Jazz patriarch Ellis Marsalis, above; Adam Schlesinger, an acclaimed singer-songwriter; and Hilda Churchill, who survived the Great War, the 1918 flu pandemic and World War II

CORONAVIRUS / POLITICS
Trump is the virus: Australia pays the price for being America’s best buddy
US media and politics shape Australia's politics, and the coronavirus data shows we're now paying the price.

CHRISTOPHER WARREN - APR 02, 2020

​https://www.crikey.com.au/2020/04/02/australia-pays-price-us-coronavirus/?utm_campaign=Covid19Watch&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter

Before we had the Ruby Princess, Australia had the United States. The governmental dysfunction and chaotic health care of our favourite ally has not just made it the world leader in COVID-19 cases, it’s made it the key contributor to shifting the disease in Australia from challenge to emergency​​

Leroy Fletcher Prouty, Jr. Colonel, United States Air Force A True America Hero​

US President Donald Trump should publicy honour and recognise the late United States Air Force Colonel, Leroy Fletcher Prouty, Jr. Colonel, United States Air Force as a True America Hero

Leroy Fletcher Prouty served as Chief of Special Operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President John F. Kennedy. A former colonel in the United States Air Force, he retired from military service to become a bank executive.

5. Are countries flattening the curve?
The number of new coronavirus cases in Italy appears to be leveling, though the death toll is still climbing. In a sci-fi twist, the country is weighing letting those with the right antibodies in their blood return to work.
Germany remains an anomaly: With more than 92,000 people infected, the death rate is remarkably low. Above, Munich on Saturday.
China, where the pandemic began, appears to have had a drastic reduction in cases and deaths — but the C.I.A. has warned that China’s numbers are not to be trusted. In the U.S., the number of new confirmed cases is multiplying rapidly, and a few states are resisting the most stringent measures.

CNN’s Brooke Baldwin tests positive for coronavirus​
BRIAN STEINBERG
April 3rd 2020

https://www.aol.com/article/entertainment/2020/04/03/cnns-brooke-baldwin-tests-positive-for-coronavirus/23969288/  
Brooke Baldwin, a mainstay CNN anchor who holds forth each weekday in the mid to late afternoon, is the latest of the network’s best-known journalists to test positive for coronnavirus.
In an Instagram post made Friday, Baldwin said she symptoms “came on suddenly yesterday afternoon,” and listed chills, aches and fever as among the conditions she was experiencing. She typically anchors CNN between 2 p.m and 4 p.m. eastern
Another popular CNN anchor, Chris Cuomo, said earlier this week he had tested positive for the malady, and would anchor his program, “Cuomo Prime Time,” from home for the foreseeable future.
Baldwin indicated she was prepared to take some time off. “I look forward to being back on TV and seeing you real soon,” she said via Instagram Friday.
More from Variety:
James Taylor helps Boston hospital take on coronavirus with $1 million donation
Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson say they feel better after being treated for coronavirus
Nashville tourist bars, including Tootsie’s and Kid Rock’s, defy city edict to close 

Police department calls out Pink Floyd fans for breaking stay-at-home order
https://www.aol.com/article/news/2020/04/05/police-department-calls-out-pink-floyd-fans-for-breaking-stay-at-home-order/23970445/

The police department in Rumson, N.J. is making an example of a group of middle-aged revelers who gathered amid the statewide stay-at-home order for an impromptu Pink Floyd concert courtesy of two guitarists broadcasting their performance on Facebook Live. The police were reportedly forced to break up a party of dozens of adults who gathered on a front lawn to hear the British band’s tunes.

The department posted about the incident on their Facebook page, telling Rumson residents that coronavirus parties have to stop. If they are forced to break up another such party, all participants will be charged with disorderly conduct; charges are currently pending in this incident, which is under investigation.
The Facebook post was a balance of understanding, seriousness and seeming shock: “We were met with well wishes of ‘F-the police’ and ‘Welcome to Nazi Germany,” a Rumson PD spokesperson detailed in the post.
“Sadly I'm sure we all ‘wish we could be here,’ and the Rumson Police Department takes no enjoyment in ruining anyone’s fun!” the post continued, referencing one of Pink Floyd’s most famous lyrics. “However we ALL have a responsibility to take this pandemic SERIOUSLY and adhere to the social distancing requirement. We also need to be a good role model for our children and be kind and understanding during these times.”

Rumson Chief of Police Scott Paterson tells Yahoo Lifestyle that as far as he knows, this incident was a one-off within the community.
“Residents have been doing a phenomenal job,” he says. “And we’re hoping that this is going to be an anomaly.”

So-called “corona parties” have been a problem all across the country, with crackdowns occurring from Kentucky to New York.
The post on the police department’s Facebook received hundreds of comments, mostly from community members expressing their shock that people were breaking the rules.
“Rumson PD, we are so thankful for you and all you do for our community,” one commenter wrote. “Truly heartbroken to hear anyone — especially adults living in our town — would be so disrespectful!”
“All people need to do is watch the news,” Chief Paterson says of why events like this are such a bad idea, also mentioning that his police department has been directly impacted by the virus and is working short-staffed. “This thing is killing people left and right. This is no joke, we need to take it seriously. I can’t reiterate that more.”

For the latest coronavirus news and updates, follow along at https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised continue to be the most at risk. If you have questions, please reference the CDC and WHO’s resource guides. 

What to do if you think you have the coronavirus
What are the symptoms of coronavirus?
Glossary of public health terms to stay informed
The most common ways the coronavirus is transmitted
How to maintain your physical and mental health during the pandemic
Taking care of a loved one with COVID-19? Here’s how to stay healthy
COVID-19 and pregnancy: What we know so far
How to find a job, unemployment insurance
Q&A with Dr. Kavita Patel: How to keep your family safe and maintain your mental health
Opening and cleaning delivery packages
Tips for grocery shopping
How to deal with potentially contaminated money
How to do your laundry safely

Global Covid-19 cases to reach one million ‘in next few days’
01/04/2020  By Press Association
https://www.breakingnews.ie/world/global-covid-19-cases-to-reach-one-million-in-next-few-days-991598.html

The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases around the globe will exceed one million in the coming days, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.

The global health body said it was concerned by the “near exponential” growth in the number of confirmed cases around the world.
Speaking at a press conference in Geneva on Wednesday, director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the number of deaths had doubled in the last week alone. 
“..The number of deaths has more than doubled in the past week. In the next few days we will reach one million confirmed Covid-19 cases and 50,000 deaths..”
As we enter the fourth month since the start of the pandemic, I am deeply concerned about the rapid escalation and global spread of infection,” he said.
“Over the past five weeks, we have witnessed a near exponential growth in the number of new Covid-19 cases, reaching almost every country, territory and area.
“The number of deaths has more than doubled in the past week. In the next few days we will reach one million confirmed Covid-19 cases and 50,000 deaths.”

Dr Ghebreyesus said 74 countries had joined or were in the process of joining the WHO’s Solidarity Trial, “which is comparing four drugs and drug combinations” against Covid-19, with more than 200 patients randomly assigned to undergo the trial.

Dr Ghebreyesus said WHO’s priority was for frontline health workers to be able to access personal protective equipment (PPE), including medical masks and respirators.

World Health Organization (WHO)✔@WHO
Replying to @WHO
"We’re also working hard with researchers all over the to generate the evidence about which medicines are most effective for treating #COVID19"-@DrTedros #coronavirus

World Health Organization (WHO)✔@WH
"There has been an extraordinary response to our call for countries to join the Solidarity trial, which is comparing four drugs and drug combinations.
So far, 74 countries have either joined the trial or are in the process of joining"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #coronavirus
6:43 PM - Apr 1, 2020

“That’s why we are continuing to work with governments and manufacturers to step-up the production and distribution of personal protective equipment, including masks,” he added.
Dr Ghebreyesus said there was an ongoing debate about the use of masks at a community level and recommended they be used by people who were sick or those who were looking after them.
There were many developing countries that could not support their society, especially those with people who “work for the daily bread”, he said.
The director general called on the international community to have debt relief to support these countries “to enable them to take care of their people and avoid economic collapse”.
He stressed that the first ever pandemic caused by a coronavirus was a new virus and that there were many unknowns.
“Let’s accept things with an open mind and trust what is coming,” he said

Retired doctor ‘dies after contracting Covid-19’ in the UK

By Press Association -  01/04/2020
Jeremy Hunt called Dr Saadu’s death tragic (Jacob King/PA)
https://www.breakingnews.ie/world/retired-doctor-dies-after-contracting-covid-19-in-the-uk-991593.html

A retired NHS doctor who had continued to work part-time at a hospital in the UK has died after reportedly contracting coronavirus.
Dr Alfa Saadu, 68, worked for the British health service for several decades, and is said to have contracted Covid-19 before his death earlier this week.
According to his family, Dr Saadu was working part-time at the Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital in Welwyn, Hertfordshire, before he died.
As soon as you spoke to him about medicine his face would light up.
“..As soon as you spoke to him about medicine his face would light up..”..Dr Saadu's son Dani
His son, Dani Saadu, told the Huffington Post: “He was a very passionate man, who cared about saving people.
“As soon as you spoke to him about medicine his face would light up.
“He worked for the NHS for nearly 40 years in different hospitals across London.”
It is reported that Dr Saadu had not been working on the frontline fighting the coronavirus pandemic when he contracted the virus.
Britain's former health secretary Jeremy Hunt called the doctor’s death “tragic”, adding: “When this is over, we must never forget people like Alfa Saadu.”
The trust Dr Saadu worked for before his retirement also paid tribute to him.
Lance McCarthy, chief executive of the Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, said: “It is with sadness that we learn of the passing of Dr Alfa Saadu.
“Alfa was well-known at the trust for his passion for ensuring our patients received high quality care.
“He was a committed member of the team and is remembered fondly by many.”

A woman walks past a portrait of Chinese president Xi Jinping in Shanghai. Photograph: Aly Song/File Photo/Reuters

Biggest Deception On The Whole World EndGame Plan
 This amazing video that tells the truth as to what is really happening and why..
Kristian Shane Dickerson is on Facebook  
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3647324028672433&id=100001846151226?sfnsn=mo&d=n&vh=i

Out of 145.93 million people in Russia there are only 47 reorted deaths from Coronavirus.. these may be older people who were sick woith other illnesses and did not actually die of Coronavirus even though they may have tested positive to a Corona type Virus…
WORLD / COUNTRIES / RUSSIA
Last updated: April 06, 2020, 21:01 GMT
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/russia/
 Russia
Coronavirus Cases: 6,343
Deaths: 47

The Biggest Deception On The Whole World End Game Plan
Cororavirus is not the problem .....
what were are seeing is the symptoms of a virus
Our bodies are reacting to radio spectrum radiation
or radio frequency radiation
Globally I was the head of Vodaphone 2013-to 2015
I was privy to the 5G technology
which is dangerous to humans
With the introduction of AI, they are all going to be on a smart grid using 5G technology
in the form of a matrix
Vodaphone are in partnership with Huawei, which is a leading global provider of information


and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices.
The frequency they are using..
external signal from satellites into building..
Previous different radio frequency..
Causing cell poisoning which is effectively radiation
The body will create a virus to help erradiate these viruses
5G is reacting to human cells...
we are seeing cell poisoning..
the body are trying to 
All the is ocuring in the world
is the reaction of the human bodies
this is the largest global cover up in human history
what is happening is not the Corona Virus ....that is what is killing people
 Wuhan China is where they rolled out 5G radio frequency which poisonous to the cells
and it has a flue type characteristic..... so they are using the Coronavirus as a ruse..
to blame it on the Coronavirus..
Places like London where they have a lot of 5G Towers and strong 5G network signals..
Italy has more deaths than other countries because Italy is heavily saturated with 5G..signals..
The older generation doe snot have the immune system to fight against it..
Italy has rolled 5G out,,
Spain has rolled 5Gout...
Most major cities have rolled it out around the world..
and countries such as the UK,,
London is one of the biggest CCT centres in the world..
they are in the process of rolling out 5G
it is not the Coronavirus that is killing humans..
it is   categorically  ...  unequivocally ... killing the people..
Why are they allowing it?
Because if multiple agendas...
primarily because 5G is the only Internet network with the speed to handle the future and where we are going..
rapidly ... they are creating a world run by AI.. Artificial Intelligence..
The Internet of things where everything is interconnected on the Internet ...
including a new global currency that is coming out...
That is why I have been pushing what I have been pushing for the last five years in Africa......
with our own digital currency ... to combat what was coming...
In addition to that there will l be driver-less cars...
There will be a number of different things...
They can not reverse the implementation of this technology...
and they are happy for the sacrifice of millions of lives around the world...
Just to prove the point further..
the cruise ships were installed with 5G...
so the people that were quarantined on the crew ships.. they were cruise ships that had 5G..
and that is why the people were getting sick..
Hospitals have 5G...
Major cities have 5G
so these are places where people will automatically get sick where people are exposed to inordinate levels of radiation..
through radio spectrum  and poisoning...
ok let me move on...
we've had three pandemics in the last 120 years...
The first pandemic was in 1918...
which was called the Spanish Flue Pandemic...
This is when they introduced and invented radio waves globally..
and increased electrification of our universe...
Guess what happened...?  
Millions of people died six months later.... 
with a pandemic they called the Spanish Flue Pandemic ...
Roll on a number of  years.... 
World War Two .. just after that another pandemic ...
which was caused by the implementation of radar equipment globally..
satellites went up circling plant earth ..
a mirage of different satellites went up into what they call the Van Allen belt ..
basically is where they store and send satellites ...
so when that was implemented .. again .....
the last major pandemic was in 1968..
which was called the Hog Kong Flue...
Guess what they did then..
they rolled out another level of satellite penetration in the Van Allen radiation belt ..
over 100,000 satellites.... that were transmitting radar signals .... radar filed in the cosmos 
these were satellites that were pushing telecommunication and radar communications..
So we had radio waves first at the beginning of the century...
they implemented radar and telecommunication satellites ...
These causes pandemics that killed multiple millions of people 
the last one was in 1968 ...
So guess what's happening now..
they are rolling out 5G ..
and this impacting people's lives... killing people around the world ...
they are covering it up in the name of Cororavirus ...
That is a fact .. please and do your study.... study 5G .. the implications of the implementation of 5G..
Just to help you further... one of the countries which is a huge country that had... millions of people
a huge country with cold weather .. Russia.. has had no fatalities in the area of coronavirus..
Why?
Because they have not implemented 5G on a public usage yet... they have only implemented for exclusive use by the military... 
hence why they have  no fatalities in the area of coronavirus..   
just to explain further...
In the news now... people without underlying health issues... are dying ..even young people are dying...
the radiation does not compromise ... young or old... you will Succumb  to the power of radiation ....
This is the fact that is really ocuring ...
this is their strategy... because of the importance of 5G to those in control of planet earth...
and this 5G roll out is a global  phenomenon  that can not be reversed..
There is a lot more information I can give you.... in 17 minutes... 
please trust me .. do some research...
There are some scholarly articles out there on the impact of 5G .. like the Boston Health Group that investigated contagions
and they basically said that one of the viruses the Spanish  Flue and even this one.. is not a contagent ...
what they ate doing is spreading it to people by the testing .. so when you are tested they are giving you a virus to cover up what the 5G radiation is causing 
Three new strategies
1, Vaccines to give you disease
and chemicals that will light you up and respond more effective to the signal
they are buying time to build up the hospital as mortuaries ... 
Our nervous system is an electric circuit of wiring in our body..
we react to frequencies .. vibrations ,, gamma rays, ex-rays , infra red,,
ultra violet light invisible light
 frequencies  effect out sense of well being..
how can be combat this... because all of us emit frequencies out heart ...
the electromagnetic power of our heart...
we do omit  frequencies..
we do not use these terms in bible terms
Fire of God-- Spirit .. all of these things can be scientifically proven.. as electrification of our beings..
Either we generate it or atmosphere ... 
when we get together and have worship  and prayer .. we call it spiritual energy..
we call it the holy ghost..it is physical energy that can be felt..
so the game plan of the New World Order..
Unfortunately it is the era of The New World Order has commenced..
this is why in the last five year I was pushing my economic model with presidents throughout Africa...
to give them an alternative ,,,to the digital currency and the economic model that will sustain them independent of the world bank and independent of this New World Order.. controlled by the 1% of the 1% Ruling Elite...
Now ... what are they doing .. you will see in the news today...
there is announcement of the vaccine that will come ...
as I said there will be three developments
1, Vaccines  which will come which will have catastrophic impact on our physical being...and help use be more exposed to the radiation
2. Secondly ... the vaccines will come with a tracking device called a RFI Chip ... which is a micro ship which will be inserted at the same time as the vaccines... 
This will give them the ability to track...
" In The Name of ...who has had a Vaccine and who has not had a Vaccine"..
that these people are no longer a treat to humanity...based  upon this spurious extensible notion of the coronavirus..
which is a big fallacy .. it doesn't exist.. in the context of what is killing us all ..




3. The third is the implementation of digital currency..and digital asset ...
A Global Digital Currency .. it will start with the US ...and it will roll out around the world..
and this is why I have developed our own block chain platform with our own digital currency pegged to minerals in the ground..
So Africa can have it's own independence and so Africa can have it's own position to other currencies that would be strong in trading against other currencies...and capital and financial markets.. that is what your paster has been working on behind the scenes besides preaching in the ministry 
Let me say .. this is hailed a new era of the mark of the beast ...
It is here.... it is real ... it is now .. it is expediting rapidly because they realise there is a level of esoterical  enlightenment going through the earth .. there is a level of technology that will fast track other people's agenda that is in opposition to their agenda. .. and the ruling elite will want to shut it down ...
So what are they doing systematically .. systemically ... and simultaneously .. they are shutting global economies down ... because they want to introduce ... two things:
(a) A new level of monopoly... or oligopolies... these are 4 of 5 five key multi national companies ...
Amazon will be the first
Google is obviously one
there will be others... that will manage the supply chain of everything that we purchase,,,, 
where everything will be streamlined .. economics -- the flow of money ..everything..
(b) the second they are doing with this new system  .. other than creating these oligopolies...
they are shutting the Global markets down for that ...
they want to make as many people as possible unemployed..
Please do not believe everything they are telling you that they are talking about stipens and 
grants of payment to help the self employed ... for people who have been made redundant..
to any degree that is going to effect the livelihood of people .
we are heading for the largest global recession the world has every seen...
because they are changing the game...
So what they are bringing now .. they are bringing in The New System...
The new block chain global digital currency ... 
which we will not have access to unless we can prove we are no longer any harm to humanity...
by having the vaccines which will be mandatory .. they will enforce them on us ..
and 
secondly...they will insist that we have to take the chips which is part of simultaneous process...
Why are they shutting Global Economies down..?
Because they want to take control back from  entrepreneurs
and take control back from family offices .. family businesses..
They want to completely disrupt the  fabric of society as we know it.... education ... employment..
everything will be completely different... in a matter of months .. not even years...
So this is the strategy of the ruling elite..
to ultimately control in terms of visibility of technology such as 5G Internet and all that gives them access to in terms of 
things... and the control of money .. if you control money .. you control gold and the power ..
So that is their agenda... and obviously they also want to control the population.
Bill Gates .. has  resigned from his position as chairman of Microsoft ... 
and as the chairman of the Belinda Gates Foundation he is now pushing the vaccine agenda 
Bill Gates has developed technology  ... he has been responsible for a lot of this ...
So ,, please .. those who have held Bill Gates as an innovator .. Bill Gates in innovating for the demise of humanity...
Vaccines have always been a danger to humanity. ...
Vaccines contain pathogens that are harmful to our human body...





The Sperm problem
Sperm swim straight however with 5G radiation sperm swims  around in circles and no particular direction ...
CDC: Serious Birth Defect on Rise in U.S.



What does the Body of Christ Do Now?
What do we do?
Firstly .. the Body of Christ is Changing..
It is the changing of the guard ,,, it is the time of the Kingdom Remant to come to the fore who have been prepared for such a time as this...
This is the time for the people who have not fitted into churchy normal restrictions who have got thoughts of assignments and mandates beyond the Church... 
This is the time that God is going to re-position them ... basically .. we are up next .. it is our time now...
It is a defining moment for the Kingdom to rectify some of the things that are going wrong...
So that is one thing you will see around the world ....
there will be a Collaboration of Kingdom People who will come together ...
combine resources .. Collaborate ...to effect change and create an alternative system ....
I have been working on this for five years...with people around the world that are doing the same ...
Secondly you'll see a change of Church...
one of the reasons why .. and it is the last point i''l make is this...
that there has been a ubiquitous shut down of worship and prayer and congregating of religion ..
of religious organisations because they are making way spiritually ...for the presentation of the Anti-Christ
When we pray corporately ... we create a frequency .... we create vibrations .. we create a move ..
the Fire of God... we call it the Power of God... we call it the Spirit of God...
but effectively what it is ..we as  Spirit Field ... 
Clean living beings are generators of Spiritual Energy .. Spiritual Power... Spiritual Might..
Let me use terms that will not scare you ... power ..  anointing .. these are powerful frequencies that iminate from us...
when we worship and pray .... it literally heals our body...
so when we are in the presence of God... this is why we have healing as a bi-product of that .. because what we are exposed to.. we  physically heals ourselves.. this why he said
I am the  Lord thy God that Healith ,,,, his presence alone  heals..
people get healed in worship services....
Prophesies are other communication frequencies and other communication flows greater when we are corporately worshiping ...
when we are praying corporately...
and so the ruling elite have deliberately shut all that down and tried to shut down our spiritual network ....
for what of a better term so they can pay the way for the Anti Christ .. to come to the the fore..
otherwise we would have been restricted and held by  the Universal Concept of Prayers and Worship of God's People...
and so this is what is happening ... it is deliberate ... it is not the coronavirus that is  contagious.. or contangent .. so we can not congregate ... because they systematically they have dismantled ... for the first time in human history the corporate gathering of religious people to pray and worship ... because it changes the spiritual atmosphere so they can have more power ..
I would not doubt that there are sacrifices and different things going on behind the scenes as well to impact their power..
and trust me.. they are moving at lightening speed...
within a matter of weeks we are going to be shocked by the revelations ... and implementation of the things that they will be doing....
the Vaccines will be a matter of months away .... if not days.... 
the new currency will be a matter of days away or at the max ..... months away ....
the whole new economic system .. which I have created one... that I am going to implement regardless  as a strategy to counter what is happening .. I have been prophesying this for 1 5 years ... that the Kingdom of God needs it's own economic system ... while you all have been having happy clappy church .. some of us have been strategising on the Blue print of God to be able to advance his Kingdom to save as much souls as possible that are still alive and preserve a prosperity ...
Anyway .. because of time..
let me conclude here..
The best thing that we can do right now it to raise our frequency...
Live clean ... live righteously ... remove and detox our bodies from anything that would effect the flow of God's anointing on our lives...
The only counter we have is prayer and worship...
prayer and worship... creates it's own force field of energy ... and  force field of frequency.. Heavens Frequency will protect you to some degree ... whilst God is going to work on the strategy that he is going to implement... I pray this is helps somebody.... share with somebody,,, forward this to somebody .. as many people as possible .. so the world can understand that we can come together .. strategize as a Kingdom Remant because God said ... that he doesn't get involved with the affairs of man.. because he gave dominion to man is Genesis Chapter One .... that is why so many heinous and terrible things happen in our world .. because God is not running the world .... God works and influences the good men and good women .. Evil prevails when Good Men say nothing ... 
So what God is attempting to do is influence people who live right and live clean ... pure hands .. clean heart .... so vanity .. no searing to secrecy with lies ... not manipulating people to gain .. true people of God that God can speak and work through ... so God can have an impact on the Earth ...  but what God has said from my time in prayers that this now has forced his hand and that God is going to move as God .... God has to intervene as God ... and I think that as we ubiquitously raise up our prayers and our fasting .... which helps our electromagnetic flow ..
Intermittent fasting strengthens our immune system ..strengthens our electromagnetic flow ,, our electric  electromagnetic system likes lime which thought was spiritual but is actually scientific ... they improve our body and strengthens us ... so Olive Oil and different things have components that have electro-light elements in it that strengthen our physical body ... fasting does that ... it helps our immune system immensely ... so we can ... fight against the corona .. fight against these radiations of the frequency ...  but more importantly create a heavenly sound ... that will combat what the enemies have planned up to now ...  God Bless You .. We Love You ... This is a whole new era that God has been talking about .. but thank God that his Kingdom he will give to none other .. this will be hued out of the mountain without hands ... that will drive away all the other other Dispensational  Kingdoms like chaff in the wind... so this is our time to embrace what God is doing .. and it is a time when we need to be furthered in Spirit ... serving the Lord .. It Is Now ... I encourage you .. I Indore you . I really plead with you .. let's be unified ... let's be righteous .... let's spend time in prayer ... and last;y we need to use this time lastly ... to re-set-- we need to use this time to reset our priorities .. to reset our routine ... to reset our reinvestment within ourselves... ready ourselves as to what is coming ... if we have to in line with God's purpose .... we have to reach out to other people .. we need to share this information that the unbelievers will now believe what we have been saying about revelation 13 for hundreds of years .... 200 years precisely which is when the Bible was translated ... we need to re-establish ourselves .. like we have never before ...we must not waist time on entertainment .. spend tie reading  ... studying .... pertinent information .. the word of God ..
God Bless You ... I know this is incredibly long... this information is just too important to give you a 30 second overview ... 
Pray about it.. submit it to your prophets .. submit it to your leaders ... submit to whoever .. but this is the reality of what is happening .. but I promise you .. God is going to raise up a remnant ... with God's own Kingdom Currency . with  God's own Kingdom Economy ... with   God's own Kingdom banking systems ...  with  God's own Kingdom Information Highway ... with a new type of church that the world has not seen ... I have been  prophesying   this for years .. I've been working behind the scenes with a few other like minded nobility members to effect this change ... that we knew was coming ... God Bless You All .. 
Stay Strong and share this information

A view of SpaceX's first 60 Starlink satellites in orbit, still in stacked configuration, with the Earth as a brilliant blue backdrop on May 23, 2019.

 Why we waited so long to take the coronavirus seriously
ANGELINA CHAPIN - Apr 1st 2020 
https://www.aol.com/article/news/2020/04/01/why-we-waited-so-long-to-take-the-coronavirus-seriously/23967344/

One of the most frustrating aspects of the coronavirus outbreak is that fewer people would be dead now had we taken the pandemic seriously a month ago.

Instead, as the weather turned nice and scientists were calling for self-quarantines, Americans spilled onto bar patios, beaches and boarded flights for vacations. Some people insisted on commuting to work, and in New York, the virus’ biggest U.S. playground, people are still going to speakeasies and hosting potlucks. Even the president spent weeks insisting the virus would disappear shortly and that America would go back to business as usual. 
Look outside your window right now or go to a park, and you’ll see that many people still aren’t staying the recommended six feet apart. While it’s infuriating to know that people are still congregating on their stoops for neighborhood happy hours while elsewhere, dead bodies are being loaded onto refrigerated trucks, this behavior is also human nature. 
So why were Americans so slow to grasp the scale of this outbreak? We talked to Steven Taylor, a professor and clinical psychologist at the University of British Columbia, about the science behind this kind of denial.

Responses have been edited and condensed for clarity.
HuffPost: You recently published a perfectly timed book called “The Psychology of Pandemics” that looks at how people respond to outbreaks. Were you surprised by the fact that Americans didn’t really begin to socially isolate until the coronavirus had already killed hundreds of people?

Steven Taylor: No, I wasn’t surprised at all. Many people have what’s called an unrealistic optimism bias. It’s a tendency to underplay threats and to see yourself as being more impervious than the average person. To many people, the coronavirus seemed like a disease that was in another country. People were not seeing it in their communities. People were being reactive rather than proactive, wanting it to be overblown, wanting things to be OK.

People’s reactions boil down to their worldviews. How dangerous do you think the world is? How much control do you think you have in your life? How much do you think something comes from foreigners versus in your own community? 

Is there some kind of advantage to having an optimism bias, or being in denial about big crises? 

People want to be in control of things. This bias allows people to go about their daily lives without experiencing anxiety. It gets us away from being consumed with the existential dread of fearing for our lives. When you run experiments, the people who predict things most accurately under some circumstances are mildly depressed. It’s called depressive realism. 

Denial can be adaptive in the face of unavoidable, uncontrollable threats to one’s existence. However, denial also comes with obvious shortcomings. If you believe that you’re impervious to COVID-19 and you go out and party on the beach, you’re going to actively contribute to the spread of infection. It can have catastrophic consequences.

The idea that we’ll let the economy go on, this virus will burn itself out and we’ll carry on as before could lead to countless deaths.

It seems like many people only begin to take the coronavirus seriously when they know someone who is infected. Why is that? 

I encountered a really good example of this recently. A guy I know had been downplaying the whole thing. He wasn’t social distancing or doing anything like that. But then a friend of his suddenly died in New York, and his optimism bias was shattered. The crisis suddenly got brought home to him in a very vivid, personal way that the statistics or news reports couldn’t do. That changed his behavior a lot. 

Humans aren’t very good at predicting or assessing risk. We tend to look to our emotional reactions to judge how likely a threat is. People aren’t going to social distance if they see the virus as not their problem. But when they suddenly realize, “Oh, I’m at risk for giving the disease to my grandmother who could die from that” can bring it home for them.

The idea that we’ll let the economy go on, this virus will burn itself out and we’ll carry on as before could lead to countless deaths.Steven Taylor, University of British Columbia

Is there any evolutionary explanation for this instinct?
People are tribalistic, given the way we evolved as a species. We care for our in-group. From an evolutionary perspective, it was strangers who brought in diseases or threats to our communities. We’re seeing an increase in altruism and solidarity [because of the virus], but many of these people pulling together are highly xenophobic. 

People join together in their community to look after one another. And yet they’re closing down borders. In the context of every pandemic outbreak, there’s always an upsurge in xenophobia and racism. I think that’s one of the big lessons we’ve not learned. I guess, partly, we have to look to our leaders. If a leader takes a position that we have got to blame someone for this, then that’s going to incite racism. 

Trump has called COVID-19 the ‘Chinese Virus’ and flip-flopped on how seriously Americans should take the outbreak. How much does a president’s messaging influence people’s actions? 

It’s hugely important. People pick up cues about how to behave or how to feel from their leaders. If a politician appears confused or inconsistent or contradictory in their behavior, that’s going to add to people’s anxieties. It can make the anxious people more anxious and it can cause the overall optimistic people to say, “Well, even he doesn’t know, so I don’t need to worry about it.” 

If you don’t trust your government, that can have disastrous consequences. During the Ebola outbreak in Liberia, the people who were not socially distancing were the ones who didn’t trust the government’s social guidelines. 

Trump has a vested interest in denying the scale of this pandemic:

He wants the economy to go back to normal so he can get reelected. Is this same kind of denial happening on an individual level?

We have been asking people

“Why are you afraid of COVID-19?

What are you afraid of?”

Many people are afraid of the economic fallout, that they’ll lose their jobs, their mortgages, houses and so forth. So, faced with that fear, there’s almost a psychological incentive for them to not feel the threat because that allows them to overcome or avoid that anxiety. 

So yes, people have strong, personal incentives for denial, and it’s easy to do that when you don’t have your neighbor coughing in their apartment next door from COVID-19. It’s easier to do when it’s just limited to stuff you can see on the computer screen or TV.

If statistics don’t resonate with people, how do we convince those who are still gathering in groups to take the virus seriously?
It’s helpful to get people to understand how it’s in their own self-interest to adopt a particular practice. So not actually tampering with their worldview, but altering their behavior. For example, my team’s surveys so far show that roughly 20% of people don’t intend to get the coronavirus vaccination [once it exists]. So, lead those people to understand they are being heroes for their own communities and keeping their grandparents alive by getting vaccinated. 

A HuffPost Guide To Coronavirus
Stay up to date with our live blog as we cover the COVID-19 pandemic
When will life return to normal? Europe has some answers.
Digestive issues might be an early sign of coronavirus
How to file for unemployment if you’ve been laid off
Avoiding going to the store? Here’s how to order groceries online.
What to do if you live with someone with COVID-19
How often do we really need to wash our faces?
The HuffPost guide to working from home
What coronavirus questions are on your mind right now? We want to help you find answers.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.

2020 ELECTION
What White House contenders have proposed for the uninsured jobless
Soaring jobless claims are poised to leave millions without coverage during the coronavirus pandemic. Here's what Biden, Sanders and Trump have proposed to help them.
March 30, 2020,  By Sahil Kapur
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/what-white-house-contenders-have-suggested-uninsured-jobless-n1171691
WASHINGTON — Soaring jobless claims are poised to leave millions of Americans without health insurance coverage during the coronavirus pandemic.
The emergency highlights a flaw in the U.S. system that's unique in the developed world: About half of Americans get coverage from their employers. Health care, already a top issue for voters, is about to become even more salient as many wonder what the system would look like if President Donald Trump, Democratic front-runner Joe Biden and Democratic underdog Bernie Sanders had their way.
"In all three proposals, whether people are insured or uninsured, they would likely get care if they showed up at a hospital with COVID-19. The question is: How does that care get financed?" said Sabrina Corlette, a research professor who directs Georgetown University's Center on Health Insurance Reforms.
"In the Sanders plan, it's very clear — the government picks up the tab for that almost 100 percent. In the Biden plan, for the most part either the government or your employer would pick up the tab. You might have to pay some deductible or cost-sharing," she said. "In the Trump world, it largely falls to the consumer or patient — or the hospital eats the cost or tries to pass it on to employer-based plans."
Here's a guide to what uninsured Americans can do today and how the Biden, Sanders and Trump plans would change the system.
Current system
Jobless people who just lost their coverage have several options.#One is to sign up for coverage through the Affordable Care Act, or ACA, also known as Obamacare. They can enroll in Medicaid or buy a subsidized plan on the exchanges, depending on their income. Some may fall into a coverage gap if they live in the 14 states that declined the expansion of Medicaid and make too much for Medicaid but not enough for Obamacare assistance, which kicks in at the federal poverty level of $12,760 for an individual without kids.
Unemployment benefits count as income for this purpose.
"If you lose your job-based coverage, you have 60 days to sign up for an ACA pre-exchange plan. You can actually do that before you lose your job-based coverage. So if you find out in advance that you're being laid off, you can go to the exchange and line up your coverage immediately," Corlette said.
Another option is to extend an employer-based plan under COBRA by paying 102 percent of the cost of the plan. Employer-based plans tend to be expensive, so this option will be unaffordable for many.
Biden plan
The Biden plan can be understood as Obamacare-plus. He'd preserve the employer-based system, boost subsidies to help uninsured people buy coverage and add a "public option" to the Obamacare exchanges that would compete with private insurers. In essence, people would sign up the same way they do now but with more generous government assistance.
"The Biden plan is a beefed-up version of the status quo," said Loren Adler, associate director of the USC-Brookings Schaeffer Initiative for Health Policy. "A big part of the ACA's aim was to create a safety net for health coverage for dislocations like this. Biden's plan is a pretty generous bump-up of those subsidies."
People in the Medicaid coverage gap — who live in states that declined the expansion — would be enrolled in the new public option at no cost. Others would be able to use their subsidies to shop between the private options and public plans. The Biden plan would lift the maximum income threshold for subsidies, which is over $50,000 today, and boost them so they fall as a share of income.
"So if you expect to make more than $50,000 this year, you'd also now have access to subsidized coverage," Adler said.
Sanders plan
The Sanders plan is the simplest. He proposes to put every American in Medicare from birth to death — no ifs, ands or buts. Insurance premiums, deductibles and out-of-pocket costs would be eliminated. Prescription drug costs would be each year $200 per person. Private insurance would effectively be eliminated, and losing one's job would have no impact on coverage.
"It's cradle-to-grave coverage," Corlette said. "Your insurance coverage would no longer be linked to your employer, so some of the real disruption and pain we're seeing with people being laid off would not exist. Everyone would be in the same plan regardless of how and whether they're employed."
Taxes would rise to cover what the nonpartisan Urban Institute estimates would be a mammoth $3 trillion-per-year cost, although overall national health care spending would fall. Sanders says the COVID-19 crisis highlights the need for "Medicare for All," as it would end the link between employment and coverage.
Critics say his system would force cuts in providers' pay and limit the availability of care.
"There are questions about what our provider workforce would look like under a single-payer plan, whether everybody would have equitable access, whether there would be issues of shortages and delays," Corlette said.
Trump plan
Trump's plan is the most opaque. His latest budgets and his support for a lawsuit before the Supreme Court show he wants to eliminate Obamacare. But it's not clear what he'd put in its place, as he has not backed a particular plan since his push to replace the law failed in Congress in 2017.
"There's a little bit of trying to hide the eight ball, but they are taking almost all the money out of the ACA," Adler said. "Fundamentally it is: Let's bring things back to the pre-ACA world."
Wiping out Obamacare could end coverage for about 20 million low- and middle-income people who have gained it under its subsidies, expanded Medicaid and other provisions. Insurers could also deny coverage for pre-existing conditions, charging sick people more and rescinding policies.
"I'd be shocked if they didn't say: 'You didn't tell me about your diabetes. You didn't tell me you have lung problems, that you have asthma, and that's why you have COVID-19, so I'm not going to cover your COVID-19 treatment,'" Adler said.
Such a system could bring back low-cost plans that cover a narrow set of services, which were eliminated by Obamacare and tend to be sought by young and healthy people.
Trump promises to protect pre-existing conditions, although he hasn't explained how. Asked what the president's plan is to protect the uninsured jobless from COVID-19, a White House spokesman referred to Trump's comments on Thursday, in which he said it was a work in progress.
"We're doing a lot of different things on health insurance. We have meetings on it today," the president told reporters, noting that individuals would be getting one-time checks of up to $1,200 under the stimulus package. "This was not a financial crisis. This was a health crisis, a medical crisis. We're going to take care of our people."
Sahil Kapur is a national political reporter for NBC News.

