Tuesday, May 26, 2020
Richard D. Wolff Returns: Economic Fallout Of The COVID-19 Crisis
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Scientists fight online coronavirus misinformation war
May 25, 2020 By Agence France-Presse
With cat photos and sometimes scathing irony, Mathieu Rebeaud, a Swiss-based researcher in biochemistry, has nearly tripled his Twitter following since the coronavirus pandemic began.
With 14,000 followers, he posts almost daily, giving explanations on the latest scientific research and, in particular, aims to fight misinformation that spreads as fast as the virus itself.
He is among a growing number of doctors, academics and institutions who in recent weeks have adapted and amplified their scientific messaging in hopes of countering what has been termed an infodemic — a deluge of information, including widespread false claims, which experts say can pose a serious threat to public health.
To cut through the noise however, it is imperative to work quickly and maximise social media engagement to get simple prevention messages across to the public, according to researchers and specialists.
“In the case of the COVID-19 pandemic, conspiracy theories provide complete, simple, seemingly rationalistic and watertight explanations,” Kinga Polynczuk-Alenius, a University of Helsinki researcher, said.
“This is in stark contrast to the available scientific knowledge — complex, fragmented, changeable and contested — and to the actions of political decision-makers and state authorities, which appear haphazard and self-contradictory,” she added.
In February, British medical journal The Lancet warned that “the rapid dissemination of trustworthy information” was needed most during a period of uncertainty.
This includes transparent identification of cases, data sharing and unhampered communication, as well as peer-reviewed research, it said.
Rigorous and time-heavy scientific studies and publications, however, compete with the immediacy of social media and a public often demanding firm and definitive answers.
“How do we communicate in this context of radical uncertainty?” asked Mikael Chambru, a scientific communication specialist at France’s University of Grenoble Alpes.
No choice
Jean-Francois Chambon, a doctor and director of communications at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, said he had no choice but to forcefully deny a widely shared video in March accusing the institution of having “created” the new coronavirus.
“We must go to any lengths” to debunk the lies, he said.
The institute created a web page dedicated to educating the public about the virus, Chambon said.
“We realised that there was a lot of ‘fake news’ on the subject,” he added.
The Pasteur Institute currently has a combined 16,000 new subscribers a month on its social media networks, he said, compared with 4,000 before the pandemic.
Jean-Gabriel Ganascia, chairman of the ethics committee at France’s National Centre for Scientific Research, agreed that the scientific community must counterattack in such situations.
“We don’t have a choice,” he told AFP.
Earlier this month, the Red Cross launched what it said was the first global network of social media influencers to battle misinformation and spread lifesaving content about the pandemic.
The World Health Organization, meanwhile, has entered into an agreement with Facebook to transmit information directly to users via personal message services.
But it is often individual doctors and researchers who can have a strong influence online.
Dutch microbiologist Elisabeth Bik tweeted a one-sentence summary of a vast study on the effects of antiviral drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine last week, just hours after its release.
Her tweet — “Each drug combination was associated with *lower* survival and more ventricular arrhythmias.” — sparked a lively and wide-ranging debate online.
Education
Scientists involved in the debate want to forge a “culture of science” among the public to help them understand what they hear and read, Chambru said.
Rather than simply imposing the view of a leading authority without any explanation, they aim to help people understand how science works including the need for studies to abide by rules and standards, he added.
“The position of authority would be extremely unpopular with the public,” Ganascia agreed.
Rebeaud, the biochemistry researcher popular on Twitter, said he was much less present on social media before the pandemic but had felt drawn to defend science.
The battle however feels unbalanced, said the researcher, who works at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland.
“Dismantling nonsense takes 10 times more energy than spreading it,” he said, agreeing with the findings of a 2018 study by the magazine Science which noted that “lies spread faster than the truth”.
Some scientists have called for a review of science education so that the public is less permeable to false information.
Information campaigns “cannot be perceived as an exclusive antidote to fight fake news,” Italian communications researcher Mafalda Sandrini said.
May 25, 2020 By Alex Henderson, AlterNet
There aren’t many people at Fox News who President Donald Trump angrily rails against on Twitter, but Chris Wallace is an exception. Wallace, although conservative, isn’t shy about being critical of Trump and his administration at times — and on Sunday, May 24, Wallace called out White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany for questioning the faith of White House reporters.
