March 12, 2020

"A senior Brazilian government official who visited Mar-a-Lago days ago, and was in close proximity to President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, has tested positive for the new coronavirus..."

The NYT reports, relying on "several Brazilian news outlets."

93 comments:

Bay Area Guy said...

Testing positive, Ok. But what were his symptoms? If he's healthy and positive, it doesn't mean much, does it?

Infinite Monkeys said...

They reported, hopefully.

JPS said...

"close proximity." Come on, dammit, NYT - there's no other kind.

rehajm said...

Likely that's the story for all of us soon. Be careful what you're praying for here, lefties...

Inga said...

Would we even be told if Trump and Pence got it? I doubt it, but it would leak. Why did he have this big gathering at Mar a Lago? Wasn't his daughter and family there, Fox News personalities, Congress people?

Ice Nine said...

The elderly Trump and the elderly Pence with Coronavirus...just think about the implications of *that*.

It is high time to isolate them from all but critically important contact with others.

Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...

Why the continued media lust to see Trump come down with this virus? Sixty million had swine flu but I don't recall any media effort trying to connect those affected with Obama.

Owen said...

Is this an "Oh S***" moment?

pacwest said...

Pelosi

Jersey Fled said...

Waiting for the inevitable twitter posts.

Michael K said...

I believe Trump has been tested. Maybe he will have to be tested again.

Lucien said...

Bless their hearts, they’re trying sooo hard.

gilbar said...

that's IT! Impeach Him!

tim maguire said...

A lot of senior government officials are being effected. Trudeau just announced that he is self-quarantining because his wife is sick (knowing Trudeau, that does not necessarily mean his wife has tested positive).

Anonymous said...

Meanwhile we banned Europeans from visiting, except of course countries that have Trump properties. Those are exempt.

Lucid-Ideas said...

"Just the flu bro" they said

"What do you have against globalism you Nazi" they said

"Why are you always so negative man!" they said

I've been saying it for 20 years, that these all-eggs-in-one-basket maniacs would be out undoing.

Boy, do I hate being right all the time.

cubanbob said...

Isn't this a wet dream for the deranged Left?

JPS said...

Ice Nine,

"the elderly Pence"

Well, he's 60. I used to think that was getting toward elderly. Now it's only somewhat older than I am.

Gilbar,

"that's IT! Impeach Him!"

Nah. We can finally invoke the 25th Amendment, who's with me?

Quaestor said...

Trudeau just announced that he is self-quarantining because his wife is sick

Sick of the blackface man-child, most likely.

MountainMan said...

Mark said...“ Meanwhile we banned Europeans from visiting, except of course countries that have Trump properties. Those are exempt.”

That’s a current lefty talking point and very ignorant statement from someone who apparently knows nothing about travel in Europe. Most of the EU is known as the “Schengen Area” after the protocol that was signed that essentially erased borders within the EU and allows travel between EU countries without encountering border control and presenting a passport. Great Britain, to its credit, never joined the Schengen Protocol and still controls its borders and requires presentation of a passport. The US has banned EU travel because there is no effective control of movement of people between countries, meaning infected people could travel between countries without restriction. Great Britain does not have that problem since it is not in the Schengen Area.

MayBee said...

Bay Area Guy said...
Testing positive, Ok. But what were his symptoms? If he's healthy and positive, it doesn't mean much, does it?


At this point, it seems just having the Coronavirus doesn't tell us much.

narciso said...

but the nearly octogenarian Trotskyite, he's in fine shape,

Automatic_Wing said...

Bay Area Guy said...
Testing positive, Ok. But what were his symptoms? If he's healthy and positive, it doesn't mean much, does it?


The point is he could have passed it on, whether he has symptoms or not.

Gospace said...

My son was sent home from Walmart today because he was coughing. He told them "I've got a cold. I don't have corona syndromes." He managed to get a doctor's appointment today. He's got a return to work not. No fever - which corona virus diagnoses needs. The NP understood he wasn't wasting her time by his choice.

He's salaried. Told them he was taking a paid day off at their expense since he was sent home after he told them it wasn't necessary; he's not using his time from his time bank.

mockturtle said...

B.A.G. surmises: Testing positive, Ok. But what were his symptoms? If he's healthy and positive, it doesn't mean much, does it?

Yes, it does. It means he may have exposed hundreds of other people to the virus.

traditionalguy said...

So will he shake hands with all the police law enforcement guys now? It's hard to be isolated.

Char Char Binks, Esq. said...

"close proximity." Come on, dammit, NYT - there's no other kind.

The word they were looking for is "propinquity".

gerry said...

