or 16,000, all they had to do was order them two years ago. But they decided not to do it."

"They can't blame us for that," he added.

Several state and local leaders have criticized Trump's slow response to dispersing national resources to state governments. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio told NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday that he has repeatedly asked Trump to provide federal aid as the city's coronavirus cases continue to spike.

"The President of the United States is from New York City, and he will not lift a finger to help his hometown," de Blasio said. "And I do not get it. I do not get it."

"I can't be blunt enough. If the president does not act, people will die who could have lived otherwise," he added.


Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker called out the federal government for the state's shortage of masks and ventilators.

"This should've been a coordinated effort by the federal government," Pritzker told CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday.

Trump responded to Pritzker's comments on Twitter, saying that governors shouldn't blame the federal government "for their own shortcomings."

"We are there to back you up should you fail, and always will be!" he wrote.

Trump on Tuesday told Fox News that state governments needed to get the necessary medical supplies on their own.


"We're there to help them. They need to get the gear themselves," Trump said.

More than 54,000 coronavirus cases have been reported across all 50 states and Washington, DC, as of March 24. Over 720 people have died in the US.

Ventilators are key in treating a respiratory illness like COVID-19. But experts have warned that America faces a shortage of critical supplies in the months ahead as the number of coronavirus cases continues to grow.

A February report from the Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins found that the US had about 170,000 ventilators, with 160,000 ventilators ready for use in hospitals along with about 8,900 held in a national reserve.

One expert estimated that about 1 million Americans may need ventilator treatment during the coronavirus outbreak, straining the country's resources even if all those cases do not overlap. Shortages of other medical gear like masks have already started to affect US hospitals.


Some states have called on private companies and individuals to help provide medical supplies where possible. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a press conference on Monday that Tesla CEO Elon Musk delivered 1,000 ventilators to help California hospitals treat patients.

P3
Fed taps BlackRock to run emergency programs

Published: March 25, 2020 By Dawn Lim

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink AFP/Getty Images

The Federal Reserve on Tuesday asked BlackRock Inc. to steer tens of billions of dollars in bond purchases, a reflection of the influence of the world’s largest money manager.

BlackRock BLK, +13.52% will purchase agency commercial mortgage-backed securities secured by multifamily-home mortgages on behalf of the New York Federal Reserve. The Fed will determine which securities guaranteed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae are suitable for purchase. BlackRock will execute the trades.

BlackRock also will manage two large bond-buying programs. It will be in charge of a Fed-backed facility to buy new investment-grade bonds from U.S. companies.

The firm also will oversee another vehicle for buying already-issued investment-grade bonds. Bond purchases will be the focus of that effort. But the firm has latitude to buy U.S. investment grade bond ETFs—including exchange-traded funds of its own. BlackRock is the largest provider of bond ETFs.


An expanded version of this story is available at WSJ.com

Also at WSJ.com

Bezos and other executives sold stock just in time

On This Day in Space: March 25, 1655: Christiaan Huygens discovers Saturn's moon Titan

By Hanneke Weitering

On March 25, 1655, Saturn's moon Titan was discovered by the Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens (a name that you've probably heard mispronounced as "Hoy-gens").

Titan is the largest moon of Saturn and it was the first of 62 moons to be found orbiting Saturn. Huygens discovered Titan using a telescope he designed himself. While looking at Saturn's rings, he noticed a bright and tiny dot nearby.

Huygens suspected it was a moon, but just to be sure, he kept watching it for a few days. He confirmed that the tiny speck was orbiting Saturn and therefore must have been a moon. More than 300 years later, the European Space Agency sent a spacecraft to Titan and named it after him.
Titan Landing Pictures by Huygens Spacecraft
Amazing Photos: Titan, Saturn's Largest Moon
Titan, Saturn's Largest Moon, Explained (Infographic)

Finding Nature's Voice with an 'Internet of Animals'

Fitting transmitters onto thousands of creatures may help scientists predict natural disasters and offer a "lifecast" of hidden environmental information.


Image credits: reyesphoto/Shutterstock


CREATURE

Tuesday, March 3, 2020 - 10:30

Katharine Gammon, Contributor

(Inside Science) -- When you're trying to beat traffic in a busy city, you probably turn to an app like Google Maps, which uses data from thousands of drivers' phones to create a sensor network and predict the best way to reach a destination.

What if the same thing could be done with thousands of sensors attached to animals?