Trump is demanding that governors in the U.S. allow churches to fully reopen sooner rather than later — and McEnany, at a press conference, joined him in that assertion. Reporters, however, brought up a very legitimate concern of governors: crowded religious gatherings, governors worry, could promote the spread of coronavirus. And McEnany accused White House reporters of being anti-religion — a claim that Wallace stressed was way out of line.
Wallace, speaking to a panel that included Democratic strategist Donna Brazile and the National Review’s Jonah Goldberg, asserted, “Donna, I spent six years in the White House briefing room covering Ronald Reagan. I have to say, I never — and in the years since too, I never saw a White House press secretary act like that.”
ABC News’ Sam Donaldson, Wallace recalled, was known for being aggressive at Reagan White House press briefings — and he would have had zero tolerance for the way in which McEnany has been conducting herself with reporters.
Wallace stressed, “I have to say that if Kayleigh McEnany had told Sam Donaldson and me what questions we should ask, that would not have gone well…. Let me just say, Sam Donaldson and me in the Reagan White House, we were pretty tough on the White House press secretaries — and we never had our religious beliefs questioned or were lectured on what we should ask.”
The conservative Goldberg was highly critical of McEnany as well, telling Wallace, “What Donald Trump wants in a press secretary is a Twitter troll who goes on attack. Doesn’t actually care about doing the job they have, and instead, wants to impress really an audience of one and make another part of official Washington another one of these essentially cable news and Twitter gladiatorial arenas.”
WHY I HATE LIBERALS:
Brazile, meanwhile, was nuanced in her criticism of McEnany and told Wallace, “I know Kayleigh. I think she’s an extraordinary person. But this combative — this posture that she has taken into the job — I don’t think is the right posture. I would hope that she could tone it down a little bit.”
BRAZILE IS A CLINTONITE WALL ST DEMOCRAT
NATIONALIZE LONG TERM CARE IN CANADA UNDER MEDICARE
Ontario Hospitals To Take Over 2 Long-Term Care Homes
The government says the homes have been unable to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The Canadian Press
Just 8,170 tests were completed in the previous day — the eighth straight day Ontario has fallen short of its goal of doing 16,000 a day, and far short of its capacity of over 21,000.
Ontario has struggled to boost its testing numbers after completing a blitz of testing nearly every resident and staff member of long-term care.
Premier Doug Ford announced Sunday that anyone concerned they may have been exposed to COVID-19 can now get tested, whether or not they have symptoms, the latest move in the province’s attempts to boost low testing numbers.
The premier has said mass testing is the province’s best defence against the virus. He said a new detailed testing strategy targeting specific sectors will be unveiled this week.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 25, 2020.
Ontario Hospitals To Take Over 2 Long-Term Care Homes
The government says the homes have been unable to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The Canadian Press
05/25/2020 14:09 EDT | Updated 16 hours ago
ANDREW FRANCIS WALLACE/TORONTO STAR VIA GETTY IMAGESDownsview Long Term Care Centre, where 52 people have died from COVID-19, will be taken over by Humber River Hospital, the Ontario government announced Monday
TORONTO — Ontario says it has appointed hospitals to take over the management of two long-term care homes that have been unable to contain COVID-19.
The province says Humber River Hospital will manage Downsview Long Term Care Centre, which has reported 52 deaths, up from 40 just a week ago.
Southlake Regional Health Centre will manage River Glen Haven Nursing Home in Sutton, a 119-bed facility where there have been 20 deaths and 54 confirmed cases.
The orders last for 90 days, but the government says they can be extended, if necessary.
Earlier:
The government says that the homes have been receiving supports from the hospitals for weeks, but have still been unable to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The Ministry of Long-Term Care reports more than 1,500 resident deaths and six staff deaths from facilities across the province, and there are currently 159 active outbreaks, down from 189 a week ago.
400 new cases
Meanwhile, Ontario reported more than 400 new COVID-19 cases Monday for a fifth straight day, along with persistently low levels of tests.
That brings the total in the province to 25,904 cases, including 2,102 deaths — an increase of 29 over the previous day.
The total also includes 19,698 resolved cases, which represents 76 per cent of all cases, a third straight day of that percentage declining, as the amount of active cases increases.
The 404 new cases represent an increase of 1.6 per cent over Sunday’s total. Ontario has now seen growth rates of between 1.5 and 1.9 per cent for 16 of the past 17 days, and the chief medical officer of health has said the province’s curve appears to be in a plateau.
