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Sunday, March 29, 2020

COVID19 CALIFORNIA-- Hospital Turnaround Potential--SURGE VS MITIGATION

#COVID19 CALIFORNIA-- Hospital Turnaround Potential--SURGE VS MITIGATION

IMMEDIATREL//@CD/TCNT/CMDMSGCTR//COC/JC-HRED//URGENT "...two variables that will inevitably determine whether the virus can be contained at its marginal level..." (The Blvd)--The following statistics are useful in determination of the Golden State potential to fight the virus regionally with respect to availability of hospitals with the necessary gear on board for patient turnaround.

COVID19 VENTILATORS--California: Faulty Units Stored-Shipped --- LTV-1200 MAINTENANCE SNAFU


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     "...a week ago none of us knew anything about ventilators..."

     (The Lab)--- Governor Newsom of California ordered a recent shipment of flawed ventilators to be refurbished at a converted fuel-cell plant in Sunnyvale.  (ABC) The model number as seen from screengrabs by news agencies is the LTV-1200.  At the California respiratory Care Board's website, the following information regarding a similar, if not the same, device can be found;
     "In 2007, the State of California purchased and stockpiled 2,400 "Cardinal Health LTV 1200" ventilators for the purposes of disaster or emergency response." (RCB/CA)
Apparently, many of those devices never left the boxes and the batteries are dead;



     "Newsom said California currently has a little over 4,200 ventilators, but more than a thousand of them don’t work. ..The state of California also needs its own stockpile of ventilators fixed – Newsom said 514 ventilators had not been unboxed since 2011 and their batteries no longer work." (KTVU)

     "At the beginning of the pandemic, California had about 7,500 ventilators across the state’s hospital systems and aimed to get another 10,000 ventilators, according to the press release." (Time)

     "More than 500 of these ventilators are from the state Department of Public Health, according to Newsom, and they hadn’t been out of the box since 2011. Even the batteries didn’t work, the governor said. " (CAPradio)



     Not only did the units sent to the state from the Strategic National Stockpile not work, the ones stored locally appeared to have also not been properly maintained. It is no wonder the governor doesn't want to engage in "finger-pointing" as the state is equally guilty of neglect over maintenance.

     Chapter 5 of the Cardinal Health service manual for model LTV-1200 offers strict guidelines on the proper maintenance of the unit;
     "While in storage, every two months -- Recharge the internal battery by plugging the ventilator into an AC power source for 24 hours" (Page 5-1)
In addition, the maintenance procedure also calls for replacement of the battery after a given period. Other requirements demand servicing done by a trained technician certified by Pulmonetic Systems, Inc.  What did the Bloom Energy CEO have to say about his technicians' qualifications for servicing the LTV-1200s?
     " 'Hopefully, what we're doing here is to say, we can do this, a week ago none of us knew anything about ventilators other than what they're used for,' said Bloom CEO K.R. Sridhar." (ABC)


Sources
RCB/CA, https://www.rcb.ca.gov/licensees/disaster_response.shtml
Bloom Energy,
https://abc7news.com/society/silicon-valley-energy-company-refurbishes-ventilators-for-ca-during-covid-19-crisis/6059357/
Don't Work,
https://www.ktvu.com/news/gov-newsom-mayor-liccardo-tour-sunnyvale-company-refurbishing-ventilators
Total #, https://time.com/5812147/california-coronavirus-broken-ventilators/
Dead Batteries, http://www.capradio.org/articles/2020/03/28/california-wants-10000-more-ventilators-for-hospitals-its-almost-halfway-and-companies-are-reinventing-themselves-to-help/
LTV-1200 Training Video,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEjjLNzOKQ0
Cardinal Health LTV 1200 Service Manual, http://www.usmed-equip.com/content/datesheet/pdfs/Pulmonetic%20LTV%201200-1150%20Service%20Manual%20Rev%20E.pdf
Cardinal Health, https://www.indemed.com/Catalog/searchresults.cfm?keyword=ltv+1200&source=header



IMMEDIATEREL//CCATTN/CD@TCNT//CMDCOCMSCCTR//JC-EOC//URGENT



COVID19 HOARDING--Defense Production Act, Sect. 2072--FEDERAL REGISTER LIST--03/30/2020


IMMEDIAEREL//ATTN:CD@TCNT//VIACMDMSGCTR//EOC//JCL//URGENT


     "...opening the door for speculators and profiteers to bypass restrictions on cornering the market..."

     (The Scullery)--  Section 2072 of the Defense Production Act (DPA) of 1950 represents "Hoarding of designated scarce materials," with the following paragraph;
     "...no person shall accumulate (1) in excess of the reasonable demands of business, personal, or home consumption, or (2) for the purpose of resale at prices in excess of prevailing market prices, materials which have been designated by the President as scarce materials or materials the supply of which would be threatened by such accumulation. The President shall order published in the Federal Register, and in such other manner as he may deem appropriate, every designation of materials the accumulation of which is unlawful and any withdrawal of such designation."
That list related to the COVID-19 Emergency can be found at the Federal Register and is dated tomorrow, 20 March 2020:

null

null



     The DPA calls for a penalty of not more than $10,000 or one year in prison, or both; which seems rather inadequate when considering what profiteers might stand to gain by stockpiling some of the critical items like surgical masks. Number 15 appears to be just one of those critical and scarce items;
     "Ventilators, anesthesia gas machines modified for use as ventilators, and positive pressure breathing devices modified for use as ventilators (collectively referred to as ‘‘ventilators’’), ventilator tubing connectors, and ventilator accessories." (FedReg)
     The link at the Federal Register, https://www.fda.gov/ media/136318/download, related to FDA Enforcement Policy for Ventilators returns "Page Not Found." Without access to FDA definitions, to what degree the ventilators and their accessories come under the DPA and FDA mandates remains unclear, thus opening the door for speculators and profiteers to bypass restrictions on cornering the market.


     Most, if not all, of the items listed at the Register are in direct relation to medical supplies and seem to overlook consumer based items such as bathroom paper products which have been in critical short supply since the onset of the pandemic crisis. To what degree the federal government through the DPA has authority over determination if the paper products fall under the hoarding category is unclear. Some of the restrictions are listed below Section 2072 but do not clarify a position on consumer products. There may be stipulations on price controls that would curtail scalping by hoarders.

Sources
Hoarding, DPA, Sect 2072, https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2014-title50/html/USCODE-2014-title50-app-defensepr.htm
FedReg Hoarding Bulletin, https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-03-30/pdf/2020-06641.pdf
Factory Image, Hamilton Medical Mfgr.


IMMEDIAEREL//ATTN:CD@TCNT//VIACMDMSGCTR//EOC//JCL//URGENT


COVID19 USN-- Off-Limits @ Yokosuka Base--FACEBOOK SCUTTLEBUTT (MUTINY?)


IMMEDIATEREL//FMNAVCOMCINPAC//ATTN:CD@TACNET//VESSELINFO//CLSFD


     "...Whether or not contamination of the carrier is evident has not been addressed …"

     (The Scullery)--With the USS Theodore Roosevelt out of action and moored at Navy Base Guam, yet another American aircraft carrier has now reported cases of the deadly virus onboard, the USS Ronald Reagan;



Now Both Aircraft Carriers In The Western Pacific Have COVID-19 Cases, Raising Readiness Concerns

Two sailors onboard the Nimitz class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, which forward-deployed in Japan and presently pier-side there, have tested positive for the COVID-19 novel coronavirus. This comes just a day after the U.S.


