Wuhan Virus — Timeline Through March 16 & The Great Hunkering

Progressives seem to have only one motivation — the raw will to power, regardless of the cost to the country, and as I pointed out yesterday, regardless of the cost in lives other than their own.  Their overriding goal is to craft a narrative of the Wuhan virus that puts the maximum amount of blame on President Trump.  Since the start of the Wuhan virus crisis in the U.S., the progressive left has tried to paint every decision made by Trump as wrong (hydrochloroquine), bungling (CDC’s failure to develop a test), where possible, evil (racist to shut borders to China, racist to call the Wuhan Flu by its name, Trump pushing chloroquine for personal financial gain) or failed in comparison to other countries (China is more effective, more deaths in U.S. than Italy).

Nothing has worked so far to bury Trump and to turn his Wuhan virus response into his version of Katrina.  So progressives now have a new line — Trump knew all about the virus and did nothing.  Says the odious Crazy Nancy today, the same woman promoting San Francisco’s Chinatown as perfectly safe at the end of February, Trump’s “delay” in his response was “almost sinful.”

Thus it is important to have a firm handle on the timeline and facts.  This particular timeline goes from the start of the virus through March 16, the date on which Preisdent Trump announced the most stringent mitigation measures in order to flatten the curve of the Wuhan Virus.  I will be referring to it in future posts.  If you think it should contain additional entries, place them in the comments.  No trolling, no snark, please.

17 Nov. 2019 —  Cumulative Cases of Known Coronavirus Infections in U.S. On This Date per the CDC (hereinafterU.S. Cases Known“):  0; Cumulative Deaths attributed to Coronavirus in U.S. As Of This Date (per the CDC reported weekly) (hereinafter U.S. Deaths):  0

:  First case of coronavirus is identified in Wuhan.  As the Times of Israel reports,

For [the next] forty days,  President Xi Jinping’s CPC concealed, destroyed, falsified, and fabricated information about the rampant spread of COVID-19 through its state-sanctioned massive surveillance and suppression of data; its misrepresentation of information; its silencing and criminalizing of its dissent; and its disappearance of its whistleblowers.

:  Also see (Wash Times) Dr. Anthony Fauci: China misled the world; virus erupted in mid-December; (Twitchy) FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr’s thread lays absolute waste to ChiComs’ claim that China enjoys ‘freedom & transparency; and

Dr. Fauci, in an interview, discusses the misinformation that came out of China and why that left the U.S. with so many misimpressions about the Wuhan virus.

31 Dec. 2019  –  U.S. Cases Known:  0;  U.S. Deaths:  0

:  China issues a first report of unspecified pneumonia cases in Wuhan, approx. 47 in total, to the World Health Organization (“WHO”).

6 Jan. 2020 – U.S. Cases Known:  0;  U.S. Deaths:  0

:  HHS Sec. Alex Azar contacts China and offers to send a CDC team to assist with the outbreak.

14 Jan. 2020U.S. Cases Known:  0;  U.S. Deaths:  0

Preliminary investigations conducted by the Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission of the novel #coronavirus (2019-nCoV) identified in #Wuhan, #China?￰゚ヌᄈ. pic.twitter.com/Fnl5P877VG

— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) January 14, 2020

:  The World Health Organization (WHO) stated on Jan. 14 that “Preliminary investigations conducted by the Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) identified in Wuhan, China.” This was weeks after China had confirmed the opposite to be the case in Wuhan.

17 Jan. 2020U.S. Cases Known:  0;  U.S. Deaths:  0

:  On Jan. 17, the CDC and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that American citizens returning from travel-restricted countries were being rerouted to specific airports, where they would be screened and isolated. CDC on that day also stated that, “based on current information, the risk from 2019-nCoV to the American public is currently deemed to be low.”

21 Jan. 2020 – U.S. Cases Known:  1;  U.S. Deaths:  0

The first case of coronavirus in the United States was reported, of a man who had traveled from Wuhan, China.  WebMD reports:

The Washington man, believed to be in his 30s, apparently traveled back from Wuhan on Jan. 15 and started feeling ill 4 days later. It’s not clear whether he would have been contagious on the trip home. Viruses commonly are transmitted before symptoms appear, Mina says, though that might not be the case with the Wuhan virus. . . .

The Washington man is hospitalized and isolated “because it’s the first person in the United States,” Chris Spitters, the health officer for the Snohomish Health District, said at the Tuesday news conference. “We will likely learn from this and future cases and adjust our recommendations accordingly.”

