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Military Surgeon: ‘Trump Is Right’ on the Seasonal Flu Being More Dangerous Than Coronavirus; 31 Dead in the U.S.; Trump Says He’s Open to Being Tested for Coronavirus

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By Breitbart. Air Force Brig. Gen. Paul A. Friedrichs, Joint Staff Surgeon, said Tuesday at a Pentagon briefing that President Trump is “right” that the seasonal flu is more dangerous than the coronavirus.

“So, the president is right. I know you’re shocked that I said that, but the president is right,” Friedrichs said to a reporter. “There are more people ill with the seasonal flu than there are ill with coronavirus worldwide and in the United States and in the military.”

He added:

The reasons that we are taking the precautions that you are seeing is that this is a new virus and we are continuing to learn about this virus, about how easy it is to spread the virus, and in particular and in an environment like this in close spaces, we’re trying to figure out the best way to mitigate the risk until we have solid data on that.

You know the military is good on planning, we’re also good on trying to decrease risk. So we’d rather mitigate that risk up front than wait and find out that we should have done it because multiple people got sick along the way.

(Read more from “Military Surgeon: ‘Trump Is Right’ on the Seasonal Flu Being More Dangerous Than Coronavirus” HERE)

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Coronavirus Updates: 31 Dead in the U.S. as States Scramble to Contain the Virus

By CBS News. U.S. officials are racing to implement new measures to stop the spread of coronavirus, which has killed at least 31 people in the country and sickened nearly 1,000. Multiple states have declared a state of emergency to help free up resources to fight the virus.

In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Tuesday that officials are implementing a “containment area” centered in New Rochelle, a suburb of New York City. Within the containment area, a 1-mile radius, large gathering places will be closed for two weeks, officials said. That includes schools and places of worship.

“We are also going to use the National Guard in the containment area to deliver food to homes, to help with the cleaning of public spaces,” Cuomo said. He added that a temporary coronavirus testing facility will be set up within the zone. (Read more from “Coronavirus Updates: 31 Dead in the U.S. as States Scramble to Contain the Virus” HERE)

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Trump Says He’s Open to Being Tested for Coronavirus

By Politico. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he is willing to be tested for the novel coronavirus after interacting with congressional lawmakers who have since self-quarantined because of concerns over the outbreak. . .

“I don’t think it’s a big deal. I would do it,” Trump told reporters in the Capitol after meeting with Republican senators.

“I don’t feel that any reason — I feel extremely good. I feel very good, but I guess it’s not a big deal to get tested, and I — something I would do,” the president continued.

“But, again, I spoke to the White House doctor — terrific guy, talented guy. He said he sees no reason to do it,” Trump said. “There’s no symptoms, no anything. And you know what? If there were, you people would be the first to know it. You would maybe even tell me about it.” (Read more from “Trump Says He’s Open to Being Tested for Coronavirus” HERE)

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Democrats Considering Legislative Response to Coronavirus – Expanded “Assistance” Spending…

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Never let a crisis go to waste… And right on cue the Democrats in Washington DC see an opportunity to use the Coronavirus as a tool to spend and expand dependency initiatives.

One of President Trump’s biggest and non-discussed success stories has been his economic policy initiatives allowing people to be financially secure, independent and non-reliant on government hand-outs. However, the financial health and success of Americans is adverse to the political interests of Democrats who structure all of their policy objectives upon creating a dependent citizenry. . .

It is not a question of “if legislation will happen”, it is simply a matter of “what” legislation will look like. What elements will the Democrats attempt to exploit most? The answer is very predictable when looking at their preferred approach. . .

It would appear Democrats plan to create a bailout where people are paid not to work. “Paid sick leave” where the federal government takes over the ‘paying’. This will work well for those who consistently manipulate employment systems to avoid work and take advantage of federal payments to continue their avoidance. . .

