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Coronavirus Trib Live News Articles Commentaries

March 2020

By Gary F. Zeolla

AP Fact check: Trump’s false assurances on coronavirus

    This “Fact check” is just plain silly. It was not written to inform the public but as a not so veiled attack on the President. But to correct this “Fact check”

1. If in fact a vaccine is available a year from now, that will be quick, as usually it takes far longer.

2. Just because China has not developed a treatment doesn’t mean our medical system cannot find one. Our capitalism-based system is far better than their state controlled medical system.

3. The “ranked by far No. 1 in the world for preparedness” is true, as the article admits. But they still try spin it as false. That shows how the media is able to claim Trump has told thousands of lies. They count as a lie anything they deem a lie, even if it is truly is one or not.

    Bottom line is Trump trying to prevent a panic, but the media would rather attack Trump than provide helpful information.
3/3/20

    Someone replied to my comment by saying Trump always tells lies. I responded by saying, “Only if you spin things like this article does.” He then replied with a snide comment about Trump's alleged lies. I responded with the following:

    In my writings, I go through many of the supposed “lies” of Trump and show they are not really lies at all. Since you mentioned fast food, consider the following from my website:

    After winning the NCAA National Football Championship, the Clemson Tigers were invited to the White House on January 14^th [2019]. …

    Trump said he paid $3,000 for the food. The MSM fact checked it, and it was “only” $2,970. A lie! Trump said the burgers were stacked “a mile high.” But the media calculated it would take far more hamburgers than he purchased to reach that height. Another lie! But of course, the first comment was rounded off, and the second was a figure of speech. But I guess such normal ways of talking are not allowed when you’re the President.
3/4/20

Pittsburgh cancels St. Patrick’s Day parade over coronavirus concerns

 “Allegheny County has not confirmed any cases of coronavirus.” [Note Pittsburgh is located in the center of Allegheny County.]

    This is absolutely silly. People would have had a far greater chance of dying in a car wreck traveling to and from the parade than they would have had of catching the Coronavirus and dying from it by attending the parade. This is the first time I remember the economy being deliberately tanked and events cancelled due to a virus.

    Make no mistake about it, this is media-driven hysteria is designed to tank the economy. That ruined economy will cause far greater suffering than will ever be caused by this virus. But no matter, as tanking the economy is the only way Dems and their cohorts in the media know of to defeat President Trump.

    The latest numbers: the flu: 34,000 million Americans infected, 20,000 killed, 0.2% death rate. Covid-19: 1,000, 32, and 0.4%, respectively. Where is such panic about the flu every year? Where was the panic about H1N1? The swine flu? Ebola? The difference? Obama was President then. Trump is President now.
3/11/20

    To respond to comments I have received to the above post, I am not saying the Coronavirus is not a matter of concern. We should do the same as we do to prevent the spread of the regular flu, but which not everyone does. However, from April 2009 through February 2010 the swine flu infected 59 million Americans, leading to 265,000 hospitalizations, and 12,000 deaths, according to the CDC. 

    My point is, where was all of this hysteria back then? It was nothing like we see today. The difference is not the seriousness of the respective diseases but who was President. Back then, Obama was President, and the media did not want to expose his lackluster response to the virus, so little was said about as compared to today. But today, the media will jump on any change disparage Trump. But Trump has done far more to lessen the spread of the Coronavirus than Obama ever died with the Swine flu.
3/12/20

Allegheny County officials disclose ‘bottleneck’ in coronavirus testing

    I listened to this press live conference yesterday. My two takeaways were first, these health officials said, “We are not recommending canceling large-scale events at this time.” But of course, Pittsburgh officials are already doing just that.

    Second, the reason for the lack of testing is not because of a lack of tests. It is due to a lack of local personal equipped to do the test. That is explained in this article.

    “Those taking samples to test for the virus must wear fitted face masks, face shields, gloves and gowns, Mertz said. Because of the limited number of medical professionals who can collect samples, testing has been limited.”

