Sunday Morning Open Thread

Here we go again.

Here's something to chew on. In a month, maybe literally:

Coronavirus may cause some food shortages, warns government task force

WASHINGTON — The nation could begin to see food shortages for some products if the people working on the supply chain lack personal protective equipment, warns an internal Trump administration document obtained by Yahoo News.

Empty supermarket shelves have become one of the most jarring images of the coronavirus pandemic, which has sickened 270,000 Americans and killed 7,000. But so far, there have been no food shortages, despite 90 percent of the American population being under state-enforced lockdown orders.

And despite the difficulties people have had in obtaining certain foods, like pasta, grocery stores are generally well stocked. Government officials have argued that any temporary shortages are the result of unprecedented demand, as people have bought more than usual, rather than an actual supply-chain breakdown.

“I want to assure you that our food supply chain is sound,” Sonny Perdue, the secretary of agriculture, said on March 20.

That, however, could change if the people who make, package and deliver food lack personal protective equipment, or PPE, including face masks and gloves, according to the internal document shared with Yahoo News, which provides a daily update on various aspects of the coronavirus response, including details ranging from state-by-state infections to hospital capacity and test sites.

The document, titled “Senior Leadership Brief COVID-19” and dated April 2, 2020, bears the seals of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services. It contains a brief description of findings made by the Food Supply Chain Task Force on the availability of PPE. 

Such equipment has been in short supply in hospitals, where doctors and nurses are routinely exposed to high amounts of coronavirus. The food industry also relies on a variety of protective equipment for food safety.

The April 2 briefing warns that the task force had completed an analysis and there could be “commodity impacts if current PPE inventory is exhausted.” There would be shortages of milk within 24 hours and of fresh fruits and vegetables “within several days.” The document estimates that “meat, poultry, seafood, and processed eggs” would become scarce within a period of two to four weeks, while “dry goods and processed foods inventories” — that is, the non-perishables that are pantry staples — could become scarce “as soon as four weeks” after face masks and gloves run out across the food supply chain.

The document is a warning, and is not descriptive of the current situation. There are no signs of a food shortage across the nation. But the coronavirus pandemic is putting strain on every aspect of the food supply chain, from the people who raise and grow what we eat to the people who deliver it to our supermarkets.

Here's hoping.

Comments

[anonamom]

the end

PENCE

WA and CA have low levels--tribute to people in those states.
50 major disaster declarations
21,000 National Guard activated. GA National Guard sanitizing and cleaning Nursing Homes

Focus remains and MI, NYC, NJ and LA
Javitz Center will be all Covid, and so will USS Comfort
3000 military medical personnel in NYC by end of week
NJ has had to reactivate retired medical personnel in state
NJ has surpassed the number of citizens lost on 9/11
WA and OR and CA all able to donate ventilators

We want to challenge every American to do what every American can do: social distancing. Listen to state and local authorities. Week of heartbreak, week of hope.

DR. BIRX

Weekend numbers are difficult. Not as accurate
Focusing on New Orlean metro and Detroit. Boston. DC, Indianapolis, Baltimore and Chicago worrisome.
CDC.gov Covid19 you can track respiratory disease. FINALLY tracking Covid 19.

FAUCI
Blah blah blah vaccine
Models are good. As you get data in, change model. DATA TRUMPS MODELS

We have never mitigated as we have mitigated now.
I believe we can

PENCE

The American people are doing this. And it is nothing short of LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR.
You are considering others more important than yourself.
We need to continue to do it for these thirty days.

I have to end with a word about these health care workers.
You inspire us, to get up early, stay up late, to get you what you need to do what you do.

We are so grateful for all of you.
In this very special Holy Week, I know millions of American are praying for all of you.

With your continued courageous service, and with God's help, we will get through this.

[anonamom]

My Maytag washer is 42 years old!

[D]

Henry:
I am watching in fascination all the action wrt your primary election on Tuesday.

[Narciso]

Great summary anonamon.

[D]

My refrigerator finally died after 32 years of service.

[D]

Thanks Anonamom.

[Narciso]

The handle on my frigidaire has fallen off twice the second was a replacememt from ebay, in four years.

[Captain Hate]

Still not tired of winning

http://acecomments.mu.nu/?post=386713

The funny little secret is the left really hates Asians as they carry the ChiCom's water.

[Narciso]

I took the hint of joams midway theme and added a few on my afternoon

[Narciso]

Walk that wrre on the youtube deck.

[Porchlight]

So sorry to hear your sad news, sbw.

[anonamom]

Kid was born so alert he was practically talking. Then I checked myself out of that germ factory asap (only wait for the pediatrician to check him out.)
(My mother did the same thing and that was in the days when they so dosed up mothers they were practically comatose during delivery.