But the man is not very ill, Spitters said, and he “poses very little risk to staff or general public.” . . .

:  Dr. Antohony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), emphasized that it was unclear whether the virus could spread from person to person: “Is it a continual spread? Is it sustained? We’re not quite sure yet.”

In January, Dr Tony Fauci was on my show telling America not to worry about the Coronavirus—that it wasn’t a major threat to the people. January 21, 2020, 20 seconds: pic.twitter.com/RLDivpgbAq

— Greg Kelly (@gregkellyusa) April 3, 2020

:  CDC Director Robert Redfield told Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade late last month that he agreed with Fauci’s assessment at the time, and said that nobody could have predicted the outbreak that would eventually occur in the U.S.

22 Jan. 2020 – U.S. Cases Known:  1;  U.S. Deaths:  0

:  The World Health Organization voted NOT to declare the virus a “public health emergency of international concern.” The vast majority of the cases are still concentrated in China, WHO officials said, and there is no evidence of spread in any other countries where it’s been diagnosed.

There are still many questions about the new virus, such as where it came from, how it passed to people (it is usually found in mammals), whether people can be contagious without showing signs of the disease, and how best to treat it, says W. Ian Lipkin, a professor of epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in New York.

24 Jan. 2020 – U.S. Cases Known:  2;  U.S. Deaths:  0

:  The CDC confirmed the second U.S. case of coronavirus, adding again that “based on what we know right now, the immediate risk to America remains low.”

27 Jan. 2020 – U.S. Cases Known:  5;  U.S. Deaths:  0

:  HHS Sec. Alex Azar speaks with China’s Minister of Health and repeats the 6 Jan. offer to send a CDC team to assist with the outbreak.

28 Jan. 2020 – U.S. Cases Known:  5;  U.S. Deaths:  0

:  President Trump expanded U.S. airport screenings to identify travelers showing symptoms and instituted mandatory quarantines.

:  HHS Sec. Alex Azar notifies China through the WHO of its offer to send a CDC team to assist with the outbreak.

:  WHO published another statement about the coronavirus, with a photograph and headline saying: “WHO, China leaders discuss next steps in battle against coronavirus outbreak.” Pictured are WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in Beijing with Chinese President Xi Jinping compliments the actions China in response to the outbreak, its speed in identifying the virus and openness to sharing information with WHO and other countries.”

30 Jan. 2020  – U.S. Cases Known:  5;  U.S. Deaths:  0

:  The CDC confirmed publicly for the first time the person-to-person spread of Wuhan virus.

:  The president created the White House Coronavirus Task Force to coordinate efforts regarding this new disease.

:  WHO declares a global health emergency of international concern as Wuhan Virus cases appear in four countries outside of China.

31 Jan. 2020  – U.S. Cases Known:  7;  U.S. Deaths:  0

:  President Trump declared coronavirus a U.S. public health emergency and issued the ban on travel between the United States and China.

:  Trump is bashed in the media at the NYT, WaPo, and other left wing rags, while Joe Biden criticizes President Trump’s China travel ban, saying during an Iowa campaign event, “This is no time for Donald Trump’s record of hysteria and xenophobia.”

3 Feb. 2020  – U.S. Cases Known:  11;  U.S. Deaths:  0

:  World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus states that there was no need for travel bans targeting China and further states that the virus had only infected a small number of people outside of China, that it was moving slowly, and that it could be “easily contained.”

4 Feb. 2020  – U.S. Cases Known:  11;  U.S. Deaths:  0

:  The White House intervenes with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to step up coronavirus diagnostic testing procedures.

:  Trump says at the SOTU speech:  “Protecting Americans’ health also means fighting infectious diseases. We are coordinating with the Chinese government and working closely together on the coronavirus outbreak in China. My administration will take all necessary steps to safeguard our citizens from this threat.”  An unhinged Nancy Pelosi melodramatically tears up the copy of his speech at the conclusion, calling it all lies.

CDC states that “[w]hile we continue to believe the immediate risk of 2019nCoV exposure to the general public is low, CDC is undertaking measures to help keep that risk low.”

