The Most Courageous Act is Still to Think for Yourself.
November 3: Election Day
President Trump has stated that he will “fire Dr. Fauci” if he is re-elected. Well ….
Fauci is a Title 42 senior-level federal employee, covered under the performance management system for members of the Senior Executive Service. The White House declined comment Monday on whether it believes it has the authority to fire him.
But Diane Seltzer Torre of the Bethesda, Maryland-based Seltzer Law Firm, which concentrates on employment law, said that under Fauci’s current status, Trump can’t fire him directly.
Fauci can only be fired by Francis Collins, his supervisor as the head of the National Institutes of Health, or Alex Azar, the Health and Human Services Secretary, for cause such as poor performance or misconduct, Seltzer Torre said.
No matter. President Elect Biden said he would hire him back anyway.
President Trump has not departed from his confusing leadership and non-scientific ideology. Meanwhile, Senator Biden says that if elected, he will control the virus by closely following the science and using science as his basis regarding COVID 19 status and guidance.
November 7: President Elect Joseph R. Biden, Jr. and Vice President Elect Kamala Harris
Presumptive President Biden announced the formation of his Coronavirus Advisory Board. He also talked about his COVID 19 plan, using words like “control” and “manage.” He avoided using words like “cure,” or “eliminate.” He emphatically reiterated, as was stated during his campaign, that they would be following the science and emphasized many times the importance of wearing masks.
By November 13, all states had declared their election results. However, since President Trump had not conceded, President Elect Biden is limited in what he can do regarding the transition activities. On November 24, the GSA confirmed President Elect Biden’s election which was the first step by the current administration to acknowledge this. It also broadened his transition capabilities.
Trump has stirred up anger, resentment and suspicion that won’t be easy for Biden to overcome. It’s a very divided nation that turned out to vote in record numbers. There was no landslide victory for either one. In fact, if there hadn’t been a pandemic, he probably would have been re-elected. There is something rotten currently in the foundations of our democracy. Hopefully this won’t affect the COVID 19 eventual recovery efforts.
Cases Have been Soaring.
They are going up everywhere … abroad, and in the United States. They are particularly bad in the midwest. It’s attributed to more time being spent indoors, and general malaise when it comes to following the guidelines (social distancing, avoiding events with anyone not in your household, masking, etc). States are beginning to revise their mandates.
Air travel is proving to be safe … cockpit air is completely replaced every 2-3 minutes and strict measures are used to disinfect. It’s what happens before and after air travel that’s the problem.
California, Oregon and Washington have issued an advisory stating that a 2-week quarantine should be followed when traveling from one state to another. There is clamping down on mask mandates, and “going back” to prior restrictions based upon positive case counts.
We are going in the wrong direction …. and it isn’t good. Who knows how bad it will get after the holidays, which aren’t even here yet. Hospitals and medical facilities are feeling the strain. Warnings stated by Dr. Fauci and Dr. Gupta last summer were prophetic. Unfortunately, their fears are now justified.
Hospitals are Challenged Under the Wave of Cases
“We can’t manufacture doctors and nurses in the same way we can manufacture ventilators,” said an ER doctor in Baltimore.
Because of the wave, there’s no slack in the healthcare system. Nurses and doctors can no longer be shifted from low-case areas to new “trouble spots.” In Salt Lake City, patients from Idaho are no longer being accepted.
With the U.S. Covid death toll now topping 260,000 (as of the end of November), the man in charge “of guiding the national response does nothing.” The legal term is negligent homicide. President Trump has abandoned any pretense of pandemic leadership since his election defeat (Source: TheAtlantic.com). I’ll be so glad when he is out of office.
The Consequences of No National Testing Plan
The Federal government never came up with the national testing plan. They left it completely to the states which is unlike most countries in the world. The countries that are currently doing it well had a plan that was set up by their government.
Too much time was expended on political favors and blame-shifting exercises as those in charge in the Federal government believed that private enterprise could take care of it. That didn’t work very well. But President Trump says it did, trying to justify the number of tests to explain away the number of cases.
Eventually a network of high-level civilians and non-governmental organizations put together an effort because they realized that broad and ubiquitous testing tied to broad and effective contact tracing until a vaccine can be wildly administered is the only way to get out of this pandemic.