Finally, the country may not be catching many of the mild cases of COVID-19. Often, as testing expands within a community, more mild cases are found, which lowers the overall death rate, Gordon said. This was the case in South Korea, which conducted more than 140,000 tests and found a fatality rate of 0.6%, according to Business Insider.

Please calm down.

tcrosse said...

Austria and Switzerland have closed their borders with Italy. The Czech Republic has closed travel from 15 different countries. There's a lot of it going around.

Tomcc said...

It wouldn't be a huge surprise if Mr. Trump or Mr. Pence were to test positive. These guys are interacting with lots of different people every day. Both men seem pretty vigorous and, I would hope, could weather the illness. It ain't the bubonic plague.

Browndog said...

Today Pelosi had the House pass the No Ban Act, barring Trump from issuing travel bans.

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

since most leaks are lies - TIME will leak they don't have it, when they do.

feel the schitt.

Laslo Spatula said...

Maybe it’s really serious; I don’t know.

(Swish-swish, swish-swish)

If the virus has been going around, I’d think there’d be a lot more deaths by now, right?

(Swish-swish, swish-swish)

But then, if a week from now there are a lot more deaths, I’d be stupid for not having taken it more seriously.

(Swish-swish, swish-swish)

A lot of people at the office are working from home.

(Swish-swish, swish-swish)

I can’t say this to anyone, but I’ve noticed that the ones working from home are the same ones who never seem to get much done, anyway.

(Swish-swish, swish-swish)

I can’t be the only one who has noticed that.

(Swish-swish, swish-swish)

Maybe I should get a bonus for, like, actually being there and keeping things running.

(Swish-swish, swish-swish)

Like that would ever happen.

(Swish-swish, swish-swish)

With so many people being gone I AM getting a better parking place.

(Swish-swish, swish-swish)

Nicole and her Audi have been gone all week.

(Swish-swish, swish-swish)

At least I’m not having to listen to her going on about cancelling her trip to Hawaii.

(Swish-swish, swish-swish)

You can tell a lot about people by what they can afford to bitch about.

(Swish-swish, swish-swish)

There’s less people here at the gym, too.

(Swish-swish, swish-swish)

A lot of people will find any excuse to skip the gym.

(Swish-swish, swish-swish)

Just wipe the equipment down, people. Don’t leave your towels hanging everywhere.

(Swish-swish, swish-swish)

At least the guy who rides the stationary bike and stares at my ass is gone.

(Swish-swish, swish-swish)

He creeps me out more than any virus.

(Swish-swish, swish-swish)

Even if I do get the virus, I’d probably just sweat it out here on the treadmill.

(Swish-swish, swish-swish)

At least I hope so.

(Swish-swish, swish-swish)

Now is not the time to stop running….

(Swish-swish, swish-swish)

(Swish-swish, swish-swish)

I am Laslo.

rcocean said...

Would people stop getting hysterical. Just because you HAVE The virus doesn't mean you will die or even require Medical attention. you probably will need to be isolated.

The virus is mostly killing the elderly and those who usually die from the Flu. Geez, the way people are reacting you'd think it was the Black Plague. CNN is just reported the death toll "is up to 39". OMG - it went from 38 to 39!

Kevin said...

Brazilian news outlets

Those who've gone through a painful process to appear more truthful than they actually are.

rcocean said...

We have 39 deaths. Almost of all them elderly. 20 were from ONE nursing home north of Seattle.

We have 12,000 deaths flu deaths in 2018. Compare the numbers -and calm the fuck down.

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

If Trump and Pence die, the reaction from SNL, CNN, NBC, ABC, MSNBC, CBS, NYT, Late Night TV, Early morning Joy Behar TV, and HIllary will one of mass celebration.

tcrosse said...

Here in Vegas it's suddenly gotten way more popular to grocery shop online and pick up behind the store.

rcocean said...

Now CNN is highlighting the Stock market downturn. We're all GOING TO THE POOR HOUSE. PANIC and sell your stocks!

They want panic. They want a stock market collapse. ANYTHING to hurt Trump. They're sick Puppies.

FullMoon said...

A Hoax of Hoaxes They Are Rewriting the History of Coronavirus in Real Time.

Another widely held assertion is that, early on, President Trump referred to the coronavirus itself as a “hoax.” In fact, at a February 28 campaign rally in South Carolina he referred to criticism of the administration’s handling of the still-nascent pandemic as “the new hoax,” suggesting (cogently) that it was yet another attempt, following the Mueller Report and the thwarted impeachment campaign, to impugn his policies and prevent his re-election.

