Hospital Workers Threatened With ‘Termination’ for Voicing Coronavirus Shortages

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By Washington Examiner. Reminiscent of steps taken by the Chinese Communist Party after doctors attempted to warn the world about the coronavirus, some American hospitals are instructing workers to keep quiet about conditions at the facilities or face termination.

“Hospitals are muzzling nurses and other healthcare workers in an attempt to preserve their image,” Ruth Schubert, a spokeswoman for the Washington State Nurses Association, told Bloomberg on Tuesday. “It is outrageous.”

In an email sent to workers at NYU Langone Health on Friday, executive vice president of communications Kathy Lewis said employees cannot speak with the media unless authorized, or else they will be “subject to disciplinary action, including termination.” Jim Mandler, a spokesman for the hospital, followed up by saying the measures follow guidelines already in place that protect the privacy of patients and staff.

The message is similar to those received by healthcare workers in Washington and Illinois, who have been punished for voicing concerns about the lack of protective equipment available to staff.

Lauri Mazurkiewicz, a Chicago nurse who was fired by Northwestern Memorial Hospital after warning colleagues about a lack of protective equipment, is suing the hospital, claiming she was fired for speaking out. (Read more from “Hospital Workers Threatened With ‘Termination’ for Voicing Coronavirus Shortages” HERE)

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Are Hospitals Seeing a Surge of Coronavirus Patients? Some Officials Aren’t Saying

By NPR. With tests scarce, epidemiologists are looking at hospitalizations as an indicator of how the novel coronavirus is spreading. But in some of the areas of the country worst-hit by COVID-19, states and counties aren’t releasing that data.

The result is an incomplete picture of where the pandemic is surging, even in hotspots such as Washington and California.

“So as long as people aren’t being turned away, we must focus on hospitalizations and ICU cases,” says Steven Goodman, an epidemiologist and Stanford University’s associate dean of Clinical and Translational Research. “The more reliable numbers, aside from the number of deaths, are how many people get sick enough to be in the hospital and in the ICU. That’s what we need to know.” . . ,

Still, other hotspots aren’t releasing numbers at all, either because public health officials are overwhelmed by the crisis and are still compiling the numbers or for reasons they declined to explain, even though they are compiling the numbers internally. (Read more from “Are Hospitals Seeing a Surge of Coronavirus Patients? Some Officials Aren’t Saying” HERE)

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Chinese Government Finally Acknowledges Underreporting Coronavirus Cases; Coronavirus Is Latest in China’s History of Trying to Cover up Negative Info

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By Daily Caller. A top Chinese health official said Wednesday that the government will begin counting coronavirus patients without symptoms in its official tally of cases of the virus, in what is a tacit acknowledgement that Beijing has underreported data on the pandemic.

China’s National Health Commission disclosed that the government is monitoring 1,541 people who have tested positive for coronavirus but have no symptoms.

Chang Jile, the head of the health agency, said at a press conference in Wuhan that the government will start reporting asymptomatic patient numbers Wednesday.

“From April 1, we will publish reports, outcomes and management of asymptomatic people in daily epidemic notifications, and respond to social concerns in a timely manner,” Jile said, according to CCTV.

Jile’s statement is the first time that the government has officially acknowledged that it has undercounted patients. (Read more from “Chinese Government Finally Acknowledges Underreporting Coronavirus Cases” HERE)

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Coronavirus Is Latest in China’s History of Trying to Cover up Negative Info

By Fox News. Months after the coronavirus began to surface in China, the outbreak has spread across the world, killing thousands and prompting governments to enact unprecedented containment measures.

Beijing says it’s slowly beginning to emerge from the crisis that originated on its soil, while putting its propaganda machine to work to craft a favorable narrative. Weeks after announcing the outbreak, some governments — particularly the United States — are accusing China of purposely failing to inform the public, thereby exacerbating the crisis.

A Chinese doctor who has since died of the virus tried sounding alarms during its early stages. Li Wenliang — who worked in a Wuhan hospital and has since been hailed as a hero — was detained with eight other doctors for posting information about patients with respiratory problems on WeChat, a Chinese messaging platform.

Authorities claimed the doctors were spreading “unverified information” as reason for their detention. Other doctors were reprimanded and told to stop posting online about the virus. Li was released after signing a document admitting he committed “illegal acts.” (Read more from “Coronavirus Is Latest in China’s History of Trying to Cover up Negative Info” HERE)

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Biden in a Coronavirus Groundhog Day-Like Loop

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By Washington Examiner. Joe Biden is living in reminiscent of the 1993 film Groundhog Day, stuck in limbo and answering the same questions over and over while trying to move on to taking his place as the Democratic presidential nominee.