Sisters from another mother clarice--EXACTLY the same story.
My mom--and aunts --had an OB who marched to a far different drummer when he delivered all of us. No drugged out mommas for him.
I figured if my mom could birth five kids as designed, I could too.
Not to mention Grandma having all of hers at home.

I will say, when my momma flew in the day after oldest was born, and I met her at the gate, she almost passed out. (Pre 9/11. You could do that then)

[Porchlight]

Super busy with kids "school" starting today. District has closed schools for the rest of the semester - super bummer.

What was the good news today that y'all are referring to? Markets up? Cases/deaths flattening?

Heading outside to the porch for a Zoom happy hour with college pals. Really hope it doesn't turn to politics, and hope we can find some new conversation topics. They only look at the downside.

Hello Beasts! Great to hear from you.

I am praying hard for Boris Johnson. Was this shorthand from the Trump presser today? "Pulled some strings to get some super duper stuff over to him." Him = Boris - does that mean meds?

[Captain Hate]

Welp the loon may have lost nk

http://patterico.com/2020/04/06/acting-secretary-of-navy-calls-fired-captain-of-aircraft-carrier-naive-or-stupid/

[anonamom]

porch--yes, he was talking about getting some "treatments" to him
You know: "great treatments". "Really good things"

[sbwaters]

A reasonable person could not have watched the two hours of briefing without at least grudging respect for Trump and his team.

I said a reasonable person.

[Narciso]

Should i reveal the twist in homeland which shows how its jumped the megalodon.

[clarice]

My Bosch dryer is a PITA. Don't ever get one.

[Rocco]

DOH!

'Stunning lack of judgment' | Alton mayor's wife at busted social gathering this weekend

The mayor said he instructed the police chief to treat his wife as he would any other citizen violating the state’s order

https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/coronavirus-alton-mayor-wife-violated-stay-home-order/63-a967df54-16fa-49c5-ba4d-cd5194380f0b

[Narciso]

When the 'nurse' started bawking on cbs, my spidey sense was twitching.

[anonamom]

Listening to DJT talk is not my favorite past time. Not at all.
I do love hearing him give it to those morons who call themselves journalists though. Lots of plain stupid questions, besides the gotcha attempts.
Of course they don't want those pressers to continue, because it so exposes them for who they are. Illinformed pretentious partisans.

I am very grateful he is POTUS, and trust his judgement.

I loved he basically told the WHPC that he had to be there every day, because of them and their FakeNews.
And that is the truth. Which is unfortunate, isn't it?? He has far better things to do with his time.

[lyle]

https://twitchy.com/sarahd-313035/2020/04/06/suck-it-peasants-chicago-mayor-lori-lightfoot-channels-bill-de-blasio-and-defies-stay-at-home-order-because-she-needed-to-have-a-haircut/

See you next Tuesday.

[Stephanie Nene Not Your Normal Granma]

Mysterious Heart Damage, Not Just Lung Troubles, Befalling COVID-19 Patients

While the focus of the COVID-19 pandemic has been on respiratory problems and securing enough ventilators, doctors on the front lines are grappling with a new medical mystery.

In addition to lung damage, many COVID-19 patients are also developing heart problems — and dying of cardiac arrest.

As more data comes in from China and Italy, as well as Washington state and New York, more cardiac experts are coming to believe the COVID-19 virus can infect the heart muscle. An initial study found cardiac damage in as many as 1 in 5 patients, leading to heart failure and death even among those who show no signs of respiratory distress.

That could change the way doctors and hospitals need to think about patients, particularly in the early stages of illness. It also could open up a second front in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, with a need for new precautions in people with preexisting heart problems, new demands for equipment and, ultimately, new treatment plans for damaged hearts among those who survive. (more)

at KHN org

[JM Hanes]

Joan:

"Okay, I always wince when women start talking about their fast, easy baby deliveries."

I was not a chiclet popping mama either, although my delivery was more long than scary like yours! I mentioned it the other night in response to a comment by Tonto, but would add a postscript about drug free birthing. I think it's wonderful for any woman who wants to go that route and can manage without any medication, but I thought the insistence that you ought to be able to do so, which characterized the childbirth classes my husband and I attended, was misguided. Asking for medication seemed to be regarded as a fundamental womanly failure. Towards the end of one session I asked the primary instructor how long she herself had been in labor: 4 hours. Easy for her to tout going all natural! After my own 18 hour experience, I think no one who hasn't struggled at least 8 hours should be teaching that class!

