Trump furious Americans infected with coronavirus flew back to US without his permission: report
By Marisa Schultz
Published February 22, 2020
President Trump was furious that 14 Americans infected with the coronavirus returned to the United States without his permission rather than remain in quarantine overseas, according to a new report.
Trump had been briefed that the healthy U.S. passengers who spent weeks quarantined aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan would be allowed to fly home on two chartered planes -- while those who were sick or infected would stay in Japan to prevent the spread of the deadly virus.
The president became "furious" with senior advisers after learning the 14 Americans who tested positive had been put on a plane with healthy passengers, according to The Washington Post. One official told the paper that the failure to inform Trump of the decision in advance of the plane's departure was a “big operational mistake.”
Trump complained that bringing home the infected Americans could damage the adminstratration's response to the global health outbreak.
While the Americans evacuated from the ship were on buses on the tarmac in Tokyo, U.S. officials got the results back that 14 had tested positive for COVID-19 but had not yet shown symptoms. Officials made the decision to have them fly home anyway, but “isolated” from the other passengers on the plane.
“These individuals were moved in the most expeditious and safe manner to a specialized containment area on the evacuation aircraft to isolate them in accordance with standard protocol,” the State Department and Department of Health and Human Services said in a joint statement Monday.
“After consultation with HHS officials … the State Department made the decision to allow the 14 individuals, who were in isolation, separated from other passengers, and continued to be asymptomatic, to remain on the aircraft to complete the evacuation process.”
The infected passengers were to be isolated for medical care upon arriving back in the United States.
“Every precaution to ensure proper isolation and community protection measures are being taken, driven by the most up-to-date risk assessments by U.S. health authorities,” State and HHS officials said.
The viral outbreak that began in China has now spread to nearly 78,000 people globally, including 76,288 in mainland China. Here are the latest figures for the number of people who have contracted COVID-19:
— Mainland China: 2,345 deaths among 76,288 cases, mostly in the central province of Hubei
— Hong Kong: 69 cases, 2 deaths
— Macao: 10 cases
— Japan: 754 cases, including 634 from the cruise ship docked in Yokohama, 3 deaths
— South Korea: 433 cases, 2 deaths
— Singapore: 89 cases
— United States: 35 cases; separately, 1 U.S. citizen died in China
— Thailand: 35 cases
— Iran: 28 cases, 5 deaths
— Taiwan: 26 cases, 1 death
— Australia: 23 cases
— Malaysia: 22
— Italy: 19 cases; 1 death
— Vietnam: 16 cases
— Germany: 16
— France: 12 cases, 1 death
— United Arab Emirates: 11 cases
— United Kingdom: 9
— Canada: 9
— Philippines: 3 cases, 1 death
— India: 3 cases
— Russia: 2
— Spain: 2
— Lebanon: 1
— Israel: 1
— Belgium: 1
— Nepal: 1
— Sri Lanka: 1
— Sweden: 1
— Cambodia: 1
— Finland: 1
— Egypt: 1
The Coronavirus and Bible Prophecy - By Britt Gillette -
Sometime in late 2019, a mysterious virus emerged in the city of Wuhan, China. Easily transmissible, it spread through the city like wildfire. By late January 2020, local hospitals were overwhelmed with critically ill pneumonia patients. China ordered a quarantine of the entire city - a city of 11 million people. Experts named the virus COVID-19 (a.k.a. "the coronavirus"). The quarantine of Wuhan, which now includes dozens of cities and over 700 million people, is implemented with the hope of ending all spread of the disease. If it fails, a global pandemic will strike the world.
This isn't without precedent. One hundred years ago, the world faced a similar enemy - H1N1. Also known as the Spanish Flu, it rose from the trenches of World War I and spread to every corner of the globe in the years 1918 and 1919 - even remote Pacific islands. When the global pandemic finally ended, it had taken more lives than the Great War itself. Estimates say between 50 and 100 million people died - about 3% to 6% of the world population.
Will History Repeat Itself?
Since the 1918/1919 Spanish Flu, we've avoided a similar pandemic. We've had a number of scares - bird flu, swine flu, Ebola, Zika, and other diseases - but we've avoided a global pandemic. Some of this is because of what we've done. We have better knowledge of how viruses and bacteria spread. We know how to quarantine areas, disinfect treatment centers, and provide more effective medical care. But the number one reason we've avoided a global pandemic is luck. That's right. For the past 100 years, we've just been plain lucky. Unfortunately, our luck is about to end.