6. A leading AIDS researcher. An actress turned writer. A former prime minister.
As the pandemic continues to devastate communities around the world, we are writing about the lives of people lost to the pandemic.
Among them: the jazz patriarch Ellis Marsalis, above; Adam Schlesinger, an acclaimed singer-songwriter; and Hilda Churchill, who survived the Great War, the 1918 flu pandemic and World War II.
We’re also remembering Bill Withers, who died of heart problems this week. The creator of the indelible song “Lean on Me,” he radiated the rare quality of selflessness, our chief pop critic writes. Ten of his overlooked songs make for excellent company.

Muscle aches, extreme fatigue: Coronavirus symptoms go beyond fever and cough
Fever, cough, shortness of breath.
ERIKA EDWARDS AND ROSEMARY GUERGUERIAN, M.D. - Apr 2nd 2020 
https://www.aol.com/article/news/2020/04/02/muscle-aches-extreme-fatigue-coronavirus-symptoms-go-beyond-fever-and-cough/23968221/

Those are the three symptoms prominently listed on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website under coronavirus symptoms.
But as case counts continue to rise in the United States and across the world, it's clear that COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, causes a much wider range of symptoms. The more detailed descriptions of the illness that are emerging show how doctors and researchers are still learning about the disease, which was first reported just three months ago, in real time.

COVID-19 can begin in similar ways among patients, regardless of a person's age or health status. 
Very often, extreme fatigue hits first.
Hedy Bauman, 74, was so weak she could barely make it home from a short walk to the store. Reading a few pages of the newspaper was exhausting.
"My bathroom is maybe 15 steps from my bed," Bauman, of Silver Spring, Maryland, told NBC News. "I wasn't sure I could get from the bathroom to my bed." She developed chills, but no fever.
Bauman's doctor said her symptoms were consistent with what physicians are learning about other coronavirus cases, though they are still waiting for the results from Bauman's COVID-19 test.

Brendan McLaughlin, 28, felt lightheaded and weak before the fever, chills and body aches began.
McLaughlin went to the emergency room at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, New Jersey, where he works as a security guard, thinking maybe he had the flu.

That test was negative, but a test for the coronavirus was positive. McLaughlin said he'd never felt so sick in his life.
"I'd been healthy," McLaughlin said. "I try to eat right. I take care of myself."
One of the first major reports on coronavirus symptoms was published by the World Health Organization in February, following their mission to China. That report, based on nearly 56,000 cases there, found the most common symptoms were fever (88 percent) and dry cough (68 percent). Nearly 40 percent of those patients experienced fatigue. Shortness of breath, stomach issues and weakness were less common. 

Since that report, other symptoms related to COVID-19 have emerged.
Many patients who've either tested positive for the coronavirus, or have been told by their physicians to assume they have it, also develop a headache and sore throat. Others become sick to their stomach with nausea or diarrhea.
Some patients say they have no interest in eating. Many report they're losing their senses of taste and smell, the British Rhinological Society said recently.
Just this week, a small study published in JAMA Ophthalmology added another potential COVID-19 warning sign: pink eye, also known as conjunctivitis. A third of the 38 patients in the report had the inflammatory eye condition.

But it's also becoming more clear that some infected people spreading the virus don't have any symptoms at all.

Contagious before symptoms
Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the CDC, told NPR this week that as many as a quarter of patients are asymptomatic. And a report published by the CDC Wednesday found evidence that infected people can spread the virus before they develop symptoms, although it seems to be rare.
The phenomenon is called "presymptomatic transmission," which is also a known way that the flu spreads.
The CDC report was based on 243 coronavirus cases in Singapore. Researchers there carefully traced all of individuals that patients had been in contact with before becoming ill.
They ultimately determined 6.4 percent of transmissions in the study were from presymptomatic patients.

More from NBC News:
One nursing home offers grim advice: Take your loved ones home
Deal is done: Cruise ship with sick passengers, sister ship allowed to dock in Florida
WHO concerned by 'rapid escalation' of coronavirus, as U.S. death toll nears 5,000

THE RUBY PRINCESS CRUISE SHIP OFF THE COAST OF SYDNEY (IMAGE-AAP-JOEL CARRETT)

Recurrence of virus ‘almost inevitable’ until enough people immune, says NI adviser
01/04/2020 - By Press Association
https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/recurrence-of-virus-almost-inevitable-until-enough-people-immune-says-ni-adviser-991589.html
Professor Ian Young advises the Stormont Health Department (Kelvin Boyes/PA)
Recurrence of coronavirus is “almost inevitable” once restrictions end, until enough people build up immunity through vaccination r surviving infection, a senior official in Northern Ireland has said.
Up to 3,000 people could die during a first wave, expected to peak in around a fortnight, the chief scientific officer advising the Stormont government said.
No decision has yet been made about when to ease measures largely confining people to home except for work, essential shopping and exercise.
Professor Ian Young warned: “Once you relax restrictions it is almost inevitable that there will be a recurrence of the virus and that will occur until a substantial proportion of the population have immunity.”
Immunity is built up through having had the infection or receiving a vaccine, which is still in development.
The professor advises the Stormont Health Department, which is helping coordinate the fight against Covid-19.
The first wave could last into late summer.
He said no decisions had been made about when social distancing recommendations would be relaxed.
“We will be looking carefully at the likely impact of relaxing those recommendations, either singly or as a group,” he said.
Today, the North's Public Health Agency said there had been two deaths of people who tested positive for Covid-19 since the last update on Tuesday, bringing the total to 30.
Most positive cases are in Belfast (200), followed by Lisburn (81), and the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon council area (70). The fewest are in the Causeway Coast and Glens council area (18).
The modelled reasonable worst case scenario is based on social distancing measures producing a 66% reduction in contacts outside the home and workplace. In addition, 70% of symptomatic people would self-isolate.
Up to 180 Covid-19 patients may require ventilation and critical care beds during the first wave, and the peak number of hospital admissions would be 500 per week.
Under this “reasonable worst case scenario”, the projected number of cumulative deaths over 20 weeks of the epidemic would be 3,000, not taking account of a second wave of infection.
First Minister Arlene Foster said the toll would be about 500 short of that inflicted by 30 years of violence in Northern Ireland.
She added: “The loss of each of those lives is a huge blow, not only to their families, but of course to the communities from which they come from.
“In a small tight-knit society like ours, we are all likely to know someone who will be impacted, and it will be a cruel blow and we will need to do everything we can to comfort and support their relatives, and indeed each other, in the difficult weeks and months ahead.”
Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill said the modelling was alarming.
“People will be concerned, it’s a scary prospect for all of us but particularly for those older people and people who are vulnerable,” she said.
Mrs Foster “stood firmly behind” advice from Northern Ireland’s chief medical officer Michael McBride on testing, but said the ministerial Executive was united in wanting to do everything it could to halt the disease’s spread.
Mrs O’Neill said Northern Ireland should be following World Health Organisation advice more closely.

7. Kobe Bryant leads one of the most highly anticipated player classes ever for the Basketball Hall of Fame.
The former Los Angeles Lakers star, who died in January, will be inducted with two other N.B.A. greats who faced off against him as his career blossomed: Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett. Joining them is Tamika Catchings, one of the best players over 15 seasons in the W.N.B.A.
Taken together, the four define basketball this century, our basketball reporter writes.

Special report: Coronavirus - Into The Red Zone April 2, 2020 
Sky News
Sky News' Special Correspondent Stuart Ramsay travels to the heart of Europe's coronavirus pandemic. In the city of Bergamo in Northern Italy he meets doctors fighting the illness that's changing the entire world and witnesses the impact Covid-19 is having on people, infrastructure and the economy. SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel for more videos: http://www.youtube.com/skynews Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/skynews Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skynews Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skynews For more content go to http://news.sky.com and download our apps: Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/sky-n... Android https://play.google.com/store/apps/de... Sky News videos are now available in Spanish here/Los video de Sky News están disponibles en español aquí https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzG5...
CategoryNews & Politics

The New York Times - 5th April 2020
Your Weekend Briefing
By Elijah Walker
Here are the week’s top stories, and a look ahead.

CORONAVIRUS / BUSINESS
A national lockdown to stop coronavirus? Trump is 'thinking about doing that'
DAVID KNOWLES - Apr 1st 2020
https://www.aol.com/article/news/2020/04/01/a-national-lockdown-to-stop-coronavirus-trump-is-thinking-about-doing-that/23967681/

President Trump shied away Wednesday from issuing domestic travel restrictions or a national lockdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic that, in a best-case scenario, is expected to kill between 100,000 and 240,000 Americans.
Asked at a White House briefing if he was considering limiting domestic air travel, Trump said he was thinking about it, a phrase he frequently applies to subjects he wishes to avoid discussing.
“We’re thinking about doing that, but at the same time we just, to start these airlines and to start this whole thing over again is very tough, John [Roberts, Fox News reporter]. It’s very tough,” Trump said. “And you have them going, in some cases, from hot spot to hot spot, if you noticed. Usually they’re hot spot to hot spot, very few flights, New York to Miami. But we’re certainly looking at it, but once you do that, you really are clamping down an industry that is desperately needed.”
The president did not rule out instituting further travel bans, saying it was “a calculation that we’re looking at right now and we’re looking at it very strongly,” but he began his briefing indicating that the peak of the outbreak in the U.S. might soon be at hand.
“We’re going to have a couple of weeks starting pretty much now, but especially a few days from now, that are going to be horrific,” Trump said.
Asked why he had not issued a nationwide stay-at-home order to slow transmission of the virus, Trump pointed to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s order on Wednesday for state residents there to shelter in place.
“States are different and I understand that the governor of Florida, great governor, Ron DeSantis, issued one today and that’s good, that’s great,” Trump said. “But there are some states that are different. There are some states that don’t have much of a problem, well, they don’t have the problem, they don’t have thousands of people that are positive or thousands of people that think they might have it, or hundreds of people in some cases.”
DeSantis has come under fire by critics who accuse him of being slow to close beaches and order social distancing directives while the number of COVID-19 cases rose to nearly 8,000 in the state. There have so far been 101 deaths there from the disease.
But Trump continued to make his case that the ultimate call about whether to limit freedom of movement was up to the states.

“You have to give a little bit of flexibility in the Midwest or Alaska, for example, doesn’t have a problem. It’s hard to say, ‘close it down,’” Trump said.
In fact, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy put a stay-at-home order in place on March 28. Alaska has 133 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Over the past few days, Trump, who had said he hoped to have the country back to normal by Easter Sunday (April 12), has reversed course and extended the government’s voluntary social distancing recommendations through the end of the month.
He said he had come to realize that COVID-19 is different than the seasonal flu.
“It is so contagious,” Trump said when asked what had stopped likening the coronavirus to flu. “Nobody has ever seen anything like this where large groups of people all of a sudden, just by being in the presence of somebody, have it. The flu has never been like that.”
The president also said that he had been approached by health professionals who recommended a nationwide lockdown to stem infections.
“The professionals came to me and say, ‘Sir, you’re going to have to shut the country down.’ I said, what does that mean?” Trump told reporters at the briefing. “They said, ‘Sir, you’re going to have to shut it down.’”
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leading medical expert on the coronavirus task force, offered a more sobering assessment of when social distancing measures might be eased.
“I think if we get to the part of the curve that Dr. Birx showed yesterday, when it goes down to essentially no new cases, no deaths at a period of time, I think it makes sense that you’re going to have to relax social distancing,” Fauci said.
As of Wednesday evening, over 213,000 Americans had tested positive for COVID-19 and nearly 5,000 had died from it. Roughly 20 states have fewer than 1,000 confirmed cases of the disease, but that list grows shorter with nearly every passing day.

READ MORE:
What to do if you think you have the coronavirus
What are the symptoms of coronavirus?
Suspected SARS virus and flu samples found in luggage: FBI report describes China's 'biosecurity risk'
Carbon emissions have fallen, but climate change remains an existential threat
Coronavirus good news: Community camaraderie, cute pets, funny videos and more
Is $2 trillion enough to save the economy?

 CORONAVIRUS / FACT CHECK
No, Belgium didn’t ban group sex (and other debunked coronavirus misinformation)
Fake news is spreading as fast as the coronavirus itself. RMIT ABC Fact Check examines claims from lions in Russia to a sex ban in Belgium.
RMIT ABC FACT CHECK UNIT
APR 02, 2020

https://www.crikey.com.au/2020/04/02/belgium-coronavirus-misinformation/?utm_campaign=Covid19Watch&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter

As the world grapples with an unprecedented health crisis, it is now more important than ever to ensure that the information we share is accurate and fact-based. Fake news and misinformation seem to be spreading as fast and as far as the virus itself, infecting our newsfeeds and timelines at this crucial moment.
For this reason, RMIT ABC Fact Check has launched CoronaCheck, an email newsletter in which we will bring you the latest in fact-checking from around the world in relation to the coronavirus.

(IMAGE: RMIT ABC FACT CHECK)
As the world grapples with an unprecedented health crisis, it is now more important than ever to ensure that the information we share is accurate and fact-based. Fake news and misinformation seem to be spreading as fast and as far as the virus itself, infecting our newsfeeds and timelines at this crucial moment.
For this reason, RMIT ABC Fact Check has launched CoronaCheck, an email newsletter in which we will bring you the latest in fact-checking from around the world in relation to the coronavirus.
窗体顶端
窗体底端
Read the latest edition below, and subscribe to have the next newsletter delivered straight to your inbox.

CoronaCheck issue 2
Our colleagues from the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) have been covering a lot of ground, from lions in Russia to shoppers in Australia.
In this edition of CoronaCheck we’ve covered what to do if you’re feeling ill (hint — it’s unlikely to involve Facebook advice) and investigated a viral email claiming to be from the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
We’ve also checked in with the US presidential election race, and brought you a light-hearted story from Belgium.

The flu vaccine
While teams of researchers around the world are working at full throttle to develop a coronavirus vaccine, Australians are heading to their local GP for this year’s flu shot.
But one Facebook post, shared more than 2500 times, claims that the flu vaccine increases your chances of getting the coronavirus by 36%.
The claim has been deemed false by the fact checkers at Lead Stories, who quoted Dr David Webber, a professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of North Carolina, as saying:
The influenza vaccine neither protects against coronavirus nor increases one’s risk of catching it.

A message from the Royal Melbourne Hospital
The Royal Melbourne Hospital has taken to Twitter to distance itself from a message circulating online attributed to a “friend who works for the Royal Melbourne Hospital in HR”.
The message contains a number of claims, including that sipping water will help “destroy” the virus (debunked here) and that being able to breathe deeply is a sign that a person is not infected (debunked here).
The hospital labelled the message “completely false” and said:
This is not from the Royal Melbourne Hospital or the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital @MetroNorthHHS and the details are untrue.

Baby formula
A collective madness seems to have gripped Australia, as evidenced by supermarket shelves left bare in the wake of an onslaught of panic shoppers.
One video shared on social media in recent days appears to show shoppers stockpiling baby formula at a Melbourne supermarket. The video, posted to YouTube on March 18, is undated. Captions and comments on Facebook posts that feature the video suggest some viewers assumed the footage was captured during the coronavirus outbreak.

But our IFCN-accredited colleagues at AFP Fact Check determined that while the video does show shoppers buying tins of formula, it was originally published on December 21, 2019 — more than a week before the first reported cases of coronavirus.

Lions in Russia
Struggling with the thought of being locked inside your house for the foreseeable future? Tempted to sneak outside for a break? What if there were lions outside patrolling the streets? Would you want to leave?
NO, RUSSIA DID NOT RELEASE LIONS TO PATROL THE STREETS TO ENFORCE A LOCKDOWN IN THE COUNTRY. (SUPPLIED)
One viral story, complete with photos, claims that President Vladimir Putin released more than 500 lions onto Russian streets in order to keep people inside during the coronavirus pandemic.
Fact checkers at Reuters and Rappler marked the story as false and identified the photo of a lion on city streets as having been taken in South Africa in 2016, when the animal was allowed to wander through Johannesburg as part of a film production.

Free GP visits
Confused about what to do if you think you might have coronavirus? Incorrect advice and misinformation being spread on social media may be partly to blame.
Take, for example, a Facebook post claiming that Australians who call their local “communicable disease control branch” would be seen at home by a doctor for free. Sounds too good to be true, right?
Well, that’s because it is, according to AFP Fact Check, which found no evidence of any Australian state offering free GP visits.
If you do feel unwell and have symptoms matching those of coronavirus, the number you should call is the National Coronavirus Helpline: 1800 020 080

From Washington D.C.
“People who have never died before are now dying from coronavirus.”
That’s the nonsensical quote being attributed to both Trump and his likely opponent in this year’s US presidential election, Joe Biden.
But which one of them actually said it?
Neither, according to PolitiFact, which found no evidence of the quote being used in any speech, campaign ad or media interview by either man.
They did discover, however, that Ernest Hemingway was apparently fond of the phrase (sans the coronavirus reference, of course).
On the lighter side
No, Belgium’s health minister did not ban “non-essential group sex”,
though it might be a good idea to put such activities on hold for now.

ALWAYS CHECK THE SOURCE: THIS MISINFORMATION CAME FROM A SATIRICAL NEWS WEBSITE. (SUPPLIED)
That particular piece of fake news, contained in an article by World News Daily Report, was taken as gospel and shared widely on social media, including by verified accounts on Twitter.
But, as The Quint discovered, the article was actually satire — the tagline of World News Daily Report is “where facts don’t matter”.
We’ll keep saying it until it sticks: check the source!

CORONAVIRUS / HEALTH
Pandemic opens “Pandora’s box” of problems for Australia’s illicit drug market
Experts fear the coronavirus crisis could lead to a spike in overdoses, relapses and a host of other problems for illicit drug users.
AMBER SCHULTZ
APR 02, 2020
https://www.crikey.com.au/2020/04/02/coronavirus-illicit-drugs/?utm_campaign=Covid19Watch&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter

COVID QUESTIONS / BUSINESS
Will big companies use COVID-19 to dodge tricky AGMs?
Companies are required to allow shareholders to ask questions during an AGM. How are they managing in a time of social distancing?
STEPHEN MAYNE
APR 02, 2020
https://www.crikey.com.au/2020/04/02/companies-covid-19-dodge-agms/?utm_campaign=Covid19Watch&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter

CORONAVIRUS / BUSINESS
Stormy seas ahead as cruise lines are locked out of bailout
Foreign-registered US cruise giants like Carnival won't get any help from the US' mammoth $2 trillion stimulus package.

Vaccinations: A Deadly Injection?
Epidemics could finish off more people than war and starvation within a very short time. What if someone were to take advantage of this?

https://www.facts-are-facts.com/article/vaccinations-a-deadly-injection  

It’s like something out of a disaster movie: in Kiev, capital of Ukraine, many people will only dare go out if wearing a mask. President Juschtschenko declares a state of emergency for the whole country, as nine regions in Ukraine have already been placed under quarantine: public events and church services are no longer permitted and face masks are mandatory. About half a million people are thought to have fallen ill. Three hundred have already died and there is unofficial talk of three thousand dead:

 in short, Ukraine is in the grip of the swine flu. 
The pictures flickering on the TV screen in October 2009 are bizarre—you don’t really know what to make of it all. Is it just a tasteless and cynical attempt by political opponents to exploit the hysteria around the demonstrably harmless swine flu for an election campaign? The media saw nothing worthy of interest in the reports from the Ukraine, nothing that needed to be examined more closely. Astonishing when you think of it, because there would have been plenty of material here to substantiate the alleged high risk of the dreaded swine flu. An exception was British newspaper The Daily Mail, which quoted a doctor from western Ukraine: “We have carried out post mortems on two victims and found their lungs are as black as charcoal. They look like they have been burned. It’s terrifying.”
Virologists on site feared coming into contact with a dangerous mutated swine flu, or a previously unknown flu virus, so samples were sent to a specialist lab in London for analysis. We are still waiting for the results to be made public.
Cut back to the Ukraine. Date: 30 October 2009; the pandemic is raging. Place: the Desniansko district in Kiev. Mounting eye-witness reports claim that small planes are spraying chemtrails, supposedly to counteract the swine flu. Yet the government denies this: no authorisation appears to have been given for any plane to fly over the city. Many residents claim, however, that the aerosol stank like chicken faeces and led to severe skin rashes in some people.

Just a Hunch or Insider Knowledge?
Fade back a few weeks to the recording studio of American radio station Republic Broadcasting several thousand miles away. On 11 August 2009, radio host Dr. True Ott received a highly curious phone call just at the end of his live show. In it, one Joseph Moshe explained to the astonished listeners that he was a microbiologist with explosive evidence that he wanted to pass on to a state’s attorney.
It apparently had to do with a contaminated H1N1 swine flu vaccine produced by American pharmaceutical company Baxter in the Ukraine that was, in reality, a biological weapon. According to Moshe, an adjuvant had been mixed into the vaccine, which was supposed to weaken the immune system and apparently contained the RNA component of the virus that caused the deaths of millions of people in 1918—the Spanish Flu. The caller announced that there could well be an outbreak in Ukraine in the near future.
The actual identity of the Joseph Moshe living in California has not yet been confirmed. Some claim it was Israeli professor Bar-Joseph Moshe, although this is highly questionable. However, it is certain that the man bearing such portentous news was arrested by the FBI on the evening of 13 August 2009 in front of running TV cameras.
After announcing that he wanted to inform the White House and bring all facts to public attention, Moshe fled through Los Angeles towards the Israeli consulate in a red Volkswagen Beetle. He never arrived: the FBI and a bomb squad with armoured cars wedged his vehicle. Microwave weapons crippled the car’s electronics and Moshe’s mobile phone; the police then fogged him with tear gas and a remote-controlled robot shattered his car window. Moshe was sprayed with several cans of pepper spray, tasered and finally roughly dragged out—all of which can be seen on the Internet portal YouTube (simply type in “Westwood stand-off”).

What happened to Joseph Moshe afterwards is unknown. Some speculate he was put on a plane and flown to Israel. The official reason for the arrest given by the authorities was once again fear of terrorism: Joseph Moshe was reportedly a madman who threatened to carry out a bomb attack on the White House.

Baxter’s Near-DisasterThere is no official evidence for the accusations that Moshe brought against Baxter. Yet it is not the first time that the US pharmaceutical has come in for criticism—its blood supplies were supposed to have been tainted with the Aids virus in the past, for example, although that too cannot be proven. A completely different state of affairs was Baxter’s blunder in winter 2008/09, which happened at the company’s own biomedical research lab in Orth an der Donau. Here, Austrian subsidiary Baxter AG produces “experimental virus material” including H3N2 flu viruses. Baxter then uses these pathogens in the Czech Republic to manufacture a flu vaccine against the seasonal flu. So far, so good. 
 Yet a little over a year ago Baxter just managed to avoid disaster by a hair’s breadth. The corporation supplied a total of 72 kg of experimental flu substances to 16 different labs in Germany, Slovenia and the Czech Republic via Austrian company Avir Green Hills Biotechnology. Fortunately, a Czech lab decided to test the vaccine one more time on a dozen ferrets—all of which died, even though these animals should not even fall ill from seasonal flu viruses in the first place. It thus emerged that the H3N2 flu viruses, which are totally harmless to ferrets, had inexplicably been contaminated with the aggressive and non-declared avian flu virus H5N1. Even worse: these viruses had not been killed off as is usually the case with a vaccine, but were active!

In plain words: if this experiment on the animals had been ignored, tens of thousands of people all over Europe would very possibly have been infected with a highly dangerous disease—because live avian flu viruses would have been injected into people in a normal flu vaccine!
Baxter apologised, admitting a “serious error.” But experts are shocked that such a catastrophic slip-up could have happened in the first place, since the guidelines for a high-security research facility are supposed to prevent precisely this sort of thing.

The four EU states affected were investigating Baxter while the World Health Organisation was “closely monitoring”. After all, it was the WHO that supplied these dangerous bird flu virus strains to Baxter in the first place. Apart from a fine, the pharmaceutical multinational got off lightly. Austria treated the incident not as a breach of the security regulations regarding bioactive substances, but simply as a violation against veterinary requirements—and sent an official vet to inspect the Baxter lab.

This “serious error” could well have unleashed a new type of pandemic. Mixing two genetically related virus strains is called “virus reassortment” in technical-speak. It is very dangerous: if two different viruses come together in the same host cell, new super-viruses could emerge, against which birds, animals and people have not yet formed any antibodies and are thus completely defenceless. In this case, Baxter’s contaminated flu vaccine could have caused vaccinated people to develop a new type of hybrid virus that combines the high contagion risk of the harmless swine flu with the much more deadly aggression of the avian flu virus, which by itself is difficult to transmit. The WHO would then have far more reason to announce a global pandemic!

Dying—Easily Done

Who can blame Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan for advising his fellow Afro-Americans not to get vaccinated against swine flu1 under any circumstances? According to this civil rights campaigner, it is actually a tool to reduce populations. On 18 October 2009 during a gathering in Memphis Farrakhan shouted into the crowd: “The Earth can’t take 6.5 billion people. So what are you going to do? Kill as many as you can. We have to develop a science that kills them and makes it look as though they died from some disease.”

In fact, conventional vaccines already offer diverse ways to die—even without adding a “conspiracy” to the mix. Because adjuvants, or in plain terms, additives, are actually a big problem in vaccines. These active agent enhancers and preservatives frequently contain the metals aluminum, and above all mercury, both of which poison the body in different ways. Thus the adjuvant squalene can trigger auto-immune diseases such as Gulf War syndrome, while thimerosal (or thiomersal) contained in all swine flu vaccines in Germany comprises up to 50% pure mercury. It is the most toxic non-radioactive element on earth and can cause cancer even in the smallest amounts. In addition, modern vaccines also contain so-called nanoparticles.2 Nobody really knows precisely what (side) effects these tiny little elements can have on the organism, but what is certain is that nano-sized substances suddenly exhibit completely different characteristics.

End of extract „Vaccinations: A Deadly Injection?“ 
 A French researcher has warned explicitly about the new swine flu vaccine, which could trigger a long-term “health disaster”. 

Find out in the full article what’s making more and more experts so worried. We also tackle the question of whether governments and the world’s top scientists are actually working to release artificial killer viruses on mankind: official documents that have lain secret for many years, as well as statements from various researchers and politics speak volumes.

We also take a closer look at the circumstances surrounding the emergence of Aids, particularly with regard to the words of a highly-reputed American scientist in a lecture from 2006, which – significantly – took place behind closed doors. Yet despite all this, these people have reckoned without one crucial thing – that the higher cosmic intelligence, perhaps what we call “God”, still has firm hold of the reins. So there is hope for the world yet – and we also provide some simple rules on how each and every person can take responsibility for their own health. Find the full article in Facts are Facts print edition no.6.

Depopulating the world is the global elite’s most urgent objective: find out more about this highly-charged topic here in our full report: Illuminati: One Billion is enough!
Find out  what goals US foreign policy has against developing countries, and what all this has to do with the call for a supreme global authority: America's “Development Plan” for the World

Bonnie Polin usually visits her husband, Gerald, at his nursing home, twice every day.Leah Nash / for NBC News

4. America is looking very different.
Once-crowded cities feel abandoned. Stadiums are shuttered. There is no rush hour on the nation’s highways. Above, I-90 in Washington State on Saturday.
But there are new connections, too. The Rev. Rob Lee, a pastor in Newton, N.C., is responding to prayer requests with handwritten letters. “It’s a sense of, we’re going to show up,” he said. “The coronavirus is terrible, but it’s not the fullness of who we are as a people. It’s not the end of our story.”
Over 24 hours across the country, this is what our reporters saw.
In New York City, like many others, “Closed” signs hang from the front doors of business after business. The notes express empathy, resolve, concern, even humor — a reflection of spirit.

​Deep Down the Virus Rabbit Hole – Question Everything April 1, 2020 By Makia Freeman
Watch out! The killer virus is coming!
https://thefreedomarticles.com/deep-down-virus-rabbit-hole-question-everything/
Well … maybe not. Behind any pandemic, there are always a long set of assumptions that underpin the medical reports and subsequent political and legal decisions. These assumptions are barely recognizable since they are routinely reported as facts. However, to truly justify everything that’s happening all over the world right now – social distancing, surveillance, censorship, lockdowns, quarantine, medical martial law, economic crashes, new digital currencies, governmental emergency powers – with mandatory vaccinations and human microchipping slated to come – those in charge at the Department of Propaganda have to convince you that those assumptions are facts. So, we’re going to take a journey down the rabbit hole to ask some fundamental questions not only about the coronavirus but also the mysterious entity of the virus itself. What is a virus? Can a virus cross from animal to human? Can it cross from human to human? Did you know the CDC admitted that their beloved PCR test is essentially useless, as it doesn’t tell you whether a virus is causing disease? Is it 100% proven that viruses cause disease in humans anyway? How do the competing theories of germ theory and host theory/terrain theory play into this? So, buckle up, open your mind and get prepared for a ride.

What Is a Virus? Mainstream Western Medicine (allopathy) developed due to the influence of the Rockefellers who created it to help sell their petroleum drugs which became the basis for today’s Big Pharma medicines. The Rockefellers and other NWO (New World Order) central banking bloodline families overtook the schools and curricula for Medicine, and shut down competition like homeopathy, via the Flexner Report. They made sure that allopathy would be purely focused on pharmaceuticals and blocked proper nutritional knowledge from doctors. This is the same mainstream medical system that sets the definitions for things like viruses, so let’s begin with a healthy dose of skepticism. This is also the same Rockefeller family that funded the UN (and donated land for its HQ in New York), whose Rockefeller Foundation has co-opted education and whose Rockefeller Foundation released a 2010 paper analyzing how governments could/should react to a pandemic scenario..

​According to this mainstream scientific mindset, viruses are entities composed of DNA or RNA fragments (genetic material) and encased in a protein cover and/or lipid (fat) envelope. They are not technically alive, requiring a cell host to replicate. They are tiny – far tinier than a bacterium – and unlike a bacterium they are not a cell, so they don’t have a respiratory, circulatory or nervous system. The virus is said to be right on the border of the living and the non-living.

However, there is an important alternative view of the virus. The late primal diet/raw meat advocate Aajonus Vonderplanitz (who died in 2013) gave this fascinating interview during the swine flu hoax of 2009, when everyone was freaking out (not as much as with the coronavirus, but in a similar vein to the hyped ebola and zika outbreaks). He claimed the following:

– viruses are created by the body to clean itself when friendly bacteria can no longer break down all the waste;
– all viruses are good viruses, being necessary cellular responses;
– viruses are like a solvent or soap, made by cells to help dissolve and eliminate toxins (a solvent is something that will make the solute [the thing to be dissolved] turn into a solution [liquid]);
– viruses are specific to the cell that created them;
– viruses cannot cross species;
– viruses don’t exist outside of bodies; and
– that only way that a virus can cross species is if it’s made in a factory and injected, i.e. extracted, kept in a lab, genetically altered and modified, weaponized, then made into vaccines and bioweapons.

Dormant viruses and latent viruses can exist in our bodies all the time without causing disease. The mere presence of a virus in an organism doesn’t tell you anything about the health of that organism. It is quite possible that due to all the toxicity in our world (junk food, GMO crops, chlorinated and fluoridated water, poisoned skies), our body has to make a solvent to help us get rid of the toxins.
Interestingly, the main points in the interview with Aajonus are also explained in this recent video by Australian Tom Barnett.