I was not all that far into my own labor, when I told my husband he could quit trying to help me with my breathing, because it was not helping at all. At one point, my doctor actually gave me some kind of knock out shot, so that I could get some rest. Fortunately, my next baby came easily enough, but I had already decided that instead of trying to control my breathing, I would just grab the bed rails and shout my lungs out. There's a long tradition of women doing that too! I bet you ended up with great kids, too.

I left the hospital quite soon after my second child, and quickly regretted it, because everyone assumed you could get right back to normal. I remember going to the grocery store and feeling like my innards were going to drop out on the floor right there in the checkout line. As you suggest, we're not all made the same, and what works for one is not necessarily the right choice for another.

[Narciso]

He has the tongue in cheek attitude

https://mobile.twitter.com/alimhaider/status/1247323995617312771

[JimNorCal]

A proud childhood possession was an Al Kaline signature baseball glove.
If you crushed his first/last, it became alkaline ...

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2020/04/06/al-kaline-dies-detroit-tigers/505371001/
His father was a broom maker. His mother scrubbed floors. When Kaline received a reported $35,000 signing bonus from the Tigers in 1953, he paid off the mortgage on his parents’ home and paid for an eye operation for his mother.

[Jane]

Martin Shkreli Requests Three-Month Furlough From Prison to Help Develop Treatments for Covid-19, Identified Eight Drugs As Potential Inhibitors

From Gateway Pundit. Fascinating. I can’t seem to post a link. I vote yes.

[DrJ]

Shame. I loved Al Kaline. All of my childhood icons are passing.

[Narciso]

This is how they spin it

https://www.statnews.com/2020/04/06/martin-shkreli-coronavirus-prison/

[Jane]

Amom,

Those women are the worst. Can someone tell that one to wash her hair?

[JM Hanes]

Narciso:

If you decide to reveal any plot twists, I do hope you'll begin with a spoiler alert. Fortunately, I manage to avoid most of them by quickly averting my eyes, but sometimes I don't realize what's coming quite fast enough! :=)

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Mrs Iggy was at the hospital for several hours but wasn't dilating. Her doc was delayed for some reason and so they moved her to a different room.
She was having back labor. About the only time she ever growled at me in our whole marriage was when I wasn't rubbing the tennis ball into her spasming back muscles hard enough.
So anyway the doc gets there takes a look and says to the nurses why the hell didn't you tell me something or other. Anyway they gave her a shot of some hormone or something and she immediately dilated and plopped the little twerp out about five minutes later.

[MissMarple2]

I took after my mother. so you might as well have called me "Pearl" from "The Good Earth."

Both children (10 years apart) were each delivered within 3 hours, from first twinges to baby crying and being placed in my arms.

[Narciso]

Im letting orhers figure out how this show with its suny salafo minder has gone wronng in three seasoms

[sbwaters]

Berated the Associated Press for not including the Admiral's rebuttal to the supplies question.

AP said that Trump hadn't provided evidence that the IG was being political.

I pointed out to AP that the Admiral did -- the IG had many days to contact the Admiral about the problem and instead broke the story in newspapers today.

Game. Set. Match. ...
... while AP was buying cotton candy at the refreshment stand.

[lyle]

All this obstetrics talk is seriously harshing my mellow. Sheesh. 😬

[Another Bob]

“ the little twerp”

LOL

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--If you decide to reveal any plot twists, I do hope you'll begin with a spoiler alert.--

If you can decipher narc you should have already have figured out any plot twist coming your way.

[Dave (in MA)]

I remember reading that Al Kaline swallowed his tongue and some kid in school refused to believe me. https://www.vintagedetroit.com/blog/2015/05/27/the-day-willie-horton-saved-al-kalines-life/

Then when we were taught about chemistry in science class and they were talking about alkalines and bases, I thought, hey, wait a minute.

[JM Hanes]

anonamom:

Thanks so much for tackling the President's presser. Service above and beyond the call! Do I remember you saying you will be working in the trenches this week? If so, you'll be surrounded by a super-duper aura, if your pals at JOM have a say in it!

[DrJ]

Um, alkalines ARE bases. But I get the joke.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

I have to admit Joan's "three episiotomies" line caused a little shudder, lyle.

[jimmyk]

Shame. I loved Al Kaline. All of my childhood icons are passing.

Shit. My idol. Such an old-fashioned hero. I still remember when he turned down a raise (I think to $100,000) because he felt he didn't deserve it. Played through pain most of his career because of a congenital foot problem, but didn't complain. Great arm, I think the story was his first game as a rookie (age 20) he threw out two guys at home from rightfield.

