Here’s Why I Don’t Really Trust the Official American Coronavirus Numbers

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Author of The Blackout Book and the online course Bloom Where You’re Planted

A lot of folks have distrusted the numbers coming out of China since the very beginning of the coronavirus outbreak. That uneasy feeling was justified when it was discovered that many patients weren’t being counted because they were never tested.  Once an alternative testing method was temporarily approved, the number of infected people skyrocketed. This was only temporary though because Chinese officials reverted quickly to their previous method of only relying on the nucleic acid test, which is infamous for false negatives. (There are reports that suggest certain infected people tested negative as many as six times before a positive test occurred, according to MedicineNet.)

Looking at China’s official response and looking at the American official response, I see some troubling similarities that make me wonder if our own numbers are accurate at all.

Hardly anyone is actually being tested in the United States.

First of all, very few tests have actually been performed in the United States. As of Feb. 26, 2020, the CDC reported that only 466 tests had been performed in the US and the criteria for being tested is so narrow as to render the statistics useless.

This was proven to be the case with the patient in California who was finally tested after four days and found to have Covid19, even though she has not been to China or knowingly been in contact with anyone from China.  Why wasn’t she tested sooner?

Because she didn’t fit “the criteria” laid out by the CDC for testing.

Hospital administrators said they immediately requested diagnostic testing from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but the procedure was not carried out because the case did not qualify under strict federal criteria: She had not traveled to China and had not been in contact with anyone known to be infected. (source)

So this delay in testing was not the fault of physicians caring for her, but because the CDC decided from afar that only certain patients could be tested. If this sounds familiar, it’s because, in China, only certain patients were given tests while thousands of others were turned away from healthcare facilities without assessment.

Here’s the narrow criteria to get tested. Basically, if you haven’t been to an affected country or been exposed to someone from an affected country, you’re unlikely to be tested.

And it gets even worse.

The first batch of tests sent out to health departments around the country was faulty.

…expanded testing has been delayed because of an unspecified problem with one of the compounds used in the CDC test. About half of state labs got inconclusive results when using the compound, so the CDC said it would make a new version and redistribute it. (source)

In Hawaii, a state thought to be at extremely high risk for an outbreak cluster, doctors now must get approval from a state investigator to test patients or even put them under monitoring. The state literally threw away specimens that had been collected from patients whom doctors suspected had the virus without testing them, because they didn’t meet the new protocols.

KHON2 was first to reveal yesterday that Hawaii doctors alerted the state to 8 cases they thought could be coronavirus. But the state did not send the specimens to the CDC for testing and discarded them, saying the patients did not meet the definition requiring testing. (source)

So 466 people have been tested with potentially flawed tests. Countless people have been untested simply because they haven’t traveled to certain countries or knowingly been in contact with someone who has traveled to certain countries.

In comparison, New York Magazine reports that more than 7,100 coronavirus tests have been conducted in the UK, South Korea has tested more than 30,000 people in “drive-thru” testing facilities, and the province of Ontario, Canada has tested 629 people. All of these places have far lower populations than the United States but they’ve tested a lot more people.

Given these facts, do you really think that only 60 people in the United States are infected?

We were all upset when we learned China was testing so few people and fudging the cause of death of others. But here we are, also testing very few people.

What about all those people being “monitored?”

You’ve probably seen that thousands of people across the country are being “monitored” by health departments. Unfortunately, that monitoring doesn’t mean that they’re being tested before they’re released from self-quarantine. It simply means the local health department is getting their temperatures and asking if they have symptoms. Here’s how monitoring works.

Those without symptoms who haven’t been to Hubei province, which includes Wuhan, are allowed to go on to their final destinations, but are asked to stay at home for up to 14 days, monitor their health, check in with their local health departments and contact their health-care providers if they develop symptoms, such as a fever or dry cough. They are asked to avoid close contact with others, typically defined as being within 6 feet of another person for a prolonged period.

Sometimes those who are self-quarantining are told they may go outside and exercise if no one is nearby, or grocery shop. The orders aren’t binding, but local health officials can issue stricter quarantine orders if necessary. So far, most people are cooperative, local health officials say. (source)

So monitoring is mainly self-instituted and no testing is being done. Don’t be lulled into any sense of false security over “monitoring.” Actual monitoring would mean that the quarantined people would have to test negative to the virus before they were released from quarantine.

To be absolutely clear, those being “monitored” are basically staying home for a couple of weeks, chatting on the phone about how they feel, then going on their merry way, with no testing involved. And considering there have been instances of asymptomatic people spreading the virus, this is hardly comforting.

And now Vice President Pence has issued a gag order.

If the obfuscation above isn’t bad enough, now all statements from health officials must be cleared by Vice President Mike Pence, the unofficial Covid19 Czar, before they can be made public.

The vice president’s first move appeared to be aimed at preventing the kind of contradictory statements from White House officials and top government health officials that have plagued the administration’s response. Even during his news conference Wednesday, Trump rejected the assessment from a top health official that it was inevitable that the coronavirus would spread more broadly inside the United States.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the country’s leading experts on viruses and the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infections Diseases, told associates that the White House had instructed him not to say anything else without clearance. (source)

So not only is the US government restricted who can be tested, sending out faulty tests, and poorly managing the diagnostic process, they’re also filtering any further information the American people are allowed to get. All those warnings last week about how we could expect “severe disruptions” to our daily lives? The talk about potential quarantines and getting prepared to work and educate from home?

It looks like those may be the only warnings we get.

Remember how just weeks ago we were talking about the horrible dishonesty and subterfuge in China’s handling of the Covid19 outbreak? It kind of seems like deja vu but right here in America.

This goes right along with the Ebola crisis management playbook.