ANDREW FRANCIS WALLACE/TORONTO STAR VIA GETTY IMAGESDownsview Long Term Care Centre, where 52 people have died from COVID-19, will be taken over by Humber River Hospital, the Ontario government announced Monday
TORONTO — Ontario says it has appointed hospitals to take over the management of two long-term care homes that have been unable to contain COVID-19.
The province says Humber River Hospital will manage Downsview Long Term Care Centre, which has reported 52 deaths, up from 40 just a week ago.
Southlake Regional Health Centre will manage River Glen Haven Nursing Home in Sutton, a 119-bed facility where there have been 20 deaths and 54 confirmed cases.
The orders last for 90 days, but the government says they can be extended, if necessary.
Earlier:
The government says that the homes have been receiving supports from the hospitals for weeks, but have still been unable to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The Ministry of Long-Term Care reports more than 1,500 resident deaths and six staff deaths from facilities across the province, and there are currently 159 active outbreaks, down from 189 a week ago.
400 new cases
Meanwhile, Ontario reported more than 400 new COVID-19 cases Monday for a fifth straight day, along with persistently low levels of tests.
That brings the total in the province to 25,904 cases, including 2,102 deaths — an increase of 29 over the previous day.
The total also includes 19,698 resolved cases, which represents 76 per cent of all cases, a third straight day of that percentage declining, as the amount of active cases increases.
The 404 new cases represent an increase of 1.6 per cent over Sunday’s total. Ontario has now seen growth rates of between 1.5 and 1.9 per cent for 16 of the past 17 days, and the chief medical officer of health has said the province’s curve appears to be in a plateau.
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Just 8,170 tests were completed in the previous day — the eighth straight day Ontario has fallen short of its goal of doing 16,000 a day, and far short of its capacity of over 21,000.
Ontario has struggled to boost its testing numbers after completing a blitz of testing nearly every resident and staff member of long-term care.
Premier Doug Ford announced Sunday that anyone concerned they may have been exposed to COVID-19 can now get tested, whether or not they have symptoms, the latest move in the province’s attempts to boost low testing numbers.
The premier has said mass testing is the province’s best defence against the virus. He said a new detailed testing strategy targeting specific sectors will be unveiled this week.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 25, 2020.
IN ALBERTA YOU CAN PROTEST THE LOCK DOWN BUT NOT PIPELINES
Now is a great time to be building a pipeline because you can’t have protests of more than 15 people, so let’s get it built.Alberta Energy Minister Sonya Savage
Alberta Energy Minister Says Pandemic Gathering Ban A ‘Great Time’ For Pipelines
Energy Minister Sonya Savage said bans on gatherings like protests makes pipeline construction easier.
By Melanie Woods
A ban on large gatherings or protests due to the COVID-19 pandemic creates optimal conditions for pipeline construction, according to Alberta’s energy minister.
Energy Minister Sonya Savage says the ongoing pandemic is a “great time” to build a pipeline, because people aren’t able to gather to protest pipeline construction.
Savage made the comments when asked about the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion on a podcast released Friday by the Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors.
“Now is a great time to be building a pipeline because you can’t have protests of more than 15 people, so let’s get it built,” Savage said.
CHRIS SCHWARZ/GOVERNMENT OF ALBERTA
While host John Bavil chuckled at the comment, Savage reiterated she was optimistic about the expansion project, which has already completed 57 per cent of construction on its phase one stretch heading west from Edmonton.
“It’s moving along. I feel very very confident about Trans Mountain moving forward,” she said.
Most provinces have had strict restrictions on public gatherings in place since mid-March. While some restrictions have lifted in Alberta, there’s still a ban on gatherings over 50 people, and any group is subject to physical distancing of at least six feet between people.
Pipeline protest problems
Several pipeline projects championed by the Alberta government, including Trans Mountain, the Keystone XL pipeline expansion and the Coastal GasLink pipeline expansion, have faced mass protests in the past year.
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Savage’s spokesman says in an email to the Canadian Press that the minister respects the right to lawful protest. Kavi Bal added that the current restrictions on public gatherings benefit no one, including pipeline proponents.
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has championed stronger restrictions on protests, even before the pandemic. Earlier this year, he criticized anti-pipeline protesters aligned with Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs opposed to Coastal GasLink pipeline as “champions of wokeness” and “leftists engaged in illegal activity.”