[JM Hanes]

Pour yourself another glass, Lyle. Think of it as women's sports talk. :-)

[Dave (in MA)]

That's what I meant, DrJ. Not a joke. I thought maybe his parents had a sense of humor, but now I read they were dirt poor and I'm guessing not educated to that extent.

[jimmyk]

My mistake, Kaline was a rookie at 18. He won the batting title at age 20.

[Rocco]

I'm with my wife in the birthing room for our second born, across from the nursing station. The door was open and a nurse came stomping down the hall saying, (expletive I can't repeat during Holy Week)I gave her a shot and he passed out!

[Dave (in MA)]

https://amgreatness.com/2020/04/04/a-howard-zinn-pandemic/ Appropriately with a toilet paper ad in the sidebar when I opened the link.

[DrJ]

That's what I meant, DrJ. Not a joke.

Really? OK then!

Perhaps I'm sensitive because we have a very prolific lemon tree, and we gave some to my bookkeeper. She claimed that she loved their alkalinity.

As a (sort of) chemist, I could not let that go by uncorrected.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Bytedance and its spawn Tik Tok should be expelled from the US.
It's just another arm of the CCP. Kill it.

[Jane]

My sister delivered her first 3 kids while my b-I-l was parking the car. She had 1 labor pain for the 4th and said it was “awful”!

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

I know as a Christian I'm not supposed to smile at the thought of Howard Zinn's present predicament...
...but I am. Sorry God.

[Captain Hate]

RIP Al Kaline. I thought of him in the same way as Stan the Man.

[MissMarple2]

Carloos Osweda thread:

https://twitter.com/COsweda/status/1247229623223476225

Trump and the White House press corps

[MissMarple2]

Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump

· Apr 3
Highly respected Justice Daniel Kelly is running for the Supreme Court in the Great State of Wisconsin. Justice Kelly has been doing a terrific job upholding the Rule of Law and defending your #2A. Tough on Crime, Loves our Military and our Vets. He has my Complete Endorsement!
====================================
Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
·
1h
The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that tomorrow’s election will proceed as scheduled. VOTE for Justice Daniel Kelly tomorrow, and be safe!

[Captain Hate]

AllahPander gets schlonged at Hot Gas:

Every day now, AP sounds more and more like Bunker Hitler. As the situation moves from where he wants it to be, teeing up the worst situation possible for Trump, he is lashing out at people who fail to grasp his vision of how this all turns out. A cure, even a mediocre one, makes the situation better for Trump and AP cannot stand the thought of that. When it comes to blood on hands, AP is willing to get in to it up to his elbows, as long as it seriously damages Trump,

[Dave (in MA)]

https://twitter.com/GerryCallahan/status/1247340036993044480

Violating Marty Meehan's new 9PM curfew.

[Dave (in MA)]

Marty Walsh. Got my MA Dems switched.

[Dave (in MA)]

Jane, triplets, or three separate instances of "parking the car"?

[clarice]

22 hrs of back labor, not that I ever guilt my son about it. (My husband took a break and went out for a sub sandwich which he ate in front of me while I was denied even a sip of water in all that time.)

I demanded the first nurse, a Phillipina who was a sadist, get out of the room as she was a pain in the ass and my husband who was supposed to be my defender was too nonplussed to handle that for me.

[joan]

That article on Howard Zinn history curriculum--I couldn't finish it because it's so depressing.

What the hell is wrong with our country that this is allowed?

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Well wiki's numbers for yesterday held up.
Today's were close to identical with deaths slightly lower than yesterday and new cases slightly higher both in number and percentage but still under 9% growth.

[Captain Hate]

22 hrs of back labor, not that I ever guilt my son about it. (My husband took a break and went out for a sub sandwich which he ate in front of me while I was denied even a sip of water in all that time.)

Whoa, a mere 19 hours for us and I knew better than to do that.

[Narciso]

This is the latin counterpart

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0853459916

But he had the awareness to admith e got somethings wrong, late in life.

[Narciso]

Verminous froads

https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/nicholas-fondacaro/2020/04/06/harbingers-doom-cbs-decries-trumps-messages-hope-crisis

[MissMarple2]

A lot of people were NOT happy with Dr. Birx telling them they should grocery shop every two weeks at the press conference today:

https://twitter.com/julie_kelly2/status/1247295900038430725

President Trump needs to pull out the hook on both her and Dr. Fauci for a couple of days and put some normal people up on the platform instead.

[clarice]

You guys are my witnesses in case he disappears sometime during the quarantine. ;)

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--22 hrs of back labor--

I make my kow-tow.
Mrs Ig was a beast when it came to pain tolerance but I'm not sure even she could have handled 22 hours of back labor.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--You guys are my witnesses in case he disappears sometime during the quarantine.--

Witnesses to your motive?