And there have been others: a national emergency (with all of its unseemly accoutrements) was, contrary to other tellings, declared before there was a single coronavirus death within the United States. And comparing the US (read: Trump’s) response to the pandemic to that of Switzerland, a country with 2.6 percent of the population and 0.4 percent of the land mass of the United States, is nothing short of risible.

FullMoon said...

Would we even be told if Trump and Pence got it? I doubt it, but it would leak. Why did he have this big gathering at Mar a Lago? Wasn't his daughter and family there, Fox News personalities, Congress people?

Keep hope alive.

Yancey Ward said...

"close proximity"

A small distance, the size of a smaller distance.

jae said...

Can't stop thinking of the old preacher in the movie Zulu: "You're all going to die!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nUwZmg4W6c

Bay Area Guy said...

@Mock,

B.A.G. surmises: Testing positive, Ok. But what were his symptoms? If he's healthy and positive, it doesn't mean much, does it?

Yes, it does. It means he may have exposed hundreds of other people to the virus.

Fair enough. But let me be more precise. What clinical relevance does it have for the Brazilian dude, we are talking about?

Bob Boyd said...

Remember the good old days when what happened in Wuhan stayed in Wuhan?

Ken B said...

More ghoulish nuttery from Inghoul.

Yancey Ward said...

Will the one on one Sanders vs Biden debate take place? The Biden team clearly wants it cancelled. Look for the media to spread the rumor that one or the other candidate was exposed to someone who has tested positive.

I Callahan said...

Has there been any comparison to prior viral outbreaks, such as the swine flu, or SARS? What was their transmission rate? Death rate? And if those had similar stats to (or worse than) Coronavirus?

It looks like people in these very threads, people who normally look at the media with a jaundiced eye, are believing the hype.

Nonapod said...

I hope the entire country is just flooded with test kits and so that virtually everyone can get tested. I dislike all this uncertainty. My gut feeling about this continues to be that the fatality rate is much lower than the numbers may indicate. And the South Korean numbers seem to confirm that gut feeling, even though 0.6% would still make it roughly 6 times more than the typical fatality rate for generic flu which I'm told is around 0.1%, it's still way better than 3++ whatever %.

bagoh20 said...

I'm kinda libertarian, so is it OK to say that a disease that only affected government officials would be kinda nice?

Ken B said...

Restrictions on travel sadly make a lot of sense. Of course you need to let people get home and so on, but at this stage the less the better. We had a car trip planned to various places in the states. My wife hasn’t completely accepted that it ain’t happening,but it ain’t. In 10 days we might not even be allowed across the border. There are cases in town now. We might cancel a dinner reservation tomorrow too.
We are not panicking, just asking ourselves if there is a reason for every trip or visit to a store. Went shopping and to the library yesterday. Decided we didn’t need to go to the bakery today.
Still not washing shoes. Washing hands every time we come in though, and periodically too.

Butkus51 said...

3 weeks cooped up in the house maybe. One album.

Ill go Allman Brothers Live at the Fillmore. Double album, and I'm betting if its played backwards its better than most crap these days.

Butkus51 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Drago said...

Good news everyone!

It appears the Chinese Communist Party, after observing the democrats and NeverTrumpers and lefty media (but I repeat myself) are trial-balloon testing the idea of blaming the US military for this virus that began in Wuhan, just 20 miles away from a ChiCom Level 4 Bio-warfare lab that deals with viruses!

I suspect that within 2 months Pelosi and Schiff will call for new impeachment proceedings against Trump based on "testimony" from ChiCom biowarfare personnel who will demand that everyone refer to them by rank, like Vindman.

Ken B said...

“But flu, cancer and old age kill more!” https://hotair.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/rg.jpg

wendybar said...

Thank you Mountain Man @11:46am for correcting that current Progressive talking point that is swirling around the internets today. As tcrosse said @12:03 pm, we aren't the only country closing our borders.

effinayright said...

Mark said...“ Meanwhile we banned Europeans from visiting, except of course countries that have Trump properties. Those are exempt.”
*********

Name the exempt countries and the Trump properties in them.

Go for it.

boatbuilder said...

"...several Brazilian news outlets."
How many news outlets are there in a Brazilian?

David Begley said...

Biden relentlessly attacking Trump just now. Shameful.

Limited blogger said...

President 'in waiting' Biden now addressing world about how he will stop COVID-19.

alanc709 said...

The death rate is always lower than the official number, because you can never know how many undiagnosed cases there are.

Francisco D said...

The elderly Trump and the elderly Pence with Coronavirus...

Be careful, Sonny Boy.

Elderly is a state of mind and body. I am 7 years older than Pence and do not consider myself elderly by any stretch of the imagination.