    IOW, don’t blame Trump and the federal government. Blame local officials.
3/13/20

Trump’s ban on travel from Europe escalates pain for airlines

    Someone claimed Trump exempted the U.K., because he has a golf course there, and that is was incompetence to wait two days for the ban if it was so important. My reply:

    The U.K. is exempt because they have had a few dozen cases, while continental Europe has had thousands. Nothing to do with Trump’s golf course. You must have TDS really bad. The delay is to let the airlines and others make the necessary adjustments. No incompetence whatsoever. It is Trump doing what he needs to do. Just like his travel ban from China in January kept the spread here way down from where it would be today, this ban will keep the progress lower as well.

    Update: Right after I posted the above, I started to watch Trump’s press conference at 3:30 pm EDT (3/13/20). He said that cases in the U.K. had spiked by over 200 in the past 24 hours. As a result, he might be adding the U.K. to the travel ban. He also said the original exemption and the possibility of adding the U.K. now was at the recommendations of his health officials. All of this is to say it is just plain silly to say it had anything to do with his golf course.
3/13/20

Mayor Peduto bans gatherings of 250 or more in city; Allegheny County encourages same

    Where does a governor, mayor, or the President for that matter get the authority to suspend the First Amendment guarantee to peaceful assembly? Really, I want to know. And what will be the repercussions if someone holds a gathering with 251 people? Will all of those people be arrested and jammed into a jail cell?

    The reason I want to know is I am competing in a powerlifting contest next month in Ohio. The Ohio governor is even worse. He has banned gatherings of more than 100 people. I contacted the meet director of the contest, and she told me, “We absolutely have no plans to cancel or postpone the contest.” But there just might be more than 100 people there. Will the cops break in and drag all of us powerlifters to jail?
3/14/20

    For a detailed follow-up to this post, see Gathering Bans and My Upcoming Powerlifting Contest.

Expert: Prepping for quarantine should focus on basic nutrition

    This is something I wanted to mention before when I said people are not following the steps to keep from getting sick. Yes, washing hands is important, but so is following a healthy diet. Also important is exercise, adequate sleep, and stress control. Those steps would go a long way towards reducing your risk of contracting any virus, or at least lessening the severity of an illness if you do get sick.

    However, the hysteria over the Coronavirus is increasing stress, as is financial worries for those whose livelihoods are being affected by all the closures. It also doesn’t help when our governor tells people to not to go to gyms. But it is exercise that will help to keep people’s immune systems strong to be able to fight Corona or any virus.
3/14/20

Trump declares coronavirus pandemic a national emergency

    Someone posted about this article, that Trump went from calling the Coronavirus “fake news” to it being a national emergency. He theorized that was because he and his daughter were exposed. I responded:

    You’re the one presenting fake news. Trump never said the virus was “fake news” nor “a hoax.” What he said was the reporting of the news media that his administration did not have a plan to deal with it was a hoax. We are seeing that plan unfold, and it working as best as could be expected.
3/14/20

Stocks surge on new coronavirus measures; Dow up 1,985 points

    “The pandemic’s new epicenter is Europe.” Hence why the President banned travel from Europe.

    This jump in the Dow was amazing to watch in real time. I was watching Trump’s press conference on FNC, and they had a “Dow Watch” box in the lower righthand corner. It just kept going up and up from 3:30 pm EDT when the press conference started until the markets closed at 4:00 pm. It is a shame the markets had to close, as they would have probably kept going up. But we will see what happens Monday morning.

    A point this article does not mention is the 1,985-point gain was the highest one day point gain ever, though it was only tenth in terms of percentage.
3/14/20

Gov. Wolf orders nonessential Pennsylvania businesses to shut down

    The claim is being made that we need such draconian measures to deal with the Coronavirus virus the seasonal flu, as the mortality rate is far greater for CV vs. the flu.

