With cases soaring, Biden to announce COVID-19 task force

[Visbek]

And still no one has the answer as to what means was at President Trump's disposal that would have stopped this....

Seriously?

What Trump could have done, and Biden is likely to do:
• Coordinate with, listen to, take cues from etc ACTUAL experts in epidemiology and virology and medicine
• Use the Presidential Pulpit to convince people to take the virus and mitigation efforts seriously
• Encourage people to use masks, socially distance, get tested more frequently etc
• Be honest about what medications actually work
• Communicate better with the public (hopefully, including letting the experts do most of the talking)
• Use the DPA to produce sufficient medical supplies, including but not limited to PPE, vaccine production supplies
• Coordinate supplies to the states, rather than throwing the states to the dogs, and competing against the states for supplies
• Establish contact tracing
• Actually work with our allies to coordinate efforts
• Not put himself and his own ego above the health and safety of the nation
• Not hire people solely because they say what he wants to hear
• Protect his own staff as best as possible from the virus
• Just take the damned virus seriously

That wouldn't have resulted in zero deaths, but it probably would have cut the death toll at least in half.

Oh, and with the number of cases going through the roof -- it's now twice as many new cases per day as during the summer peak, with no sign yet of stopping -- the number of deaths between now and Inauguration Day will soar.

The real limit to Biden's effectiveness, though, will be Republican intransigence and general fatigue with the virus. If Republican state governments refuse to cooperate or tighten up when it's needed, Biden may not be able to do much. Similarly, if people get too tired of the pandemic response, they might comply less and spread the disease more.

I.e. Biden won't reduce deaths to zero either. But I for one am confident there will be fewer cases and deaths during the time when Biden is in charge, and vaccines are not fully available.

....it's the insidious people who are saying stay home wear mask and then moving about the country in their own "best interest" that are the real "super spreaders". At least with the non mask wearers you know to stay away. Those who want to pretend they were obedient after the fact they moved out are the ones who give you no choice of exposure in the long run.

Huh?

Who are these mysterious people who are telling everyone to take the virus seriously, and then flaunting the rules? People are still traveling far less than usual, and it won't be the people who take the virus seriously who will plan to host 25 long-lost relatives for Thanksgiving this year.

People who wear masks and socially distance aren't the ones spreading the virus. It's people who adamantly refuse to wear masks and attend mass events (like the Sturgis Rally) who are the "superspreaders." It is the intransigent deniers, as well as people who are just exhausted by the pandemic, who are spreading the virus now.

I'd add that it is not always easy to stay away from the "non mask wearers." I mean, really. If you live in South Dakota, are you supposed to move to... what, New Zealand? There's pretty much nowhere to go, as the virus is on the rise in most of the US -- and is now clocking in at twice the number of cases as the summer peak.

Not only is there nowhere to go, it's actually a bad idea to leave a place where the virus is on the rise, as you may actually be sick without realizing it, which means if you don't quarantine when you get to the new location, then you could spread the virus.

 

[CharloTexan]

Seriously?

What Trump could have done, and Biden is likely to do:
• Coordinate with, listen to, take cues from etc ACTUAL experts in epidemiology and virology and medicine
• Use the Presidential Pulpit to convince people to take the virus and mitigation efforts seriously
• Encourage people to use masks, socially distance, get tested more frequently etc
• Be honest about what medications actually work
• Communicate better with the public (hopefully, including letting the experts do most of the talking)
• Use the DPA to produce sufficient medical supplies, including but not limited to PPE, vaccine production supplies
• Coordinate supplies to the states, rather than throwing the states to the dogs, and competing against the states for supplies
• Establish contact tracing
• Actually work with our allies to coordinate efforts
• Not put himself and his own ego above the health and safety of the nation
• Not hire people solely because they say what he wants to hear
• Protect his own staff as best as possible from the virus
• Just take the damned virus seriously

That wouldn't have resulted in zero deaths, but it probably would have cut the death toll at least in half.