His government’s first bill of the spring session aimed to introduce sweeping penalties for anyone who gathers on what the government defines as “critical infrastructure.”
Now is a great time to be building a pipeline because you can’t have protests of more than 15 people, so let’s get it built.Alberta Energy Minister Sonya Savage
But earlier this month, Kenney said he was considering altering some pandemic-related gathering restrictions in order to allow anti-lockdown protesters who maintain physical distancing to gather without facing repercussions from law enforcement.
“The right to peaceful protest is a fundamental right that includes both freedoms of speech and assembly,” Kenney said in a May 11 statement.
Work camp outbreaks
Alberta’s designation of oil and gas as an “essential service” during the pandemic has also been controversial, due to outbreaks at several work camps and concerns that pipeline construction could bring the virus to remote areas.
Now is a great time to be building a pipeline because you can’t have protests of more than 15 people, so let’s get it built.Alberta Energy Minister Sonya Savage
Alberta Energy Minister Says Pandemic Gathering Ban A ‘Great Time’ For Pipelines
Energy Minister Sonya Savage said bans on gatherings like protests makes pipeline construction easier.
By Melanie Woods
A ban on large gatherings or protests due to the COVID-19 pandemic creates optimal conditions for pipeline construction, according to Alberta’s energy minister.
Energy Minister Sonya Savage says the ongoing pandemic is a “great time” to build a pipeline, because people aren’t able to gather to protest pipeline construction.
Savage made the comments when asked about the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion on a podcast released Friday by the Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors.
“Now is a great time to be building a pipeline because you can’t have protests of more than 15 people, so let’s get it built,” Savage said.
CHRIS SCHWARZ/GOVERNMENT OF ALBERTA
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney and Energy Minister Sonya Savage at a press conference in Edmonton April 24, 2020. Savage recently said the pandemic was a "great time" to build the Trans Mountain pipeline.
While host John Bavil chuckled at the comment, Savage reiterated she was optimistic about the expansion project, which has already completed 57 per cent of construction on its phase one stretch heading west from Edmonton.
“It’s moving along. I feel very very confident about Trans Mountain moving forward,” she said.
Most provinces have had strict restrictions on public gatherings in place since mid-March. While some restrictions have lifted in Alberta, there’s still a ban on gatherings over 50 people, and any group is subject to physical distancing of at least six feet between people.
Pipeline protest problems
Several pipeline projects championed by the Alberta government, including Trans Mountain, the Keystone XL pipeline expansion and the Coastal GasLink pipeline expansion, have faced mass protests in the past year.
“The activists have been so effective because the industry has been so ineffective,” Savage said. “They outsmarted the entire industry […] they got ahead of everyone.”On the podcast, Savage said pipeline opponents have been so successful in delaying projects because they’ve “outsmarted” the industry.
RELATED
Biden Pledges To Rip Up Keystone XL Approvals If Elected
Inside The Arrest Of 5 Indigenous Youth At The B.C. Legislature
Expect More ‘Conflict’ If Feds Push TMX Pipeline Forward: Indigenous Negotiator
Savage’s spokesman says in an email to the Canadian Press that the minister respects the right to lawful protest. Kavi Bal added that the current restrictions on public gatherings benefit no one, including pipeline proponents.
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has championed stronger restrictions on protests, even before the pandemic. Earlier this year, he criticized anti-pipeline protesters aligned with Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs opposed to Coastal GasLink pipeline as “champions of wokeness” and “leftists engaged in illegal activity.”
His government’s first bill of the spring session aimed to introduce sweeping penalties for anyone who gathers on what the government defines as “critical infrastructure.”
Now is a great time to be building a pipeline because you can’t have protests of more than 15 people, so let’s get it built.Alberta Energy Minister Sonya Savage
But earlier this month, Kenney said he was considering altering some pandemic-related gathering restrictions in order to allow anti-lockdown protesters who maintain physical distancing to gather without facing repercussions from law enforcement.
“The right to peaceful protest is a fundamental right that includes both freedoms of speech and assembly,” Kenney said in a May 11 statement.
Work camp outbreaks
Alberta’s designation of oil and gas as an “essential service” during the pandemic has also been controversial, due to outbreaks at several work camps and concerns that pipeline construction could bring the virus to remote areas.
A mid-April outbreak at Imperial Oil’s Kearl mine northeast of Fort McMurray spawned over 100 cases across Western Canada.
