Patterico's Pontifications

3/27/2020

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson Tests Positive For Coronavirus

Filed under: General — Dana @ 8:55 am



[guest post by Dana]

Actually, Boris Johnson and Health Secretary Matt Hancock both tested positive for coronavirus:

Both announced their infections Friday on Twitter and tried to allay concerns that Westminster’s response to the virus might be compromised.

The announcements come as British health authorities announced another 181 fatalities on Friday, bringing the death toll to 759. More than 14,500 infections have been recorded, but as the UK is not testing widely, true infection numbers are likely to be much higher.

While it is unknown where he got the virus, he certainly was playing fast and loose with his conduct as recently as early March:

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday that coronavirus would not stop him greeting people with a handshake, adding that he had shaken the hands of everyone at a hospital where infected patients were being treated.

…

“I’m shaking hands,” Johnson said when asked how he planned to handle visiting dignitaries.

“I was at a hospital the other night where I think a few there were actually coronavirus patients and I shook hands with everybody, you’ll be pleased to know, and I continue to shake hands.

He said people were free to make up their own minds, but referred to the scientific advice he had received: “Our judgment is washing your hands is the crucial thing.”

No wonder some are labeling him an “imbecile” in light of his diagnosis.

–Dana

83 Responses to “British Prime Minister Boris Johnson Tests Positive For Coronavirus”

  1. It’s either a fool or an arrogant twit who believes he will be the exception.

    Dana (4fb37f) — 3/27/2020 @ 8:56 am

  2. Reports say that after Johnson made the announcement that the country was going on lockdown until at least April 13, there didn’t seem to be too much concern or awareness:

    For a start, compared to most countries, the UK had a porous and half-hearted beginning to its isolation measures, with seemingly few people choosing to stay inside.

    Less than 12 hours after the Prime Minister’s historic address to the nation, the London Underground was jammed with commuters, while builders were seen eating together in communal canteens, making a mockery of the Government’s rule that no more than two people can gather together in public….

    That’s an interesting contrast to a recent WaPo poll (which granted, we’ve had various social distancing/stay at home measures in place for a longer period than the UK):

    The American people are united and rising to the occasion to fight the spread of the disease, according to a new poll conducted by the Washington Post. Nine out of ten Americans say they are maintaining social distance and staying home as much as possible in response to the outbreak

    Dana (4fb37f) — 3/27/2020 @ 9:04 am

  3. It’s either a fool or an arrogant twit who believes he will be the exception.

    The initial British response was to stagger shutdown to protect the economy to develop herd immunity. I don’t think Boris Johnson (or his Minister of Health) thought he was “the exception” so your criticism is off point.

    Make America Ordered Again (23f793) — 3/27/2020 @ 9:07 am

  4. Obviously I disagree with your assessment, MAOA.

    Dana (4fb37f) — 3/27/2020 @ 9:08 am

  5. Boris Johnson, 100% Turk on the male line of descent, is the Ottoman Empire’s revenge on the British for Lawrence of Arabia.

    nk (1d9030) — 3/27/2020 @ 9:09 am

  6. Obviously I disagree with your assessment, MAOA.

    Well, what would you base your disagreement on? Obviously a strategy of “herd immunity” would result, actually require, people being infected, wouldn’t it? On what grounds do you conclude Boris Johnson thought he would be “the exception”?

    Make America Ordered Again (23f793) — 3/27/2020 @ 9:13 am

  7. Well, what would you base your disagreement on? Obviously a strategy of “herd immunity” would result, actually require, people being infected, wouldn’t it? On what grounds do you conclude Boris Johnson thought he would be “the exception”?

    And that approach has the “herd” (humans) getting sick all at once, overrunning the health system, and about 3% dying. Even of it only took 50% of the population to be effected, it doesn’t, that’s 33M people, or 1M dead, over a short period of time. Well, maybe it’s only 1%, a mere 330k people. More than half, 571k, of the total annual deaths in the UK.

    Again, 50% for herd immunity is a very low, it would have to be closer to 70%.

    Colonel Klink (Ret) (305827) — 3/27/2020 @ 9:22 am

  8. I’m not defending the policy. I’m asking on what basis does Dana conclude Johnson thought he would be an exception to his own policy?

    Make America Ordered Again (23f793) — 3/27/2020 @ 9:24 am

  9. “Herd immunity” was not the British “strategy” – it was an offhand and wildly ignorant remark made by some government official, and was decried immediately.

