Sucharit Bhakdi, Professor Emeritus of Medical Microbiology at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and a prolific and much-cited expert in his field, has published an open letter to German Chancellor Angela Merkel along with a video addressing some of its contents.
In the letter, dated March 26, Bhakdi poses five questions about the COVID-19 pandemic and the government&#8217;s response to it which, he says, &#8220;have not been answered sufficiently so far, but which are indispensable for a balanced analysis.&#8221;
&#8220;As emeritus of the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, and for many years head of the institute for medical microbiology and hygiene there, I feel obliged to critically question the far-reaching restrictions on public life that we are currently undertaking to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus,&#8221; he begins the <a href="https://c.gmx.net/@824224682608695698/cI1TagSeQmi0WlXK-m8vWA">letter</a> (which is written in German and unofficially translated below). &#8220;It is expressly not my concern to downplay the dangers of the viral disease or to spread a political message. However, I feel it is my duty to make a scientific contribution to correctly classifying the current data situation, putting the facts that we know so far in perspective — and also asking questions that are in danger of being lost in the heated discussion.&#8221;
Unofficial translation of the <a href="https://c.gmx.net/@824224682608695698/cI1TagSeQmi0WlXK-m8vWA">letter</a> below, followed by Bhakdi&#8217;s accompanying English-subtitled <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsExPrHCHbw&amp;t=67s">video</a>, in which he elaborates on his five questions:
Open Letter
Dear Chancellor,
As emeritus of the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz and for many years head of the institute for medical microbiology and hygiene there, I feel obliged to critically question the far-reaching restrictions on public life that we are currently undertaking to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
It is expressly not my concern to downplay the dangers of the viral disease or to spread a political message. However, I feel it is my duty to make a scientific contribution to correctly classifying the current data situation, putting the facts that we know so far in perspective — and also asking questions that are in danger of being lost in the heated discussion.
The main reason for my concern is the truly unforeseeable socio-economic consequences of the drastic containment measures that are currently being used in large parts of Europe, and are already being practiced to a great extent in Germany.
It is my wish to critically — and with the necessary foresight — discuss the advantages and disadvantages of restricting public life and the resulting long-term effects.
There are five questions that have so far been answered inadequately, but are essential for a balanced analysis.
I would like to ask you for a swift opinion and, as it were, appeal to the Federal Government to develop strategies that effectively protect high-risk groups without cutting back on public life across the board and sowing the seeds for an even more intense polarization of society than is already happening.
Yours faithfully,
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Prof. em. Dr. med. Sucharit Bhakdi
1. Statistics
In the field of infectious diseases — founded by Robert Koch himself — a distinction is traditionally made between infection and illness. A disease requires clinical manifestation. [1] Therefore, only patients with symptoms such as fever or cough should be included in the statistics as new cases.
In other words, a new infection — as measured by the COVID-19 test – does not necessarily mean that we are dealing with a newly ill patient who needs a hospital bed. However, it is currently assumed that five percent of all infected people become seriously ill and require ventilation. Based on this, projections indicate that the health system could be overburdened.
My question: Did the projections distinguish between symptom-free infected and actual, sick patients — people who develop symptoms?
2. Dangerousness
A number of coronaviruses have been in circulation for a long time – largely unnoticed in the media. [2] Should it turn out that the COVID-19 virus should not be assigned a significantly higher hazard potential than the already circulating coronaviruses, all countermeasures would obviously be superfluous.
In the internationally recognized journal &#8220;International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents,&#8221; a work will appear shortly that addresses exactly this question. Preliminary results of the study can already be seen today and lead to the conclusion that the new virus does NOT differ in its dangerousness from traditional coronaviruses. The authors express this in the title of their work, “SARS-CoV-2: Fear versus Data.” [3]
My question: What is the current occupancy rate in intensive care units with patients with diagnosed COVID-19 compared to other coronavirus infections, and to what extent is this data taken into account in the further decision-making by the federal government? In addition: Has the above study been noted in the previous plans? Of course, the following must also apply here: Diagnosed means that the virus also plays a significant role in the patient&#8217;s disease state, and that previous illnesses do not play a major role.
3. Dissemination
According to a report in the Süddeutsche Zeitung, not even the much-cited Robert Koch Institute knows exactly how much is tested for COVID-19. It is a fact, however, that a rapid increase in the number of cases has recently been observed in Germany as the volume of tests increases. [4] It is therefore suspected that the virus has already spread unnoticed in the healthy population. This would have two consequences: first, it would mean that the official death rate — on March 26, 2020 there were 206 deaths from around 37,300 infections, or 0.55 percent [5] — was set too high; and secondly, that it&#8217;s hardly possible anymore to prevent spreading in the healthy population.