​What if the body is producing viruses in response to toxicity? What if their apparent spreading and replication is due to the body making many of them to clean up a mess

​French scientist Antoine Bechamp (more on him below) did experiments that led him to discover tiny particles which he called microzymas and which others have called protids, somatids or exosomes. These tiny particles are pleomorphic (taking on many shapes) and may well go through a life cycle where they begin as ‘buds’ (which is what the word ‘germ’ means etymologically) or offshoots, and later develop into viruses or bacteria. The fact that microbes can be pleomorphic is a very important concept to understand. This idea is also relevant when it comes to understanding what cancer is and how to heal it naturally. In an earlier article Inner Terrain vs. Outer Terrain: Which Do You Emphasize for Good Health?, I explained:

“Bechamp theorized that germs were actually the chemical byproducts, dead tissue and degenerative aspects of a body’s unbalanced state. He stated living entities called microzymas (tiny enzymes) created bacteria in response to host and environmental factors.- Please read full article on this web page 

​11 vets die at Massachusetts facility; 5 tested positive for COVID-19
PHIL HELSEL - Mar 31st 2020 
https://www.aol.com/article/news/2020/03/31/11-vets-die-at-massachusetts-facility-5-tested-positive-for-covid-19/23966391/
The superintendent of a veterans facility in Massachusetts was placed on leave Monday, the same day it was reported that 11 residents had died, including at least five who had tested positive for the coronavirus illness COVID-19.
A state official said that test results are pending for five others who died at the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke. The status of the 11th person who died was unknown.
Eleven other residents have tested positive as well as five staff members, and an additional 25 veteran residents are awaiting test results. NBC affiliate WWLP of Springfield reported the deaths at the Soldiers' Home earlier Monday.
The governor said a review by public health experts is underway.
Superintendent Bennett Walsh was placed on paid administrative leave, and Val Liptak, the CEO of Western Massachusetts Hospital, will take over administration of the Soldiers’ Home, state Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Dan Tsai said in a statement.
The department also put in place an " an onsite clinical command team" of medical, epidemiological and other experts to respond to the outbreak.
Charlie Baker✔@MassGovernor
As someone who has visited the Holyoke Soldiers' Home on many occasions to catch up with staff and residents, I am heartbroken by today’s news. The loss of these residents to COVID-19 is a shuddering loss for us all.
2:24 AM - Mar 31, 2020
The center offers residential care and operates a 247-bed long-term nursing care facility, according to its website.
Holyoke is a city of around 40,000 north of Springfield. The city's mayor said he is heartbroken over the outbreak and deaths at the facility.
"It has been devastating to hear about the full extent of the COVID-19 outbreak at the Soldiers’ Home," Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse said in a statement Monday.
"While I am grateful that the State is now taking swift action to ensure residents and staff get necessary care and treatment, I am grief-stricken for those we have already lost, and my heart goes out to their families and friends," the mayor said.
Gov. Charlie Baker tweeted that he has visited that facility on many occasions. "The loss of these residents to COVID-19 is a shuddering loss for us all," he said.
Tsai, the deputy health and human services secretary, said the state is responding. "Today’s actions underscore the state’s commitment to our veterans and frontline health care employees during this unprecedented public health crisis."
There have been more than 5,700 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Massachusetts, with 56 deaths attributed to the coronavirus illness as of Monday, according to the state health department.
ationwide, there have been more than 161,800 cases of COVID-19 reported, including more than 2,980 deaths, according to a count of reports by NBC News. Those numbers include those currently ill, those who have recovered, those who have died and those who have been repatriated to the United States.
More from NBC News:
'It's surreal,' nurse practitioner says of Central Park field hospital

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/it-s-surreal-nurse-practitioner-says-field-hospital-set-central-n1172376
Can you catch the coronavirus twice? You'll probably be immune — for some time, at least

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/can-you-catch-coronavirus-twice-you-ll-probably-be-immune-n1171976
What White House contenders have suggested for the uninsured jobless amid pandemic

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/what-white-house-contenders-have-suggested-uninsured-jobless-n1171691

203- It Is Just a Cold, Grow Up!-Virus-
 Discussions on Virus- cures- how people get sick- germ theory- whether viruses cause disease -immun
The speaker Andrew Calfin MD ... worked originally studies molecular biology in chemistry
and then worked as a physician assistance  with caner patients- blood disorder  - bone marrow transplant- cancer  ....  patients
Crrow777
I would truly like to wish you ALL a Happy, Healthy and AWAKE year ahead. The full two hour episode is posted for members at https://www.crrow777radio.com/
Category: Education

Bonnie Polin displays photos of her husband, Gerald, and their family. They've been married for nearly 58 years.Leah Nash-for NBC News

Dr. Robert Redfield, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tries to set the record straight after President Trump speaks. AFP via Getty Images

Nightly News Broadcast (Full) - April 2nd, 2020 | NBC Nightly News
NBC News

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZalT3pkWdXM  
Gov. Cuomo warns New York will run out of ventilators in 6 days, coronavirus deaths in the U.S. surge to over 6,000, and a record 6.6 million people filed jobless claims last week.
» Subscribe to NBC News: http://nbcnews.to/SubscribeToNBC
» Watch more NBC video: http://bit.ly/MoreNBCNews

The latest on the coronavirus pandemic - 6th April 2020
https://www.aol.com/article/news/2020/03/31/coronavirus-news-and-live-updates/23947254/

There are over 1.3 million cases of the coronavirus worldwide, according to tracking from Johns Hopkins University. The number of global fatalities has passed 70,000.
The U.S. leads the world with more than 337,000 reported cases. President Trump warned Saturday that "it's going to be really some very bad numbers" in the U.S., where the death toll has surpassed 10,000.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has tested positive for the virus and was hospitalized Sunday after persistent symptoms, was taken to intensive care on Monday.
Wisconsin's governor signed an executive order postponing in-person voting for Tuesday's election after concerns over the safety of polling places.
Italy posted its lowest daily death total in over two weeks, with 525 reported, taking the country's total to 15,887.

Worried you're experiencing coronavirus symptoms? Here's what the CDC says to do.
Christopher Wilsonedited by Lauren Tuck
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson taken to intensive care
Johnson was hospitalized on Sunday after ten days of persistent coronavirus symptoms after testing positive for the disease on March 27. 
A spokesman said: “Since Sunday evening, the Prime Minister has been under the care of doctors at St Thomas’ Hospital, in London, after being admitted with persistent symptoms of coronavirus.
“Over the course of this afternoon, the condition of the Prime Minister has worsened and, on the advice of his medical team, he has been moved to the intensive care unit at the hospital.
“The PM has asked Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who is the First Secretary of State, to deputise for him where necessary.
“The PM is receiving excellent care, and thanks all NHS staff for their hard work and dedication.”

Christopher Wilsonedited by Lauren Tuck
‘I have a Ph.D’: The spotlight is now on Peter Navarro’s role in White House coronavirus response
https://news.yahoo.com/i-have-a-ph-d-the-spotlight-in-now-on-peter-navarros-role-in-white-house-coronavirus-response-191527560.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9lbWJlZC5zY3JpYmJsZWxpdmUuY29tL0VtYmVkL3Y3LmFzcHg_SWQ9MjkyNTUzMSZUaGVtZUlkPQ&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAI1bdDIxPiW4SwdcBN5lDW2iYh-3FWtNALnfQyCkFfGIi48n3lmyEJc0R-99sLxFphgHvq6iw29Yaf4tedkFv1dqMLd95jkdICs66qP2xhhkTrz-nV8bOg7MKpySmqTWX4vUKWMZ9rCd9aaq7BcNfY9teZHX9tT7BcAF2kO1uePu

WASHINGTON — Peter Navarro has a Harvard degree, and he isn’t shy about letting it be known. “You can always tell a Harvard man, but you can’t tell him much,” Navarro joked after President Trump introduced him last week as director of supply-chain issues related to the coronavirus pandemic. Always fond of mentioning a person’s Ivy League credentials (including his own), Trump noted that Navarro had two degrees from the prestigious university. 
One of those is a doctorate in economics (the other is a master’s in public policy), but Navarro has used it to suggest that he has broad expertise related to the coronavirus crisis. On Monday, he argued on air with CNN anchor John Berman, who asked him about the use of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment. Over the weekend, there had been reports that Navarro had clashed bitterly on the matter with Dr. Anthony Fauci, a top National Institutes of Health epidemiologist who is on the coronavirus task force. 
Like the president, Navarro believes the drug should be administered aggressively. Fauci, a renowned veteran of the HIV/AIDS crisis, does not believe there is yet evidence that hydroxychloroquine — which is used to treat lupus and malaria — is helpful in battling COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus.
Asked by Berman what allowed him to make medical pronouncements, Navarro referenced his educational pedigree. “I’m a social scientist,” he said. “I have a PhD,” asserting he was adept at reading medical studies. 
The coronavirus has touched on nearly every aspect of federal policy, including the one that is Navarro’s academic expertise: China. He was reportedly recruited to the White House by presidential adviser and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, who came upon his work browsing on the internet.
Navarro is not the first economist to become involved in the coronavirus response. Before the pandemic arrived in earnest in the United States in early March, top White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow repeatedly claimed that the U.S. would not suffer from a serious outbreak. “We have contained this,” he said in late February, describing the Trump administration’s response as “pretty close to airtight.” 

Kudlow has since walked those comments back, but the damage to his already shaky reputation was done. He has not been present at the White House coronavirus briefings.
Navarro’s prominence in the coronavirus response, on the other hand, appears to be growing. (He did not respond to multiple requests for comment from Yahoo News.)
Unlike Kudlow, Navarro does not come to the White House from cable television. He is a retired professor at the University of California at Irvine business school whose books include “Death by China: Confronting the Dragon — A Global Call to Action” and “Crouching Tiger: What China's Militarism Means for the World.”

The Taoiseach for Ireland has said global shortages in the supply of materials needed for processing Covid-19 tests

Coronavirus is changing how people prepare for birth and say goodbye in death.

A BODY IS PLACED IN A COFFIN OUTSIDE WYCKOFF HEIGHTS MEDICAL CENTER (IMAGE: MARC KOZLOW)

Theft and unrest spreads to southern Italy
Sky News
With coronavirus firmly gripping the north of Italy, crime and unrest is spreading south with gangs taking advantage.

Dr. Thomas Cowan, M.D. discusses the Coronavirus - New Paradigm Astrology
Dr. Thomas Cowan, M.D. hypothesizes that Coronavirus may be history repeating itself and caused by 5G. Shot at the Health And Human Rights Summit in Tucson, Arizona on March 12, 2020. Camera, sound and editing by Joshua Coleman.

Dr. Thomas Cowan, M.D. discusses the Coronavirus - hypothesizes that Coronavirus may be history repeating itself and caused by 5G. Shot at the Health And Human Rights Summit in Tucson, Arizona on March 12, 2020.- explains the introduction orf different radar and radiation introduced on planet earth   that has caused every major virus pandemic on plant earthHe explains the the new 5G Radiation from 5G 100,000 satellites in the blanket of the earth  and 5G Towers have created the corvid -19 coronavirus He makes a lot of sense- Please take the time to watch this video Category: Education
Category: Education

Jeremy Hunt called Dr Saadu’s death tragic (Jacob King-PA)

THE RUBY PRINCESS (IMAGE: WIKIMEDIA)

How elite U.S. college students brought Covid-19 home from campus

ANNA IRRERA AND STEVE STECKLOW - Apr 2nd 2020
https://www.aol.com/article/news/2020/04/02/how-elite-us-college-students-brought-covid-19-home-from-campus/23968268/

April 2 (Reuters) - Like many American colleges, Vanderbilt University in Nashville announced last month it was closing its dormitories and putting classes online because of the growing threat of coronavirus. It said it was acting "out of an abundance of caution" after a local healthcare worker had tested positive for the disease.

The message was lost on many students.
Before leaving campus and returning to their homes and families throughout the United States and abroad, more than 100 Vanderbilt students attended parties, ignoring the school's explicit instructions not to do so. They crowded into apartment complexes and other locations, and posed for group pictures they posted on Instagram. Many celebrated St. Patrick's Day six days early - on the same day New York City announced it was canceling its traditional annual parade.
One photo of a March 11 party, posted on Instagram and seen by Reuters, shows a student in a makeshift hazmat suit, a black mask and green bowler hat with shamrocks, as a large group of students party in the background. "I dare you to give me corona," reads the picture's caption. The photo's location jokingly claims to be "Wuhan, China" -- the origin of the global pandemic.
Some Vanderbilt students later learned they were infected with the virus, known as COVID-19. A private online group of students who say they have contracted coronavirus had 107 members this week, with most stating they had mild or moderate symptoms, according to posts seen by Reuters. Vanderbilt University Medical Center, an independent hospital near the campus, also reported 86 employees have tested positive for coronavirus to date, according to a spokeswoman.
The example of Vanderbilt - a prestigious, private research institution in America's South - shows that risky behavior by some young people extended far beyond the spring break mob scenes on Florida beaches that emerged last month. It illustrates the role students at some colleges - particularly those with a global footprint - have played in the pandemic.

Other colleges have also reported coronavirus outbreaks. Forty-four students at the University of Texas at Austin tested positive for the disease after returning from spring break in Mexico, according to a state university spokeswoman. In March, the University of Tampa said five students traveling together during spring break had tested positive.

In a statement, Vanderbilt said: "Just as for our peers around the country, COVID-19 has created unprecedented challenges for our community as we have sought, above all, to protect the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff. Vanderbilt has regularly communicated with our community about the essential steps the university is taking, and that they must take, to limit the spread of disease."
The university declined to answer questions about how many students have contracted coronavirus, citing federal student privacy law.

TRAVELS IN EUROPE
Vanderbilt began its spring break earlier than many schools. It took place between Feb. 29 and March 8, a time in which the pandemic, which began in China, was beginning to seriously affect Europe, but hadn't yet significantly hit the United States.
"Vandy" is an elite school with a large cohort of well-to-do students. Many travel abroad during spring break, especially Europe. They often visit other Vanderbilt students attending study-abroad programs.
On Feb. 25, Vanderbilt warned students not to travel to China or South Korea - two coronavirus hot spots - and to reconsider making non-essential trips to other countries with serious outbreaks. International students were advised not to leave the United States at all.

One country that hadn't yet reported many cases was Spain. Max Schulman, a Vanderbilt junior, said he traveled to Barcelona with more than a dozen classmates and estimated that about 50 Vanderbilt students in all were there during spring break. Spain has since emerged as one of the epicenters of the global outbreak.
Schulman said he felt tired, restless and "delirious" on his flight back. Instead of returning to campus, he went to his family's home in Long Island, New York, and later tested positive for coronavirus.

Other Vanderbilt students who traveled to Spain and other European countries returned to the Nashville campus.
On March 8, an online petition started by Chinese first-year student Yihan Li asked Vanderbilt to cancel classes to protect students' health, as the number of infections in the Nashville area slowly rose. "There have been two confirmed cases in Nashville and our students are returning from all over the world after the spring break," the petition stated. "It is at great risk to hold classes as normal." More than 2,000 people signed. Vanderbilt has about 12,000 full-time undergraduate and graduate students, according to its website.

The same day, the university informed students that there were no confirmed cases on campus. It also noted that an unidentified student who had studied abroad but hadn't returned to Nashville had tested positive. The announcement followed a story in the campus newspaper, the Vanderbilt Hustler, that a student in a program in Italy had later tested positive in Chicago.
Classes resumed on Monday, March 9. By the end of the day, the school disclosed that several students on campus reported they had been exposed to an unidentified individual who tested positive that day. It announced it was canceling classes for the rest of the week and would soon move them online through March. The announcement added: "To be clear, the university will remain open."
At the time, scores of other American colleges and universities were taking steps to cancel classes and switch to online instruction, according to data compiled by Bryan Alexander, a senior scholar at Georgetown University.
A picture of Vanderbilt's announcement appeared on a satirical Instagram account with this comment: "Let spring break pt. 2 begin." That night, some students began partying to both commiserate and celebrate over the end of classes, one student told Reuters.

On March 10, Vanderbilt issued a warning to campus residents: "There should be no parties/gatherings; students are encouraged to maintain social distance and minimize interactions with others." The college was two days ahead of Nashville's mayor in urging social distancing.

Some seniors worried their college days were coming to an abrupt end and the campus would soon clear out, students said. Their fears soon came true: On March 11, Vanderbilt told students that a healthcare worker at Vanderbilt University Medical Center had tested positive and classes would go on line for the rest of the semester. Undergraduates living on campus should leave within four days.

PARTY TIME
Planned St. Patrick's Day parties were moved up. The event is an annual tradition for many Vanderbilt students, who refer to it as "St Fratty's" because many parties are held at fraternity houses.
"We're all here and we're ready to fire one last time before our college careers are ended" by coronavirus, stated one Facebook post announcing an off-campus St Patrick's Day party. Several students who attended the party later tested positive for coronavirus, according to a student. Reuters could not independently confirm this.
Another "St Fratty's" celebration kicked off in the rooftop courtyard of Wesley Place apartments, a residential complex that is home to third-year and fourth-year students. Instagram pictures depict clusters of students clad in green, chatting in close proximity, drinking from beer cans and red cups, and posing together for pictures.
In one photo, a group of seven young women dressed in green huddle together, hugging and holding hands. A photo collage posted by Vanderbilt's chapter of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority showed small groups of young, green-clad women smiling, hugging and posing for pictures. The sorority didn't respond to a request for comment.

Following the Wesley Place party, students dispersed to other locations, including off-campus fraternity houses and another apartment complex, according to students and social media posts.
One video shows several dozen students in a backyard dancing, hugging and drinking. Text overlaying the video reads, "Schools out forever," while the caption reads, "the luck of the Irish did not grace Vanderbilt this st frattys."
That same day, March 11, three news developments smashed America's complacency about the disease. President Donald Trump imposed a 30-day ban on foreigners traveling from Europe, the National Basketball Association suspended its season, and movie star Tom Hanks announced he and his wife had tested positive for coronavirus in Australia.

Some Vanderbilt students soon were reporting in private chat groups that they had contracted coronavirus.
A private group called "Covid Family" that consists of students who said they had contracted the virus grew to 107 members. In one poll of 80 students, a dozen answered "yes" to whether they had coronavirus, according to a screenshot. Reuters couldn't determine if the self-reported diagnoses were accurate.

One infected student interviewed by Reuters attended off-campus parties and experienced symptoms on March 15 after returning home. The student's mother also developed mild symptoms. The student said the exact source of the infection was impossible to know.
Sophia Yan, a first-year Vanderbilt student from China, told Reuters she found out she had contracted coronavirus upon returning home to the Chinese city of Shenzhen on March 17. She said she didn't attend any parties on campus, leading her to suspect the virus was more widespread at Vanderbilt than students and the administration realize.
She said she believes the university should have required students to report all their travels during spring break and released information about any who had tested positive, such as their whereabouts and what classes they attended.

"Unfortunately, Vanderbilt's lack of effective measures largely reflects how the United States as a whole is dealing with this crisis," she said. "To combat this pandemic, U.S. federal and state governments, as well as the American people, must recognize the severity and urgency of the matter."

Vanderbilt didn't respond to a specific question about Yan's comments.
But it said because of federal student privacy law, "we are unable to disclose widely within the Vanderbilt community personally identifiable information about any student who has tested positive for COVID-19."
Netra Rastogi, a Vanderbilt sophomore, doesn't fault the administration. "I don't think they realized that so many students at Vanderbilt wouldn't take this whole situation seriously."

(reporting by Anna Irrera and Steve Stecklow; editing by Janet McBride)
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Christopher video 1

talking to Dr Brownstien about his experiences with Covid-19 Coronavirus
When Christopher thought he has Covid -19
with a high fever, couching
Christopher was told there is no theropy and jto just to go home and isolate .....
Christopher was told do what you can to self medicate
and do not come into he hospital or the doctor ..... only if you get very sick with trouble breathing

A figure from the paper shows the structures of ATP and the active metabolite of remdesivir, which has some important structural differences. 

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Does contactless make handing over cash too easy?

A REFRIGERATED TRUCK OUTSIDE WYCKOFF HEIGHTS MEDICAL CENTER. (IMAGE: MARC KOZLO

Ashley and Gene Carnes.Courtesy of Ashley and Gene Carnes

Britain's Queen Elizabeth to make rare address to nation over coronavirus
MICHAEL HOLDEN - Apr 3rd 2020 
https://www.aol.com/article/entertainment/2020/04/03/britains-queen-elizabeth-to-make-rare-address-to-nation-over-coronavirus/23969151/

LONDON (Reuters) - Queen Elizabeth will make an extremely rare address to the nation on Sunday as Britain grapples with the increasingly deadly coronavirus outbreak.
The government has put Britain into a virtual lockdown, closing pubs, restaurants and nearly all shops, while banning social gatherings and ordering Britons to stay at home unless it is absolutely essential to venture out.
The measures are intended to stop the spread of the epidemic with officials saying on Friday the death toll in the United Kingdom among those who had tested positive for the virus had risen by 684 to 3,605, up 23% on the previous day.
"Her Majesty The Queen has recorded a special broadcast to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth in relation to the coronavirus outbreak," Buckingham Palace said in statement, without giving any details about its content.

The address, which was recorded at Windsor Castle where the 93-year-old monarch is staying with her husband Prince Philip, will be broadcast at 1900 GMT on Sunday, it said.
Last month, the queen issued a written statement in which she said the royal family would play its part in rising to the challenge of the coronavirus outbreak.
"We know that many individuals and families across the United Kingdom, and around the world, are entering a period of great concern and uncertainty," she said then.
"We are all being advised to change our normal routines and regular patterns of life for the greater good of the communities we live in and, in particular, to protect the most vulnerable within them."
The queen rarely broadcasts to the nation apart from her annual televised Christmas Day message, usually to offer personal thanks or provide reassurance in times of crisis.
Royal experts said it would be only the fifth such televised address she had made during her 68 years on the throne.
The last was in 2012 following celebrations to mark her 60th year as queen which came a decade after the preceding broadcast which followed the death of her mother, the Queen Mother, in 2002 when she thanked Britons for their messages of condolence.
She also gave an address at the start of the Gulf War in 1991, and most famously, she delivered a sombre live broadcast after the death of her daughter-in-law Princess Diana in a Paris car crash in 1997 amid a national outpouring of grief and criticism of the royal family's response.
(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Kate Holton and Giles Elgood)
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CORONAVIRUS
'It's surreal,' nurse practitioner says of field hospital set up in Central Park amid coronavirus pandemic
"It's kind of surreal to see a field hospital sitting in the middle of Central Park," a nurse practitioner said.
March 30, 2020,  By Janelle Griffith
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/it-s-surreal-nurse-practitioner-says-field-hospital-set-central-n1172376

Shelly Kelly, a nurse practitioner from Tulsa, Oklahoma, never imagined that on her first trip to New York City, she would be unable to visit some of the area's biggest attractions.
"I had no idea that on my first trip to New York I wouldn't be able to see a Broadway show. I wouldn't be able to go out to all the nice restaurants I've heard about. I wouldn't be able to see people around Times Square. It's completely different," said Kelly, who landed in New York on Sunday.

Beds are lined up in a tent as volunteers from the international Christian relief organization Samaritan's Purse set up an emergency field hospital in Central Park across from Mount Sinai Hospital in New York on Monday, March 30, 2020.Bryan R. Smith / AFP via Getty Images

Nurse practitioner Shelly Kelly will be working at the field hospital in Central Park in New York.Janelle Griffith / NBC New
Instead, Kelly will be among a few dozen nurses and doctors from Samaritan's Purse, a nondenominational evangelical Christian humanitarian organization, working at a field hospital set up in Central Park — across the street from Mount Sinai Hospital — for patients battling COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. The organization is led by Franklin Graham, the son of Billy Graham.
On Sunday, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio pledged to use every place needed to help people.
"This is the kind of thing you will see now as this crisis develops," he told reporters while discussing the field hospital in Central Park.
It made for a jarring scene Monday.
"It's kind of surreal to see a field hospital sitting in the middle of Central Park," Kelly said. "I just don't think this is the way it was supposed to be my first time, but it's a pleasure for me to be here."
The field hospital will have 68 beds, 10 of them in a makeshift intensive care unit for patients who need ventilators. It took 48 hours to build and will be operational by Tuesday, said Melissa Nystrom, a spokeswoman for Samaritan's Purse, which is working with Mount Sinai Health System.
Seventy-two disaster assistance response specialists from Samaritan's Purse worked around the clock with local volunteers to build the hospital, Nystrom said.
"Just getting the permits to put up a field hospital in Central Park should've taken years," Kelly said, adding that with help from de Blasio and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the hospital has "been up really fast."
"I think that just speaks to the resilience and the flexibility of our health care system here in the United States — that we can take down barriers like that and bring in a field hospital at a time when our health care system is overwhelmed," Kelly said. "It's just amazing to see the creativity and thinking outside the box that happens here."
Cuomo said Monday that 1,218 people had died from the virus in New York state, up from 965 Sunday. A Navy hospital ship docked in Manhattan on Monday morning and is expected to provide relief for the city's overwhelmed hospitals.
"Those numbers are daunting," Cuomo said at a news conference. "It's continuing to move across the state of New York. Anyone who says this situation is a New York City-only situation is in a state of denial."
Denial is the last thing on the minds of Kelly or Dr. Elliott Tenpenny, director of international health at Samaritan's Purse.
"I know I'm going to be working in an ICU, and that's where a lot of the deaths happen, and so, yes, I am prepared for that," Kelly said. "As prepared as you can possibly be as a practitioner walking into that kind of situation."
Her previous assignments with the organization have taken her to the Philippines, Ecuador and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and twice to Iraq.
"This is an incredibly unique effort. We've been afforded the challenge by the governor's office, by the federal government, by our partnership with Mount Sinai, among others, to be able to do something that's really unprecedented here," said Tenpenny, who will be the team lead.
When Samaritan's Purse responds to disasters inside the U.S., like hurricanes, it's usually with general efforts after the fact. It has never before responded in a medical capacity within U.S. borders, according to Tenpenny and Kelly.
"Samaritan's Purse looks for where the need is greatest around the world," Tenpenny said. "Right now, that happens to be New York City."
The organization has another field hospital in Cremona, Italy, outside Milan, another hot spot of the COVID-19 virus, Tenpenny said, marking the first time Samaritan's Purse has had two emergency field hospitals running at the same time.
"We're looking for those needs and want to respond to those as quickly as possible," Tenpenny said.
Asked whether he was sought out by local or government officials, Tenpenny said, "We worked with the federal government and state government, who was able to hand us to the local government."
The field hospital in Central Park will have 60 to 70 medical staff, including nurses and doctors. Tenpenny said he could not provide specifics, but he said the nurses will outnumber the doctors.
"The truth is, no one knows how big this need is going to be or how long it's going to be present for," Tenpenny said. "Honestly, we hope it's very short and that New York City isn't suffering from this for very long. But we're here for as long as the need exists."
Janelle Griffith is a breaking news reporter for NBC News. 

Angela Merkel shares a troubling projection for the coronavirus outbreak. Getty

The Georgia Guidestones: a mysterious monument that was erected by an anonymous group of wealthy people encourages a drastic reduction in the world’s population.

Berkeley scientists turn harmless virus into piezoelectric generator
By Sebastian Anthony on May 15, 2012 
https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/129389-berkeley-scientists-turn-harmless-virus-into-piezoelectric-generator
Scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have created a harmless, genetically-modified virus that’s piezoelectric — in other words, it generates electricity when pressure is applied. This virus might eventually find its way into piezoelectric generators in the sole of your shoe, which would generate electricity (for your smartphone) while you walk.

The concept of piezoelectric energy harvesting is hardly new, but according to Berkeley Lab the materials used to make piezoelectric devices are toxic, and are thus no good for internal use or for consumer-facing applications (such as the aforementioned shoe-sole power generator). The The M13 bacteriophage (literally “bacteria devourer”) virus, however, is: piezoelectric, harmless to humans, easy to genetically modify, and readily aligns itself into an orderly film — and, being a virus, it readily replicates itself millions of times, so you don’t need to worry about running out of juice at an inopportune moment.
To turn the M13 phage into into a power source, the scientists genetically engineered the virus to create a higher voltage, stacked 20 layers of the virus on top of a gold substrate, attached some wires, and voila: a piezoelectric generator that produces no less than six nanoamperes at 400 millivolts. This might not sound like a lot (OK 6 nA isn’t a lot), but in the video below you can see that it’s enough to power a simple LCD display — or, alternatively, a low-power sensor.

Ultimately, the most exciting aspect about piezoelectricity is that it can be generated from almost any “wasted” movement — this could be as obvious as swinging your legs and feet, but piezoelectric generators could also harvest power from dance floors, the office stairs, or the vibrations from heavy machinery.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that a self-assembling piezoelectric generator is rather desirable — especially in today’s world, where mass production of genetically modified viruses is a lot easier than rearranging individual atoms with a scanning tunneling microscope. Byung Yang Lee, one of the scientists behind the discovery, says, “We’re now working on ways to improve on this proof-of-principle demonstration… piezoelectric materials based on viruses could offer a simple route to novel microelectronics in the future.”

America's “Development Plan” for the World
International development assistance as a means to promote One-World Government.  

https://www.facts-are-facts.com/article/americas-development-plan-for-the-world 


In July 1969, the American President Nixon held a historic address before Congress. In this first speech on the issue of population, he said: “One of the most serious challenges to human destiny in the last third of this century will be the growth of the population.”

Nixon called for the creation of a high-calibre commission that would deal with the consequences of a possible over-population, and thus the Commission on Population Growth and the American Future was established the following spring. Nixon appointed as chairperson economics magnate John D. Rockefeller III, who had been pushing for the creation of this kind of expert panel since the Eisenhower administration. The sixty recommendations published by the commission in 1972 include a proposal to legalise abortions across the country, paid for by the government. It also suggested providing teenagers in particular with contraceptives—a truly provocative idea for the time!

Although Nixon officially kept quiet, his Secretary of State and former national security advisor Dr. Henry Kissinger gave the population issue the highest priority. The German-born Jew began his political career in 1957 as advisor to the New York Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller, and is still pushing the Rockefeller agenda today. The now 87-year-old Kissinger and 95-year-old David Rockefeller remain influential members of the secretive Bilderberg Group.

The Infamous Memorandum 200

Under Kissinger’s aegis, the National Security Council submitted the so-called National Security Study Memorandum 200 to the US President in 1974. Classified until 1989, the document bears the heading: “Implications of Worldwide Population Growth for US Security and Overseas Interests.” In it, Kissinger and his like-minded associates call for a massive reduction of the population in less developed countries: those explicitly mentioned are India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nigeria, Mexico, Indonesia, Brazil, the Philippines, Thailand, Egypt, Turkey, Ethiopia and Columbia.

This plan was to be achieved by means of food scarcity, sterilisation programs and war. The independent government aid organisation USAID received additional financial assistance in order to implement this population policy in developing countries. Various headings such as: “Creating Conditions Conducive to Fertility Decline” or “Utilization of Mass Media and Satellite Communications Systems for Family Planning” [meaning abortion and sterilisation] can be found in the NSS Memorandum 200.

The National Security Council also proposed increasing development aid for Third World countries that commit themselves to the implementation of such depopulation programs.

And that’s not all. “The allocation of scarce PL480 (food) resources should take account of what steps a country is taking in population control as well as food production,” the Memorandum 200 goes on to say. “Mandatory programs” were to be put into operation by using food as “an instrument of national power.” Put plainly, Third World countries have to bow to the will of the global elite imposing deliberate famines on their own population if they do not want to be brought to their knees by the same methods.

Natives Are Nothing But a Nuisance

USAID director Ray Ravenott admitted in 1977 that the American Security advisors were not just concerned about global overpopulation, but also specific economic interests. He observed that his authorities’ objective was the sterilisation of a quarter of all women worldwide—a necessary action in order to protect the economic interests of the USA, because growing unemployment in over-populated developing countries would increase the danger of unrest and insurgency. Even back in 1974, the NSS Memorandum 200 had already indicated how important the “smooth flow of needed materials” was for the USA. In 1978, Henry Kissinger bluntly stated in another memorandum: “Depopulation should be the highest priority of the U.S. foreign policy towards the Third World… [because] …the U.S. economy will require large and increasing amounts of minerals from abroad, especially from less-developed countries.”

The then-CIA director George H. W. Bush was one of those tasked with implementing the plan. Nothing new for him—during his time as Texan delegate to the House of Representatives barely ten years previously, Bush Sr. was in fact chairman of the Republican Task Force on Earth Resources and Population. In this capacity, the future US President had in April 1970 already championed a family planning law that would support contraception, abortion and sterilisation.

In 1975, Henry Kissinger as chief of the US State Department created the Office of Population Affairs (OPA), a subordinate governmental body. The actual purpose of this agency was later masked with an innocent-sounding name: today it is called the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES). “Accordingly, the OES has consistently blocked industrialization policies in the Third World, denying developing nations access to nuclear energy technology—the policies that would enable countries to sustain a growing population”, wrote Lonnie Wolfe in a Special Report on “The Haig-Kissinger depopulation policy” that was published in March 1981. Alexander Haig, by the way, was the NATO commander-in-chief in Europe and Secretary of State under Ronald Reagan. According to State Department sources, Alexander Haig is a “firm believer” in population control.

Fast-forward to recent months, to the abortive climate change summit in Copenhagen in December 2009: many observers were struck by the fact that industrial countries persistently refuse to allow even a very limited technology transfer to developing and emerging countries. Economic fears certainly play a part in this attitude, but perhaps there are much more important demographic motives behind it, too.

End of extract „America's “Development Plan” for the World“ 

Or: “Kill as many people in developing countries as possible,” to paraphrase the maxim of the global elite.

This claim has been backed up by genuine quotations from politicians, state authorities and representatives from the world high finance.

Find out in our 

Facts are Facts print edition no.6 what all this has to do with the call for a supreme global authority – a world government.

Depopulating the world is the global elite’s most urgent objective: find out more about this highly-charged topic here in our full report: Illuminati: One Billion is enough!
Are ordinary vaccinations secretly being misused to slash the world’s population?

Can it be that man-made killer viruses are to be unleashed with the sole aim of triggering global pandemics for this very reason? 
Find out more here:
 Vaccinations: A Deadly Injection?

3. The coronavirus is pummeling New York hospitals — and the apex of the crisis is just days away.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state is counting on 85,000 health care volunteers — about 22,000 from out of state. And a major redeployment of doctors is already underway: Many specialists like neurosurgeons and dermatologists are being pulled into intensive care wards.
Such is the case at a Brooklyn hospital, above. Sheri Fink, a medical doctor and Times correspondent, and our photographer Victor Blue carefully risked a firsthand look at the growing misery there, where virus-linked deaths more than quintupled in a week.
“What really stood out to me was the toll on the medical providers — and the fact that so many of the staff members are sick,” Sheri told us.

The IVF medications Ashley Carnes was prepared to take.Ashley Carnes

Dr. Richard Polin told his mother, Bonnie, that it was time to move his father into a nursing home.Leah Nash / for NBC News

Why we waited so long to take the coronavirus seriously
https://www.aol.com/article/news/2020/04/01/why-we-waited-so-long-to-take-the-coronavirus-seriously/23967344/

One of the most frustrating aspects of the coronavirus outbreak is that fewer people would be dead now had we taken the pandemic seriously a month ago.
Instead, as the weather turned nice and scientists were calling for self-quarantines, Americans spilled onto bar patios, beaches and boarded flights for vacations. Some people insisted on commuting to work, and in New York, the virus’ biggest U.S. playground, people are still going to speakeasies and hosting potlucks. Even the president spent weeks insisting the virus would disappear shortly and that America would go back to business as usual. 

Look outside your window right now or go to a park, and you’ll see that many people still aren’t staying the recommended six feet apart. While it’s infuriating to know that people are still congregating on their stoops for neighborhood happy hours while elsewhere, dead bodies are being loaded onto refrigerated trucks, this behavior is also human nature. 

So why were Americans so slow to grasp the scale of this outbreak?

We talked to Steven Taylor, a professor and clinical psychologist at the University of British Columbia, about the science behind this kind of denial.

HuffPost: You recently published a perfectly timed book called

“The Psychology of Pandemics”

that looks at how people respond to outbreaks.

Were you surprised by the fact that Americans didn’t really begin to socially isolate until the coronavirus had already killed hundreds of people?

Steven Taylor: No, I wasn’t surprised at all. Many people have what’s called an unrealistic optimism bias. It’s a tendency to underplay threats and to see yourself as being more impervious than the average person. To many people, the coronavirus seemed like a disease that was in another country. People were not seeing it in their communities. People were being reactive rather than proactive, wanting it to be overblown, wanting things to be OK.
People’s reactions boil down to their worldviews. How dangerous do you think the world is? How much control do you think you have in your life? How much do you think something comes from foreigners versus in your own community? 

Is there some kind of advantage to having an optimism bias, or being in denial about big crises? 
People want to be in control of things. This bias allows people to go about their daily lives without experiencing anxiety. It gets us away from being consumed with the existential dread of fearing for our lives. When you run experiments, the people who predict things most accurately under some circumstances are mildly depressed. It’s called depressive realism. 
Denial can be adaptive in the face of unavoidable, uncontrollable threats to one’s existence. However, denial also comes with obvious shortcomings. If you believe that you’re impervious to COVID-19 and you go out and party on the beach, you’re going to actively contribute to the spread of infection. It can have catastrophic consequences.
The idea that we’ll let the economy go on, this virus will burn itself out and we’ll carry on as before could lead to countless deaths.

It seems like many people only begin to take the coronavirus seriously when they know someone who is infected. Why is that? 

I encountered a really good example of this recently. A guy I know had been downplaying the whole thing. He wasn’t social distancing or doing anything like that. But then a friend of his suddenly died in New York, and his optimism bias was shattered. The crisis suddenly got brought home to him in a very vivid, personal way that the statistics or news reports couldn’t do. That changed his behavior a lot. 
Humans aren’t very good at predicting or assessing risk. We tend to look to our emotional reactions to judge how likely a threat is. People aren’t going to social distance if they see the virus as not their problem. But when they suddenly realize, “Oh, I’m at risk for giving the disease to my grandmother who could die from that” can bring it home for them.
The idea that we’ll let the economy go on, this virus will burn itself out and we’ll carry on as before could lead to countless deaths.Steven Taylor, University of British Columbia

Is there any evolutionary explanation for this instinct?
People are tribalistic, given the way we evolved as a species. We care for our in-group. From an evolutionary perspective, it was strangers who brought in diseases or threats to our communities. We’re seeing an increase in altruism and solidarity [because of the virus], but many of these people pulling together are highly xenophobic. 
People join together in their community to look after one another. And yet they’re closing down borders. In the context of every pandemic outbreak, there’s always an upsurge in xenophobia and racism. I think that’s one of the big lessons we’ve not learned. I guess, partly, we have to look to our leaders. If a leader takes a position that we have got to blame someone for this, then that’s going to incite racism. 