I’ve mentioned before about how the Ebola outbreak completely vanished from the news, and it looks like we’re watching exactly the same thing play out now with VP Pence in charge. Just a few days ago, I wrote:

The government prefers to “manage” the flow of information, as they did during the Ebola outbreak in 2014, when they instituted an outright blackout on information.

That information blackout was a little bit different, as it was aimed toward the media. In Cat Ellis’s book, The Covid-19 Survival Manual, she wrote that the editors of mainstream media outlets were told by the President to stop reporting on it.

To counter the rising public tension, President Obama appointed Ron Klaine, a Fannie Mae lobbyist with no health care background at all as his Ebola Response Coordinator. Klaine was known in and around Washington DC as being a man who could circumnavigate government bureaucracy and regulations. The media referred to Klaine as Obama’s “Ebola Czar”.

Within weeks of Klaine’s appointment, the Associated Press released a statement that was sent to editors. There were to be no more stories on Ebola unless it is linked to a massive upset or delay. All stories about suspected cases disappeared from the mainstream television news coverage, although you could still find articles on their websites occasionally.

So, if it is a standard for governments to downplay the severity of an infectious disease in order to control public panic, it is reasonable to examine what we know and understand that the situation is likely worse than it appears to be. (source)

Heaven knows, President Trump isn’t exactly popular with the media, which explains why the tactic this time is different and aimed at people who answer directly to the government. The tactic may be different but the strategy itself is the same.

In his recent press conference about the coronavirus, the President repeatedly compared Covid19 to the flu, when the two viruses are hardly comparable. He downplayed concerns and recommended more handwashing (which, while good advice, is hardly sufficient for an illness that is so highly contagious.)

Why would the government hide the severity of Covid19?

Of course, any government would want to avoid a panic.  When people panic, things can devolve very quickly as Selco has warned. But is that the only reason they’re downplaying the spread of the virus?

As with most things when powerful people are involved, we can probably follow the money.

The market has been in a freefall and as Michael Snyder writes, it’s doing things we’ve never seen before, including yesterday’s plummet that was “the largest single-day point decline in all of U.S. history.”

Without a doubt, stocks could potentially fall a long, long way.  Thanks to a tremendous rally earlier this year, stock prices were pushed to the most overvalued levels that we have ever seen.  It was inevitable that prices would fall, and this coronavirus outbreak looks like it could greatly accelerate that process.

Meanwhile, analysts are increasingly coming to the realization that this virus is going to have very serious implications for the entire global economy.

For example, on Thursday David Kostin of Goldman Sachs warned that American companies “will generate no earnings growth in 2020”

…Up until recently, Wall Street had been acting as if this was a temporary problem that would soon fade.

But now it has become clear that we will be battling this virus for many months to come.

And what happens if this crisis is like the Spanish Flu pandemic which lasted for three years? (source)

So perhaps the biggest reason for all the secrecy and lack of testing is economic.

Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney had some outrageous suggestions when he spoke with reporters in an attempt to assuage fears about the administration’s handling of the Covid19 outbreak. Here are the key points he made.

  • White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney on Friday suggested that Americans should ignore media reports about the coronavirus amid fears of the deadly disease spreading into the U.S.
  • Mulvaney claimed that the media has only started paying close attention to the coronavirus because “they think this is going to be what brings down the president.”
  • Mulvaney said he was asked by a reporter, “What are you going to do today to calm the markets?” “I’m like, ‘Really what I might do today [to] calm the markets is tell people turn their televisions off for 24 hours.’” (source)

And of course, the inevitable flu comparison.

  • “This is not Ebola … it’s not SARS, it’s not MERS,” Mulvaney said. “We sit there and watch the markets and there’s this huge panic and it’s like, why isn’t there this huge panic every single year over flu?” Mulvaney asked rhetorically. (source)

So, don’t worry. Just ignore the news. Keep going to work, spending money, and thinking happy thoughts.

Should we be concerned?

So, given that the President, the Vice President, and the White House Chief of Staff say this is no big deal, and that the CDC is hardly allowing the testing of anyone, should we still be concerned about the possibility of widespread illness and quarantines?

Personally, I’m even more concerned. Why would they go to such lengths to silence health officials? Why would testing and reporting be so shady?

I think it’s very wise to get prepared for a possible quarantine. You should make a financial plan for a possible interruption of income and you should learn all you can about the Covid19 virus and quarantine protocols. Don’t be surprised if it seems like things are under control and then suddenly, it all goes to hell in a single day. Because it won’t have been just that single day. It will have been going on all along behind the scenes.

If it gets to the point where information can no longer be hidden and a mandatory quarantine is announced, it’s going to be too late to get the food and supplies you need to hunker down for an indefinite period of time.

With the new gag order on health officials, don’t expect for a moment to get information of value before it’s too late to act on it.

I think we’re watching a desperate coverup to try and save the plummeting economy. I think there are likely to be far more infections in the United States than anybody knows about because so few people meet the criteria for testing. I think that is deliberate.

I do not trust the official numbers in the United States. Do you?

About Daisy

Daisy Luther is a coffee-swigging, globe-trotting blogger who writes about current events, preparedness, frugality, voluntaryism, and the pursuit of liberty on her website, The Organic Prepper. She is widely republished across alternative media and she curates all the most important news links on her aggregate site, PreppersDailyNews.com. Daisy is the best-selling author of 4 books and runs a small digital publishing company. You can find her on FacebookPinterest, and Twitter.