“Enhanced unemployment insurance” is another way to pay people not to work. Extending unemployment benefits into infinity was a key part of Obama’s failed trillion dollar stimulus bill. It also allows Democrats to pay their activists to engage in GOTV efforts, instead of employment, while being paid. (Read more from “Democrats Considering Legislative Response to Coronavirus – Expanded “Assistance” Spending…” HERE)

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Bill Gates and Elon Musk Just Issued Very Different Responses to the Coronavirus. It’s a Lesson in Emotional Intelligence; Coronavirus Going to Hit Its Peak and Start Falling Sooner Than You Think; Coronavirus Patients Experience Certain Symptoms Before ‘Tipping Point’ of Dying

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By INC. The coronavirus disease COVID-19 has taken the world by storm. To date, the outbreak has infected more than 109,900 persons in at least 97 countries, and caused over 3,800 deaths, according to official counts cited in the New York Times. . .

Both Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates recently weighed in with their thoughts, and they’re almost polar opposite reactions. . .

Now, contrast that response with that of Gates, who recently posted an article on his blog entitled, “How to respond to COVID-19.” . . .

Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify, understand, and manage emotions–both in yourself and in others. This ability is important to develop in everyday life, but it can be lifesaving in the face of a panic-inducing situation like the coronavirus, because it allows you to keep emotions under control so you can make balanced, reasonable decisions. . .

Taken literally, of course, Musk’s take on panic is correct. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have made it clear that “current circumstances suggest it is likely that this virus will cause a pandemic,” experts also advise that one of the best things the public can do is to try and remain calm. (Read more from “Bill Gates and Elon Musk Just Issued Very Different Responses to the Coronavirus. It’s a Lesson in Emotional Intelligence” HERE)

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Coronavirus Going to Hit Its Peak and Start Falling Sooner Than You Think

By New York Post. Nations are closing borders, stocks are plummeting and a New York Times headline reads: “The Coronavirus Has Put the World’s Economy in Survival Mode.” Both political parties have realized the crisis could severely impact the November elections — House, Senate, presidency. And sacré bleu, they’ve even shuttered the Louvre!

Some of these reactions are understand­able, much of it pure hysteria. Meanwhile, the spread of the virus continues to slow. . .

China is the origin of the virus and still accounts for over 80 percent of cases and deaths. But its cases peaked and began ­declining more than a month ago, according to data presented by the Canadian epidemiologist who spearheaded the World Health Organization’s coronavirus mission to China. Fewer than 200 new cases are reported daily, down from a peak of 4,000.

Subsequent countries will follow this same pattern, in what’s called Farr’s Law. First formulated in 1840 and ignored in ­every epidemic hysteria since, the law states that epidemics tend to rise and fall in a roughly symmetrical pattern or bell-shaped curve. AIDS, SARS, Ebola — they all followed that pattern. So does seasonal flu each year.

Clearly, flu is vastly more contagious than the new coronavirus, as the WHO has noted. Consider that the first known coronavirus cases date back to early December, and since then, the virus has ­afflicted fewer people in total than flu does in a few days. Oh, and why are there no flu quarantines? Because it’s so contagious, it would be impossible. (Read more from “Coronavirus Going to Hit Its Peak and Start Falling Sooner Than You Think” HERE)

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Coronavirus Patients Experience Certain Symptoms Before ‘Tipping Point’ of Dying: Expert

By New York Post. Coronavirus cases reach a “tipping point” where patients start to experience symptoms that indicate that they’re in danger of dying, according to a report.

The patients who are at risk of dying may see the virus spread to their lungs, which can prevent their other vital organs from getting the oxygen needed to fight the infection, Bloomberg reported.

“When you get a bad, overwhelming infection, everything starts to fall apart in a cascade,” said David Morens with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “You pass the tipping point where everything is going downhill and, at some point, you can’t get it back.” . . .