Trump has called COVID-19 the ‘Chinese Virus’ and flip-flopped on how seriously Americans should take the outbreak. How much does a president’s messaging influence people’s actions? 
It’s hugely important. People pick up cues about how to behave or how to feel from their leaders. If a politician appears confused or inconsistent or contradictory in their behavior, that’s going to add to people’s anxieties. It can make the anxious people more anxious and it can cause the overall optimistic people to say, “Well, even he doesn’t know, so I don’t need to worry about it.” 

If you don’t trust your government, that can have disastrous consequences. During the Ebola outbreak in Liberia, the people who were not socially distancing were the ones who didn’t trust the government’s social guidelines. 

Trump has a vested interest in denying the scale of this pandemic: He wants the economy to go back to normal so he can get reelected. Is this same kind of denial happening on an individual level?

Standon Calling … went cashless and saw spending rise. 

Opinion: A commander-in-chief who cannot do the job ‘must resign — immediately,’ writes presidential scholar
Outside the Box
Published: March 12, 2020 at 12:39 p.m. ET
By  Chris Edelson
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-time-has-come-for-trump-to-resign-2020-03-11?utm_source=zergnet.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=zergnet_4975710

Why Donald Trump needs to let competent people take charge of the COVID-19 pandemic response

As we all grapple with what the novel coronavirus means for various aspects of our lives, ranging from canceled public events to closed schools and volatile financial markets SPX, -1.51% TMUBMUSD10Y, 0.654% , it’s worth asking a fundamental question. What would a normal president say and do in response to this crisis?
It’s painfully obvious that no normal person — let alone any typical president — would respond in the way President Donald Trump has.

Read: Angela Merkel to the German people: You’re likely to get coronavirus

At each stage, he has lied, he has created confusion, he has made reckless predictions, and he has, once and for all, demonstrated his manifest unfitness to serve.

Breaking news: Follow the latest developments on the coronavirus

We may not be able to fix the damage that Trump has already caused, but at least we can stop him from doing any more harm. Public figures ought to be calling on the president to resign from office, to get out of the way and let competent people step in.
In his public statements over the last few weeks, Trump has demonstrated that he is simply incapable of taking on the challenge before him. On Feb. 29, Trump confidently predicted that the number of infected people in the U.S. would “within a couple of days [be] going to be down to close to zero.”

Read: World Health Organization declares that the coronavirus is a pandemic

Ten days later, states reported 571 Americans had tested positive for the coronavirus. That’s what is known based on limited testing. Experts believe the number of infected people in the U.S. is actually higher, and likely to keep increasing in the near future.
It is clear even to casual observers that Trump is in over his head and is interested mainly in public messaging that he thinks will mitigate personal political damage to him in an election year.
One observer described Trump as “a walking, talking, tweeting disaster when it comes to the communications strategy required during a complex crisis like this one.” Last Friday, when Trump spoke to reporters at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, the president incorrectly declared that “anybody … that needs a test gets a test.” That is plainly untrue, as Vice President Mike Pence had conceded a day earlier.
During the Friday press briefing, Trump bragged to the press about his supposed scientific expertise, suggesting that he has “a natural ability” to understand the issues associated with coronavirus. One reporter who witnessed the briefing said that “the president’s statements to the press were terrifying.”
Some experts have suggested that we simply have to accept that we have a president who is incapable of handling the crisis and work around that reality. Crisis-management expert Juliette Kayyem concluded that “a crisis finds a nation as it is, not as its citizens wish it to be.”

On one level, this is a powerful observation. Public health experts charged with responding to the crisis have to confront reality as it stands right now, with a president who is who he is. They can’t wish their way around that.

On another level, however, it is a mistake to assume we are simply stuck with the president we have. If he can’t do the job, the consequences are deadly serious, as lives are quite literally at stake.
While scientists, doctors and other public health professionals deal with the day-to-day business of saving lives and mitigating damage, the rest of us — especially those with a platform that reaches the public — must say what is self-evident: Donald Trump cannot do his job. He must resign — immediately.

Readers who are generally receptive to this conclusion may not unreasonably ask:

What’s the point?

Trump will never voluntarily leave office.

That is a fair observation, and I do not expect him to do so.

I still believe it is essential to call for his resignation because it is so plainly the right thing to do. In a functioning system, elected officials from both major political parties would call for the president’s resignation, and he would be forced to leave office or face impeachment and removal through the constitutional process.
Our system, tragically, has failed. But we must continue fighting against that failure by working to restore the normalcy that has been taken from us. That is what it means to have a constitutional democracy in these deeply troubled times. One step toward restoring normalcy — admittedly, a symbolic step — is insisting that ordinary standards still mean something, that Trump’s failure cannot be glossed over or be set to the side.

In calling for Trump’s resignation we are refusing to accept the assumption that Trump exists outside of normal rules, and that this is something we simply must accept. We know he isn’t up to the job. The question is whether we, as citizens in a constitutional democracy, are up to ours.

Chris Edelson is an assistant professor of government in American University’s School of Public Affairs. He has written two books on presidential power, and recently wrote a book chapter describing the problem of constitutional failure in the United States.

​CORONAVIRUS
Can you catch the coronavirus twice? You'll probably be immune — for some time, at least
"Because this is so new, it's hard to predict what's going to happen," said one virologist.

March 30, 2020, By Elizabeth Chuck and Erika Edwards
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/can-you-catch-coronavirus-twice-you-ll-probably-be-immune-n1171976

"I feel really confident that if this virus acts like every other virus that we know, once you get infected, get better, clear the virus, then you will have immunity that will protect you against reinfection."
Those who recover from the coronavirus are probably not going to catch it again, at least in the short term, experts say. But it's unclear how long that immunity will last.
"It is reasonable to predict we will have some immunity. To say you will have lifelong immunity? We just don’t know yet," said Frances Lund, professor and chair of the department of microbiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. "But I think it’s a reasonable conclusion that you will have immunity for the rest of this season."

The key to immunity lies in the antibodies produced by people who have recovered from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
Antibodies are proteins in the bloodstream that attack foreign intruders, such as viruses and bacteria. Those produced in response to the coronavirus may one day help guide public health measures, such as signaling when it is safe for a person to end social distancing. They are also being explored as a treatment for critically ill patients whose own antibodies are not enough to fight off the virus.
More research is needed in both of those areas, but in the meantime, top health officials have expressed confidence that coronavirus antibodies are likely able to prevent a person who had the infection from getting sick with it a second time.
"We don't know that for 100 percent certain because we haven't done the study," Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told "The Daily Show" host Trevor Noah last week. "But I feel really confident that if this virus acts like every other virus that we know, once you get infected, get better, clear the virus, then you will have immunity that will protect you against reinfection."
Whether that protection will be long term depends on a number of factors, experts say.
The first is whether the virus mutates. If it stays stable, those who have had it have a high chance of being able to "stop it at the door" if they are exposed to it a second time because the antibodies in their blood will recognize it and prevent it from replicating in their bodies, Lund said.
But the coronavirus is an RNA virus, meaning its genetic material is made up of RNA, not DNA. And RNA viruses have a tendency to mutate over time: Seasonal influenza, another RNA virus, usually changes from year to year.
"That’s why every year, there's a new vaccine for the flu," said Dr. Tim Schacker, an infectious disease doctor and vice dean for research at the University of Minnesota's medical school. "Influenza has been here forever; you're making antibodies to some parts of the virus all the time, but it's the novel parts of the virus that you want to have antibodies to."
Since this "coronavirus is a brand new virus," Schacker said, everyone is vulnerable to every part of it.
The other factor in avoiding reinfection is how good the antibodies are that people are making against the coronavirus. Humans almost always make antibodies when exposed to a virus. But not every antibody is powerful enough to block a virus from infecting cells again — and scientists have yet to discover whether the coronavirus antibodies are high-quality ones.
"Do they neutralize the virus, which means binds to a very specific place on the virus that will prevent the virus from attaching to the cell it would normally infect?" Lund said.
Even if the antibodies are capable of this, the immunity they provide could wane over time.
"Because this is so new, it's hard to predict what's going to happen," said Joel Baines, a virologist at Louisiana State University. "There's going to be a period of immunity, and it could be as little as eight months to a year, and as long as several years."
This period is called immunologic memory, Schacker said, and is dependent upon the plasma cells that make antibodies dividing and staying in your blood for some time.
"So if you get re-exposed to that pathogen, and you have a sufficient number of cells to make antibodies, then you are protected from reinfection," he said. "But all of that is in your garden variety infection. We just don't know yet what's going to happen with this infection."
There are hopeful signs about the quality of the coronavirus antibodies that the body makes. Trial treatments using convalescent serum, or antibody-rich plasma donated from recovered coronavirus patients, have shown promise on very ill patients — so much so that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a plan to use the experimental treatment in his state, the hardest hit in the U.S., in an effort to save lives.
The serum works by giving the patients' own antibodies an assist against the coronavirus, and may also give their immune system a break, allowing it to reduce some of the inflammatory response it has created to the virus, Lund said.
While preliminary results have scientists optimistic, the experts caution that more studies are needed before making any conclusions about the coronavirus and immunity.
"Viruses have been around a really, really long time, and they are not dumb," Lund said. "They have figured out what they need to do to thrive."
"All of that is in your garden variety infection. We just don't know yet what's going to happen with this infection."
Follow NBC HEALTH on Twitter & Facebook

Deep Down the Virus Rabbit Hole – Question Everything April 1, 2020 By Makia Freeman

Watch out! The killer virus is coming!
https://thefreedomarticles.com/deep-down-virus-rabbit-hole-question-everything/
Watch out! The killer virus is coming!
Well … maybe not. Behind any pandemic, there are always a long set of assumptions that underpin the medical reports and subsequent political and legal decisions. These assumptions are barely recognizable since they are routinely reported as facts. However, to truly justify everything that’s happening all over the world right now – social distancing, surveillance, censorship, lockdowns, quarantine, medical martial law, economic crashes, new digital currencies, governmental emergency powers – with mandatory vaccinations and human microchipping slated to come – those in charge at the Department of Propaganda have to convince you that those assumptions are facts. So, we’re going to take a journey down the rabbit hole to ask some fundamental questions not only about the coronavirus but also the mysterious entity of the virus itself. What is a virus? Can a virus cross from animal to human? Can it cross from human to human? Did you know the CDC admitted that their beloved PCR test is essentially useless, as it doesn’t tell you whether a virus is causing disease? Is it 100% proven that viruses cause disease in humans anyway? How do the competing theories of germ theory and host theory/terrain theory play into this? So, buckle up, open your mind and get prepared for a ride.
What Is a Virus?
Mainstream Western Medicine (allopathy) developed due to the influence of the Rockefellers who created it to help sell their petroleum drugs which became the basis for today’s Big Pharma medicines. The Rockefellers and other NWO (New World Order) central banking bloodline families overtook the schools and curricula for Medicine, and shut down competition like homeopathy, via the Flexner Report. They made sure that allopathy would be purely focused on pharmaceuticals and blocked proper nutritional knowledge from doctors. This is the same mainstream medical system that sets the definitions for things like viruses, so let’s begin with a healthy dose of skepticism. This is also the same Rockefeller family that funded the UN (and donated land for its HQ in New York), whose Rockefeller Foundation has co-opted education and whose Rockefeller Foundation released a 2010 paper analyzing how governments could/should react to a pandemic scenario.
According to this mainstream scientific mindset, viruses are entities composed of DNA or RNA fragments (genetic material) and encased in a protein cover and/or lipid (fat) envelope. They are not technically alive, requiring a cell host to replicate. They are tiny – far tinier than a bacterium – and unlike a bacterium they are not a cell, so they don’t have a respiratory, circulatory or nervous system. The virus is said to be right on the border of the living and the non-living.
However, there is an important alternative view of the virus. The late primal diet/raw meat advocate Aajonus Vonderplanitz (who died in 2013) gave this fascinating interview during the swine flu hoax of 2009, when everyone was freaking out (not as much as with the coronavirus, but in a similar vein to the hyped ebola and zika outbreaks). He claimed the following:
– viruses are created by the body to clean itself when friendly bacteria can no longer break down all the waste;
– all viruses are good viruses, being necessary cellular responses;
– viruses are like a solvent or soap, made by cells to help dissolve and eliminate toxins (a solvent is something that will make the solute [the thing to be dissolved] turn into a solution [liquid]);
– viruses are specific to the cell that created them;
– viruses cannot cross species;
– viruses don’t exist outside of bodies; and
– that only way that a virus can cross species is if it’s made in a factory and injected, i.e. extracted, kept in a lab, genetically altered and modified, weaponized, then made into vaccines and bioweapons.
Dormant viruses and latent viruses can exist in our bodies all the time without causing disease. The mere presence of a virus in an organism doesn’t tell you anything about the health of that organism. It is quite possible that due to all the toxicity in our world (junk food, GMO crops, chlorinated and fluoridated water, poisoned skies), our body has to make a solvent to help us get rid of the toxins.
Interestingly, the main points in the interview with Aajonus are also explained in this recent video by Australian Tom Barnett.
What if the body is producing viruses in response to toxicity? What if their apparent spreading and replication is due to the body making many of them to clean up a mess?
Are Viruses Misunderstood?
French scientist Antoine Bechamp (more on him below) did experiments that led him to discover tiny particles which he called microzymas and which others have called protids, somatids or exosomes. These tiny particles are pleomorphic (taking on many shapes) and may well go through a life cycle where they begin as ‘buds’ (which is what the word ‘germ’ means etymologically) or offshoots, and later develop into viruses or bacteria. The fact that microbes can be pleomorphic is a very important concept to understand. This idea is also relevant when it comes to understanding what cancer is and how to heal it naturally. In an earlier article Inner Terrain vs. Outer Terrain: Which Do You Emphasize for Good Health?, I explained:
“Bechamp theorized that germs were actually the chemical byproducts, dead tissue and degenerative aspects of a body’s unbalanced state. He stated living entities called microzymas (tiny enzymes) created bacteria in response to host and environmental factors.
“Claiming discovery that the “molecular granulations” in biological fluids were actually the elementary units of life, Béchamp named them microzymas—that is, “tiny enzymes”—and credited them with producing enzymes and were the builders of cells while “evolving” amid favorable conditions into bacteria. Denying that bacteria could invade a healthy animal and cause disease, Béchamp claimed instead that unfavorable host and environmental conditions destabilize the host’s native microzymas, whereupon they decompose host tissue by producing pathogenic bacteria.””
James Hildreth MD from Johns Hopkins University declared:
“The virus is fully an exosome in every sense of the word.”
Piezoelectrical Repair Crews
This video which highlights aspects of the fake coronavirus pandemic also talks of viruses as entities created by the body that do not do any harm and are designed to carry waste. The video creator refers to viruses as a “piezoelectrical repair crew”, with a polysaccharide coating on their heads, who can travel to a damaged cell and facilitate glycolysis (the conversion of sugar into energy). In other words, they go to a cell needing a repair and give it energy (sugar) and electricity (a kind of jump start). According to this viewpoint, blaming a virus for damage is like blaming an innocent helper at the scene of the crime; just because someone saw a crime and came to help does not mean they caused the crime. The situation is similar to the demonization of cholesterol which I have discussed elsewhere; it turns out that cholesterol is an essential nutrient and at the scene of bodily damage to repair it, not because it caused it. By the way, around 8 years ago Berkeley scientists turned harmless viruses into piezoelectric generators.
The Flawed PCR Test; You Might Have the Virus – But So What? That Doesn’t Mean You’re Sick
Even if you strongly believe in germ theory (more on this below), there are some serious problems with the generally accepted method of testing for a virus. It’s called the PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) test. The PCR test amplifies a specific region of a DNA strand (the DNA target). It is qualitative not quantitative; in other words, it can tell you if a virus is present or not, but it can’t tell you in what quantities, and it can’t make any accurate assessment about whether the presence of that virus or not is enough to cause disease. As I pointed out in my article 6 Solid, Scientific Reasons to Assuage Your Coronavirus Panic, the CDC (US Center for Disease Control) itself admits that a positive coronavirus COVID-19 test (using the PCR method) doesn’t mean the virus is causing the disease/symptoms you may have! These are the actual words of the CDC:
“Positive [test] results are indicative of active infection with 2019-nCoV but do not rule out bacterial infection or co-infection with other viruses. The agent detected may not be the definite cause of disease.”
Is it 100% Proven That Viruses Cause Disease in Humans?
Amazingly, no – it is not. Germ theory is just that: a theory. For those wanting a more technical explanation of this alternative understanding of viruses, check out Dr. Thomas Cowan, Dr. Andrew Kaufman and especially Dr. Stefan Lanka. Kaufman has given some recent interviews with Crrow777 and Richie from Boston where he elaborates upon the idea that viruses have never been proven to cause disease. Both Cowan and Kaufman discuss the tests that were done after the 1918 Spanish Flu (an outbreak which it turns out was caused by EMFs/electrification and/or vaccines) where they had sick people breathe into healthy people’s mouths. The healthy people didn’t get sick. Likewise, they had sick horses sneeze and cough mucus, fluids, droplets, etc. into a bag, put food in that bag, then gave that food to healthy horses. They were unable to make the healthy horses sick.
Dr. Stefan Lanka is the king in this area. He is a German biologist and virologist who came to understand we have been lied to on a grand scale regarding the nature of the virus. He offered a reward of €100,000 for anyone who could scientifically prove that measles was a virus. That case that went all the way to the German Supreme Court where he won. Paul Fassa reports:
“At first it appeared he had lost. But Dr. Lanka took his loss to a higher court with more experts and the backing of two independent laboratories. He wound up not having to pay. It turned out that the “proof” provided was a composite of several different electron microscope images. And the composite involved different components of damaged cells. The composite could not be duplicated. The German Federal Supreme Court confirmed that there was not enough evidence to prove the existence of the measles virus.”

Dave Mihalovic reports in the article Biologist Proves Measles Isn’t A Virus, Wins Supreme Court Case Against Doctor:
“In a recent ruling, judges at the German Federal Supreme Court (BGH) confirmed that the measles virus does not exist. Furthermore, there is not a single scientific study in the world which could prove the existence of the virus in any scientific literature. This raises the question of what was actually injected into millions over the past few decades. Not a single scientist, immunologist, infectious disease specialist or medical doctor has ever been able to establish a scientific foundation, not only for the vaccination of measles but any vaccination for infants, pregnant women, the elderly and even many adult subgroups.”

Lanka has spoken out against similar viral epidemics or pandemics, such as the H5N1 bird flu scare (which was being hyped in 2005). Finally, there are even other prominent virologists like professor Peter Duesberg who have stated with solid evidence that HIV does not cause AIDS. Here are some more quotes from Lanka (who speaks German, so translated into English):

“What viruses are there at all, then, and what are they doing?
Structures which you can characterize as viruses there are in many species of bacteria and in simple life forms, similar to the bacteria. They are elements of together-living of different cells in a common cell type which have remained independent. This is called a symbiosis, an endosymbiosis, which has arisen in the course of the process of different cell types’ and structures’ combining, an endosymbiosis which has brought forth the present cell type, that type of cells of which humans, animals and plants consist … Very important: Viruses are component parts of very simple organisms, for instance of the confervacea type of algae, a particular species of a one-celled chlorella alga and of very many bacteria. As existing there, these viral component parts are called phages. In complex organisms however, in particular in humans, or in animals or plants, such structures which you might call viruses have never been seen.

In contrast to the bacteria in our cells, the mitochondria, or the bacteria in every plant, the chloroplasts, which cannot leave the common cell, since they are dependent on the metabolism of the common cell, viruses can leave the cell, since they are not carrying out any survival-vital tasks within the cell.

Viruses, thus, are component parts of the cell which have turned their entire metabolism over to the common cell and therefore can leave the cell. Outside the common cell, they are helping other cells, in that they are transferring construction and energy substances. Any other function of theirs has never been observed.
Those actual viruses which have been scientifically demonstrated to exist are performing, in the very complex processes of interactions of different cells, a helping, a supporting and in no case a destructive function.
Also in the case of diseases, actually neither in the diseased organism nor in a bodily fluid has any structure which you could characterize as a virus ever been seen or isolated. The proposition that there is any sick-making virus whatsoever is a transparent swindle, a fatal lie with dramatic consequences.”

Lanka also drops this bombshell:
“Why then are disease-causing viruses still being maintained to exist?
The school medicine protagonists/practitioners need the paralysing, stupid-making and destructive fear of disease causing phantom viruses as a central basis for their existence:
Firstly, in order to harm many people with vaccinations, in order to build up for themselves a clientele of chronically ill and ailing objects who will put up with anything being done to them.
Secondly, in order not to have to admit that they are failing totally in their treatment of chronical illnesses and have killed and are killing more people than all wars so far have made possible. Every school medicine practitioner is conscious of this, but only very few dare to speak about it. Therefore it’s no wonder either that among professional groups, it is that of the school medicine practitioners that has the highest suicide rate, far surpassing other professional groups.
Thirdly, the school medicine practitioners need the paralysing and stupid-making fear of diabolical viruses, in order to conceal their historical origin as an oppression and killing instrument of the Vatican’s when it was struggling to rise in the world, having developed out of the usurping West Roman army.”

To understand all this, we have to revisit germ theory and terrain theory.
Germ Theory vs. Terrain Theory
In the aforementioned article Inner Terrain vs. Outer Terrain: Which Do You Emphasize for Good Health?, there have been 2 competing theories which have influenced thought in many fields (medicine, biology and many more): germ theory and terrain theory/host theory. This started in the 1800s in France when Louis Pasteur championed the germ theory (the world is full of pathogenic germs, microbes, bacteria, etc. which can infect you if you are unlucky enough) and Antoine Bechamp and Claude Bernard championed the terrain theory (microbes can change from one type to another according to the blood or tissue where they reside). The quote attributed to 1 or more of these 3 men is “the germ is nothing, the inner terrain is everything.”
Pasteur (the same man after which pasteurization is named) won out and germ theory became the more dominant philosophy of the two. This has had the unfortunate effect of making people more scared of their environment and more susceptible to propaganda by Big Pharma (we’re here to protect you; just take your drugs and vaccines and everything will be OK). It has also led people to take less responsibility for their inner terrain, via poor dietary and lifestyle choices, meaning a weakened host and lowered immune system – thus becoming more susceptible to disease. But what if we had it wrong? What if it is far more important to emphasize your own strength, health and terrain than to worry about possible germs floating around everywhere that could kill you? What if this whole coronavirus crisis is making everyone OCD, scared of every surface, scared of basic and natural human contact, forgetful of their internal strength and forgetful of the power of their gut microbiome and immune system?
Can a Virus Cross from Animal to Human, or Human to Human?
According to the people quoted above, the answer is no. A virus is made specifically by your body for the purpose of healing via excretion and clean-up of toxins. According to this new way of understanding, a virus is made specifically for a cell, group of cells or organ, so viruses don’t even cross organs, let alone from one human body to another.
Where is a Real Picture of the Virus Causing COVID-19?
In a world where everything – literally everything – is photographed and video-recorded, why are there no actual pictures of the virus, the actual coronavirus supposedly causing all this mayhem? It shouldn’t be that hard to get an electron microscope and take a picture. Why are we only given CGIs (computer generated images)?
The Importance of Iodine and Oxygen Amidst the Coronavirus Crisis
On another note, given all the panic and fear surrounding COVID-19, it is important to revisit some health fundamentals right now – specifically iodine and oxygen.

Iodine is a very important mineral, the only halogen that the body needs. However, if you don’t have enough, the body grabs chemically similar elements (the other halogens: fluorine, chlorine and bromine), all of which are toxic. If you have too much of these, you will get sick. Have you noticed how some nations are spraying chloride bleach on everything in reaction to the supposed killer virus, thus exposing you to more chloride? Also, the 6 GHz frequency (used in many wireless phones, routers and other devices) affects your iodine absorption. One symptom of iodine deficiency is respiratory distress (also a symptom of COVID-19). Iodine deficiency is also implicated in cancer.

5G is undeniably connected to the coronavirus, but we still don’t exactly understand how. 5G was first rolled out in Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak.
. However, not everyone around 5G is getting sick. One possible cause is the new frequency band it will be using (60 GHz or WiGig which is the new name for 60GHz Wi-Fi). Just as the 6 GHz frequency affects iodine absorption, the 60 GHz frequency affects oxygen absorption. In fact, the 60 GHz frequency attenuates or weakens the oxygen molecule. This can lead to O2 molecules not binding so easily to hemoglobin – meaning you don’t take in as much oxygen. This leads to under-oxygenation or hypoxia, the forerunner to disease. Again, just as with iodine, a symptom of oxygen deficiency is respiratory distress (also a symptom of COVID-19).

Hmm … it’s almost as if this virus is providing the perfect excuse and acting as a scapegoat for the toxic chemicals and EMF which are damaging us long-term all the time …

If Viruses Can’t Cross Species, Bodies or Be ‘Caught’, Then What Happens When One Person Appears to ‘Catch’ the Flu from Someone Else?
This is the key question. If viruses really are completely different than what almost all of us have been taught to believe, how can we explain apparent viral contagions or viral infections? Are they real? Well, certainly many people have experienced getting sick right after being around other people who were sick. The real issue is how? One possible answer is that the terrain of the recipient was lowered at the point of infection, whether because they were worried or anxious they would get sick (fear lowers the immune system), had the thought they would get sick (and unconsciously gave that thought power) or developed some kind of emotional entrainment or frequency match with the sick person. It’s all about creating a frequency lock. In life, we all have strong and weak moments; in those weaker moments we become more susceptible to disease. The great genius Nikola Tesla said that “The day that science begins to study non-physical phenomena, it will make more progress in one decade than in all the previous centuries of its existence.” He also said that “If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.”

Is catching disease not about “evil germs out to infect us” but rather about our mental and emotional state, our immune system, our microbiome and our susceptibility?

Conclusion: Use This Crisis as an Opportunity to Look at Viruses in a Different Way

It would be wise amidst all the fear over the coronavirus COVID-19 if were to all remember that germ theory is just that – a theory – and that we have the power to take charge of our own health. We can strengthen our immune system with healthy food choices, enough sunshine (vitamin D), sufficient exercise and adequate sleep. We can choose to reduce or eliminate exposure to toxins like fluoride, chlorine, aluminum, mercury and EMF wireless radiation. We can supplement with things that boost our immunity – like vitamin C, antioxidants, iodine and oxygen – and natural anti-viral medicine like olive leaf extract, medicinal mushrooms and oregano oil.

It is a maxim of life that knowledge decreases fear. What if the real conspiracy here is the exploitation of the mass ignorance regarding the true nature of the virus? What if there is no such thing as a killer virus? What if the real virus here is fear itself – fear of the virus, fear of the unknown and fear of death? It hardly bares stating that the NWO controllers are master manipulators who intimately understand how to exploit human psychology. Now is the time for people to dive in and question everything they thought they knew. It is an opportunity to gain new levels of comprehension, understanding and knowledge – so that we may remain free.

After all, we cannot be free if we continue to remain ignorant, else our ignorance will continue to be exploited.

*****
Makia Freeman is the editor of alternative media / independent news site The Freedom Articles and senior researcher at ToolsForFreedom.com. Makia is on Steemit and FB.

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https://thefreedomarticles.com/plastic-oils-vs-saturated-fats/
https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/129389-berkeley-scientists-turn-harmless-virus-into-piezoelectric-generator
https://thefreedomarticles.com/6-solid-scientific-reasons-to-assuage-your-coronavirus-panic/
https://www.fda.gov/media/134922/download
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUw1Rzbde5U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQQtOQUkUoI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcS60a9cdg4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLD2NTe9pfM
https://vaccineimpact.com/2017/german-supreme-court-upholds-biologists-claim-that-measles-virus-does-not-exist/
https://vaccinationdanger.blogspot.com/2017/02/measles-is-not-virus.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pB8g0b-FkW0
http://whale.to/b/lanka.html
https://thefreedomarticles.com/inner-terrain-vs-outer-key-good-health/
https://rupress.org/jcb/article/162/6/960/33690/When-is-a-virus-an-exosome

Democratic Party delays July convention until August over coronavirus concerns
ALLAN SMITH - Apr 2nd 2020
https://www.aol.com/article/news/2020/04/02/democratic-party-delays-july-convention-until-august-over-coronavirus-concerns/23968231/

The Democratic National Committee is postponing its summer convention in Milwaukee over concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.
The four-day convention, set to take place in Milwaukee beginning July 13, will take place the week of August 17.
"In our current climate of uncertainty, we believe the smartest approach is to take additional time to monitor how this situation unfolds so we can best position our party for a safe and successful convention," Joe Solmonese, CEO of the Democratic National Convention Committee, said in a statement. "During this critical time, when the scope and scale of the pandemic and its impact remain unknown, we will continue to monitor the situation and follow the advice of health care professionals and emergency responders."
"I have always believed that American innovation and ingenuity shine brightest during our darkest days, and for that reason, I’m confident our convention planning team and our partners will find a way to deliver a convention in Milwaukee this summer that places our Democratic nominee on the path to victory in November,' he added.
The decision comes after former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential frontrunner, said the convention would have to be postponed at least until August.
"I doubt whether the Democratic convention is going to be able to be held in mid-July, early July. I think it's going to have to move into August," Biden said in an interview with NBC's "The Tonight Show."

More from NBC News:
Trump campaign tells surrogates to paint Biden as 'the opposition' in coronavirus war
Wisconsin, facing heavy criticism, plans Tuesday primary despite coronavirus
Biden debuts podcast in his virtual campaign for president

The exploration of a 60,000-year-old submerged forest
10. And finally, dig into one of our Best Weekend Reads.
Among them: the exploration of a 60,000-year-old submerged forest, above; Egypt’s female lion tamers and our first reader-generated 36 Hours in …

Wherever You Are.
For more ideas on what to read, watch and listen to, may we suggest these 10 new books, our latest small-screen recommendations; and our music critics’ playlist.
Have a low-stress week. If you need a little help, our guided meditation can lead the way.

Global shortages of testing materials impacting Ireland - Taoiseach

01/04/2020 - Noel Baker and Aoife Moore
https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/global-shortages-of-testing-materials-impacting-ireland-taoiseach-991567.html

The Taoiseach has said global shortages in the supply of materials needed for processing Covid-19 tests will add further delays to the process.
It comes as GPs and others have expressed concerns about existing delays in many people getting tests results back, sometimes up to 10 days or more after the test was conducted.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar echoed the views of others, including Dr Cillian De Gascun, chair of the HSE’s Coronavirus Expert Advisory Group, that testing was being hampered by a global shortage of reagents.
“The current cause of delay is a shortage of reagents. We hope to address that, but then there may be a shortage of something else. We have to be honest about that — we will hit delays,” Mr Varadkar said.

Some 30,213 tests had already been carried out here by Tuesday evening, which compares favourably by international standards, but many are still awaiting results.

“In Ireland, we’ve decided as a country to do a lot of tests. We’re in the top tier of countries in the world when it comes to number of tests we’re doing. That’s the right thing to do in terms of containing the virus. But we are running into difficulties and we need to be honest with people and frank about that.
“There is a global shortage to testing kits, there’s a shortage of reagents, and we also need the laboratory capacity. So we are going to have bumps in the road where there are delays at particular points in time,” the Taoiseach said.
The HSE also apologised to those still waiting for test results.
A spokesperson said: “Testing Centres have been open today, as needed, and have performed in excess of 2,000 tests across the country.
“.. The HSE now has a plentiful supply of swabbing kits and patient volumes being referred for swabbing can easily be processed by existing testing centres…”

The HSE echoed the views of the Taoiseach and others regarding the “challenges in terms of securing supplies of reagent for testing laboratories” and with major suppliers having to ration supplies across the world.
“We are currently exploring the procurement of reagent from international sources,” the HSE spokesperson said. “In addition we continue to bring on additional laboratories, some with different reagents. This week the HSE Public Analyst Laboratory at Cherry Orchard and a Department of Agriculture laboratory have come on-line bringing additional capacity.
“We apologise to all those waiting for test results and we wish to assure the public that we are making every endeavour to improve turnaround times within the current international constraints.
“We continue to prioritise testing of healthcare workers and in patients in acute hospitals and residential facilities. Acknowledging the delay in testing we are beginning direct contact tracing of high-risk groups in advance of test results.”
Efforts have been made to address the shortage in the materials needed for reading tests, but the scale of testing required around the world has far outstripped supply.
Here, Michelle Hynes, Commercial Director of Shannon-based REAGECON said the company had been asked by a number of hospitals whether they could provide it, but that the company does not manufacture the specific type of reagent used in Covid-19 testing.

Medical workers at Kaiser Permanente French Campus test a patient for the novel coronavirus, COVID-19,

at a drive-thru testing facility in San Francisco on Thursday.Josh Edelson / AFP via Getty Images

First death in Ireland confirmed as coronavirus declared a pandemic: Today's main Covid-19 points

Mar 11th 2020
https://www.thejournal.ie/todays-main-points-covid-19-5041292-Mar2020/

HE FIRST DEATH relating to the coronavirus has been confirmed in Ireland today as the Department of Health announced it has identified a further nine cases in the Republic of Ireland.
The death related to a woman who died in a hospital in the east of the country where she was being treated. 
With the announcement of nine new cases, there is now a total of 43 cases in the Republic of Ireland and a further 18 cases in Northern Ireland. 
In a statement this afternoon, Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health extended his condolences to the family and friends of the patient who passed away.
A short time later, the World Health Organization declared the spread of Covid-19 a pandemic. 
Yesterday, the government took significant action to attempt to prevent the spread of coronavirus Covid-19: advising people not to travel to Italy for any reason.
Today, the HSE chief executive Paul Reid tweeted out that “we are entering a new phase in Covid-19″.
“I fully support our hospitals who have to make decisions on restricting visitors based on clinical risk, patient and public safety. Please do as we urge and our ask will increase as we progress,” he said.

Paschal Donohoe also said that Ireland needs an “unprecedented shared national effort” to respond to the Covid-19 outbreak.
Here are the main points:
The first death relating to the coronavirus has been confirmed in Ireland. 
The spread of Covid-19 has been declared a pandemic, by the World Health Organization (WHO). 
Nine new cases were confirmed today, bringing the total in Ireland to 43.
A total of 1,784 people have been tested for the virus, with 1,387 tested last week.
Two new cases were confirmed in Northern Ireland, bringing the total there to 18.
The total number of cases on the island of Ireland is 61.

Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe asked employers to pay their workers for days that they would be off sick with Covid-19.
A number of conferences, festivals and events are being cancelled amid fears that the Covid-19 coronavirus could spread further in Ireland. 
Trinity College could lose €3 million after deciding to close the Book of Kells exhibition. Lectures are to be held online and the Science Gallery is also closed.
The Department of Education has said that as of now, it is not ordering all primary and secondary schools to close over the coronavirus outbreak.
The Dublin Business Innovation Centre is postponing its FutureScope 2020 event, which was due to take place on 1 April at the Convention Centre.
The Irish Men’s Sheds Association has asked men’s shed members to be mindful of their own health the health of their members.
MEP Mairéad McGuinness expressed concern to Ireland’s drugs and pharmaceutical industry if countries stopped exporting raw materials to us.
Fianna Fáil’s Éamon Ó Cuív told TG4 last night that Ireland should use the advantage of being an island, and restrict travel into the country.
Health Minister Simon Harris this morning thanked other parties’ health spokespeople for not politicising the coronavirus crisis.
Politics can at times, by its very nature, be adversarial. In a time of a public health emergency there is no place for that. I want to acknowledge and thank health spokespeople across the political parties/groups for working together in our national interest on coronavirus.