Picture of Daisy Luther

Daisy Luther

Daisy Luther is a coffee-swigging, globe-trotting blogger. She is the founder and publisher of three websites.  1) The Organic Prepper, which is about current events, preparedness, self-reliance, and the pursuit of liberty on her website, 2)  The Frugalite, a website with thrifty tips and solutions to help people get a handle on their personal finances without feeling deprived, and 3) PreppersDailyNews.com, an aggregate site where you can find links to all the most important news for those who wish to be prepared. She is widely republished across alternative media and  Daisy is the best-selling author of 5 traditionally published books and runs a small digital publishing company with PDF guides, printables, and courses. You can find her on FacebookPinterest, Gab, MeWe, Parler, Instagram, and Twitter.

Leave a Reply

  • Actions speak louder than words. The most fundamental piece of wisdom I ever learned.

    How governments are reacting to the virus tells a lot more truth, than their press conferences and media toadies.

    • Said the exact same thing to my wife last night, also noted when governments tell you it’s all under control they are just doing their jobs. You don’t have to believe em!

  • I don’t either !!!!!!!
    JUST thinking about this on my way to work this morning.
    There have been SO MANY numbers thrown around- how to keep up???
    I definitely don’t trust or believe the country’s explanations or numbers. Does not pass sniff test to me AT ALL.

  • Absolutely yes we should be concerned ! I feel like we are being ‘gaslighted’ royally.
    And I for one hate that feeling. Thank you so much Daisy for sharing your thoughts bc I dont feel so crazy now.

  • A friend in the Pacific Northwest said today that lots of people there are presumed sick with Coronavirus. Not surprising since there is so much travel between that region and all of Asia. She knows people who are sick with it and says it seems to be hitting men the hardest. (After the immune compromised, that is)

  • If you want to know how serious the situation is, look at what China did when they had just a few hundred infections and a few deaths. They shut down and locked down a city of 11 million. They started welding apartment doors closed to enforce quarantines. They took people from their apartments and put them in ‘infection camps’ for violating voluntary quarantines. They built 1000 bed hospitals (way more than one) in less than a week for future infections. Now, half the population has been put into quarantine.

    You don’t go to these lengths for ‘the flu’ that is ‘under control’.

    We are being lied to. I don’t think it is out of malice as much as it is CYA and incompetence.

    I still read people who think this is nothing more than the flu, and that they don’t think this is going anywhere in the US. I used to try to inform these folks; now I just feel sorry for them. Actions have consequences. Rush can buy his way out of whatever is coming, but not all his listeners will be able to do the same.

  • I believe President Trump is trying to keep US citizens calm. He warned, in 2018, I believe that citizens should have 6 months if supplies on hand. I don’t think many listen. US isn’t a dictatorship, and we don’t fear (for our life) the government like in China. Our citizens will be very difficult to control, if panic accurs in the masses. I’m sure economics are involved. I don’t trust the numbers either. I spoke with a few people yesterday, and they hadn’t even been keeping up with the new virus! Time will tell. Prayers for all!

    • Midge sez:

      “President Trump is trying to keep citizens calm.”

      Lol squared.

      The Orange Dotard is either a Trojan Horse or a complete Idiot.

      Yesterday, he called the Corona Virus a “Democrat Hoax.”

      • This virus was engineered by the Elites to tank the U.S. economy and bring down Donald Trump, just months prior to the November elections. This has been their goal since he was elected, no matter how many lives it costs. Too bad for them: it won’t work.

        • Dan sez:

          “Virus engineered by Elites to bring down Trump.”

          Why would the Elites want to bring down Trump? He is one of them.

          You have been fooled by the dog and pony show.

          Trump is an open borders, destroy the middle class, warmongering, globalist, Trojan Horse.

          Don’t look at what Trump says, look at what he does.

          Sadly, Trump supporters are like battered wives.

          They have so much emotionally invested that they cannot and will not see the truth.

            • Thank you Selena.

              It is difficult to get the Trump followers to see how badly they have been betrayed.

          • Have you seen the Georgia Guidestones? Decreasing the world’s population is a long standing goal…way before Trump. If he’s a dictator as the TDS claim, why hasn’t he shut down all air travel and locked down cities like PRC? Who do you propose as an alternative? That clown car of imposters, perverts, and communists of the Democrats?

            Elites are not bound by national borders or specific ideologies except “we’re cattle and they deserve to rule us.” Deep State folks are footman of their goals. Saw vid of B. Gates giggling while discussing the number of dead from Spanish Flu. Remember he co- hosted Event 201 Oct.2019 about an uncontrollable coronavirus. They advocated “total media control” so really Pence is actually following their advice. 201’s conclusions: worry about social unrest and economic collapse- NOT the people. Attended by all the medical authorities in the know.

            Same medical idiots are running US policy. They do not track the ill and their contacts, do not adequately quarantine, nor test anyone except those already having symptoms per CDC. Singapore is doing all those things aggressively and managing it well. Why don’t we copy?

            If CDC/WHO are “unprepared for a pandemic like this” it’s their own fault as they should have procedures in place after Ebola debacle. Not having enough masks/gear squirreled away is inexcusable. They get cash, but they just spend it elsewhere. (BTW, CDC sent out faulty test kits world-wide. MSM ain’t sayin’ nuthin’.)

            Trump’s biggest fault over virus- listening to people like Dr. Messonnier of CDC. She’s not doing her job! Testing the ill’s contacts and asymptomatic people is Microbes 101. What does “self-quarantine” even mean? Give me a checklist of what to do PLEASE and shut-up w the useless press conferences. As Rod Rosenstein’s sister, can’t see any reason she might give poor advice intentionally. (sarc)

            This isn’t about Trump…it’s about you and me. We’re the ones who are going to suffer.

      • Nope. Nice try. He SPECIFICALLY mentioned the Dims’ accusing his admin of NOT doing enough as the ‘hoax’ (when he clearly is having his admin address the issue). He WASN’T calling the virus itself a ‘hoax’. But, you keep telling yourself your own bullsh*t, and WE’LL (those who know WHAT 45 meant) just IGNORE said bullsh*t, mmmkaaay???