A second outbreak was reported at Horizon oilsands mine camp operated by Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. last week, with at least five confirmed cases of COVID-19.
As of Monday, Alberta has recorded 6,860 cases of COVID-19 and 135 deaths.
With files from the Canadian Press.
A second outbreak was reported at Horizon oilsands mine camp operated by Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. last week, with at least five confirmed cases of COVID-19.
As of Monday, Alberta has recorded 6,860 cases of COVID-19 and 135 deaths.
With files from the Canadian Press.
A North Carolina Salon Reopened, But Poultry Workers Aren't Welcome Yet Due To COVID-19
The hair salon says too many employees at the local Tyson plant have been infected with the coronavirus. They'll have to wait until at least June 8.
By Dave Jamieson, HuffPost US
The hair salon SmartCuts reopened its doors in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, on Memorial Day weekend after a long closure due to the coronavirus.
But not every customer was welcome to hop in a chair like old times.
A sign posted on the shop window explained: “Due to the number of Tyson employees who have tested positive for Covid19, and given the close contact experienced during our services, we are unable to serve Tyson employees. We sincerely apologize for this decision, and we ask for your understanding.”
The local Tyson poultry processing plant is one of the largest employers in the area. Like other poultry, beef and pork facilities around the country, it has become a hotbed for the coronavirus ― with 570 workers recently testing positive out of around 2,200.
When a friend of hers sent Amy McGinty a photo of the SmartCuts sign, she was outraged. The 13-year Tyson employee said people look at her and her colleagues “like a disease.”
“They’re getting our food, but they won’t service us,” McGinty told HuffPost.
She said it was another indication of how poultry workers have been ostracized while they take on great risk to provide Americans with food during the pandemic.
“Even people I knew as friends, I can tell they don’t want to be around me,” she said.
A manager at SmartCuts confirmed the policy to HuffPost, saying it was a difficult decision but the salon’s owners believed it was in the interest of public health. The location is part of a chain with 12 salons in North Carolina and Tennessee.
FACEBOOK
The hair salon says too many employees at the local Tyson plant have been infected with the coronavirus. They'll have to wait until at least June 8.
By Dave Jamieson, HuffPost US
The hair salon SmartCuts reopened its doors in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, on Memorial Day weekend after a long closure due to the coronavirus.
But not every customer was welcome to hop in a chair like old times.
A sign posted on the shop window explained: “Due to the number of Tyson employees who have tested positive for Covid19, and given the close contact experienced during our services, we are unable to serve Tyson employees. We sincerely apologize for this decision, and we ask for your understanding.”
The local Tyson poultry processing plant is one of the largest employers in the area. Like other poultry, beef and pork facilities around the country, it has become a hotbed for the coronavirus ― with 570 workers recently testing positive out of around 2,200.
When a friend of hers sent Amy McGinty a photo of the SmartCuts sign, she was outraged. The 13-year Tyson employee said people look at her and her colleagues “like a disease.”
“They’re getting our food, but they won’t service us,” McGinty told HuffPost.
She said it was another indication of how poultry workers have been ostracized while they take on great risk to provide Americans with food during the pandemic.
“Even people I knew as friends, I can tell they don’t want to be around me,” she said.
A manager at SmartCuts confirmed the policy to HuffPost, saying it was a difficult decision but the salon’s owners believed it was in the interest of public health. The location is part of a chain with 12 salons in North Carolina and Tennessee.
A photo of the sign in the window of SmartCuts in Wilkesboro, North Carolina.
“We respect their business, and we really appreciate that they’re essential workers,” said the manager, Cathy, of the poultry plant employees. “But that puts them at risk.”
Cathy, who declined to give her last name, said the salon plans to allow Tyson employees back as of June 8, and they will be eligible to receive a $3 discount off the price of their haircuts.
Hair salons were allowed to open their doors again in North Carolina this weekend if they adhered to rules on reduced capacity, as part of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s phased reopening plan.
Photos of the SmartCuts sign made the rounds among Wilkesboro residents on Facebook on Sunday and Monday, with a number of Tyson workers expressing anger over the salon’s decision. Cathy noted that the plant’s workforce constitutes a large share of the salon’s clientele.
She said SmartCuts received “a lot of negative feedback” over the decision, but the owners are standing by the policy.