Oh, and with the number of cases going through the roof -- it's now twice as many new cases per day as during the summer peak, with no sign yet of stopping -- the number of deaths between now and Inauguration Day will soar.

The real limit to Biden's effectiveness, though, will be Republican intransigence and general fatigue with the virus. If Republican state governments refuse to cooperate or tighten up when it's needed, Biden may not be able to do much. Similarly, if people get too tired of the pandemic response, they might comply less and spread the disease more.

I.e. Biden won't reduce deaths to zero either. But I for one am confident there will be fewer cases and deaths during the time when Biden is in charge, and vaccines are not fully available.



Huh?

Who are these mysterious people who are telling everyone to take the virus seriously, and then flaunting the rules? People are still traveling far less than usual, and it won't be the people who take the virus seriously who will plan to host 25 long-lost relatives for Thanksgiving this year.

People who wear masks and socially distance aren't the ones spreading the virus. It's people who adamantly refuse to wear masks and attend mass events (like the Sturgis Rally) who are the "superspreaders." It is the intransigent deniers, as well as people who are just exhausted by the pandemic, who are spreading the virus now.

I'd add that it is not always easy to stay away from the "non mask wearers." I mean, really. If you live in South Dakota, are you supposed to move to... what, New Zealand? There's pretty much nowhere to go, as the virus is on the rise in most of the US -- and is now clocking in at twice the number of cases as the summer peak.

Not only is there nowhere to go, it's actually a bad idea to leave a place where the virus is on the rise, as you may actually be sick without realizing it, which means if you don't quarantine when you get to the new location, then you could spread the virus.

Here's one he won't do - ever say "COVID, COVID, COVID, COVID, COVID, COVID."

 

[Antiwar]

You might be surprised to learn that some countries with HIGHER rates of testing have HIGHER Mortality Rates than the US does.

You might be surprised to learn that some countries with HIGHER rates of testing have LOWER Mortality Rates than the US does.

You might be surprised to learn that some countries with LOWER rates of testing have HIGHER Mortality Rates than the US does.

You might be surprised to learn that some countries with LOWER rates of testing have LOWER Mortality Rates than the US does.

View attachment 67303770​

I still think testing out the wazoo is the key (in the combination of key items) that is missing. I believe I picked that up from listening to what seem like solid epidemiologists on Pacifica Radio.

I looked over the numbers you posted. The thing that sticks out to me at the moment is the tests performed per million people. I ask: Is that simply the number of tests performed? As in, maybe one person was tested 12 times and another person has never been tested. "Test out the wazoo" is the epidemiological term for: Test as many different people as possible as frequently as possible. Again, in combination.

It should be fascinating to hear what conclusions serious people come to regarding what worked and what didn't work. There seem to be so many variables.

Thanks for posting that.

 

[Antiwar]

Here's one he won't do - ever say "COVID, COVID, COVID, COVID, COVID, COVID."

Just an observation: In hearing snippets of Trump rallies, it seemed like a comedy routine with reactions from an audience prompted by cues. "Jerry! Jerry! ..."

 

[snakestretcher]

Are you on planet Earth?

Get me out of here! Americans flee crowded cities amid COVID-19, consider permanent moves

And still no one has the answer as to what means was at President Trump's disposal that would have stopped this - oh, wait, you denied it happened in the first place. Yeah, that works. As was said during the election - vote in your own best interest. These people were only operating in their own best interest - right? Sure. That's the difference. At least the people not wearing masks are not being hypocrites about it (regardless of the outcome - I'm an avid mask proponent) - it's the insidious people who are saying stay home wear mask and then moving about the country in their own "best interest" that are the real "super spreaders". At least with the non mask wearers you know to stay away. Those who want to pretend they were obedient after the fact they moved out are the ones who give you no choice of exposure in the long run.