[Jane]

3 different births Dave. Only thing she’s been quick about in her life!

[JM Hanes]

clarice:

My husband went home for a nap in the middle. I was in no position to object.

[Rocco]

I knew there was a list! Trump's a fighter and I love it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=074HtXwDhso

Sleep well America

[MissMarple2]

Prayers for New York and New Jersey. Video at the link.

pic.twitter.com/JIkrIczC8o

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 7, 2020

[lyle]

Pour yourself another glass, Lyle. Think of it as women's sports talk. :-)

Done. And that’s damn funny. 😂

[Porchlight]

We gotta have some kinda sports talk.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Shoot, I go shopping every couple of days just to get out and about.
OTOH, I get her point. If we're gonna do this damned hunkering we might as well do it right and lower the R0 as much as possible so we can get it over with quicker.

[Porchlight]

A cure, even a mediocre one, makes the situation better for Trump and AP cannot stand the thought of that. When it comes to blood on hands, AP is willing to get in to it up to his elbows, as long as it seriously damages Trump

Yep. AP is one of the most shameless NeverTrump shills of them all. And he's been a total pussy since well before Trump even came down the escalator.

[Captain Hate]

My husband went home for a nap in the middle. I was in no position to object.

I drove her in at 10 pm and had played basketball that evening and barely had time to shower. I was dog tired but stuck it out the whole time. Then once I got home partied *really* hard with my friend who lived above me until very late.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Grain of salt time but;
It is likely that Boris Johnson will be put on a ventilator according to Professor Derek Hill at UCL

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

New thread

[MissMarple2]

Margot Cleveland
@ProfMJCleveland
·
10m
Old & Out: Trump is peddling snake oil.
New & Hot:

Kenneth P. Vogel
@kenvogel
· 53m
NEW: If hydroxychloroquine becomes an accepted coronavirus treatment, several companies stand to profit, some with shareholders & execs connected to TRUMP.

Trump himself has a small interest in @Sanofi, which makes a brand-name hydroxychloroquine version. https://nytimes.com/2020/04/06/us/

Here is the thread by Ken Vogel and based on his story in the New York Times:

https://twitter.com/kenvogel/status/1247341470450962432

Vogel will be sorry he posted that, as a whole bunch of people know all sorts of things about Rosie O'Donnell, Ken Vogel, the New York Times, etc. and quite a few posted their opinions on that thread.

This is a perfect example of virtue signaling by the left. No realization that a whole bunch of people sympathize with Trump rather than O'Donnell.

[Narciso]

The raw material comes from a lot of places for central america to java.

[jimmyk]

Lots of topics to catch up on.
My Bosch dryer is a PITA. Don't ever get one.

We have one. It's ok, but I'm glad for once we got the extended warranty, because it's needed a repair in each of the last two years. The washer is fine. We have to go with the eurotrash models to fit in the tiny space we have. Before that we had Asko, which was more repair-free at least the first 10 years, but we heard the newer models were junk.

22 hrs of back labor

Mrs K had about 30 hours of labor (it seems the baby's head was too big or her mom was too small), and at some point I think something not good happening to the baby's heart rate, so they decided for a C-section. In the meantime, I'd been sitting there all day and was starving, so I'd gone out to grab a bite to eat, so I almost missed it. Got back with my takeout just as they were getting ready to wheel her to the OR.

[Sammy Small]

From my perspective, I had two great delivery experiences with my wife. First was an emergency C-section (with a bonus removal of some fibroids that the Dr. had me look at too) and the second was an elective C-section. None of that coaching BS to have to deal with. We tell our second girl that the techs were playing Brick House on their boom box as we made our way into the delivery room, so that is now her personal anthem.

[cathyf]

Gee I bet everybody has gone to bed so I’m too late for the sympathy play— I had 53 hours of back labor with WonderGirl. After 48 hours of the non-progressing back labor I went backwards from 6 to 5 cm. WonderGirl kept having decelerations during contractions because no matter how hard I concentrated on breathing I couldn’t keep from holding my breath. They convinced me to do the epidural, and I then went to 10 cm in about 2-3 contractions once it kicked in. It was the perfect epidural, too, as it went from under my ribs to halfway down my thighs. When the nurse said “I don’t know how to break it to you, but you are going to have to flip to the other side” I replied “like this?” and picked my butt up and flopped right over. It was kind of funny that after being there from midnight to 8am the doc popped over to the office and almost didn’t make it back before she was born, LOL

[JimNorCal]

new!
I hope jim-nj was NOT willowed ...