    Leviticus (28a6ca) — 3/27/2020 @ 9:25 am

  10. Reality check… https://imgflip.com/i/3tup2v

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 3/27/2020 @ 9:27 am

  11. I know that Russia would love for the West to have millions of its citizens wiped out by a misguided “herd immunity” strategy, MAOA, and I’m probably not the only one that knows that. You probably know it too, for instance.

    Leviticus (28a6ca) — 3/27/2020 @ 9:30 am

  12. Maybe BJ realizes that actual nondistanced contact is vital for a lot of people, especially if they are in a superstressful situation like a hospital during this little pestilence, no matter what the health risks are. He may be an idiot, but he is successful at being a politician.

    Kishnevi (dfdff5) — 3/27/2020 @ 9:30 am

  13. Maybe you can link to some document or article indicating that “herd immunity” was the official British “strategy” or “policy”?

    Oh wait nevermind.

    Leviticus (28a6ca) — 3/27/2020 @ 9:31 am

  14. I’m not saying Boris Johnson didn’t act hairbrained, including by shaking hands with COVID-19 positive patients, which he did.

    I’m saying I don’t think he thought he was immune from getting it and claiming he thought he would be the exception is utterly unsubstantiated.

    Make America Ordered Again (23f793) — 3/27/2020 @ 9:32 am

  15. The nation’s educators hear your cries and feel your pain!

    https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/nyu-tischs-students-want-tuition-fee-back-amid-coronavirus-shutdown-dean-responds-with-dance-video/2346626/

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 3/27/2020 @ 9:33 am

  16. Hope he recovers quickly. I wonder if he is listening to “God Save the Queen”?

    mg (8cbc69) — 3/27/2020 @ 9:36 am

  17. Boris Johnson reminds me of the doctors at the hospital my sister works at.

    As recently as a few weeks ago they were telling staff COVID was no big deal because many more people died from the average flu.

    Some very smart people (I would put B Johnson up there) have listened to the wrong info/advice on how to react to this situation.

    Look at that infectious disease lady in WA state who the CDC ordered to stop testing. She finally ignored them and got a school where the virus was spreading shut down.

    When this is all over hopefully there will be enough smart people who learned enough to better prepare us for the next one.
    _

    harkin (b64479) — 3/27/2020 @ 9:43 am

  18. @14 – I would imagine that even if their policy was actually herd immunity, which seems suspect on its own, there’s no reason whatsoever to have your Prime Minister among the afflicted. It is counterproductive to have him quarantined.

    JohnnyAgreeable (1b878e) — 3/27/2020 @ 9:45 am

  19. Speaking of imbeciles, this was one month ago today:

    Because of all we’ve done, the risk to the American people remains very low. We have the greatest experts in the world — really, in the world, right here — people that are called upon by other countries when things like this happen.

    We — we’re ready to adapt and we’re ready to do whatever we have to as the disease spreads, if it spreads. As most of you know, the — the level that we’ve had in our country is very low, and those people are getting better, or we think that in almost all cases they’re better, or getting. We have a total of 15. We took in some from Japan — you heard about that — because they’re American citizens, and they’re in quarantine. And they’re getting better too.

    But we felt we had an obligation to do that. It could have been as many as 42. And we found that we were — it was just an obligation we felt that we had. We could have left them, and that would have been very bad — very bad, I think — of American people. And they’re recovering.

    Of the 15 people — the “original 15,” as I call them — 8 of them have returned to their homes, to stay in their homes until fully recovered. One is in the hospital and five have fully recovered. And one is, we think, in pretty good shape and it’s in between hospital and going home.

    So we have a total of — but we have a total of 15 people, and they’re in a process of recovering, with some already having fully recovered.

    We started out by looking at certain things. We’ve been working with the Hill very, very carefully, very strongly. And I think we have very good bipartisan spirit for money. We were asking for two and a half billion, and we think that’s a lot, but the Democrats, and, I guess, Senator Schumer wants us to have much more than that. And normally, in life, I’d say, “We’ll take it. We’ll take it.”

    If they want to give more, we’ll do more. We’re going to spend whatever is appropriate. Hopefully, we’re not going to have to spend so much because we really think we’ve done a great job in keeping it down to a minimum. And again, we’ve had tremendous success — tremendous success — beyond what people would have thought.

    Please. Please. It’s. Too. Much. Winning.

    Dave (1bb933) — 3/27/2020 @ 9:47 am

  20. I’m saying I don’t think he thought he was immune from getting it and claiming he thought he would be the exception is utterly unsubstantiated.

    Make America Ordered Again (23f793) — 3/27/2020 @ 9:32 am
    His comment in that last quoted paragraph suggests that he may have thought thorough handwashing after contact was enough.