“We don’t want to turn down business. We’re trying to keep the general population safe and asking them [Tyson employees] to do the self-quarantine thing, where they’re not coming into contact with other people,” she said.
McGinty said workers like her have received “nothing but shame” for their efforts on the front lines of the pandemic. Because she works at the plant, McGinty said, it has been hard to find anyone to watch her 2-year-old ― other than her mother, who has a heart condition. When she recently took her daughter to the doctor, the first question the doctor asked was whether the child had been exposed to any Tyson employees.
She said she doesn’t get her hair cut at SmartCuts, but she should be able to if she wants.
“We are people. We are humans,” she said.
MEANWHILE....
Missouri officials: Hairstylist with COVID-19 serviced nearly 100 clients while sick
A hairstylist at a Great Clips in Missouri exposed nearly 100 people to COVID-19 as she continued working even after exhibiting symptoms of the virus.
The Kansas City Star reported that the woman serviced 84 clients and exposed seven other employees at the salon, according to the Springfield-Greene County Health Department on Friday.
While some states in the U.S. still prohibit salons and other close-contact businesses from reopening due to pandemic lockdown restrictions, Missouri allowed salon businesses to reopen on May 4.
Health officials said the hairstylist showed symptoms while working between May 12 and May 20, adding that virus tests would be distributed to those who were "directly exposed" to her.
Both the stylist and clients were reportedly wearing masks throughout the week.
The Great Clips franchise owners told McClatchy News that the salon would be sanitized and cleaned under the county health department's guidelines and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guidelines, according to the report.
"The well-being of Great Clips customers and stylists in the salon is our top priority and proper sanitization has always been an important cosmetology industry practice for Great Clips salons," the franchise owners said.
Springfield-Greene County Health Department Director Clay Goddard commended the salon's response but said more accidental exposures could not continue to happen.
"We can't make this a regular habit or our capability as a community will be strained and we will have to re-evaluate what things look like going forward," Goddard said. "Each of us owns just how this will go forward in our community."
“We respect their business, and we really appreciate that they’re essential workers,” said the manager, Cathy, of the poultry plant employees. “But that puts them at risk.”
Cathy, who declined to give her last name, said the salon plans to allow Tyson employees back as of June 8, and they will be eligible to receive a $3 discount off the price of their haircuts.
Hair salons were allowed to open their doors again in North Carolina this weekend if they adhered to rules on reduced capacity, as part of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s phased reopening plan.
Photos of the SmartCuts sign made the rounds among Wilkesboro residents on Facebook on Sunday and Monday, with a number of Tyson workers expressing anger over the salon’s decision. Cathy noted that the plant’s workforce constitutes a large share of the salon’s clientele.
She said SmartCuts received “a lot of negative feedback” over the decision, but the owners are standing by the policy.
“We don’t want to turn down business. We’re trying to keep the general population safe and asking them [Tyson employees] to do the self-quarantine thing, where they’re not coming into contact with other people,” she said.
McGinty said workers like her have received “nothing but shame” for their efforts on the front lines of the pandemic. Because she works at the plant, McGinty said, it has been hard to find anyone to watch her 2-year-old ― other than her mother, who has a heart condition. When she recently took her daughter to the doctor, the first question the doctor asked was whether the child had been exposed to any Tyson employees.
She said she doesn’t get her hair cut at SmartCuts, but she should be able to if she wants.
“We are people. We are humans,” she said.
MEANWHILE....
Missouri officials: Hairstylist with COVID-19 serviced nearly 100 clients while sick
A hairstylist at a Great Clips in Missouri exposed nearly 100 people to COVID-19 as she continued working even after exhibiting symptoms of the virus.
The Kansas City Star reported that the woman serviced 84 clients and exposed seven other employees at the salon, according to the Springfield-Greene County Health Department on Friday.
While some states in the U.S. still prohibit salons and other close-contact businesses from reopening due to pandemic lockdown restrictions, Missouri allowed salon businesses to reopen on May 4.
Health officials said the hairstylist showed symptoms while working between May 12 and May 20, adding that virus tests would be distributed to those who were "directly exposed" to her.
Both the stylist and clients were reportedly wearing masks throughout the week.
The Great Clips franchise owners told McClatchy News that the salon would be sanitized and cleaned under the county health department's guidelines and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guidelines, according to the report.
"The well-being of Great Clips customers and stylists in the salon is our top priority and proper sanitization has always been an important cosmetology industry practice for Great Clips salons," the franchise owners said.
