Doctors caring for President Trump: White House personal physician Sean Conley, DO; Sean Dooley, MD (cardiologist); and infectious disease specialist John Garibaldi, MD, of Johns Hopkins (Baltimore; pulmonologist).
Conley: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/03/us/sean-conley-trump-doctor.html .
Garibaldi: https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/bs-md-pol-trump-doctor-20201004-5lwx3mtndbdalnxicn56kjnhae-story.html .
White House admits misleading public: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-meadows/white-house-acknowledges-trumps-condition-had-been-worse-than-revealed-idUSKBN26P0HV .
McConnell calls off Senate floor proceedings, but not Barrett committee hearings: https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-donald-trump-confirmation-hearings-mitch-mcconnell-amy-coney-barrett-895466e80b67302a83e2abadafe585df .
NBC News/WSJ poll: Debate a big negative for Trump with voters: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/meet-the-press/biden-s-national-lead-over-trump-jumps-14-points-after-n1242018 . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-scores-14-point-lead-over-trump-in-poll-after-debate-11601816400 . Note that the poll was taken Wednesday and Thursday, before Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis was revealed. With the incredible stability of the poll numbers this year, there has finally been an individual event which moved the polls. 90 minutes of Donald Trump being Donald Trump turned out to be hugely offensive.
The poll was discussed at length on Sunday’s Meet the Press. Also shown were two Zoom focus groups with voters. The key takeaway seems to be that voters feel Biden is more temperamentally suited to the Presidency than Trump.
How does Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis play into this? Many regard this situation with a sense of inevitability. That is, the flouting of the virus, science and public health advice would lead to this: https://news.yahoo.com/trump-tests-positive-for-covid-19-after-mocking-biden-for-wearing-a-mask-160224581.html .
The untrue comments by Dr. Conley fortify the impression that the White House has been staffed with sycophants who will mislead in order to present Trump in the best light. WSJ: https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-seeks-to-reassure-americans-after-day-of-mixed-signals-on-his-health-11601804206 . Nothing here increases trust in Dr. Conley. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/trumps-covid-19-steroid-treatment-breaks-from-norm-doctors-say-11601861606 .
Further, the onset of serious symptoms on Friday raises questions about when Trump was infected and began presenting symptoms. The Rose Garden super-spreader event on Monday suggests Trump was the super-spreader – that is, he was shedding virus at that time (even if asymptomatic). There was apparently no mask wearing among attendees. The people infected were among the most senior attendees – that is, the people most likely to have interacted with Trump.
Among the more bizarre aspects of this diagnosis is that Trump is reportedly a germophobe. He is also the most protected person on the planet, and cases have appeared previously at the White House. There is no obvious explanation for his infection other than his hostility to the public health recommendations, apparently for public posturing.
WSJ: Rose Garden super-spreader event reflects improper reliance on rapid testing: https://www.wsj.com/articles/use-of-coronavirus-rapid-tests-may-have-fueled-white-house-covid-19-cluster-experts-say-11601855665 . This is just astonishingly ignorant.
Update: WSJ: Trump didn’t reveal first positive test while awaiting results of second test: https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-didnt-disclose-first-positive-covid-19-test-while-awaiting-a-second-test-on-thursday-11601844813 . Uh-huh. And apparently there is zilch communication within the West Wing.
What happens when a candidate for President dies?: https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-constitutions-elections-us-supreme-court-91ce484b8046e6a555e172f42c4441f9 .
Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis shows US vulnerability: https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-donald-trump-melania-trump-archive-5dd4bc14b74361d8f926f5cb69b8fe23 .
“A heartbeat away” goes on the road: https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-campaign-seeks-reset-with-pence-appearances-virtual-events-11601834115 . The Trump campaign adopts another gamble with reality.
COVID-19: Aerosols versus respiratory droplets: https://news.yahoo.com/covid-19-aerosols-versus-respiratory-droplets-explained-203253664.html .
WSJ: Global round-up: https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-latest-news-10-04-2020-11601797204 .
Upper Midwest sees COVID-19 surge: https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-usa/as-cold-weather-arrives-u-s-states-see-record-increases-in-covid-19-cases-idINKBN26P0ME .