       

     "Fleet Activities Yokosuka, a U.S. Navy base in the city of the same name, where the carrier is presently moored, will reportedly be on lockdown at least through the weekend. It's not clear yet what other steps the service may take, such as quarantining the entire ship." (The Drive)
According to the Marine Traffic website, which plots locations of ships, the USS Reagan had sailed recently from Singapore and was shown at Marine Traffic to be in the Yokosuka harbor in November, (image to left). None of the news articles currently indicate when the carrier arrived recently or whether it has been in the harbor for some time.  The website for the US Naval Institute shows a map in an article dated 02 March with the USS Reagan in port in Yokosuka, three weeks before the recent postings related to infected sailors onboard. (USNI) A Stars & Stripes article dated 24 August 2019 reported that the USS Reagan had just returned to port having been at sea for three months. The Caitlin Doornbos article notes the carrier's itinerary during that mission at sea;
     "The Reagan made two stops over its 94-day deployment. First at Brisbane, Australia, to join in the Talisman Sabre 2019 war games off Australia’s east coast, then at Manila, Philippines for a brief port visit. The Reagan also participated in several exercises at sea with partner nations, most recently with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force." (S&S)
Considering the span of the recent time out at sea, it is not beyond speculation that the Reagan has been in harbor since November, meaning that the sailors may have contracted the virus on shore. Again, Doornbos reports yesterday of the status quo of the infected sailors, and it appears that the disease may well have been contracted onshore;
          " 'With the unknown origins of these new cases, we need to take some immediate conservative actions to protect the health of our community until the nature of the public health threat can be characterized,' Yokosuka commander Capt. Rich Jarrett said in the statement.” (S&S2)
Whether or not contamination of the carrier is evident has not been addressed in the recent article concerning the outbreak.


     Clearly, the base commander is unaware of the nature of the origin according to his quote. In her Navy Times story dated "3 days ago," Diana Stancy  Correll reports the first sailor to have been found infected had actually recently returned to the base from the United States;
     "...the sailor returned to Japan from the U.S. on March 15 and was subsequently placed under Restriction of Movement status for 14 days — meaning the sailor was not permitted to interact with individuals outside of his or her assigned quarters." (Sailor-Zero)
The story does not reveal where the sailor was in the USA. The Navy base Facebook page shows a shelter-in-place order for the installation. From the tone of the posts at the Facebook page, many do not like the idea at all, especially the orders to stay inside. One sailor complains that housing services aren't open and he will be stuck on a ship.
     Others comment that the total number of infected personnel at the base may be as high as five, as reported by a Japanese TV station where the stories are untranslated. Sailors are being restricted to ship. When inquiring about the total number of cases, the sailors are being sent to the generic Navy.mil website or told that numbers are not available due to security and operational readiness.  Only "mission-essential personnel" are ordered to report to work.



Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka

Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Yokosuka-shi, Kanagawa, Japan. 52K likes. http://www.cnic.navy.mil/regions/cnrj/installations/cfa_yokosuka.html http://www.youtube.com/cfayyokosuka...




USS Reagan Page, https://www.reagan.navy.mil/
Marine Traffic, Yokosuka, https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/shipid:4961183/zoom:15
Navy Base Yokosuka, https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/32772/now-both-aircraft-carriers-in-the-western-pacific-have-covid-19-cases-raising-readiness-concerns
Carrier Locations, https://news.usni.org/2020/03/09/usni-news-fleet-and-marine-tracker-march-9-2020
Reagan at Sea, https://www.stripes.com/news/us/uss-ronald-reagan-returns-to-japan-after-three-months-at-sea-1.595647
Onshore, https://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/two-more-yokosuka-based-sailors-test-positive-for-coronavirus-commander-orders-base-to-shelter-in-place-1.623910
Sailor-Zero, https://www.navytimes.com/news/coronavirus/2020/03/26/first-service-member-in-japan-tests-positive-for-covid-19-after-returning-from-us/
Yokosuka Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/pg/cfayokosuka/posts/

IMMEDIATEREL//FMNAVCOMCINPAC//ATTN:CD@TACNET//VESSELINFO//CLSFD

Saturday, March 28, 2020

COVID-19 MILITARY CALLUP-- Congress & Power to Declare "War"--EXECUTIVE EMERGENCY QUAGMIRE


IMMEDIATE RELEASE//ATN:CD@TACNET//CMDMSGCTR//RF2//JC/EOC//URGENT


     "...evidence related to some "germ-warfare" source-zero has been refuted .."


     (The Scullery)--Characterized as a "war," the virus COVID-19 has swept across the United States and created historic economic and health crises. The President has enacted several emergency powers to insure a supply of personnel to meet the physical demands of containment. Through a series of recently issued orders, the President has ordered the recall of up to one million reservists from all branches of the US military to active duty:


EO to Order the Selected Reserve and Certain Members of the Individual Ready Reserve of the Armed Forces to Active Duty | The White House

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), and in furtherance of Proclamation 9994 of March 13, 2020 (Declaring a National Emergency Concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak), which declared a national emergency ...


Declaring a National Emergency Concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak

Start Printed Page 15337 Proclamation 9994 of March 13, 2020 A Proclamation In December 2019, a novel (new) coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2 ("the virus") was first detected in Wuhan, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China, causing outbreaks of the coronavirus disease COVID-19 that has now spread globally.



     Authority is muddled in a quagmire of definitions and US code titles that give the executive the ability to bypass Congressional approval for sending troops into harm's way without a formal declaration of war. In direct contrast to state requirements for shelter-in-place, the executive reservist callup places even more young women and men into life threatening positions as they are forced to perform duties they have been relieved of doing because of their completed commitment to service.




    Vague definitions as to where the right to execute the callup are found throughout. The callup is based on Proclamation 9994 issued by the White House on 13 March and cites a number of various codes and sections centered around Section 12302 of Title 10, USC. That particular section becomes bogged down in amendments related to terrorist attacks and eventually leads to definitions found in Title 50, Chapter 40, Section 2303;
     "(1)  The term “weapon of mass destruction” means any weapon or device that is intended, or has the capability, to cause death or serious bodily injury to a significant number of people through the release, dissemination, or impact of—
(A )  toxic or poisonous chemicals or their precursors;
(B)  a disease organism; or
(C)   radiation or radioactivity." (definitions)

     Even though subparagraph (B) refers to "a disease organism," it is clear it is in context with a weapon of mass destruction (WMD). In other words, the callup is based on a WMD clause even though there is no proof that the COVID-19 virus is directly linked to a bona-fide WMD origin. In fact, all of the evidence related to some "germ-warfare" source-zero has been refuted as conspiracy theory with the latest theories still directed at a Wuhan fish market.
     The President may have authority to arbitrarily enact an executive order to declare a national emergency but with limitations placed on it for the recall of reservists under the Ready Reserve clauses of the US Code. That may require Congressional approval on a formal declaration of war.


References
Title 10, Section 12302
https://policy.defense.gov/portals/11/Documents/hdasa/references/10%20USC%2012302.pdf
Coast Guard, https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title14-section2127&num=0&edition=prelim
Retired, https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/14/2308
Detention, https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title14-section2314&num=0&edition=prelim
#3735,
https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title14-section3735&num=0&edition=prelim
definitions,  https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/50/2302
callup, http://www.ecsi.net/militarydef/mildef_uscode.pdf




IMMEDIATE RELEASE//ATN:CD@TACNET//CMDMSGCTR//RF2//JC/EOC//URGENT

COVID19 INTERVIEW--Reno Gazette Journal w/CEO--HAMILTON MEDICAL, VENTILATOR SUPPLIER


IMMEDIATE REL//@CD/TACNET//ATTN CMDMSGCTR//URGENT


     "...and should stick to stories about snowboarding and Tahoe …"


     (The Lab)-- Folllowing  info related to interview request, CEO, Hamilton Medical, Reno, NV for JOUR107.1001 Lab#$008:  Internet search shows that reporter from the Reno Gazette-Journal had interviewed the CEO, Robert Hamilton, some days prior. The interview can be found below as well as a list of questions with review of the questions fielded to the CEO.


Reno is home to one of the world's largest ventilator companies. We talked with its CEO about COVID-19

CLOSE A Hamilton ventilator. The machines are built in Switzerland and distributed from Reno, Nev. (Photo: Hamilton Medical press photo) The COVID19 pandemic spreading across the U.S. and the world has prompted unprecedented demand for medical supplies, including ventilators.