Mark said...

Austria and Switzerland have closed their borders with Italy. The Czech Republic has closed travel from 15 different countries. There's a lot of it going around.

Meanwhile, the autocratic EU regime blasted President Trump for the U.S. restrictions on entry from Europe.

tcrosse said...

Norway has shut down. Hungary has put border controls in place with its Schengen neighbors, and Budapest is shut down.

Anne in Rockwall, TX said...

Thank you Laslo!

n.n said...

this virus that began in Wuhan, just 20 miles away from a ChiCom Level 4 Bio-warfare lab that deals with viruses!

The social proximity of the biohazard research lab should be investigated to narrow the plausible causes and origins. The Chinese are known for "great leaps", planned parenthood, etc. A planned parent solution would be a logical choice to balance the scales.

mockturtle said...

We have 12,000 deaths flu deaths in 2018. Compare the numbers -and calm the fuck down.

Rcocean, you are the one who needs to calm down. Why does this discussion upset you so?

mockturtle said...

Fair enough. But let me be more precise. What clinical relevance does it have for the Brazilian dude, we are talking about?

Contagion is what epidemics/pandemics are all about. Gee, B.A.G. I don't remember your being this dense.

Anonymous said...

"Name the exempt countries and the Trump properties in them."

The United Kingdom, which is home to Trump Turnberry and Trump International Golf Links, and Ireland, which is home to another Trump-branded hotel and golf course at Doonbeg, do not participate in the Schengen Area. Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania are also not part of the Schengen Area. All three of the resorts are struggling financially.

Go figure.

Unknown, learn to google. It's easy.

mockturtle said...

COVID-19 is several magnitudes more contagious than influenza. OK, so maybe older people are the only ones at risk for death. If you are one of the 'let's kill off the useless feeders and high medical-use elders of the land, then, fine, don't worry about how many you infect [you selfish SOB!]. ;-)

BUMBLE BEE said...

6000,000,000 Eleven years ago, 1/10th of the world had swine flu. Between 100,000 and 500,000 people died. Remember that? Did they close schools, postpone basketball and hockey finals? Remember that? Did you buy bottled water and toilet paper by the carload? Didn't think so.

BUMBLE BEE said...

Call the WAAAAAAAAAAAAmbulance!

Ambrose said...

25th amendment, here we go.....

walter said...

Gospace said...My son was sent home from Walmart today because he was coughing. He told them "I've got a cold. I don't have corona syndromes."
--
Uh..Corona or not, he might serve his staff and customers by staying home.

Ice Nine said...

Francisco D said...
>>The elderly Trump and the elderly Pence with Coronavirus...
>Be careful, Sonny Boy.
Elderly is a state of mind and body. I am 7 years older than Pence and do not consider myself elderly by any stretch of the imagination.

Being significantly older than you, I am well aware of that feeling. I was of course referring to "elderly" per the medical warnings directed at "older" people, which stipulate that range as beginning at 60y/o. It was merely an emphasis on the degree of risk to those two men.

Wa St Blogger said...

Hooray! Ponytail girl is back. I think I'll get back to riding the stationary bike. After I wipe it down, of course.

Lucien said...

Mockturtle: “Several orders of magnitude more contagious”? So, like, more than 1,000 times more contagious?

gilbar said...

Serious STATEMENT

If it took covfefe-19, and tens of thousands of people Dying, to bring back
(Swish-swish, swish-swish)
It was WELL WORTH IT!!!

FullMoon said...

"Name the exempt countries and the Trump properties in them."

The United Kingdom, which is home to Trump Turnberry and Trump International Golf Links, and Ireland, which is home to another Trump-branded hotel and golf course at Doonbeg, do not participate in the Schengen Area. Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania are also not part of the Schengen Area. All three of the resorts are struggling financially.

Go figure.

Unknown, learn to google. It's easy.

Yeah, google Trump properties in banned countries. Go figure. Trump all about making himself richer, right?

mockturtle said...

Mockturtle: “Several orders of magnitude more contagious”? So, like, more than 1,000 times more contagious?

I used the term in a figurative rather than logarithmic sense. As I'm sure you well know [Farmer! ;-)].

FullMoon said...

Thankfully, when all is said and done, the MSM will separate other flu deaths from the corona deaths, so as to not make it seem even worse than it is.

Since this new virus has hit, apparently there have been zero deaths or illness from any other flu virus. Obviously, Trump administration and our current healthcare system gets credit for that.

Realistically, the hysteria resulting in minimizing contact and shutting things down will actually lead to fewer deaths from more common flu. Again, obviously, the minimal contact and shutting down should become an annual event. I would suggest from January through April, but, ala Bernie, will leave it to scientists and researchers to determine actual dates.