Excerpts from: Axios (HBO Plus)
Images Conveyed From “Above”
The way I see it, the “image” that President Trump continued (and continues) to convey sends a certain political message to his followers. That is … building the economy, no masks, social distancing, blocking any attempts to be “controlled,” and attempting to take credit when he can regarding the upcoming vaccines. This has contributed to the division regarding the way the public responds to the virus. Example: Here in Lynden, and also in California, one can see mixed responses regarding the “stay safe and well” guidelines, and resistance to the Governors attempts to control the spread. A restaurant in Lynden refuses to close, no one wears masks, loose adherence to other recommendations. They just pay any fees that are imposed and ignore the guidelines.
This resistance is continuing in spite of the skyrocketing of cases throughout November.
Many are saying (and I agree) that Trump has successfully convinced his followers that his re-election was robbed. This will allow him to pridefully maintain his control and power while exiting the White House. Others are concerned that his supporters will continue to follow his optics, continuing to view COVID 19 through a political lens, such as resisting the vaccines and resisting other choices that are needed to bring us out of this pandemic.
Sometime this month, Gavin Newsome, the Governor of California, attended a dinner in a restaurant, not masked and with people closely packed. This is while he is giving daily press conference preaching people to stay away from gatherings, wear masks, social distance. I heard his heartfelt apology during one of his press conferences. But … the optic is there. People won’t easily separate from that. I am reminded about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s maskless visit to a beauty salon in the Bay Area that was supposed to be closed. And another Democrat, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, also got a haircut when salons were closed in her city. So it’s not just Trump’s constant optic of not wearing masks and ignoring the gathering/social distancing guidance. Those optics are what drives a lot of the resistance going on today.
These folks deserve to be condemned as they are a big part of the problem. Everyone is tired of not gathering and everyone wants their life back. Show leadership!
COVID 19 Identity Issues and Politics are an Interference
Mask wearing was made into an identity issue by both the right and the left. Trump pushed back just because he’s Trump, and the left politically identified with mask wearing.
The problem still continues to be people making poor safety decisions and blocking or rejecting the guidelines. And avoiding responsibility.
The Science on reopening schools still isn’t clear. (I can see this illustrated by my area. I haven’t heard of any cases associated with reopening the schools here in Lynden). The wrongheaded strategy of shutting schools to prevent coronavirus spread was largely favored in Democratic-leaning “blue” states. Republican “red” states were more aggressive about reopening schools … but did so recklessly, often “in the midst of raging outbreaks,” and had to close again quickly as students and teachers got infected. As of the end of November, it’s now moot, as the pandemic is out of control and too many teachers and staff are infected or in quarantine, so schools have to close anyway. (USAToday.com). What I have read and listened to bears all of this out. Politicizing the apolitical COVID 19 is NOT good for our health.
Holiday Gathering
Governors, scientists, and President Elect Biden have encouraged the use of the stay safe guidelines (such as masking) and asked that we all avoid gathering with others outside of our household. There is concern that the number of cases will be out of control and will greatly spike after Thanksgiving. Millions have disregarded these recommendations and traveled and gathered anyway. (Source: just about any news or social media outlet)
COVID 19 Vaccines and Treatments on the Horizon
Regeneron treatment was approved on November 24.
The Regeneron treatment, given to President Trump, and made by the biotech company Regeneron, is a cocktail of two powerful antibodies that have shown promise for people who get it early in the course of the disease.
It can keep the infection in check if given to patients early in their disease. It is not authorized for people who are hospitalized or need oxygen. There is a limited supply during the months ahead. (New York Times, November 21, 2020)
Pfizer and Moderna Vaccines
The history behind the development of the vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna was described in the above New York Times article.
Stéphane Bancel, Moderna’s chief executive, agreed to team up with the National Institutes of Health on the scientific work to develop a vaccine, a partnership that managed to sidestep the political meddling from the White House that had bedeviled other efforts to confront the virus.
Moderna was forced to delay its vaccine release for at least three weeks, as it had not recruited enough minority candidates in its trials.