Springfield-Greene County Health Department Director Clay Goddard commended the salon's response but said more accidental exposures could not continue to happen.
"We can't make this a regular habit or our capability as a community will be strained and we will have to re-evaluate what things look like going forward," Goddard said. "Each of us owns just how this will go forward in our community."
QUACK
French doctor defiant on hydroxychloroquine despite study
May 25, 2020 By Agence France-Presse
A controversial French doctor on Monday insisted he stood by his belief that anti-viral drugs hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine can help patients recover from the coronavirus, rejecting a study that indicated there was no benefit.
Marseille-based doctor Professor Didier Raoult has earned huge prominence in France during the crisis for his controversial beliefs and was visited by President Emmanuel Macron in person as the head of state sounded out experts.
Raoult has consistently argued that the drugs have a tangible benefit, a stance that has been loudly backed by President Donald Trump who has said he has even been taking hydroxychloroquine as a precaution.
"How can a messy study done with ‘big data’ change what we see?”, Raoult asked in a video posted on the website of his infectious diseases hospital in Marseille.
“Here we have had 4,000 people go through our hospital, you don’t think I’m going to change because there are people who do ‘big data’, which is a kind of completely delusional fantasy,” he said.
His comments came as the World Health Organization said it was suspending trial of hydroxychloroquine as a COVID-19 treatment over safety concerns.
“Nothing will change what I have seen with my own eyes,” added Raoult.
Hydroxychloroquine is normally used to treat arthritis while chloroquine is an anti-malarial. Both drugs can produce potentially serious side effects, particularly heart arrhythmia.
Raoult, a distinctive figure with his shoulder-length shaggy grey hair, ended the video by repeating another controversial claim that “this is the end of the epidemic”.Looking at the records of 96,000 patients across hundreds of hospitals, the study published in The Lancet found that administering the drugs actually increased the risk of dying.
Macron met Raoult at his hospital in April as the president canvassed opinion about the next policy steps to make in the fight against the coronavirus.
The Elysee insisted at the time that the visit — which raises eyebrows in some quarters — did not represent any kind of “recognition” of the professor’s methods
© 2020 AFP
YOU WOULD BE FORGIVEN IF YOU THOUGHT YOU HAD SEEN HIM BEFORE
LIKE PERHAPS BACK IN 2016 APPROVING TRUMP'S HEALTH TO RUN FOR POTUS
Dr. Bornstein has the phrase “dottore molto famoso,” Italian for “very famous doctor,” printed on his business cards
COULD BE BROTHERS
French doctor defiant on hydroxychloroquine despite study
May 25, 2020 By Agence France-Presse
A controversial French doctor on Monday insisted he stood by his belief that anti-viral drugs hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine can help patients recover from the coronavirus, rejecting a study that indicated there was no benefit.
Marseille-based doctor Professor Didier Raoult has earned huge prominence in France during the crisis for his controversial beliefs and was visited by President Emmanuel Macron in person as the head of state sounded out experts.
Raoult has consistently argued that the drugs have a tangible benefit, a stance that has been loudly backed by President Donald Trump who has said he has even been taking hydroxychloroquine as a precaution.
"How can a messy study done with ‘big data’ change what we see?”, Raoult asked in a video posted on the website of his infectious diseases hospital in Marseille.
“Here we have had 4,000 people go through our hospital, you don’t think I’m going to change because there are people who do ‘big data’, which is a kind of completely delusional fantasy,” he said.
His comments came as the World Health Organization said it was suspending trial of hydroxychloroquine as a COVID-19 treatment over safety concerns.
“Nothing will change what I have seen with my own eyes,” added Raoult.
Hydroxychloroquine is normally used to treat arthritis while chloroquine is an anti-malarial. Both drugs can produce potentially serious side effects, particularly heart arrhythmia.
Raoult, a distinctive figure with his shoulder-length shaggy grey hair, ended the video by repeating another controversial claim that “this is the end of the epidemic”.Looking at the records of 96,000 patients across hundreds of hospitals, the study published in The Lancet found that administering the drugs actually increased the risk of dying.
Macron met Raoult at his hospital in April as the president canvassed opinion about the next policy steps to make in the fight against the coronavirus.