6 Feb. 2020  –  U.S. Cases Known:  11;  U.S. Deaths:  0 

:  The CDC began shipping CDC-Developed test kits for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus to U.S. and international labs

7 Feb. 2020  –  U.S. Cases Known:  11;  U.S. Deaths:  0

:  HHS Sec. Alex Azar said at a Feb. 7 press conference that “our longstanding offer to send world-class experts to China to assist remains on the table.”   At the time, the New York Times reported, “Normally, teams from the agency’s Epidemic Intelligence Service can be in the air within 24 hours.”

9 Feb. 2020  – U.S. Cases Known:  11;  U.S. Deaths:  0

:  The White House Coronavirus Task Force briefed governors from across the nation at the National Governors’ Association Meeting in Washington.

11 Feb.U.S. Cases Known:  12;  U.S. Deaths:  0

:  The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) expanded a partnership with Janssen Research & Development to “expedite the development” of a coronavirus vaccine.

14 Feb –  U.S. Cases Known:  13;  U.S. Deaths:  0

:  The CDC began working with five labs to conduct “community-based influenza surveillance” to study and detect the spread of coronavirus.

17 Feb. 2020  –  U.S. Cases Known:  13;  U.S. Deaths:  0

:  A Chinese scientific paper identifies the likely cause of the Wuhan Flu as careless biosecurity at a disease research laboratory just 280 yards from the market where the outbreak was originally detected.  This paper is later withdrawn by the Chinese scientists.

18 Feb. 2020  –  U.S. Cases Known:  13;  U.S. Deaths: 0

:  In an update on the cruise ship Diamond Princess, the CDC reaffirmed that the “risk to Americans from coronavirus is low.

20 Feb. 2020  –  U.S. Cases Known:  13;  U.S. Deaths: 0

:  The administration raised travel warnings to their highest level for Japan and South Korea.

24 Feb. 2020  –  U.S. Cases Known:  15;  U.S. Deaths: 0

:  Nancy Pelosi goes to Chinatown in San Francisco to assure the country that it was safe.  Trying to induce people to come to Chinatown, she stated:

It doesn’t make any sense, but it’s not just Asian-owned now.  You see in Italy where the shows – the fashion shows and all of that were done without an audience because people – they just didn’t – because people were not coming.  So, again, this fear is – I think – unwarranted in light of the precautions that are being taken here in the United States.  I can’t speak for any other country. . . .

So, again, the immigration community is about family.  It is about small business and big business.  It’s about not only making out communities better, but our economy’s thrive.  So, that’s why we want people to come to Chinatown.  Don’t be afraid.  Enjoy it all.  It’s beautiful and there are some good bargains here now, so it’s a good time to come.

26 Feb. 2020  –  U.S. Cases Known: 15;  U.S. Deaths:  0

:  The CDC announces the first case of suspected local transmission of the Wuhan virus in the United States..

:  President Trump that day named Vice President Pence to lead the Coronavirus Task Force. The next day, Feb. 27, Pence named Dr. Deborah Birx to serve as the White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator.

27 Feb. 2020  –  U.S. Cases Known:  15;  U.S. Deaths:  0

:  Sean Hannity, on Fox News, states:

Make no mistake. Coronavirus, it is dangerous. Those infected are contagious before they show symptoms during incubation period. They don’t know they have the disease. The rapid spread of the virus across continents, it is, of course, concerning.”

28 Feb. 2020  –  U.S. Cases Known:  16;  U.S. Deaths: 0

CBS reports:

Health officials announced a second coronavirus case in California on Friday in which they didn’t know how the person was infected. Earlier, the World Health Organization upgraded the global risk from the outbreak to “very high.” . . .

In the U.S., at least 63 people were being treated for COVID-19 as of Thursday, most of them evacuated from Asia. The origin of two cases, both women in California, have been impossible for doctors to trace, leading the CDC to warn the U.S. has likely seen its first case of “community spread.”

The head of the World Health Organization said that kind of transmission, of unknown origin and possibly from the general population, represented the third of four outbreak stages that every nation must be prepared for: “Every country must be ready for its first case, its first cluster, the first evidence of community transmission, and for dealing with sustained community transmission,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. . . .

29 Feb. 2020  –  U.S. Cases Known:  24;  U.S. Deaths: 1

:  CDC reports the first death from the Wuhan virus in the United States.

:  Dr. Fauci tells the public that there is “no need” to change personal habits or one’s daily routine.  The “risk from the virus is still low . . .”  What would change that, he says, is if “we start to see community spread . . .”

:  President Trump halted travel with Iran.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allowed certified labs to develop and begin testing coronavirus testing kits while reviewing pending applications.