Even as I type this, I realize it dates may depend upon location in world, so may need to be more of a rolling blackout sort of thing, like California experienced under Democrat Gov Gray Davis, which led to election of movie star Arnold S.

tcrosse said...

The United Kingdom, which is home to Trump Turnberry and Trump International Golf Links, and Ireland, which is home to another Trump-branded hotel and golf course at Doonbeg, do not participate in the Schengen Area.

The UK and Ireland are both situated on islands, which somewhat restricts travel to these countries.

Francisco D said...

Being significantly older than you, I am well aware of that feeling. I was of course referring to "elderly" per the medical warnings

Glad you did not take offense at "Sonny Boy." Take it as a compliment.

We are not elderly, just well aged.

walter said...

Maybe Lamar gonna set us straight on this.

mockturtle said...

Maybe Lamar gonna set us straight on this.

Yeah, I miss Lamar.

Calypso Facto said...

"Meanwhile we banned Europeans from visiting, except of course countries that have Trump properties. Those are exempt."

Haha ... lazy recycling of the old, discredited "Muslim countries ban" claim.

roesch/voltaire said...

I have a dentist friend who can now only practice on emergency cases because of the threat and I pointed out this blog site to him and on skype it had nothing but ironic laughter at the Americans and toasted me with our favorite wine.

FullMoon said...

I have a dentist friend who can now only practice on emergency cases because of the threat and I pointed out this blog site to him and on skype it had nothing but ironic laughter at the Americans and toasted me with our favorite wine.

Well, isn't that special! Good for you. Sorry your friend has been ordered to only do emergency work. Who ordered that, his mamma? Dago red, right?

FullMoon said...

Maybe Lamar gonna set us straight on this.

Lamar got enough trouble with the sickle cell...

DeepRunner said...

Creepy/Sleepy/Sloppy Joe learned well from Rahm, never let a crisis go to waste. Also, I absolutely believe the left is actually hoping Trump and/or Pence get(s) the virus.

Meantime, is testing positive for the VIRUS the same as testing positive for a more crushing disease, like, oh, HIV, VD, CANCER? I am not downplaying the importance of the finding, I am just trying to understand the panic that is gripping people. Social distancing, which now includes closing schools, churches, and shutting down whole mass events (like the NCAA, NBA, NHL, delaying baseball, quite possibly shutting down Broadway, etc.--as if doing all this means the virus is "contained"--what happens on the other side of these moves?)...while panic buying and cleaning out store shelves...at some point the panic has to subside.

I am old enough to remember the gas lines of 1979. That was minor compared to what I'm seeing now.

Josephbleau said...

America is no longer an adult nation, only a nation of demanding unattractive children.

wbfjrr2 said...

Mockturtle, you usually are lucid but on this you are one of the hysterics who are contributing to real people’s lives being damaged or ruined because the panic you’re causing is throwing millions out of work, and costing people much of their retirement kitty.

Shame on you. You should know better. And your “figurative” cop-out is dishonest and no better than Schiff’s bullshit “parody” of Trump’s actual words on the phone call. Two lying liars caught lying.

In case you don’t realize it, millions of extremely low risk people lose income and jobs for extended periods of time when activity shuts down. Transportation, hospitality, vendors at cancelled sports seasons, conventions, you name it. All because of the media and their useful idiots who believe the bullshit.

The people at high risk are over 60 AND have serious health issues already. Very few beer guys at ballgames (hey, cold beer here!) fall into that category. And the people in the stands wouldn’t be at risk if those aged with pre-conditions just listen and stay home. But no, let’s shut it down.

And you want the whole economy to shut down instead. Because “orders of magnitude” Black Death plague.

Here’s a clue: nobody yet knows the case death rate and rate of contagion because nobody knows the actual incidence rate thus far, even to approximate it. So saying it’s much more contagious than flu is stating with certainty something that is unknown. Common sense tells most of us that if this were so blindingly contagious and fatal, we’d have way more deaths and cases than the 40 ACTUAL deaths and 1400 REPORTED total cases by now in the US. Most of the cases involved overseas travelers, and most of the deaths are from a single facility in one city. In at least a several month period.

Guess how many died of flu in that time, even with literally scores of millions of flu shots administered? About 15,000 thus far, out of about 20,000 total flu deaths this season so far.

mockturtle said...

wblgbtq: Nothing hysterical in my statements nor in my behavior. Frankly, I see more hand-wringing in you and other COVID-19 discounters than I have seen in those who are taking its potential seriously.