    However, the mortality rate for CV is not yet known. The more people get tested, the higher denominator will get, so the lower the death rate will be. The best estimate I have heard is it end up being 1% versus 0.1% for the flu. That is tens time as much, which sounds scary, and is how the media is reporting it. But 1% is not really a great number, though admittedly sad for those so affected. But the fearmongering is forcing these draconian measures rather than a more reasoned approach, such as I explain elsewhere.
3/16/20

Allegheny County ordered to stop dine-in service at restaurants and bars

    From another article here on the Trib (Government official: Coronavirus vaccine trial starts Monday), “For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia… The vast majority of people recover.”

    Yet, we are shutting down our society, destroying people’s lives and the country financially. Those most at risk or who are infected should self-quarantine. The rest of us should take reasonable precautions, but then still live our lives. But the fearmongering does not allow a reasonable response.

    By fear mongering, I mean the daily updates seen here on the Trib and elsewhere of the number of infections and deaths (see Latest on the coronavirus: U.S. deaths rise to 69, with nearly 3,800 cases in total). Such is never done with the seasonal flu or previous epidemics. If it were, everyone would be so scared, not one would ever leave their homes.

    As someone who lives a mostly isolated life and who rarely leaves my home due to health situation (multiple chemical sensitivity), it is a horrid life. That is why I am so outraged at what is being done. Confining people to their homes will be next step. I do not want that to happen to my fellow-Americans.
3/16/20

As part of $850 billion coronavirus response, Trump wants checks sent to public in 2 weeks

    Someone posted a comment on this article totally unrelated to it. He claimed that on 2/26, Trump said in response to there being only 15 cases of coronavirus in the US at that time, “and within a couple days [it is] going to be down to close to zero.” He also claimed Trump called Coronavirus “a hoax.”

    Following is my response:

    I would bet Trump’s next words were, “But things could get a lot worse.” I say that, as that is how Trump has talked throughout this crisis. He gives the best-case scenario, then the worst case. He then outlines plans in case it is the latter. His motto seems to be, “Hope for the best, but plan for the worst.”

    I say this, as I just caught MSNBC engaging in the same deception. When replaying one of Trump’s answers to a reporter, they left off the first part of the answer, changing the entire tone of it. It was a despicable act on their part, and it is on yours as well.

    You Trump-haters have got to stop trying to use this crisis to engage in unjustified attacks against the President and join the rest of us in trying to solve it.

    And Trump never called the CV “a hoax.” What he said was it was a hoax that his administration did not have a plan to deal with the CV.
3/19/20

Gov. Wolf orders ‘non-life-sustaining’ businesses to close physical locations to halt coronavirus spread

    Let me get this straight. Beer distributors are allowed to remain open, but laundromats are not. How is beer life-sustaining? I guess it does contain calories. But still, life-sustaining? Meanwhile, we’re being told the virus can live on surfaces for days. Does that include fabrics? Is so, then why are laundromats being closed? Wouldn’t washing your clothes help to prevent the spread of the virus?
3/20/20

Wolf’s shutdown could be more harmful than coronavirus, health expert says

      “Social isolation can be psychologically difficult for people.” I can speak to this firsthand, as it is how I have been mostly living my life for many years due to my health situation. That is why I am so disturbed about these restrictions, as it breaks my heart to think that millions of Americans are going to learn how difficult it is. I can only hope and pray the restrictions do not last too long. I’ve learned to accept it, but Americans by and large will only stand for it for so long, and then everyone will rebel.