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My question: Has there already been a random sample of the healthy general population to validate the real spread of the virus, or is this planned in a timely manner?
4. Mortality
The fear of an increase in the death rate in Germany (currently 0.55 percent) is currently being discussed particularly intensively in the media. Many people worry that they can shoot up, like in Italy (10 percent) and Spain (7 percent), if there is no action in time.
At the same time, the mistake is made worldwide of reporting virus-related deaths as soon as it is determined that the virus was present at death – regardless of other factors. This violates a basic requirement of infectiology: the diagnosis can only be made if it is ensured that an agent has a significant share in the disease or death. The working group of the scientific medical societies expressly writes in its guidelines: &#8220;In addition to the cause of death, a causal chain must be specified, with the corresponding basic illness in third place on the death certificate. Occasionally, four-part causal chains must also be given.&#8221; [6]
There is currently no official information as to whether, at least in retrospect, more critical medical file analyses have been undertaken to determine how many deaths are really due to the virus.
My question: Has Germany simply followed the trend towards general suspicions of COVID-19? And: does it intend to continue this categorization uncritically, as in other countries? How should one differentiate between real corona-related deaths and accidental virus presence at the time of death?
5. Comparability
The terrifying situation in Italy is repeatedly used as a reference scenario. However, the true role of the virus in this country is completely unclear for many reasons — not only because points 3 and 4 apply here, but also because there are exceptional external factors that make these regions particularly vulnerable.
This includes the increased air pollution in northern Italy. According to WHO estimates, this situation resulted in more than 8,000 additional deaths per year in the 13 largest cities in Italy alone, even without a virus. [7] The situation has not changed significantly since then. Finally, it has also been shown that air pollution in very young and older people increases the risk of viral lung diseases very strongly. [9]
In addition, 27.4 percent of the most vulnerable population in this country live with young people, in Spain even 33.5 percent. In Germany it is only seven percent for comparison [10]. In addition, according to Prof. Dr. Reinhard Busse, Head of the Department of Healthcare Management at the TU Berlin, Germany is significantly better equipped than Italy in terms of intensive care units — by a factor of around 2.5 [11].
My question: What efforts are being made to inform the population about these elementary differences and to make people understand that scenarios such as those in Italy or Spain are not realistic here?
References:
[1] Fachwörterbuch Infektionsschutz und Infektionsepidemiologie. <a href="https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/Service/Publikationen/Fachwoerterbuch_Infektionsschutz.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fachwörter – Definitionen – Interpretationen</a>. Robert Koch-Institut, Berlin 2015. (abgerufen am 26.3.2020)
[2] Killerby et al., Human Coronavirus Circulation in the United States 2014–2017. J Clin Virol. 2018, 101, 52-56
[3] Roussel et al. SARS-CoV-2: Fear Versus Data. Int. J. Antimicrob. Agents 2020, 105947
[4] Charisius, H. <a href="https://www.sueddeutsche.de/gesundheit/covid-19-coronavirus-testverfahren-1.4855487" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Covid-19: Wie gut testet Deutschland?</a> Süddeutsche Zeitung. (abgerufen am 27.3.2020)
[5] Johns Hopkins University, <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Coronavirus Resource Center</a>. 2020. (abgerufen am 26.3.2020)
[6] S1-Leitlinie 054-001, <a href="https://www.awmf.org/uploads/tx_szleitlinien/054-002l_S1_Regeln-zur-Durchfuehrung-der-aerztlichen-Leichenschau_2018-02_01.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Regeln zur Durchführung der ärztlichen Leichenschau</a>. AWMF Online (abgerufen am 26.3.2020)
[7] Martuzzi et al. Health Impact of PM10 and Ozone in 13 Italian Cities. World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe. WHOLIS number E88700 2006
[8] European Environment Agency, <a href="https://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/air/country-fact-sheets/2019-country-fact-sheets" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Air Pollution Country Fact Sheets 2019</a>, (abgerufen am 26.3.2020)
[9] Croft et al. The Association between Respiratory Infection and Air Pollution in the Setting of Air Quality Policy and Economic Change. Ann. Am. Thorac. Soc. 2019, 16, 321–330.
[10] United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Living Arrange­ments of Older Persons: A Report on an Expanded International Dataset (ST/ESA/SER.A/407). 2017
[11] Deutsches Ärzteblatt, <a href="https://www.aerzteblatt.de/nachrichten/111029/Ueberlastung-deutscher-Krankenhaeuser-durch-COVID-19-laut-Experten-unwahrscheinlich" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Überlastung deutscher Krankenhäuser durch COVID-19 laut Experten unwahrscheinlich</a>, (abgerufen am 26.3.2020)
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<iframe title="Corona-Krise: Offener Brief an die Bundeskanzlerin von Prof. Sucharit Bhakdi" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LsExPrHCHbw?start=67&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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Coronavirus economy

