Lockdown eased - slightly

(C) Taylor Jones
click to enlarge 

Review of numbers

Week 5 – Friday April 24
World confirmed cases: 2,709,408
US confirmed cases: 869,172
SA confirmed cases: 3,953

Week 1: Monday March 30
World confirmed cases: 735,560
US confirmed cases: 143,055
SA confirmed cases: 1,280

President Ramaphosa eases Lockdown – slightly

SA's strict national lockdown will be partially relaxed from next week Friday, 1 May.

Ramaphosa said SA would follow a risk-adjusted approach to the return of economic activity. The need to limit the spread of the coronavirus would be balanced with the need to get people back to work.
He said five different levels would determine the severity of the lockdown from May 1, with five being a hard lockdown and one being almost completely lifted. 

Summary of Levels 1 - 5

“COVID Toes”

Science and health professionals suggest coronavirus may have been present in communities long before first cases were diagnosed.
This stimulates apparently asymptomatic people in the “gen pop” to claim non-specific illnesses they suffered in September and October to have been Covid-19. (“Gen pop”: my lockdown appropriation of the prison term for “general population”)

Handy COVID Toes as clue:

Dermatologists say looking at a person’s feet may be a handy way of seeing if someone has the coronavirus.
Otherwise asymptomatic people are reporting the presence of painful purplish lesions on their toes.

“COVID toes” are “typically painful to touch and could have a hot burning sensation…. This is a manifestation that occurs early on in the disease, meaning you have this first, then you progress. Sometimes this might be your first clue that they have COVID when they don’t have any other symptoms.” For some people, “COVID toes” disappear without showing up with any other symptoms after a week or so, while others come down with serious respiratory problems.

Almost…

I almost pulled off a whole post without a stinging critique of The Donald. But… humor won out. Enjoy this video: Vote Him Away

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Lockdown has me talking to myself and to dogs.
“Jessica,” I told one dog late yesterday afternoon, “should I carry the camera?”
Jessica didn’t answer and, as I passed the study, I decided, “Nah, I’ve carried it around all day without much success….”
How wrong I was.
After 11 days with sighting nary a goldfish fin, I saw four healthy goldfish!
I dashed inside for the camera while assuming the fish would flee. Just in case, I grabbed the sack of fish food, too.
A thrill a minute: the fish were still visible!
Tossing fish food, I shot this short (unedited) video segment…

Hardly camera shy, the goldfish flitted back and forth, their bright colors flashing.
Perhaps, tomorrow when I try to cajole them out with more fish food, I’ll toss in several fish-sized water-camo colored cloaks, too.
Wearing water-camo cloaks over their gorgeous goldfish bodies and fins might disguise them from hungry kingfishers….


Read Week 1  | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4  |  Week 5

See photos: Spying on Garden Creatures 
Watch Videos of Garden Creatures

“Try it. What have you got to lose?”

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Remember Trump saying, "[Hydroxychloroquine has] been out there for a long time. Try it. What have you got to lose? I hope they use it."
He added, "I may take it. I have to ask my doctors."

Needless to say, the self-confessed germophobe neither asked his doctors nor took it.
Trump was 100 percent correct when he said about the drug for treating coronavirus. “I think it could be a game changer.”
Game changer, indeed.

Experimenting on American servicemen?

Trump oversaw (by doing nothing contrary) dosing military veterans in U.S. veterans’ hospitals.

Researchers reported there were more deaths among those given hydroxychloroquine versus standard care.
The nationwide study was not a rigorous experiment. But with 368 patients, it’s the largest look so far of hydroxychloroquine … The study was posted on an online site for researchers …[who] analyzed medical records of 368 male veterans hospitalized with confirmed coronavirus infection at [VA] medical centers who died or were discharged by April 11.
About 28% who were given hydroxychloroquine plus usual care died, versus 11% of those getting routine care alone. … 

Science? Who needs it?

The federal agency led by Dr. Anthony Fauci issued guidelines on Tuesday that stated there is no proven drug for treating coronavirus patients…. Fauci has repeatedly pushed back at the president’s enthusiasm over the malaria drugs hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, sometimes disagreeing in public with Mr. Trump.
For weeks Dr. Fauci has stressed the lack of scientific evidence to back up any potential treatment, and this new document, which includes the expertise of more than a dozen federal agencies and professional groups, underscores his reasoning.

Wednesday's most stunning development, a top administration official working on a vaccine claimed he was ousted after resisting efforts to push unproven drugs promoted by President Donald Trump and his conservative media cheerleaders as "game changer" treatments.
That news was followed by a bewilderingly inconsistent White House briefing. Conflicting messages on when to reboot the economy, the need for testing and the possibility of a resurgence of the virus combined with Trump's effort to suppress facts that jar with his insistence that the end of a nightmare likely to last many more months is near.
In another bizarre twist, Trump produced Robert Redfield, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to walk back his remarks that the coronavirus challenge could be more difficult in the fall.
Trump claimed that Redfield had been "totally misquoted" by the media.  But under questioning from reporters, Redfield confirmed that he had in fact made the remarks that angered Trump."I'm accurately quoted in The Washington Post," [Redfield] conceded, as Trump countered that the headline was wrong. It accurately described Redfield warning that if a coronavirus resurgence came at the same time as the flu season, hospitals could be overwhelmed.
The President also openly clashed with his top public health officials on the likelihood of the virus returning for another assault in the fall -- saying only "embers" of disease were likely that could be easily put out.

