Wuhan Corona Virus Coming Soon? (Now Here)

[ironyak]

N95s are now also harder to find than a decent BBQ lunch on island.
https://www.staradvertiser.com/2020/02/2...-n95-masks

CDC says today that it's not a matter of if, but when, and "to prepare for the expectation that this might be bad." Emphasized making plans such as telecommuting should schools/workplaces close.
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/25/cdc-outl...demic.html

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

N95s are now also harder to find than...

... the article without a subscription to the Star-Bulletin.

It's good information. Here's another source for the story with a similar headline:
In light of coronavirus epidemic, people stocking up on masks leaving shelves empty

If you’re looking to buy a mask, especially the coveted N95, you may be hard-pressed to find one.

Dr. Ruggieri says masks prevent you from touching your face which is one of the quickest ways to get sick. But it’s only 50 to 60, maybe 70 percent effective at best.
Dr. Ruggieri says if you have a mask, use it. A mask may offer some resistance.
https://www.khon2.com/local-news/in-ligh...ves-empty/

[Guest]

If one worked with and around thousands of people a night Would wearing a mask be acceptable?

[kalakoa]

Per Star-Advertiser:

To date, there have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Hawaii, according to the state Department of Health.

As of Monday no one in Hawaii was under investigation or quarantine.

To date, no one in Hawaii has been tested for the coronavirus, the department said, because no one has met the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for testing.

In the meantime 58 people in Hawaii are self-monitoring themselves under the department’s supervision — 52 from Oahu, four from Hawaii island, one from Maui and one from Kauai.

Schatz said it was unacceptable for Hawaii to wait another three weeks to receive a test kit that works, and that he was working with CDC to see whether partners in Japan could provide additional test kits.

State DoH can use their own judgement when requesting that people self-quarantine, but defers to CDC when deciding whether to test people for infection.

Schatz is demanding that Hawaii have test kits -- but Hawaii has already declined to use the testing which is available.

Selective enforcement, as usual.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

Would wearing a mask be acceptable?

Bruce Aylward, head of the WHO-China Joint Mission on COVID-19 announcing the virus can be contained, while wearing a mask

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

Schatz said it was unacceptable for Hawaii to wait another three weeks to receive a test kit that works

Here are a few more comments by Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz this morning about why Hawaii doesn't have test kits, and why the response so far has been less than adequate:

... fired the government’s entire pandemic response chain of command... In numerous phone calls and emails with key agencies across the U.S. government, the only consistent response I encountered was distressed confusion” (not a direct quote from Brian Schatz)

... eliminated a position called Senior Director of Global Health Security. That person used to work in the NSC to coordinate responses to global health emergencies and potential pandemics.
cut CDC by 9 percent...

eliminated the position at the global health security teams at NSC and DHS.
https://twitter.com/brianschatz

These are facts, publicly available. Look them up, because you can shoot the messenger, but the lack of test kits in Hawaii and other resources from dismantled response agencies and eliminated positions will still be our reality.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

Your facts are not really facts.

Two comments were written by Sen. Schatz.
One comment of the three was quoted from the article you mentioned, which while an opinion piece, contained specific references to agency cuts, eliminations, and job positions that were terminated. All of which directly affect our current state of unpreparedness, because no one is on the job. Some agencies are functioning like the CDC. Fortunately.

Hawaii County has COVID-19 pamphlets, so we’ve got that to fall back on if a real emergency develops.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

task force that was formed because of the Ebola virus.

Obie,
I’ve been trying to keep my comments at least marginally related to Hawaii. Your last set of responses make that nearly impossible, so I’ll just reply that I don’t agree with either point you made. Anyone interested should look up 1) the overall purpose of the discontinued task force, and 2) see if there is anything new about the new task force, or whether it’s simply rebranding existing players with a new name, like the functioning Pacific Missile Range at Barking Sands on Kauai is now the NEW! IMPROVED! Space Force.

[ironyak]

N95s are now also harder to find than... the article without a subscription to the Star-Bulletin
Ah, yeah, I haven't seen a paywall on the web in so long I thought they had dropped that nonsense. I'll keep that in mind going forward. http://archive.is/jbGP8

There's not a lack of test kits
Touche - there is however a lack of working test kits in Hawaii and a willingness to use them even at the CDC except if you're already sick AND have been in China in the past two weeks. Talk about selection bias - it's almost like they don't want to know. I can think of -1910 reasons why that might have changed in the last couple days...

[Obie]

"Obie,
I’ve been trying to keep my comments at least marginally related to Hawaii."

I deleted my comments but the 1st comment that you attributed to Schatz was actually this lady in this article that has nothing to do with Hawaii :

https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/01/31/cor...-response/