Day: October 3, 2020

‘It Never Happened’ Cuomo Says About Causing COVID Nursing Home Deaths

 

DENIAL IS A WONDERFUL THING!:

BY RICK MORAN

SEE: https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/rick-moran/2020/10/03/it-never-happened-cuomo-says-about-causing-covid-nursing-home-deaths-n1001026;

republished below in full unedited for informational, educational & research purposes:

Governor Andrew Cuomo has a very faulty memory. Perhaps it’s age. We old folks can be quite forgetful at times.

But this is recent history. Cuomo’s order to place coronavirus patients in nursing homes cost the lives of at least 6,500 people. But for the life of him, he doesn’t remember it that way.

New York Post:

Gov. Andrew Cuomo denied this week that his state Health Department’s controversial March 25 order saying nursing homes could not bar admission or readmission to a resident based on a positive COVID-19 test had anything to do with the over 6,500 deaths in those facilities related to the virus.

“That’s not why they lost a loved one in a nursing home. Your question — the premise of your question is just actually wrong. People were lost in nursing homes, were lost because that’s where the virus preys.”

Here’s a question for you, Andy. How did the virus get in nursing homes in the first place? Is the virus a thinking predator that knows vulnerable seniors live in nursing homes and “preys” on them there?

Blame it on staffers whose infections magically transported from nursing home to nursing home.

“The virus preys on senior citizens,” insisted Cuomo, reprimanding a Finger Lakes News Radio reporter during a phone conference call with other members of the media on Wednesday.

“There’s a whole report done with data. The way the virus got into nursing homes was from two possible carriers — before we even knew about it,” continued the governor, ignoring the seeming impossibility of infected staffers at one nursing home having any impact on all the others.

You’d think at this point Cuomo would stop digging and fess up. Instead, the hole he started got considerably deeper.

“The staff, working staff, at the nursing home brought in the virus, or potentially family members before we stopped family visits brought in the virus and this happened at a time back in February when we didn’t even know the virus was circulating in New York State, that’s how the virus got into the nursing home,” he added.

Oh, really? The COVID-19 virus has an incubation period of about two weeks. Were thousands of old folks showing symptoms in February? No, they weren’t.

And recall that Cuomo gave as his reason for admitting positive patients was he didn’t want them to feel “discriminated against.” Yikes!

Assemblyman Ron Kim (D-Flushing) wasn’t buying the governor’s malarkey.

“The governor and his administration are stuck trying to figure out which lies they need to defend and how best to gaslight the public to believe that they did everything to save nursing home lives,” he said.

“We need the governor to tell the truth and own up to his mistakes.”

Cuomo was endlessly praised for his “realistic” response to the pandemic and was compared unfavorably with Donald Trump. Some were even recommending that Cuomo replace Biden as the Democrats’ presidential candidate.

We haven’t heard too much of that lately.

Michigan Supreme Court Strikes Down GOVERNOR Whitmer’s Pandemic Powers & ILLEGAL OVERREACH

BY RICK MORAN

SEE: https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/rick-moran/2020/10/03/michigan-supreme-court-strikes-down-whitmers-pandemic-powers-n1000734;

republished below in full unedited for informational, educational & research purposes:

The Michigan Supreme Court ruled Friday that Governor Gretchen Whitmer had no authority to issue executive orders relating to the pandemic beyond April 30.

Whitmer had defied the Republican legislature which had been seeking to rein in Whitmer’s draconian response to the coronavirus, which included barring Michigan residents from moving between homes in the state or using motorboats, and stopped stores from selling carpeting, flooring, furniture, garden supplies or paint.

Now the state Supreme Court has ruled those orders illegal.

CNN:

But the Michigan Supreme Court Friday ruled that Gov. Whitmer did not possess the authority under the EMA to re-declare a state of emergency or disaster based on the pandemic and that the EPGA was an “unlawful delegation of legislative power to the executive branch in violation of the Michigan Constitution.”

“Accordingly, the executive orders issued by the Governor in response to the Covid-19 pandemic now lack any basis under Michigan law,” the justices’ opinion reads.

This is exactly what Republican legislators had been arguing for months; Whitmer did not have the authority to supersede the legislature, even in an emergency.

The Supreme Court scolded Whitmer for her executive overreach.

Washington Examiner:

It notes a wide variety of businesses that had to close as a result of the orders, including “restaurants, food courts, cafes, coffeehouses, bars, taverns, brew pubs, breweries, microbreweries, distilleries, wineries, tasting rooms, clubs, hookah bars, cigar bars, vaping lounges, barbershops, hair salons, nail salons, tanning salons, tattoo parlors, schools, churches, theaters, cinemas, libraries, museums, gymnasiums, fitness centers, public swimming pools, recreation centers, indoor sports facilities, indoor exercise facilities, exercise studios, spas, casinos, and racetracks.”