Isolated in his Wilmington, Delaware home, Biden says that his day starts with two meetings with advisers: one on the status of the coronavirus pandemic and government response and one on the economy.

Later in the day, the former vice president heads to his basement recreation room to his newly-constructed professional studio, where he either gives a live-stream address or appears on a television show.

The hits are often very similar to each other. Biden finds ways to mention that he wants up to $10,000 in student loans canceled for those affected by the coronavirus, a temporary month ban on evictions, and for President Trump to use the Defense Production Act to create medical supplies. . .

Biden tries to strike a balance of firm without being so critical that he comes off as opportunistic. As a result, the former vice president is fading away from the public psyche. A Yahoo/YouGov poll released Tuesday found that Biden is one of the least viable public figures during the crisis, with only 17% of respondents saying that they have heard “a lot” from the former vice president. (Read more from “Biden in a Coronavirus Groundhog Day-Like Loop” HERE)

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Biden Says Coronavirus’ Impact on Health System Hasn’t Changed His Mind on Single-Payer

By CNBC. Former Vice President Joe Biden said Monday that he was not reconsidering his opposition to single-payer health care despite the strain that the coronavirus pandemic has put on the existing health-care system.

“Single-payer will not solve that at all,” Biden said during an interview on MSNBC.

Biden is running against Sen. Bernie Sanders for the Democratic presidential nomination. Biden is ahead in delegates, 1,181 to 871, out of 1,991 needed to win, according to an NBC News tracker.

Sanders’ “Medicare-for-all” proposal to overhaul the health-care system and implement a single-payer, government-run system was a focus of the race even before the public health crisis erupted in the U.S. and essentially knocked both men off the campaign trail.

Biden has opposed the proposal, citing its costs, and suggested earlier in March that as president he might veto it, though his campaign later seemed to walk back the comments. (Read more from “Biden Says Coronavirus’ Impact on Health System Hasn’t Changed His Mind on Single-Payer” HERE)

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Justice Department Looking Into Senator’s Stock Sell-Off

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Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr sold off a large amount of stocks before the coronavirus market crash, and now the Justice Department is looking into his statements around this time period, NPR can report.

Media outlets including CNN, The Wall Street Journal and The Associated Press have also reported that the FBI has reached out to Burr to assess whether he made stock sales based on nonpublic information.

NPR first broke news of a secret recording in which Burr, R-N.C., privately warned well-connected constituents in February about how bad the coronavirus crisis would become. . .

As chairman of the Intelligence Committee and a member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Burr may have received private information about the coming pandemic.

“Was [that information] something that you and I, if we were shareholders of that company, would have reasonably expected it to be considered significant at the time?” said Doug Davison, a former Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement lawyer, laying out a key question that investigators would have. “The investigation needs to be surgical in the sense that you need to really focus like a laser on what information was provided to the Congress folks. Was it material? Was it nonpublic?” (Read more from “Justice Department Looking Into Senator’s Stock Sell-Off” HERE)

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New York Doctor: ‘I Do’ Think an End to Coronavirus Crisis Is ‘in Sight’

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By Daily Caller. New York doctor and Fox News contributor Janette Nesheiwat said that the ongoing coronavirus crisis could be about to peak.

Taking a brief break from treating New York City hospital patients on Tuesday to speak to Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer on “Bill Hemmer Reports,” Nesheiwat said this has been her “busiest week of coronavirus patients” yet. . .

“Do you see an end in sight?” Hemmer asked.

“I do, I absolutely do,” she responded. “I feel we are at the point where we’re getting all the resources and the support that we need whether it’s supplies, whether it’s staff, whether it’s the space to have to put patients. We got that ship. When I saw that ship pull up, I got chilled and I got teary-eyed because I felt that we are now getting all the tools that we need to help take care of our patients.” (Read more from “New York Doctor: ‘I Do’ Think an End to Coronavirus Crisis Is ‘in Sight’” HERE)

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New York, ‘Still in Search of the Apex,’ Sees Another Spike in Coronavirus Cases

By NPR. New York, the epicenter of the coronavirus’ spread in the U.S., has reported yet another sizable leap in confirmed cases. With more than 9,200 new cases, the state’s grand total is more than 75,000 as of midday Tuesday.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is warning that the rise in the number of New York’s confirmed cases is only going to get steeper as testing increases and more time passes.