  • In my own personal opinion I do feel that you are right. We have been deceived (lied to) on many fronts. The TRUTH of the whole matter is that IF we are told the “exact” or even close to the “exact” truth, the public will just go stark crazy. They will totally and seriously “PANIC”. So, of course we know that the government doesn’t want that to happen so they “cover up” all that they possibly can. That’s why we have people known as “whistle blowers” that let out the real truth…We’re most likely NOT going to know the truth at this time if ever…Best thing people with any wisdom and common sense can do is stock up on their food and water, their prescription medicine, have their masks and gloves ready and take it from there. Stay at home until it’s safe to go out. Use your mask and gloves only as a necessity, like better safe than sorry! The TRUTH is if things go south in the next month or two as they have in the last month or two then people will not be going anywhere. We may have some disruptions in our television viewing as well as on our internet. I believe that we’ll ALL have some adjustments to make in our lives like it or not…even some major inconveniences. How long will all of this last? Your guess is as good as mine, but I don’t know.
    There are so many conflicting stories about numbers on our news channels as well as on the internet that it’s bind boggling how confusing they can be, b/c it forces me to realize there is no TRUTH. Nobody seems to know what is what…Our President says it’s all going well, smoothly and everything is going to be fine as soon as warmer weather arrives, and at that same news conference another speaker tells us that we need to be totally prepared and that basically things are NOT as fine as the President wants us to believe…Therefore use your own judgment please…Even Washington doesn’t seem to know the FACT ! SO be safe, use common sense and if you think it’s not all adding up , chances are very good that it’s just NOT all adding up at all…Listen to your gut feelings…

    • Yup, there are too many moving parts to this thing for anyone to have a clear handle on it. There seems to be plenty of power players out there but wisdom is going to have to be on an individual basis.

  • Yes there is a definate cover up of facts. Both in the financial markets and with the risk of pandemic

    In both cases I think they know it can’t be stopped and want to quell panic. Honestly panic will make things 1000x worse.

    Those who are awake enough to see the warnings of potential trouble need to take steps to QUIETLY prepare. If or when thing do start you want to be safe and secerative too.

    • Robert Steele is always wrong on everything.

      He is a Q fanatic and a rabid Trumptard.

      What do you think he would say?

  • this is a No-Brainer I don’t trust anything that comes from the Goverments and Presidents mouth. Never have Never will 🙁 They don’t care about us they would rather see us die off this is the Plain truth.

  • Daisy, your website made the local talk radio show this morning. They gave it as a reference of how to prepare for the Coronavirus. I’m in Bloomington Illinois and have no idea how they got the information. I read it several times a week , great job. Thanks Mike

      • Zero Hedge has picked up several of your articles including this one. That’s because you’re good and you can voice what we are all feeling. At the moment, this one has 261 comments on ZH.

      • Congratulations, Daisy. I hope it helps people who haven’t been preparing, and people who have. And you gian followers. I hate to use that word, followers sounds so cultish, however, social media redefined the word. Again, congratulations.

  • Hi Daisey!
    Your right, there is much we are not being told. I would ask you to check out John Rappaport’s blog and the series of articles he has posted on this virus. Read them all before you make and conclusions because they will all make you stop and think.
    https://blog.nomorefakenews.com/2020/02/26/how-to-stage-a-fake-epidemic-and-brainwash-billions-of-people/

    Remember that the globalists will never let a good crisis go to waste. Can’t imagine what they would like to do with a global crisis with a control media and stock market. Who cares if the virus is a real threat or not if they can make the masses believe it is.
    John is a true investigative journalist and he ruffles a lot of feathers. He digs to get at the truth though. Well worth anyone’s time to have a look at what he has to offer here.

  • There Will Be A Cover-up

    I think the numbers are probably fairly small right now. The majority of the people who have been exposed are in quarantine and I think that with the first “community exposed” patient confirmed and a 2nd waiting for test results that the disease will grow slowly for the next few weeks. Then speed up. Once it hits a town, the first cases will come in and then boom a lot of cases. Urban areas are going to be harder hit because there are more people in a smaller space. The more rural areas will be hit or miss with infections.

    I think that the real numbers will never be know, that it will be hidden. The Trump administration will keep the numbers of infected patients very low. However, I do think that the death number will be accurate, and will leave us with a higher death percentage than other countries. During a news conference yesterday, a doctor said that the flu death rate is about 0.1% whereas Covid19’s death rate is 2 to 3% and then asked something. Trump responded that the Covi19’s death rate is below that of the ‘flu. That tells me that we won’t get accurate numbers.

    I am with you about everyone being ready for a 2 to 4 mandatory self-quarantine in their home. This will be hitting the larger cities first (I’m not surprised that the first cases were in LA and San Francisco. I suspect that NY, DC, and Baltimore will the hit next. From there it will hit every state.

    At this point, all I can do is prepare my family. I have talked to a co-worker about what we would do if there is a self-quarantine and we came up with a plan that she will talk to our boss about. Financially we should be OK, I it will be difficult with out hubby’s salary but we will do the best we can.

  • I have little faith and confidence in the governments ability to account, report or command anything in a timely manner.
    There are some good people in the government, be it the CDC, FDA, DHS etc.
    But do not underestimate the abject moronic bureaucracy that goes along with a government that is not held accountable.
    And that applies to whichever political party is in power.
    They. Both. Sux.
    That so-call deep state thing, yep. I have seen it. Cannot fire the yahoo, just move him/her to another division and continue on.
    And we, taxpayers, have to pay their salaries.