Medical Microbiologist: 5 Crucial Questions About Our Response To COVID-19

Angela Merkel

Coronavirus

Germany

The same Hollywood that allowed Harvey Weinstein to prey on starlets snapped into action after the producer’s actions finally got exposed in the press.
Some of the industry’s players, including actress Kerry Washington, Ashley Judd, Eva Longoria and Reese Witherspoon, created the “Time’s Up” legal fund and movement.
The former vowed to defend women against predators past and present. The latter? It trained much of its fire power on President Donald Trump.
They cited sexual assault allegations against Trump prior to his election, as well as “uncovered” audio where Trump described grabbing women by their genitals as proof he needed to go.
All the while they mourned how the country’s potentially first First Husband, Bill Clinton, wouldn’t be returning to the White House.
Yes, that Bill Clinton.
Nor would the woman who ran defense for Bill Clinton, burying sexual abuse scandals rather than “believing all women.”
Yes, that Hillary Clinton.
That Hollywood hypocrisy is happening again, and this time at a nuclear-grade level.
Former Joe Biden staffer Tara Reade says the future vice president (and potential president) sexually assaulted her in 1993. Reade claims she’s tried to tell the story previously but ran into resistance.
Her recent attempt to recruit the Time’s Up legal group failed when it refused her plea on <a href="https://theintercept.com/2020/03/24/joe-biden-metoo-times-up/">a technicality</a>.
Guess who else is ignoring her case?
Hollywood, Inc.
The stars who have previously protested President Trump’s “war on women” at both marches and Sundance Film Festival rallies reads like a who’s who of Hollywood: Katy Perry, America Ferrera, Chelsea Handler, Jessica Chastain, Zendaya, Melissa Benoist, Charlize Theron, Aisha Tyler, Kristen Stewart, John Legend, Joshua Jackson, Laura Dern and Jennifer Beals.
“Charmed” alum Alyssa Milano transformed her career from actress to activist in the Trump era, with her specific focus on women’s issues.
Are any publicly supporting Reade in her moment of need?
No, not yet, anyway. The abuse allegation story is at least a week old, so it’s not like they haven’t heard about the charges.
The Reade allegations are all over social media, and a smattering of news outlets have covered them – albeit with less vigor than if the politician in question had an R affixed to his name.
Other august outlets have <a href="https://reason.com/2020/03/30/joe-biden-tara-reade-sexual-assault-media/">essentially looked the other way</a>. The Reade story isn’t an outlier, either. Several other women have <a href="https://www.thecut.com/2019/04/joe-biden-accuser-accusations-allegations.html">accused Biden of inappropriate touching, too.</a>
This week, Milano decried Sen. Bernie Sanders for staying in the race, throwing her support once more behind Biden.
What about Reade’s claims? Milano isn’t talking. And she’s not alone.
The industry that cried, “Believe All Women” now wants us to, “Change the Subject.” Or, more accurately, “This Woman Could Hurt Our Last Chance to Beat Trump So We’re Standing Down.”
That puts their silence into the proper perspective.
That silence is even more telling, more damning, given its plethora of platforms from which it can speak. Blogs. News articles. Podcasts. Social media. Interviews.
And it’s not the first time this hypocrisy rose up from Tinsel Town in the post-Weinstein era.
Where was Hollywood when not one but two women accused Virginia’s Lt. Governor, Justin Fairfax, of sexual assault? <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/hollywood-hypocrisy-northam-fairfax-omar/">Did they march to remove him from office?</a> Did stars create a hashtag campaign against him? Did they “believe the women” in question?
To be fair, Milano sent out a Tweet saying Fairfax should step down. Did she do more than that, or was a single Tweet her cover?
Fairfax recently said he plans to run for Governor. Will Hollywood rise up to stop that from happening?
Don’t hold your breath. Remember, he’s a Democrat.
Do we need to even summon the Brett Kavanaugh saga to reveal more raging hypocrisy? Stars like Amy Schumer literally got themselves arrested protesting Kavanaugh’s ascension to the Supreme Court, clinging to the flimsiest of assault charges to smite a Republican president’s nominee.
They believed accuser Christine Blasey Ford when even the woman’s own father <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/christine-blasey-fords-dad-supported-kavanaugh-ryan-saavedra">had doubts about her story</a>.
To her credit, the actress who helped bring Weinstein down isn’t staying silent on Biden. Rose McGowan deployed her Twitter account to mock journalists for not covering the assault allegations and failing to ask Biden during numerous press interviews about them.
At least she’s consistent. Her peers can’t say the same.
Perhaps we should have taken Handler at her word.
In 2018 she told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/05/arts/chelsea-handler-womens-rights.html">The New York Times</a> that the #MeToo movement was “a complete referendum on Donald Trump being elected to the presidency.”
So it’s not about protecting women, apparently?
Got it.