“These policies exhibit a sweeping scope, both with regard to the subjects covered and the power exercised over those subjects. Indeed, they rest on an assertion of power to reorder social life and to limit, if not altogether displace, the livelihoods of residents across the state and throughout wide-ranging industries,” the ruling continues.

Long after other states had begun to relax the stay at home restrictions, Whitmer maintained her iron grip on the state. There was a petition to remove her from office and large, noisy — and armed — demonstrations were held at the Capitol building that scared the pants off Democrats and the media but was never any threat to anyone.

The Michigan Supreme Court issued its opinion at the request of the US District Court for the Western District of Michigan.

The district court had asked the justices “to resolve questions concerning the constitutional and legal authority of the Governor to issue executive orders over the past six months limiting public and private gatherings, closing and imposing restrictions upon certain businesses, and regulating a broad variety of other aspects of the day-to-day lives of our state’s citizens in an effort to contain the spread of this contagious and sometimes deadly disease.”

It followed a lawsuit filed by three medical centers against Whitmer in federal court challenging her executive order that prohibited nonessential procedures during the pandemic.

How many other governors overreached but haven’t been called out on it? In Illinois, Governor J.B. Pritzker had the state’s Democratic-dominated Supreme Court in his pocket, which ruled he had not overstepped his authority despite measures similar to Whitmer’s. But many states resisted challenges to the governor’s lockdown orders, claiming the emergency meant they could do anything they wanted to. They were backed by public health officials who wouldn’t know a Constitution from a scalpel. So Americans were brought to heel by measures that many Americans resisted but too many supported.

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SEE ALSO:

https://thenewamerican.com/michigan-supreme-court-slaps-down-governors-mandates-whitmer-says-they-will-continue-regardless

 

 

Great News on President Trump’s Medical Condition

BY STACEY LENNOX

SEE: https://pjmedia.com/uncategorized/stacey-lennox/2020/10/03/great-news-on-president-trumps-medical-condition-n1001019;

republished below in full unedited for informational, educational & research purposes:

President Trump’s physicians spoke to the media this morning and reported very encouraging news. The president is reportedly fever-free and has not had shortness of breath, according to Dr. Sean Conley. According to Conley, the president is not on oxygen and his medical team remains cautiously optimistic. The last oxygen-saturation level taken while the president was walking around was 96%. Normal levels are 95-100%.

Conley emphasized again that the trip to Walter Reed Medical Center was taken out of an abundance of caution and for access to state-of-the-art medical monitoring. He explained that during the first week of COVID-19—in particular, days seven to ten—are the most critical in determining the course of this illness.

After 72 hours, Dr. Conley reported he and the team are very happy with the president’s progress. He repeated President Trump’s symptoms: a mild cough, fever, some nasal congestion, and fatigue. According to Conley, all of these symptoms are resolving and improving.

SHOCK POLL: Astounding Percentage of Democrats ‘Happy’ About Trump’s COVID Diagnosis

Pulmonologist Dr. Sean Dooley also emphasized that the president is receiving state-of-the-art multi-disciplinary care. Because of the wide range of complications COVID-19 can cause, the president’s heart, kidneys, and liver are all being monitored, and all are normal. He repeated that President Trump is not on oxygen and is moving around the presidential medical suite easily.

Dooley said that when the team finished its rounds, President Trump told them, “I feel like I could walk out of here today.” Dr. Ben Garibaldi then discussed the therapeutics being given to the president. He confirmed the president had received Regeneron’s polyclonal antibody cocktail in a single dose. POTUS received his first dose of Remdesivir last evening and will continue that medication for five days. The plan is to encourage him to eat, stay hydrated, and move around since he is in good spirits and feeling up to it.

Dr. Conley then noted that the president has been fever-free for 24 hours. According to the CDC, it’s good news when a recovering COVID-19 patient is fever-free for 24 hours without medication. Conley then joked that Chief of Staff Mark Meadows had delivered plenty of work to President Trump, and he is doing it.

The Morning Briefing: Trump’s Got COVID-19 and Now the Year Is Going To Get Really Ugly

Conley declined to estimate a discharge date because days 7-10 are when the inflammatory phase may present. He noted that President Trump has received advanced therapies much earlier in the course of the virus than most patients, so they are monitoring him carefully.

The team is performing ultrasounds and lab work to monitor various body systems daily. Dr. Conley declined to disclose any specific results and emphasized that the president is not on oxygen today and did not require it Thursday or yesterday. He did note that hydroxychloroquine was discussed, but the president is not currently taking it.

When asked about the president’s risk factors, Conley said his known risks are being 74 years old, a male, and slightly overweight. Other than that, the president is very healthy. His cholesterol and blood pressure are excellent, and Trump is not on routine medications for those conditions. He also reported that the president’s heart rate is 70-80, his blood pressure is 110-120s. These are normal readings in line with President Trump’s routine physicals.