  • Yes ,we need to be very concerned !
    What are the signs that a persion has this , So they developed as the flew , I was down sick last week was is a cold or the flew I knew I was comeing down with something I felt it started in my head tryed to move to my throat and lungs , but with her rest and medication and electrical blanket I broke the feaver , I was up on my feet Monday morning . No snizzeing ,coughing . So it was a bad cold or small case of the flew .
    But when you read people been tested 8 times and the test come back negative , but at least a smart doctor did other test to determine he was correct. The persion has it . So air it air born or given persion to persion . These people played with fire they did not care ! I have nothing against people , except when it comes to my life my Famley s life ,my nabiour s my country men and on The globe , but i do have a problem with a rattle snake comeing in to my home or ealse where as even a python . The come to take life not preserve it . Yes we need to be concerned .

  • If you are prepared, it doesn’t really matter what the government hides or doesn’t hide, how many are tested or sick. The best we can do is be prepared to self-quarantine and listen to the local news, since that’s what we all are – local to somewhere. And all we need to hear from them is are we locked down – or not, and decide if its prudent to self-quarantine.

    No one will ever know the exact numbers of the sick anywhere. Do you think for one moment that every single person who gets a fever or cough is going to run to the hospital to be tested? This virus, so far, is not as lethal as the current influenza virus (except for those who are immune challenged). Many people will probably get sick, ride it out and no one will ever know or count them. Unfortunately, they will probably have infected others in the mean time.

    So stop stressing and just PREPARE NOW. It is never a good time to panic.

    • Glad someone’s getting it. Politics and number knowledge ain’t gonna save you.

      Did a little shopping and Walmart was wiped outta powdered milk and went to get a bucket. Got “the look“ from the clerk who said “yeah those got wiped out in the last few days”. Lots of folks standing round the rice in the aisle. Like it was confusing them. I’m like “it’s rice, it lasts, it feeds, don’t overthink it.”
      Looked for respirators at a few places today. One place had several other men looking for them as well. I’m good but I was looking cause I was shopping there anyway and curious.
      Things gonna get tight before long.

      • Here in Kansas the stores are fully stocked and shoppers are going about their business in a calm and unconcerned way. Restaurants are packed too. I have yet to find anyone who doesn’t think I’m a nut when I bring up the need to stock up. This morning on Good Morning America I saw that there are now three cases of community acquired corona virus.

  • Big differences between ebola and covid19. Ebola is much harder to be infected with. Cultural burial practices led to infection of thousands. Lack of hospitals, equipment, trained personnel and medication all played, and are still playing, their role in the epidemic(s).
    Covid19, on the other hand has a long period when the infected person is asymptomatic, but is able to infect others. Then, after ‘recovery, is still infected for at least 14 days…or more. How long remains to be seen. Most cases will be mild, which can lead to even more being infected. About 20% will be severe, needing hospitalization. Of the worst cases, mostly the elderly and those with health problems, 50% will die. Hmmm, could be a lot fewer on Social Security. Not a conspiracy theory, just sayin’.
    The military has a term for situations like this–SNAFU, and for what this administration is doing. Cluster F***.
    VP Pence might do a reasonable job, bur if you think he will be left alone to do it, I can only wonder where your powers of observation have been hiding. Censorship ijust delays learning the truth.
    Conspiracy? Well, don’t attribute to malevolence what can be explained by stupidity and greed.

  • The CDC testing criteria needs to be way more aggressive in my opinion.

    One of the criteria categories includes “…severe acute lower respiratory illness…” AND “no source of exposure has been identified”. Really? The poor soul has to be severe before testing can happen?

    The other 2 criteria categories still list exposure in the last 14 days but I’m sure we have all seen the stories of 24 day or 27 day incubation periods. But, does the CDC know about those longer periods? No? Just fear mongering?

    We have also heard about CT scans being more accurate than the blood tests. Can the hospitals/doctors not do a CT on their own? Have to wait for CDC instructions? It’s crazy.

  • Somehow I fear the nitwits “overseeing” things more than the escaped bio-weapon. Perfect example–“In Hawaii, a state thought to be at extremely high risk for an outbreak cluster, doctors now must get approval from a state investigator to test patients or even put them under monitoring. The state literally threw away specimens that had been collected from patients whom doctors suspected had the virus without testing them, because they didn’t meet the new protocols.”

  • Everyone around me that I talk to seems to think this is no big deal, IF they even know what I’m talking about! I think you’re right on the money Daisy. My “hobby” for a long time has been learning about epidemiology and virology (because I think it’s fascinating), and what I’m seeing, quite frankly, has me terrified. Add to that the locusts in Africa (potential famine of an entire continent), the reports from Australia of record crop failure (to the point that instead of exporting food, they will importing it), and now Turkey releasing more “migrants” to go to Europe? Along with China’s cover-up, I think we’re looking at a worldwide pandemic along the lines of the Spanish Flu as well as a worldwide depression. I hope and pray that I’m wrong, but I’m taking steps to prepare for the worst.

    • I’m a retired CLS (microbiology/virology dept) , and I’m scared to death. No one around me “gets it”, or believes the supply chain is in any danger. Not even the corn (some of which is still in the fields from last year) has frightened anyone. Chlorox stock is up- but started going up a few months ago. It may be a wild year or two.

      • O stay amazed at how unconcerned and unprepared most seem to be. I’ve heard Trump specifically mention “be prepared” in his first virus news so each and over a year as well. Said so calmly it barely registers. 6 months preparations may not be too much at all.