The most important thing Trump could have done but conspicuously did not was to lead by example; wear a mask always and emphasise the deadly nature of the pandemic. He failed on both counts, preferring instead to downplay it, mock mask wearers, insult the only folk around him who knew what they were talking about (Birx and Fauci), sideline them because he didn't like that they challenged him, and adopt the inept Atlas (a neurologist) who hasn't got a clue about virology or epidemiology but who played by Trump's rules and did what he was told. The saddest thing about the entire episode was Trump's cynical use of a deadly pandemic as a political tool. That is pure evil-Trump first, everyone else? Who cares as long as he gets himself re-elected.
People underestimate just how much of a positive influence a national leader can have on those who place their trust in him or her. Sadly Trump's influence convinced many that wearing a mask was for 'losers', and it wasn't a "good look". And here you are.

 

[snakestretcher]

A camel is a horse designed by a task force.

How do you think any major undertaking is conceived and put into practise; the Moon landing programmes for example? I seem to recall that 'camel' was quite a success.

 

[ttwtt78640]

There is a lot more to it than that. Trump did not act in February although he knew how bad this virus was. It is on tape that he knew and pretended he didn’t. That is negligence

That did not address the valid point raised: if (when?) COVID-19 “hot spots” are identified and shutdowns are imposed within them then how do you prevent folks living in them from ‘visiting’ other areas? After all, that (not negligence) is what spread COVID-19 worldwide.

 

[Torus34]

A compassionate, mature adult president would say, 'Election questions aside, it is important to do all we can to blunt the effect of this pandemic and save American lives. I welcome setting up a joint task force with my Democratic opponent at the earliest opportunity and, together, developing and putting into effect a functional and effective plan.'

Regards, stay safe 'n well. Remember the prophylactic Big 3: masks, hand washing and physical distancing.

Reminder. I try to respond to all who quote my posts. If you do not get a response from me, it may be that you've made it onto my 'Ignore' list.

 

[ttwtt78640]

How did people flee cities? As in, do most people have a second home in the country where they can stay? When their job is in the city or they're not working and the paychecks aren't coming in?

When is a better time to take a vacation, visit relatives or move out of a higher cost city? BTW, many of those getting UI benefits actually had an increase in their income thanks to the federal (additional) $600/week ‘stimulus’.

 

[ttwtt78640]

The Manhattan Project was a "task force".

Yep, and made the world much better thanks to nuclear weapons.

 

[screenwriter]

There is a lot more to it than that. Trump did not act in February although he knew how bad this virus was. It is on tape that he knew and pretended he didn’t. That is negligence

And once again I ask - Just what did President Trump have at his disposal to make the people in the cities stay put and not spread out into the entire country?

 

[ttwtt78640]

And once again I ask - Just what did President Trump have at his disposal to make the people in the cities stay put and not spread out into the entire country?

Limiting freedom of travel is a power that no government should have, but that appears to have worked in China (where the power of government is virtually unlimited). To implement that (selectively) would require testing everyone (daily?) and placing those testing positive (and those in contact with them?) under quarantine.

 

[screenwriter]

The most important thing Trump could have done but conspicuously did not was to lead by example; wear a mask always and emphasise the deadly nature of the pandemic. He failed on both counts, preferring instead to downplay it, mock mask wearers, insult the only folk around him who knew what they were talking about (Birx and Fauci), sideline them because he didn't like that they challenged him, and adopt the inept Atlas (a neurologist) who hasn't got a clue about virology or epidemiology but who played by Trump's rules and did what he was told. The saddest thing about the entire episode was Trump's cynical use of a deadly pandemic as a political tool. That is pure evil-Trump first, everyone else? Who cares as long as he gets himself re-elected.
People underestimate just how much of a positive influence a national leader can have on those who place their trust in him or her. Sadly Trump's influence convinced many that wearing a mask was for 'losers', and it wasn't a "good l

Limiting freedom of travel is a power that no government should have, but that appears to have worked in China (where the power of government is virtually unlimited). To implement that (selectively) would require testing everyone (daily?) and placing those testing positive (and those in contact with them?) under quarantine.