    Kishnevi (dfdff5) — 3/27/2020 @ 9:51 am

  21. His comment in that last quoted paragraph suggests that he may have thought thorough handwashing after contact was enough.

    Yeah, OK, fair point. I stand corrected. Boris Johnson is even sillier than I thought. He’s probably spread COVID-19, too.

    Make America Ordered Again (23f793) — 3/27/2020 @ 9:52 am

  22. Good points, kishnevi and Johnny Agreeable.

    DRJ (15874d) — 3/27/2020 @ 9:56 am

  23. And yet, compared to our Great Leader, Boris Johnson is an intellectual giant.

    Dave (1bb933) — 3/27/2020 @ 9:58 am

  24. Oh, the sons of the Prophet are hardy and grim
    And quite unaccustomed to fear
    But none were so reckless of life or of limb
    As Abdullah Boris Amir.
    When they wanted a man to encourage the van
    Or to harass the foe in the rear
    Or to take a redoubt they would always send out
    For Abdullah Boris Amir.

    nk (1d9030) — 3/27/2020 @ 10:08 am

  25. And yet, compared to our Great Leader, Boris Johnson is an intellectual giant.

    There are heroes in plenty, and well known to fame
    In the ranks that were led by the Kaiser,
    But the bravest of all was a man by the name
    Of Don Drumpfelschnitzel von Scheisser.
    He could be Russia’s tool, play Euchre and Pool
    And brush on perfect eyeliner.
    In fact quite the cream of the Muscovite team
    Was Don Drumpfelschnitzel von Scheisser.

    nk (1d9030) — 3/27/2020 @ 10:10 am

  26. nk is in fine form today.

    DRJ (15874d) — 3/27/2020 @ 10:12 am

  27. nk is in fine form today.

    I think we just found some new lyrics for the Patterico Music Project…

    Dave (1bb933) — 3/27/2020 @ 10:16 am

  28. Lol

    https://scrappleface.com/blog/2020/03/27/covid-19-shock-boris-before-and-after-pics-stun-brits/
    _

    harkin (b64479) — 3/27/2020 @ 10:31 am

  29. MAOA,

    Whenever you are unnecessarily critical of those with whom you disagree, I am reminded that it is indeed true: you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Rather that be so confrontational, polietly engage with your fellow commenters with an open mind, and you would see more productive discussions and more peaceful ones as well.

    Dana (4fb37f) — 3/27/2020 @ 10:44 am

  30. I think it would be in our country’s best interests if Trump caught the virus. Because it’s all about him, he would go from zero empathy to fully on board. And give the guy who infected him a f*cking Medal of Freedom award.

    Paul Montagu (df60ed) — 3/27/2020 @ 10:45 am

  31. @3. The initial British response was to stagger shutdown to protect the economy to develop herd immunity.

    True. And the capacity to swiftly pivot from that initial plan is yet another impressive tribute to the infrastructure, organization and adaptability of the UKNHS to service the citizenry. It’s so affordably dependable, BoJo has no worry; it even can treat and care for imbecilic PMs- and keep the chemists open to ‘Boot’s.’

    ‘The term imbecile was once used by psychiatrists to denote a category of people with moderate to severe intellectual disability, as well as a type of criminal. It included people with an IQ of 26–50, between ” idiot ” (IQ of 0–25) and ” moron ” (IQ of 51–70).’ -source, wikidumbell.

    DCSCA (797bc0) — 3/27/2020 @ 10:52 am

  32. No, I don’t want him to get sick. I want him to abscond to Brazil with $330 billion that’s supposed to go out in checks, and give up his American citizenship to avoid extradition back to the United States. Best money the government will ever spend.

    nk (1d9030) — 3/27/2020 @ 10:54 am

  33. That’s the spirit! Wish a deadly virus onto a person who fits one of the highest demographics for death odds.

    I think it’s commendable that during this pandemic sufferers from TDS remind us that affliction is still going strong.
    _

    harkin (b64479) — 3/27/2020 @ 10:55 am

  34. Slightly off-topic: A friend of mine in the UK who had a recurrence of his lymphoma has managed to get access to hospital for chemo Wednesday, but worries that the series of treatments will be cut short by the CV19 response.

    Last night at 8pm GMT, the country was invited to go outside and cheer the NHS workforce. My friend had no problem doing that. It has taken good care of him so far.

    Kevin M (ab1c11) — 3/27/2020 @ 10:56 am

  35. It was a legal status, too, at the time of Buck v. Bell.

    nk (1d9030) — 3/27/2020 @ 10:57 am

  36. ‘The term imbecile was once used by psychiatrists to denote a category of people with moderate to severe intellectual disability, as well as a type of criminal. It included people with an IQ of 26–50, between ” idiot ” (IQ of 0–25) and ” moron ” (IQ of 51–70).’ -source, wikidumbell.