  • I don’t trust the numbers either. But perhaps we have all become too reliant on governments. And why should we expect them to fix our sicknesses, our jobs, the weather or anything else. Are we babies? All gov’t’s operate under archaic levels of beauracracy and protocols decades in the making, and always a day late and a dollar short, whether communist, socialism, or democracy. We as preppers know these things are coming and we get prepared as best we can to protect ourselves, our families and our neighbors.
    And how do you deliver many millions of testing kits and new protocols for an unknown virus that just popped up two months ago when the country of origin refuses to give samples to other governments to analyze? Can you imagine the only way you can get samples is to fly your on infected people home to take blood samples and cultures. Stop blaming our government. When we find out where and what this thing came from, blame them. If its natural then so be it. If it was manmade then its all out war, but not until then.

    • Hi, Van.

      Perhaps I wasn’t clear. I’m not asking the government to fix our problems. But I do believe they should not be lying to us.

      The nucleic acid test is actually not very reliable. One of the links in the article goes to a piece that discusses another way to diagnose Covid-19, with a scan of the lungs. This is something that is possible at pretty much every hospital in America and isn’t a test that requires a lengthy wait for results – people can be diagnosed with it almost instantly.

      Why aren’t we testing that way? Why aren’t we actually confirming that people are NOT SICK before they’re released from quarantine? My objection is not that the government isn’t “taking care of us.” My objection is that they’re lying and the number of sick people is being hidden. Don’t we deserve a clear picture of what we’re dealing with?

      • this article is typical b/s by a person who spouts off nonsensical generalities using such words or phrases as “lying and the number of sick people is being hidden.” quite frankly, this is the type of article that one would read as an opinion piece in the new york times–facts be damned. pontificate yes. ah yes, a daisy is defined as a plant “having flower heads”, with brains which resemble petals.

      • Hi Daisy,

        The Oregon Health Authority recently set up a Coronavirus page, according to the information today, we have one confirmed case, 76 individuals being monitored. I don’t know which test they’re using, but at least they appear to be trying to be transparent.

        Although we’re not the most populous state, we get enormous numbers of tourists here, particularly along our beautiful coast (where I live). In our little town of if about 600 we often see as many as a couple thousand visitors on the weekends. I’m sure numbers will be going up.

        I’m reasonably prepared and my son and daughter in law just asked me for a shopping list for preparation for this, yay. Haha, grandma’s not so crazy anymore.

        Thanks for the work you do!

  • The head of Health & Human Services (Azar?) told the press to “shut up” about the virus! Guess we’re back to being mushrooms; keep us in the dark & feed us s**t.

  • The flu kills ruffly .1% and the Covid-19 at its best from what has been reported by John Hopkins, Who, etc. in other Countries kills 25 to 30 times that and that is if we believed China, give me a break! We will have better information in 2 or 3 weeks with what is happening in South Korea, and Italy Countries we can trust to be truthful. Of course we should be concerned, and I more than some because I suffer from Chronic Asthmatic Bronchitis, Diabetes and Coronary Problems. So, if and when I come down with this Virus, I will be one of the Critically Ill, who hopefully has a spot in a hospital and hopefully has a respirator. Chances are I won’t make it. I am not panicking, rather I am trying to stay as informed and as safe as possible, if not for my sake for my daughter who is 25 and already lost her father -my late husband. Trump seems to be more concerned about the Stock Market instead of his people. I wonder how many millions he is worried about loosing personally in stocks. Personally, I am concerned about the lose of people. Good grief, Mr. Trump. I am a 56 year old Dual Nationality Canadian/Portuguese coming to you from where I live in Portugal. We the people aren’t stupid! Good grief!!!!

  • 500,000 to 1,000,000 people are killed each year in America by the medical system. I don’t think the Coronavirus is something to lose sleep over. If you’re concerned about your health, stay away from doctors.

  • DAISY THE NEWS IS BAD,due to the total incompentance of ALL THE GOVERNMENT,they have completely LOSS control of the coronavirus,AND THE LORD says to the prophets IT CAN’T BE STOPPED..corona as in type writer,virus 19 as in SLAUGHTER,you guessed it,THIS IS A US MILITARY BIO-WEAPON,the CIA took it to china and NOW they know it…HELL is coming to breakfast,the real numbers are in the stratasphere..their all lieing…NEXT move,sinking ships and blown up cities,THE CITIZENS could have stopped this,but they LOVE their slave masters,now its to late..

  • I don’t at all trust what our government (US) is telling us which is a big problem. I had hoped that we’d have much better numbers as compared to what China released but that doesn’t appear like it’s going to be the case. I suspect the main driver of this is both economic and political. Telling the truth is seen as potentially causing panic. An economic hit due to the virus will potentially endanger our incumbent president. Pretty much means we’re on our own folks.

    According to the NYT there are now cases in Oregon and Washington as well as CA of people confirmed positive with no known contacts to anyone with the virus or travel. So community spread is happening now. So wish they’d have been urging people to prepare for staying at home away from others for the past few weeks. When the masses figure it out they will descend upon the stores, buy out everything in sight and it will get ugly.

  • Hi Daisy, last night my husband saw on the news feed on his phone that China had shot a military grade laser at a US plane. Haven’t heard anything else about it anywhere. Have you heard about this? Seems like a crazy thing to do when people should be sticking together and supporting each other in hard times instead of trying to cause more trouble. My husband said it was from CNN.com.
    Thanks for all the articles you do.

  • The head of the CDC, Nancy Messonier, is the sister of the corrupt Rod Rosenstein formerly of the DOJ coup attempt against President Trump.
    It is extremely likely that she formulated this response to allow widespread infection prior to any large scale testing, as a trap to be the next step in destroying the economy and the Trump presidency.
    The deep state would not even bat an eye if thousands or even millions died in their pursuit of power. They want population reduction anyway.