But that's what they wanted him to do. Stop the virus. No one fleeing the cities was going to listen to that.

 

[Carleen]

And once again I ask - Just what did President Trump have at his disposal to make the people in the cities stay put and not spread out into the entire country?

If he would have acted in February and put a task force together and included every state governor and all the experts it could have been controlled. Also Obama gave him a blueprint of what to do if faced with a pandemic and he ignored it. He had plenty of time to prepare.

 

[ttwtt78640]

If he would have acted in February and put a task force together and included every state governor and all the experts it could have been controlled. Also Obama gave him a blueprint of what to do if faced with a pandemic and he ignored it. He had plenty of time to prepare.

You make that (bolded above) assertion without stating what federal executive actions would have been required (a link to Obama’s blueprint?). Note that president elect Biden is not promising to use the (existing?) Obama blueprint, instead he is forming a new committee to come up with a Biden plan “soon”.

 

[BlueTex]

 

[Visbek]

I still think testing out the wazoo is the key (in the combination of key items) that is missing.

Testing is part of it, but testing alone isn't sufficient -- as the White House staff showed.

One expert pointed out that the mitigation efforts are like stacking slices of Swiss Cheese. Each layer has some holes, but when you layer enough slices with misaligned holes, you provide pretty good protection. E.g. on their own, masks or social distancing or testing or contact tracing won't halt the virus completely. When used together, though, it's pretty effective.

 

[Visbek]

That did not address the valid point raised: if (when?) COVID-19 “hot spots” are identified and shutdowns are imposed within them then how do you prevent folks living in them from ‘visiting’ other areas? After all, that (not negligence) is what spread COVID-19 worldwide.

People leaving hot spots is a problem, but it isn't why COVID spread.

The virus can spread when people don't know that they are sick, or have minor symptoms that can easily be mistaken for a cold.

Also, it is possible to clamp down on most visitors. In Canada, for example, anyone who flies into the country is required to quarantine for 2 weeks, and they're pretty serious about enforcement. They could expand those quarantine requirements to inter-province travel if they wanted.

The real issue, though, is not that it is somehow impossible to do these things (though we can't restrict people forever). It's that people either aren't taking the virus seriously, or they are fatigued from the restrictions. Thus restrictions are removed, compliance drops, and the virus spreads wildly.

 

[ttwtt78640]

Hmm... what happened to the (premier?) “expert” Dr. Fauci?

People leaving hot spots is a problem, but it isn't why COVID spread.

The virus can spread when people don't know that they are sick, or have minor symptoms that can easily be mistaken for a cold.

Also, it is possible to clamp down on most visitors. In Canada, for example, anyone who flies into the country is required to quarantine for 2 weeks, and they're pretty serious about enforcement. They could expand those quarantine requirements to inter-province travel if they wanted.

The real issue, though, is not that it is somehow impossible to do these things (though we can't restrict people forever). It's that people either aren't taking the virus seriously, or they are fatigued from the restrictions. Thus restrictions are removed, compliance drops, and the virus spreads wildly.

My point is that (localized) “hot spot” shutdowns actually encourage folks to ’visit’ other places.

 

[BlueTex]

Hmm... what happened to the (premier?) “expert” Dr. Fauci?

Dr. Fauci will still be leading the NIH...

 

[ttwtt78640]

Dr. Fauci will still be leading the NIH...

Nope, he is not the NIH leader (director).

NIH Leadership

NIH leadership plays an active role in shaping the agency's research planning, activities, and outlook.

www.nih.gov

Acting Director Jeffery Taubenberger, M.D., Ph.D.

Jeffery K. Taubenberger, M.D., Ph.D., was named the Acting Director of NIAID in April 2025. He oversees a $6.6 billion budget that supports research to advance the understanding, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases. He is a Senior Investigator in...

www.niaid.nih.gov

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

Nope, he is not the NIH leader (director).

