Compare & contrast responses to pandemics

L

Legion

Oderint dum metuant
t5krgjq


In April of 2009, H1N1 became a pandemic.

Six months later, in October, B. Hussein Obama declared a public health emergency.

By that time, the disease had already infected millions of Americans and more than 1,000 Americans had already succumbed.

Yes, that's right. Between the time the H1N1 flu pandemic began in April, 2009, and October, 2009, when Obama finally acted, millions of people in the United States had been infected, at least 20,000 had been hospitalized, and more than 1,000 had already died, according to Dr. Thomas Frieden, who was then Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dr. Frieden fretted at the time because official efforts to create a vaccine had failed.

He said, "We are nowhere near where we thought we would be. As public health professionals, vaccination is our strongest tool. Not having enough is frustrating to all of us."

Dr.Frieden added that while the way vaccine is manufactured is "tried and true," it's not well-suited for ramping up production during a pandemic because it takes at least six months, to produce vaccines, which are made by growing weakened virus in eggs.

But wait, there's more.

According to Virology Journal, the 2009 H1N1 entered the USA from Mexico: "The swine-origin influenza A (H1N1) virus that appeared in 2009 and was first found in human beings in Mexico, is a reassortant with at least three parents. Six of the genes are closest in sequence to those of H1N2 'triple-reassortant' influenza viruses isolated from pigs in North America around 1999-2000".

In 2015, there was a new H1N1 outbreak in the country. Who was in the White House then?

The American Journal of Clinical Pathology reports that the new coronavirus (COVID-19) was first seen in late December: "On December 30, 2019, scientists in China "a cluster of patients with pneumonia of unknown etiology was observed in Wuhan, China, and reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) China bureau in Beijing. A week later, January 7, 2020, a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was isolated from these patients. If, as we suspected, the Chinese government tried to keep the virus outbreak secret".

By January 31, 2020, President Trump had declared a public health emergency and began restricting travel to the USA by non-citizens from China. Flights filled with U.S. citizens who were in Wuhan were brought to America and those people were quarantined on U.S. military bases for two weeks.

Though he lamented being called a "racist" for doing so, President Trump says if he hadn't hardened the U.S. borders at that point, the virus would have had gained a bigger foothold in the country.



https://tinyurl.com/tadfxbw
 



In April, 2009, Obama asked for $1.5 billion to fight H1N1. The money came from $7.65 billion Congress had already appropriated to the Department of Health and Human Services.

Republicans said "yes."

In February, 2020, Trump asked for $2.5 billion to fight the coronavirus. $535 million of the $2.5 billion would come from funds that were not spent during efforts to combat the Ebola virus. In total, $1.25 billion would come from reallocated funds, while $1.25 billion would be new funding.


DEMOCRATS said "no".
 
Why did it take B. Hussein Obama six months to declare a health emergency in 2009, after H1N1 had already cost over 1,000 American lives?

Why are today's DEMOCRATS bashing the current POTUS, who waited less than four weeks once the pandemic was identified?
 
April 25, 2009: The World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern.

October 24, 2009: B. Hussein Obama finally declares "by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States,including sections 201 and 301 of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) and consistent with section 1135 of the Social Security Act (SSA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 1320b-5), do hereby find and proclaim that, given that the rapid increase in illness across the Nation may overburden health care resources and that the temporary waiver of certain standard Federal requirements may be warranted in order to enable U.S. health care facilities to implement emergency operations plans, the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic in the United States constitutes a national emergency.

Accordingly, I hereby declare that the Secretary may exercise the authority under section 1135 of the SSA to temporarily waive or modify certain requirements of the Medicare, Medicaid, and State Children's Health Insurance programs and of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Privacy Rule throughout the duration of the public health emergency declared in response to the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic. In exercising this authority, the Secretary shall provide certification and advance written notice to the Congress as required by section 1135(d) of the SSA (42 U.S.C. 1320b-5(d)).

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-third day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.
 
Kinda apples & oranges. Whataboutism isn't usually the best idea.

That said, I think this week has actually been really solid for Trump. He drifts into being overly rosy about it, but I think he has responded well overall, and that was a near-perfect press conference. He's doing as well as he can - really not much he can do about the market reaction.
 
Legion said:
t5krgjq


In April of 2009, H1N1 became a pandemic.

Six months later, in October, B. Hussein Obama declared a public health emergency.

By that time, the disease had already infected millions of Americans and more than 1,000 Americans had already succumbed.

Yes, that's right. Between the time the H1N1 flu pandemic began in April, 2009, and October, 2009, when Obama finally acted, millions of people in the United States had been infected, at least 20,000 had been hospitalized, and more than 1,000 had already died, according to Dr. Thomas Frieden, who was then Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dr. Frieden fretted at the time because official efforts to create a vaccine had failed.

He said, "We are nowhere near where we thought we would be. As public health professionals, vaccination is our strongest tool. Not having enough is frustrating to all of us."

Dr.Frieden added that while the way vaccine is manufactured is "tried and true," it's not well-suited for ramping up production during a pandemic because it takes at least six months, to produce vaccines, which are made by growing weakened virus in eggs.

But wait, there's more.

According to Virology Journal, the 2009 H1N1 entered the USA from Mexico: "The swine-origin influenza A (H1N1) virus that appeared in 2009 and was first found in human beings in Mexico, is a reassortant with at least three parents. Six of the genes are closest in sequence to those of H1N2 'triple-reassortant' influenza viruses isolated from pigs in North America around 1999-2000".

In 2015, there was a new H1N1 outbreak in the country. Who was in the White House then?