Reno Gazette Journal interview questions:

What part of your operations are based in Reno?
Any problems getting parts or supplies?
Any problems protecting the workforce so they can stay healthy and keep going?
Some car companies, Tesla and GM, have said "we can make (ventilators)"; is it as easy as it looks?
How could partnering with a big car companies help in any way?
How could governments help?
What does (a ventilator) cost?
And for COVID specifically you need a more advanced ventilator?
So non-invasive ventilation isn't going to work?
How many ventilators are out there, and how many you think will be needed by a certain time?
And how many are you cranking out into the U.S.?
That would be in the U.S.?
Do you have any sense of how many we should have based on population?
How important is flattening the pandemic curve and slowing the spread of the virus? We can't just rely on more ventilators to bail us out, right?
What are the limitations on dramatically increasing the output?
Once a hospital gets ventilators, are they pretty durable?
Are costs going to change due to all this demand?
You're a Nevadan, how do you think this has been handled in Nevada?
Any lessons learned we can apply to next time to be better prepared?

RGJ Reporter:
Benjamin Spillman covers the outdoors and environment in Northern Nevada, from backcountry skiing in the Sierra to the latest from Lake Tahoe's ecosystem.


     Many of these questions should not have been directed at the CEO as they are not relevant to his organization, or at least could have been researched:
     Question related to # of ventilators should not have been fielded since it is unrelated to the CEOs responsibility and could have been found by searching the web. Unprofessional is using the word "cranking" out with reference to production and # total based on population is also beyond info the CEO is responsible for giving. In general, most of the inquiries shows a lack of research by the reporter who had hoped to get up to speed by asking questions the level of which the CEO would not be responsible for providing an answer. Spillman, the reporter, "covers the outdoors and environment" and should stick to stories about snowboarding and Tahoe as he appears unqualified to do medical reports.



Hamilton Medical worldwide

Hamilton Medical in the USA is a dynamic organization with a dedicated team of service, application and sales specialists. Our team almost exclusively consists of Respiratory Therapists who know the challenges of the customers and the importance of service quality. We are passionate about bringing you the best possible service.


Note for JL to connect w/HamiltonCEO@LinkedIn:  28 March 2020

Mr. Hamilton,
I am a Journalism student at UNR doing a feature story on ventilators for the COVID-19 pandemic.  I request a brief phone interview in order to provide up to date information regarding the ventilator from the source that manufactures them.  James L'Angelle   jlangelle@nevada.unr.edu

E-mail: info@hamiltonmedical.com



Sources
RGJ Interview
https://www.rgj.com/story/news/2020/03/24/reno-coronavirus-ventilator-company-ceo-covid-19-virus-updates/2902874001/
LVRJ Story
https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/nevada/reno-based-ventilator-company-increases-production-1987284/




IMMEDIATE REL//@CD/TACNET//ATTN CMDMSGCTR//URGENT





Friday, March 27, 2020

COVID19 VENTILATORS--Lab Assignment 008--HAMILTON MEDICAL, RENO, NV


IMMEDIATE REL//@CD/TACNET//CMDMSGCTR//URGENT


Jour107.1001 Lab//James L’Angelle//University of Nevada, Reno//Spring2020

A Breath of Fresh Air

     Hamilton Medical of Reno, Nevada is one of the leading suppliers of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) ventilators for hospitals. In the news today, President Trump used his authority under the Defense Production Act of 1950 to order General Motors to manufacture hospital ventilators. (Ars Technica) An opportunity is available to get the inside story from Hamilton Medical on their products from its warehouse on Aircenter Circle in Reno.



     A call placed through to the company this afternoon was answered by the operator who informed me that they were “way too busy” to do any interviews at the moment and have been instructed to deny reporters access to their facility. However, a search of LinkedIn shows that there are a great number of personnel available with accounts at that website who may be contacted through establishing a connection.
     Groundwork for a possible contact with sales or training personnel would be the first step followed up by direct connection and email requests, bypassing the chain-of-command protocol under the no interview blackout. Currently, the LinkedIn pages indicate a wide variety of sources to select from upper level management including CPAs to plant engineers, many of whom are directly accessible in the Reno area.
     Today’s briefing by President Trump  at the White House was meant to inform the public of the rescue legislation he just signed into law, instead he was bombarded with questions from the press on ventilators. In addition, when the President called the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, who had just contracted the virus, the first thing the PM asked for was ventilators. (ABC Live) 
     With the exponential rise in confirmed COVID-19 cases, the key to survival lies in that particular mechanical device, where a major manufacturer of the product is located in The Biggest Little City. In addition, I have subscribed to the two newsletters provided by the company, the Intelligent Ventilation Newsletter and the Hamilton Medical News.

Questions for the Interview:
How has demand increased with the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 virus?
Is there a particular model more suited for this virus as opposed to a normal ICU case?
Is there adequate personnel in the workforce to meet the requirements of demand?
Does Hamilton have control on where the devices are being distributed or is this under the direction of the federal government? (ref to DPA 1950)

Hamilton Medical, 4655 Aircenter Circle, Reno, NV 89502 (775) 858-3200



'On-the-job emergency training': Hospitals may run low on staff to run ventilators for coronavirus patients

As the coronavirus threatens the nation's health care system, hospitals are seeking tens of thousands of ventilators to help patients breathe as the disease attacks their lungs. But someone needs to operate those breathing machines. And there aren't enough specially trained personnel, health care experts and reports warn.


Sources
Hamilton Medical, https://www.hamilton-medical.com/en_US/
GM Ventilators, https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/03/trump-orders-gm-to-make-ventilators-claims-company-is-wasting-time/
Sources (cont.)
Hamilton Medical @ LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/people/?facetCurrentCompany=%5B%22153354%22%5D


IMMEDIATE REL//@CD/TACNET//CMDMSGCTR//URGENT


COVID-19 USN---Naval Base Guam--SHIPS IN PORT SCUTTLEBUTT


IMMEDIATE REL//ATTN:CMDMSG@CD/TACNET//URGENT//JC//EOC//



     "...USNS Lorenzen was recently at the Yokohama port in Japan,.." 

     (The Galley)--Now it appears location of at least two US Navy ships that could clearly be seen on Marine Traffic 24 hours ago are no longer visible on the Live Map page. However, a search by name does show the two vessels, reported yesterday in the below post, to still be moored in the harbor.


#COVID-19 USN---The USS Roosevelt (CVN-71) Outbreak--NAVAL BASE GUAM SCUTTLEBUTT

IMMEDREL///NAVCOMPAC//CD@TACNET//VIA//CMD/COC//JC//URGENT "...two other US Navy vessels are in the same harbor..." (The Galley)--Operational but the crew down with the virus, the USS Theodore Roosevelt put into port in Guam and is expected to stay at anchor for awhile until the entire crew has been tested; The Navy says an outbreak of coronavirus aboard an aircraft carrier in the Pacific has forced it to divert to Guam, where all 5,000 aboard will undergo testing.






     Independent search of the two vessels, the USNS Lorenzen and USNS Rappahannock, result in their still appearing to be moored in the harbor The two ships moored yesterday have somehow mysteriously disappeared from the satellite positioning system or their tracking devices were deliberately turned off to escape detection.
    With concern is the particular vessel, the USNS Howard O. Lorenzen, IMO 9416680, classified as "auxiliary" but from its appearance may well be an intelligence ship. Note also the USNS Lorenzen was recently at the Yokohama port in Japan, the same location as the ill fated "germ boat" cruise ship the Diamond Princess.


Sources:
MT Live Map, https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:144.669/centery:13.429/zoom:15
USNS Lorenzen, https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/shipid:457683/zoom:13
USNS Rappahannock, https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/shipid:453691/zoom:14

IMMEDIATE REL//ATTN:CMDMSG@CD/TACNET//URGENT//JC//EOC//

Thursday, March 26, 2020

COVID-19 USN---The USS Roosevelt (CVN-71) Outbreak--NAVAL BASE GUAM SCUTTLEBUTT


IMMEDREL///NAVCOMPAC//CD@TACNET//VIA//CMD/COC//JC//URGENT


     "...two other US Navy vessels are in the same harbor..."

     (The Galley)--Operational but the crew down with the virus, the USS Theodore Roosevelt put into port in Guam and is expected to stay at anchor for awhile until the entire crew has been tested;


Coronavirus outbreak diverts Navy aircraft carrier to Guam, all 5,000 aboard to be tested

The Navy says an outbreak of coronavirus aboard an aircraft carrier in the Pacific has forced it to divert to Guam, where all 5,000 aboard will undergo testing. The USS Theodore Roosevelt remains "operationally capable," according to the acting secretary of the Navy, Thomas Modly.