    No way, Trump is a moron, that would make BJ merely dumb, but not profoundly so. He shows much more cleverness than Trump, he actually knows a few things, not a great deal, but some.

    Colonel Klink (Ret) (305827) — 3/27/2020 @ 10:57 am

  37. No, I don’t want him to get sick.

    I want Trump, Biden and Bernie to become so ill they must drop out of the presidential race, and we can start over. This no doubt makes me an evil person, but our political class is the worst I have ever seen, and I remember Nixon and McGovern.

    Kevin M (ab1c11) — 3/27/2020 @ 10:58 am

  38. Together we will beat this. #StayHomeSaveLives pic.twitter.com/9Te6aFP0Ri

    — Boris Johnson #StayHomeSaveLives (@BorisJohnson) March 27, 2020

    Together? 10 Downing Street are some pretty posh digs ol’bean but the Isle of Wight crowd might have to make do by squeezing in at Chequers.

    DCSCA (797bc0) — 3/27/2020 @ 10:58 am

  39. I think it would be in our country’s best interests if Trump Biden/Clinton/Obama caught the virus got shot. Because it’s all about him/her, s/he would go from zero empathy to fully on board. And give the guy who infected shot him/her a f*cking Medal of Freedom award.

    Somehow I don’t think this comment would fly here if it was directed at anyone but Donald Trump.

    Make America Ordered Again (23f793) — 3/27/2020 @ 11:09 am

  40. Pot, kettle, black:

    You people are sick, to want people, to be sick. 😉

    DCSCA (797bc0) — 3/27/2020 @ 11:18 am

  41. Last night at 8pm GMT, the country was invited to go outside and cheer the NHS workforce. My friend had no problem doing that. It has taken good care of him so far.

    Airstrip One: Proles on the dole.

    nk (1d9030) — 3/27/2020 @ 11:20 am

  42. Last night at 8pm GMT, the country was invited to go outside and cheer the NHS workforce. My friend had no problem doing that. It has taken good care of him so far.

    The NHS takes ‘good care of him’– imagine that. 😉

    DCSCA (797bc0) — 3/27/2020 @ 11:23 am

  43. Somehow I don’t think this comment would fly here if it was directed at anyone but Donald Trump.

    You should not have said it, then. Shame!

    Ragspierre (d9bec9) — 3/27/2020 @ 11:28 am

  44. Well, I wouldn’t call him an imbecile, but going into a hospital, shaking hands with infected patients without wearing latex gloves is really stupid. Then going out in public and shaking hands with uninfected people is even more stupid.

    Gawain's Ghost (b25cd1) — 3/27/2020 @ 11:29 am

  45. 44. Well, I wouldn’t call him an imbecile, but going into a hospital, shaking hands with infected patients without wearing latex gloves is really stupid.

    No more stupid than the recent imbecilic actions of a curly-hared Republican senator from Kentucky.

    DCSCA (797bc0) — 3/27/2020 @ 11:34 am

  46. That’s the spirit! Wish a deadly virus onto a person who fits one of the highest demographics for death odds.

    What do you mean “deadly”? Trump himself told you that the common flu and car accidents are way more dangerous.

    Paul Montagu (df60ed) — 3/27/2020 @ 11:47 am

  47. Somehow I don’t think this comment would fly here if it was directed at anyone but Donald Trump.

    Fail. Assassination is not the same thing as catching a virus.

    Paul Montagu (df60ed) — 3/27/2020 @ 11:54 am

  48. Fail. Assassination is not the same thing as catching a virus.

    You want to pin the Medal of Freedom on the person who infects the President of the United States with a lethal virus. You are a disgusting, vile human being.

    Make America Ordered Again (23f793) — 3/27/2020 @ 11:57 am

  49. You want to pin the Medal of Freedom on the person who infects the President of the United States with a lethal virus. You are a disgusting, vile human being.

    Limbaugh got one- and he has clearly infected millions of minds w/his conservative “wisdom”:

    “I’m dead right on this. The coronavirus is the common cold, folks.” -Rush Limbaugh, 2/24/2020

    DCSCA (797bc0) — 3/27/2020 @ 12:07 pm

  50. You are a disgusting, vile human being.

    If that’s what it takes for him to take the virus seriously, then so be it, I’ll weather a personal attack or two from a commenter on the Internet.