Harris also spoke on RTÉ’s Prime Time last night about why public gatherings weren’t being stopped and that places weren’t being put on lockdown.
“It has to be about doing it in the right order”, adding that “there will be a time when measures will be taken, but we’ve got to get the timing right”.
Harris said that the National Public Health Team was considering what to do with public mass gatherings, such as concerts at the 3Arena, on Friday.
We wrote about this topic yesterday, based on comments from the Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan and Tánaiste Simon Coveney.
Source: Statista

Elsewhere in the world:
Italy’s death toll increased by a third yesterday to 631
The British minister Nadine Dorries has tested positive for coronavirus
Dutch PM Mark Rutte called his citizens to stop shaking hands - before shaking hands with the head of his infectious diseases department
Belgium has had it’s first death from the coronavirus; the person was 90 years old
Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden both canceled election night rallies scheduled for Cleveland last night after the number of cases doubled to over 1,000 cases
Arsenal players were put into quarantine, resulting in a Premier League match against Man City being postponed 
Beijing reported an increase in imported cases, increasing fears of a rise in the virus in China again due to the spread in other countries
Heathrow Airport has said that passenger numbers have fallen by 4.8% to 5.4 million due to the Covid-19 outbreak
Tokyo’s Disney park is closing until April due to fears about the virus
The Cheltenham Festival is still going ahead.

Prevention
Covid-19 is spread through droplets caused by sneezing or coughing, or by touching a surface that someone has sneezed or coughed on within a particular time frame. It cannot be passed through your skin, and it’s thought that it’s unlikely to be airborne.

It may take up to 14 days for symptoms to show. 
The best ways to protect yourself and others from the virus are to wash hands properly and often, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue/your sleeve when coughing and sneezing, and put used tissues in a bin and wash your hands. 

Symptoms of Covid-19 include:
Cough
Shortness of breath
Fever
Breathing difficulties.

Further resources:
The HSE: Official advice on the coronavirus in Ireland. This is being updated based on the number of confirmed cases and how the virus spreads in Ireland.
The Department of Foreign Affairs: Official advice on where to avoid travelling to. Also a resource for those who are abroad.
The World Health Organization (WHO): The UN agency on global public health publishes statements and daily situation reports based on the latest data.
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC): The EU agency on the number of cases, deaths and how it’s spreading in Europe. 
The Johns Hopkins University map: A heat map of the confirmed cases across the world.
A helpline for older people who are concerned about the coronavirus has been launched by Alone. The number is 0818 222 024, and it’s open Mon-Fri, 8am-8pm.
With reporting by Cónal Thomas 

Stormy seas ahead as cruise lines are locked out of bailout
Foreign-registered US cruise giants like Carnival won't get any help from the US' mammoth $2 trillion stimulus package.
https://www.crikey.com.au/2020/04/02/cruise-lines-coronavirus-bailout/?utm_campaign=Covid19Watch&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter
The cruise industry's penchant for registering businesses and ships in off-shore tax havens may be coming back to bite it.

Americans face dramatic limits on public life as schools, theme parks, events shut down
The crisis continues to unfold across the globe as the World Health Organization uses the term "pandemic" for the first time.
CORONAVIRUS
A deadly virus has killed thousands in a global pandemic, leading to sweeping changes in our way of life as the world tries to slow its spread.

March 13, 2020,
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/live-blog/2020-03-12-coronavirus-news-n1156266

The United States on Thursday surpassed 1,600 confirmed or presumptive cases of the coronavirus, and the death toll climbed to 41. Kansas reported its first death Thursday.
Wall Street recorded historic losses as fears intensified over the economic fallout from the pandemic, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling by 10 percent, and the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 both down by 9 percent.
It was the worst point drop ever for the Dow and its worst performance since the market crash in 1987.
Disruptions in the sports world continued, with March Madness canceled, the suspension of MLB's spring training and a pause on the National Hockey League season.
Health and government officials continue to call for the end of large gatherings, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints suspended public gatherings worldwide, the Smithsonian announced it will close indefinitely all museums in Washington, D.C. and New York City and Broadway theaters canceled performances through April 12.
https://www.nbcnews.com/podcast/into-america/life-loss-pandemic-n1175081

8. “I will say that the lack of invitations, OK, that’s been fantastic.”
Who better than Larry David, the father of “Seinfeld” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” to guide us through the thicket of being together, alone? Maureen Dowd interviewed the comedian over FaceTime (something Mr. David has grown to like in quarantine).
Here are some other recommendations for passing time:
Diversions from Times Magazine writers (hello, candle hour).
“His Girl Friday,” the 1940 film starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell. It’s our chief film critics’ latest Weekend Watch.
And don’t forget to date night: Here are four adaptable ideas.

Covid-19:Cases & Recoveries in 2020 as at 11th March 2020

A question that more and more people are asking: can vaccines be specifically used as weapons against the immune system?

At least 28 Texas spring breakers test positive for COVID-19
 NBC News  BEN KESSLEN
More than two dozen spring breakers from the Austin, Texas area tested positive for COVID-19 following a spring break trip to Mexico, Austin public health officials said on Tuesday.
A group of about 70 young adults traveled together on a chartered plane to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico about a week and a half ago, the Austin Public Health Department said in a statement. Upon their return, 28 have tested positive for COVID-19 while “dozens more are under public health investigation.” City officials said four of the confirmed cases showed no symptoms and that they have launched an investigation into the entire cluster.
The city and the University of Texas, Austin contacted every spring breaker who went on the chartered plane after receiving the flight manifest from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and are closely monitoring them. UT Austin, which has moved classes online amid the pandemic, told NBC News in a statement that many of those on the trip are students at their university and said the incident is a “reminder of the vital importance” of heeding public health warnings.
Those in the cluster with confirmed cases are self-isolating, while many others are being tested and are under quarantine, the city said. Mexico was not under a federal travel advisory when the spring breakers left, but the city said residents should follow CDC guidelines that make clear people should only travel for "essential purposes."
"A leisure vacation of any kind is not considered essential," the city said.

2. The U.S. is experiencing its first days under a federal recommendation that people wear cloth masks in public.
Above, a mixed response in Atlanta on Saturday.
Even as President Trump announced the recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday, he disavowed it. “Wearing a face mask as I greet presidents, prime ministers, dictators, kings, queens — I don’t know,” he said, though he stopped receiving foreign dignitaries weeks ago. “Somehow, I just don’t see it for myself.”
But then Mr. Trump has often been at odds with the medical experts seeking to guide his handling of the outbreak.
Mr. Trump also proceeded with a post-impeachment purge, with the firing of an intelligence community watchdog he considered disloyal.

​New York City doctor: ‘The things that I see in the ER are scary’
Washington Post
Matthew Bai, a physician at Mt. Sinai Queens Hospital, shows what it's like inside an emergency room overwhelmed with coronavirus patients. In a video diary filmed on March 30, he describes the pressure he and his colleagues are working under, and what keeps them going. Subscribe to The Washington Post on YouTube: https://wapo.st/2QOdcqK Follow us: Twitter: https://twitter.com/washingtonpost Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/washingtonp... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/washingtonpost/
CategoryNews & Politics

Economic Report
The soaring U.S. unemployment rate could approach Great Depression-era levels
Published: April 3, 2020 By  Jeffry Bartash
Mass layoffs pushing jobless rate above 10% — and it’s still rising

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-soaring-us-unemployment-rate-could-approach-great-depression-era-levels-2020-04-03?itm_source=parsely-api&mod=mw_more_headlines

The soaring U.S. unemployment rate might not match the peak of 25% seen during the Great Depression of the 1930s, but it could come uncomfortably close in the next few months.
More than 10 million people applied for unemployment benefits in the last two weeks of March after being thrown out of work by the business shutdowns due the coronavirus pandemic. And the numbers are expecting to keep surging, with some economists predicting the loss of 20 million jobs — or more.
It will be at least another month or two, however, before the official unemployment rate starts to reflect the full devastation in the labor market.

The unemployment rate in March rose to 4.4% from a 50-year low of 3.5% in February, but about 1.4 million people told the Labor Department they were employed but not at work “for other reasons.” Adjusted for inaccuracies in how some households responded to the government’s monthly survey the jobless rate climbed to about 5.4%.

Read:The U.S. officially lost 701,000 jobs in March, but in reality millions vanished

Yet if all the recent job losses were factored in, the unemployment rate was probably twice as high.
“If we assume that every person who was laid off or furloughed over those two weeks immediately applied for unemployment insurance, then the unemployment rate at the beginning of this week was around 10.5%,” said economist Michael Farren, a research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.
A rate that high would already exceed the 10% peak during the worst of the 2007-2009 Great Recession. And it wouldn’t be long before it topped the previous post-World War Two high of 10.8% in 1982. Accurate records only go back to 1948.

How high can it go?
If 20 million to 25 million people lost their jobs in the next two months, the unemployment rate could climb to around 16%, some economists estimate, but others think that figure would be too low.
“We can expect the nadir for unemployment will be a jobless rate of 20% or more,” said a pessimistic Robert Frick, corporate economist at Navy Federal Credit Union.

Read:Trillions in coronavirus spending could explode deficits to World War II levels
There is one big caveat, though.
The official unemployment rate, even one that rises to 15% or higher, might actually underestimate how many people are really out of work. That’s because millions of workers might continue to collect checks from their employers even though they aren’t doing anything.
How come?

The recently passed $2.2 trillion federal-rescue package effectively pays many companies, particularly small businesses, to keep employees on payrolls and pay them accordingly. Businesses that do so would be allowed to receive government loans they don’t need to pay back.

The goal: Allow companies to restart quickly as the coronavirus pandemic starts to fade.
Still, the federal bailout “artificially lowers the number of people unemployed and the unemployment rate,” said economist Joel Naroff of Naroff Economic Advisors. “[W]e need a new ‘real unemployment rate measure.”

Expect economists to come up ways to guestimate the “real” unemployment rate, but it doesn’t really matter. Millions of Americans have lost their jobs and soon unemployment will reach historic levels.

Scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have created a harmless, genetically-modified virus that’s piezoelectric — in other words, it generates electricity when pressure is applied. This virus might eventually find its way into piezoelectric generators in the sole of your shoe, which would generate electricity (for your smartphone) while you walk.

Study sheds light on how a drug being tested in COVID-19 patients works[Laurel Oldach]
By Laurel Oldach
February 27, 2020
Study sheds light on how a drug being tested in COVID-19 patients works Laurel Oldach 
By Laurel Oldach February 27, 2020

https://www.asbmb.org/asbmb-today/science/022720/study-sheds-light-on-how-a-drug-being-tested-in-co 


A team of academic and industry researchers is reporting new findings about how exactly an investigational antiviral drug stops coronaviruses. Their paper was published the same day that the National Institutes of Health announced that the drug in question, remdesivir, is being used in the nation’s first clinical trial of an experimental treatment for COVID-19, the illness caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.Previous research in cell cultures and animal models has shown that remdesivir can block replication of a variety of coronaviruses, but until now it hasn’t been clear how it does so. The research team, which studied the drug’s effects on the coronavirus that causes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, reports that remdesivir blocks a particular enzyme that is required for viral replication. Their work was published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. 


All viruses have molecular machinery that copies their genetic material so they can replicate. Coronaviruses replicate by copying their genetic material using an enzyme known as the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. Until now, it has been difficult to get the polymerase complex, which contains multiple proteins, to work in a test tube.

“It hasn’t been easy to work with these viral polymerases,” said Matthias Götte, a virologist and professor at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, who led the JBC study. That has slowed research into the function of new drugs.

Using polymerase enzymes from the coronavirus that causes MERS, scientists in Götte’s lab, including graduate student Calvin Gordon, found that the enzymes can incorporate remdesivir, which resembles an RNA building block, into new RNA strands. Shortly after adding remdesivir, the enzyme stops being able to add more RNA subunits. This puts a stop to genome replication.

The scientists hypothesize that this might happen because RNA containing remdesivir takes on a strange shape that doesn’t fit into the enzyme. To find out for certain, they would need to collect structural data on the enzyme and newly synthesized RNA. Such data could also help researchers design future drugs to have even greater activity against the polymerase.
Götte’s lab previously showed that remdesivir can stop the polymerase in other viruses with RNA genomes, such as Ebola. But, Götte said, the molecules that remdesivir and related drugs mimic are used for many functions in the cell. This paper supports the viral RNA polymerase of coronaviruses as a target.
Remdesivir, which is manufactured by the American company Gilead Sciences, has not been approved as a drug anywhere in the world. According to Gilead, results from a clinical trial with COVID-19 patients in China are expected in April.
The JBC study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Alberta Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Tourism. Two of its authors are Gilead scientists, because Gilead provided a form of the investigational drug free of charge. Götte has previously received funding from Gilead Sciences to support a study of remdesivir’s effect on enzymes from ebolavirus.
Laurel Oldach
Laurel Oldach is a science writer for the ASBMB.ADAPTED FROM GORDON ET AL., JBC 2019
A figure from the paper shows the structures of ATP and the active metabolite of remdesivir, which has some important structural differences. 

Number of Covid-19 fatalities in NI rises by two to 30

N Ireland could see 3,000 coronavirus deaths in first wave, modelling suggests
01/04/2020 - By Press Association
https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/number-of-covid-19-fatalities-in-ni-rises-by-two-to-30-991484.html

The number of people who have died in Northern Ireland after contracting coronavirus has risen by two to 30, health officials said.
Testing has resulted in 103 new positive cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the region to 689.
 
https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/n-ireland-could-see-3000-coronavirus-deaths-in-first-wave-modelling-suggests-991480.html
Northern Ireland could see 3,000 deaths in the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic, expert modelling has indicated.
Based on a “reasonable worst case scenario”, experts believe the peak of the first wave of the pandemic is expected between April 6-20.
The experts have raised the possibility of a second wave later in the year.
The figure is significantly down on the 15,000 deaths “worst case nightmare scenario” that health minister Robin Swann warned of in March.
Mr Swann said the projections indicate the continuation of “rigorous” social distancing will save lives.
“In summary, the research indicates that our health service would have a realistic prospect of coping in this initial period if a sufficient proportion of the population adhere to the social distancing and self-isolation measures,” he said.
“However, it is important that this is considered in context, and I would emphasise that it provides no grounds whatsoever for dropping our guard. On the contrary, the projections underline that the continuation of rigorous social distancing will save many lives and protect our health service from collapse.
“Even then, a reasonable worst case scenario would involve significant loss of life in Northern Ireland.
“In addition, the absence of a vaccine means we will have to plan for a potential second wave of Covid-19 cases later in the year.”
On Wednesday, the Public Health Agency said there had been two deaths of people who tested positive for Covid-19 since the last update on Tuesday, bringing the total in the region to 30.
The modelling outcome sets out a reasonable worst case scenario, based on a number of assumptions including social distancing measures producing a 66% reduction in contacts outside the home and workplace. In addition, 70% of symptomatic cases would adhere to case isolation.
It is expected that a peak number of 180 Covid-19 patients will require ventilation and critical care beds during the first wave of the epidemic, and the peak number of Covid-19 hospital admissions would be 500 per week.
Under this “reasonable worst case scenario”, the projected number of cumulative Covid-19 deaths in Northern Ireland over 20 weeks of the epidemic would be 3,000.
The modelling has indicated that the peak of the first wave of the epidemic will hit between April 6-20.

The modelling team authors emphasise that the work is not a prediction or forecast, rather a model for planning purposes, and also state: “It is assumed that current restrictions remain in place for the foreseeable future.
“When the current restrictions are relaxed, there will be a second wave.
“Future modelling will focus on the size and shape of this depending on how/when restrictions are relaxed or reintroduced. This will remain the case until there is substantial population immunity either as a result of recovery from infection or successful vaccination.

Muscle aches, extreme fatigue: Coronavirus symptoms go beyond fever and cough
Fever, cough, shortness of breath.
ERIKA EDWARDS AND ROSEMARY GUERGUERIAN, M.D. - Apr 2nd 2020 
https://www.aol.com/article/news/2020/04/02/muscle-aches-extreme-fatigue-coronavirus-symptoms-go-beyond-fever-and-cough/23968221/

Those are the three symptoms prominently listed on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website under coronavirus symptoms.
But as case counts continue to rise in the United States and across the world, it's clear that COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, causes a much wider range of symptoms. The more detailed descriptions of the illness that are emerging show how doctors and researchers are still learning about the disease, which was first reported just three months ago, in real time.

COVID-19 can begin in similar ways among patients, regardless of a person's age or health status. 
Very often, extreme fatigue hits first.

Hedy Bauman, 74, was so weak she could barely make it home from a short walk to the store. Reading a few pages of the newspaper was exhausting.
"My bathroom is maybe 15 steps from my bed," Bauman, of Silver Spring, Maryland, told NBC News. "I wasn't sure I could get from the bathroom to my bed." She developed chills, but no fever.
Bauman's doctor said her symptoms were consistent with what physicians are learning about other coronavirus cases, though they are still waiting for the results from Bauman's COVID-19 test.
Brendan McLaughlin, 28, felt lightheaded and weak before the fever, chills and body aches began.
McLaughlin went to the emergency room at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, New Jersey, where he works as a security guard, thinking maybe he had the flu.
That test was negative, but a test for the coronavirus was positive. McLaughlin said he'd never felt so sick in his life.
"I'd been healthy," McLaughlin said. "I try to eat right. I take care of myself."
One of the first major reports on coronavirus symptoms was published by the World Health Organization in February, following their mission to China. That report, based on nearly 56,000 cases there, found the most common symptoms were fever (88 percent) and dry cough (68 percent). Nearly 40 percent of those patients experienced fatigue. Shortness of breath, stomach issues and weakness were less common. 

Since that report, other symptoms related to COVID-19 have emerged.
Many patients who've either tested positive for the coronavirus, or have been told by their physicians to assume they have it, also develop a headache and sore throat. Others become sick to their stomach with nausea or diarrhea.
Some patients say they have no interest in eating. Many report they're losing their senses of taste and smell, the British Rhinological Society said recently.
Just this week, a small study published in JAMA Ophthalmology added another potential COVID-19 warning sign: pink eye, also known as conjunctivitis. A third of the 38 patients in the report had the inflammatory eye condition.
But it's also becoming more clear that some infected people spreading the virus don't have any symptoms at all.

Contagious before symptoms
Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the CDC, told NPR this week that as many as a quarter of patients are asymptomatic. And a report published by the CDC Wednesday found evidence that infected people can spread the virus before they develop symptoms, although it seems to be rare.
The phenomenon is called "presymptomatic transmission," which is also a known way that the flu spreads.
The CDC report was based on 243 coronavirus cases in Singapore. Researchers there carefully traced all of individuals that patients had been in contact with before becoming ill.
They ultimately determined 6.4 percent of transmissions in the study were from presymptomatic patients.

More from NBC News:
One nursing home offers grim advice: Take your loved ones home
Deal is done: Cruise ship with sick passengers, sister ship allowed to dock in Florida
WHO concerned by 'rapid escalation' of coronavirus, as U.S. death toll nears 5,000

COVID-19 Animation: What Happens If You Get Coronavirus?
Nucleus Medical Media
This video animation on COVID-19 and the coronavirus is a collaboration between Nucleus Medical Media and our friends at the What If Channel. To watch super interesting hypothetical scenarios on the human body, humanity, the planet and the cosmos, please visit the What If Channel at https://www.youtube.com/WhatIfScience....

Nursing homes are struggling with a lack of personal protective equipment as they care for vulnerable residents.

‘Cash is just grief’: why shops and bars want to make you pay by card
Tony Naylor
Sun 24 Jun 2018
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/jun/24/cash-is-just-grief-why-shops-and-bars-want-to-make-you-pay-by-card

More and more businesses are opting not to take cash – it’s expensive, slow and makes them vulnerable to robbery. But millions of people don’t have bank accounts. Will they be cut out of this new economy?  

strange thing happened to me recently. I was in a bar, but I couldn’t buy a beer. Or, to be exact, I refused to. I was in Öl at Hatch, a shipping container complex of food and drink purveyors on Oxford Road in Manchester, where the bar – to my surprise – was card-only. No cash. They had no way of taking my £10 note. It was stalemate. I had cards on me. But, in instinctive solidarity with the unbanked, those paid in cash or those who, like me (for years, a permanently skint freelancer), still budget in cash, I stood firm (and thirsty), irritated that any business would dictate how its customers pay.

I sat down to eat a curry I had bought (with old-fashioned cash) from another Hatch unit. Then, an Öl barman brought over a conciliatory glass of beer, on the house. I told him the bar’s cash-free policy is elitist; who wants to be forced to put a pint on a credit card? He talked about time saved and how not having cash on the premises was safer for the staff. We politely agreed to disagree.

Relating this later, to Öl’s co-owner David McCall, I find him irrepressibly upbeat, as if everything is going to plan: “We have probably given away 10 beers to people who didn’t have cards – and a few when Visa went down. But we would rather give you a free beer than give the bank five grand, and we want our staff to feel secure. On our second week, we were broken into [overnight] with sledgehammers. All they could take was one iPad.”

McCall’s Manchester coffee shop Takk takes cash. But opening Öl and a second Takk at the student-oriented Hatch was a chance to dispense with the £3,000- to £5,000-a-year in bank charges that the original Takk, like every business, incurs for depositing cash. “We pay above Living Wage [Foundation rates], but we want to pay our 25 staff more,” says McCall. The savings made by going card-only will help with that.

But where does this leave people without bank accounts (nearly 2 million people, according to the Financial Inclusion Commission), or those with poor credit histories who have to pay fees to use prepaid debit cards? Removing the cash option penalises them.

“We’re aware of the community issues,” says McCall. He says that Takk gives free coffee to homeless people sleeping rough – those at the sharp edge of this cashless evolution. “But when we’re picked up on the fact we could be excluding people, we have to say that’s a story for banks and government. Scandinavia is largely cashless, and there businesses and governments are having that debate.”

It is a debate that Britain may soon be having, too, as a wave of card-only food and drink venues hit UK high streets. With the exception of London’s bus network (cashless since 2014; south London’s trams follow suit in July), cash-free everyday businesses have previously been experimental one-offs. But now if you want a wrap at the Athenian in Bristol, a salad at the London chain Tossed or a coffee at Habitat cafe in Aberfeldy, Perthshire (after its local bank branch closed, Habitat’s owners were facing a 60-mile round trip to the bank) you will need to pay by card.

It may seem a divisive move for hospitality businesses (in the US, a mixture of media criticism and customer confusion has meant that the burger chain Shake Shack has halted its cashless trials), but, says Matt Paice, owner of the London restaurant Killer Tomato, for small indies, whose cash sales run at 30% or far less, “cash is just grief”.

Card-only bill settlement is faster for diners, makes it easier to split bills and is cost-effective (no safe, no bank charges, fewer accounting errors, no cashing-up). If Killer Tomato took cash, says Paice: “On a busy night, I might have two staff counting and reconciling the float with the receipts. I’d be paying senior staff to count coins.”

Assessing which – card or cash – is cheaper for restaurants is difficult. As well as direct fees (0.49% of each card sale and 0.15% of each cash transaction, calculates the British Retail Consortium), there are indirect costs (staff pay, equipment), to consider. Everyone uses a different formula. Restaurateurs don’t agree on which offers better value.

What is clear, however, is that the new card-payment processors, such as SumUp and iZettle, make going cashless far more attractive. The established “merchant services” providers (which hire out card readers on long contracts and charge a variety of fees on different card transactions), are, says Paice, “complicated and deliberately opaque. It’s impossible to know what you’re going to be charged.”

In contrast, the new players in the “fintech” sector levy a set percentage for each transaction. No contract. No expensive card readers. “iZettle has transformed payment-processing,” says McCall, who adds that it costs a tenth of his old provider’s service.

The infrastructure is there for cashless, says Paice, as is the customer enthusiasm. Very occasionally, he has to turn someone away, but he adds: “In two years, I have had four angry customers – and I’m guessing the ones who get really angry are people operating in cash because they’re fiddling their taxes. They give me this phoney outrage about how I’m discriminating against the poor or old people. It’s cobblers. Flat-broke people are not eating in restaurants and everyone in London has a bank card: 12-year-olds, 90-year-olds. What they really mean is: ‘I don’t want to declare my income.’”

In Sweden, where 81% of all payments are digital, VAT receipts are up 30% in five years. But, says Ross Clark, author of The War Against Cash, that argument is just another bogus way in which cashless is presented – by banks and governments, but also by Mastercard, Visa and others chasing a fees bonanza – as unrelentingly positive: “It’s nonsense to say you could eliminate tax evasion by eliminating cash. Transactions are theoretically traceable. It doesn’t mean that anyone is tracing them.”

From contactless payments at self-service supermarket tills to online banking, it can seem like the digitisation of money is inevitable. But cash is proving curiously resilient. Payments UK reports that it is still used in 44% of consumer transactions and, oddly, as the Bank of England has observed, despite the rate of card transactions soaring and the value of cash payments falling by 10% annually, the volume of cash in circulation is at a record high. The number of British people who deal solely in cash – 2.7 million – is also rising. That oddity is often attributed to low interest rates, people hoarding money after the 2008 crash and a booming criminal economy. But do we prefer to use cash for minor transactions? The 2018 G4S World Cash Report found that, in Europe, the use of cash in physical point-of-sale transactions has risen from 60% to 79%. “People trust cash; it’s free to use, readily available, confidential, it can’t be hacked and it doesn’t run out of power,” said G4S’s Jesus Rosano.

From concerns about data privacy to poor broadband in rural areas, there are all sorts of reasons, argues Clark, why people in the UK want to – and should be allowed to – use cash: “One in 10 of the population have never used the internet. Only 19% of over-65s own a smartphone. This is a real demographic who find [cashless] difficult. Yet the government seems to think it acceptable to cut them out of the economy.” The former Bank of England chief cashier, Victoria Cleland, put it this way in a 2017 speech: “Cash is vital in supporting financial inclusion.”  

In this push by businesses and card providers to eradicate cash, food and booze is a key battleground. Last year, in the US, Visa’s “cashless challenge” offered $10,000 each to 50 restaurants, cafes and food trucks if their owners opted to go cashless. For bigger chains, cashless looks like a windfall. It will allow them to automate sites, reduce overheads and, given how people tend to behave when using cashless systems, increase spend. At one McDonald’s branch, introducing cashless kiosks upped order values by 30%.

The bars at the Standon Calling music festival went cashless in 2013. Punters pay with preloaded, contactless wristbands. Sales went up 24% and have continued to increase. The festival’s founder, Alex Trenchard, insists this is not because of drunken ravers spending wantonly at 1am: “It eradicates cash-handling mistakes, speeds up bar operation, reduces queues and allows us to price incrementally. Better-value drinks boost spend.” Festivalgoers, he says, like the fact that, by putting a set amount on their wristband, they can cap their spending.

However, it is an absence of control in cashless transactions that bars will see as an opportunity. In a 2016 survey by the financial technology firm ClearScore, 59% of people blamed their overspending on using cards and 72% said that contactless payments make them prone to impulse purchases. For example, that round of espresso martinis bought on Saturday night, which, redefining the two-day hangover, does not appear on your banking app until Monday morning.

“The haptic, physical sensation of handling and spending a £20 note makes you ‘feel it’. With cashless, that is lost somewhat,” says Jez Groom from Cowry Consulting, which researches “behavioural economics”. “The Apple Pay ding you get from your iPhone should be replaced with a vibration calibrated to the amount spent: light for under £10; heavy and consistent for £30.”

In an industry notorious for unscrupulous deductions from staff tips, card-only payments will make that easier, too. At Killer Tomato, all the service charge (a discretionary 10%) goes to staff. Paice covers the processing fees associated with such card tips. Do not expect corporate chains to be so generous. That is, if cashless doesn’t erode tipping entirely. Habitat in Aberfeldy posted on Facebook that so many customers now use contactless cards that tips have dropped alarmingly. “Technology,” it said, “has begun to kill the tip.”

For these reasons and more, David Fox, owner of the East Street and Tampopo restaurants in London and Manchester, has no intention of going cashless. But, given Britain’s direction of travel (“no institution is defending cash”), he can already see a future gap in the market for a restaurant aimed at people who crave the authenticity of notes and coins. “Like buying vinyl,” he asks, only half-joking, “will there be a generation who still enjoy the interaction of cash?”

Birx warns of coming coronavirus hot spots across the U.S.

ALEXANDER NAZARYAN - Apr 2nd 2020 
https://www.aol.com/article/news/2020/04/02/birx-warns-of-coming-coronavirus-hot-spots-across-the-us/23968640/

WASHINGTON – Louisiana is poised to become the next epicenter of the coronavirus crisis, White House officials said Thursday, citing new data that shows that 26 percent of the tests for COVID-19 in that state in recent days have come back positive. That is the second-highest rate of infection in the United States, behind New York and New Jersey, where 35 percent of coronavirus tests have been positive.
The New York area remains a “very clear and important hot zone,” Dr. Deborah Birx said at Thursday’s briefing of the White House coronavirus task force as she revealed testing statistics on specific states.
“What we’re seeing finally is testing improving,” said Birx, a renowned veteran of the HIV/AIDS fight who is now serving as the response coordinator for the coronavirus task force. She added that the increased testing capacity has allowed states with a low number of confirmed cases to conduct “surveillance and containment” of sickened individuals.

But Birx also sounded a warning about states where more than 10 percent of those tested for COVID-19 are still being diagnosed with the disease. 
“Michigan, Connecticut, Indiana, Georgia, Illinois, so that should tell you where the next hot spots are coming, are at 15 percent of their tests positive, and then Colorado, D.C., Rhode Island and Massachusetts are at 13 percent,” she said. 
According to the COVID Tracking Project, which aggregates publicly available data from all 50 states, 1,267,658 COVID-19 tests had been conducted in the United States as of Thursday afternoon (that does not mean that 1,267,658 have been tested, as most sickened people need to be tested several times). 

That statistic represents a drastic escalation of testing across the nation in the last several days, giving epidemiologists the clarity they have desperately needed in the fight against the coronavirus, which has killed nearly 6,000 Americans.
Still, Birx conceded Thursday that her findings about the overall number of cases of COVID-19 remain incomplete. 

“I’m still missing 50 percent of the data,” she said. 
The Democratic governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer, feuded with President Trump last week, accusing him of not doing enough to help her state, where a coronavirus cluster has erupted in Detroit. 
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, meanwhile, admitted on Wednesday that he had only recently learned that people who weren’t showing symptoms could transmit the coronavirus. That led to questions about what had guided him in his decision making up to that point.
Encouragingly, Birx said that California and Washington state, which saw the first outbreaks of the coronavirus in the U.S., “remain steady at an 8 percent rate” of new positive test results. That suggests that lockdown measures instituted by Govs. Gavin Newsom and Jay Inslee, respectively, had their intended effect.

But Birx cautioned that the country was still in danger and that the new potential hot spots showed that social distancing guidelines remained the best defense against the virus. 
“We have to change the logarithmic curve that we’re on. We see country after country having done that,” Birx said. “What it means in the United States is that not everyone is doing [social distancing],” she said, adding, “I can tell by the curve and as it is today that not every American is following it.” 

​Into Life and Loss in a Pandemic
Coronavirus is changing how people prepare for birth and say goodbye in death.

https://www.nbcnews.com/podcast/into-america/life-loss-pandemic-n1175081

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/adding-insult-injury-couples-struggle-ivf-cancellations-amid-coronavirus-pandemic-n1173256

There are moments in life that call for celebration and communion. When a baby is born and when a loved one dies, we cook meals, share stories and help out where we can. These moments of life and death are the moments that pull us together.
But in the age of COVID-19, we are told to keep our distance. To prevent the spread of the virus, hospitals around the country are placing restrictions on who can be present in the delivery room. And there are limits on who can remain by the side of someone who is dying.
In this episode of Into America, Trymaine Lee speaks with a first-time expecting mom about how the coronavirus outbreak is changing her birth plan. And MSNBC contributor Eric Deggans talks about the death of his mother and having to coordinate a funeral that many could only attend online. These are stories of life and loss in a pandemic.

'Adding insult to injury': Couples struggle with IVF cancellations amid coronavirus pandemic
NBC News talked to 10 women and some of their partners about the impact the disruption has had on their mental states and their aspirations for growing families.
Jeremy Tu and Anna Wang had to sign a waiver acknowledging that their egg retrieval could be canceled at any moment.Courtesy of Anna Wang and Jeremy T
Ashley and Gene Carnes.Courtesy of Ashley and Gene Carnes
The IVF medications Ashley Carnes was prepared to take.Ashley Carnes

April 1, 2020 By Olivia Solon
Every morning and evening for five days, Angie, 36, injected the flesh around her belly button with in vitro fertilization drugs to stimulate her ovaries to produce eggs. Her fertility doctor planned to harvest the eggs in a 15-minute surgical procedure about a week later.
On the morning of the sixth day, March 20, Angie, who asked that her last name not be used out of concern that her employer would retaliate if it found out she was trying to conceive, was working at her home in Vancouver, British Columbia, when she got a call from a nurse at her fertility clinic. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the clinic was suspending all treatments and closing down.
"I was really angry," she said. "I burst into tears. I was shaking and sobbing uncontrollably."
Angie asked the nurse whether she could come in for an ultrasound to check the state of her ovaries, swollen from the drugs, and make sure she wasn't developing any cysts. The clinic refused.

"I had used $3,000 worth of medication," she said. "It was an emotional and financial loss.

Angie is one of thousands of women across North America whose in vitro fertilization treatments have been disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, following guidance that the American Society for Reproductive Medicine issued March 17. The measures are designed to reduce the risk of spreading the virus to patients and staff during procedures the organization described as "elective" or "non-urgent."
It has left patients and their partners feeling extremely anxious at an already stressful time in their lives.
IVF is a treatment for infertility caused by a range of issues, including problems with ovulation, poor sperm or egg quality and endometriosis. It is highly time sensitive for two reasons: Fertility in both men and women declines with age, and the treatment requires carefully scheduled medications and regular appointments to check how the body is responding to them.
If patients respond to the drugs, their ovaries produce more eggs than normal, which are removed via surgery and fertilized with a partner's or a donor's sperm. The resulting embryos are grown in a lab for a few days before being implanted in the uterus or frozen for a later transfer.
At each stage of the process, any hiccup has an indirect effect that delays possible pregnancy.

NBC News talked to 10 women and some of their partners about the impact the disruption has had on their mental states and their aspirations for growing families.
"It's like a death to many people," said Anne Malavé, a New York-based clinical psychologist and fertility counselor. "For many people, getting pregnant is the most important thing in their life, and they will experience the coronavirus as a threat to that goal more than a threat to their own personal health or loved ones."
In keeping with the American Society for Reproductive Medicine guidelines, most clinics, although not Angie's, said they would let patients who had already started the injections to stimulate their ovaries continue through to the egg retrieval.

Most of the women NBC News interviewed had their cycles canceled either before starting the injections or before the embryo transfer stage.
Ashley Carnes, 26, and her husband, Gene, 41, from Illinois, have been trying to conceive for more than two years. After months of preparations, including bloodwork and genetic testing, they were poised to start a round of IVF. They had the injectable medications stored, as directed, in the refrigerator and a large supply of needles, syringes and alcohol wipes.

"We were excited," Carnes said. "We have been praying for this for a long time."
On March 16, her Springfield-based clinic sent patients an email saying it was canceling new IVF cycles.
"I was numb," she said. "I am thankful they are looking out for our health and safety, but it's so hard to deal with the unknown of what's going to happen next. The next month is going to feel like a year."
Susan Nelson, 34, of Minneapolis went through a round of injections and egg retrieval in February and had planned to transfer an embryo shortly after. However, she developed internal bleeding after the procedure to collect the eggs, requiring a visit to the emergency room, and she needed more time to recover.