  • I don’t trust anyone and the same goes for this article. Its whipped up for profits, sensationalisim, politics, sales, etc. Half the info is unsourced, or ill-sourced, or from questionable sources, or just made up; see first statement.. It si the same thing when SARS MERES and EBOLA and whatnot came out. Can this be a serious problem, YES. Is it something to get all in a tither about, NO.
    We have a slow decline in moral absolutes in society that is exponentionally speeding up towards destruction and there is no outcry, it wouldn’t be PC..
    Just take a breath, calm down, quit the hysteria, and monitor the way things proceede. Also keep in mind that there are many gears to the wheels of government and one has to have consent before pushing themselves into individual, city, county, state and department matters and there are many hoops Fed. departments have to jump through to get from point A to B. Just remember that Congress makes the laws.

  • Today. Saturday the 29th, the Orange Dotard is going to hold another press conference.

    Great theatre.

    The last press conference consisted of the stable genius bumbling, stumbling and repeating himself.

    It was the worst press conference I have ever seen.

    The Trump Tards praised it. They are just like the Obama Tards. Cult worshipers, blind to reality.

    Yesterday Drumpf called the Corona virus a “Democrat Hoax.” Don’t believe me, look at Drudge.

    Just remember to prep. The government is not your friend and they are incompetent.

  • The US Surgeon General has just issued this statement:

    Stop buying masks, they don’t work.”

    Lol. They really are trying to kill us.

    Fortune cookie sez: The government is not your friend, the government is your enemy.

  • Trump Corona virus press conference is over.

    After 19 years, Trillions spent, and millions dead, Trump just surrendered to the Taliban in Afghanistan.

    Next topic: Corona Virus. Trump said: ” No need to panic.”

    Oh boy, I feel better already.

    And……..Pence has been assigned to lay hands on the Virus and heal all sinners.

    What a clown show.

    • Somewhere in China, a village is missing it’s idiot.

      But they dont really miss you John, Doctor of Nothing.

      • 1stMarine
        This article was just a bait click for this anyway. Open invitation for kommies, conspiracies and anyone with hate issues to light up the board because they’ve little productive input on true preparedness.
        Several other boards do it as well.
        You’ll notice a pattern in them. On one board the admin is even the one keeping it going by being the troll.

  • Why the “gag” odor. Yeah, it stinks. But the truth is they are trying to control reactionary Demoncraps from spreading rumors to create chaos in which they can RULE instead of Trump. Demoncrap and commies can only rule during chaos and rumors. Nothing else works for them.

    A smart move by the Trump administration for dealing with the always LYING Demoncraps.

    Second, the huge drop in the stock market is due to its HUGE rise. We have to look at perspective and not just NUMBers. Did Michael mentioned it as a ratio?? No! Well, the ratio is nothing compared to the one that caused the depression.

    And a nutta ting! Has anyone actually seen people dying from this virus? No! We see scary pictures of only ONE person dying at a time and we even don’t know where or what it’s really of? The rest of the time we have to rely on the MSM and we know how good they are at lying, exaggerating, and being the 5th column of a political farce known to LIE all the time.

    Here, the 1st stanza of Rudyard Kipling’s poem IF:

    IF you can keep your head when all about you
    Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
    If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
    But make allowance for their doubting too;
    If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
    Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
    Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
    And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

  • 1957-1958 Pandemic (H2N2 virus)
    Español
    map of asia
    In February 1957, a new influenza A (H2N2) virus emerged in East Asia, triggering a pandemic (“Asian Flu”). This H2N2 virus was comprised of three different genes from an H2N2 virus that originated from an avian influenza A virus, including the H2 hemagglutinin and the N2 neuraminidase genes. It was first reported in Singapore in February 1957, Hong Kong in April 1957, and in coastal cities in the United States in summer 1957. The estimated number of deaths was 1.1 million worldwide and 116,000 in the United States.(I was 10 years old and couldn’t eat for a week, but survived.)

  • Great article Daisy. I’ve read quite a bit on the covid19 situation. There are a few sites with good information. The one I’ve found to be the most accurate and most helpful is peakprosperity.com. Dr. Martenson has a medical background in pathology and toxicology and his business partner (actually both of them do ) has an MBA (they also seem to have a lot of good contacts from all over the place) so you get both the health and economic aspects of this thing. Most of the information is available to the public without the need to purchase a subscription.

  • The China death numbers are normally calculated differently, according to “Dr Hu knows.” If a patient with a pre-existing condition dies, the cause of death is noted as that pre-existing condition. In other words, they do not note a primary and secondary cause like we would. So a person with known kidney condition who died of viral pneumonia would be listed as “cause of death- kidney failure.” They’re not trying to be fraudulent, it’s just a cultural thing.

  • Ebola never fell of the radar. And unlike COVID-19, there really is a vaccine, affordable or not but YMMV as to its effectiveness. This administration is based on lies. And employs gag orders to control the situation. No different than Hitler, Stalin, Putin, Kim Jung-on (or his father), Fidel Castro or Xi Jinping. The inflated stock market reacted appropriately to the unknown effect of COVID-19. It never was sustainable.
    And does anyone really think that thousands of doctors are just waiting for a call from the CDC now that we have a health crisis? Nope – this isn’t calling the local temp agency saying “hey, we need a few hundred doctors for short term positions at the CDC”. Perhaps he can pluck a couple of ambassadors to fill in there as well, just like the intelligence position.
    Reminds me of AIDS during the ray-gun era. Not an issue until a republican donor was diagnosed.