That's the idea behind the International Cooperation for Animal Research Using Space (ICARUS), which seeks to attach tiny transmitters to creatures in unprecedented numbers and track them from space. In 2018, astronauts installed an antenna on the International Space Station to collate the data and beam it to scientists on the ground. Now, results are starting to roll in.

"The sensors allow animals to be our eyes and ears and noses in the world, and we are linking it all together," said Martin Wikelski, director of the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Radolfzell, Germany.

Researchers have tracked animals for decades, of course. But they haven't been able to attach transmitters to creatures smaller than 100 grams -- which has put 75% of the world's species out of reach. And the tags themselves are often so pricey that they can't be deployed in large numbers.

The ICARUS system has already created transmitters that are 5 grams -- about the size of a knuckle -- but they expect a significant drop in size over the coming years, said Walter Jetz, an ecologist at Yale University in New Haven and co-director (with Wikelski) of the Max Planck-Yale Center for Biodiversity Movement and Global Change. So far, the system has logged movement data for more than 800 species, beaming locations back to Earth every three minutes. In the next five years, the trackers will become small enough to attach to a locust.

The team is discovering information that wasn't otherwise obvious from traditional biology research -- like precisely how far birds travel in flight. Jetz said this allows researchers to develop new ways to study animal navigation and memory. In addition, the team can identify behavior of both single individuals and groups of animals, during daily activities and migrations, which offers a peek into a changing world. "Through onboard sensors, animals offer a novel lens on the environment and its change," said Jetz.

Sensors also offer humans a window into their own backyards. For generations, farmers living near Mount Etna have reported animals acting strangely before a volcanic eruption. Now, goats that beam back data every three minutes are confirming that their behavior changes in the minutes and hours before an eruption. He says that the animal warning system can give an alert signal two to 12 hours before an eruption, within 12 miles. "Collective behavior gives us a sense of the sixth sense of animals," said Wikelski. "That's vital information for humankind."

Diseases that jump from animals to humans can also be tracked using the data in the system. Bats are often suspected as culprits in disease outbreaks (including Ebola and coronavirus). That reputation isn't always warranted, but by tracking bats, scientists can figure out where the repositories of disease occur, and potentially understand how illness can leap from one species to another.

Another area where animals can tell the future is in pest outbreaks, like the ongoing locust swarm in Africa. Storks feed in areas where migratory locusts deposit their eggs. Since it's difficult to predict where these pests will pop up, storks' presence can be indicators of areas where people may want to plan ahead for a locust swarm. In addition, scientists can compare historical data on storks, which has been collected for a hundred years, with current tracking information to gain insight on how their patterns are changing.

The way animals' move sometimes signals that their safety may be in danger. When giraffes in Kruger National Park in South Africa start to act in an unusual but known way, park rangers could receive an alert that a poacher may be active in the area -- and they can send extra hands to prevent illegal hunting. As scientists add more animals, including insects, to their tracking efforts in the next decade, they hope to gain a clearer picture of what's happening around the globe. The project will help develop biologically driven alerts around environmental disasters, disease transmissions and more, said Jetz.

Just a few decades ago, people had little ability to predict natural phenomena, said Wikelski. Now, people can prepare -- and that ability will only increase with more animal data. "We think animals will offer something -- not the weather forecast, but a lifecast of what is happening," he said, adding that people will pay attention when they know something big is coming. "The problem was always how to read animals' signals. In the digital era this isn't a problem anymore: All you have to do is listen."

UPDATED
Arizona Man Dies After Mistaking Cleaning Chemical For Unproven Coronavirus Treatment

Dominique Mosbergen, HuffPost•March 24, 2020


An Arizona man has died and his wife was in critical condition after consuming chloroquine phosphate, a product used to clean fish tanks that shares an active ingredient with drugs touted by President Donald Trump as a possible treatment for the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.

The man’s wife, who has not been named publicly, told NBC News that she and her husband decided to ingest the aquarium product after hearing Trump on TV refer to two anti-malaria drugs — chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine — as a potential “game changer” in the fight against COVID-19.

“I saw it sitting on the back shelf and thought, ‘hey, isn’t that the stuff they’re talking about on TV?’” the woman told NBC.

NBC: Did you see the President's press conference? Where did you hear about--

Patient: Yeah. Yeah, we saw his press conference. It was on a lot, actually.

NBC: And then did you did you seek out Chloroquine?

Patient: I had it in the house because I used to have koi fish. https://t.co/C8EiTQQ3r1 pic.twitter.com/QgmElANCEG
— Vaughn Hillyard (@VaughnHillyard) March 24, 2020

The couple, both in their 60s, had not been diagnosed with COVID-19, but the woman said they were worried of contracting the disease and had taken the aquarium product as a preventative measure.