NIH Leadership

NIH leadership plays an active role in shaping the agency's research planning, activities, and outlook.

www.nih.gov

Acting Director Jeffery Taubenberger, M.D., Ph.D.

Jeffery K. Taubenberger, M.D., Ph.D., was named the Acting Director of NIAID in April 2025. He oversees a $6.6 billion budget that supports research to advance the understanding, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases. He is a Senior Investigator in...

www.niaid.nih.gov

The hierarchy at NIH is built like a mushroom. Heavy and wide at the top.
Ask me how I know this.
As NIAID Director, Fauci's presence is essential to the function of the entire agency.

 

[Mongidig]

And once again I ask - Just what did President Trump have at his disposal to make the people in the cities stay put and not spread out into the entire country?

They would have spread less of it by taking proper safety precautions.

 

[PeteEU]

I still think testing out the wazoo is the key (in the combination of key items) that is missing. I believe I picked that up from listening to what seem like solid epidemiologists on Pacifica Radio.

I looked over the numbers you posted. The thing that sticks out to me at the moment is the tests performed per million people. I ask: Is that simply the number of tests performed? As in, maybe one person was tested 12 times and another person has never been tested. "Test out the wazoo" is the epidemiological term for: Test as many different people as possible as frequently as possible. Again, in combination.

It should be fascinating to hear what conclusions serious people come to regarding what worked and what didn't work. There seem to be so many variables.

Thanks for posting that.

The thing is... testing out the wazoo should be happening regardless, and everything is relative. My home country of Denmark has basically tested every person in the country. They have done 5.85 million tests in a population of 5.7 million people. However that is a bit of a fake number, because we have had cases where one person has gotten 200 tests over 14 days.. Yea he is a hypochondriac and since no one is refused tests at first (they can be now if they have gotten a test within days), the amount of tests done per million can be misleading. For example, in many businesses, they test their employees several times a week.. some even everyday.

There are many factors that influence infection numbers and deaths.

1) Deaths are registered correctly. I suspect that US deaths are in fact much higher due to political pressures to lower covid deaths in certain states. Same in places like Russia, and other dictatorships.
2) Infections.. comes down to testing capacity and numbers manipulation. The UK government has been claiming tons of testing, but in reality they dont have the testing capacity and count tests sent out to people, not actual test results. The US also has a massive testing capacity problem, where as Germany does not. Go figure.
3) Social aspects.. Italy, Spain, and so on have more family and social gatherings than their Nordic counterparts.. and that of course means more spread in Spain and Italy relative to Scandinavia.
4) Weather. We know that outdoor events dont spread the virus that much, where as indoor events are mass spreaders. The same goes for home gatherings. Do it in the garden and chances are lowered, but move into the living room and well...

All these combined make it hard to confidently compare nations (and even regions within a country). For example, at the moment the US is nr 1 on infections and deaths.. but to be brutally frank, I suspect that India is nr 1. Their nr. 1 and 2 are suspect due to a poor healthcare system, and add in nr 3... caste system, and I suspect that the actual number of infections and deaths are far far higher.

Now what works and does not work. Speaking from Spain at the moment.. masks and hand washing works. We kept the bug under control for months, but complacency becomes a problem. You let your guard down when entering the home or friends home and that is where the infection has been spreading in Spain. This is due to young people having parties and not socially distancing or using masks while doing so, which in turn meant that they get infected easily, bring it home and give it to the rest of the family. Because the infection can linger undetected for days (especially in young people), then the parents take it to work and spread it there.

Also the asymptomatic cases are a problem.. a big one. Here in Spain, before you can get a doctors appointment for some sort of treatment or scan, you need a covid test. Here tons of asymptomatic cases (a majority at one point) were discovered. There was no symptoms and hence no idea they had it.. but they were spreading it regardless.

 

[Antiwar]

Yep, and made the world much better thanks to nuclear weapons.

Is this a serious comment? I can't tell since you tacked on the winky f'n dink.