     Although the exact location of the aircraft carrier cannot be confirmed, it is a safe bet that its at the main port in Apra Harbor. The Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Mike Gilday, released a statement at the official; US Navy website today;
     "USS Theodore Roosevelt is in Guam on a previously-scheduled port visit. The resources at our naval medical facilities in Guam will allow us to more effectively test, isolate, and if necessary treat Sailors.  We expect additional positive tests, and those Sailors who test positive will be transported to the U.S. Naval Hospital Guam for further evaluation and treatment as necessary. During the port visit, base access will be limited to the pier for Roosevelt's Sailors.  No base or regional personnel will access the pier." (navy.mil)


     The aircraft carrier isn't the only navy frontline ship currently in the harbor. A search at Marine Traffic shows a number of other ones including the USNS Howard Lorenzen, Naval Auxiliary Vessel, IMO 9416680 and the USNS Rappahannock, Replenishment Vessel, IMO 8822466. Note from the information provided at Marine Traffic, the Lorenzen was recently in Yokohama, Japan, site of the infamous cruise ship the Diamond Princess quarantine that began in February.



     It is unclear if the Lorenzen was in the same harbor as the Diamond Princess or whether any of the crew of it has been tested for the virus. The fact that at least two other US Navy vessels are in the same harbor at Navy Base Guam might lead to unwarranted speculation that there may be cases onboard that are going unreported out of an abundance of caution. The fact that US forces appear to be in a stand down mode elsewhere across the globe has raised security concerns in the media that negative information regarding the US military might work to the advantage of enemies. (ABC)


Coronavirus: Virus-stricken Diamond Princess leaves Yokohama

YOKOHAMA, JAPAN (AFP) - The Diamond Princess, a coronavirus-hit cruise ship off Japan that saw 712 passengers and crew contracting the disease with 10 deaths, left its moorings in Yokohama on Wednesday (March 25), a city official said.. Read more at straitstimes.com.



Sources,
Naval Base Guam, https://www.cnic.navy.mil/regions/jrm/installations/navbase_guam.html
Adm. Gilday, https://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=112483
Ships in Harbor, , https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/shipid:457683/zoom:14
Troop Freeze, https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/pentagon-halts-overseas-travel-us-troops-60-days/story?id=69799319

IMMEDREL///NAVCOMPAC//CD@TACNET//VIA//CMD/COC//JC//URGENT


Wednesday, March 25, 2020

COVID-19-- New Orleans Outbreak--STRAIN VARIANT VS TEST KIT CAPABILITY


IMMEDIATE RELEASE//ATTNCD@TAC//SUBJ: CVD19//VIA//CMDMSGCTR//URGENT


     "...if the virus in The Big Easy is minutely different than in The Big Apple..."

     (CMD/COC)--Following today's briefing from the White House, ABCs George Stephanopoulos was briefed by Rebecca Jarvis who mentioned that hospital admissions appeared to be dropping in New York City and suggested that it might be due to capacity. In the meantime, the next front may open in the south, with New Orleans showing the latest trend for exponential growth.


     Again, the graph at the governor's office appears similar to that of New York City but with some minor age adjustments. Note, for instance, the rather even distribution across the board for cases confirmed (in yellow). Casualties, as in the NYC stats, show the elderly with the highest rate of attrition (in red) but again, there may also be the "underlying illness" coefficient at work where contributing factors include diabetes, asthma, lung and heart disease, to name a few. Thus, it is premature to attribute all the deaths to the COVID-19 virus alone and would have to be at the discretion of the medical officer to make the call.



      One of the deviations from the NYC stats is with reference to gender, where male-female casualty ratio is nearly two to one. In Louisiana, however, the stats clearly show just the opposite, where female over male death rate shows about 60 over 40 percent. Whether this represents a different strain of the virus or not might be a hint of just how accurate the testing method is in determination the makeup of the virus and whether it is a variant or mutation. That is also indicated by the confirmed case distribution from the graph above.
    The actual test kit capability to detect separate strains if the virus in The Big Easy is minutely different than The Big Apple  may come into question when more data is available, which, unfortunately, means more confirmed infections and casualties.
     The process of detecting a mutating strain of the virus is not as straightforward as expected, as noted by Julianna Lemieux, PhD, in her Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News article from January;
     "Hong Li, PhD, department head of reagent services, R&D department, at GenScript—a company with headquarters in both China and the United States—told GEN that their kit tests for the presence of four multiple nCoV-2019 genes: the O, R, N, and E gene. Typical of RNA viruses, coronaviruses mutate frequently. Detecting multiple genes simultaneously reduces the risk of missing detection that could occur with genomic variation. In addition, Li noted that they can detect the virus at a very early stage." (GenEng)
Whether the test kits currently being used in New Orleans are the same as those used in New York might explain the different results in age-gender confirmed cases, even if the death rates among the elderly appear to be in agreement.


Further Reading-

Louisiana coronavirus cases spike by 407; number, rate of hospitalized patients also up

Louisiana's diagnosed cases of the new coronavirus climbed by another 407 to a total of 1,795 on Wednesday as test results continued to pour in by the thousands and parishes outside of the New Orleans area began to see sharp increases along with the city.


Sources
Stat Charts, http://ldh.la.gov/Coronavirus/ 
NYC Stats, https://eyelessoncampus.blogspot.com/2020/03/covid-19-new-york-city-cases-deaths.html
Variants, https://www.genengnews.com/news/detecting-coronavirus-cases-as-outbreak-grows/


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COVID-19---New York City Cases & Deaths----THE "UNDERLYING ILLNESS" COEFFICIENT


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"...It is unclear if (Dezann) Romain had any underlying health conditions..." 

     (CMD/COC)--The East Coast center of the virus pandemic is currently New York City, where strict no-activity rules are in place. The governor has been vocal in is efforts to secure the necessary vital medical supplies in order to head off the rising cases and deaths reported from Manhattan as well as the outlying boroughs.


The Official Website of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

The official website of the 56th Governor of New York State, Andrew M. Cuomo. Find information about the administration, issues, & news that affects you.


    Do the stats justify the governor's concern. Released on a daily basis at NYC Health are the latest numbers related to who has what and who died from it.



The stats are broken down into greater New York City areas by age, gender and what are called "underlying illnesses;"
     "Underlying illnesses include Diabetes, Lung Disease, Cancer, Immunodeficiency, Heart Disease, Hypertension, Asthma, Kidney Disease, and GI/Liver Disease." (NYC Health)
Some revealing aspects of the cases vs. the groups clearly illustrate the role those underlying illnesses play in the casualties.
     Note the "Age Group" cases where 18-24 represent 44 percent of the cases. However, the age groups 65 and older, while showing only 19 percent of the total cases, account for 75 percent of the casualties. This is where the so-called "underlying illness" coefficient comes into play Because of this factor,it appears that New York might be overstating its casualty count for the COVID-19 cumulative deaths.  There is no indication that the deaths are strictly related to the virus and many may have been otherwise treated as death from an underlying illness.

     It was noted, for instance, during the Wuhan outbreak, that case counts were readjusted following a different method of reporting. (WHO) There was indeed confusion due to the number of variables involved over timeline, detection, testing and reporting in general. The same may hold true for the current status quo in New York and until the air clears and more cases are reported and confirmed, especially the cause of death unrelated to another illness, then it's important to keep the NYC epidemic in perspective,



36-year-old New York City principal dies of coronavirus complications

(CBS News)-A New York City principal has died because of complications of the coronavirus, officials said. Dezann Romain, 36, is the first known public school staff member to die of the virus. Romain worked at Brooklyn Democracy Academy, a transfer high school for overage or under-credited students.


     A case in point is the most recent casualty as reported by WIVB-TV4, where the following statement was made in the article;
     "It is unclear if (Dezann) Romain had any underlying health conditions. She is one of 125 New York City residents to die of COVID-19." (WIVB)
It needs to be clarified, Dezann was 36 years old.