“We’re all in search of the apex and the other side of the mountain,” he told a news conference Tuesday.

“That’s where the main battle is going to be, the apex of the curve,” he added, referring to graphs projecting the number of COVID-19 cases over time. The top of the curve, in other words, reflects the moment at which the volume of cases reaches its peak. “And then we come down the other side of the mountain. We are planning now for the battle at the top of the mountain.”

New York has reported nearly five times as many confirmed cases of the coronavirus as any other state — a gap that may grow larger as the state ramps up testing. Of the more than 18,000 tests undertaken there since Monday, Cuomo said that roughly half returned a coronavirus diagnosis. (Read more from “New York, ‘Still in Search of the Apex,’ Sees Another Spike in Coronavirus Cases” HERE)

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Secretary of Defense Admits He Hasn’t ‘Had a Chance’ to Read Desperate Plea From Captain of Aircraft Carrier Filled With Sick Sailors

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Secretary of Defense Mark Esper told CBS’s Norah O’Donnell Tuesday that he hasn’t yet read the four-page plea for help “in detail” from the captain of an aircraft carrier filled with sailors who have the novel coronavirus.

Capt. Brett Crozier sent a four-page letter asking Navy officials to send the ship resources so his men don’t die, according to the letter obtained by The Chronicle. The USS Theodore Roosevelt has been siting in a Guam dock after a novel coronavirus outbreak on board less than one week ago.

“Well, I have not had a chance to read that letter, read it in detail,” Esper admitted after discussing the situation for a few minutes with O’Donnell. “Again, I’m going to rely on the Navy chain of command to go out there to assess the situation and to make sure they provide the captain and the crew all the support they need to get the sailors healthy and get the ship back at sea.”

Crozier said the crew is unable to adhere to social distancing guidelines while on board the ship and wrote that “we are not at war” and so not “a single Sailor” should have to die from the virus. The situation began with just three confirmed novel coronavirus cases on board. Now, there are reportedly 150 to 200, The Chronicle reported. (Read more from “Secretary of Defense Admits He Hasn’t ‘Had a Chance’ to Read Desperate Plea From Captain of Aircraft Carrier Filled With Sick Sailors” HERE)

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Tesla Plans to Supply FDA-Approved Ventilators Free of Cost; Texas ‘Mom and Pop’ Business Flooded With Orders for Helmet Ventilators

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By Reuters. Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) Chief Executive Elon Musk said on Tuesday the company has extra FDA-approved ventilators that can be shipped free of cost to hospitals within regions where the electric carmaker delivers.

“Device & shipping cost are free. Only requirement is that the vents are needed immediately for patients, not stored in a warehouse. Please me or @Tesla know,” Musk said in a tweet. . .

Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment on how many ventilators it has to offer, or how the company will prioritize requests. (Read more from “Tesla Plans to Supply FDA-Approved Ventilators Free of Cost” HERE)

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Texas ‘Mom and Pop’ Business Flooded With Orders for Helmet Ventilators Amid Coronavirus Crisis

By NBC News. One month ago, Chris Austin was running a little-known mom-and-pop business in Texas that fielded a few dozen orders a week for his helmet-style ventilation devices. . .

Austin’s company, Sea-Long Medical Systems Inc., is getting thousands of orders every day, from America’s top hospitals to countries as far flung as the United Arab Emirates. Researchers say the device, which costs less than $200, could help hospitals free up ventilators for only the most critically ill coronavirus patients.

“‘Overwhelmed’ doesn’t scratch the surface,” Austin told NBC News.

The demand for the Sea-Long helmet underscores the dire shortage of ventilators in the U.S. and around the globe fueled by a surge in hospital patients suffering from COVID-19.

In the last few weeks, hospitals have been flooded with patients experiencing respiratory problems so severe they need the help of a machine to help them breathe. (Read more from “Texas ‘Mom and Pop’ Business Flooded With Orders for Helmet Ventilators Amid Coronavirus Crisis” HERE)

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Barack Obama Falsely Accuses Trump of ‘Ignoring Warnings of a Pandemic’

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On Tuesday morning, Barack Obama criticized Trump’s rollback of fuel standards in a tweet that made what appears to be a backhanded critique of Trump’s response to the coronavirus. “We’ve seen all too terribly the consequences of those who denied warnings of a pandemic,” Obama said.