She was "devastated" when her doctor emailed to tell her the transfer was canceled.
"You lose a lot with infertility," Nelson said. "It always feels like something was stolen from you. You don't get to choose how many children you want or build the family in the way you dreamed. And sometimes you don't have the choice of any children at all. But now to not even have the privilege of trying to build a family is just adding insult to injury."
She said she respects the decision to cancel her treatment but finds it difficult to navigate the sense of loss, particularly at a time when most people are concerned about the pandemic.

"Everybody has their own hurt right now. It's hard for people to find space and appreciation for the unique ways we are being affected, because we are all dealing with our own wounds," Nelson said.

In some cases, patients canceled their own treatments before their clinics made the decisions because of concerns about their health or travel restrictions.
Halle Tecco, 36, lives in Charleston, South Carolina, but is a patient at a fertility clinic in New York. She had a baseline ultrasound to check the health of her ovaries and her injectable medications ready in the refrigerator, but she chose to cancel the round in early March because she has asthma, making her more susceptible to COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
"I can't travel to New York," she said. "I am already medically fragile."

Working at home has exacerbated the anxiety for some patients.
"Everyone is home, and there are so many jokes about pandemic babies or how tired parents are of being around their kids," said Ashleigh Azzari, 36, of Santa Clara, California. "I have this constant battle not to tell people to appreciate what they have."
Azzari and her husband have been trying to conceive for almost three years. In that time, she's had five miscarriages and two ectopic pregnancies, potentially life-threatening events in which a fertilized egg implants outside the uterus. They had completed the paperwork for their next embryo transfer when their clinic told them it had been postponed indefinitely.

"My husband is from Italy. We are hyper-aware of the situation," Azzari said. "I don't want to put anyone's safety in jeopardy."

Many clinics have allowed patients who were already halfway through their stimulation phases to complete their injections and go through with the egg retrieval operations. However, the clinics take extra precautions with these patients.
Anna Wang and her husband, Jeremy Tu, both 35, of Los Angeles, have been trying to conceive for seven years. They were halfway through the injection phase of their third round of IVF when they started hearing reports on social media of clinics' canceling cycles.
Wang called her clinic immediately and was told that she could complete the treatment, but she had to sign a waiver acknowledging that the cycle could be canceled at any moment and attend all her appointments — including blood draws and ultrasound scans to check that the eggs are growing correctly — on her own.
She must now wait in the car, rather than the reception area, until her room is ready.

A nurse checks her temperature before she enters, and even reception staff members wear gloves before handling her credit card.

It's now a waiting game. "It's like when you are a kid and you are counting down the days to Christmas. Every day you pass is always a mini-celebration. One more day closer," Tu said, adding that the couple would be down by "$20,000 to $30,000" if the cycle is canceled.

Wang said: "Every time I get a call from the doctor's office, I am thinking, 'Is this the call? Is our cycle getting canceled because they found someone with the virus in the building?'"

The cancellations have been difficult for clinicians, too.
"Everybody wants to know when we can start back up. The hardest part is not having an answer," said Dr. Peter Klatsky, founder and CEO of Spring Fertility, a clinic in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Klatsky said that his clinic would comply with California's shelter-in-place order to be a "responsible member of the community and minimize infection" but that he hopes the American Society for Reproductive Medicine will release more nuanced guidelines to allow some patients to continue treatment.
"Then the lack of nuance based on geography and individual circumstance was disappointing," he said of the guidelines. "When you are 41 or 42, each month really does matter."
Angie had planned to take a couple of days off work last week to recover from her egg retrieval. After the procedure was canceled, she decided to use the days to try to process her loss and consider other options. "I need a Plan B, C, all the way up to Plan Z," she said, adding that she has started looking at adoption.
She doesn't know whether she can handle many more rounds of IVF.
"I am a ball of hormones and anxiety, and it has bled into every part of my life, and I want some of that life back," she said.

Olivia Solon
Olivia Solon is a tech investigations editor for NBC News in San Francisco.

Masks still not recommended for community to protect against coronavirus in Australia as death toll rises to 30 – as it happened
Chief medical officer Paul Kelly says ‘using a mask incorrectly can actually make it more dangerous’.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2020/apr/04/coronavirus-australia-live-news-nsw-health-defends-handling-of-ruby-princess-as-more-cases-confirmed-latest-update  

Summary
We’re going to wrap up the blog here for today. Here are the key moments from today:

The fallout from the Ruby Princess saga continues with the NSW health minister, Brad Hazzard defending health officials who allowed passengers to disembark. The NSW opposition called for Hazzard to stand down.
The number of Covid-19 cases in Australia surpassed 5,500 and now sits at 5,544. There have been 30 deaths, including a woman in her 70s in Victoria on Friday and a man in his 80s in Canberra on Saturday.
NSW police conducted the largest operation in Sydney Harbour outside of wartime to move crew and supplies between a series of stranded cruise ships before they depart Australian waters.
The federal government announced changes for temporary visa holders help support those who may be stood down or lose work hours as a result of Covid-19. In line with changes being made for Australian citizens and permanent residents, most temporary visa holders with work rights will now be able to access their Australian superannuation to help support themselves during this crisis.
International students working in essential industries such as aged care, nursing and supermarkets have had the number of hours they are permitted to work per fortnight extended.
NSW Health said 110 returned travellers in quarantine in Sydney hotels have been tested for coronavirus after experiencing symptoms. Their test results were expected today.
The deputy chief health officer, Paul Kelly, advised the wider public against wearing face masks, in part due to supply constraints.

Thank you, as always, for following along with us today. We’ll be back to bring you the latest developments tomorrow. In the meantime, stay well and safe.

9. Do you feel like everyone is making bread? Join them.
Whether you’ve been baking a classic loaf for years and want to hone your skills, or you’re just trying to find your footing, we have recipes at every skill level.
Perhaps you’re thinking about Passover, which begins Wednesday. Our food columnist Alison Roman has a Seder game plan that’s adaptable depending on your pantry.
Our Food editor, Sam Sifton, has more ideas on what to cook this week.

Dorothy Campbell and her son, Charlie Campbell, talk through a window with her husband, Gene Campbell,

at the Life Care Center outside Seattle.David Ryder / Reuters

​Ruby Princess fiasco: how inadequate rules helped fuel a pandemic
CORONAVIRUS 
Ruby Princess fiasco: how inadequate rules helped fuel a pandemicThe Ruby Princess is Australia's single-biggest source of coronavirus infections. Inq examines the rules that allowed it to dock in Sydney.
DAVID HARDAKER
APR 02, 2020 
https://www.crikey.com.au/2020/04/02/ruby-princess-coronavirus-inadequate-docking/?utm_campaign=Covid19Watch&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter 

THE RUBY PRINCESS CRUISE SHIP OFF THE COAST OF SYDNEY (IMAGE: AAP/JOEL CARRETT)

The federal government has made a key change to the information it seeks from cruise ships in light of the escalating scandal of the Ruby Princess.
The change is an apparent admission that insufficient detail was given on the health of passengers on board the ship, though who is responsible for the failure — the company or health authorities — remains unclear.
The ship, the single-biggest source of COVID-19 infections in Australia, accounts for more than 500 infections Australia-wide and for five deaths.
A week after the Ruby Princess docked, as confirmed cases of COVID-19 infections were spiralling across Australia, the federal government changed a key question on a standard pre-arrival form which ships’ captains are required to complete.
The information they declare matters because it shapes the assessment which health authorities make.
When the Ruby Princess docked on March 19 — two weeks ago today — the ship was asked to answer “yes” or “no” to the question of whether any passengers or crew had:

Persistent coughing and difficulty breathing with no apparent cause and no history or similar symptoms (but not persistent coughing and difficulty breathing caused by asthma, heart disease, obesity, chronic bronchitis or emphysema). 

The question was revised on March 25, a week ago, to ask whether any passengers or crew had:
New coughing illness which developed in the past two weeks (but not caused by an existing chronic disease e.g. asthma, heart disease, obesity, chronic bronchitis or emphysema).  Yes or No.

The Federal Department of Health told Inq the question was revised to “align” it with screening processes used for ill travellers on arrival, and to “address feedback from stakeholders” that the question as it was previously worded was not clear regarding reporting of COVID-19 symptoms.
“The decision to change the wording of the question was supported by the chief human biosecurity officers in each state and territory,” a department spokesman said. (The role of chief human biosecurity officer at the federal level is occupied by the chief medical officer Brendan Murphy.)

The change was clearly aimed at flushing out any new coughing illness developed over the past 14 days. 

 But medical practitioners see the change as being too little, too late. 

Dr Chris Moy, president of the Australian Medical Association of South Australia — a state which has been affected by a large number of cruise ship cases from NSW — said the change was “quibbling at the edges”.

“Although there is a clarification on the matter the far bigger issue is using common sense above nitpicking about individual criteria,” he said.

Yet why would a cruise ship docking at an Australian port on March 19 — with the virus pandemic gathering pace around the world — have any doubt at all about the intent of a question about the health of passengers?

The federal government’s change — as unnecessary as it may seem — lays bare the defence being adopted by international cruise lines to account for infected passengers leaving their ships: that the government didn’t ask the right question.

And it underscores the risks inherent in a self-reporting regime under which a cruise company is asked to volunteer information which is potentially damaging to its reputation and to its bottom line. 

Carnival Corporation, which owns the Ruby Princess, has refused to answer Inq’s questions on precisely what information it gave in answer to the health question as it appeared on the Maritime Arrivals Reporting System (MARS).

The system is designed to document biosecurity risks, carried by humans on board a ship or by a ship’s cargo. It is operated by the Federal Department of Agriculture which shares information with state health departments and the Australian Border Force. 

NSW Health has also refused to answer the question of whether or not Carnival provided full and accurate information on the risk on board the Ruby Princess. An elderly woman was removed from the ship shortly after docking at 2.30 on the morning of March 19 and was taken by a waiting ambulance. She died six days later. 

The silence from Carnival and NSW Health points to the breakdown of a system which has become riddled with conflicts of interest and which has seen a blurring of the lines between the regulator and the regulated. 

Medical judgments on board the Ruby Princess — which might or might not be prejudicial to the business — are in the hands of doctors employed by Carnival. Carnival’s chief medical officer, Dr Grant Tarling, is at the same time senior vice president of the multibillion-dollar Carnival Corporation, which is listed on the US and UK stock exchanges. 

It is unclear who can compel the production of medical information given the Ruby Princess is registered in Bermuda and subject to the law of Bermuda — a jurisdiction known for the favourable conditions it offers shipping owners. 
To date, Carnival has relied on the defence that it was acting on approvals from NSW Health, but did tell NSW Health that some of its passengers exhibited “flu-like” symptoms.
Yet in the case of the Ruby Princess — a leading “stakeholder”, to use the Federal Health department’s language — it is hard to see how there could be any doubt about the intention of the health question it was asked.  
Even before the Ruby Princess docked in Sydney on March 19, Tarling’s world had exploded with COVID-19 outbreaks on other ships.  
In Japan, the Diamond Princess had been forced to hold 2000 passengers in quarantine off the coast of Japan for more than a fortnight. 
In the US, on March 7, two crew members of Carnival’s Regal Princess had to be tested for COVID-19, leading to a delay in the ship docking.
In the US, on March 8, the Royal Princess was subject to a no-sail order after it was discovered a crew member had been transferred to the ship from the Grand Princess cruise ship.
Off the coast of California, the Grand Princess had been sitting in quarantine after a passenger died due to COVID-19 infection. That drama began on March 4 and continued through to March 16 when all passengers and more than half of the ship’s crew members were taken off the ship.
Perhaps most concerning, on March 17 (in the US), as the Ruby Princess was closing in on Sydney, the US Centre for Disease Control issued a preliminary report which pointed to staff involved in food preparation on board the Diamond Princess as hastening the spread of coronavirus on the ship.
The Ruby Princess entered Sydney Harbour on March 19, Australian time. Three crew have since tested positive to the virus and been brought ashore under police escort for treatment.
The cruise industry, led by Carnival, is a major profit spinner for the NSW Ports Authority, a corporatised government body which reports its financial results to the NSW Treasury. The authority makes no bones about the power of the cruise industry.

“Cruise is the fastest growing tourism sector in Australia. It is also a growing trend for Australians, with 1.35 million people, or 5.8% of the population cruising in 2018,” the Port Authority says, quoting from a report commissioned by the cruise ship lobby group, Cruise Lines International Association.

The Port Authority quotes the lobby group’s 2018 estimate that the cruise industry is worth $4.8 billion nationally, with 58% “attributed” to NSW.

The Port Authority regulates the movement of ships in Sydney Harbour. It is paid fees for providing navigation and pilot services. For passenger ships it is paid a $40-per-head berthing fee, which translates to around $110,000 for the Ruby Princess’ 2750 passengers who disembarked on March 19.

For its part, NSW has been investing in the cruise industry. The government released a Cruise Development Plan in 2018, setting out a long–term strategy to develop the industry in NSW, including a possible new terminal in Sydney, a joint project of the NSW Port Authority and the NSW Treasury.

Carnival Corporation is the biggest cruise industry player internationally and in Australasia.  
Last year it reported record total revenues of US$20.8 billion — an increase of US$2 billion over the previous year.
The glamorous image of cruising puts a lick of paint over a business model which relies on exploiting the legal and tax loopholes available in flag-of-convenience countries such Panama and Bermuda. The jurisdictions allow cruise companies to employ crew from countries such as the Phillipines while avoiding labour laws of the UK or Australia.
The revelation of the change to the key health question comes as Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton accuses some cruise ships of lying about the COVID-19 situations on board.

Carnival Corporation’s Australian head office has declined to answer these questions from Inq, provided Wednesday:
Ships — including the Ruby Princess — are required to self-report re illness on board. Do you accept that on the face of it this is a conflict of interest, given that ships’ doctors are paid by the company?
In the case of Carnival, the chief medical officer, Grant Tarling, is a long-serving and now senior employee of the company.  What assurance does the public have that he is NOT acting in the interests of the company?
Can you shed light on who the on-board doctors are?

NSW Health said that cruise ship voyages into Sydney linked to confirmed COVID-19 cases in NSW were:
Ovation of the Seas, docked March 18 — 74 cases
Voyager of the Seas, docked March 18 — 34 cases plus five crew members
Ruby Princess, docked March 19 — 337 cases plus three crew members
Celebrity Solstice, docked March 19 — 11 cases

As of this morning the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Australia was 4976, with NSW accounting for 2298 of those.

Ruby Princess fiasco: how inadequate rules helped fuel a pandemic
The Ruby Princess is Australia’s single-biggest source of coronavirus infections. So why was it allowed to dock in Sydney? Read more…
Australia is staring down a cruise line problem
The fallout from the Ruby Princess disaster continues to haunt Australia, with a significant portion of our COVID-19 cases now connected with the cruise liner.
As several more ships circle Australian ports, governments face the challenge of what to do with passengers. COVID-19 has brought the cruise ship industry to its knees. But is that a bad thing?
In this special edition of COVID-19 Watch, we investigate.
 
The numbers
More than two weeks ago, the federal government put a 30-day ban on new cruise ships docking in Australia. But exceptions were made for those already headed to port.
One of those was the Ruby Princess, a name now synonymous with staggering incompetence and a communications breakdown between state and federal authorities that allowed hundreds of infections to spread across Australia.
As of Monday, over 440 passengers had tested positive to COVID-19, accounting for around 10% of Australia’s cases.
Cruise ships are also the source of eight of Australia’s 23 COVID-19 deaths (at the time of writing), with five coming from the Ruby Princess. Meanwhile, in Western Australia, 41 people with the virus have recently been medivaced off the Artania, a German ship docked in Fremantle — accounting for 10% of all cases in the state. There are 79 cases linked to Ovation of the Seas in NSW.
 
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The standoff
The WA government and the crew of the Artania are at loggerheads over the ship. The state government and Australian Border Force want it gone, but the crew want to stay another two weeks.
Premier Mark McGowan is worried that letting it dock will encourage more boats. While the passengers have been evacuated, some 450 crew members remain on board.
There are reportedly 18 foreign cruise ships docked or floating in Australian waters, with 15,000 crew members still on board. Many have been docked for weeks, refusing to leave.
To break the deadlock, NSW is planning ($) to helicopter doctors onto ships docked in the state and test more than 8000 crew members, an operation which would involve the military.
Cruise operators argue that leaving people at risk on ships is a humanitarian crisis — most are highly underpaid foreign workers, who would need to be repatriated.
 
It’s big business, but for how long?
Before the pandemic, there was a lot of money in cruises. In 2018, the three biggest players earned US$34 billion in revenue. Australia’s tourism industry has also banked on letting the boats in.
Two years ago, then-federal minister for tourism Steve Ciobo described Sydney as “Australia’s cruise gateway”.
“More ships means more tourists which will help drive economic growth and create new jobs,” Ciobo said.
Cruise Lines International Association Australia claims the industry contributes $3 billion in direct expenditures with a flow-on of $1.3 billion in other services, and more than 10,000 jobs.
Many newspapers also lean heavily on the industry for advertising dollars. On March 14, when cruise cancellations were starting to pick up in Australia and coronavirus deaths in Italy were already in the thousands, The Sydney Morning Herald still ran more than 12 cruise line ads, even as headlines in the paper described the country as heading toward lockdown.
Now, cruise shares have fallen up to 80% and thousands of staff have been laid off. But should we be mourning cruise liners? As The Hustle points out, the industry is built on exploitation and tax evasion. Many ships are registered in Caribbean countries like the Bahamas to minimise tax and avoid Western labour laws.
Workers, largely from south-east Asia and eastern Europe, are paid a pittance — usually between $1-2 an hour.
It’s this structural feature of the cruise industry that makes demands by Australian authorities that the ships “return home” all the more complicated.
A company like Carnival is headquartered in Miami, incorporated in Panama, and has a workforce from across the developing world. Where is home for ships and their crew?
So amid all the finger pointing about stopping the boats, it’s worth noting that it’s underpaid workers, not middle class suburban boomers, who are suffering the most; stuck on disease-ridden ships in foreign waters with no clear way of getting home.
 
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Lethal comforts
Maybe something can be gleaned from a classic piece of writing on cruise ships: “Shipping Out” by late author David Foster Wallace, published in Harper’s Magazine in 1996.
For a week Foster Wallace took a cruise around the Caribbean. His resulting slide into what the article dubs “the (nearly lethal) comforts of a luxury cruise” is one of the great pieces of writing on the subject:

“The vessel and facilities were, from what I now understand of the industry’s standards, absolutely top-hole. The food was beyond belief, the service unimpeachable, the shore excursions and shipboard activities organized for maximal stimulation down to the tiniest detail. The ship was so clean and white it looked boiled. The western Caribbean’s blue varied between baby-blanket and fluorescent; likewise the sky. Temperatures were uterine. The very sun itself seemed preset for our comfort. The crew-to-passenger ratio was 1.2 to 2. It was a Luxury Cruise.
“All of the megalines offer the same basic product-not a service or a set of services but more like a feeling: a blend of relaxation and stimulation, stressless indulgence and frantic tourism, that special mix of servility and condescension that’s marketed under configurations of the verb ‘to pamper’.
“This verb positively studs the megalines’ various brochures: ‘as you’ve never been pampered before’, ‘to-pamper yourself in our jacuzzis and saunas’; ‘Let us pamper you’, ‘Pamper yourself in the warm zephyrs of the Bahamas’. The fact that adult Americans tend to associate the word ‘pamper’ with a certain other consumer product is not an accident, I think, and the connotation is not lost on the mass-market megalines and their advertisers.”

By the numbers
Read the rest of our coverage
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Stormy seas ahead as cruise lines are locked out of bailout

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Outdated law makes doctors criminals, leaves dying patients anxious

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Life on a block with an emergency morgue truck: ‘We hear the hum of the refrigerator going all night long’

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No, Belgium didn’t ban group sex (and other debunked coronavirus misinformation)

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Pandemic opens “Pandora’s box” of problems for Australia’s illicit drug market

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Will big companies use COVID-19 to dodge tricky AGMs?

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Trump is the virus: Australia pays the price for being the US’ best buddy

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COVID-19 | Corona Virus: Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, Diagnostics
Ninja Nerd Science
Ninja Nerds, What is Corona virus? What is COVID-19? Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by SARS-COV2 is a new strain that was discovered in 2019 and has not been previously identified in humans. Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people.  Detailed investigations found that SARS-CoV was transmitted from civet cats to humans and MERS-CoV from camels to humans. Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans. It is believed that COVID-19 was transmitted from pangolin to humans (current theory). Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death (WHO, 2020). Ninja Nerd Lectures has compiled the most up to date and recent data on COVID-19 as of March 15, 2020. Please follow along with this lecture to understand the origin and zoonosis of COVID-19, the routes of transmission, epidemiology (current as of 3/15/2020), pathophysiology, and diagnostic tests used to identify COVID-19. As new information and research is published we will continue to provide updates on COVID-19 and ensure all of our viewers are kept up to date on the most recent data. SUPPORT US! paypal.me/ninjanerdscience REFERENCES: World Health Organization (WHO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Dr. Aajonus Vonderplanitz talks viruses and swine flu- 19aztecone74

This interview with Dr. Vonderplanitz is from a 2009 interview on Super Human Radio.

Dr. Aajonus Vonderplanitz died under mysterious circumstances in 2013.

​​White House projects 100K to 240K White House projects 100K to 240K U.S. deaths from virus
AAMER MADHANI AND KEVIN FREKING
Mar 31st 2020
https://www.aol.com/article/news/2020/03/31/white-house-projects-100k-to-240k-us-deaths-from-virus/23966638/
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House on Tuesday projected 100,000 to 240,000 deaths in the U.S. from the coronavirus pandemic if current social distancing guidelines are maintained. President Donald Trump called American efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus “a matter of life and death” and urged the public to heed his administration’s social distancing guidelines.
Trump called on Americans to brace themselves for a “rough two-week period” but predicted the country would soon see a “light at the end of the tunnel” of the global catastrophe that has killed more than 3,500 Americans and infected 170,000 more.
"I want every American to be prepared for the hard days that lie ahead,” Trump said. “We're going to go through a very tough two weeks."#
The comments came after Trump announced Sunday that he was extending to April 30 the social distancing guidelines that urged Americans to cease social gatherings, work from home, suspend onsite learning at schools and more in a nationwide effort to stem the spread of the virus.
It was an abrupt reversal for Trump, who spent much of last week targeting April 12 as the day he wanted to see Americans “pack the pews” for Easter Sunday services.
Many states and local governments already have stiffer controls in place on mobility and gatherings.
Trump spoke after another troubling day for the stock market, which has been in a free fall as the cononavirus ground the economy to a near-halt and left millions unemployed.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged more than 400 points, or roughly 1.9%, to seal the worst first-quarter finish of its 135-year history.
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Pelosi seeking at least $1 trillion for next virus bill
LISA MASCARO Apr 6th 2020 
https://www.aol.com/article/news/2020/04/06/pelosi-seeking-at-least-dollar1-trillion-for-next-virus-bill/23971701/ 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Monday that another $1 trillion is needed for the next coronavirus rescue package.
Pelosi told House Democrats on an afternoon conference call that the current aid to Americans is not enough, according to a person unauthorized to discuss the call and granted anonymity.
Congress is considering more aid after passing a sweeping $2.2 trillion health care and economic package last month, the largest of its kind in U.S. history.
Former Federal Reserve chief Janet Yellen joined the private call and warned Democrats the economic fallout will depend on the public health response to the pandemic, the person said. As businesses shutter to stop the virus' spread, it has hurled the U.S. economy toward a recession.

Yellen said it was impossible to know how deep and long the recession would be, saying it depends on the health response.
The former Fed chair also told them the nation's unemployment rate is now at least 13% and this week's jobless report will show higher numbers than last week's.
The earlier relief package, approved in late March, included one-time $1,200 direct payments to Americans, along with forgivable small business loans for companies to keep making payroll. It also included a boost of unemployment pay, money for hospitals and a $500 billion fund for bigger corporations and industries.

But Pelosi said the direct payments to Americans and the payroll protection program for small businesses are not enough and more needs to be done, the person said.
Pelosi also said there needs to be more aid through the supplemental nutrition program, also known as food stamps.

The California Democrat has vowed to put the next package together in time for a House vote this month.
Both the House and Senate are adjourned through mid-April as the nation shuts down to grapple with the global pandemic.

yinhe-1-satellite_China's GalaxySpace 5G satellite launches into LEO

​CORONAVIRUS
Nursing homes overwhelmed by coronavirus: 'It is impossible for us to stop the spread'
Coronavirus cases are increasing so rapidly that one New York nursing home CEO is advising families to take their loved ones home if possible.

April 1, 2020 By Suzy Khimm and Laura Strickler
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nursing-homes-overwhelmed-coronavirus-it-impossible-us-stop-spread-n1174171
Nursing homes are struggling with a lack of personal protective equipment as they care for vulnerable residents. Chelsea Stahl / NBC News; AP; Reuters 

Since suffering a traumatic brain injury five years ago, Eliot Loshak, 87, has been unable to get out of bed on his own. His eyesight is heavily damaged, and he needs help from the staff at his Manhattan nursing home just to call his only daughter, Pam.
With the coronavirus now spreading through the nursing home, Pam Loshak fears for her ailing father — and for the staff members at the Mary Manning Walsh Home, who don't have enough personal protective equipment to slow transmission of the disease, despite their hands-on care for those most vulnerable to the virus.
ArchCare, which runs the facility and four other nursing homes in the New York area, has been forced to outfit staff members in rain ponchos and beautician gowns to stretch their dwindling supply of protective gear, according to Scott LaRue, president and CEO of the company, which is affiliated with the Archdiocese of New York. Employees are given one N95 mask — meant to be single-use — to last an entire week.
"I don't feel safe," an aide at one ArchCare facility said, declining to be named for fear of retaliation.

More than 200 of ArchCare's 1,700 nursing home residents are infected with the coronavirus, and more than 20 have died, LaRue said. At least 10 staff members are also infected, with one in the hospital on a ventilator.
The risks are so serious that LaRue is advising family members to pull residents out if feasible. "If you have the ability to take your loved one home, and that's possible, I would encourage you to do so," he said. "There will be better isolation and better limited contact in a home than there would be in a nursing home."

LaRue says just a few families have done so, as the medical and personal needs of most residents are too complex to handle at home.

People line up to get coronavirus tests at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, N.Y., on March 24, 2020.Eduardo Munoz Alvarez / Getty Images

Dr Alfa Saadu, 68, worked for the British health service for several decades,said to have contracted Covid-19 before his death earlier this week.

​​Trump and Coronavirus Task Force Brief From White House | NBC News (Live Stream)
NBC News- Watch live coverage as President Trump and the coronavirus task force give an update on the response effort from the White House.

​​White House projects 100K to 240K White House projects 100K to 240K U.S. deaths from virus
AAMER MADHANI AND KEVIN FREKING - Mar 31st 2020
https://www.aol.com/article/news/2020/03/31/white-house-projects-100k-to-240k-us-deaths-from-virus/23966638/
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House on Tuesday projected 100,000 to 240,000 deaths in the U.S. from the coronavirus pandemic if current social distancing guidelines are maintained. President Donald Trump called American efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus “a matter of life and death” and urged the public to heed his administration’s social distancing guidelines.

Most of you ‘will be infected’ — Merkel’s message to Germany could ‘cause panic,’ Czech PM warns
Key Words
Published: March 11, 2020 By Shawn Langlois
‘The process has to be focused on not overburdening the health system by slowing the virus’s spread,’ Merkel said

‘When the virus is out there, the population has no immunity and no therapy exists, then 60 to 70% of the population will be infected.’

That’s German Chancellor Angela Merkel talking about the spread of the coronavirus in widely reported comments made at a news conference in Berlin.
“Th process has to be focused on not overburdening the health system by slowing the virus’s spread. It’s about winning time,” Merkel continued, adding that the government’s top priority should be slowing the spread of the virus.
The latest tally from Johns Hopkins University shows there are more than 1,500 cases in Germany, including three deaths. Spain now has 2,026 cases and 47 deaths; Italy, which is under a countrywide quarantine, has 10,149 cases and 631 deaths; France has 1,784 cases and 33 deaths.
Like President Trump, Merkel has faced widespread criticism for her government’s slow and inadequate response to the outbreak. The German daily Bild recently slammed her for what it called “the corona chaos,” claiming “No appearances, no speech, no leadership in the crisis.”

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, Reuters reported, was later asked about Merkel’s comments.
“I don’t want to comment on the situation in Germany, although I believe that such statements rather cause panic,” he said. “In any case, we have adopted strong measures for such worst-case scenarios to be out of the question.”
Globally, there are more than 121,000 cases with a death toll of 4,369. The U.S. case count is now 1,039, with 29 deaths in California, Florida, New Jersey, South Dakota, and Washington.

SCOTT MORRISON AND DONALD TRUMP AT THE OPENING OF PRATT PAPER PLANT IN WAPAKONETA, OHIO (IMAGE: AAP/MICK TSIKAS)

Colonel L. Fletcher Prouty (USAF)

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/lfprouty.htm

Leroy Fletcher Prouty served as Chief of Special Operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President John F. Kennedy. A former colonel in the United States Air Force, he retired from military service to become a bank executive.

​Born: Springfield, Mass., January 24, 1917. Attended public schools. President, High School Student  Government. Member, undefeated Golf Team. Vocalist with Big Bands, sang in most large dance halls,  hotels and colleges in Northeast. Graduate: Massachusetts State College 1941, A.B. degree and Second Lieutenant Commission, U.S. Cavalry.

​Began military career with 4th Armored Division, Pine Camp, New York. At Communications Officer School,  Ft. Knox, Kentucky, on December 7, 1941 (Pearl Harbor). Transferred to Air Force 1942. Earned Pilot's wings November, 1942. Arrived British West Africa (Ghana), February 1943 as pilot with Air Transport  Command.

​Assigned to V.I.P. flying, summer 1943. Personal pilot for General Omar Bradley, General J. C. H. Lee and  General C. R. Smith (Founder and President - American Airlines), among others. Landed U.S. Geological  Survey Team in Saudi Arabia, Oct 1943, to confirm oil discoveries for Cairo Conference.

​Assigned special duties at Cairo and Teheran Conferences, November-December 1943. Flew Chiang Kai  Shek's Chinese delegation (T.V. Soong's delegates) to Teheran.

​Chief Pilot (1,200 pilots), Cairo for Air Transport Command. Led special air mission into Soviet Union, and others into Turkey, 1944. Evacuated "Guns of Navaronne" British commandos from Turkey to Palestine. Assisted in capture of the leader of German Gold smuggling ring (The actor, Bruce Cabot) in  Turkey and Cairo. Led large flight of transport aircraft to Turkish-Syrian border to evacuate 750 American  POW's and OSS-selected Ex-Nazi Intelligence experts from the Balkans, September 1944. The first  "overt" Cold War mission.

​1945: Transferred to Southwest Pacific, flew in New Guinea, Leyte and was on Okinawa at end of war. Landed near  Tokyo at surrender with first three planes carrying General MacArthur's bodyguard troops. Flew out with  American POWs. Photographed Hiroshima, that date.

​1946-49: Assigned by Army to Yale University to begin first USAF ROTC program. Taught "Aeronautics"and "Evolution of Warfare". Transferred to U.S. Air Force ROTC headquarters to write college text books.  Wrote the college textbook on "Aeronautics" and another on "Rockets and Missiles".

​1950-52​: Transferred to Colorado Springs to establish Air Defense Command. There, Director, Personnel Planning  for Command (77,000 men) and first to put personnel records on Computer. Attended Nuclear Weapons  school, Sandia, New Mexico. Selected for Air Force Command and Staff College, Montgomery, Alabama.

1952-54: Assigned to Korean War duties in Japan. Military Manager, Tokyo International Airport  (Haneda) during Occupation. Commander, Military Air Transport Service, Heavy Transport Squadron  responsible for military and diplomatic flights from Toyko to Saudi Arabia and back, in addition to daily  flights to Korea, Honolulu and Pacific Islands. Founder, Toyko Toastmasters Club. Attended, JCS  operated Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, 1955.

​1955-1964: Assigned to Headquarters, U.S. Air Force and directed to create an Air Force world-wide system for  "Military Support of the Clandestine Operations of the CIA", as required by a new National Security  Council Directive, 5412 of March, 1954. Wrote this policy in conjunction with Air Force General Counsel  and CIA's General Counsel. Set up a TOP SECRET world wide support force and communications  system. Was sent around the world by the Director, Central Intelligence, Allen W. Dulles, to meet the  CIA Station Chiefs, 1956. Directed Air Force participation in countless CIA operations during this period.  As a result of a CIA Commendation for this work, awarded the Legion of Merit by the Air Force,  promoted to Colonel and assigned to the Office of the Secretary of Defense to carry out this same type  of work for all military services. Assigned to the Office of Special Operations.

With the creation of the Defense Intelligence Agency by Secretary McNamara and the abolishment of  the OSO, was transferred to the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to create a similar, world-wide office  and was the Chief of Special Operations, with the Joint Staff all during 1962-1963..

Received orders to travel as the Military Escort officer for a group of VIPs who were being flown to the  South Pole, November 10-November 28, 1963, to activate a Nuclear Power plant for heat, light and sea water  desalination at the U.S. Navy Base at McMurdo Sound, Antarctica.

​Retired as Colonel, U.S. Air Force, 1964 and was awarded one of the first three Joint Chiefs of Staff  Commendation Medals by General Maxwell Taylor, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff.

​1964-1965: Vice Presdient, International Operations, General Aircraft Corporation... a company created by MIT and Harvard  specialists that designed and built aircraft that were used by the CIA and Army Special Forces..

​1965-1968: Vice President, Manager, Pentagon Branch, First National Bank, Arlington, Virginia, later Vice President, Marketing, 1965-1968.  Vice President, Marketing, Madison National Bank, Washington, D.C.

​1968-1971: Graduate, Graduate School of Banking, University of Wisconsin, 1966 - 1968..

​Charter Member, American Bankers Association committee for Automation, Planning and Technology  to develop plans to convert all U.S. banks to automation, including the Federal Reserve System.

President, Financial Marketing Council of Greater Washington, D.C. - Member, Advertising Club of Washington, D.C.

​1971 AMTRAK, as Manager, created nationwide Government and Military Marketing organization.  Senior Director, Public Affairs, corporate speechwriter for Presidents and members of the Board.

​1972-1982. Retired:  Author, Public Speaker, radio and TV, 1950 to present. Book "The Secret Team", Prentice-Hall, 1973,  and paperback by Ballantine, 1974.
Worked with all major USA TV networks, and with BBC-TV, CBC-TV, Japanese, Australian Broadcast  Commission and others.
For McGraw-Hill Scientific Encyclopedia wrote "Railroad Engineering" section, and for its "Scientific  Yearbook-1982" yearbook, wrote "Foreign Railroad Technology".
For Traffic Quarterly and Congressional Record, wrote "Transportation at the Crossroads", July 1981.  Numerous magazine articles from New Republic to Air Force, Gallery, Genesis, and Freedom magazines.

​​Recently: Consultant: Rail Transportation for Northrop Services Inc., Northrup Corp. and for Ohio Rail  Transportation Authority. Assisted Chairman, Joint Economics Committee of the Congress to set up  International Hearings and to write "Rail Passenger Services Act of 1981".

​​At request of Oliver Stone, worked as Creative Advisor (1990-1991) on production of his film "JFK" and  was the original for "Man X" character played by Donald Sutherland.

​New Book, "JFK, the CIA, Vietnam and the Plot to Assassinate John F. Kennedy" published by Birch  Lane Press, 1992.