WSJ: COVID-19 vaccine global deployment will lift world economy: https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-vaccine-deployment-would-give-global-economy-a-lift-next-year-11601820001 . Although said inartfully, the author means that as countries approach herd immunity through vaccination, life can begin to return to whatever the “new normal” is.
WSJ: COVID-19 stress as short-term disability: https://www.wsj.com/articles/stressed-at-work-heres-when-to-file-for-disability-benefits-11601838000 .
Study confirms HPV vaccine protects female population against cervical cancer: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/womens-health/hpv-vaccine-significantly-lowers-risk-cervical-cancer-large-study-finds-n1241600 . Once again, vaccines are perhaps the major medical advance at a population level. Vaccines began with the development of a smallpox vaccine in 1796. The greatest prior population level medical advance was widespread sanitation measures.
Here are 20th century population health advances from the CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00056796.htm .
Status of relief aid: https://money.yahoo.com/coronavirus-stimulus-president-trump-contracting-covid-19-changes-the-dynamic-amid-11-th-hour-negotiations-180814047.html . House adjournment has been postponed, however there are no calendared events after October 7: https://www.house.gov/legislative-activity/2020-10-07 . And obviously, members wish to return to their districts and campaign.
WSJ: Surge in mailed ballots will likely to lead to increased ballot rejection: https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-surge-in-mail-voting-likely-to-lead-to-more-rejected-ballots-11601827201 . COVID-19 has affected everything.
WSJ: The insensitive reject sensitivity training: https://www.wsj.com/articles/all-federal-agencies-told-to-suspend-diversity-training-programs-11601812800 . The article quotes Josh Hawley, who Trump wanted to add to his Supreme Court list, as calling sensitivity training “Marxist-inspired nonsense”.
WSJ: A papal encyclical on COVID-19: https://www.wsj.com/articles/pope-francis-calls-for-brotherhood-amid-covid-19-pandemic-11601806766 . This does not seem to be Marxist-inspired nonsense. Why is it that with Amy Coney Barrett we will have 7 of 9 justices raised in the Roman Catholic faith?
School re-openings: Pandemic learning deficit of 300 billion hours of instruction: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-schools/no-clear-link-between-school-opening-and-covid-surge-study-finds-idUSKBN26L3UE . The US does not fit this model because the first wave of infection was not controlled before school re-openings.
WSJ: Some NYC schools to close to fight COVID-19 rise: https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-york-city-to-close-schools-in-some-neighborhoods-due-to-rising-covid-cases-11601829614 .
WSJ: NYC mayor shunning help from business leaders: https://www.wsj.com/articles/business-leaders-feel-sidelined-in-new-york-citys-recovery-11601803801 . This seems more like an allegation than a fact.
WSJ: Main Street struggles: https://www.wsj.com/articles/americas-main-street-revival-goes-into-reverse-cutting-a-small-town-lifeline-11601833783 . WSJ: Slideshow: Historic Emporia: https://www.wsj.com/articles/historic-emporia-11601838564 .
WSJ: Road warriors adjust: https://www.wsj.com/articles/grounded-by-covid-road-warriors-ponder-life-without-travel-11601815638 .
WSJ: Regal Cinemas likely suspending US operations: https://www.wsj.com/articles/regal-cinemas-likely-suspending-operations-at-all-u-s-locations-11601793090 . The supply chain is drying up.
WSJ: COVID-19 hits an airline-dependent economy: https://www.wsj.com/articles/long-buoyed-by-high-flying-emirates-dubai-now-shares-its-woes-11601826757 . UAE sits on huge oil and natural gas reserves. The diversification of the economy by building Dubai into an international destination may now backfire.
WSJ: 5 reasons to buy negative-yield debt: https://www.wsj.com/articles/five-reasons-why-investors-might-buy-negative-yielding-debt-11601840568 . When this is compared to simply holding cash (possibly in a foreign currency), these “reasons” seem to evaporate.
WSJ: Welcome to Dystopia: https://www.wsj.com/articles/five-new-jobs-to-safeguard-our-ever-more-connected-lives-11601819856 . All the jobs involve thwarting cheating in cyberspace which has real-world consequences. If there are “billions of online videogame players”, the world has essentially failed intellectually.
WSJ: Cooking with steam: https://www.wsj.com/articles/from-baking-to-sous-vide-this-smart-steam-oven-is-your-new-kitchen-bff-11601816401 . This sounds delicious.