Conley commented on the condition of Melania Trump and said she is convalescing at home and doing very well. She has no indications of needing advanced therapies. Conley was asked why, with all these good signs, the decision made to transfer him to Walter Reed. He smiled and said, “He’s the president of the United States.” Enough said.

WATCH the full press conference:

 

Yes, Trump Should Be Taking Hydroxychloroquine Right Now

BY MATT MARGOLIS

SEE: https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/matt-margolis/2020/10/02/yes-trump-should-be-taking-hydroxychloroquine-right-now-n996280;

republished below in full unedited for informational, educational & research purposes:

I’m sure this doesn’t need to be said, but I’m going to say it anyway: President Trump needs to be taking hydroxychloroquine right now.

From a statistical standpoint, the odds of President Trump recovering from COVID-19 are very, very high. But, his age and other factors technically put him in the high-risk category, and him taking hydroxychloroquine will increase his odds of recovery even further.

Back in May, Trump reported that he was actually taking hydroxychloroquine prophylactically, so I suspect he will continue to take it. But as was the case then, I suspect that if Trump announces he’s taking the drug as a COVID-19 therapeutic, the left will once again go crazy.

But Trump would be absolutely right to continue taking the drug, especially now.

Studies have proven hydroxychloroquine’s efficacy in treating COVID.

There are currently over a hundred studies on the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine in treating COVID-19 (76 of them peer-reviewed) that overwhelmingly show positive results, particularly when administered early.

For example, a study published a month ago out of Saudi Arabia found that “Early intervention with HCQ-based therapy in patients with mild to moderate symptoms at presentation is associated with lower adverse clinical outcomes among COVID-19 patients, including hospital admissions, ICU admission, and/or death.” Another study published in early September of nursing home patients found that patients not treated with hydroxychloroquine had a mortality rate more than five times higher than those who were treated with hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin. Back in July, a large-scale, peer-reviewed study conducted by the Henry Ford Health System concluded that hydroxychloroquine successfully lowered mortality rates for hospitalized coronavirus patients.

Of all the studies, the average reduction in mortality for hydroxychloroquine was 64 percent when it’s administered early.

Back in April, it was noted that countries with high rates of malaria have significantly lower COVID-19 mortality rates. Hydroxychloroquine is a decades-old anti-malaria drug.

Democrat and media fearmongering killed people

When you consider the statistically significant reduction in mortality hydroxychloroquine has, it calls into question the Democrats’ and the media’s motives for immediately criticizing Trump when he suggested back in March that hydroxychloroquine could be a gamechanger in treating the virus.

A Democratic state lawmaker in Ohio said that Trump should be tried for “crimes against humanity” for touting the drug’s potential. The New York Times even alleged that Trump’s motivation for touting it was self-serving because he holds “a small personal financial interest” in Sanofi, even though the drug is out of patent, and he only owned $29 – $435 in the stock as part of a mutual fund.

The media largely ignored success stories from coronavirus patients who recovered after being treated with the drug. In April, Democrat State Rep. Karen Whitsett from Detroit, Mich., credited the drug and President Trump with saving her life. Other coronavirus patients have reported dramatic recoveries after taking the drug.

Had Democrats cared more about saving lives than winning the presidential election, more people would have been comfortable taking hydroxychloroquine as treatment. More people would have participated in clinical trials. More people would have recovered from the coronavirus. Instead, immediately after Trump started touting the drug, he was criticized and mocked by Democrats, the media, and even government officials. They ignored studies that showed it worked, pretended not to hear anecdotal evidence from patients who were successfully treated by the drug, and told people that hydroxychloroquine could kill them.

The war on hydroxychloroquine has been very real and very damaging.

Even the CDC has downplayed hydroxychloroquine

Despite all the evidence of hydroxychloroquine’s efficacy in treating COVID-19, scientists at the CDC have similarly suggested that it doesn’t work. Contained in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) from September 4, which details the increase in hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine prescriptions this year, is the following false claim in its summary: “Earlier this year, [hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine] were widely reported to be of potential benefit in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. However, current data indicate that the potential benefits of these drugs do not outweigh their risks.”

The most commonly cited claim against hydroxychloroquine (echoed in the CDC’s MMWR) is fatal heart damage, which was reported in two bogus studies, the debunked VA study, and another flawed study in Brazil from April. But as veteran virologist Steven Hatfill explained, the media never mentioned that the Brazilian doctors in that study “were giving their patients lethal cumulative doses of the drug.”

Two other studies followed linking hydroxychloroquine to higher mortality, but those studies were based on faulty data, and two well-respected medical journals had to retract one of them.

I am fully confident the president and first lady will recover quickly, and maybe get us to reassess the deadly war on hydroxychloroquine.