​​Memberships: Director, National Railroad Foundation and Museum, National Press Club, and Foundation, Rotary Club of Washington, formerly a Director
Member, Society of Historians for American Foreign Relations

​Family: Wife: Elizabeth, Son: David, Daughter: Jane, Daughter: Lauren

​Additional data: a) By direction of the Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, a Founder, of the International Air Traffic  Controllers Association.
 b) Founder, Tokyo Toastmasters Club, c) A Charter member, American Bankers Assn, Committee of Automation Planning and Technology.
 d) A graduate of the American Bankers Assn, Graduate School of Banking, University of Wisconsin.m  e) Guest Lecturer, American University.
 f) Staff, Cairo Conference, 1943, (g) Staff, Teheran Conference, 1943​​.

PROUTY, JR., LEROY FLETCHER, Col. U.S.A.F. (Ret.) passed away on June 5, 2001 at Alexandria Hospital, LEROY PROUTY, of Alexandria, Virginia. Beloved husband of 58 years to Elizabeth B. Prouty; loving father of David F. and his wife, Bonnie Prouty of Laurel, MD, Jane E. Prouty og Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Lauren M. Prouty of Lynchburg, Virginia. He is also survived by a sister, Corinne Toole of Fairfax, Virginia. Funeral services will be held on Friday, July 6, 1 p.m. at the Fort Myer Chapel. Interment Arlington National Cemetery will Full Military Honors. The family requests memorial contributions be made to the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria, 910 S. Payne St., Alexandria, Virginia, 22314 or local humane society of your choice.​​

Democratic Party delays July convention until August over coronavirus concerns
ALLAN SMITH - Apr 2nd 2020
https://www.aol.com/article/news/2020/04/02/democratic-party-delays-july-convention-until-august-over-coronavirus-concerns/23968231/

The Democratic National Committee is postponing its summer convention in Milwaukee over concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.
The four-day convention, set to take place in Milwaukee beginning July 13, will take place the week of August 17.
"In our current climate of uncertainty, we believe the smartest approach is to take additional time to monitor how this situation unfolds so we can best position our party for a safe and successful convention," Joe Solmonese, CEO of the Democratic National Convention Committee, said in a statement. "During this critical time, when the scope and scale of the pandemic and its impact remain unknown, we will continue to monitor the situation and follow the advice of health care professionals and emergency responders."
"I have always believed that American innovation and ingenuity shine brightest during our darkest days, and for that reason, I’m confident our convention planning team and our partners will find a way to deliver a convention in Milwaukee this summer that places our Democratic nominee on the path to victory in November,' he added.
The decision comes after former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential frontrunner, said the convention would have to be postponed at least until August.
"I doubt whether the Democratic convention is going to be able to be held in mid-July, early July. I think it's going to have to move into August," Biden said in an interview with NBC's "The Tonight Show."

More from NBC News:
Trump campaign tells surrogates to paint Biden as 'the opposition' in coronavirus war
Wisconsin, facing heavy criticism, plans Tuesday primary despite coronavirus
Biden debuts podcast in his virtual campaign for president

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nursing-homes-overwhelmed-coronavirus-it-impossible-us-stop-spread-n1174171

Coronavirus an opportunity for Beijing to usher in Chinese century
Europe Letter: With the West in decline and China rising, old certainties are crumbling
 Naomi O’Leary Europe Correspondent - 1st April 2020
It is difficult to know the future implications of a moment in history while you are still living through it.
But one of the most striking indications that the pandemic will be a historical marker must be the hints from Saudi authorities that they may cancel the hajj.
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/coronavirus-an-opportunity-for-beijing-to-usher-in-chinese-century-1.4218300?mode=sample&auth-failed=1&pw-origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Feurope%2Fcoronavirus-an-opportunity-for-beijing-to-usher-in-chinese-century-1.4218300
It is difficult to know the future implications of a moment in history while you are still living through it.
But one of the most striking indications that the pandemic will be a historical marker must be the hints from Saudi authorities that they may cancel the hajj.

Illuminati: One Billion is enough!
https://www.facts-are-facts.com/article/illuminati-one-billion-is-enough  

The Georgia Guidestones: a mysterious monument that was erected by an anonymous group of wealthy people encourages a drastic reduction in the world’s population.
Nothing troubles the secret elite powers quite so much as the world’s growing population. Their goal is to reduce this number to a billion—and by any means possible: wars, famine, epidemics, disease and vaccines that make women infertile. 
On a hilltop in Elbert County in the US state of Georgia stands a huge granite monument built in March 1980. The identity of the architect is still unknown, for the well-dressed and eloquent man who entered the offices of the Elberton Granite Fishing Company in June the year before and announced his plan to erect a monument with a message to humanity gave a false name. R. C. Christian remains a phantom, as do the men who financed the construction of this “American Stonehenge”. Yet it is said that the monument is still an important ceremonial site for the occult secret society that aspires to world domination.

The four granite plaques surrounding the central columns are engraved with messages in eight languages, and call mankind to unity and respectful communion with Nature, in harmony with the Infinite. Critics, however, see in it the blueprint for a planned world dictatorship, which, for many people, could mean death. Hewn in stone, just as the Ten Commandments once were, these ten modern “guides” call for moderation in different aspects of life. The last point on the stone plaques admonishes: “Be not a cancer on the earth—Leave room for nature”! A request that good-willed and well-meaning people could hardly oppose. Yet what about the first and most important message on the Georgia Guidestones, which simply reads: Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature? Following this instruction would mean killing twelve out of thirteen people currently living on the planet.

Mankind—No More Than a Pox and a Commodity

After the fall of Communism, Mikhail Gorbatchev, the first and last President of the Soviet Union, dedicated himself to environmental protection and became the co-founder of Green Cross International. He also made a considerable contribution in formulating the so-called Earth Charter. According to Wikipedia, “The Earth Charter is an international declaration of fundamental values and principles considered useful by its supporters for building a just, sustainable, and peaceful global society in the 21st century. Created by a global consultation process, and endorsed by organisations representing millions of people,” the Charter’s “ethical vision proposes that environmental protection, human rights, equitable human development, and peace are interdependent and indivisible.” It is supposed to be ratified as a binding contract under supranational law by the international community.

Its guidelines are outlined in 16 articles, the seventh of which reads: “Adopt patterns of production, consumption, and reproduction [highlighted by editorial] that safeguard Earth’s regenerative capacities, human rights, and community well-being.”

Gorbatchev himself does not mince matters: “We must speak more clearly about sexuality, contraception, about abortion, about values that control population, because the ecological crisis, in short, is the population crisis. Cut the population by 90 percent and there aren’t enough people left to do a great deal of ecological damage.”

His vision of a sustainable world population of a good half a billion people matches the first of the Georgia Guidestones’ commandments exactly—strikingly so. Also following these lines is the President’s Council on Sustainable Development, an expert panel that advised US President Bill Clinton between 1993 and 1999. In answer to the earth summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, it concluded in 1996 that the world population should not exceed 500 million.

The multi-billionaire and former media czar Ted Turner—more on him later—expressed even more severe views that same year. In an interview given in 1996 to the magazine of the American conservation organisation The Audubon Society, Turner explained: “A total population of 250-300 million people, a 95 percent decline from present levels, would be ideal.”

Dave Foreman from the Sierra Club (another US conservation organization) and co-founder of Earth First! once confessed: “I see no solution to our ruination of Earth except for a drastic reduction of the human population”. Another time he said: “We humans have become a disease—the human pox!” The militant whale protector Paul Watson (Sea Shepherd Conservation Society) is also one of those who demand a world population of under a billion people, because “We are killing planet Earth”.

Yet it’s not only the radical environmentalists who fear that the planet will soon be bursting at the seams, but also the intellectual elite. The Club of Rome, for example, has been warning against overpopulation for decades.

The First Global Revolution, published in 1991 by this influential think-tank, contains the statement:

“In searching for a new enemy to unite us, we came up with the idea that pollution, the threat of global warming, water shortages, famine and the like would fit the bill.1 

“But in designating them as the enemy, we fall into the trap of mistaking symptoms for causes.

All these dangers are caused by human intervention (…)

The real enemy, then, is humanity itself.”

Jacques Cousteau, the internationally respected oceanographer, explained to the UNESCO Courier in an interview in November 1991: “The damage people cause to the planet is a function of demographics—it is equal to the degree of development. One American burdens the earth much more than twenty Bangladeshes. The damage is directly linked to consumption. Our society is turning toward more and needless consumption. It is a vicious circle that I compare to cancer.” He then added: “This is a terrible thing to say. In order to stabilize world population, we must eliminate 350,000 people per day. It is a horrible thing to say, but it’s just as bad not to say it.”
Paul Ehrlich, a professor at the renowned Stanford University, wrote in his book The Population Bomb: “A cancer is an uncontrolled multiplication of cells; the population explosion is an uncontrolled multiplication of people. (…) We must shift our efforts from treatment of the symptoms to the cutting out of the cancer. The operation will demand many apparently brutal and heartless decisions.”
These men are neither fantasists nor ignorant; they are pragmatists like former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, still a leading member of the Bilderberg Group and one of the eminences grise in American politics, who simply said: “The world population must be reduced by 50 percent.”

Convenient, then, that the UN Biodiversity Assessment on Sustainable Human Population should state, “All ecosystem management activities should consider human beings as biological resources”. In other words: human right to life is no longer inviolable, because one should cultivate mankind just like any other commodity. The document goes on to say that, “A reasonable estimate for an industrialized world society at the present North American standard of living would be one billion people. This must be implemented within 30 to 50 years.”
When this was presented to the US Senate on 9 September 1994, it caused such a furore that it had to be withdrawn. Yet the ideas contained within it managed to escape the shredder.

The Ultra-Rich “Good Club”
An article appearing on 24 May 2009 in the British Sunday Times is also interesting in this respect. It reported that some of the richest people in America had secretly gathered together to discuss the issue of global overpopulation and what they could do about it. “The philanthropists who attended the summit convened on the initiative of Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder,” the newspaper informed its readers. “Described as the Good Club by one insider it included David Rockefeller Jr., the patriarch of America’s wealthiest dynasty [current total assets unknown], Warren Buffett [37 billion dollars] and George Soros [13 billion dollars], the financiers, Michael Bloomberg the mayor of New York [16 billion dollars], and the media moguls Ted Turner [2.3 billion dollars] and Oprah Winfrey [2.3 billion dollars].”
Together with Bill Gates, these people have donated over 45 billion dollars to charity since 1996. The informal meeting took place on 5 May 2009 in New York and was evidently so secret that some billionaires told their personal employees that they were taking part in “security briefings”. According to Stacy Palmer, editor of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, there had never been such a top-class and simultaneously mysterious meeting. “We only learnt about it afterwards, by accident. Normally these people are happy to talk about good causes, but this is different—maybe because they don’t want to be seen as a global cabal.”

Apparently they mainly discussed projects in the Third World. “Taking their cue from Gates they agreed that overpopulation was a priority,” commented the Sunday Times article. It goes on to quote another participant, according to whom the group believed that the problem of population growth had to be tackled as a “potentially disastrous environmental, social and industrial threat”. “This is something so nightmarish that everyone in this group agreed it needs big-brain answers,” explained the guest, who wished to remain anonymous. “They need to be independent of government agencies, which are unable to head off the disaster we all see looming.”

Why so independent, covert, faceless? As the anonymous guest revealed, “They wanted to speak rich to rich without worrying anything they said would end up in the newspapers, painting them as an alternative world government.”

End of extract „Illuminati: One Billion is enough!“ 
 Over a total of fifteen pages, we reveal the methods by which the global elite is striving to decimate the population – even as you read. We shed light on the origin of this inhuman – in the truest sense of the word – attitude, which began more than a hundred years ago with the so-called “racial hygiene” approach, or Eugenics, in Great Britain. Learn what role the Rockefellers have played, and how this powerful family has supported the conspiracy against public health, which first became public forty years ago. We uncover what is actually behind the innocent-sounding term “Planned Parenthood” and show how different vaccination campaigns organised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) aim to reduce people’s fertility. It has long been substantiated by Science that these are not simply “conspiracy theories”; researchers have been working for years on “contraceptive vaccines”. Read our comprehensive report to find out in which ordinary vaccines these substances have already been found, and whether the new vaccination against cervical cancer (currently so highly advocated for young women) is among them. Find out in our printed issue Facts are Facts print edition no.6.

Find out here what goals US foreign policy has against developing countries, and what all this has to do with the call for a supreme global authority: America's “Development Plan” for the World

Are ordinary vaccinations secretly being misused to slash the world’s population? Can it be that man-made killer viruses are to be unleashed with the sole aim of triggering global pandemics for this very reason? Learn more here: Vaccinations: A Deadly Injection?

Dr. Thomas Cowan, M.D. discusses the Coronavirus -New Paradigm Astrology- hypothesizes that Coronavirus may be history repeating itself and caused by 5G. Shot at the Health And Human Rights Summit in Tucson, Arizona on March 12, 2020.- explains the introduction orf different radar and radiation introduced on planet earth   that has caused every major virus pandemic on plant earthHe explains the the new 5G Radiation from 5G 100,000 satellites in the blanket of the earth  and 5G Towers have created the corvid -19 coronavirus He makes a lot of sense- Please take the time to watch this video Category: Education

 The late former colonel Leroy Fletcher Prouty stated that AIDs was created by the CIA as a biological Weapon and was not a natural mutation 

The major question that needs to be asked and answered by US President Donald Trump 
Was the Cororavirus Pendemic deliberately started by either  the CIA/MI6  and/or China as a biological weapon. in the light that  the late former colonel Leroy Fletcher Prouty stated that AIDs was created by the CIA as a biological Weapon and was not a natural mutation?

It is noted that the late former colonel Leroy Fletcher Prouty (January 24, 1917 – June 5, 2001) worked for the CIA and served as Chief of Special Operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President John F. Kennedy. and was a  former colonel in the United States Air Force.

Jeremy Tu and Anna Wang had to sign a waiver acknowledging that their egg retrieval could be canceled at any moment.Courtesy of Anna Wang and Jeremy Tu

Van Allen Belt
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Allen_radiation_belt  
  
A Van Allen radiation belt is a zone of energetic charged particles, most of which originate from the solar wind, that are captured by and held around a planet by that planet's magnetic field. Earth has two such belts and sometimes others may be temporarily created.  

A Van Allen radiation belt is a zone of energetic charged particles, most of which originate from the solar wind, that are captured by and held around a planet by that planet's magnetic field. Earth has two such belts and sometimes others may be temporarily created. The discovery of the belts is credited to James Van Allen, and as a result, Earth's belts are known as the Van Allen belts. Earth's two main belts extend from an altitude of about 640 to 58,000 km (400 to 36,040 mi)[1] above the surface in which region radiation levels vary. Most of the particles that form the belts are thought to come from solar wind and other particles by cosmic rays.[2] By trapping the solar wind, the magnetic field deflects those energetic particles and protects the atmosphere from destruction.

The belts are located in the inner region of Earth's magnetosphere. The belts trap energetic electrons and protons. Other nuclei, such as alpha particles, are less prevalent. The belts endanger satellites, which must have their sensitive components protected with adequate shielding if they spend significant time near that zone. In 2013, NASA reported that the Van Allen Probes had discovered a transient, third radiation belt, which was observed for four weeks until it was destroyed by a powerful, interplanetary shock wave from the Sun.[3]

Kristian Birkeland, Carl Størmer, and Nicholas Christofilos had investigated the possibility of trapped charged particles before the Space Age.[4] Explorer 1 and Explorer 3 confirmed the existence of the belt in early 1958 under James Van Allen at the University of Iowa. The trapped radiation was first mapped by Explorer 4, Pioneer 3 and Luna 1.

The term Van Allen belts refers specifically to the radiation belts surrounding Earth; however, similar radiation belts have been discovered around other planets. The Sun does not support long-term radiation belts, as it lacks a stable, global, dipole field. The Earth's atmosphere limits the belts' particles to regions above 200–1,000 km,[5] (124–620 miles) while the belts do not extend past 8 Earth radii RE.[5] The belts are confined to a volume which extends about 65°[5] on either side of the celestial equator.

Research
The NASA Van Allen Probes mission aims at understanding (to the point of predictability) how populations of relativistic electrons and ions in space form or change in response to changes in solar activity and the solar wind. NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts–funded studies have proposed magnetic scoops to collect antimatter that naturally occurs in the Van Allen belts of Earth, although only about 10 micrograms of antiprotons are estimated to exist in the entire belt.[6]
The Van Allen Probes mission successfully launched on August 30, 2012.[7] The primary mission is scheduled to last two years with expendables expected to last four. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center manages the Living With a Star program of which the Van Allen Probes is a project, along with Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). The Applied Physics Laboratory is responsible for the implementation and instrument management for the Van Allen Probes.[8]
Radiation belts exist around other planets and moons in the solar system that have magnetic fields powerful enough to sustain them. To date, most of these radiation belts have been poorly mapped. The Voyager Program (namely Voyager 2) only nominally confirmed the existence of similar belts around Uranus and Neptune.

The inner Van Allen Belt  
The inner Van Allen Belt extends typically from an altitude of 0.2 to 2 Earth radii (L values of 1 to 3) or 1,000 km (620 mi) to 12,000 km (7,500 mi) above the Earth.[2][9] In certain cases when solar activity is stronger or in geographical areas such as the South Atlantic Anomaly, the inner boundary may decline to roughly 200 kilometers[10] above the Earth's surface. The inner belt contains high concentrations of electrons in the range of hundreds of keV and energetic protons with energies exceeding 100 MeV, trapped by the strong (relative to the outer belts) magnetic fields in the region.[11]
It is believed that proton energies exceeding 50 MeV in the lower belts at lower altitudes are the result of the beta decay of neutrons created by cosmic ray collisions with nuclei of the upper atmosphere. The source of lower energy protons is believed to be proton diffusion due to changes in the magnetic field during geomagnetic storms.[12]
Due to the slight offset of the belts from Earth's geometric center, the inner Van Allen belt makes its closest approach to the surface at the South Atlantic Anomaly.[13] [14]
On March 2014, a pattern resembling "zebra stripes" was observed in the radiation belts by the Radiation Belt Storm Probes Ion Composition Experiment (RBSPICE) onboard Van Allen Probes. The initial theory proposed in 2014 was that due to the tilt in Earth's magnetic field axis, the planet's rotation generated an oscillating, weak electric field that permeates through the entire inner radiation belt.[15] A 2016 study instead concluded that the zebra stripes were an imprint of ionospheric winds on radiation belts.[16]

 The outer Van Allen Belt  
The outer belt consists mainly of high energy (0.1–10 MeV) electrons trapped by the Earth's magnetosphere. It is more variable than the inner belt as it is more easily influenced by solar activity. It is almost toroidal in shape, beginning at an altitude of three and extending to ten Earth radii (RE), 13,000 to 60,000 kilometres (8,100 to 37,300 mi) above the Earth's surface. Its greatest intensity is usually around 4–5 RE. The outer electron radiation belt is mostly produced by the inward radial diffusion[17][18] and local acceleration[19] due to transfer of energy from whistler-mode plasma waves to radiation belt electrons. Radiation belt electrons are also constantly removed by collisions with Earth's atmosphere,[19] losses to the magnetopause, and their outward radial diffusion. The gyroradii of energetic protons would be large enough to bring them into contact with the Earth's atmosphere. Within this belt, the electrons have a high flux and at the outer edge (close to the magnetopause), where geomagnetic field lines open into the geomagnetic "tail", the flux of energetic electrons can drop to the low interplanetary levels within about 100 km (62 mi), a decrease by a factor of 1,000.
In 2014 it was discovered that the inner edge of the outer belt is characterized by a very sharp transition, below which highly relativistic electrons (> 5MeV) cannot penetrate.[20] The reason for this shield-like behavior is not well understood.
The trapped particle population of the outer belt is varied, containing electrons and various ions. Most of the ions are in the form of energetic protons, but a certain percentage are alpha particles and O+ oxygen ions, similar to those in the ionosphere but are much more energetic. This mixture of ions suggests that ring current particles probably come from more than one source.
The outer belt is larger than the inner belt and its particle population fluctuates widely. Energetic (radiation) particle fluxes can increase and decrease dramatically in response to geomagnetic storms, which are themselves triggered by magnetic field and plasma disturbances produced by the Sun. The increases are due to storm-related injections and acceleration of particles from the tail of the magnetosphere.

On February 28, 2013, a third radiation belt, consisting of high-energy ultrarelativistic charged particles, was reported to be discovered. In a news conference by NASA's Van Allen Probe team, it was stated that this third belt is a product of coronal mass ejection from the Sun. It has been represented as a separate creation which splits the Outer Belt, like a knife, on its outer side, and exists separately as a storage container of particles for a month's time, before merging once again with the Outer Belt.[21]
The unusual stability of this third, transient belt has been explained as due to a 'trapping' by the Earth's magnetic field of ultrarelativistic particles as they are lost from the second, traditional outer belt. While the outer zone, which forms and disappears over a day, is highly variable due to interactions with the atmosphere, the ultrarelativistic particles of the third belt are thought to not scatter into the atmosphere, as they are too energetic to interact with atmospheric waves at low latitudes.[22] This absence of scattering and the trapping allows them to persist for a long time, finally only being destroyed by an unusual event, such as the shock wave from the Sun.

Flux values
In the belts, at a given point, the flux of particles of a given energy decreases sharply with energy.
At the magnetic equator, electrons of energies exceeding 5000 keV (resp. 5 MeV) have omnidirectional fluxes ranging from 1.2×106 (resp. 3.7×104) up to 9.4×109 (resp. 2×107) particles per square centimeter per second.
The proton belts contain protons with kinetic energies ranging from about 100 keV, which can penetrate 0.6 µm of lead, to over 400 MeV, which can penetrate 143 mm of lead.[23]
Most published flux values for the inner and outer belts may not show the maximum probable flux densities that are possible in the belts. There is a reason for this discrepancy: the flux density and the location of the peak flux is variable, depending primarily on solar activity, and the number of spacecraft with instruments observing the belt in real time has been limited. The Earth has not experienced a solar storm of Carrington event intensity and duration, while spacecraft with the proper instruments have been available to observe the event.
Radiation levels in the belts would be dangerous to humans if they were exposed for an extended period of time. The Apollo missions minimised hazards for astronauts by sending spacecraft at high speeds through the thinner areas of the upper belts, bypassing inner belts completely, except for the Apollo 14 mission where the spacecraft traveled through the heart of the trapped radiation belts.[13][24][25][26]

Antimatter confinement
In 2011, a study confirmed earlier speculation that the Van Allen belt could confine antiparticles. The Payload for Antimatter Matter Exploration and Light-nuclei Astrophysics (PAMELA) experiment detected levels of antiprotons orders of magnitude higher than are expected from normal particle decays while passing through the South Atlantic Anomaly. This suggests the Van Allen belts confine a significant flux of antiprotons produced by the interaction of the Earth's upper atmosphere with cosmic rays.[27] The energy of the antiprotons has been measured in the range from 60–750 MeV.
Research funded by the NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts concluded that harnessing these antiprotons for spacecraft propulsion would be feasible. Researchers believed that this approach would have advantages over antiproton generation at CERN, because collecting the particles in situ eliminates transportation losses and costs. Jupiter and Saturn are also possible sources, but the Earth belt is the most productive. Jupiter is less productive than might be expected due to magnetic shielding from cosmic rays of much of its atmosphere. In 2019 CMS announced, that the construction of a device that would be capable of collecting these particles has already begun[dubious – discuss]. NASA will use this device to collect these particles and transport them to institutes all around the world for further examination. These so-called "antimatter-containers" could be used for industrial purpose as well in the future.[28]

Implications for space travel
Spacecraft travelling beyond low Earth orbit enter the zone of radiation of the Van Allen belts. Beyond the belts, they face additional hazards from cosmic rays and solar particle events. A region between the inner and outer Van Allen belts lies at two to four Earth radii and is sometimes referred to as the "safe zone".[29][30]
Solar cells, integrated circuits, and sensors can be damaged by radiation. Geomagnetic storms occasionally damage electronic components on spacecraft. Miniaturization and digitization of electronics and logic circuits have made satellites more vulnerable to radiation, as the total electric charge in these circuits is now small enough so as to be comparable with the charge of incoming ions. Electronics on satellites must be hardened against radiation to operate reliably. The Hubble Space Telescope, among other satellites, often has its sensors turned off when passing through regions of intense radiation.[31] A satellite shielded by 3 mm of aluminium in an elliptic orbit (200 by 20,000 miles (320 by 32,190 km)) passing the radiation belts will receive about 2,500 rem (25 Sv) per year (for comparison, a full-body dose of 5 Sv is deadly). Almost all radiation will be received while passing the inner belt.[32]
The Apollo missions marked the first event where humans traveled through the Van Allen belts, which was one of several radiation hazards known by mission planners.[33] The astronauts had low exposure in the Van Allen belts due to the short period of time spent flying through them. Apollo flight trajectories bypassed the inner belts completely, passing through the thinner areas of the outer belts.[25][34]

Astronauts' overall exposure was actually dominated by solar particles once outside Earth's magnetic field. The total radiation received by the astronauts varied from mission to mission but was measured to be between 0.16 and 1.14 rads (1.6 and 11.4 mGy), much less than the standard of 5 rem (50 mSv)[c] per year set by the United States Atomic Energy Commission for people who work with radioactivity.[33]

Causes
It is generally understood that the inner and outer Van Allen belts result from different processes. The inner belt, consisting mainly of energetic protons, is the product of the decay of so-called "albedo" neutrons which are themselves the result of cosmic ray collisions in the upper atmosphere. The outer belt consists mainly of electrons. They are injected from the geomagnetic tail following geomagnetic storms, and are subsequently energized through wave-particle interactions.
In the inner belt, particles that originate from the Sun are trapped in the Earth's magnetic field. Particles spiral along the magnetic lines of flux as they move "longitudinally" along those lines. As particles move toward the poles, the magnetic field line density increases and their "longitudinal" velocity is slowed and can be reversed, reflecting the particle and causing them to bounce back and forth between the Earth's poles.[35] In addition to the spiral about and motion along the flux lines, the electrons move slowly in an eastward direction, while the ions move westward.

A gap between the inner and outer Van Allen belts, sometimes called safe zone or safe slot, is caused by the Very Low Frequency (VLF) waves which scatter particles in pitch angle which results in the gain of particles to the atmosphere. Solar outbursts can pump particles into the gap but they drain again in a matter of days. The radio waves were originally thought to be generated by turbulence in the radiation belts, but recent work by James L. Green of the Goddard Space Flight Center comparing maps of lightning activity collected by the Microlab 1 spacecraft with data on radio waves in the radiation-belt gap from the IMAGE spacecraft suggests that they are actually generated by lightning within Earth's atmosphere. The radio waves that generate strike the ionosphere at the correct angle to pass through only at high latitudes, where the lower ends of the gap approach the upper atmosphere. These results are still under scientific debate.

Joe Rogan Experience #282 - Dr. Peter Duesberg & Bryan Callen

​Talks about HIV- Effects-Cures-Vaccines 
PowerfulJRE
JRE #282 - Dr. Peter Duesberg, Bryan Callen, Brian Redban
Category: People & Blogs​

1. This may be “the toughest week” yet of the coronavirus pandemic.
President Trump on Saturday warned that the nation would face “a lot of death,” while also saying he would like to consider relaxing social distancing rules for Easter services.
He and other officials at the White House depicted some parts of the U.S. as climbing toward the peaks of their crises, while warning that new hot spots were emerging in Pennsylvania, Colorado and Washington, D.C.
More than 8,000 people have died from the virus so far in the U.S., but White House projections show that number could eventually be at least 100,000. The U.S. accounts for more than 310,000 of the world’s 1.1 million reported cases of infection.
The next two weeks of social distancing will be critical to stem the outbreak, said Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House’s coronavirus coordinator, and hot spots in New York, Detroit and Louisiana will likely reach a peak within six to seven days.
Our graphics team is tracking all the coronavirus cases state by state, county by county

Dr. Aajonus Vonderplanitz talks viruses and swine flu
19aztecone74
This interview with Dr. Vonderplanitz is from a 2009 interview on Super Human Radio. He died under mysterious circumstances in 2013.
Category: People & Blogs

Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain was admitted to a hospital for tests. He announced he was infected with the coronavirus on March 27.
Sunday, April 5, 2020 4:58 PM EST
The virus has infected at least 40,000 people in Britain, including Prince Charles and Mr. Johnson, underscoring how the virus has threatened the country’s political establishment.

​Warning of Covid-19 related frauds as over-70s told stay indoors even if they're fit and active
https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/warning-of-covid-19-related-frauds-as-over-70s-told-stay-indoors-even-if-theyre-fit-and-active-991437.html

Over-70s must stay indoors even if they are fit and active, the Assistant Secretary-General at the Department of the Taoiseach has said.
Speaking at a Government briefing in Dublin on Wednesday, Liz Canavan said: “We know many people over 70 are fit, well and active. Nevertheless the chief medical officer’s advice is that you should stay at home.
"We appreciate how frustrating this is but the reason the CMO [Chief Medical Officer] has made that recommendation is based on what we know about the impact of the disease.”
Ms Canavan also warned of an increase in Covid-19 related frauds and scams.
“We’re anticipating that fraudsters may attempt to pose as Government, banks or other organisations to ask for financial details to process payments,” she said.
“Don’t be rushed, take your time to do relevant checks and always support immediate suspicious activity to banks or gardai.”
She said as today is April Fools’ Day people should only heed messages and advice from official sources.
“Remember, if it is true, you’ll hear it here.”

It was also announced that SNAs are to be re-deployed across the rest of the public sector to help frontline staff dealing with coronavirus.
Staff not required for education or research purposes will be available for reassignment elsewhere.
A process has been set up through the PublicJobs.ie website to put this in place.
There are around 16,000 special needs assistants in Ireland, but it is expected the number reassigned will be much smaller.
Meanwhile, Ms Canavan said a number of applications for the pandemic unemployment payment “have not progressed to payment due to missing or incorrect information”.
Ms Canavan added that a new podcast to help young people cope with anxiety is being launched during the Covid-19 emergency.
She said: “Understandably, the risks and reality of the global pandemic have probably been at the forefront of everyone’s mind. For that reason, it’s particularly important to take the necessary steps to look out for our mental health at this time.
“We’re very conscious that parents, children, young people may be anxious about the disease and about the disruption to their own routine, even school and all the other activities, they’d like to be involved in.
“No age group is immune to the stress caused by this crisis.
“So in order to address this fear and anxiety in young people in particular, a podcast has been created with the systems of the National Education Psychology Service (NEPS) which offers a series of relaxation techniques, specifically designed to help young people cope with that anxiety, and that’s available via SoundCloud.”
Useful information
The HSE have developed an information pack on how to protect yourself and others from coronavirus. Read it here
Anyone with symptoms of coronavirus who has been in close contact with a confirmed case in the last 14 days should isolate themselves from other people - this means going into a different, well-ventilated room alone, with a phone; phone their GP, or emergency department;
GPs Out of Hours services are not in a position to order testing for patients with normal cold and flu-like symptoms. HSELive is an information line and similarly not in a position to order testing for members of the public. The public is asked to reserve 112/999 for medical emergencies at all times.
ALONE has launched a national support line and additional supports for older people who have concerns or are facing difficulties relating to the outbreak of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) in Ireland. The support line will be open seven days a week, 8am-8pm, by calling 0818 222 024
1st April 2020COVID-19 Pandemic   -Total cases: 857,487   - Total Deaths: 42,107  Total recovered: 178,034
Afganistan:            174
Albania:                 716
Andorra:                376
Angola:                    7
Anguilla:                  2
Antiqua and
Barbuda:                  7
Argentina:           1054
Armenia:               532
Aruba:                      55
Australia:               4559
Austria:                10,180
Azerbaijan:              298
Bahamas:                 34
Bahrain:                 567
Bangladesh:              51
Barbados:                 34
Belarus:                   152
Belgium:              12,775
Belize:                       3
Benin:                        9
Bermuda                   32
Bhulan                        4
Bolivia                      107
Bosnia and
Herzegovina              420
Botswana                      4
Brazil                         5,717
British Virgin Islands      3
Brunei                         129
Bulgaria                     399
Burkina Faso              261
Burma                        15
Burmundi                     2
Cabo Verde                   6
Cambodia                  109
Cameroon                    193
Canada                     8,527
Cayman Islands         14
Central

African Republic          3
Chad                           7
Chile                       2,738
China                     82,279
Colombia                   906
Costa Rica                  347
Cote d’lvoire               179
Croatia                      867
Cuba                          186
Curacao                       11
Cyprus                       262
Czechia                     3308
Democratic Republic
 of the Congo              98
Denmark                   2,860
Diamond Princess          712
Djibouti                          30
Dominicia                        12
Dominican Republic      1,109
Ecuador                        2,240
Egypt                             710
El Salvador                     32
Equatorial Guinea            12
Eritrea                             15
Estonia                         745
Eswatini                          9
Ethiopia                          26
Faroe Islands                169
Fiji                                  5
Finland                      1,418
France                     52,128
French Guiana               43
French Polynesia            36
Gabon                           16
Gambia                       4
Goergia                      110
Germany                  71,808
Ghana                       161
Greece                     1,314
Greenland                  10
Grenada                       9
Guadeloupe                114
Guatemala                  38
Guinea                         22
Guinea-Bissau                8
Guyana                        12
Haiti                             15
Holy See                      6
Honduras                    141
Hungary                     492
Iceland                     1,135
India                          1,397
Indonesia                   1,528
Iran                        44,605
Iraq                          694
Ireland                      3,235
Israel                       5,358
Italy                       105,792
Jamaica                      36
Japan                        1,953
Jordan                         274
Kazakhstan                  343
Kenya                          59
Kosovo                        112
Kuwait                         289
Kyrgyzstan                    107
Laos                                9
Latvia                          398
Lebanon                       470
Liberia                            3
Libya                              10
Liechtenstein                   68
Lithuania                       537
Luxembourg                  2,178
Madagascar                     57
Malaysia                        2,766
Maldives                          18
Mali                                  28
Malta                             169
Martinique                      128
Mauritania                         6
Mauritius                           143
Mayotte                             94
Mexico                            1094
Moldova                            353
Monaco                              52
Mongolia                             12
Montenegro                        109
Montserrat                            5
Morocco                             617
Mozambique                          8
MS Zaandam                         2
Namibia                               11
Nepal                                    5
Netherlands                      12,595
New Caledonia                      16
New Zealand                         647
Nicaragua                             5
Nigeria                                135
North Macedonia                 329
Norway                               4,641
Oman                                  192
Pakistan                               1,938
Panama                                1,181
Papua New Guinea                   1
Paraguay                                 65
Peru                                    1,065
Philippines                         2,084
Poland                                2,311
Portugal                             7,443
Qatar                                   781
Republic of Congo                19
Reunion                                247
Romania                            2,245
Russia                              2,337
Rwanda                             75
Saint Barthelemy                  6
Saint Kittz and Nevis            8
Saint Lucia                         13
Saint Vincent and
the Grenadines                    1
San Marino                       236
Saudia Arabia                 1,563
Senegal                            175
Serbia                               900
Seychelles                          10
Sierra Leone                       1
Singapore                         926
Sint Maarten                      6
Slovakia                           363
Slovenia                            802
South Africa                    1,353
South Korea                    9,786
Spain                            95,923
Sri Lanka                        143
St Martin                          15
Sudan                                7
Suriname                          9
Sweden                        4,435
Switzerland                    16,605
Syria                             10
Taiwan                           322
Tanzania                          19
Thailand                        1,651
Timor-Leste                         1
Togo                                    34
Trinidad and Tobago           87
Tunisia                              394
Turkey                            13,531
Turks and Caicos Islands      5
Uganda                               44
Ukraine                              645
United Arab Emirates         664
United Kingdom              25,420
Unites States                     188,172
Uruguay                            338
Uzbekistan                        172
Venezuela                          135
Vietnam                            212
West Bank and Gaza                   119
Zambia                              35
Zimbabwe                             8

CORONAVIRUS
The latest news on COVID-19, the coronavirus disease that emerged in 2019.
The CDC now says all Americans should wear masks — here’s a simple DIY approach
YOUR HEALTH
Will coronavirus survive airborne? Are young people safe? Do face masks protect me? Are men more likely to die? Burning questions on COVID-19
‘We can get through this’: How to manage your mental health during the coronavirus pandemic
Do you need to change and wash your clothes after visiting the grocery store?
Is it safe to get food delivered? Can you catch coronavirus from the packaging? Will it survive on the surface of your takeout?
How do I self-quarantine? Can I walk my dog? Be warned, there can be legal consequences for violators
https://www.marketwatch.com/economy-politics/coronavirus?mod=article_inline

10 scientific arguments why HIV can NOT cause AIDS (dr. Duesberg)
Antinous Antinoos
This is a clip from "HIV=AIDS: Fact or Fraud?" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTxvmK...). In this clip dr. Duesberg is being interviewed. Dr. Duesberg (full Professor at University of California, Berkeley) is perhaps the best retrovirologist in the world. He discovered the oncogene (the gene that causes cancer) and he decoded for the first the genome of retro-viruses, creating a map that is used by every retro-virologist in the world researching retroviruses. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfOSKP...)
In this clip 10 scientific arguments are presented why HIV cannot cause AIDS. Arguments/questions that haven't been answered till today. Dr. Duesberg is not alone. Top scientists and Nobel Prize winners agree with him, like: dr. Rasnick, that discovered the protease inhibitors that are being used as HIV drugs. Dr Mullis a nobel prize winner, invented the PCR, the method being used to detect viruses (including HIV). Richard Strohman, professor at the department of Cell Biology in University of California, Berkeley. Nobel prize winner dr. Walter Gilbert from Harvard University and dr. Charles Thomas, a Molecular Biologist and former Professor of Biochemistry at Harvard University.
Those scientists claim that whoever doesn't support the hypothesis that HIV causes AIDS gets no funding for his research, so young scientists don't even dare to oppose the HIV=AIDS hypothesis anymore. Dr Duesberg even calls them "prostitutes".
CategoryScience & Technology

CORONAVIRUS
WHO concerned by 'rapid escalation' of coronavirus, as U.S. death toll nears 5,000
"In the next few days we will reach 1 million confirmed cases, and 50 thousand deaths,” the World Health Organization's Director-General warned.
April 2, 2020 By Saphora Smith
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/who-concerned-rapid-escalation-coronavirus-u-s-death-toll-nears-n1174696

The head of the World Health Organization has voiced deep concern over the “rapid escalation” and global spread of the new coronavirus pandemic, as the United States nears a grim milestone of 5,000 deaths.
“Over the past five weeks, we have witnessed a near exponential growth in the number of new cases, reaching almost every country, territory and area,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesuss told a virtual news conference at the organisation's Geneva headquarters on Wednesday.
“The number of deaths has more than doubled in the past week. In the next few days we will reach 1 million confirmed cases, and 50,000 deaths,” he added.