Sources
NYC Health, https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/imm/covid-19-daily-data-summary.pdf
Wuhan outbreak, https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/who-china-joint-mission-on-covid-19-final-report.pdf


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Tuesday, March 24, 2020

CORONAVIRUS--The Texas Lieutenant Governor--& STATE SUICIDE RATES


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     "Who's on the bottom with the least suicides? …. New York..." 

     (CMD/COC)--The trend to single out particular groups of society continues. Initial racial insults were hurled at Asians for being responsible for the virus pandemic sweeping the globe. The Chinese government was accused of mismanagement and germ warfare. By the time the virus had spread to the Western world, politicians set the tone by infighting until at last, it became so serious they have been reluctantly forced to work together. All of that was forgotten in a heartbeat when the Texas lieutenant governor came out and suggested that senior citizens pay the price to unlock the economy.


Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick suggests the elderly should risk their lives to save the economy

As the coronavirus continues to spread in the United States, forcing people to stay in their homes and causing an economic downturn, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick joined Tucker Carlson Tonight where he became a top-trending topic by suggesting we get back to our normal lives to save the economy even at great risk to the country's senior citizens.


   
     According to the Americas Health Rankings, the current rate among the elderly is already shocking;
     "Suicide rates are particularly high among older men, with men aged 75 and older having the highest suicide rate of any group in the nation, at 39.7 deaths per 100,000 adults compared to women aged 75 and older who have a suicide rate of 4.0 per 100,000 adults in 2017." (AHR)

     AHR also reported there were just under 50K suicides in America in 2017. The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) reports on how the elderly suicide rate compares overall,
     "Although suicide attempts (SA) are more frequent among adolescents and young adults, older men and women show the highest suicide rate in almost all countries, reaching 48.7/100,000 in the USA for white men (more than four times the nation’s age-adjusted rate of 11.1/100,000)" (NCBI)
The Texas lieutenant governor apparently had not taken into consideration the plight of senior citizens in America that already exists before making his age-discriminatory statement on national television. San Antonio's Mayor Rin Nirenberg responded immediately, as reported by WOAI-TV;
     "“It’s easy for someone of power and privilege to say something so callous,” Nirenberg  said. "What Dan Patrick is coming to learn is something that most Americans have known for a long time. Which is, a single health event can become catastrophic." (WOAI)



     The Lt. Gov's own son all but trashed the idea as reported by Gabrielle Banks in The Houston Chronicle;
     "While Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick became the public face of the 'let’s get back to work' contingent during the coronavirus pandemic, his son Ryan K. Patrick, U.S. Attorney in the Houston region, has asked his staff handling one of the busiest criminal dockets in the country to work from home and prioritize safety." (Chronicle)
Perhaps the most interesting statist is given by World Population Review in its chart of state-by-state suicides. Not everyone in Texas agrees with the lieutenant governor  as the state is tenth from the bottom with the least amount of self-sacrifice. Who's on the bottom with the least suicides? The state with the greatest threat currently from extinction by coronavirus, New York.


Sources
Suicide Rates,
https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/senior/measure/Suicide_sr_a/state/ALL
Comparison, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5916258/
Nirenberg, https://news4sanantonio.com/news/local/mayor-nirenberg-speaks-out-against-lt-gov-dan-patrick-comments-on-handling-covid-19
Gabrielle Banks, https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/dan-patrick-son-work-from-home-coronavirus-15153807.php
World Pop Rvw stats, https://worldpopulationreview.com/states/suicide-rates-by-state/


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Monday, March 23, 2020

CORONAVIRUS --The Levitt Exponential Decay Model-- & NATURAL SELECTION


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"...Dinosaurs had their shot and nature selected them for extinction..."    

(MSG/CTR)--As reported in the LA Times by Joe Mozingo, this past week, a Stanford biophysicist has correctly predicted the drop in cases and total victims of the COVID-19 virus in China. It was based not on a cumulative model, but a daily increase-decrease in detected cases;
     "Although the number of daily deaths had increased, the rate of that increase had begun to ease off. In his view, the fact that new cases were being identified at a slower rate was more telling than the number of new cases itself. It was an early sign that the trajectory of the outbreak had shifted." (LA Times)
     The discovery of the slowdown led eventually to a dropoff of new cases completely in Hubei, and as Ari Libsker reports further in the Calcalist, on Levitt's observations;
     "Levitt compared the situation to bank interest—if on the first day a person receives an interest rate of 30% on their savings, the next day of 29%, and so forth, 'you understand that eventually, you will not earn very much..' ”  (Calcalist)

Michael Levitt Analysis: Corona Is Slowing Down, Humanity Will Survive

Interview Nobel laureate Michael Levitt, an American-British-Israeli biophysicist who teaches structural biology at Stanford University and spends much of his time in Tel Aviv, unexpectedly became a household name in China, offering the public reassurance during the peak of the country's coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak.


     What is missing from both of the articles is the background of the Nobel prize winner, Levitt is a biochemist. He isn't a statistician nor a mathematician even though he appears to have a solid grasp of how exponents work. But there's more to the theory than just graphs dropping off when they reach a certain limit. The gradual demise of the virus might be related to a radioactive decay process so that even while it is growing at a staggering pace worldwide, it is also rapidly disintegrating over time.
Even more inherent in the lifespan of the virus might be another process beyond the professional grasp of the biochemist, it's called Natural Selection.
     Some organisms are endowed with the capability to live a very long time, others only briefly, no matter how rapidly they expand in numbers. The range of longevity extends from just a few days as in the case of the mayfly that might live longer than a day to a queen termite that lives 50 years. (Zoo Portraits) Currently, the greatest number of deaths for the deadly pandemic virus is out of Italy, a country that also records one of the largest number of humans living 100 years and more.
     Studies have been done to illustrate how long the new virus can survive on a surface before someone comes into contact with it. (Science Alert) But "longevity" and "survival" are two different things. Studies on survival of a virus focus on presence in the environment, whether it can even be defined as a living organism and how long it can continue to exist inside the human body. Other studies are similar in one way or another to the Levitt Decay Model, but are dependent on mathematical elements such as statistical surveys, coefficients of the variables, and ultimately, the use of an exponential model to predict the outcome. None of it is based on the unique "irrational" model offered by the environment itself, that of Natural Selection.
 


Relevant here is what has been famously called the "Jurassic Park: Lunch Debate Scene" where Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) argues with scientist-creator John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) of the dinosaur park that he is a kid who's found his Dad's gun:

HAMMOND  "If I was to create a flock of condors on this island, you wouldn't have anything to say..."
MALCOLM
"Now hold on,  this isn't some species that was obliterated by deforestation, or the building of a dam. Dinosaurs had their shot and nature selected them for extinction. " (Jurassic Park, 1993)

     A theory of exponential decay arrived at by observing the rate of increase-decrease of cases of viral spread in a given environment, controlled or otherwise, like the equation on which is based, is speculation, synthetic, inductive.  Anything might cause a reversal in the decline of confirmed cases. Certainly induction is the scientific method employed in most theoretical models based on observation but it only accounts for the result, not the cause.
     Malcolm's argument is analytical, he bases it on wholly unforeseen and misunderstood force of the real world we have come to know as "natural selection." Built into the model that Dr. Malcolm presents to Hammond is one of longevity and some force where nature decides, or has already ordained, how long the species will exist on the planet. Species entails life form, a virus borders on the precipice of the living and is thus exposed to the forces that rule its existence, namely, longevity.
     From an analytic standpoint, the virus could only exist for a given length of time before some totally unexplained force, observed through exponential decay, would cause its destruction, that force is natural selection. COVID-19 has a limit of longevity and much like the exponential model that predicts it, can only expand to a certain point before the expansion deteriorates, bringing about the ultimate demise of the virus. From an evolutionary-anthropological viewpoint, it simply withers away, lingering but doomed to its predetermined lifespan on the planet.