    Paul Montagu (df60ed) — 3/27/2020 @ 12:14 pm

  51. May I point out the comment in question assumed Trump would survive?

    Kishnevi (6355b8) — 3/27/2020 @ 12:23 pm

  52. I think it would be in our country’s best interests if Trump caught the virus. Because it’s all about him, he would go from zero empathy to fully on board. And give the guy who infected him a f*cking Medal of Freedom award.

    Keerist, first things first, but I hope they eventually find a cure for this mental affliction.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 3/27/2020 @ 12:25 pm

  53. I don’t want Trump to get sick. He could get very sick given his health and age, and that would be bad for him and disruptive for our country. In addition, Trump getting the virus would not make him empathize with other people more. It would only make him more self-centered.

    DRJ (15874d) — 3/27/2020 @ 12:38 pm

  54. The latest is that UK has 14,743 confirmed cases and 761 dead Brits, for a mortality rate of 5.2%. Assuming the real mortality rate is closer to 1%, the actual number afflicted is closer to 76,000, which puts them somewhere between Spain and China. Boris has some work to do.

    Paul Montagu (df60ed) — 3/27/2020 @ 12:47 pm

  55. FTR, I don’t want Trump dead or “very sick”, just sick enough for him to realize that this virus is serious business, maybe a fever, coughing, a few days in bed. He’s exhibited zero empathy to-date, so what is worse, less-than-zero empathy?

    Paul Montagu (df60ed) — 3/27/2020 @ 12:56 pm

  56. I think you assume he might get sick and finally grasp how others feel to labor to breathe, so then he would understand the importance of and need for ventilators. But I am not sure that would be his response. Death is the great equalizer, and Trump does not see himself as an everyman. Coming to grips with his mortality may make him become even more preoccupied with himself and his family instead of caring about what is best for America and Americans.

    Thus, what would be worse is a continuation of zero empathy, plus a heightened focus on himself and his interests.

    DRJ (15874d) — 3/27/2020 @ 1:37 pm

  57. “preoccupied with himself and his family.”

    Has he ever shown any indication he cares for his family? Groping Ivanka doesn’t count.

    JRH (52aed3) — 3/27/2020 @ 1:54 pm

  58. @55:

    FTR, I don’t want Trump dead or “very sick”, just sick enough for him to realize that this virus is serious business, maybe a fever, coughing, a few days in bed.

    I’m sorry, I’m missing something here. You want Trump to experience what most of the actual “victims” of this virus have in fact experienced (I mean among the minority who have experienced any symptoms at all), namely a mild respiratory flu of the sort one gets every couple of years, and from which one easily recovers without extraordinary medical attention.

    And you want him to experience this because you think it will teach him that this virus is “serious business”? Wouldn’t that merely teach him that this virus is, for most people, just a mild respiratory flu of the sort one gets every couple of years, and from which one easily recovers without extraordinary medical attention?

    Yes, I know it is more serious than that for a very small percentage of those who get it (and no, for the umpteenth time, we have no idea what the real “mortality rate” is with this thing, because we have no idea how many people have really been infected, except that the real number will be vastly higher than the number of confirmed cases). But that’s true of a normal respiratory flu as well — minor or no symptoms for most of the infected, but dangerous for a very small minority, mostly the very old or otherwise weakened.

    For all the mockery of Boris Johnson, and all those wishing Trump would get the virus, I’m wondering how it will affect the carefully-orchestrated and media-stoked public hysteria over this illness when the sheer numbers of the famous and powerful — actors, singers, politicians, etc. — who get this thing, and then easily recover from it, start to pile up.

    Johnson will almost certainly not die from this, and will recover without complications. As will Justin Trudeau’s wife, Tom Hanks and his wife (already recovered), Idris Elba and his family, and most of the other celebrities whose names I have forgotten, who have tested positive for this virus after showing mild symptoms. They — or those of them without serious underlying health problems — will live, will not require critical care, and will be fully virus-free soon, if they are not already. Their cases will start to add up in the public perception, causing everyone to think (a) this virus really is everywhere, so that imagining we can “stop it from spreading” is a fool’s errand, and (b) if almost every famous person who gets it recovers without incident, then why wouldn’t most of us do the same?

    Yes, we could decide to shut down the global economy and turn over what little is left of our liberty to progressive authoritarian busybodies in order to “protect” that tiny minority who are actually endangered by this virus. But we don’t do that with the common flu, which we know kills hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people around the world each year.

    And as I’ve said before, I don’t personally know any old or weak people in my experience who, if given the option of protecting themselves from a virus at the expense of their whole community’s well-being, their own family’s financial stability, and everyone’s freedom, would accept those terms. The old folks I’ve known all had far more pride, dignity, and stoicism than that. I hope I would too.

