Twitter raps Trump COVID-19 adviser as U.S. cases rise

[webfact]

Twitter raps Trump COVID-19 adviser as U.S. cases rise

By Doina Chiacu

 

FILE PHOTO: Personnel administer coronavirus disease (COVID-19) tests in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., as cases spread in the Midwest, October 2, 2020. REUTERS/Alex Wroblewski/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Twitter on Sunday removed a "misleading" tweet downplaying the efficacy of masks posted by a top coronavirus adviser to President Donald Trump, while U.S. cases surged before the Nov. 3 election.

 

As the Trump administration fends off accusations that its mixed messaging on wearing masks hampered the fight against the coronavirus, Dr. Scott Atlas continued to minimize the importance of masks with a Twitter post on Saturday, saying, "Masks work? NO."

 

Twitter Inc removed the tweet on Sunday, saying it violated its misleading information policy on COVID-19, which targets statements that have been confirmed to be false or misleading by subject-matter experts.

 

The White House had no immediate comment on the decision.

 

Atlas has downplayed the wearing of masks, a coronavirus containment measure that has been widely endorsed by health experts but not enthusiastically promoted by the president.

 

Twitter took down a post by a top coronavirus task force adviser who questioned whether masks worked to cut down on transmission of the respiratory illness. This report produced by Zachary Goelman.

 

Trump, a Republican, is seeking re-election on Nov. 3 against Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden in the midst of a pandemic that has weakened the economy and killed more than 217,000 Americans.

 

For an interactive graphic https://graphics.reuters.com/world-coronavirus-tracker-and-maps tracking the global spread of coronavirus, open (https://tmsnrt.rs/2FThSv7) in an external browser.

 

New infections have been rising fast in the United States, according to a Reuters analysis, with more than 69,400 reported on Friday, up from 46,000 a month ago. Total U.S. cases have surpassed 8 million.

 

Trump, who was hospitalized with the disease for three nights in early October, has been criss-crossing the country in a surge of 11th-hour campaigning as he lags in many public opinion polls. His rallies draw thousands of supporters in close quarters, with many not wearing masks despite federal coronavirus guidelines.

 

Despite data showing otherwise, Trump has said repeatedly in recent weeks that the country is "rounding the turn" on coronavirus.

 

On Sunday, Trump again attributed the latest surge in coronavirus cases to more testing, but health experts cite increases in hospitalizations and the rates at which people are testing positive for the virus to show cases are indeed rising.

 

"The United States shows more CASES than other countries, which the Lamestream Fake News Media pounces on daily, because it TESTS at such a high (and costly) level," he wrote on Twitter.

 

Dr. Scott Gottlieb, a former Food and Drug Administration commissioner, said the United States is probably entering the worst phase of the pandemic without a national strategy.

 

"I think the next three months are going to be very challenging. There's really no backstop against the spread that we're seeing," Gottlieb told CBS's "Face the Nation" on Sunday.

 

Hospitalizations were rising in 42 states and there is no intervention short of a vaccine that can thwart the spread, he said. The White House has come out against universal masking, against testing asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic people and wants businesses and schools reopened, he said.

 

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar urged Americans to continue social distancing, wearing masks and washing hands. "Hang in there with us," he said on NBC's "Meet the Press," adding, "We are so close."

 

However, Gottlieb, who sits on the board of vaccine maker Pfizer Inc, said it may not be until February or March until the first tranche of people who are vaccinated are really protected against the virus.

 

"So it begs the question, 'what is the strategy?'" he said. "And I think the strategy is just to endure the spread until we get to that vaccine."

 

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu and Chris Sanders in Washington; Editing by Matthew Lewis)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-10-19

 

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[Mama Noodle]

44 minutes ago, webfact said:

Twitter on Sunday removed a "misleading" tweet downplaying the efficacy of masks posted by a top coronavirus adviser to President Donald Trump, while U.S. cases surged before the Nov. 3 election.

 

Its so patently obvious that twitter is all of a sudden starting to overtly censor, and the motivations are political. The left will cheer, obviously, but all it does is create the Streisand effect. 

 

Big tech needs to either be broken up, or forced to quit picking sides and being blatantly political. 

 

Its a monopoly over the internet and social media, and everyone on the internet should be allowed to be in the "public conversation" regardless of wether you agree or not. 

 

50 minutes ago, webfact said:

Dr. Scott Gottlieb, a former Food and Drug Administration commissioner, said the United States is probably entering the worst phase of the pandemic without a national strategy.