Feelin’ safe yet?

When all else fails, sue!

Americans fallback option is… to sue.

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced Missouri is suing the Chinese government and other top institutions for the role they played in the coronavirus pandemic and the effects it has had on the state:

Chinese authorities deceived the public, suppressed crucial information, arrested whistleblowers, denied human-to-human transmission in the face of mounting evidence, destroyed critical medical research, permitted millions of people to be exposed to the virus, and even hoarded personal protective equipment—thus causing a global pandemic that was unnecessary and preventable."
The lawsuit alleges that while the Chinese medical community had indications of human-to-human transmission of the virus, they did not inform the World Health Organization when they first reported the outbreak.
It also alleges Chinese leaders did little to curb spread of the virus, still allowing thousands of people to travel to and out of Wuhan.

Huh. The Trump administration could be sued for the same reasons, no?
But then, Donald Trump, Bidnessman, has decades of experience suing various people and entities. An analysis by USA Today published in June 2016 found that over the previous three decades, Donald Trump and his businesses have been involved in 3,500 legal cases in U.S. federal and state courts, an unprecedented number. (A partial list )

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Jellyfish in Venice Canals?  Déjà vu all over again? Is this true truth or false truthiness?
Remember the last go-round of truthiness about dolphins in Venice’s canals turned out to be false and/or wishful thinking.

Lockdown laughs

I manage lockdown by mowing lawns, gardening, blogging and writing, following news and webinars, cooking and cleaning, spying on and photographing garden critters, walking dogs around the garden while waving a large stick to break spiderwebs (learned behavior after too many spider bites). I’m beyond worrying about what neighbors think when I yell greetings to monkey visitors, “Monkeys! Munksters! Monkelizers!”

I imagined a monkey mishap
like this cat mishap
on a telephone wire.click to enlarge

Yesterday afternoon, monkelizers lavishly repaid my attention after I chased half dozen raiding the birdfeeder. Two young’uns skittered into trees then along telephone wires! It’s moments like these I long for camera-in-hand.
Alas, nothing but delightful memories of two balanced, upright, and fast monkeys negotiating a trapeze.

Advice to monkeys from squirrels 
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Read  Week 1  |  Week 2  |  Week 3  |  Week 4

Ramaphosa’s announcement

Courtesy Zapiro
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An online Presidency Statement published midday declared:

President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the nation this evening – Tuesday, 21 April 2020 – on additional economic and social relief measures that form part of the national response to the global health crisis.

The President’s address flows from recent deliberations at Cabinet, the National Coronavirus Command Council, the President’s Coordinating Council, and the National Economic Development and Labour Council, among others. The speech will be broadcast on radio and television and will be streamed live.

Later in the day, readers were prepped, again:

The Presidency will in the course of the day announce the time for the President’s address.

7:30 pm ...and still no schedule for the annoucement.
As an American (and a control freak), this apparent lack of attention to detail is disorienting - and provokes impatience. (Isn't an announcement of some sort in order?)
As a South African I know something will happen sometime….
I console myself imagining the monumental arm wrestling, deal-making, and all-out-war going on behind the scenes. Let’s hope Ramaphosa prevails over the Zuma-istas.
His failure to do so doesn’t bear thinking about ….
Early to rise, early to bed; I fell asleep waiting.

Early this morning, I listened to President Ramaphosa addresses Nation on additional COVID-19 measures  (23 mins. It aired at  9:00pm-ish).
Summary: Coronavirus budget is ZAR500 billion. Read details.
Make donations if, where, and how you can….
I cannot guarantee these organizations but...   (Currency conversion: US$1.00 = ZAR18.50)

• eMedia Covid 19 Relief Fund  
• Angels' Care (feeding and teaching children) 
• Action in Isolation (feeding and teaching children) 
• Love Howick (supporting and teaching skills) 
• African Spirit (food and veggies) 

***

US media outlets appear unable to stop Donald Trumps using their media platforms to campaign for reelection. I'm cutting back on harping about his terrible performance. Even his friends criticise him now. Here's Piers Morgan on US television agreeming that The Donald (and Boris Johnson) woefully fail at leadership in a time of crisis.
The Donald ain’t gonna like it. Since Trump cannot take an iota of criticism – including the trying-to-be-kind kind – Piers Morgan can bid goodbye to that friendship.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Big day out yesterday: grocery shopping.
First stop, the store whose goods I prefer. It’s further from the house and, after lockdown, driving there offered exhilarating adventure. Free at last! Free at last!
Traffic was light, no roadblocks, less than a quarter of the store’s parking lot occupied.
The usual spritz of disinfectant upon entering the store, a handful of steri-wipes to disinfect hands and shopping cart handles. Well-stocked produce section, well-stocked shelves. Alas, no fruitcake in the bakery – “tomorrow” the baker promised. I'd be nuts to return tomorrow just for fruitcake, so I’ll do without.
As I made my way to my car carrying my bag of groceries, a tired-looking man propped against a barrier asked for money. I had no cash and told him so. His look of dejection was such that I dug into my mother’s purse and handed him some of her cash. He thanked me and explained that, if it was just him, he’d be okay, but he had kids to feed and “that makes life very hard.”
I don’t know if his story is true or if that's his hustle. Nor do I care. A pandemic is not the time to interrogate a person in need before handing over a sum of money that barely covers a meal and a drink.