    Daren Jonescu (2f5857) — 3/27/2020 @ 6:50 pm

  59. I.agree with you, Daren. I think the complicating factor is it’s not clear who is most hurt by this virus, and if we have the resources now to help the people who get seriously ill. In other words, maybe it isn’t just the old and the sick who have the most problems; and maybe our healthcare systdm and hospitals will be overwhelmed if we wait too long.

    By the way, in my community, another day means more cases. The new ages range from “pediatric” (apparently a young child) to 50. As of now, our confirmed cases are at 3/4 “30 and under” and 1/4 “50 and above.” I thought this was an anomaly but it is starting to look more like a pattern.

    DRJ (15874d) — 3/27/2020 @ 7:02 pm

  60. Daren, most people will recover very nicely. No one has said otherwise. But a small percentage of those who get it will need hospitalization. Many of them will also recover provided they don’t need that hospitalization all at once. Which is the point of the lockdowns: spread out the rate of infection so the hospitalization rate can be managed. Because unlike the flu no one has prior immunity to COVID19.

    As far as your last paragraph, most of the old people I know would think you’re a hysterical idiot. Of course, they are old enough to remember the 1930s, so they remember what a real depression is like. And the old Inuit tale of old people tottering off to the ice field so they no longer burden their family has no attraction to them.

    Kishnevi (bec396) — 3/27/2020 @ 7:10 pm

  61. Nobody’s safe, but you won’t get young people to believe it.

    nk (1d9030) — 3/27/2020 @ 7:10 pm

  62. @60:

    …most of the old people I know would think you’re a hysterical idiot.

    They would think I’m hysterical because…?

    Whereas they wouldn’t think a 2-trillion-dollar economic redistribution law passed on a week’s whim without anyone really know anything about it was hysterical?

    Whereas they wouldn’t think that telling everyone to stop living their normal lives indefinitely — if you think this virus is going to disappear if we all hide from each other for two weeks, you’re dreaming — regardless of the cost in jobs, small business investments, life savings, and so on, was hysterical?

    Whereas they wouldn’t think an entire planet falling into mass panic and life-altering anxiety over a virus outbreak that affects most who get it like a common flu (or less) was hysterical?

    I guess the old people you know are quite different from the ones I know. I like the ones I know.

    Daren Jonescu (2f5857) — 3/27/2020 @ 7:23 pm

  63. ‘Yes, we could decide to shut down the global economy and turn over what little is left of our liberty to progressive authoritarian busybodies in order to “protect” that tiny minority who are actually endangered by this virus. But we don’t do that with the common flu, which we know kills hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people around the world each year…’

    “…So the American stood up, straightened his tie, shouted “Remember The Alamo!”, picked up the Mexican and threw him out of the plane.”

    Sheesh.

    DCSCA (797bc0) — 3/27/2020 @ 7:25 pm

  64. It’s not always just like the flu you get every few years and recover from. There can be very serious repercussions as a result of having it:

    The 64-year-old patient arrived at a hospital in Brooklyn with symptoms looking like those seen in patients having a serious heart attack.

    An electrocardiogram revealed an ominous heart rhythm. The patient had high blood levels of a protein called troponin, a sign of damaged heart muscle. Doctors rushed to open the patient’s blocked arteries — but found that no arteries were blocked.

    The patient was not having a heart attack. The culprit was the coronavirus.

    The Brooklyn patient recovered after 12 days in the hospital and is now at home. But there have been reports of similar patients in the United States and abroad, and the cases have raised troubling questions for doctors.

    As time goes on, doctors are discovering more ways that the virus attacks the body, and it isn’t always with flu-like symptoms – even in relatively healthy people:

    “We were thinking lungs, lungs, lungs — with us in a supportive role,” said Dr. John Rumsfeld, chief science and quality officer at the American College of Cardiology. “Then all of a sudden we began to hear about potential direct impact on the heart.”

    The journal also published a report, by doctors in Italy, describing a previously healthy 53-year-old woman who developed myocarditis.

    Like the patient in Brooklyn, her electrocardiogram was abnormal, and she had high levels of troponin in her blood. Because of the coronavirus outbreak in Italy, doctors thought to test her and found she was infected.

    Dr. Enrico Ammirati, an expert in myocarditis at Niguarda Hospital in Milan who consulted on the case, said the patient’s heart problems were likely caused by her body’s immune response to the virus.

    But so much about this new pathogen is unknown, and it is not yet clear what might cause heart damage following infection.

    Because there is still too much that is not known about the virus, it’s not wise to assume that it’s just like having the flu. I also wonder if, when all is said and done, studies on patients who survived the virus will reveal even more vital information.