The Trump Administration announced a level 4 travel advisory to areas of Italy and South Korea; barred all travel to Iran, and barred the entry of foreign citizens who visited Iran in the last 14 days.

3 Mar. 2020  –  U.S. Cases Known:  80;  U.S. Deaths: 5  

Wapo reports:

“The global mortality rate — which includes more than 3,000 deaths — is many times higher than the ‘mortality rate’ of the flu, which is less than 1%. WHO director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that is at least partly because COVID-19 is a new disease, and no one has built up an immunity to it. Still, Tedros reiterated the WHO’s belief that containment was still within reach.”

Reuters reports on additional cases believed to have occurred by community transmission and that “[p]reviously, all testing was conducted by the CDC, creating a delay of several days before the result was known. U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn told Congress that testing kits should be available by the end of the week that would give labs the capacity to perform about 1 million coronavirus tests.”

The CDC lifted federal restrictions on coronavirus testing to allow any American to be tested for coronavirus, “subject to doctor’s orders.”

4 Mar. 2020  –  U.S. Cases Known:  98;  U.S. Deaths:  5

:  The Trump Administration announced the purchase of approximately 500 million N95 respirators over the next 18 months to respond to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.

:  Secretary Azar announced that HHS was transferring $35 million to the CDC to help state and local communities that have been impacted most by the coronavirus.

6 Mar. 2020  –  U.S. Cases Known:  214;  U.S. Deaths:  5  

:  President Trump signed an $8.3 billion bill to fight the coronavirus outbreak.  The bill provides $7.76 billion to federal, state, & local agencies to combat the coronavirus and authorizes an additional $500 million in waivers for Medicare telehealth restrictions.

9 Mar. 2020  –  U.S. Cases Known:  647;  U.S. Deaths:  19  

:  President Trump called on Congress to pass a payroll tax cut over coronavirus.

10 Mar. 2020  –  U.S. Cases Known:  937;  U.S. Deaths: 19   

:  President secures agreement with private health insurance companies to waive co-pays for coronavirus testing.

11 Mar. 2020  –  U.S. Cases Known: 1,215;  U.S. Deaths: 19 

President Trump announces travel restrictions on foreigners who had visited Europe in the last 14 days, directed the Small Business Administration to issue low-interest loans to affected small businesses and called on congress to increase this fund by $50 billion; and, ordered the Treasury Department to defer tax payments for affected individuals & businesses, & provide $200 billion in “additional liquidity.”

13 Mar. 2020  –  U.S. Cases Known:  1.896;  U.S. Deaths: 19   

President Trump declared a national emergency in order to access $42 billion in existing funds to combat the coronavirus.

President Trump announced, public-private partnerships to open up drive-through testing collection sites, a pause on interest payments on federal student loans, and ann order to the Department of Energy to purchase oil for the strategic petroleum reserve.

The Food & Drug Administration granted Roche AG an emergency approval for automated coronavirus testing kits and issued an emergency approval to Thermo Fisher for a coronavirus test within 24 hours of receiving the request.

HHS announced funding for the development of two new rapid diagnostic tests, which would be able to detect coronavirus in approximately 1 hour.

14 Mar. 2020  –  U.S. Cases Known:  2,234;  U.S. Deaths:  44  

:  The Trump Administration announced the European travel ban will extend to the UK and Ireland.

:  (est. date)

15 Mar. 2020  –  U.S. Cases Known:  3,487;  U.S. Deaths: 44     

:  HHS announced it is projected to have 1.9 million COVID-19 tests available in 2,000 labs this week.

:  Google announced a partnership with the Trump Administration to develop a website dedicated to coronavirus education, prevention, & local resources.

:  All 50 states were contacted through FEMA to coordinate “federally-supported, state-led efforts” to end coronavirus.

16 March  –  U.S. Cases Known:  4,226;  U.S. Deaths: 44

:  The Great Hunkering Begins as President Trump issues Coronavirus Guidelines For America to ‘flatten the curve’ of the virus and slow its progress

New CDC guidance says older adults should ‘stay at home as much as possible’ due to coronavirus

:  NBC reports “officials in 28 states confirmed positive tests for the coronavirus illness COVID-19.”

:  FDA announced it was empowering states to authorize tests developed and used by labs in their states.

: 1 million coronavirus tests, and projected 2 million tests available the next week and 5 million the following.