  • I have been checking the John Hopkins site at least twice a day. Seattle was listed as having only one recovered patient..then all of a sudden, there were 6 cases and one death (the famous first community acquired US one). As if they couldn’t hide it, so had to add it.
    Also, over the course of this, US numbers would appear (Nebraska) , and then disappear and decrease.
    Also, the Wuhan lab which was merely hundreds of feet from the wet market, has been relocated on Google Maps miles away. Someone has a screen shot proving this.
    We are being kept in the dark- even without the text message screen shot of a CDC official admitted thousands, which could be fake.
    ~~~~
    On a different note about testing: the viral test kits we used to use (and maybe other bacterial kits as well) had a limitation section in the instructions which stated they were only valid for symptomatic patients. So I have no problem with the testing of symptomatic patients only. They are merely doing things correctly.
    Maybe if they would someday have a screening test invented, and not use it, that I’d be mad. I feel bad for that quarantined American who is obviously healthy, and told she is a carrier. What makes them think it’s not a false positive of a test used the wrong way? And a test that is said to cost 750 dollars, and not covered by health insurance. I confirm it is true, that health care professionals make the worst patients.

  • Okay, I work for an intel agency and let me share some news with you guys. COVID-19 is a bioweapon specifically designed to target Asian genotypes and its part of the broader containment plan against China. We already have the vaccine and cure in hand but won’t need it. Like SARS, this virus will get progressively weaker over time, then it will just one day magically disappear. The Chinese have the highest levels of ACE2 receptors out of all the races with Caucasians least affected by COVID because Caucasians have the least amount of ACE2. Also remember China has four times the population of America, and they are basically 99% all ethnic Chinese, and in the US the ethnic Chinese population hovers around 2%. In large part this COVID19 in America will really be “just a mild flu” so there is no need to worry!

  • I Live in the county of the first fatality. I’m hearing that it’s likely to have been in our area for weeks. I am extremely distrustful of the president and his sheer ignorance let alone motivation to deceive us. I’m afraid that by the time the truth comes out we’ll be too far gone. So scary

  • I’ve been asking how the numbers could be right since the requirement to be tested is so impossibly narrow. With proven cases without meeting testing criteria its crazy to thinks the numbers could be right.
    Do your best to be as prepared as you can be.

  • I’m in my seventh decade here on this planet named after dirt, and my government has been lying to me all my life.
    NO, I don’t believe any of the numbers that come from the CDC, about ANYTHING!

  • Sheesh..
    Let’s all panic and run around with our hair on fire.
    First, it takes time to develop an accurate test for a specific virus, then it takes development time to create the process for manufacturing an accurate test kit, then it takes time to validate and verify the tests being produced are accurate, then it takes time to ramp up production, including sourcing the raw materials, then it takes time to get the finished product into the supply chain and get out to the points of use in some logical and fair distribution.

    Find some other medical product that has gone from initial idea to point of use in the hundreds of millions of units that has been any faster than the covid test kits.

    Stop falling for the hysteria.

    ANY virus will be a avoidable by practicing good hygiene and staying away from crowds and other folks who may have been exposed.
    Self quarantine if you are that panicked.
    Can’t get sick or die from a virus you never contract in the first place.

  • There’s enough in Washington state to close all of our K-12 schools. They’re trying to contain us for a short time to discover the disease quicker in any hosts (assuming they present symptoms and go in and demand testing) and then hopefully let us resume our activities. Sports, schools, events, conferences, all being shut down to prevent further contamination. It’s smart. But then those employees now have their children at home who normally didn’t need childcare to work? It’s very uncommon, I’d say rare, to find any Manager that will let you joggle work and your kids on the job. How does that effect our economy? Nothing will circulate. No one will work, no one will produce or deliver, no one will be out buying or selling. How will civilians live, businesses thrive and our state to sustain like this? It’s going to be rough. Can’t sit around and watch Netflix if we can’t afford internet because keeping our lights, running water, mortgage , and extra food now (with children at home from school and who knows if the date they give us for them to go back won’t be extended ). What will people do?

  • Todays WH update, Dr ? , the woman wearing a gold scarf over a mauve top, said China’s infection/death curve had flattened to nearly zero.
    Reports through the underground state that bodies are being taken straight to crematoriums and are not being identified or recorded. several crematoriums are operating around the clock and are capable of ‘processing’ between 175 to 200 corpses a day. These have running around the clock for weeks with no end in sight, to the detriment of air quality and are engulfing cities in black smoke that visually appears between smog and fog. Also, the military are burning used medical equipment in several locations outside cities. Again, the underground media state that they have seen bodies being burned in these locals. One estimate of bodies being cremated in Wuhan is between 500 and 550 per day, and have been for weeks, with no end in sight.
    However, Chinese authorities and the WH are reporting that cases and deaths are on the decline.
    The basic numbers of 550/day for 14 days is 7700, for Wuhan alone. ‘What if’ (yes, I know) the military are also burning ~175 bodies per day? Then, the number of deaths in Wuhan alone, over the last two weeks could easily be over 10,000. (Plus the ~700 being cremated today, and tomorrow, etc.. until C-19 has truly run it’s course).
    Should this be the case, than this is a very serious situation and the draconian measures are justified and should be heeded.
    Who to trust? The WH and CDC say deaths in Wuhan, China have peaked and are on the decline, yet, the smoke continues to pour from the chimneys of crematoriums, engulfing large cities and surrounds in a disgusting black smog.

    FYI, check out 60 Minutes Australia’s report on the ‘wet markets’ still operating throughout China and SE Asia, This is where the virus originated, from 3 different live wild animals from 3 different continents, held in a hot confined space where the 3 different virus’ were able to join and mutate into the Covid-19, its real horror show! This is how HIV came to be, a live wild animal market, where a northern african monkey was held with a southern african monkey (Green monkey), and the two viruses joined to become HIV, then, a butcher who had a cut on his hand became infected, probably as did the cook who handled the dead monkey, allowing this animal virus to infect humans. jThese live animal markets, that traffic in animals from around the world, including endangered animals, illegal captured and trafficked to markets thousands of miles away. (sorry, run-on mental dump)
    However, The next killer virus could infect an idiot human at any moment.

    Also, I”m not a doomsday cultist!

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