How can I be so sure? Because what we know indicates the coronavirus is every bit as infectious and deadly as the Spanish Flu, if not more so. For instance, early studies are showing for every person who contracts the coronavirus, they give it to at least three other people. For comparison sake, only 1.8 persons contracted the Spanish Flu for every one person who got it. The coronavirus also has an incubation period as long as up to 24 days, and a person can be contagious throughout that entire period. So far, the case fatality rate (or number of people who die after contracting the coronavirus) is at least 1% and could end up being much higher.
Expect a Global Pandemic
Unless a sudden mutation makes the coronavirus harmless, expect a global pandemic. Why? Unlike more recent pandemic threats such as Ebola or SARS, the coronavirus spreads even when infected people show no symptoms. And once symptoms do appear, they're similar to the seasonal flu. This means the coronavirus can silently spread through an entire community without raising suspicion. Only when local hospitals see a spike in severe pneumonia cases will it become clear how widespread the infection is.
In all likelihood, the silent spread of the coronavirus is already taking place. While government officials try to convince the public the virus is contained, it's not. And they know it. Notice how every new case outside of China merits the official government response, "Don't worry. The risk of wider spread in the community remains low." This isn't necessarily a lie. The key word is "remains." The risk does remain low - until it doesn't.
So what is the true risk? Professor Gabriel Leung, the chair of public health medicine at Hong Kong University, is one of the world's leading experts on coronavirus epidemics. He played a key role in containing the 2002/2003 SARS outbreak. According to Leung, if the coronavirus can not be contained, it could infect up to 60% of the world's population. Dr. Robert Redfield, current Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said, "I think this virus is probably with us beyond this season, beyond this year, and I think eventually the virus will find a foothold and we'll get community based transmission and you can start to think about it like seasonal flu. The only difference is we don't understand this virus." Marc Lipsitch, a professor of epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said, "I think it is likely we'll see a global pandemic. If a pandemic happens, 40% to 70% of people world-wide are likely to be infected in the coming year."
A Sign of the Times
Hopefully, the coronavirus will die off and won't spread to the entire world. But whether it does or not, what does it have to do with bible prophecy? After all, the Bible doesn't mention COVID-19 or the coronavirus by name. So how can it be related to the end times? While no bible prophecies specifically point to the coronavirus, I believe it's yet another sign the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is near. How can I be sure?
When His followers asked Jesus to describe the signs of His coming, one of the signs He told them to look for was "pestilence" (Luke 21:11). What is pestilence? Merriam-Webster defines it as "a contagious or infectious epidemic disease that is virulent and devastating." Jesus said this pestilence will arrive like "birth pains" (Matthew 24:8), meaning it will increase in frequency and intensity in the time leading up to His return. This means, as the end approaches, we should expect infectious disease outbreaks to occur more frequently, impact more people, and be more deadly. This is exactly what the coronavirus threatens to bring - a global pandemic with the potential to kill tens of millions.
Are You Prepared?
Regardless of its role in end times bible prophecy, the emergence of the coronavirus should force you to ask this question, "Am I prepared?" Now when I say this, I don't mean are you prepared to go off grid and wait out a global pandemic. I'm talking about something much more important. If the worst case scenario plays out, are you prepared to die? After all, it shouldn't matter whether you die of coronavirus or peacefully in your sleep. Regardless of the circumstance, your odds of dying are quite high. After all, how many people over the age of 100 do you know? Maybe a few. How about people over the age of 150? None, right? They're all dead, and that means you've got a good chance of dying one day too. When you die, do you know where you're going?
If you place your trust in Jesus Christ and accept His sacrifice on the cross as payment for your sins, you'll go to heaven. The Bible says if you confess Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9). The Bible says all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13). The best preparation for the coronavirus is to know where you stand. Jesus says you're either for Him or against Him (Matthew 12:30). There's no in between. So if you haven't ever made a decision to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, I encourage you to do so right now. Do it before it's too late. Because one way or another - Jesus is coming.