The so-called tipping point likely occurs earlier in older patients or those who have underlying health issues — who have been reported to be at higher risk of dying from the illness, the outlet reported. (Read more from “Coronavirus Patients Experience Certain Symptoms Before ‘Tipping Point’ of Dying: Expert” HERE)

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WATCH: Top Expert Assesses Risk and Trajectory of Coronavirus ‘Epidemic,’ Advises Major Steps to Curb Spread

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For weeks, I have been an ardent opponent of Coronavirus panic, while cautioning that the disease is quite serious and should treated as such. It’s hard to argue against the proposition that we are experiencing a worldwide escalation — as a handful of members of Congress are in precautionary self-imposed quarantine (prompting additional concerns), confirmed cases are spiking globally, and market reaction has been so negative that the New York Stock Exchange halted trading. One of the foremost experts whose analysis has been solid, serious and honest is Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. He served in the Trump administration. His Twitter threads have been extremely measured and informative, including his latest on Saturday, which strongly suggested that the situation was deteriorating:

(Read more from “Watch: Top Expert Assesses Risk and Trajectory of Coronavirus ‘Epidemic,’ Advises Major Steps to Curb Spread” HERE)

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Hundreds of DC Churchgoers Urged to Self-Quarantine After Priest Who Served Communion Tests Positive for Coronavirus; Entire Country Goes on Lockdown

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By The Blaze. The new coronavirus — formally known as COVID-19 — officially came the nation’s capital over the weekend with news that an Episcopal priest had tested positive for the disease, and now hundreds people who attended services at his church are being urged to self-quarantine.

“DC Health was notified of a confirmed case of COVID-19 at Christ Church, Georgetown Episcopal,” a Monday statement from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office said. “Through DC Health’s investigation, in consultation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), all visitors to Christ Church, Georgetown Episcopal on February 24th, and between February 28th and March 3rd could have been exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19, and DC Health is recommending that anyone who visited Christ Church, Georgetown Episcopal on those dates isolate themselves at home for 14 days from the last time they visited the church.” . . .

According to a report from WUSA-TV, the first confirmed case of coronavirus in the District of Columbia was the church’s rector, the Rev. Timothy Cole, who was diagnosed with the virus on Saturday. The station explained that Cole started feeling bad on Feb. 24 after coming back from a trip to a conference in Kentucky and that doctors diagnosed him with the flu and pneumonia before he tested positive for coronavirus.

A Christ Church spokesman said that Cole attended three services on the Sunday before he was diagnosed, which were attended by more than 550 people, according to WUSA. The church told the Washington Post that he provided communion at one of those services. (Read more from “Hundreds of DC Churchgoers Urged to Self-Quarantine After Priest Who Served Communion Tests Positive for Coronavirus” HERE)

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Italy Expands Its Quarantine to the Entire Country as Coronavirus Cases and Deaths Surge

By CNBC. Italy will expand the lockdown of the Lombardy region to the entire country, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said Monday as Italy’s case count surged, making it the country with the most COVID-19 cases outside of China.

People throughout the country of 60 million should not travel other than for work or emergencies, Conte said. He added that all public gatherings will be banned and sporting events suspended. The decision was made to protect the most vulnerable people in the country, he said, and the measures will take effect Tuesday and last until April 3.

“The right decision today is to stay at home,” Conte said. “Our future and the future of Italy is in our hands. These hands have to be more responsible today than ever before.”

The nationwide lockdown is an expansion of quarantine measures rolled out over the weekend that applied to an area of the country that encompassed about 16 million people.

Schools and universities all over the country will remain closed until April 3, he said, but public transit will remain operational. All schools in the country were previously closed until March 15. He also said all restaurants and bars across the country will have to close at 6 p.m. (Read more from “Italy Expands Its Quarantine to the Entire Country as Coronavirus Cases and Deaths Surge” HERE)

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Behind the Scenes, Scientists Prep for COVID-19 Vaccine Test; Would You Get Infected With Coronavirus for $4,500?

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By Associated Press. A team of scientists jostled for a view of the lab dish, staring impatiently for the first clue that an experimental vaccine against the new coronavirus just might work.

After weeks of round-the-clock research at the National Institutes of Health, it was time for a key test. If the vaccine revs up the immune system, the samples in that dish — blood drawn from immunized mice — would change color. . .