    Dana (4fb37f) — 3/27/2020 @ 7:28 pm

  65. @59:

    DRJ: As of now, our confirmed cases are at 3/4 “30 and under” and 1/4 “50 and above.” I thought this was an anomaly but it is starting to look more like a pattern.

    Just to clarify, do you mean that the total number of confirmed cases break down that way (3/4 “30 and under”)? Or are you talking about deaths?

    I assume you mean confirmed cases. That wouldn’t be so surprising, since of course young people tend to get out and contact others more widely and more often, so more of them will get the virus. The numbers to watch, in terms of judging the severity of the outbreak, would be the numbers of verified critical illnesses or deaths among the confirmed cases.

    In Korea, where as you probably know we have almost ten thousand confirmed cases now, the evidence shows an overwhelming percentage of critical or fatal cases are among the elderly, with a much smaller number in the category of those “under 60 with serious underlying health conditions” (which would have made them more susceptible to any respiratory flu virus). A couple of weeks ago, in the epicenter city of Daegu, a 17-year-old boy died after apparently testing positive. This sent everyone into panic mode, with people questioning whether schools could ever re-open after such a story. Then it was determined that the boy’s test was a false-positive, performed incorrectly, and that he had also tested negative. He did not actually have coronavirus after all.

    By the way, I just read in the local newspaper’s online edition that almost exactly 50% of all the confirmed Korean cases (nearly five thousand people, with the first positive test on Jan. 20) have now tested completely healthy and virus-free. Most of the rest, of course, are doing fine, but merely tested positive more recently, so the virus hasn’t worked its way out of their systems yet.

    Daren Jonescu (2f5857) — 3/27/2020 @ 7:38 pm

  66. I guess the old people you know are quite different from the ones I know. I like the ones I know.

    The old people I know lived through the Great Depression, World War II, and the Cold War. They would think your predictions of a great economic collapse are more than a little unrelated to reality. They would compare the 2Trillion bill to the New Deal, and laugh at your evocation of government extinguishing liberty now.

    Come to think of it, I qualify (just barely) as an old people. So I know there’s at least one old person who thinks your predictions of economic collapse are overwrought hysteria.

    Kishnevi (bec396) — 3/27/2020 @ 7:44 pm

  67. Dispatches from the front. Grocery run report, Friday, 2 PM PDT. Traffic, “Sunday lite.”

    Some bread deliveries at last- no fresh ground beef or chicken; plenty of hams [bin full for Easter] some frozen foods replenished; plenty of fresh produce. No TP, paper towels or assorted paper products again. Limited dairy; next to no butter or cheese but satisfactory milk supply. Booze and ‘gatorades’ restocked and plentiful. Markets enforcing ‘social distancing’- areas marked off- swabbing down carts and moving checkout belts–maintaining entrance and exit pattern; but mot staff gloved but still not wearing masks. CVS- gloved staff but no masks on them– or the shelves; sold out; plenty of Easter candy, basic health aid supplies varied- limited bandages, OTC cough syrups, meds and such. Pharmacy busy. Interesting customer observations from parking lot and in store; Friday wa fairly buy [likely w/wend home stays planned] most anglos were wearing masks and gloves, shoes and essentially well covered; Mexican, Filipino and Korean/Chinese patrons- particularly the elderly– seemed bewildered, some wearing opened-toed sandals, no masks or gloves searching aisles for items– seemed rather sad. The young kids across the spectrum acted oblivious to it all- you’d expect that. Other customers were giving them all wide berth– though the elderly made generous use of the free hand wipes, literally grabbing fistfuls enter and exiting the CVS store. There appears to be a definite age/cultural or language-based response to this in day to day life. PO- clerks were gloved, still no masks but ‘social distancing’ marked off and enforced by staff. Gas station- patrons, including myself, were wiping off both the pump handles and the key pads w/toweling the station provided by the pumps. But the frenzy seems calmer than it was a week ago.

    DCSCA (797bc0) — 3/27/2020 @ 8:12 pm

  68. @66.The old people I know lived through the Great Depression, World War II, and the Cold War. They would think your predictions of a great economic collapse are more than a little unrelated to reality. They would compare the 2Trillion bill to the New Deal, and laugh at your evocation of government extinguishing liberty now.

    Yep. The 89 year old I’m tending to who lived through same perked up and summed it all up as she listened to the TeeVee doom and gloomers with one shouted word: “bullsh!t!!!” I couldn’t stop laughing.