Joe Biden

TOTO: Biden Accusation Puts Hollywood Hypocrisy On Full Blast

Alyssa Milano

Harvey Weinstein

Hollywood

MeToo

Rose McGowan

On Tuesday, the Laredo, Texas, city council issued an amended emergency ordinance ordering citizens to wear face coverings when in certain public places, and abide by a daily curfew until April 30, or risk a fine of up to $1,000.
As of 12:01 a.m. on April 2, residents of Laredo must follow a curfew that begins at 10 p.m. and ends at 5 a.m. each day (10 p.m. to 6 a.m. for those under 18 and unaccompanied by an adult). Not unexpectedly, the curfew has numerous exceptions for “essential activities.”
As of the same time, all Laredo residents aged five and over must wear a face covering, which can include a “homemade mask, scarf, bandana, or handkerchief,” when “entering into or inside of any building open to the public; when using public transportation, taxis, or ride shares; or when pumping gas.” As with the curfew, there are exceptions listed in the ordinance.
Notably, for essential activities as it pertains to the curfew, a <a href="https://www.cityoflaredo.com/assets/corona-04-01-20_PR_col_takes_further_action_to_stop_spread_of_covid-19.pdf">press release</a> about the ordinance states: “Those who must work during those hours will be exempt from this ordinance, but must show proof such as an I.D. or a letter from their employer. Laredo police officers will be enforcing this ordinance and may use their discretion.”
The <a href="https://www.cityoflaredo.com/assets/03-31-20_Amended_Emergency_Ordinance_.pdf">pertinent text</a> of the ordinance reharding the curfew reads in part:
<blockquote>WHEREAS, Dr. Hector Gonzalez and Dr. Victor Trevino have advised the City Council that covering an individual&#8217;s nose and mouth can diminish the chance of cough droplets being spread in the air, and that wearing even a homemade mask, scarf, or bandana will reduce the propensity for people to touch their faces thereby partially preventing asymptomatic individuals with COVID-19 from unknowingly spreading the disease; and
WHEREAS, in addition to practicing social distancing and staying at home as much as possible, Dr. Hector Gonzalez and Dr. Victor Trevino have recommended to City Council that mandating the citizens to wear a facial covering will help to prevent the spread of COVID-19 because the more people that do so, the less the virus is distributed and fewer individuals are exposed; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has investigated and determined that countries who have implemented requirements for partial facial coverage, such as Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria, have significantly slowed down the spread of the virus&#8230;
a) A curfew for all persons aged 17 and under to be imposed from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.
b) A curfew for all persons aged 18 and over to be imposed from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m., unless that person is out for an emergency, or to perform certain Essential Activities, or to perform or obtain services from Essential Businesses, Government Functions or services, or Critical Infrastructure&#8230;
Any person who violates this Ordinance may be subject to a Class B misdemeanor punishable by a fine not exceeding $1,000, or confinement for a period not exceeding 180 days.</blockquote>
The <a href="https://www.cityoflaredo.com/assets/03-31-20_Amended_Emergency_Ordinance_.pdf">pertinent text</a> of the ordinance pertaining to the face coverings reads:
<blockquote>Except as provided herein, all persons over the age of five (5) are required to wear some form of covering over their nose and mouth, such as a homemade mask, scarf, bandana, or handkerchief, when: entering into or inside of any building open to the public; when using public transportation, taxis, or ride shares; or when pumping gas. This Section shall not apply to person that are: engaging in a permissible outside physical activity; that are riding in a personal vehicle; that are in alone in a separate single space; that are with their own shelter group (household members); when doing so poses a greater health, safety or security risk; or for consumption purposes. The penalty for a violation of this section shall be a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00)</blockquote>
COVID-19, which originated in China’s Hubei province, has infected over 1,000,000 people worldwide, and led to more than 51,400 deaths, <a href="https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6">according to data</a> from Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) Global Cases map. 208,949 people have recovered.
In the United States, there have been more than 236,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and over 5,600 deaths. As of publication, 8,861 individuals have recovered from the virus.
The Daily Wire reached out to the Governor’s office for comment, but we have not received a response as of publication.

Texas flag.