      Also, this is what I have been saying since the start of the government overreach, the “cure” could be worse than the disease. Our governor and the President are relying on their health experts. That is good. But they have lost sight of the economy and the incredible damage these restrictions can cause in that regard. Click on my picture for my extended and updated comments in this regard.
3./21/20

Pittsburgh Catholics permitted to get confession in church parking lots, eat meat on Fridays in Lent, bishop says

      “Catholics in the Diocese of Pittsburgh will be able to say confession in church parking lots, receive general absolution in places such as hospitals and nursing homes, and eat meat on Fridays during Lent, except on Good Friday.” The first two points make sense, but what does eating meat have to do with anything? The Bishop’s answer is “many of the shelves and cases in our supermarkets are sparse, if not empty.” Thus, he thinks people have freezers full of meat but nothing else? Got it.

      Faithful Catholics will abide by the dictates of their Church. Millions still do. That is why this directive was necessary. I’m not Catholic, so I think all of these things are unnecessary. But that doesn’t lead me to criticize people who are faithful Catholics for abiding by their faith.

3./21/20

 UPMC stands ground, will continue elective surgeries despite Wolf’s order

      “The results do show that there is no evidence that there is a ‘cluster of activity’ in Pittsburgh.” This is good to know, but also why our mayor’s draconian measures are baffling.
3./21/20

Editorial: Wolf’s excessive attack on the Pa. economy will hurt lives

     “Maybe they don’t all serve the food that fuels a body, but they provide the paychecks that put food on the table.” This is exactly what my dad said when I told him my nephew, his grandson, had emailed me and told me he was laid off. But I told him, everyone could make that argument. But both my dad and this writer are correct. All of our jobs are “life-sustaining” in that sense. That is why the federal government is working on their $1 trillion relief bill. I hope it works, but I fear it won’t overcome what is being done to our economy by all of these draconian measures.

3./21/20

Hospitals stockpile malaria drug Trump says could treat covid-19

    This article and the headlines are misleading. They make it sound like this is just Trump’s opinion. But Trump comments are based on those of his health experts. If you watched the press conference yesterday (3/20/20), it was Dr. Fauci who talked about the possibility of this working. He said more trials are needed, but it looked promising. Trump was just a bit more confident than Fauci. But Fauci said specifically they had no fundamental disagreement.

3./21/20

Participant in Valley High School NYC trip tested positive for coronavirus

    According to Dr. Siegal on FNC today, there is a less than 5% risk of contracting the virus from casual contact, so calm down everyone. Just because you were near someone who is infected does not mean you will be infected. That only one person out of the 102 people on this trip tested positive shows how unlikely it is to be infected form causal contact. Only two others might be infected. Even if they are, that is still less than 3%. That is my takeaway from this article. But otherwise, “Since the trip was nearly two weeks ago all participants are nearing the end of the incubation period for the virus.” Thus, if there was a widespread problem from this trip, it would have already been realized.
3/22/20

Experts: Little worry about groceries transmitting coronavirus

Handling mail amid coronavirus: Low risk but wash your hands

     A female friend asked me about these possibilities yesterday. I told her to relax. There’s no evidence of someone getting the virus from food packaging or mail. Just wash your hands afterwards, and you’ll be fine. Good to know I was correct in that advice!
3/28/20

Trump adds 30 days to distancing guidelines as virus spreads

       Trump played Dems and the media. He knew if he announced last week the social distancing guidelines were to be extended for month, Dems and the media would scream, “People can’t keep this up for another month. That’s too long! It will destroy the economy. Trump is so crazy.” As a result, people would not follow the guidelines

      That is why he floated the “Easter” idea. He knew Dems and the media would scream, “That’s too early! You’re not listening to your experts. We’re all going to die! Trump’s such an idiot.”

      Trump has learned by now, no matter what he says, Dems and the media will say it is wrong and advocate the exact opposite. This way, Dems and the media now have choice but to encourage the American people to follow the guidelines.

      Trump’s such a genius.
3/30/20

These commentaries are continued at: Coronavirus News Articles Commentaries: April 2020.

Coronavirus Trib Live News Article Commentaries: March 2020 . Copyright © 2020 By Gary F. Zeolla.

The above commentaries were posted in March 2020.