Note: This is the fifth of a series of clinical briefs on the coronavirus outbreak. This is an emerging, rapidly evolving situation and Medscape will provide updated activities as information becomes available.
Clinical Context
The world continues to monitor the outbreak of 2019-nCoV with dread. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Situation Report on 2019-nCoV dated February 10, 2020,[1] there were 40 554 cases of confirmed 2019-nCoV infection worldwide (with 909 confirmed deaths). Only 319 of these cases have been diagnosed outside China, with 12 cases diagnosed in the United States.
Although highly concerning, these numbers are dwarfed by the number of individuals affected by influenza in the United States alone in the 2019-2020 flu season. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates at least 22 million cases of influenza in the United States this flu season, with 210,000 hospitalizations and 12,000 deaths.[2] Although this flu season has been remarkable for the predominance of influenza B strain infections, the CDC notes that the rate of infection with influenza A H1N1 has been on the rise over the past several weeks. In addition, whereas the overall rate of hospitalization because of influenza is similar to previous years, this flu season has resulted in higher rates of hospitalization among children and young adults.
According to these numbers, it is currently much more likely to encounter a patient with influenza vs 2019-nCoV in the United States, but how else can clinicians differentiate between 2019-nCoV and influenza?
Synopsis and Perspective
In a sad twist of events, on February 6th, the New York Times reported that the Chinese doctor, Li Wenliang, who was said to have blown the whistle on the deadly 2019-nCoV, died from the same virus on January 31 2020. According to media reports, on a social media post, Dr Li described his symptoms, which initiated with a cough on January 10 and followed by a fever the following day. There is not much else reported on his symptoms until his pronounced death on January 31.
There is a limited number of studies on the clinical presentation of patients with confirmed 2019-nCoV infection. What has been garnered in information is primarily from case studies from patients admitted to hospitals in Wunan, China. Most of these are of hospitalized patients with pneumonia, according to the CDC.[3]
One such study is by Nanshan Chen, MD, et al.[4] Their retrospective, single-center study on patients recruited from Jinyintan Hospital in Wuhan China, who contracted the virus between January 1 and January 20, provides an early look at clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the virus in 99 confirmed cases.
How does the flu differ from 2019-nCoV? One common factor is that both are respiratory illnesses but are caused by different viruses.
Signs and Symptoms
Chen et al identified the following symptoms of 2019-nCoV that were presented in 99 patients on onset[4]:
- Fever, n= 82 (83%)
- Cough, n= 81 (82%)
- Shortness of breath, n= 31 (31%)
- Muscle ache, n = 11 (11%)
Of the symptoms, the fever course is not fully understood among patients who contracted the 2019-nCoV infection. According to the CDC,[3] it may be prolonged and intermittent. Serious 2019-nCoV infection can develop into severe pneumonia, pulmonary edema, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or multiple organ failure and death, according to Chen and colleagues.[4]
In another study by Qun Li, MMed, et al,[5] which analyzed the first 425 confirmed cases of 2019-nCoV, researchers diagnosed infection as pneumonia if it fulfilled the following criteria:
- Fever (with or without recorded temperature)
- Radiographic evidence of pneumonia
- Low or normal white-cell count
- Low lymphocyte count
- No reduction in symptoms after antimicrobial treatment for 3 days
Pneumonia was confirmed if patients had the first 3 criteria and had an epidemiologic link to the Huanan seafood market or came in contact with patients with similar symptoms.
What are the signs and symptoms of the flu? These are often sudden and include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue (tiredness), vomiting, and diarrhea (more common in children), according to the CDC.[6]
As you can see, the 2019-nCoV symptoms are similar to that of the flu. It is safe to conclude that it is impossible to tell for sure if a patient has the flu according to symptoms alone.
Incubation Period
According to the CDC interim clinical guidance,[3] the incubation period of 2019-nCoV is said to be approximately 5.2 (95% CI: 4.1, 7) days. Li and colleagues estimated the duration from illness onset to first medical visit for 45 patients with illness onset before January 1 2020 to have a mean of 5.8 (95% CI: 4.3, 7.5) days, which was similar to that for 207 patients with illness onset between January 1 2020 and January 11 2020, with a mean of 4.6 (95% CI: 4.1, 5.1) days.[5]
Similarly, for the flu, the CDC states that the show of symptoms from time of exposure is about 2 days but can range from about 1 to 4 days.[6] It is noted that the first 3 to 4 days tend to be the most contagious with persons infected with the flu.[6] People with weakened immune systems and young children may be able to infect others for an even longer time.[6]
In this, 2019-nCoV bears similarity to the flu virus as well.