Texas Town Orders Citizens To Wear ‘Nose And Mouth’ Coverings Or Face Fine Up To $1,000

COVID-19

Texas

On Thursday, President Trump issued a devastating letter to Democrat New York Senator Chuck Schumer after Schumer issued a letter criticizing him earlier in the day.
Schumer <a href="https://www.democrats.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Letter.POTUS.re%20COVID-19%20Mil%20Off.pdf">wrote</a> on Thursday, “As the Coronavirus spreads rapidly into every corner of our nation and its terrible, grim toll grows more severe with each passing day, the tardiness and inadequacy of this Administration’s response to the crisis becomes more painfully evident.” He snarked, “America cannot rely on a patchwork of uncoordinated voluntary efforts to combat the awful magnitude of this pandemic. It is long past the time for your Administration to designate a senior military officer to fix this urgent problem.”
Schumer continued, “The existing federal leadership void has left America with an ugly spectacle in which States and cities are literally fending for themselves, often in conflict and competition with each other, when trying to procure precious medical supplies and equipment.” Schumer sniped, “It must also be pointed out that while you continue to dismiss the Defense Production Act as not being needed, it is clear that the capacity of American industry has not yet been fully harnessed.”
Trump, who loves nothing more than a mano-a-mano confrontation, fired back, with this salvo as an opening shot before the fusillade began: “Dear Senator Schumer: Thank you for your Democrat public relations letter and incorrect sound bites which are wrong in every way.”
Then Trump got down to work:
<ol>
<li>As you are aware, Vice President Pence is in charge of the Task Force. By almost all accounts, he has done a spectacular job.</li>
<li>The Defense Production Act (DPA) has been consistently used by my team and me for the purchase of billions of dollars’ worth of equipment, medical supplies, ventilators, and other related items. It has been powerful leverage, so powerful that companies generally do whatever we are asking, without even a formal notice.  They know something is coming, and that’s all they need to know.</li>
<li>A “senior military officer” is in charge of purchasing, distributing, etc. His name is Rear Admiral John Polowczyk.  He is working 24 hours a day, and is highly respected by everyone.  If you remember, my team gave you this information, but for public relations purposes, you choose to ignore it.</li>
<li>We have given New York many things including hospitals, medical centers, medical supplies, record numbers of ventilators, and more. You should have had New York much better prepared than you did, and as Dr. Fauci and Dr. Birx said yesterday, New York was very late in its fight against the virus.  As you are aware, the Federal Government is merely a back-up for state governments.  Unfortunately, your state needed far more of a back-up than most others.</li>
</ol>
<blockquote>If you spent less time on your ridiculous impeachment hoax, which went haplessly on forever and ended up going nowhere (except increasing my poll numbers) and instead focused on helping the people of New York, then New York would not have been so completely unprepared for the “invisible enemy.”  No wonder AOC and others are thinking about running against you in the primary.  If they did, they would likely win.
Fortunately, we have been working with your state and city governments, Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio to get the job done.  You have been missing in action except when it comes to the “press.”  While you have stated that you don’t like Andrew Cuomo, you ought to start working alongside him for the good of all New Yorkers.
I’ve known you for many years, but I never knew how bad a Senator you are for the state of New York until I became President.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call.  Or, in the alternative, call Rear Admiral Polowczyk.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> with a mic drop letter to Chuck Schumer. <a href="https://t.co/WsREogW8gc">pic.twitter.com/WsREogW8gc</a>
&mdash; Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveGuest/status/1245836620089221122?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

President Trump Departs White House For Campaign Rally In New Hampshire

READ: Trump’s Devastating Open Letter To Schumer: ‘I Never Knew How Bad A Senator You Are’