The stark warning comes as the United States barrels towards marking 5,000 coronavirus-related deaths, with more than 4,800 already recorded across the country as of early Thursday morning. On Wednesday, the death toll in New York state jumped 25 percent in just 24 hours to nearly 2,000 dead, according to NBC News’ tally.

Having first emerged in China in December, four months later it is the United States that has registered by far the highest number of coronavirus cases, more than 210,000 as of Thursday, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

The total number of people infected worldwide has now surpassed 940,000 and the number of coronavirus related deaths recorded has breached 47,500, according to Johns Hopkins.
However, the numbers are believed to be much higher due to limited numbers of tests in many countries, differences in counting the dead and a large number of mild cases believed to have gone unreported.
While the United States has recorded the highest number of cases, Italy has outstripped other nations when it comes to coronavirus-related deaths, with more than 13,000 according to Italian authorities.
On Wednesday evening, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte signed a decree extending Italy’s lockdown measures until April 13. The current lockdown was due to elapse on April 3.
Conte said he was sorry that the lockdown would include Easter celebrations but that the country could not “lower our guard, now that we are seeing the first results of the restrictive measures.”
His comments came after the president of Italy's National Institute of Health told reporters that his country's coronavirus curve had reached the stage before the contagion begins to decline.
On Thursday Spain confirmed it had passed the 10,000 death mark. But despite its high death toll, experts there say they have witnessed some positive developments in recent days.
Fernando Simón, head of the country's emergency coordination center, said Wednesday that he believes Spain has reached its own peak.

“All data indicate we’re going in the right direction. But we must maintain the measures implemented to further reduce risk of infection,” he told reporters via Skype.
The number of coronavirus patients in intensive care units in Madrid also decreased for the first time on Wednesday.
However, only time will tell whether these positive assessments last.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced Thursday that he would be in isolation until next Wednesday after Israel’s health minister tested positive for the coronavirus.
The decision was made following the recommendation of his personal physician and the instructions of the ministry of health, his office added.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Dr. Thomas Cowan, M.D. discusses the Coronavirus
New Paradigm Astrology
Dr. Thomas Cowan, M.D. hypothesizes that Coronavirus may be history repeating itself and caused by 5G. Shot at the Health And Human Rights Summit in Tucson, Arizona on March 12, 2020. Camera, sound and editing by Joshua Coleman.
Category: Education

Click here for CORONAVIRUS Updates -NBC News
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nursing-home-s-coronavirus-lockdown-keeps-wife-her-husband-58-n1154246?icid=related

CORONAVIRUS / WORLD
Life on a block with an emergency morgue truck: ‘We hear the hum of the refrigerator going all night long’
'Hospitals around the country should be prepared for this to come.'
ANNIE WALDMAN - APR 02, 2020
THE DECEASED WERE MOVED IN PLAIN VIEW (IMAGE: MARC KOZLOW)

A REFRIGERATED TRUCK OUTSIDE WYCKOFF HEIGHTS MEDICAL CENTER. (IMAGE: MARC KOZLO
This story was originally published by ProPublica.
Warning: The article contains images that some readers may find disturbing.

Across New York City, there are unthinkable scenes everywhere. Empty public spaces. Teeming emergency rooms. Shuttered churches.
For Marc Kozlow, the unthinkable played out on Stanhope Street in Brooklyn this weekend. He lives on the block with his fiancee and dog, a rescue named Hank.
Near his apartment is Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, a 350-bed nonprofit hospital in Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood. Most of the hospital’s patients are people of color; about a fifth are 70 or older. This month, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced an 82-year-old Brooklyn woman at Wyckoff was the city’s first official COVID-19 death.

As of Sunday, the city’s death toll had risen to 776, accounting for more than quarter of the deaths nationwide. The city has brought in at least 45 refrigerated trucks and tents, in case hospitals and morgues reach capacity for the number of deceased that they can hold. “They are distributed as needed to support hospitals,” said Aja Worthy-Davis, a spokeswoman for the Office of Chief Medical Examiner.

Wyckoff has a refrigerated truck, said hospital CEO Ramon J. Rodriguez. It is on the side of the hospital, close to the loading dock. The morgue is in the basement.

Kozlow shared with ProPublica several pictures he’d taken because he wants the country to take sensible precautions. “I understand the time that we’re in, and I understand how this virus is taking over everything,” he said. “I shared the photos with the intention that the rest of the U.S. knows to take it seriously. This is what the country should be aware of, and hospitals around the country should prepare for this to come.”

His account has been edited for clarity and brevity.
“It’s not a huge hospital. We have a dog. I have to take him out three or four times a day. All around the hospital is littered with surgical masks and used gloves that are not finding their ways into trash. I started thinking, ‘What the hell is happening?’
“And then two days ago, the trailer arrived. I didn’t think twice of it. I thought it was possibly one of the many additional medical supply trucks that the hospital needed. When I was taking the dog out for the evening walk, I walked past the truck. I watched a man in full protective gear work the trash compactor in a hazmat suit. A doctor and a nurse were walking and the doctor said, ‘They got mad bodies in there.’
“And then on Saturday morning, they started building a platform. They’re drilling and setting up this platform system on the street. They finished the platform, and then they basically carted out what looked like a body in a gurney, but I was very unsure of what it was and they opened it up and it was a coffin. The guys on the platform pulled out a body from the trailer, and put it into the coffin. About three to four hours later, it was like a conveyor line of bodies.
“This was about 6 to 7 p.m. There were at least 10 bodies going into the trailer. The first ones had bags, and then they were one by one on gurneys, and then they started coming two per gurney, they were just covered in sheets.

“We leave our windows open and we hear the hum of the refrigerator going all night long. It’s disturbing to know what’s in there.”
This story was originally published by ProPublica.
Annie Waldman is a reporter at ProPublica covering education.

​Coronavirus: Trump’s tone changes as US faces brutal loss of life -President cedes stage as experts predict up to 240,000 deaths from Covid-19 in US
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/us/coronavirus-trump-s-tone-changes-as-us-faces-brutal-loss-of-life-1.4218238?mode=sample&auth-failed=1&pw-origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Fus%2Fcoronavirus-trump-s-tone-changes-as-us-faces-brutal-loss-of-life-1.4218238
Suzanne Lynch Washington Correspondent
March 24th, 2019: US president Donald Trump says he hopes to ease Covid-19 restrictions and reboot the US economy by Easter, April 12th, despite health experts warning that restrictions might need to stay in place for months. Video: The White House As the number of coronavirus cases rises in the United States, the nation’s attention has turned to the daily coronavirus briefings from the White House. The evening briefing has become must-see TV, a fact not lost on President Donald Trump, who spent much of Sunday tweeting about his high “ratings”. The star attraction is not the president, however, but the double act leading the briefings – top immunologist Dr Anthony Fauci and coronavirus taskforce chief Dr Deborah Birx.

CORONAVIRUS
Nursing home's coronavirus lockdown keeps wife from her husband of 58 years

March 11, 2020 By Mike Hixenbaugh
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nursing-home-s-coronavirus-lockdown-keeps-wife-her-husband-58-n1154246?icid=related
For nearly six decades, Bonnie Polin was rarely apart from her husband. But with nursing homes working to stop the spread of the coronavirus, she's stuck on the outside.
Bonnie Polin usually visits her husband, Gerald, at his nursing home, twice every day.Leah Nash / for NBC News
Twice a day, Bonnie Polin, 78, drives a few miles to visit her husband at his nursing home in Portland, Oregon. She sits with him while he eats breakfast and tells him stories that she knows he probably won’t remember.
“I fell in love with him because he was so damned smart, and now he’s in the end stages of Parkinson’s disease,” Polin said of her husband, Gerald, 83, a retired psychiatrist. “But he’s still as handsome as ever.”
Polin paused early one morning last week when she arrived for a visit and noticed a new sign posted at the entrance. In response to the worsening coronavirus outbreak, officials at the Avamere Crestview of Portland, an adult care facility, like untold numbers of other nursing homes across the country in recent days, had decided to ban visitors.
Polin read the sign twice. Then she darted past it and went looking for her husband. In the nearly 58 years since they got married, the pair had rarely spent a day apart. When Polin found him, asleep in his wheelchair, she grabbed his hand.
She knew she wouldn’t have long.
“Sweetie, I’m not going to be able to come see you for a while,” she recalled telling him.
She explained that there was a serious new virus spreading in Oregon and across the country, and that elderly people were at higher risk — though she doubts he understood any of that. A minute later, a nursing home staff member arrived and told Polin she needed to leave.
She kissed her husband and told him goodbye; he didn't reply.
“I don’t know when I’ll see you again,” she told him, before heading for the exit.
For Polin and thousands of others with relatives in nursing homes, the coronavirus outbreak has ushered in a painful new normal. After a nursing home outside Seattle became the U.S. epicenter of a deadly outbreak that has killed at least 18 residents, senior living facilities around the nation have begun banning visitors, in the hopes of preventing similar tragedies.
Many nursing homes have been restricting visits from people with flu-like symptoms and those who have recently traveled abroad. But in recent days, as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. has grown, many facilities announced that they would begin prohibiting social visits altogether.
“As every day unfolds, it becomes clearer that the skilled nursing sector and the assisted living sector face one of the most significant challenges, if not the most significant challenge, in our histories,” said Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of the nursing home trade group American Health Care Association, which Tuesday announced new national guidance recommending that nursing homes prohibit visits from anyone other than health care providers and other essential workers. “The evidence has become overwhelming that the mortality rate to COVID-19 for people that live in our buildings is shocking.”
Although many patients have reported only moderate symptoms, experts say people over the age of 70 are at serious risk of respiratory failure or death. Parkinson said experts were telling him that the death rate for people over the age of 80 might well exceed 15 percent, though government officials say it won’t be possible to calculate a true mortality rate until far more people are tested.
On Monday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that state officials had barred visitors from senior living facilities in New Rochelle, a New York City suburb at the center of an emerging outbreak in the region. Later that evening, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued national guidelines for nursing homes, including a recommendation to limit or end social visits from loved ones.
Public health officials say these drastic measures are needed to slow the spread of the coronavirus among those most vulnerable to it.
As the outbreak worsened at the Life Care Center in the suburbs of Seattle last week, news reports revealed the tragic consequences that can follow when a nursing home is put on lockdown — a grim foreshadowing of what experts worry could be repeated across the country in the coming weeks.
Some of those cut off from their elderly loved ones at Life Care said they were struggling to learn basic details about what was happening in the facility. Others said they feared they would never see their parents or grandparents again, given their poor health. Photos of a gray-haired woman standing at a window, trying to talk to her quarantined husband on the other side of the glass, made national headlines.
Do you have a story to share about your experience with nursing homes during the coronavirus outbreak? Contact us
Bryan James, an epidemiologist at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center in Chicago, said nursing homes are probably doing the right thing by restricting access until the outbreak is brought under control. But those decisions come at a cost, said James, who studies the way people’s social connections affect their health as they age.
“I think that by isolating people and saying that their family members can’t come to see them, you can very well see scenarios where people begin losing a sense of purpose in their lives,” James said. “That social connectedness is incredibly important in keeping people going every day and keeping people healthy.”
James said relationships with friends and family help people stay mentally sharp as they grow older. He worries that prolonged restrictions on nursing home visits could be devastating for some residents, particularly those already in very poor health. Some, he said, might be forced to spend their final moments alone.
“We already have the problem of people dying alone in this country at such high numbers,” he said. “And now I worry that we’re going to have even more people dying alone in hospice without their loved ones next to them, even though their families desperately want to be with them.”
Yvonne Michael, an epidemiologist at Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health in Philadelphia, said nursing homes that ban visitors might need to plan additional social activities to keep residents from feeling isolated.
But that won’t help family members on the outside.
“At the end of the day, it might be harder for the person outside the nursing home than the one inside of it,” Michael said. “For the family members on the outside, that sense of hopelessness — of not being able to be with their loved one who needs them — could also be devastating.”
Bonnie Polin was just beginning to shake the guilt that she’d carried since she’d made the decision a year ago to move her husband to a facility that could provide nursing care.
She’d met Gerald in 1961, at a play. He sat down next to her after the first intermission. She was a sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He had just graduated from medical school.
“We started talking that night,” Polin said, “and then never stopped.”
She studied to become a psychologist, and for decades afterward, she and her husband worked together at his medical practice.
“It was such a joy to be with him,” Polin said. “That’s part of my problem now. We had such a good life together. I don’t want to let it go.”
They loved their work. They loved their two children. And they loved to travel abroad.

She first noticed the tremor in his fingers when he was in his late 60s. They were holding hands at a movie. She hoped it was nothing, but he knew right away that wasn’t true. For years afterward, as Parkinson's disease made its slow march, he continued to work. Then she noticed his intellect and memory begin to slip. For years, she refused to put him in a home, but eventually he became a danger to her and to himself.
“I couldn’t keep picking him up off the floor,” Polin said. “It was unsafe for both of us.”
Her son, Dr. Richard Polin, a neurosurgeon, told her it was time to move his father from the senior center where they’d been living together and into a facility with skilled nursing care. One nearby, so she could still visit him often. He hadn’t considered the possibility that a global outbreak might keep them apart.
“I’m not complaining about the policies,” Richard Polin said. “I think the policies are probably correct. But it’s just devastating for people like my parents.”

It’s been more than a week since Polin has been allowed to see her husband. She calls every day, but he needs an aide to hold the phone to his ear, and someone is not always available. Video calls would only confuse him. But she likes to hear his voice.
She tells him that she misses him. That she’ll come see him as soon as she can.
“It’s heartbreaking for me,” Polin said. “Because he can’t understand why I haven’t been coming.”
Most of the calls end the same way, she said.
She tells him she loves him and that she hopes to see him soon; he tells her to come right away with the suitcases.
“Let’s leave for Europe,” he says.
Mike Hixenbaugh
Mike Hixenbaugh is a national investigative reporter for NBC News, based in Houston.

Shoshana Zuboff on surveillance capitalism | VPRO Documentary
vpro documentary

Harvard professor Shoshana Zuboff wrote a monumental book about the new economic order that is alarming. "The Age of Surveillance Capitalism," reveals how the biggest tech companies deal with our data. How do we regain control of our data? What is surveillance capitalism? In this documentary, Zuboff takes the lid off Google and Facebook and reveals a merciless form of capitalism in which no natural resources, but the citizen itself, serves as a raw material. How can citizens regain control of their data? It is 2000, and the dot.com crisis has caused deep wounds. How will startup Google survive the bursting of the internet bubble? Founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin don't know anymore how to turn the tide. By chance, Google discovers that the "residual data" that people leave behind in their searches on the internet is very precious and tradable. This residual data can be used to predict the behavior of the internet user. Internet advertisements can, therefore, be used in a very targeted and effective way. A completely new business model is born: "surveillance capitalism." Original title: De grote dataroof Director: Roland Duong Research: Tom Reijner, Halil Ibrahim Özpamuk Camera: Adri Schrover Sound: Jochem Salemink Editing: Roland Duong, Paul Delput, Rinze Schuurman Production: Marie Schutgens Production assistant: Britt Bennink Image Editing: Rob Dorrestijn, Paula Witkamp Online Coordinator: Arja van den Bergh Commissioning Editors: Bregtje van der Haak, Doke Romeijn On VPRO broadcast you will find nonfiction videos with English subtitles, French subtitles and Spanish subtitles, such as documentaries, short interviews and documentary series. This channel offers some of the best travel series from the Dutch broadcaster VPRO. Our series explore cultures from all over the world. VPRO storytellers have lived abroad for years with an open mind and endless curiosity, allowing them to become one with their new country. Thanks to these qualities, they are the perfect guides to let you experience a place and culture through the eyes of a local. Uncovering the soul of a country, through an intrinsic and honest connection, is what VPRO and its presenters do best. So subscribe to our channel, and we will be delighted to share our adventures with you! more information at

https://www.VPRObroadcast.com

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CategoryNews & Politics

Watch Sky News live on the Coronavirus-Corvid-19 Pendemic
#SkyNewsLive #Coronavirus #COVID19
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Today's top stories: Sir Keir Starmer has won the contest to succeed Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader. Another 708 people have died after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK, including a five year-old child who is the youngest victim to date. Boris Johnson's fiancee Carrie Symonds, who is pregnant with the couple's first child, says she has spent the past week in bed with symptoms of coronavirus. 🔴 Sir Keir Starmer has been elected as the new Labour leader https://trib.al/fxhi0SU 🔴 A five-year-old child is among 708 more coronavirus deaths in the UK https://trib.al/qtw4VAl 🔴 Prime Minister Boris Johnson's pregnant fiancee Carrie Symonds has had symptoms of coronavirus https://trib.al/Ht4XV1z #SkyNewsLive #Coronavirus #COVID19 #NHS

How contagious is the coronavirus?
New research finds that people are most contagious early on in their illness, before symptoms fully ramp up.

April 3, 2020 - By Erika Edwards
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/how-contagious-coronavirus-n1175071

In just three months, more than 1 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported around the world, including close to a quarter-million in the U.S. alone. The virus has killed more than 50,000 people and defied many countries' efforts to stop its spread.
The grim statistics raise a question: Just how contagious is the coronavirus?
It's a question scientists are trying to answer in real time as more data on the illness roll in.
A study published Wednesday in the journal Nature found that people with minor complaints — slight cough, headache, low-grade fever — are most contagious at the earliest stages of their illness, either right before their symptoms begin or within the first few days.
That's concerning, because physicians have noted that the illness tends to ramp up slowly in many patients, who don't necessarily know they're sick until about a week later.

A critical care physician in New Orleans told NBC News that the process is like a "slow burn."
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, called the findings in the Nature study "disturbing" in an interview with "TODAY" on Thursday.
"That person could be out there feeling well and inadvertently and innocently spreading the infection," Fauci said.

Contagiousness is measured by how much of the virus a person releases into his or her surroundings, a process called "viral shedding."
Respiratory droplets — packed with virus particles spewed when a person coughs or sneezes — remain the "leading mode of transmission," said Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children's Hospital and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

"We know that people who are symptomatic are likely spreading this virus through coughing and sneezing," Hotez said. "

mall micro-droplets travel within a few feet and land on the ground or they go directly onto people's faces."

On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added "talking" to the list of ways respiratory droplets can spread from person to person, which may explain in part how transmission takes place among people without symptoms like coughing and sneezing.

The phenomenon, known as asymptomatic transmission, could account for up to a quarter of transmissions.

How can I protect myself?
Despite the unknowns, there are some tried and true basics to infectious disease control that can help: social distancing, meaning staying at least 6 feet away from others, and proper hand-washing.
Experts advise scrubbing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using hand sanitizer if soap isn't available.
While wearing a fabric mask won't necessarily reduce your own risk of getting sick, it can help prevent the spread of the virus to others around you.

Doctors also advise taking this time to care for your overall health. That includes taking medications as prescribed; keeping in touch, even remotely, with family doctors; and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
"If you're not sleeping well, if you're not eating well, if you're drinking too much alcohol or smoking or vaping, you're not doing yourself any favors during this time of biologic vulnerability," said Dr. Alexa Mieses, a family physician in Durham, North Carolina.

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The constellation will consist of up to 1,000 communication satellites deployed on 500km-1,000km LEOs, 
Which country has the most satellites?
China follows with 280, and Russia is third with 147. Surprisingly, Luxembourg operates more active satellites than large European countries like Germany, Spain and Italy.Mar 4, 2019
How many satellite networks are there?
There are two basic types of satellite systems that are used for satellite communication.
The constellation will consist of up to 1,000 communication satellites deployed on 500km-1,000km LEOs, seamlessly expanding the terrestrial communication networks.Jan 20, 2020  
https://www.capacitymedia.com/articles/3824786/chinas-galaxyspace-5g-satellite-launches-into-leo 

China's GalaxySpace 5G satellite launches into LEO
The Yinhe-1 broadband communication satellite, independently developed and operated by GalaxySpace, has successfully launched into orbit.

The low earth orbit (LEO) satellite, which has communications capability of 10Gbps, will provide users with broadband communication services through satellite terminals. Now the satellite is in orbit, having been carried on the Kuaizhou-1A (Y9) rocket from the Jiuquan satellite launch centre, relevant technology and operational verifications will now be carried out accordingly.

GalaxySpace was founded in 2016 with the aim of mass-producing low-cost, high-performance satellites through an agile and fast-iterative development model. Building the "world's leading LEO broadband satellite constellation and a global coverage with 5G communication network".
The Beijing-based communications satellite provider's mission is to improve the network connection condition of all regions and individuals with its low latency 5G satellites to create a global converged 5G communications network. Via the satellite constellation, status and information of global scale IoT networks can be accessed, monitored, transmitted and shared in a real-time, seamless and secure way.
The constellation will consist of up to 1,000 communication satellites deployed on 500km-1,000km LEOs, seamlessly expanding the terrestrial communication networks. Aligning with 5G standards, the constellation will allow users to access 5G networks with high speed and flexibility, using small, intelligent, low-cost satellite user terminals that are suitable for use in schools, homes, automobiles, aircrafts and many other scenarios.

The satellites were developed in collaboration with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CAST), with the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) and with the China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC). When the Galaxy constellation satellite approaches the end of its service time, the satellite will automatically perform manoeuvres and then burn out in the atmosphere.

The LEO satellites will help to provide a backhaul path for terrestrial 5G base stations and the launch represents China's second of 2020 but its first in regards to 5G technology.

How many satellites will Starlink have?
60 Starlink satellites stacked together just after being launched on 24 May 2019. Starlink is a satellite constellation being constructed by American company SpaceX to provide satellite Internet access.
20 January 2020 | Jason McGee-Abe
https://www.space.com/5g-in-space-internet-satellites.html 

Space Companies Are Investing Big in 5G Technology
By Elizabeth Howell October 20, 2019
Satellite internet is going to be a big thing.
[A view of SpaceX's first 60 Starlink satellites in orbit, still in stacked configuration, with the Earth as a brilliant blue backdrop on May 23, 2019.]A view of SpaceX's first 60 Starlink satellites in orbit, still in stacked configuration, with the Earth as a brilliant blue backdrop on May 23, 2019.
(Image: © SpaceX)

 Space companies worldwide want to bring more data to your devices, faster than ever before.
Entities ranging from SpaceX to Amazon are launching (or may launch soon) huge numbers of new satellites that can carry the extra bandwidth. And cellular network providers around the world are upgrading their equipment on the ground to meet the expected future demand.

This new technology is being built out for new 5G networks. It's touted as a big leap over current 4G technology, which allows you to do data-intensive things like stream Netflix.
5G will be even better, Will Townsend, a senior analyst for market research firm Moors Insight & Strategy, told Space.com. Users will experience less latency, he said. Latency refers to the time it takes to send a packet of data to a receiver (like a cellphone) on a network. 4G networks have about 50 milliseconds of latency, and 5G networks are expected to be 10 times better, with latencies of less than 5 milliseconds.
This will result in a "faster and more responsive" experience, Townsend said in an email. "For consumers, this will equate to faster downloads and a non-buffered video playback experience," he said. "Mobile gamers will appreciate fast responsiveness." Business applications will range from remote manufacturing to telesurgery, he added, and there will be a "richer retail experience bridging online capabilities." The growth of 5G will also help to address the rise of the internet of things, or the proliferation of network-connected, or "smart," devices. There are already smart fridges, stoves and security systems, for example, and consumers are also using wearable devices that share bandwidth on crowded mobile networks. 

Meanwhile, businesses have embedded tracking devices in locations such as shipping containers, oil and gas lines, and power generators, with each device providing real-time information on the status of the thing being tracked. This information is meant to make it easier for companies to respond if something breaks and to keep better track of shipments crossing the globe with manufactured goods. Whole industries may change with the rise of connected devices, such as driving (with the use of autonomous vehicles) or factories (with production lines that may be able to monitor themselves).

When is 5G coming?
In the United States, the big four carriers — AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon — have already launched mobile 5G in a handful of metro areas. For example, as of July, Sprint had deployed mobile 5G in parts of Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and Kansas City, Missouri, according to an article Townsend wrote for Forbes. And deployment will continue for all carriers through the rest of 2019 and into 2020, he said.
In many cases, however, you won't be able to access the network with your older device. Once the infrastructure equipment is upgraded, consumers will need to buy new cellphones. Check your preferred brand carefully. "Samsung and Android devices will lead Apple by 18 to 24 months in handsets," Townsend said. But there is big potential for carriers, who "are spending billions globally to upgrade the networks because they see the potential in monetizing new services," he added.

On the business side, one of the big arguments for moving to 5G is the ability to participate in "Industry 4.0," or the fourth industrial revolution. This term commonly refers to factories embedded with wireless connectivity in their machines and equipment. Using emerging artificial intelligence, the goal is for the factory to monitor its own production line and to make changes as needed for safety, efficiency or other needs. Some analysts worry that AI could replace jobs and make unemployment rise, while others are optimistic, saying new job opportunities will arise with the new technology.

Related: Elon Musk Worries That AI Research Will Create an 'Immortal Dictator'
Which space companies are working on 5G?
Many space entities are rushing to be trendsetters in 5G. For example, SpaceX has received approval to launch nearly 12,000 Starlink internet satellites (and recently applied to loft up to 30,000 more). In May, SpaceX launched its first 60 Starlink craft, which operate at a low-Earth-orbit altitude of about 342 miles (550 kilometers). (For comparison, the International Space Station orbits about 250 miles, or 400 km, above Earth.)

OneWeb has satellite-internet plans as well. The company plans to assemble a constellation of nearly 650 satellites to make web access easier around the world. OneWeb launched the first group of six satellites in February aboard a Soyuz rocket provided by European launch company Arianespace. These satellites circle Earth in near-polar orbits, at an altitude of roughly 750 miles (1,200 km). Amazon and Facebook are among the other companies planning 5G satellite networks.

What are the risks of 5G
The proliferation of 5G satellites in orbit raises a number of questions from industry observers. A big one is the rising risk of collisions, which could, theoretically, spawn huge populations of orbital debris. The world got an inkling of this risk last month, when a European satellite made a precautionary maneuver to dodge a potential collision with one of the SpaceX Starlink satellites.
There also are worries about radio-frequency interference with all of these coming satellites. Operators of weather satellites, in particular, are concerned about some of the authorized 5G frequencies approaching the 23.8-gigahertz frequency commonly used in weather forecasts. At this bandwidth, "water vapor in the atmosphere gives off a feeble signal," and the satellites can examine humidity in the atmosphere, even if the region is cloudy, Popular Mechanics reported. That said, both NASA and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are negotiating with the Federal Communications Commission (which allocates spectrum frequencies to U.S. companies) to protect weather satellites, according to Popular Mechanics.

There's also concern that the abundance of satellites will interfere with sky observations. In June, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) expressed concern that thousands of satellites could interfere with the ability to examine dim and distant objects, not to mention the lives of nocturnal animals. "We do not yet understand the impact of thousands of these visible satellites scattered across the night sky, and despite their good intentions, these satellite constellations may threaten both," IAU officials said in a statement at the time.


As the 5G providers work out these kinks, there may be unpredictable effects of the new mobile technology, Townsend said. "Case in point: 4G LTE brought the capabilities required to make ride sharing a reality; no one really predicted that use case," he said. Townsend called this a positive development, as it "disrupted a multibillion [dollar] taxi cab industry [and] created new income opportunity" for individuals.

What Is 5G? The Definitive Guide to the 5G Network Rollout
Satellite Quiz: How Well Do You Know What's Orbiting Earth?
Space Junk Explained: How Orbital Debris Threatens Future of Spaceflight (Infographic)

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5G Network: How It Works, and Is It Dangerous?
By Tim Childers July 17, 2019
With 5G, mobile devices will be able to send and receive information in less than one-thousandth of a second, appearing instantaneous to the user.(Image: © Shutterstock)
https://www.livescience.com/65959-5g-network.html 
The fifth generation of cellular technology, 5G, is the next great leap in speed for wireless devices. This speed includes both the rate mobile users can download data to their devices and the latency, or lag, they experience between sending and receiving information.
5G aims to deliver data rates that are 10 to 100 times faster than current 4G networks. Users should expect to see download speeds on the order of gigabits per second (Gb/s), much greater than the tens of megabits per second (Mb/s) speeds of 4G.
"That's significant because it will enable new applications that are just not possible today," said Harish Krishnaswamy, an associate professor of electrical engineering at Columbia University in New York. "Just for an example, at gigabits per second data rates, you could potentially download a movie to your phone or tablet in a matter of seconds. Those type of data rates could enable virtual reality applications or autonomous driving cars."
Apart from requiring high data rates, emerging technologies that interact with the user's environment like augmented reality or self-driving cars will also require extremely low latency. For that reason, the goal of 5G is to achieve latencies below the 1-millisecond mark. Mobile devices will be able to send and receive information in less than one-thousandth of a second, appearing instantaneous to the user. To accomplish these speeds, the rollout of 5G requires new technology and infrastructure. 

The new network
Since the earliest generation of mobile phones, wireless networks have operated on the same radio-frequency bands of the electromagnetic spectrum. But as more users crowd the network and demand more data than ever before, these radio-wave highways become increasingly congested with cellular traffic. To compensate, cellular providers want to expand into the higher frequencies of millimeter waves.
Millimeter waves use frequencies from 30 to 300 gigahertz, which are 10 to 100 times higher than the radio waves used today for 4G and WiFi networks. They're called millimeter because their wavelengths vary between 1 and 10 millimeters, where as radio waves are on the order of centimeters.
The higher frequency of millimeter waves may create new lanes on the communication highway, but there's one problem: Millimeter waves are easily absorbed by foliage and buildings and will require many closely spaced base stations, called small cells. Fortunately, these stations are much smaller and require less power than traditional cell towers and can be placed atop buildings and light poles.
The miniaturization of base stations also enables another technological breakthrough for 5G: Massive MIMO. MIMO stands for multiple-input multiple-output, and refers to a configuration that takes advantage of the smaller antennas needed for millimeter waves by dramatically increasing the number of antenna ports in each base station.
"With a massive amount of antennas — tens to hundreds of antennas at each base station — you can serve many different users at the same, increasing the data rate," Krishnaswamy said. At the Columbia high-Speed and Millimeter-wave IC (COSMIC) lab, Krishnaswamy and his team designed chips that enable both millimeter wave and  MIMO technologies. "Millimeter-wave and massive MIMO are the two biggest technologies 5G will use to deliver the higher data rates and lower latency we expect to see."
[Although 5G will require more base stations, they'll be much smaller and require less power than traditional cell towers.]Although 5G will require more base stations, they'll be much smaller and require less power than traditional cell towers. (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Is 5G dangerous?
Although 5G may improve our day to day lives, some consumers have voiced concern about potential health hazards. Many of these concerns are over 5G's use of the higher energy millimeter-wave radiation.
"There's often confusion between ionizing and non-ionizing radiation because the term radiation is used for both," said Kenneth Foster, a professor of bioengineering at Pennsylvania State University. "All light is radiation because it is simply energy moving through space. It's ionizing radiation that is dangerous because it can break chemical bonds."
Ionizing radiation is the reason we wear sunscreen outside because short-wavelength ultraviolet light from the sky has enough energy to knock electrons from their atoms, damaging skin cells and DNA. Millimeter waves, on the other hand, are non-ionizing because they have longer wavelengths and not enough energy to damage cells directly.
"The only established hazard of non-ionizing radiation is too much heating," Foster said, who has studied the health effects of radio waves for nearly 50 years. "At high exposure levels, radio frequency (RF) energy can indeed be hazardous, producing burns or other thermal damage, but these exposures are typically incurred only in occupational settings near high-powered radio frequency transmitters, or sometimes in medical procedures gone awry."

Many of the public's outcries over the adoption of 5G echo concerns over previous generations of cellular technology. Skeptics believe exposure to non-ionizing radiation may still be responsible for a range of illnesses, from brain tumors to chronic headaches. Over the years, there have been thousands of studies investigating these concerns.

In 2018, the National Toxicology Program released a decade-long study that found some evidence of an increase in brain and adrenal gland tumors in male rats exposed to the RF radiation emitted by 2G and 3G cellphones, but not in mice or female rats. The animals were exposed to levels of radiation four times higher than the maximum level permitted for human exposure.

Many opponents to the use of RF waves cherry-pick studies that support their argument, and often ignore the quality of the experimental methods or inconsistency of the results, Foster said. Although he disagrees with many of the conclusions skeptics have about previous generations of cellular networks, Foster agrees that we need more studies on the potential health effects of 5G networks.

"Everyone I know, including me, is recommending more research on 5G because there's not a lot of toxicology studies with this technology," Foster said.

For the proponents of 5G, many believe the benefits 5G can provide to society far outweigh the unknowns.

"I think 5G will have a transformational impact on our lives and enable fundamentally new things," Krishnaswamy said. "What those types of applications will be and what that impact is, we can't say for sure right now. It could be something that takes us by surprise and really changes something for society. If history has taught us anything, then 5G will be another example of what wireless can do for us."

Additional resources:
Learn more about previous generations of cellphones and why 5G is the next step.What do other health experts have to say about cellphone usage?Find out if 5G is available in your area.