Sources

Levitt, https://www.yahoo.com/news/why-nobel-laureate-predicts-quicker-210318391.html
Calcalist, https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3800632,00.html
Zoo Portraits, https://www.zooportraits.com/animal-longevity/
Science Alert, https://www.sciencealert.com/study-shows-just-how-long-coronaviruses-can-stick-around-on-a-surface
Jurassic Park: Lunch Debate Scene, https://youtu.be/ldD_4Puw6RM
Dr, Levitt, https://profiles.stanford.edu/michael-levitt,  michael.levitt@stanford.edu



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Sunday, March 22, 2020

CALIFORNIA LOCKDOWN -- Primary Care Physician Conscription-- DRAFTING DOCTORS FROM HEALTHY COUNTIES

#CALIFORNIA LOCKDOWN -- Primary Care Physician Conscription-- DRAFTING DOCTORS FROM HEALTHY COUNTIES

IMMEDIATE RELEASE//@CDTACNET//FMFBT//CMDMSGCTR//URGENT "...'drafting' physicians in the event they are needed in the seriously inflicted areas ..." (CMD/COC)--Comparison of two maps indicates availability of Primary Care Physicians (PCPs) in at least two counties where the virus has yet to become invasive, Lassen and Inyo.


(CMD/COC)--Comparison of two maps indicates availability of Primary Care Physicians (PCPs) in at least two counties where the virus has yet to become invasive, Lassen and Inyo. The first map shows the PCP availability statewide and is from the California Health care Foundation, the second, updated 22 March from the Los Angeles Times.

Saturday, March 21, 2020

CALIFORNIA LOCKDOWN--2008 Bioterror/Pandemic Report--N95 MASKS SECRET STATE STASH


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     (The Lab)--According to a 2008 story by Dorsey Griffith in the Sacramento Bee, a 1900 page report by the state Department of Public Health relates to a bioterror attack or influenza pandemic and is a stark lesson in survival of the fittest.


Some of the guidelines include;
     "...state statutes and regulations that govern hospitals and health care operations can be flexed or suspended by the governor during a surge. Alternate care sites, including  school gymnasiums, sports venues and parking lots, can be used to care for ill and injured patients. Scarce medical supplies such as ventilators will be rationed under a system in which those patients who have a critical need for treatment and are likely to survive will be treated before those who are sick or critically injured and less likely to survive." (Bee)

A chart that accompanied the Bee story showed stats on various  survival items stockpiled by the state. Included were 50.9 million N-95 respirator masks purchased for just under $20 million from 3M and Kimberly Clark and stored  in "various state warehouses." Other items were also purchased and listed as stored in "undisclosed warehouses." Obviously, the state wants to keep it a big secret that it's hoarding hard to find items like N-95 masks.
     Among other things, according to the Griffith story;
     "The plan lists....which responsibilities and patient protections can be waived if the governor declares a state of emergency. Hospitals will not have to report births, deaths, infectious disease outbreaks, medication errors and suspected child or elder abuse." (Bee)
     The grim assessment indicates just what the state government can do in the case of a pandemic, under the guidelines of a disaster or bioterror attack.

Sources,
Survive, Sacramento Bee, 02 March 2008, Page 10

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Tuesday, March 17, 2020

EOC: PSYOPS--Foreign Correspondent Namebase--TIMES, WAPO & WSJ BOOTED FROM CHINA


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     (Ho Chi Minh City)--Between the latest fuss over "stigmatization" of the outbreak as the "Chinese virus," and expulsion of biased Yankee journalists from Beijing, there is little rest in the media of late. Cissy Zhou of the South China Morning Post reports on the boot for the reporters;
     "The Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that it was revoking the press credentials for American journalists from three newspapers, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post, requiring them to return their media passes within 10 days and essentially expelling them from the country.
Beijing also declared five US media outlets – Voice of America, The Times, The Journal, The Post and Time magazine – to be foreign government functionaries, identifying them as  agencies controlled by Washington." (SCMP)

Just who are the government lackeys for the media in question?  WaPo, NY Times and WSJ shows who's who either in Beijing or at-large;




Washington Post, China

Anna Fifield, Beijing Bureau Chief
Gerry Shih, China Correspondent
Shibani Mahtani, Hong Kong







New York Times

     Javier C. Hernández is a China correspondent for The New York Times based in Beijing. Since joining The Times in 2008, he has covered education, financial markets and New York City politics.

     Amy Qin is a China correspondent for The New York Times in Beijing covering the intersection of culture, politics and society. She has written about China’s soft power efforts, Asia’s booming art market, independent filmmakers in the Philippines and a mysterious North Korean-backed art museum in Cambodia.


Wall St Journal
Deputy Bureau Chief Josh Chin, reporter Chao Deng, and reporter Philip Wen were given five days to leave China by the Foreign Ministry. (SCMP)

     As for the "stigma," over the name of the virus,

China opposes U.S. stigmatization by calling coronavirus "Chinese virus"

BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- China is strongly indignant at and firmly opposes U.S. stigmatization by calling the novel coronavirus "Chinese virus", and urges the United States to correct its mistakes and stop making groundless accusations against China, according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tuesday.

Sources,

Expuslion, https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3075647/china-revokes-press-credentials-american-journalists-3-us
WaPo, https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/world/washington-post-foreign-correspondents/
NY Times, https://www.nytimes.com/by/javier-c-hernandez
NY Times, https://www.nytimes.com/by/amy-qin
WSJ, https://www.businessinsider.com/china-expel-wsj-reporters-claims-racist-coronavirus-coverage-2020-2

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Monday, March 16, 2020

EOC: PSYOPS--US State Dept. Official @ Wuhan Virology Inst.--& JAPAN, FRENCH OFFICIALS IN THE LAB


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     (The Lab)--With respect to recent conspiracy allegations by People's Republic regarding "Patient Zero" in Wuhan, it is necessary to discover just who staffed the consulate in the city for the USA.


China, pushing conspiracy theory, accuses US Army of bringing coronavirus to Wuhan

A spokesman for the Chinese government on Thursday promoted a conspiracy theory that the coronavirus was brought to the city of Wuhan by the U.S. military. "It might be US Army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan," said Zhao Lijian, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman, Business Insider reported.


Following data available as to namebase of principal State Dept. officers at the Wuhan consulate from "Key Officers" State Dept...


WUHAN (CG) 47F New World Intl Trade Tower I, No.568 Jianshe Ave, Hankou, Wuhan 430022, 86-27-8555-7791, Fax 86-27-85557761,

FCS Henley Jones
MGT Christopher Green
POL/ECON Charles Montgomery
CG B. Jamison Fouss
CON Sarah Nelson
PAO Michael Dubray
GSO Damian Richard
RSO David Nicholas
CLO Xenia Jones
ISO Scott Tolsma


     Of particular interest on the list of current officers is CGB Jamison Fouss, who, in March, 2018, visited the Wuhan Institute of Virology. That particular lab was tagged by conspiracy theorists as the origin of the deadly coronavirus strain.

The U.S. Counselor visited Wuhan Institute of Virology, CAS----Wuhan Institute of Virology

Wuhan Institute of Virology mission targeting for population health, agriculture and sustainable development strategies and public safety needs of the country, relying on high-level biosafety laboratory cluster platform, focusing on virology, Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology and emerging biotechnology basic and applied basic research and other aspects.

     "On March 27th, Mr. Rick Switzer, Counselor of Environment, Science, Technology and Health Section of Embassy of the United States in China, accompanied by the U.S. Consul General in Wuhan, Mr. Jamison Fouss, visited Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Prof. Yanyi WANG, the Deputy Director General of the WIV, met with the U.S. delegation. Prof. Zhengli SHI, Director of Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases and Deputy Director of Wuhan P4 Laboratory, and Prof. Zhihong HU, Director of Center for Bacteria and Virus Resources and Application, participated the meeting." (WHIOV)

    The Virology lab website also has a series of press releases of other state official visits from France and Japan. Photos show the visitors in regular street clothes. If the lab was involved with experimentation of the deadly strain and contamination, it would explain possible "Patient Zero" effect.



Also located at the building: ref to Staff Directory for China: https://2016.export.gov/eac/intl_staff_list.asp?CPostName=156
It is unclear just who was evacuated at the original alert but consulate staff above most likely. Their backgrounds need be examined for any connection to US Army bioweapons history.