Charles Schumer

Donald Trump

Sex trafficking survivor turned advocate Eliza Bleu says the coronavirus shutdown has created the &#8220;perfect storm&#8221; for rife sex trafficking.
With a stunning <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/labor-department-reveals-highest-ever-jobless-claims-6-6-million-last-week-nearly-10-million-in-2-weeks">10 million</a> Americans losing their jobs in the past two weeks and young teens stuck at home, desperation and ample time for online grooming will certainly cause a spike in victimization.
And according to Bleu, it already has.
&#8220;Pre teens and teens at home alone with their parents for days on end due to school closures will be groomed by predators online,&#8221; the advocate told The Daily Wire. &#8220;They will be promised a &#8216;better life&#8217; if they run away. The national average run away is trafficked within 48 hours of leaving home.&#8221;
Bleu said parents and guardians need to be &#8220;extra vigilant&#8221; when monitoring their child&#8217;s online activity during the quarantine.
Social media apps like TikTok and Instagram, or even gaming platforms, could allow predators the space to groom youths. Bleu suggests that parents create fake accounts in such spaces to keep an eye one their children. Predators can move from one teen to the next through something as seemingly harmless as a tagged photo, she explained.
Bleu said parents and guardians can find effective <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign/online-safety?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=organic&amp;utm_campaign=fy20mar&amp;utm_content=2020-03-31">online safety</a> measures outlined by the Blue Campaign via the Department of Homeland Security, which can be accessed <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign/online-safety?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=organic&amp;utm_campaign=fy20mar&amp;utm_content=2020-03-31">here</a>.
Outlined below are some of the site&#8217;s social media safety tips that should be communicated to minors:
<ul>
<li>Never share pictures of yourself online that you wouldn’t want to be seen by your family, teachers, or a total stranger.</li>
<li>Set user profile to private so only real friends can get access. Know who you’re chatting with – a “friend” is not always a friend. [&#8230;]</li>
<li>Don’t share personal information online such as your full name, school, address or phone number, or user passwords.</li>
<li>Don’t meet up in person with anyone you met online.</li>
<li>Report suspected abuse to law enforcement or a trusted adult.</li>
</ul>
As we&#8217;ve seen in nations across the globe, as shutdown measures attempting to slow the spread of COVID-19 continue, problems for the already vulnerable will only get worse. In <a href="https://t.co/4zBSTd24yl?amp=1">France</a>, for example, domestic violence victims have resorted to using &#8220;code words&#8221; at pharmacies to seek rescue from abuse.
Right now, Bleu told The Daily Wire, the &#8220;new addition&#8221; to the at-risk sex trafficking population is &#8220;everyone.&#8221;
Generally, the most at-risk populations include &#8220;those experiencing homelessness, addiction, poverty both rural and urban, immigrants, LGBTQ, indigenous populations, people of color,&#8221; the advocate said, &#8220;and the new addition&#8230; everyone. Any parent that will do whatever it takes to feed their child in a moment of desperation is at risk. Anyone living paycheck to paycheck, with no paycheck, is at risk.&#8221;
Bleu noted that faith-based organizations have routinely &#8220;stepped up&#8221; to help the vulnerable, and asked that they continue to do so, especially in such a desperate time.
&#8220;Nationally, we are not equipped to deal with the influx of human trafficking survivors,&#8221; the survivor explained. &#8220;The government has relied on faith-based organizations to take care of most of our survivors of human trafficking. In my opinion, the faith-based organizations were the ones that stepped up when no one else would at first. The safe houses that are not faith-based organizations are full. The faith-based houses are full. The domestic violence shelters are full. The homeless shelters are full. We were all full before Corona.&#8221;
&#8220;As the churches run out of money due to the virus, the survivor movement will run out of our safety net,&#8221; continued Bleu. &#8220;I am begging all faith based organizations and churches to please prepare to accept those experiencing homelessness as a result of the virus. Get ready to take folks into your homes. If you have the ability to drive a survivor of trafficking or domestic violence out of state to a church or organization with more space and less virus, please step up and do so.&#8221;
For ways to connect with organizations fighting human trafficking, check out the extended resources page at <a href="https://humantraffickinghotline.org/resources">HumanTraffickingHotline.org</a>.
For anyone who is &#8220;right on the edge,&#8221; as Bleu put it, &#8220;please pause before considering sex work.&#8221;
The advocate asked the vulnerable to call 1-888-373-7888, the National Human Trafficking Hotline, which is always available, &#8220;completely confidential and non judgmental.&#8221; Or folks can text HELP to 233733, visit <a href="https://humantraffickinghotline.org">HumanTraffickingHotline.org</a>, or reach out to Bleu via <a href="https://twitter.com/elizableu">Twitter</a>.
&#8220;We are here to help,&#8221; Bleu emphasized. &#8220;I am saying this as a survivor of human trafficking, and as an advocate for those effected by trafficking. I know what it’s like to have too much pride to ask for help. If I hadn’t asked for help when I did, I would be dead. You are not alone in this.&#8221;

Advocate Eliza Bleu

Sex Trafficking Survivor Turned Advocate: Coronavirus Shutdown ‘Perfect Storm’ For Abuse. Here’s What You Should Know.