The Elysee insisted at the time that the visit — which raises eyebrows in some quarters — did not represent any kind of “recognition” of the professor’s methods
© 2020 AFP
YOU WOULD BE FORGIVEN IF YOU THOUGHT YOU HAD SEEN HIM BEFORE
LIKE PERHAPS BACK IN 2016 APPROVING TRUMP'S HEALTH TO RUN FOR POTUS
Dr. Bornstein has the phrase “dottore molto famoso,” Italian for “very famous doctor,” printed on his business cards
COULD BE BROTHERS
France’s health workers to get ‘significant’ pay rises after coronavirus pandemic
May 25, 2020 By Agence France-Presse
Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said Monday that health workers would soon get hefty pay increases as part of an overhaul of France’s hospital system in response to the coronavirus crisis.
“I can say without any ambiguity, the increase will be significant,” Philippe said while kicking off consultations with doctors and nurses that are expected to conclude in July
Health workers have long complained about low salaries and insufficient staff at French hospitals, leading to a series of strikes over the past year to demand funding increase
In recent weeks, many have insisted that the nightly rounds of applause for caregivers treating COVID-19 patients would begin to ring hollow if the government did not back up the public recognition of their work with additional resources.
Starting pay for a nurse, for example, stands at 1,500 euros ($1,600), one of the lowest levels in the OECD group of developed economies.
Philippe promised “massive investments” as well as “radical changes” that could include new rules on working hours and scheduling to ensure that healthcare workers remain motivated despite the strains of their jobs.
“The key word here is pragmatism. I cannot say now what these discussions will lead to, but I’ve said that we must remove all constraints, whatever they are,” he said.
The government had already promised last November an additional 1.5 billion euros for hospitals over the next three years, including bonuses for thousands of nurses, in the face of growing anger over heavy workloads and staff shortages.
The state also pledged to absorb 10 billion euros of hospital debt, giving the system the ability to take on new loans for investments.
“We must do more,” Philippe acknowledged Monday, without providing any figure on potential spending.
“I believe this crisis requires us not to change our goals, but to step up our pace,” he said.
The coronavirus outbreak has killed over 28,000 people in France, though the number of daily deaths has fallen sharply since the peak of the outbreak.
The government is expected to announce next week a further loosening of the lockdown imposed in mid-March, which currently limits people from traveling more than 100 kilometers (60 miles) from their homes.
Restaurants, bars and cinemas also remain closed, though they could be allowed to re-open with strict social distancing restrictions in areas where the number of COVID-19 cases has remained limited.
(AFP)
May 25, 2020 By Agence France-Presse
Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said Monday that health workers would soon get hefty pay increases as part of an overhaul of France’s hospital system in response to the coronavirus crisis.
“I can say without any ambiguity, the increase will be significant,” Philippe said while kicking off consultations with doctors and nurses that are expected to conclude in July
Health workers have long complained about low salaries and insufficient staff at French hospitals, leading to a series of strikes over the past year to demand funding increase
In recent weeks, many have insisted that the nightly rounds of applause for caregivers treating COVID-19 patients would begin to ring hollow if the government did not back up the public recognition of their work with additional resources.
Starting pay for a nurse, for example, stands at 1,500 euros ($1,600), one of the lowest levels in the OECD group of developed economies.
Philippe promised “massive investments” as well as “radical changes” that could include new rules on working hours and scheduling to ensure that healthcare workers remain motivated despite the strains of their jobs.
“The key word here is pragmatism. I cannot say now what these discussions will lead to, but I’ve said that we must remove all constraints, whatever they are,” he said.
The government had already promised last November an additional 1.5 billion euros for hospitals over the next three years, including bonuses for thousands of nurses, in the face of growing anger over heavy workloads and staff shortages.
The state also pledged to absorb 10 billion euros of hospital debt, giving the system the ability to take on new loans for investments.
“We must do more,” Philippe acknowledged Monday, without providing any figure on potential spending.
“I believe this crisis requires us not to change our goals, but to step up our pace,” he said.
The coronavirus outbreak has killed over 28,000 people in France, though the number of daily deaths has fallen sharply since the peak of the outbreak.
The government is expected to announce next week a further loosening of the lockdown imposed in mid-March, which currently limits people from traveling more than 100 kilometers (60 miles) from their homes.
Restaurants, bars and cinemas also remain closed, though they could be allowed to re-open with strict social distancing restrictions in areas where the number of COVID-19 cases has remained limited.
(AFP)
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