 

The national strategy is to manage the virus while staying open and not ruining the country

[stevenl]

7 minutes ago, Mama Noodle said:

 

Its so patently obvious that twitter is all of a sudden starting to overtly censor, and the motivations are political. The left will cheer, obviously, but all it does is create the Streisand effect. 

 

Big tech needs to either be broken up, or forced to quit picking sides and being blatantly political. 

 

Its a monopoly over the internet and social media, and everyone on the internet should be allowed to be in the "public conversation" regardless of wether you agree or not. 

 

 

The national strategy is to manage the virus while staying open and not ruining the country

Nothing to do with 'whether you agree', but with 'you're spreading lies threatening our health'.

[Mama Noodle]

Just now, stevenl said:

Nothing to do with 'whether you agree', but with 'you're spreading lies threatening our health'.

 

If huge social media monopolies feel that they should be the arbiters of the truth or what people should and should not see, then that makes them a publisher, not a platform, and they should be regulated accordingly. 

 

And the issue is and has always been the blatantly biased and politically motivated way the rules are applied. 

 

Personally, I was to see what everyone is saying and dont want any overlords in the way of that. 

 

THAT is what's called a "public conversation" - the phrase twitter vomits up every time they do this. 

[Mama Noodle]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

His rallies draw thousands of supporters in close quarters, with many not wearing masks despite federal coronavirus guidelines.

 

Where was this concern when people were gathering in massive hordes during the protests and riots for months on end. 

[Paul Henry]

Trump should be selling his bottled bullsh!! as a miracle cure for the virus. There is an ample supply and they will never run out of stock. Everything else he does in the WH is to make him money this may be his best ripoff yet.

[animalmagic]

1 hour ago, Mama Noodle said:

Big tech needs to either be broken up, or forced to quit picking sides and being blatantly political. 

Whereas big pharma, defence industries, oil and other 'big' groups are ok because they picked your side?

 

"The national strategy is to manage the virus while staying open and not ruining the country"

45's sorry excuse for a strategy doesn't appear to be very effective in not ruining the country.

Please tell me why people shouldn't wear masks.  They wear seatbelts and condoms!

[Tug]

Imo failing to practice safe protocols in the face of the pandemic is heinous I wish laws existed to force compliance for the good of the majority scoffing at safe protocols from leadership imo is inexcusable I’m delighted that social media is finally taking steps to quash disinformation 

[nobodysfriend]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

On Sunday, Trump again attributed the latest surge in coronavirus cases to more testing, but health experts cite increases in hospitalizations and the rates at which people are testing positive for the virus to show cases are indeed rising.

 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

with more than 69,400 reported on Friday, up from 46,000 a month ago. Total U.S. cases have surpassed 8 million.

Test or not , the virus is free-spreading anyway ... if there is an effective political strategy to prevent this , it does not seem to work ...

Many still believe that it is all a hoax only , but people believe what they want to believe ... you can feed them facts , does not change anything ...

[Tug]

1 minute ago, nobodysfriend said:

 

Test or not , the virus is free-spreading anyway ... if there is an effective political strategy to prevent this , it does not seem to work ...

Many still believe that it is all a hoax only , but people believe what they want to believe ... you can feed them facts , does not change anything ...

Sad but true .........

[JusticeGB]

Big tech companies have over reaching power and are censoring news. This is a disgrace. Wearing of masks is known to reduce the risk of the spread of covid19 however many people are not wearing masks correctly and fully covering both their noses and mouths. An incorrectly worn mask is ineffective. 

[stevenl]

12 minutes ago, JusticeGB said:

Big tech companies have over reaching power and are censoring news. This is a disgrace. Wearing of masks is known to reduce the risk of the spread of covid19 however many people are not wearing masks correctly and fully covering both their noses and mouths. An incorrectly worn mask is ineffective. 

I don't think ineffective is correct, less effective would be better.

 

But thanks for admitting his claim that masks don't work was incorrect. IMO that justifies twitter deciding to remove that tweet.

[Eric Loh]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Atlas has downplayed the wearing of masks, a coronavirus containment measure that has been widely endorsed by health experts but not enthusiastically promoted by the president.

An own goal by Trump's team so close to the election. Majority of Americans are very concern about the infection that has been rising steadily since March and disapproved of Trump's response. This ill-timed and reckless comment will just reinforced that the virus is being mishandled by an unqualified WH team who hold the attention of a clueless President. 

[Ketyo]

The more Trump comes under pressure, the more bat<deleted> crazy he gets. The most fun will come if it becomes clear he's going to lose. He might even self implode.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Let's see:

 

Trump and his private coronavirus advisor who's no expert in the field - don't need to wear a mask

 

Trump's CDC, HHS and NIH - need to wear a mask.