Sex Trafficking

On Thursday, Dr. Anthony Fauci appeared on “CBS This Morning” with host Gayle King to discuss the latest developments in the ongoing fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the end of the approximately five-minute segment, King noted that according to reports, Fauci has had to be provided with security:
<blockquote>There are reports that you now have to have security. I was very sorry to hear that for you, and I’m wondering the personal pressure. Do you feel pressure to get this right? You are the most respected, the most admired – when you speak, we listen. I’m wondering how this has effected you personally.</blockquote>
Fauci replied:
<blockquote>You know, it&#8217;s my job. This is the life I&#8217;ve chosen, and I&#8217;m doing it. I mean, obviously there&#8217;s a lot of pressure. I would be foolish to deny that, but that’s what I do. I’ve been through crises like this before, dating back, you know, 37 years from the very beginning of the HIV epidemic. It&#8217;s a job to do, and we&#8217;ve just got to do it.</blockquote>
King concluded the segment by telling Fauci how popular he has become, and asking him how his family is reacting to the fame: “You’re on donuts, you’re on socks, you’re on mugs, there’s Fauci Friday, People Magazine, there’s a petition to make you sexiest man alive because people say brains are sexy.”
Fauci said that they’re attempting to ignore that, “and just focus on the responsibility and the job that we have.”
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On Wednesday, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/anthony-faucis-security-is-stepped-up-as-doctor-and-face-of-us-coronavirus-response-receives-threats/2020/04/01/ff861a16-744d-11ea-85cb-8670579b863d_story.html">The Washington Post</a> reported that security for Dr. Fauci has needed to be increased due to various “concerns,” including “threats as well as unwelcome communications from fervent admirers, according to people with knowledge of deliberations inside the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice.”
Fauci wouldn’t elaborate about potential security concerns when asked during a Wednesday presser.
According to polls, Dr. Fauci is indeed highly respected as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to burn through the United States.
A recent <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/poll-recession-fears-coronavirus-us-economy">Fox News poll</a> showed that 77% of respondents “approve of the job Dr. Anthony Fauci is doing,” while just 12% disapprove. While poll numbers for the president and vice president were much more divided, the response to Fauci cuts across political demographics, with 74% of Democrats approving of Fauci’s handling of the crisis.
According to the latest <a href="https://docs.cdn.yougov.com/p8nwhxp50n/econTabReport.pdf">Economist/YouGov</a> poll, Dr. Fauci has a 57% “favorable” rating among those surveyed. This is broken down into 35% “very favorable” and 22% “somewhat favorable.”
Only 8% view Fauci unfavorably. That’s broken down into 6% “somewhat unfavorable” and 2% “very unfavorable.”
35% of respondents “don’t know.”
Additionally, a recent <a href="https://zogbyanalytics.com/news/927-the-zogby-poll-voters-give-a-slight-edge-to-trump-versus-biden-in-who-is-better-equipped-to-handle-pandemic-cuomo-is-the-highest-rated-politician-at-handling-the-coronavirus-crisis-trump-rated-higher-than-sanders-and-biden-for-his-response-to-the-pandemic">Zogby poll</a> showed high approval for the way in which Dr. Fauci is handling the COVID-19 pandemic response at 73%. Broke down, 35% of respondents said Fauci is doing an “excellent” job, while 38% said he is doing a “good” job.
COVID-19, which originated in China’s Hubei province, has infected over 1,000,000 people worldwide, and led to more than 51,400 deaths, <a href="https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6">according to data</a> from Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) Global Cases map. 208,949 people have recovered.
In the United States, there have been more than 236,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and over 5,600 deaths. As of publication, 8,861 individuals have recovered from the virus.
The Daily Wire has reached out to the White House for comment about Dr. Fauci’s security detail.

Dr. Fauci

Fauci Asked About His ‘Security’ Concerns Following Report About ‘Threats’

Anthony Fauci

The Democratic National Committee made the decision Thursday to move their mid-July convention back to August after weeks of insisting that the show would go on despite a coronavirus pandemic.
<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/02/politics/dnc-postponed-coronavirus/index.html">CNN reports</a> that the DNC made the decision sometime on Wednesday, after former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee, suggested the DNC might want to consider a convention delay or, barring that, a digital or conference call option so that attendees could observe social distancing.
&#8220;The change represents a dramatic shift for the party, which has worked for months to host a convention in Milwaukee in mid-July. While officials began planning for contingencies in the face of the spreading coronavirus, many had remained hopeful that the virus would abate and allow Democrats to host the supremely important event,&#8221; CNN said.
The convention will now take place the weekend of August 17, just before the Republican National Convention, which is traditionally held the last weekend in August. The Democrats wanted their convention in July, so that they would be finished with their nomination process before the networks cut to the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.
The Olympics have now been postponed until next year.
&#8220;In our current climate of uncertainty, we believe the smartest approach is to take additional time to monitor how this situation unfolds so we can best position our party for a safe and successful convention,&#8221; the convention&#8217;s CEO said in a statement Thursday. &#8220;During this critical time, when the scope and scale of the pandemic and its impact remain unknown, we will continue to monitor the situation and follow the advice of health care professionals and emergency responders.&#8221;
Biden expressed doubts about the convention on Wednesday night, during an appearance on &#8220;The Tonight Show&#8221; with Jimmy Fallon, telling the host that &#8220;I doubt whether the Democratic Convention is going to be able to be held in mid-July or early July. I think it&#8217;s gonna have to move into August.&#8221;
&#8220;We just have to be prepared for the alternative and the alternative, we don&#8217;t know what it&#8217;s going to be unless we have a better sense of whether this curve is going to move down or up,&#8221; Biden continued, echoing sentiments he first aired on Tuesday, that it was &#8220;hard to envision&#8221; a traditional convention in the time of coronavirus.
&#8220;There&#8217;s a sense of urgency that doesn&#8217;t seemed &#8212; only until yesterday at his press conference, the President start to grasp the reality of what he&#8217;s facing in terms of the number of potential deaths, the number of people who are going to contract the virus,&#8221; Biden told Fallon, using the convention as an excuse to hit out at President Donald Trump. &#8220;We got a lot, a lot to do, and we&#8217;re not getting it done.&#8221;
Biden may have had an ulterior motive for pressing the DNC on the convention. As states across the country observe strict lockdown measures to reduce and prevent the spread of coronavirus, many states have postponed their Democratic primaries, leaving Biden with little hope of securing the nomination by winning a clear majority of delegates before a July convention date. With an additional month now on the calendar, states can better schedule their primaries, giving Biden, once again, hope of grabbing 1,991 delegates before crossing the finish line.
&nbsp;