    DCSCA (797bc0) — 3/27/2020 @ 8:16 pm

  69. DCSCA :
    in IL’s northeastmost county…the mask / no mask dichotomy is strictly on age…older adults regardless of ethnicity are 80/20 mask and younger adults are largely mask free. It’s probably a strategy in the sense that the ideal shopper, from what I’ve seen at the Jewel and other stores is an able-bodied 60ish/70 y.o. person wearing a mask and hitting the store in the 8am-10am senior bloc as sort of a mule for younger family members.

    urbanleftbehind (fde3a9) — 3/27/2020 @ 8:21 pm

  70. And the mask is probably used as a intimidation factor to keep people away less so to protect from spittle.

    urbanleftbehind (fde3a9) — 3/27/2020 @ 8:23 pm

  71. @69. Well, you’re in a growing hot spot, too. Yes the grocery stores on 8AM to 8PM hours here are doing the ‘early bird’ thing w/seniors before store hours w/25 at time allowed in so they get first dibs on the restocked items. The mask thing here is a matter of availability. The homeless are becoming a concern to local officials as they gather near the open stores as the parks are closed. But aside from the pharmacies, Walmart-type-grocery-stores, gas stations, POs and banks- every business is shuttered. Very akin to the Xmas-New Year holiday time.

    DCSCA (797bc0) — 3/27/2020 @ 8:35 pm

  72. @64 I wonder how many people confuse coronavirus and influenza? They may share some of the same symptoms but are not the same virus at all. We don’t have any vaccines against the coronavirus family and it’s not certain we’ll ever find any.

    frosty (f27e97) — 3/27/2020 @ 8:39 pm

  73. Confirmed cases that were hospitalized. We aren’t yet being told demographic information for people who are confirmed but not hospitalized.

    DRJ (15874d) — 3/27/2020 @ 8:45 pm

  74. @66:

    They would compare the 2Trillion bill to the New Deal, and laugh at your evocation of government extinguishing liberty now.

    If they would laugh at the idea that a never-ending cascade of irredeemable debt pouring down on your grandchildren is a threat to whatever is left of your liberty, then I rest my case: I prefer the old people I know. They remember what liberty meant.

    Daren Jonescu (cbd779) — 3/27/2020 @ 8:54 pm

  75. If they would laugh at the idea that a never-ending cascade of irredeemable debt pouring down on your grandchildren is a threat to whatever is left of your liberty, then I rest my case: I prefer the old people I know. They remember what liberty meant.

    Didn’t you and your “friend” claim that you were done with us? How about we take our freedom and liberty, you take your waeguk-saram butt and fix yours?

    Also, the old people you know don’t actually believe that. You can tell because their eyes are rolling so hard they’re doing backflips.

    Colonel Klink (Ret) (305827) — 3/27/2020 @ 9:07 pm

  76. @74. =yawn= Conservative whine; bitter dregs:

    The supply-side pattern: deregulation then; bailouts now: Reaganomics.

    DCSCA (797bc0) — 3/27/2020 @ 9:09 pm

  77. Daren Jonescu (2f5857) — 3/27/2020 @ 6:50 pm

    Even if all the old people I knew were ok with taking one for the team I wouldn’t be.

    frosty (f27e97) — 3/27/2020 @ 9:27 pm

  78. frosty (f27e97) — 3/27/2020 @ 9:27 pm

    More clearly; I wouldn’t be ok with letting them.

    frosty (f27e97) — 3/27/2020 @ 9:29 pm

  79. Even if all the old people I knew were ok with taking one for the team I wouldn’t be.

    frosty (f27e97) — 3/27/2020 @ 9:27 pm

    Amen. We can disagree on a lot of stuff, but we can build this economy again.

    Hope everyone had a peaceful day.

    Dustin (928d9a) — 3/27/2020 @ 9:33 pm

  80. And you want him to experience this because you think it will teach him that this virus is “serious business”?

    Nothing else seems to. He’s a narcissist who doesn’t act unless it’s about him. Catching the virus couldn’t make it more about him.

    Paul Montagu (df60ed) — 3/27/2020 @ 10:06 pm

  81. At least Prime Minister Johnson got Brexit done before he got sick!

    The Dana in Kentucky (b7cfab) — 3/29/2020 @ 6:27 am

  82. Anyone who opposed Brexit has been calling him (and anyone who supported Brexit) an “imbecile” for months. And vice-versa. Our entire political system has devolved to the point it would embarrass a kindergartener.

    Kevin M (ab1c11) — 3/30/2020 @ 7:49 am

  83. The alternative candidate was an antisemitic Communist. “Imbecile” seems a step up.

    Kevin M (ab1c11) — 3/30/2020 @ 7:50 am


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