Next stop, the store whose goods my mother prefers.
I chatted with the checkout clerk, asked how she was doing. “It’s hard,” she said.
I never learned her name but she shared that she lives in crowded Mpophemeni Township where “many, many people have lost their jobs.” She knew of “no sickness [from the virus but] many people are hungry because they have no money to buy food.”
As we agreed “the president was doing a good job,” we locked eyes - and teared up.
“It will get better,” I said. She agreed.
Then she went on to check out the next customer while I went off to my life, through a security gate and into a house with garden – and lawns - behind a security fence.

Read Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4

Land of the Free (to infect yourself and others)

REUTERS/ALYSON MCCLARAN
Health care workers stand in the street in
counter-protest to hundreds of people
who gathered at the state Capitol to
demand the stay-at-home order 
be lifted in Denver.
Click to enlarge.

Let’s honor healthcare workers in Colorado with the courage of their convictions.
Protesters calling for an end to Stay-at-Home orders faced obdurate health careworkers who didn’t give an inch. Hooray!

Not to get bogged down in ideology but … in America, buzzwords “free” and “freedom” too often are used to batter thoughtfulness and to deny intellectual complexity and human capacity.
What would this woman hanging out the window of her RAM 1500 SUV (retail price -US$80K to US$90K / ZAR1,440K to ZAR1,620K) say about other, equally valid ways of expressing “free” and “freedom”? (The healthcare workers right not to be abused, for example?)
What about rapper Joey Bada$$’s musical version of Land of the Free? Joey's expression of creativity coupled with his point of view would, I’d bet, horrify that irate RAM passenger, protester, and Freedom-lover to the extent that she’d denigrate and diminish Bada$$’s right to freedom of expression.
Noam Chomsky’s view might addle her brain (it does mine…).
Living as a humane human is complex. Is negotiating humane humanity way too complex for too many of us humans?

***

Cancelled!

The second leg of next month's return flight from London to San Francisco was cancelled. No news about the first leg. If it’s not cancelled, I could choose to sit at Heathrow until another flight to California is scheduled. How long could that be?

Serendipitously, an email from the US Embassy in Pretoria arrived with news: “The repatriation flights organized by the U.S. government have departed and no further U.S. government-coordinated flights are planned.” But:

The High Commission of Canada in South Africa has notified the embassy of a planned repatriation flight that will depart Johannesburg on Friday, April 24 for London Heathrow Airport (via a stop in Cape Town to pick up additional passengers), and will allow U.S. citizens to join the flight, if space permits.

The email continues:
• This flight ends in London, U.K. and it will be up to you to book any onward flight. Neither the U.S. government nor the Canadian High Commission can assist with booking onward flights from London.
• You must be eligible to enter the United Kingdom to participate in this flight. The U.S. Mission to South Africa is unable to advise the United Kingdom’s entry eligibility criteria.
• The cost of the flight must be paid directly to the Canadian High Commission in order to reserve your seat. The estimated cost for the flight is $1,600 CAD (US$1,138/  ZAR20,484) for economy and $3,050 CAD (US$ 2,170/ZAR 40,771) for business class; however, this is subject to change.
• Seat allotment and boarding is at the discretion of the Canadian High Commission, not the U.S. Mission to South Africa.
• You must be eligible to enter the United Kingdom to participate in this flight. The U.S. Mission to South Africa is unable to advise the United Kingdom’s entry eligibility criteria. Please visit the country information page on travel.state.gov for guidance.

I’m tempted. But sit at Heathrow for the foreseeable future? Cheapest fish and chips cost £25 pounds there…and its ordered online from your table. On the trip to South Africa, crowds of people vying for fish and chips meant I couldn't get a table. I imagine that won't be a problem this time given how few passengers are transiting. Come to think of it, it's likely the restuarant would be shut, too.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

A WhatsApp voice message arrived today about Microsoft Patent 060606/Body interfaced digital currency. I noticed the semi-disguised 666 mark-of-the-beast in the patent number, listened to the first 30 seconds to ascertain I had the gist of where the 3-minute long harangue of whackadoodle-itude was headed, then deleted it.

Click to enlarge.

Worse news than that Bill Gates is trying to infiltrate my body with evil?
The message came from someone I consider a good friend and seemingly mentally balanced.
Is this a sign of pandemic stir-craziness? Or are hidden gems of my friend's personality shining through?



Read Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4