Sources
Wuhan, Key Officers, https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Key-Officers.pdf
Counselor visit, http://english.whiov.cas.cn/ne/201804/t20180403_191332.html
Wuhan lab visitors, http://english.whiov.cas.cn/ne/index_4.html


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EOC: MARINETRAFFICREP---Grand Princess "Germboat" Anchored in the Bay--OUT OF OAKLAND

The massive ship will move to a mooring site in the Bay where it will remain under a 14-day quarantine. At least six foreign passengers were reportedly still onboard as were more than 300 crew members



Coronavirus Update: Grand Princess Leaves Port Of Oakland; Will Moor In San Francisco Bay

CBS SF Bay Area 7 hrs ago Syndicated Local - CBS San Francisco OAKLAND (CBS SF) - After nearly a week of being moored at a secure dockside in the Port of Oakland, the Grand Princess slowly made its way into the San Francisco Bay Monday morning.




EOC: PSYOPS ALERT---Beef of the Billionaires---AFTER ACTION 001






Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) said Sunday that a White House staffer called and "yelled" at him over the weekend after he criticized the federal government in a Saturday tweet for crowds at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport.



Illinois gov says White House staffer 'yelled' at him over tweet blasting federal response to airport crowds

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) said Sunday that a White House staffer called and "yelled" at him over the weekend after he criticized the federal government in a Saturday tweet for crowds at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. Pritzker called for the government to increase U.S.



Cuomo and Trump trade barbs over fed response to coronavirus

Tensions over the federal government's response to the coronavirus spilled onto social media Monday as President Trump and Gov. Andrew Cuomo exchanged a series of searing tweets over New York's request for assistance. "Just had a very good tele-conference with Nation's Governors. Went very well.

OP CONTAIN CORONA--Sen. Romney Panic Legislation---ENEMY OVERRUNS HIS POSITION


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     (The Scullery)--Now we are beginning to see the government come unglued completely with the latest proposal from Senator Mitt (R-UT).

Romney proposes giving $1K to every US adult amid coronavirus

Romney outlined a handful of proposals on Monday, saying that while the Senate should take up the House-passed coronavirus package, Congress needs to start working on additional steps.




.. These civilians need some serious training in panic management when the enemy overruns their position,



PSYOPS ALERT--National Virus Lockdown Hoax--ATTN S-2 INTEL/DIV


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      (Sierra-Two)--Be advised there are efforts by foreign interlopers to create panic in the civilian population by circulation of false and misleading rumors regarding the status of responsibility in  ref to the ongoing expanding health emergency:

     "On Sunday, the National Security Council tweeted that “Text message rumors of a national #quarantine are FAKE. There is no national lockdown.” The NSC encouraged Americans to follow official government guidance."  (KTLA)
..


U.S. officials allege foreign entity is spreading misinformation to stoke COVID-19 fears

The Trump administration is alleging that a foreign disinformation campaign is underway aimed at spreading fear in the country amid the coronavirus pandemic, three U.S. officials said Monday. On Sunday, federal officials began confronting what they said was a deliberate effort by a foreign entity to sow fears of a nationwide quarantine amid the virus outbreak.

     "The three U.S. officials did not name the foreign entity they believe to be responsible. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.."  (SF Gate)

Any time the article reads "condition of anonymity," one can suspect the entire story has  dubious credibility...


Image Source
https://www.thebaghdadpost.com/en/story/12267/Iraqi-planes-drop-leaflets-on-Old-Mosul-as-anti-ISIS-war-goes-on

SF Gate article, https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/US-officials-foreign-disinformation-stoking-15134438.php




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FBC: PSYOPS ALERT---HHS Cyberattack --AFTER ACTION #001


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     “We are aware of a cyber incident related to the Health and Human Services computer networks, and the federal government is investigating this incident thoroughly,” John Ullyot, a spokesman for the National Security Council, said in a statement. “HHS and federal government cybersecurity professionals are continuously monitoring and taking appropriate actions to secure our federal networks.”

Cyber-Attack Hits U.S. Health Agency Amid Covid-19 Outbreak

Bloomberg 3 hrs ago Shira Stein and Jennifer Jacobs Slideshow by photo services The U.S. Health and Human Services Department suffered a cyber-attack on its computer system, part of what people familiar with the incident called a campaign of disruption and disinformation that was aimed at undermining the response to the coronavirus pandemic and may have been the work of a foreign actor.



     “On Sunday, we became aware of a significant increase in activity on HHS cyber infrastructure and are fully operational as we actively investigate the matter,” said the spokeswoman, Caitlin Oakley. “We are coordinating with federal law enforcement and remain vigilant and focused on ensuring the integrity of our IT infrastructure.”


The attack had automated bots attempt to overwhelm the department's public system in order to slow or completely shut it down. The overload included millions of hits over several hours. The attempts to significantly slow down the systems were not successful, and officials indicated they were pleased that they were mostly able to fend off the attack. A foreign actor is suspected and analysts are attempting to determine the origin of the cyberattack   (US News)



Ref2--
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/cyber-attack-hits-us-health-agency-amid-covid-19-outbreak/ar-BB11g3gk?ocid=spartanntp
Bots,
https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2020-03-16/cyberattack-on-department-of-health-and-human-services-attempted-to-slow-down-coronavirus-response
Image, https://www.123rf.com/photo_121953287_digital-espionage-binary-cyber-bots-cyberattack-threats.html


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H.R.6201--Families First Coronavirus Response Act--MASSIVE WELFARE ENTITLEMENT PACKAGE

H.R.6201--Families First Coronavirus Response Act--MASSIVE WELFARE ENTITLEMENT PACKAGE

IMMEDIATE//FBCCMDMSG//ATTN CD@TACNET//VIAJCL////OP.CONTAINMENT//URGENT "...yet-to-be-proven preventive measures and government spending..". (The Scullery)-- Under such auspicious titles as "Nutrition Waivers," "Worker Protection," "Emergency Paid Leave" and others, HR 6201 has little or nothing to do with COVID-19 containment. The entire bill is government spending related to entitlements for those affected in one way or another by the outbreak of the virus, whether they are directly infected or not.

Sunday, March 15, 2020

FED--Qualitative vs Quantitative--LIBERALISM AS A FIRST RESORT


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      (Den@UNR)-- Walking a tightrope on an externally stimulated crisis, the administration finds itself following  the liberals into debtors prison. Unprecedented in many aspects, an ongoing pandemic paranoia has spooked the markets so badly, the Federal Reserve has been forced to use all of its ammo today rather than wait it out, as anybody with backbone would have done. There has always been the opinion among the wealthy that if you keep throwing cash at something, it will eventually solve the problem.
     Helicopter Money--"Nobel laureate economist Milton Friedman first proposed the idea almost 50 years ago. It is close to-but not quite the same-as quantitative easing, the method central banks such as the U.S. Federal Reserve, Bank of Japan, Bank of England, and ECB have used since the financial crisis of 2007-2009." (Marysville Journal-Tribune)
     It would, of course, be a last resort following failed efforts  of qualitative-quantitative easing, that have been proposed and combined with bottoming out interest rates by the Fed today. It appears that under fire, the Fed acts as it always does, flood the market with cash, buy up bonds that nobody wants, and reverse course on the economic cruise ship of conservative policy, high interest and no spending. It doesn't work. The Fed chairman just wants to appease the boss just before the election who's been touting the strong economy, low unemployment and middle-class strength as the foundation of his administration.
     Was the economy doomed to collapse somewhere down the line? Certainly, it usually does when speculation becomes rampant on Wall Street. Currently, the Dow Jones average is above 24,000, teetering on disaster, bloated, beyond the reach completely of the small investor. It's just that no one expected it to come under pressure from a worldwide health crisis, which in many ways had always had the possibility to bring it down.  The steps to save the market, however, are always the same; lower interest rates and buy bonds. But now the rates have bottomed out and there's nowhere else to go, the market will have to sell off, and what a relief it will be.
     Right now, some of the highest stocks could drop to half their value and the effect might be immediately felt but the long term effects would be to make Wall Street conservative and cautious again. The disease on The Street isn't some virus forcing the old folks to stay home and nobody allowed to travel to Europe, the disease is blind speculation. Blind because it depends on the Reserve to bail it out every time it gets sick, every time a worthless stock becomes hot because of a Twitter hashtag or a White House announcement.
    Under that veil of conservatism by the government, is the desperation of liberalism every time  something threatens the economy, a conspiracy between the administration and investors to turn to free spending to prop up a failed policy. The market has been doomed to crash for years, it took a virus to bring out the weak underside of investor greed, of profit over safety, of carelessness over caution.