The American Journal of Clinical Pathology reports that the new coronavirus (COVID-19) was first seen in late December: "On December 30, 2019, scientists in China "a cluster of patients with pneumonia of unknown etiology was observed in Wuhan, China, and reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) China bureau in Beijing. A week later, January 7, 2020, a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was isolated from these patients. If, as we suspected, the Chinese government tried to keep the virus outbreak secret".

By January 31, 2020, President Trump had declared a public health emergency and began restricting travel to the USA by non-citizens from China. Flights filled with U.S. citizens who were in Wuhan were brought to America and those people were quarantined on U.S. military bases for two weeks.

Though he lamented being called a "racist" for doing so, President Trump says if he hadn't hardened the U.S. borders at that point, the virus would have had gained a bigger foothold in the country.



https://tinyurl.com/tadfxbw
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:thumbsup:
 
Little Thingy said:
Kinda apples & oranges. Whataboutism isn't usually the best idea.
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Comparisons allow for informed judgment.

"Whataboutism" is a tactic used to deflect criticism by pointing out other people's behavior while ignoring your own, Little Thingy.

Since I presented factual evidence regarding both presidents' handling of the respective pandemics, your characterization does not apply.
 
Legion said:
Comparisons allow for informed judgment.

"Whataboutism" is a tactic used to deflect criticism by pointing out other people's behavior while ignoring your own, Little Thingy.

Since I presented factual evidence regarding both presidents' handling of the respective pandemics, your characterization does not apply.
Click to expand...

Is it fair to compare how executives responded to Hurricane Katrina vs. Hurricane Irene?

Hope that isn't a leading question.
 
Little Thingy said:
Is it fair to compare how executives responded to Hurricane Katrina vs. Hurricane Irene? Hope that isn't a leading question.
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It's a fair question, Little Thingy, as you already knew when you asked.

It would depend on how the question was worded.
 
Legion said:
It's a fair question, Little Thingy, as you already knew when you asked.

It would depend on how the question was worded.
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I just think the 2 viruses aren't really comparable. And I don't think either President handled their respective outbreaks poorly. As I said, I think Trump is responding well so far.

I actually saw some of the media coverage after his presser the way you guys probably see the media all the time. That presser was spot on - they orchestrated it well. But the media focused only on the negative. I was kind of dismayed by it, actually.
 
Legion said:
I don't care if you "think the two viruses aren't really comparable", Little Thingy.

It is the response to two pandemics that's being compared.
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But how can you compare those without evaluating the severity & speed of the contagion? That's why I compared Katrina to Irene. 2 entirely different levels of crisis.

That doesn't make sense to me. Any true conclusion would have to involve consideration of those variables, and many others. It's not apples/apples.
 
Little Thingy said:
But how can you compare those without evaluating the severity & speed of the contagion? That's why I compared Katrina to Irene. 2 entirely different levels of crisis.
That doesn't make sense to me. Any true conclusion would have to involve consideration of those variables, and many others. It's not apples/apples.
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You're certainly entitled to your views, Little Thingy, and I respect and welcome your input.

I'm not sure why comparing the responses to two pandemics doesn't make sense to you.

Can you elaborate?
 
Legion said:
You're certainly entitled to your views, Little Thingy, and I respect and welcome your input.

I'm not sure why comparing the responses to two pandemics doesn't make sense to you.

Can you elaborate?
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The level of response is based on the level of severity. The situation Obama had to address simply wasn't as severe as the one Trump is facing - not in terms of threat to health, but in terms of disruption and economic loss.
 
Little Thingy said:
The level of response is based on the level of severity. The situation Obama had to address simply wasn't as severe as the one Trump is facing - not in terms of threat to health, but in terms of disruption and economic loss.
Click to expand...

That's an interesting assertion, Little Thingy. Apart from the question of relevance, I wonder who told you that "the level of response is based on the level of severity", and "the situation Obama had to address simply wasn't as severe as the one Trump is facing, not in terms of threat to health, but in terms of disruption and economic loss".
 
OBAMA WAITED 6 MONTHS IN 2009

Oct. 24, 2009

President Obama has declared the swine flu outbreak a national emergency, allowing hospitals and local governments to speedily set up alternate sites for treatment and triage procedures if needed to handle any surge of patients, the White House said on Saturday.

The declaration came as thousands of people lined up in cities across the country to receive vaccinations, and as federal officials acknowledged that their ambitious vaccination program has gotten off to a slow start. Only 16 million doses of the vaccine were available now, and about 30 million were expected by the end of the month. Some states have requested 10 times the amount they have been allotted.

Flu activity, virtually all of it the swine flu, is now widespread in 46 states, a level that federal officials say equals the peak of a typical winter flu season. Millions of people in the United States have had swine flu, known as H1N1, either in the first wave in the spring or the current wave.

Although there has been no exact count, officials said the H1N1 virus has killed more than 1,000 Americans and hospitalized over 20,000. The emergency declaration, which Mr. Obama signed Friday night, has to do only with hospital treatment, not with the vaccine. Government officials emphasized that Mr. Obama’s declaration was largely an administrative move that did not signify any unanticipated worsening of the outbreak of the H1N1 flu nationwide. Nor, they said, did it have anything to do with the reports of vaccine shortages.

“This is not a response to any new developments,” said Reid Cherlin, a White House spokesman. “It’s an important tool in our kit going forward.”

The department of Health and Human Services first declared a public health emergency in April; the secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, renewed it on Tuesday. But the separate presidential declaration was required to waive federal laws put in place to protect patients’ privacy and to ensure that they are not discriminated against based on their source of payment for care, including Medicare, Medicaid and the states’ Children’s Health Insurance Program.


https://tinyurl.com/vdeg27b
 
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