Dozens of research groups around the world are racing to create a vaccine as COVID-19 cases continue to grow. Importantly, they’re pursuing different types of vaccines — shots developed from new technologies that not only are faster to make than traditional inoculations but might prove more potent. Some researchers even aim for temporary vaccines, such as shots that might guard people’s health a month or two at a time while longer-lasting protection is developed. (Read more from “Behind the Scenes, Scientists Prep for COVID-19 Vaccine Test” HERE)

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Human Lab Rats Needed: Would You Get Infected With Coronavirus for $4,500?

By New York Post. Are you sick of being healthy? Would you like to experience the coronavirus firsthand?

Look no further than the Queen Mary BioEnterprises Innovation Centre in London, which is looking for 24 volunteers to inject with the dreaded coronavirus and participate in their flu camp.

They will be paid about $4,588 for their troubles.

This isn’t the latest twisted Stephen King novel. Rather, it’s an attempt by medical research and development company Hvivo to create a vaccine for the deadly disease which has killed more than 3,800 across the globe.

The human guinea pigs — who will receive a battery of tests before being selected — will be given two of the virus’ weaker strains, 0C43 and 229E, which should cause mild respiratory symptoms. They will then be given new or existing vaccines. (Read more from “Human Lab Rats Needed: Would You Get Infected With Coronavirus for $4,500?” HERE)

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Coronavirus Outbreak Means Costco Shoppers Can Say Goodbye to Free Samples

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The coronavirus outbreak that’s spread to at least 25 states now means that Costco customers can say goodbye to free food samples while shopping, according to media reports.

“Due to the outbreak of coronavirus, there are no food product samples,” a Costco representative in Nashville, Tennessee, told NBC’s Today.

Costco’s decision comes after Trader Joe’s changed how its employees distribute food samples to customers, according to an internal memo leaked on Thursday. The memo tells employees to plate samples for customers individually instead of keeping pre-plated samples on a platter, according to Business Insider. . .

Shoppers should be careful when they take samples all the time and not because of the recent coronavirus outbreak, Stone said. She said to make sure the employee handing you a sample has gloves and access to hand sanitizer or a sink. (Read more from “Coronavirus Outbreak Means Costco Shoppers Can Say Goodbye to Free Samples” HERE)

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Top GOP Lawmaker Accuses Democrats of Intentionally Delaying Coronavirus Bill to Score Political Points

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House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) alleged Sunday that Democrats intentionally delayed the coronavirus relief bill in order to run Super Tuesday ads.

On Friday, President Donald Trump signed an emergency bill providing $8.3 billion for the government’s response to the coronavirus. But McCarthy said Trump could have signed the bill one week earlier. . .

Speaking to Fox News host Laura Ingraham last Tuesday, McCarthy accused House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of withholding the bill to benefit Democrats on Super Tuesday.

“Look how much politics they want to play. The dirty little secret. We have the coronavirus. We need to fund this. You know what Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker, did? She withheld the bill last week. You know why? So the DCCC could run ads against seven Republicans,” he said.

“I don’t know how many ran, but they actually took the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, spent money, went into these seven Republican seats to campaign against them about the coronavirus when she’s the Speaker of the House. Instead of putting America first, she put her politics first and kept the bill from coming to the floor,” McCarthy explained. (Read more from “Top GOP Lawmaker Accuses Democrats of Intentionally Delaying Coronavirus Bill to Score Political Points” HERE)

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Two Attendees of AIPAC’S DC Conference Test Positive for Coronavirus; Pence, Netanyahu, Hundreds Of Members Of Congress Went To Conference; FBI Employee Diagnosed With Coronavirus, Reports Say

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Pence, Netanyahu, Hundreds of Members of Congress Went to Conference Attended by 2 People Who Tested Positive for Coronavirus

By Daily Caller. Vice President Mike Pence, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and hundreds of members of Congress attended a conference last month along with at least two people who have tested positive for a novel strain of coronavirus that has killed more than 3,000 people across the globe. . .

This year’s AIPAC conference featured a who’s who of high-profile politicians, both from the U.S. and Israel. In addition to Pence and Netanyahu, the Republican and Democratic leaders of the Senate, Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer also attended the three-day event. . .

