Please take a moment to read this post by Michael Simms. It has important information about Covid-19 testing, and makes it clear to me that the US has NO IDEA how many people have it, had it, or are carrying it. If we can’t get a handle on these things, how can any solid decisions be made about how long to keep lockdown going, how to minimize the risk of spiking with cases, etc. It is obvious to me that our current federal government is not up to the challenge of getting a grip on the pandemic. State Governors need to step up their game and coordinate with each other and devote all resources to developing quality tests for detection of active covid and evidence of covid antibodies as well as working on a quality vaccine.
Yesterday afternoon when I got home from the hospital and booted my computer, I was overwhelmed by the thousands of people who sent me messages of love and encouragement after my recent health scare.
via Michael Simms: On my recent experience with Covid (maybe) — Vox Populi
Tao Talk 
The US indeed has no idea how many people had it, how many are sick now, and how many died and how many are recovered or have antibodies or what that means. The current administration had investment in NOT testing (or as they said “we want to keep the numbers down”) and in misinforming or keeping a smokescreen over how many are actually tested (for now, there is not a test “for anyone who wants it”, and it is in part intentional that there aren’t enough, even if part of that is due to deliberate neglect and apathy that allowed months to pass by without tests and left States to fight over what’s available and fend for themselves while the WH fiddles its thumbs and points fingers of blame onto anyone but themselves). So … yeah, we don’t know, but it is in part because there is a vested interest in the actual numbers not being known. Sad, isn’t it? No leadership there.
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Thank you for the clarification, Na’ama. I think the fact it is due to cold calculation and not just stupidity and impotence makes it even worse :(
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I have to agree. … it does make it worse.
It also makes (me, at least) more adamant about doing my bit to not keep quiet … (doesn’t take much to get me talking, granted, but still …).
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Glad you found the post useful, Mr. Bump.
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New Yorkers are being surprisingly compliant with masks and distancing (except, I notice, young men) but I doubt the rest of the country will follow suit on their own. Our current leadership is unable to think of anything but themselves and their wallets. They truly don’t care how many people die. (K)
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On my way out to the park on Saturday, I passed an ice cream shop, crowded with dozens blatantly ignoring the risk. I just read about those who survived covid and how their body systems have been ravaged by it. I also read that kids are being struck with some variant that is even worse. You’re right, and some in power are actively sabotaging getting a handle on the pandemic.
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I know, it keeps showing up in different manifestations. Very scary.
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The federal and the State administrations in the US underestimated the potential spread of the virus. I remember how many in the US were saying in January that the disease is an Asian phenomenon and it will not reach the shores of the US.
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With the deadliness of covid-19 every precaution should have been and still should be taken. I fear this thing will keep mutating and take out more and more people. So many have been programmed into a delusion of a right to instant gratification, where they have lost the capacity to follow common sense and be patient :(
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