Clinical Course
Among reported cases of 2019-nCoV infection so far, disease severity has varied between asymptomatic infection and mild to severe or fatal illness. Current clinical course is unclear, but according to the CDC, some reports suggest that patients tend to take a turn for the worse during the second week of illness.
According to the study by Li et al, the mean duration from onset to hospital admission was estimated to be 12.5 (95% CI: 10.3, 14.8) days among 44 cases with illness onset before January 1, 2020 which was longer than that among 189 patients with illness onset between January 1, 2020 and 11, 2020 (mean, 9.1 [95% CI: 8.6, 9.7]) days.[5]
In contrast, for uncomplicated flu infection, signs and symptoms have a shorter course and usually resolves after 3 to 7 days for most people, although cough and malaise may linger, which can persist for >2 weeks for individuals with weakened immune systems, such as the elderly and persons with chronic lung disease, explains the CDC.[7]
Diagnostic Testing
Several assays are currently under development that detect 2019-nCoV, both in-house and commercially; however, at this time, US diagnostic testing for 2019-nCoV can be conducted only at the CDC.[8]
For the flu virus, a number of diagnostic tests, such as rapid influenza diagnostic tests (RIDTs), are available.[9] Nasal cultures are the most important test for detecting the flu (ideally performed within the first 4 days of illness).[9]
Laboratory and Radiographic Findings
In the study of infected patients by Chen et al,[4] according to imaging examination (chest x-ray and computed tomography [CT]) results, 75% of patients showed bilateral pneumonia, 14% of patients showed multiple mottling and ground-glass opacity, and 1% of patients had pneumothorax; 17% of patients developed acute respiratory distress syndrome, and among them, 11% of patients worsened in a short period of time and died of multiple organ failure.
Laboratory results from patients with 2019-nCoV pneumonia showed increased leucocytes in 24% of patients, increased neutrophils in 38%, and decreased lymphocytes in 35%; platelets increased in 4% of patients.[4] Blood biochemistry showed decreased albumin in 98% of infected patients and elevated liver function tests: alanine aminotransferase (28%) and aspartate aminotransferase (35%).[4]
The flu can be complicated by secondary bacterial infections such as pneumonia. Similar to 2019-nCoV, other tests to detect radiographic findings can be performed (ie, chest x-ray or CT scan, sinus x-ray or CT scan). Laboratory findings may show an elevated white count when secondary bacterial infection is present or low white count if a viral infection is present.
Clinical Management and Treatment
The CDC recommends minimizing exposure to 2019-nCoV.[3] Isolation is recommended for all patients infected with 2019-nCoV as well as implementation of infection control measures.[3]
Currently, no specific treatment for 2019-nCoV is available.[3]
According to the study by Chen et al,[4] 76% of patients infected with the 2019-nCoV received antiviral treatment. This included oseltamivir dosed at 75 mg every 12 hours orally, ganciclovir dosed at 0.25 g every 12 hours intravenously, and lopinavir and ritonavir tablets dosed at 500 mg twice daily orally. Treatment duration ranged from 3 to 14 (median, 3 [interquartile range [IQR], 3-6]) days. Antibiotic treatment was administered to 71% of patients as well (ie, cephalosporins, quinolones, carbapenems, tigecycline against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, linezolid, and antifungal drugs). About 45% were given combination antibiotic treatment. Duration of antibiotic treatment ranged from 3 to 17 (median, 5 [IQR, 3-7]) days. Supportive treatments of steroids (eg, methylprednisolone, dexamethasone) were administered as well, with a duration of 3 to 15 (median, 5 [IQR, 3-7] days).[4]
For people with influenza infection or who have a high risk for serious complications, the CDC recommends prompt treatment.[7] Uncomplicated flu has a shorter course and usually resolves after 3 to 7 days for most people.[7] For more serious flu complications, the CDC indicates that antiviral drugs can lessen symptoms and shorten duration of sickness by 1 or 2 days.[10] This is especially important in patients with a higher risk for complications, as those drugs can mean the difference in preventing a hospital stay.[10] Core prevention studies include administration of influenza vaccine, implementation of respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette, appropriate management of ill healthcare practitioners, adherence to infection control precautions , as well as implementing environmental and engineering infection control measures. [10]
In an article published on the World Economic Forum website, Katie Whiting compared coronavirus and the flu.[11] For the seasonal flu, there is a vaccine to protect against infection.[11] This cannot be said for 2019-nCoV, for which there is no vaccine.[11] Research for a vaccine is underway.[11]
Risk Factors
The risk factors for contracting 2019-nCoV are not yet clear. The CDC estimates that, on average, 8% of the US population gets sick with the flu every year.[6] This cannot be compared with 2019-nCoV, which is still emerging (12 cases in the United States as of February 10, 2020).[1] However, healthcare workers are at increased risk for exposure to 2019-nCoV, warns the CDC.[12]
Older patients and persons with chronic medical conditions may be at higher risk for severe illness when infected.[3] Nearly all reported cases of the 2019-nCoV infection have occurred in adults (median age, 59 years).