Tom Perez

FINALLY: DNC Moves Democratic National Convention To August

Democratic National Committee

On Thursday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo provided the daily update for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
During the presser, the governor offered a sobering and grim warning that the state has only about six days until it runs out of ventilators if the “current burn rate” continues.
<blockquote>At the current burn rate, we have about six days of ventilators in our stockpile, meaning if the rate of usage, the rate of people coming into hospitals who need ventilators, if that rate continues, in our stockpile, we have about six days. Now, if the apex happens within that time frame, if the apex increases, if the apex is longer, we have an issue with ventilators.</blockquote>
Cuomo added that the numbers will be compiled nightly, and that there “is a difference of opinion” as to how many ventilators will be needed. Cuomo continued, saying that while he has no desire to purchase more ventilators than are necessary, “we need what we need.”
“If a person comes in and needs a ventilator, and you don&#8217;t have a ventilator, the person dies,” the governor stated. “That’s the blunt equation here – and right now we have a burn rate that would suggest we have about six days in the stockpile.”
Despite this, the governor noted that the state is “taking all sorts of extraordinary measures” to increase ventilator supplies, including setting up the means to move ventilators to various hospitals in need, splitting ventilators, using “anesthesia machine ventilators,” ending elective surgeries, and using BiPAP machines. The state is also actively looking for more ventilators for purchase.
<blockquote>So yes, the burn rate of ventilators is troubling, and six days of ventilators in the stockpile is troubling, but we have all these extraordinary measures that I believe if push comes to shove, will put us in fairly good shape.</blockquote>
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The governor also went over the numbers for the state.
The hospitalization rate has dropped for the third day in a row. At peak on Monday, there were 1,412 single-day hospitalizations in the state, while on Wednesday, there were 1,157. However, the overall trajectory is still upward.
While the number of ICU admissions has bobbed up and down, the overall trajectory is upward, with 374 admissions on Wednesday, tying the March 26 record. For comparison, on March 17, there were just 46 ICU admissions.
Despite two consecutive days of downward steps, the number of intubations on Wednesday ticked back up, setting a record with 313. On March 17, there were 43 intubations.
The number of discharged patients has continued to rise, with 1,292 on Wednesday.
The governor also spoke about the apex of COVID-19 in New York, when hospitals and medical workers are expected to be stretched the most, noting that various models have set the apex anywhere from 7 to 30 days from Wednesday, depending on variables such as how particular models value the impact of social distancing.
“We believe it is closer to the shorter end of the range with our in-house people looking at the professional modeling that’s being done,” Cuomo stated.
As for how prepared the state is for the apex, Cuomo said that there are currently 53,000 beds statewide, while they are anticipating a need for between 70,000 and 110,000 at peak. The governor then noted the ways in which the state is trying to account for the upcoming influx, including expanding existing hospital capacity and erecting additional facilities.
New York has also seen roughly 85,000 volunteers who will be sent where necessary.
As for death toll projections, Cuomo cited the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) <a href="https://covid19.healthdata.org/projections">model</a>, which as of Thursday predicts that New York will see approximately 16,200 deaths from COVID-19.
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cuomo-on-covid-19-were-never-going-to-be-the-same-again-how-do-we-learn-from-this">Cuomo On COVID-19: ‘We’re Never Going To Be The Same Again,’ ‘How Do We Learn From This?’</a>

Ventilator

Cuomo Says At ‘Current Burn Rate,’ New York Runs Out Of Ventilators In ‘About 6 Days’; Measures Being Taken To Expand Capacity

Andrew Cuomo

New York