Pfizer declined any financial support by the Federal Government, as they felt they had the funding they needed. So they avoided any governmental “strings” that often come with funding.
Both companies ultimately completed the crucial stages of their human trials this month and reported spectacular initial results. The vaccines appear to be about 95 percent effective.
How Do These Vaccines Work?
Up until now, vaccines have introduced the immune system to a benign version of a virus or bacteria, priming it to recognize and fight the real deal if it strikes. This is the basis for measles, polio, flu, and other infectious disease vaccines. But the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are based on a novel approach. They rely on a snippet of genetic material called messenger RNA, or mRNA, that is encased in a tiny, protective bubble of fat. Messenger RNA, sometimes called “the software of life,” is usually made by DNA to carry instructions to other parts of the cell to make proteins. The Vaccine makers constructed this specific form of RNA using the genetic sequence for the coronavirus, which was decoded back in January. That’s how they were able to create a viable vaccine with a speed that shattered the previous record of about four years. Why is this important? Because … a very general explanation of how this works will have to be part of a mass communication to the public to reduce the number of people that will refuse to get the vaccine when it is available.
What does Messenger RNA do? When the coronavirus attacks it hijacks the machinery of our body’s cells and instructs them to crank out more virus generating a cascading assault. The vaccines take advantage of this process by injecting mRNA into muscle cells in the upper arm, which are instructed to manufacture just a piece of the coronavirus—the outside spike proteins, which the virus uses to latch onto cells. On their own, the spike proteins are harmless, but they trigger the immune system and train it to quickly react to—and beat back—the actual coronavirus. “It’s 21st Century Science.”
How Well Do These Vaccines Work?
Phenomenally well, so far … the benchmark for FDA approval is an efficacy rate of 50 percent, roughly the average of what flu vaccines achieve. Early results for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines show about 95 percent efficacy, including for those over 65—a game-changing result. Yay .. we will certainly be in line for it when it is available, and as soon as our medical team says that it’s time.
Are There Drawbacks?
It is fragile … Pfizer’s vaccine must be stored at minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit, roughly the winter temperature of the South Pole. That is a logistical issue. Moderna’s vaccine can be stored in normal medical refrigerators. Both vaccines require two inoculations several weeks apart. Persuading millions of Americans to return at the right interval adds another complication to an already daunting undertaking.
What About Safety?
So far, the only side effects that have been reported by some recipients are fatigue, fever, joint pain, headaches, and soreness in the injection site lasting a day or two. Typically any adverse symptoms appear early. But with millions of people getting the vaccine, one can’t rule out that someone might abnormally respond to it. We will be thinking “risk vs benefit.” So far, to me, it appears that the benefit far outweighs the risk.
When Can I Get It?
They are saying that healthcare workers will be first, and that will happen in December and January. Then, the elderly, those with health issues, and those in essential positions such as police and fire. General population? Not until spring or early summer.
(Source: The Week, December 4, 2020)
Some More History
Whether mRNA vaccines succeed or not, their path from a gleam in a scientist’s eye to the brink of government approval has been a tale of personal perseverance, eureka moments in the lab, soaring expectations — and an unprecedented flow of cash into the biotech industry. Not to mention the ongoing mission of global scientists to share their discoveries worldwide to benefit all of mankind.
It is a story that began three decades ago, with a little-known scientist who refused to quit. Read the whole story at this link. It is fascinating.
As of the End of November …
I am reluctantly waiting for the end result of the Thanksgiving Holiday.
Middle- and High Schools that opened up a few weeks ago here in Whatcom County are now closed back down to distance learning.
Quick stats:
(Robin) …. I am so tired of all the trolls and the “Everything would be great if Inslee did what I want” “Newsome needs to stop his Gestapo rules” crap. If I was in charge, what would I propose when the health care system becomes so overrun that people literally are dying in the halls, and someone’s simple ruptured appendix can’t be treated and leads to death? These are complex problems way above my ability to comprehend. They are above my abilities too, but I’m comfortable trusting the people we elected to listen to the experts who have dedicated their entire lives to these things, and I trust their judgement as they have infinitely more information and expertise in this than the rest of us. I’m not arrogant enough to think I know better.
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