In the study by Li and colleagues[5], of 425 patients with pneumonia and confirmed 2019-nCoV, infection was in adults age 60 years or older, and 57% were male. Of reported patients, about one-third to one-half had underlying medical comorbidities, including diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. Very few of the cases reported have been in children.
Influenza B, which affects young people more severely, has been reported more often this season on a national level, according to the CDC’s most recent flu-surveillance report.[2] In contrast to the 2019-nCoV, more than half of specimens that tested positive for influenza this season have been in people younger than age 25 years, according to the CDC. They emphasize that anyone can get sick with flu (even healthy people), and serious problems related to flu can happen at any age.[6] Complications of flu can include bacterial pneumonia, ear infections, sinus infections, and worsening of chronic medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure, asthma, or diabetes.[6] Some people are at high risk of developing serious flu-related complications if they get sick (ie, age ≥65 years; people of any age with certain chronic medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease; pregnant women and children younger than age 5 years but especially children younger than age 2 years.[6]
Transmission
In the study by Li et al,[5] human-to-human transmission was confirmed among close contacts.
With the flu, viruses are spread mainly by droplets through coughing, sneezing, or talking and inhaled into the lungs, according to experts.[6] People with flu can spread it to others up to about 6 feet away. Less often, a person might get flu by touching a surface or object that has flu virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes.[6] The CDC recommends following guidelines to prevent the spread of viruses, such as handwashing, disinfecting surfaces, and avoiding contact with persons who have been infected.[12]
To conclude, according to the WHO,[13] differentiating the flu from 2019-nCoV can be difficult through clinical symptoms alone because the symptoms are similar, as is the case with infectious respiratory illnesses. Clinicians need to perform a thorough history and physical examination and perform necessary tests to make a proper diagnosis.
**Studies cited had various limitations, including small sample size, exclusion of suspected but undiagnosed cases, and lack of more detailed patient information and clinical outcomes.
Highlights
- Epidemiology and geography have to play critical roles in the differentiation of influenza from 2019-nCoV. Clinicians need to consider that the only area affected by a broad outbreak of 2019-nCoV is Hubei Province in central China, where 29631 cases have been reported.[1]
- The CDC currently recommends consideration for evaluation for 2019-nCoV only among patients with fever and cough or shortness of breath who traveled from Hubei Province, China, in the past 14 days or who had close contact with someone with suspected or confirmed infection with 2019-nCoV in the past 14 days. They recently expanded the evaluation recommendation to include anyone traveling from mainland China in the past 14 days with symptoms requiring hospitalization.[14]
- Symptoms are less discriminatory in comparing 2019-nCoV and influenza. Both viral infections cause fever and cough in the majority of patients affected.