Who exactly was Obama talking about there? Now, it’s quite possible he was actually talking about himself, seeing as how even after the H1N1 pandemic that claimed as many as 18,000 American lives, according to CDC estimates, Obama’s response to the Ebola pandemic later in his presidency was similarly wrought with problems–so much so that even the Obama White House and the CDC acknowledged there were multiple “shortcomings” in the administration’s response. Those shortcomings may have been the result of Obama axing the White House pandemic response office in 2009, which was reinstated in 2016 specifically because of his administration’s poor response to the Ebola pandemic. . .

The likely source of Obama’s accusation was a Washington Post hit piece earlier this month that claimed intelligence agencies issued warnings about a possible pandemic back in January and February, “while President Trump and lawmakers played down the threat and failed to take action” that might have slowed the spread of the coronavirus. This allegation was easily debunked by the facts. The Trump administration acted quickly and decisively after China reported the discovery of the coronavirus to the World Health Organization (WHO) on December 31, 2019.

The Trump administration issued a travel notice for Wuhan, China, and established a coronavirus incident management system within the first week. Soon after, public health entry screening was put in place at the three U.S. airports receiving the most travelers from Wuhan. By Januray 20, the National Institutes of Health was already working on the development of a coronavirus vaccine. Does this sound like an administration that was “ignoring warnings of a pandemic”? Three days later, the CDC sought a “special emergency authorization” from the FDA to allow states to use its newly developed coronavirus test. Before the end of the month, the coronavirus was declared a public health emergency and Trump banned travel with China to slow the spread of the virus in the United States–that decision alone is credited with saving thousands of lives.

Now, let’s compare that with how Obama handled the H1N1 pandemic. The H1N1 outbreak originated in Mexico, but, the Obama administration refused to restrict travel with Mexico or close the border, despite calls to do so. “Closing our nation’s borders is not merited here,” said Obama’s DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano when a national health emergency was declared. She argued that closing the border or U.S. ports would have “no impact or very little” in stopping or slowing the spread of the virus. (Read more from “Barack Obama Falsely Accuses Trump of ‘Ignoring Warnings of a Pandemic'” HERE)

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Newly-Released Hillary Clinton Emails Show Classified Information, Redacted Obama Talking Points

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Last week, Judicial Watch released 80 pages of new emails recently found by the FBI that further reveal how former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton used her insecure home-brew server to house and transmit classified and sensitive government information. This came after Judicial Watch released 37 pages of new Hillary Clinton emails in January.

“Magically, after years, the FBI finds more Clinton emails that are classified, involve Benghazi, and detail communications with President Obama,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a statement. “This drip, drip game that the DOJ, FBI, and State are playing is a key reason a federal court authorized more discovery, including the sworn deposition of Hillary Clinton.”

An August 29, 2011 email includes a document entitled “Talking Points for POTUS” for a briefing that day. The talking points are completely redacted.

This latest release follows a January release of 37 pages Hillary Clinton emails that also show the presence of classified information on Clinton’s home-brew server. The State Department de-classified the emails on January 8, 2020. The emails also show Clinton used text messages to conduct official business.

“Magically, after years, the FBI finds more Clinton emails that show Clinton used text messages for government work, not to mention the continuing flow of classified information transmitted over her unsecure email system,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a statement at the time. “These documents further underscore the need for a fresh, unbiased and thorough criminal investigation into Clinton’s blatant malfeasance – and the related DOJ, FBI, and State Department cover-up.” (Read more from “Newly-Released Hillary Clinton Emails Show Classified Information, Redacted Obama Talking Points” HERE)

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Federal Judges Rule Killing Babies Is an Essential Service

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Federal judges on Monday blocked officials in Texas, Ohio and Alabama from banning most abortions in those states as part of their orders to postpone surgeries and other procedures deemed not medically necessary during the coronavirus crisis.

The rulings came in a series of legal actions aimed at blocking steps by various Republican-led states cracking down on abortion during the pandemic.

The first of the decisions involved Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s announcement last week that abortion providers were covered by a state order that required postponement of non-urgent medical procedures to preserve hospital beds and equipment during the pandemic.

U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel in Austin ruled that Paxton’s action “prevents Texas women from exercising what the Supreme Court has declared is their fundamental constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy before a fetus is viable.”

The Texas lawsuit was filed last Wednesday after clinics said they were forced to cancel hundreds of appointments for abortions across the state. (Read more from “Federal Judges Rule Killing Babies Is an Essential Service” HERE)

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