What do the Fed's latest moves mean for U.S. consumers?

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Reserve unleashed new emergency measures on Sunday night to limit the economic harm from the coronavirus, including making it easier for banks to get money and slashing its benchmark borrowing rate to near zero. In a move reminiscent of the extraordinary


     The Reuters article above by Marte and Timmons states;
     "the Fed will flood the financial system with cash to ensure markets keep functioning and banks have the scope to keep credit flowing to businesses and consumers during the growing number of shutdowns prompted by the outbreak" (Reuters)
     The argument is flawed. There is no guarantee the banks will send the money down to the consumer, the banks can find a safer way to make a profit off the money, back to speculating on the market. If the economy caves totally, the government will again bail out the banks and nothing will have changed.
     Will the market collapse entirely? Depending on investors coming to their senses and the Fed holding its ground and not giving in to the White House incessant pressure for keeping the germ-infested cruise ship of the rich afloat, it might stabilize, but don't count on it. So long as the only course of action the ship can take in financial crisis is liberalism, then it will have no safe harbor to dock.

Late Entry>

Cash will be freed up into the economy by a major selloff, not by giving money to the banks. If the current status quo of institutional investors don't have the nerve to engineer a major correction, then individual investors will have to do it without them.

Sources,
Helicopter Money, Marysville (OH) Journal-Tribune, 26 March 2016, Page 7.
Helicopter Money image--https://www.123rf.com/photo_95141457_helicopter-dropping-money-in-sky.html
The Fed, https://finance.yahoo.com/news/feds-latest-moves-mean-u-005551420.html


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Friday, March 13, 2020

JOUR107.1001--Lab#7: The 2020 Tokyo International Olympics--UNIV OF NEVADA, RENO, SPRING 2020


JOUR107.1001/James L’Angelle/University of Nevada, Reno/Prof B. Payne/13 March 2020


The 2020 Tokyo International Olympics

     With all sorts of  events shutting down due to the national emergency declared because of the virus pandemic, by summer, sports fans will be suffering from mild psychosis over the inalienable right of keeping athletic competition alive. Fortunately, Japanese officials have yet to follow suit. My choice for a  story is as follows:


     A description of what your story is about, and the angles you are thinking about: The story will follow efforts underway to keep the Tokyo Olympics from being rescheduled or cancelled, using news sources and contacts. Hopefully, some direct interviews will also be possible.
     Explain how this story matters to your audience. Find at least one published story from a newspaper or magazine that is relevant to your story -- either about your subject, or that is similar to the type of story you want to write. Provide a complete citation (source/author/date/headline) for the story, along with a short explanation of how the story could help you develop your story idea:  Sporting events are being delayed, suspended and  shut down for the  Spring with the possibility of the same happening for the Summer. It is vitally important to keep the Olympics up and running because of the status of the games.  A recent update:

     “Japan's Olympics Minister Dismisses Trump's Suggestion That Summer Games Will Be Postponed,”   by Stephen Wade, Associated Press, March 13, 2020.
https://time.com/5802411/summer-olympics-no-postponement-japan-minister/
   
     Identify at least three people (names if you have them; if not, describe the types of people you are looking for) that you would like to interview for your story. The best source is always the origin, the US Olympic Committee. I will make an effort to contact the committee as well as some of the separate training venues and media personalities who will be covering the events to get independent takes on the status of the Olympics.

United States Olympic Committee website-- https://www.olympic.org/united-states-of-america

List three things you are going to do this week to begin reporting for your story.

Contact the US Olympic Committee.
Generate a schedule of pre-Olympic activities, on- and off-the field.
Create a list of those involved in planning and execution of the games.

Note to Prof: I am unsure if this is considered a news or feature story.


JOUR107.1001/James L’Angelle/University of Nevada, Reno/Prof B. Payne/13 March 2020


Tuesday, March 3, 2020

CORONAVIRUS QUAGMIRE--Congress Emergency Combat---SNAFU ON THE HOUSE FLOOR


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"...who's-in-charge of this outfit...?" 

     (The Lab)--Although there has been much talk about money to back the individual states in their efforts to combat the new disease that has already grown to pandemic proportions globally, there appears little direct evidence of Congressional activity to appropriate the money. Task force commander VP Mike Pence assured governors today that the money is there, as reported by Adriana Gomez Licon for the Associated Press;
     " 'What the vice president is envisioning as a former governor is ‘Look, you guys need to be able to combat this thing. So you guys do what you’ve got to do. We will appropriate money and then simply reimburse you on the back end,’ ' DeSantis, a Republican, said at a news conference in Miami after confirming two people had been tested positive in Florida." (AP)


     That's big of the VP to demand the states to shell out money up front as if the states have the wherewithal in their budgets to "combat" the virus. Already the bills are stacking up for quarantine centers nationwide, not to mention the load placed on testing labs, cost for gear such as expensive hazmat suits and the scarcity of protective masks for state health employees.  In addition, the Associated Press article above fails to mention any legislative specific bills introduced to secure the loot. It refers to  "bipartisan" negotiations only.
     As for Congress, a review of recent bills introduced regarding the money that has been requested by the executive branch shows nothing for the first session of March. The bills introduced on Monday refer to "The Backyard Act" and "Fair Debt Collection," with nothing for the pending emergency request related to the spread of the virus. In fact, in the 20 or so bills on the floor this past week, none are related to the so-called virus emergency, with plenty of airtime dedicated to parks, recreation and veterans. (house.gov)

White House presses Congress for coronavirus funding by mid-March

The White House on Friday said it hopes Congress will send President Trump Donald John Trump This week: House eyes vote on emergency coronavirus funding Democratic candidates gear up for a dramatic Super Tuesday Judd Gregg: Trump and Pelosi - Who's crazy now? MORE a supplemental funding bill to combat the coronavirus within the next two weeks.

     Even with four more deaths reported in Washington state today, there appears to be little ambition for Congress to fast track the legislation. This is the same House that ramrodded the impeachment articles through in order that it could meet the Christmas holiday recess.  A review of the current bills being considered obviously indicates the non-committal of the House to come up with a bona-fide slush fund that would be immediately available for the states, in particular out West where the cases, and casualties, are growing daily.
     What did the director of the World Health Organization (WHO)  have to say about the rise of cases?
     “Stigma, to be honest, is more dangerous than the virus itself. Fear and panic are dangerous,” World Health Organization director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. “It’s fine to be concerned and worried, but let’s calm down and do the right things.” (LA Times)
 Spreading as fast as the global pandemic is not just misinformation, but a genuine doubt in the collective consciousness of people, Americans in particular, that someone is actually in charge of the emergency. Even with the appointment of the Pence task force last week, other agencies suddenly appear with contradictory announcements, such as the WHO. Even today, FEMA somehow appeared out of nowhere with yet another angle on the situation.

FEMA preparing for possible coronavirus emergency declaration

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is planning for the possibility that President Donald Trump could make an emergency declaration to bring in extra funds and personnel to assist the administration's coronavirus response, according to internal documents obtained by NBC News.

NBC cites so-called "internal documents" that more than likely can't be verified generating more fake reports for headlines. Although news outlets have given some descriptions of the task force, it still appears a nebulous back-office, hastily contrived, "who's-in-charge of this outfit" reaction to the impending crisis. To simply put it off by calling it fearmongering and panic does not sit well with the public that is more in tune with current events than officials might give it credit for.

Sources
AP, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/pence-tells-governors-money-for-coronavirus-costs-is-coming/ar-BB10EqHZ?ocid=spartanntp
House Bills, http://clerk.house.gov/floorsummary/floor.aspx?day=20200302&today=20200302
Stigma, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/coronavirus-is-a-deadly-threat-—-but-fear-and-panic-are-more-dangerous-global-health-chief-says/ar-BB10EaAQ?ocid=spartanntp


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