 

No wonder the U.S. CV response is in shambles, and 217,000+ Americans are dead from CV under Trump's failed watch.
 

Quote

 

The United States surpassed eight million known cases this past week, and reported more than 70,000 new infections on Friday, the most in a single day since July. Eighteen states added more new coronavirus infections during the seven-day stretch ending on Friday than in any other week of the pandemic.

...

Hot spots are emerging in the South and the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, and expanding rapidly in the Midwest and the Mountain West. Illinois this past week recorded its highest daily number of confirmed cases since the pandemic began, and the most deaths in a single day since June.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/17/us/coronavirus-pandemic-fatigue.html

 

U.S. CV death toll still running about more people each and every day.

 

 

Edited October 19, 2020 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Eric Loh]

52 minutes ago, Ketyo said:

The more Trump comes under pressure, the more bat<deleted> crazy he gets. The most fun will come if it becomes clear he's going to lose. He might even self implode.

In his rally, he said he will move to another country if he lose. Most probably countries that have no extradition treaty with US like Russia and Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia. Steve Bannon has a different take that he will seek election in 2024. Trump is pure entertainment and at times comic.  

[steelepulse]

If you look at all the studies of whether these normal masks work to stop the spread of a virus this small before the "pandemic" hit, you would see what the vast majority stated.  No, they do not work to stop the spread is what the majority of studies showed.  There's facts, then there's rewritten history to manipulate the population.

[Berkshire]

3 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

In his rally, he said he will move to another country if he lose. Most probably countries that have no extradition treaty with US like Russia and Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia. Steve Bannon has a different take that he will seek election in 2024. Trump is pure entertainment and at times comic.  

I doubt Putin would take Trump.  Putin is rather pragmatic and does like having useful idiots around.  But if Trump is no longer President, he'll no longer be useful.  Maybe Trump can convert to Judaism and go to Israel.  That's assuming Netanyahu hasn't been indicted for corruption.   

[heybruce]

5 hours ago, Mama Noodle said:

 

Its so patently obvious that twitter is all of a sudden starting to overtly censor, and the motivations are political. The left will cheer, obviously, but all it does is create the Streisand effect. 

 

Big tech needs to either be broken up, or forced to quit picking sides and being blatantly political. 

 

Its a monopoly over the internet and social media, and everyone on the internet should be allowed to be in the "public conversation" regardless of wether you agree or not. 

 

 

The national strategy is to manage the virus while staying open and not ruining the country

How does inconsistent messaging, making masks a political statement, and refusal to use the Defense Production Act to ramp up production of masks and other PPE further this strategy?

[heybruce]

20 minutes ago, steelepulse said:

If you look at all the studies of whether these normal masks work to stop the spread of a virus this small before the "pandemic" hit, you would see what the vast majority stated.  No, they do not work to stop the spread is what the majority of studies showed.  There's facts, then there's rewritten history to manipulate the population.

Why don't you identify some of these studies for us?  The ones that conclude that wearing masks does not reduce the spread of the virus.

 

I agree that the basic masks that are all one can find aren't as good as N95 masks, but they're better than nothing.  Too bad Trump didn't do anything to increase the production of N95 masks.  Remember them?  The masks, often referred to as painters masks, that one could easily find in hardware and home improvement stores at the beginning of this year?  They were effective, and so cheap they were "use once and discard" items.

Edited October 19, 2020 by heybruce

[candide]

27 minutes ago, steelepulse said:

If you look at all the studies of whether these normal masks work to stop the spread of a virus this small before the "pandemic" hit, you would see what the vast majority stated.  No, they do not work to stop the spread is what the majority of studies showed.  There's facts, then there's rewritten history to manipulate the population.

I doubt there were such "studies".

However, there are obvious explanations for this position:

- masks were in very short supply and needed to be reserved for health workers

- it was not known at this time that there would be so many asymptomous virus carriers. When it is not known who may infect others, even by the virus carriers themselves, it is wise to  wear masks.

 

Anyway, you knew that already.....

Edited October 19, 2020 by candide

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 hour ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

U.S. CV death toll still running about more people each and every day.

 

Should have been:

 

U.S. CV death toll still running about 700 more people each and every day.

 

Just one among many:

 

Quote

Former NFL defensive end Fred Dean (above photo, bottom left) dies of coronavirus. The Hall of Famer played 1975-85. He was 68.

 

And:

 

Quote

Chris Christie, aide to President Trump and former New Jersey governor, says he spent seven days in the intensive care unit because of coronavirus.