- The duration of symptoms may be more important in distinguishing between infection with 2019-nCoV and influenza. The symptoms of uncomplicated influenza usually last about 3 to 7 days, with gradual improvement in symptoms such as cough up to 2 weeks.[7]
- In contrast, in a study by Chaolin Huang and colleagues of patients infected with 2019-nCoV, more than half of patients developed dyspnea at a mean of 8 days after the onset of symptoms.[15]
- Although bilateral patchy infiltrates are present in a minority of chest radiographs of patients with influenza, all patients in the case series infected with 2019-nCoV had abnormal findings on CT.[15]
- What is understood about the clinical course of 2019-nCoV suggests a more severe infection vs influenza. In the case series, nearly one-third of patients with 2019-nCoV were admitted to the intensive care unit, and 15% died.[15]
- According to the WHO, differentiating the flu from 2019-nCoV can be difficult through clinical symptoms alone because the symptoms are similar, as is the case with infectious respiratory illnesses. Clinicians need to perform a thorough history and physical examination and perform necessary tests to make a proper diagnosis.[13]
Clinical Implications
- The current epidemiology of influenza in the United States dwarves the number of infections with 2019-nCoV. The CDC estimates 22 million cases of influenza in the US this flu season, with 210,000 hospitalizations and 12,000 deaths.[2] Only 319 cases of infection with 2019-nCoV have been detected outside of China (12 cases in the United States) since the outbreak began.[1]
- Initial symptoms of infection may be the weakest way to differentiate infection with the novel coronavirus vs influenza. Instead, epidemiologic and travel clues can be highly informative, and the course of illness of 2019-nCoV is generally more severe than that of the flu.[15]
- Implications for the Healthcare Team: The healthcare team should be vigilant for cases of 2019-nCoV while promoting best practices to reduce the effect of influenza on public and individual health.
Globalists Look To Exploit Coronavirus In Push For Global Government - By Brandon Smith/Activist -
Once you understand the globalist mindset, almost everything they do becomes rather robotic and predictable. It should not be surprising that the World Health Organization (WHO), a branch of the United Nations, has been so aggressive in cheerleading for the Chinese government and its response to the coronavirus outbreak.
After all, China's communist surveillance state model is a beta test for the type of centralization that the UN wants for the entire planet. They certainly aren't going to point out that it was China's totalitarian system that allowed the outbreak to spread from the very beginning.
Even now Xi Jinping is trying to rewrite history, claiming that he had been swift in responding to the crisis more than a month before he actually did. The lie that the coronavirus mutated naturally in a food and animal market in Wuhan continues to be peddled by the mainstream media even though no evidence supporting this claim exists.
And China is still releasing rigged death and infection numbers while they have over 600 million people under martial law lockdown and their crematoriums continue pumping out the fumes of the dead 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
Brave health workers like Li Wenliang, who was punished by the government for warning about the virus in December, have died in the process of trying to fight against the centralized behemoth just to get vital information to the world, but that never happened, right?
It was actually president Xi and the CPC that saved the day. The WHO and the CPC say so. You'll never hear the UN praise the efforts of Li Wenliang; they want his name to disappear down the memory hole as much as the Chinese government does.
The developing narrative is a familiar one - Local officials "stifled" the response to the outbreak while the centralized national leadership put things back on track with extreme control measures that have turned the Hubei province into a veritable internment camp.
Whatever you do, don't point out that it was the national government's habit of imprisoning health officials that release "false information" that led to the delayed reaction on the coronavirus.
Also, don't point out that ground zero for the outbreak is just down the road from the largest Level 4 Biohazard Lab in Asia, because that would make you a "conspiracy theorist".
The message being pounded into the public consciousness is clear: "Shut up and accept that Centralization works". Even when it fails miserably, it is still the answer to all our problems. All we have to do is "adjust" the historical record a little bit every time the system breaks and then institute even MORE centralization in response.
In other words, if the interdependent and draconian top-down structure of the globalist state leads to crisis, then it is because it was not centralized ENOUGH. Centralization always begets more centralization.
The financial fascist system of central banking and corporate oligarchy leads to the socialist welfare state, and the socialist welfare state leads to the surveillance state, the surveillance state leads to the martial law state, and the martial law state leads to full-on global governance; an endless elitist empire.
The failings of centralization have caused numerous problems long before it led to a potential pandemic. The pandemic simply clarifies the issue. For example, the breakdown in the global supply chain is becoming a bigger threat by the day. The Baltic Dry Index a measure of shipping rates as well as global demand for goods, has essentially collapsed.