The product they consumed contained the same active ingredient as the two anti-malaria drugs Trump referred to — but unlike the medicine taken by humans, the product they ingested is used to get rid of algae and a parasite that causes a condition known as white spot disease in fish. According to The New York Times, prices for the aquarium product “have spiked during the coronavirus pandemic.”

Banner Health, a hospital system based in Phoenix, Arizona, said the couple experienced distressing side effects within 30 minutes of consuming the product and were admitted to one of their hospitals.

“I started vomiting,” the woman told NBC News. “My husband started developing respiratory problems and wanted to hold my hand.”

The man died shortly after arriving at the hospital from cardiac arrest. His wife was initially under critical care, but the Times said her condition has since stabilized and she’s expected to make a full recovery.

Banner Health issued a strong warning to the public to not ingest “inappropriate medications and household products,” including chloroquine, “to prevent or treat COVID-19.”

Federal officials have said they are looking into the safety and efficacy of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine in treating COVID-19. In the meantime, however, medical experts have warned of the drugs’ dangerous side effects and stress that only anecdotal evidence exists so far of their potential to treat the new coronavirus.

“Given the uncertainty around COVID-19, we understand that people are trying to find new ways to prevent or treat this virus, but self-medicating is not the way to do so,” Dr. Daniel Brooks, medical director of Banner Health’s Poison and Drug Information Center, said in a statement. “The last thing that we want right now is to inundate our emergency departments with patients who believe they found a vague and risky solution that could potentially jeopardize their health.”

Chloroquine, an old drug for the treatment of malaria, has shown some anecdotal efficacy against COVID-19; but medical experts have warned the public to not self-medicate with the drug, which is known to have serious side effects. Overdoses of the drug can be fatal. (Photo: Barcroft Media via Getty Images)More

It’s never a good idea for humans to consume aquarium products as medicine.

The Smithsonian magazine warned the public in 2017 against taking fish antibiotics to treat their own illnesses after noting the practice was a trend that stretched back at least the 1990s.

The Arizona widow urged people this week to learn from her and her husband’s mistake.

“Be careful and call your doctor,” she said. “This is a heartache I’ll never get over.”

Clarification: The headline on this article has been updated to more accurately describe the chemical the couple ingested.

COLD WATER
Trump wants America 'open for business' soon, but Pentagon leaders warn coronavirus crisis could last 'months'

Business Insider•March 24, 2020

Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper and Chairman of

 the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark A. Milley
DoD photo

Pentagon leaders said Tuesday morning that the coronavirus could last months.

"I think we need to plan for this to be a few months long at least," Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said, with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley saying that reports and models indicate this could last three months.

Their comments contrast with those of President Donald Trump, who said Monday that the country "will again, and soon, be open for business — very soon — a lot sooner than three or four months."

As the president expresses a strong interest in reopening the country in the near future, the Pentagon is bracing for a coronavirus crisis that will last at least a few months.

"We have to be prepared to address it as long as the country needs us," Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said during a town hall meeting on Tuesday.

"I think we need to plan for this to be a few months long at least, and we are taking all precautionary measures to do that, to be in it for the long haul."

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley concurred, saying that all the reports indicate that "you are looking at eight to 10, maybe 12, weeks — call it three months."

Milley added that "some of that depends on what we do as a nation to mitigate it, to flatten the curve, so to speak."

The coronavirus that first appeared in China has spread to more than 395,000 people worldwide and claimed more than 17,000 lives. The US, the third-worst-hit country, has reported more than 46,000 cases and well over 500 deaths.

The Department of Defense reported 174 cases among US military personnel on Tuesday, more than double what it was Friday. The Pentagon also reported 59 cases among civilian personnel, 61 cases among dependents, and 27 cases among contractors.

As the numbers continue to grow, President Donald Trump has been pushing for the US to reopen.

"America will again, and soon, be open for business — very soon — a lot sooner than three or four months," Trump said during a Monday evening press briefing.

"Our country wasn't built to be shut down," he added.

The Department of Defense announced Monday that the Health Protection Condition (HPCON) for the Pentagon reservation has been increased to "Charlie," the second-highest level, and increased restrictions have been put in place for the building.

"We're going to telework as long as necessary to ensure we are beyond the coronavirus crisis," Esper said Tuesday. "It's going to be weeks for sure, maybe months."

"At the end of the day, in a period of months, we will get through this," he added in closing remarks.