 

https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2020/10/nfl-hall-of-famer-dies-ohio-school-cases-trump-aide-was-in-icu-more-coronavirus-timeline-oct-10-16.html

 

Quote

Chris Christie is urging Americans to wear masks after spending seven days in ICU with COVID-19
 

• Christie told ABC’s “Good Morning America” he made a mistake by not wearing a mask during the Amy Coney Barrett announcement in the White House Rose Garden and during his debate prep with President Trump.
• “I was led to believe that all the people I was interacting with at the White House had been tested, and it gave you a false sense of security, and it was a mistake,” Christie said during the interview.
• “No matter what you’re doing, you should have a mask on and you should try to remain socially distant from folks,” Christie said.

 

https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/prevention-cures/521452-chris-christie-is-urging-americans-to-wear-masks

Edited October 19, 2020 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Siamjim]

i hear infected rate gone up but what about the death rate?

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

4 minutes ago, Siamjim said:

i hear infected rate gone up but what about the death rate?

 

 

Quote

[Christie] He spent seven days in the ICU while battling the disease and received an antibody treatment in combination with the antiviral medication remdesivir.

https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/prevention-cures/521452-chris-christie-is-urging-americans-to-wear-masks

 

Quote

Medical treatments for the virus have vastly improved since the spring, and deaths remain lower than the worst peak, but the latest growth in coronavirus infections has left public health officials worried. More than 218,000 people have died in the United States since the start of the pandemic, and daily reports of deaths have stayed relatively consistent in recent weeks with about 700 a day.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/17/us/coronavirus-pandemic-fatigue.html

 

The U.S. has the largest number of total CV deaths of any country in the world, and has among the worst per capita CV death rates, usually ranked around the 11th highest among all countries.

 

 

 

https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/data/mortality

 

[Eric Loh]

17 minutes ago, Siamjim said:

i hear infected rate gone up but what about the death rate?

 

Infections are going up and the death from covid continue to be the highest in the world. The economy is still in the dump. What's your point.  

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

From the U.S. CDC:

 

Quote

As of October 12, national forecasts predict 3,400 to 7,100 new #COVID19 deaths will be reported during the week ending November 7. These forecasts predict 229,000 to 240,000 total COVID-19 deaths in the United States by November 7.

 

 

 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-data/forecasting-us.html

 

[rabas]

1 hour ago, steelepulse said:

If you look at all the studies of whether these normal masks work to stop the spread of a virus this small before the "pandemic" hit, you would see what the vast majority stated.  No, they do not work to stop the spread is what the majority of studies showed.  There's facts, then there's rewritten history to manipulate the population.

A properly worn N95 mask is guaranteed by manufacturers and the law to stop at least 95% of all particles entering your airways, down to and below the 0.1µ size of coronavirus. They also have N100 masks.

 

A 95% reduction in viral exposer greatly reduces your change of getting the virus.

 

Edited October 19, 2020 by rabas

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

26 minutes ago, rabas said:

A properly worn N95 mask is guaranteed by manufacturers and the law to stop at least 95% of all particles entering your airways, down to and below the 0.1µ size of coronavirus. They also have N100 masks.

 

A 95% reduction in viral exposer greatly reduces your change of getting the virus.

 

 

Quote

 

Still Confused About Masks? Here’s the Science Behind How Face Masks Prevent Coronavirus

...

Studies have compared various mask materials, but for the general public, the most important consideration may be comfort. The best mask is one you can wear comfortably and consistently, said Chin-Hong. N95 respirators are only necessary in medical situations such as intubation. Surgical masks are generally more protective than cloth masks, and some people find them lighter and more comfortable to wear.

 

The bottom line is that any mask that covers the nose and mouth will be of benefit. “The concept is risk reduction rather than absolute prevention,” said Chin-Hong.

 

 

https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2020/06/417906/still-confused-about-masks-heres-science-behind-how-face-masks-prevent

 

Edited October 19, 2020 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[J Town]

At the time of this post, the 16 worst case states of Covid voted red in 2016. The five most successful states in battling Covid voted blue. What would be the reason for that? Maybe the virus DOES attack along party lines? Or do some parties handle it like adults and others like selfish buggers?

[wwest5829]

7 hours ago, Mama Noodle said:

 

Its so patently obvious that twitter is all of a sudden starting to overtly censor, and the motivations are political. The left will cheer, obviously, but all it does is create the Streisand effect. 

 

Big tech needs to either be broken up, or forced to quit picking sides and being blatantly political. 

 

Its a monopoly over the internet and social media, and everyone on the internet should be allowed to be in the "public conversation" regardless of wether you agree or not. 

 

 

The national strategy is to manage the virus while staying open and not ruining the country

It's medical science versus ignorance.