AIPAC organizers said Wednesday that a group of attendees had been in contact with an individual who tested positive for the virus, which is called COVID-19.

U.S. health officials have scrambled to ramp up the ability to test for possible cases of the virus. As of Friday, 299 Americans have tested positive for the virus. Fourteen of those have succumbed to the illness. Thirteen of the fatalities have occurred in the state of Washington, and all of the victims have been either elderly or had underlying health issues. (Read more from “Pence, Netanyahu, Hundreds of Members of Congress Went to Conference Attended by 2 People Who Tested Positive for Coronavirus” HERE)

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Two Attendees of AIPAC’S DC Conference Test Positive for Coronavirus

By The Blaze. The American Israeli Public Affairs Committee confirmed Friday that two people who attended its Washington, D.C., conference earlier this week have tested positive for coronavirus.

AIPAC announced on Twitter that it emailed a statement “to Policy Conference attendees, participants, speakers, administration and Hill offices” informing them that “at least two Policy Conference attendees from New York have tested positive for the Coronavirus.”

The pro-Israel group held its gathering March 1-3, hosting more than 18,000 attendees from across the country along with roughly two-thirds of the members of Congress.

USA Today reported that “attendees and speakers at the conference included Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky), Sen. Tec Cruz (R-Texas), Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), former 2020 Democratic candidate Mike Bloomberg, former candidate Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and several other lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle.”

The exposure reinforces the fears of conference organizers across the country amid efforts to stop the spread of infection, as major gatherings are increasingly being canceled or postponed amid outbreaks of the coronavirus known as COVID-19. (Read more from “Two Attendees of AIPAC’S DC Conference Test Positive for Coronavirus” HERE)

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San Francisco FBI Employee Diagnosed With Coronavirus, Reports Say

By New York Post. An FBI employee at a small satellite office in San Francisco has tested positive for coronavirus, multiple reports said Friday.

FBI officials said that the agency has notified every person known to have come in contact with the infected employee about possible exposure, KTVU reported. . .

The FBI took “preemptive measures” in February to help contain the deadly virus — ordering $40,000 of masks and hand sanitizer for use across the country in case the outbreak were to become a pandemic in the US.

(Read more from “San Francisco FBI Employee Diagnosed With Coronavirus, Reports Say” HERE)

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WATCH: Journalists Spread Fake News About Coronavirus and Trump… Again

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By Daily Caller. Journalists used Twitter to spread fake news about President Donald Trump and the coronavirus, falsely reporting that he suggested it was okay to go to work if you have the illness.

Trump’s statement came during a Wednesday interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity. Trump said that many people with the coronavirus could have a mild form of it. He added that many would “get better just by, you know, sitting around and even going to work. Some of them go to work, but they get better.”

Huffpost wrote an article about the comments and included a viral tweet from Matt Rogers, the chief strategist of Politidope, Inc., a for-profit social impact organization.

Rogers’s tweet included a clip of Trump speaking about the virus. He claimed that the president was “telling the country it’s okay to go to work with Coronavirus.” The clip shows Trump saying that people do go to work, not instructing them to go to work. . .

MSNBC host Chris Hayes used Rogers’s viral tweet as well. He tweeted Roger’s comments and warned people not to go to work with coronavirus. Bob Cesca, director and political commentator, also doubled down on the claim using Roger’s tweet.

(Read more from “Journalists Spread Fake News About Coronavirus and Trump… Again” HERE)

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Trump Says He Still Has to Shake Hands, Despite Coronavirus Concerns

By NPR. President Trump, a self-professed germophobe, said Thursday night that despite concerns over transmitting the coronavirus, he will continue to shake hands with people.

At a town hall meeting in Scranton, Penn., televised by Fox, Trump was asked if he has made any changes to his habits since the outbreak.

Trump responded that “if there was ever a time where you convince people not to shake hands this could be it.” But Trump went on, “you can’t be a politician and not shake hands.”

In fact, health experts say shaking hands is a practice best avoided as it can easily transmit viruses from one person to the next. (Read more from “Trump Says He Still Has to Shake Hands, Despite Coronavirus Concerns” HERE)

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