This should have been the first warning sign that the supply chain was in trouble, but the mainstream doesn't pay attention to the fundamentals, only stock markets. Enter Apple, one of the largest companies in the world, which has now abandoned its projections for 2020 and finally admitted that the shutdown of Chinese factories may just be a problem.
Some mentally challenged people out there are scoffing sarcastically at this issue, saying "Oh no, whatever will we do without iPhones...?". They don't grasp the wider implications. If Apple's production is going down because of the supply chain disruption then this is a signal that multiple companies and most of the economy are also going down because of supply chain disruptions. It's not about iPhones, it's about the bigger picture.
Globalism has led to interdependent economies and nation states that no longer have redundancies in production. We have been forced to rely on production centers on the other side of the world for a vast majority of our goods.
When China shuts down, the US economy loses almost 20% of its supply chain. When Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Vietnam shut down from the virus, you can add another 10% to 15% on top of that. Retailers in the US represent around 70% of GDP. Cut off the supply chain in Asia and retailers lose a vast array of goods to sell. The US economy eventually shuts down also, even if the virus never spreads here.
Some people will argue that we don't need all the "cheap plastic crap" from Asia anyway, and this situation is a "good thing". Sorry to break it to you, but America's economy is built on the selling of cheap plastic crap (along with the selling of the fiat dollar as the world reserve currency).
Walmart (Chinamart if you discount agricultural products) is the largest employer in the US and the world, after all. Right or wrong, our economic system is so globalized that the fall of the Chinese dominoes will eventually knock down our own dominoes.
But when this disaster occurs and numerous national economies suffer from enforced globalist integration, guess what will happen next? The globalists will ride to our "rescue" with even greater centralization. This was their agenda all along.
Many people in the liberty movement are now aware of the Event 201 simulation, a war game run by globalists in the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the World Economic Forum on a "theoretical" coronavirus pandemic that kills 65 million people.
This simulation took place only a couple of months before the real thing exploded in China in December. But hey, maybe that's all just amazing coincidence.
What concerns me even more is the solution that was presented at the end of Event 201 - the creation of a centralized global financial body that would manage the international response to the outbreak.
Isn't it amazing how every major catastrophe caused by globalism seems to lead to more globalism? One might start to wonder if some of these events were triggered by incompetence, or if they were deliberately engineered.
At the very least, crisis events have been allowed to fester unchecked by organizations like the WHO as they continue to write off the coronavirus as a non-issue that is "well under control" by a Chinese government that caused it to spread in the first place.
So here is what is going to happen next:
Best case scenario is that the Western world is mostly unscathed by the virus itself but the economic supply chain suffers major setbacks. The global economy, which was already crashing over the past year due to historic levels of corporate and consumer debt, not to mention faltering exports and freight, is finally tipped over the edge.
The massive Everything Bubble, fueled by a decade of inflationary central bank stimulus, implodes. Governments respond with totalitarian measures in the name of "protecting the public".
Globalist institutions like the IMF step in and suggest that frail national monetary systems come under the management of their Special Drawing Rights basket in order to mitigate the debt crisis. Essentially, this is the first step to global governance.
Worst case scenario, the virus spreads throughout the US and Europe and governments respond the same way China's government has; martial law and full-blown concentration camp culture. This would lead to civil war in the US because we are armed and many people will shoot anyone trying to put us into quarantine camps. Europe is mostly screwed.
The establishment then suggests that paper money be removed from the system because it is a viral spreader. China is already pushing this solution now. Magically, we find ourselves in a cashless society in a matter of a year or two; which is what the globalists have been demanding for years. Everything goes digital, and thus even local economies become completely centralized as private trade dies.
Again, this might be an engineered event, or it might simply be that the globalists are exploiting a natural outbreak. Either way, they are not going to let a good crisis go to waste. Whether or not they succeed is dependent on several factors, but mostly, its dependent on us.
How many people will buy into the notion that centralization is the answer to out problems? How many people will realize that centralization is the CAUSE of all our problems? And how many people will fight to prevent ultimate centralization under a psychopathic globalist cult?
A viral outbreak is a significant danger to us all, but an even greater threat is the supposed cure. Trading our economic and social freedom in the name of stopping the coronavirus? No matter how deadly the bug, it's just not worth it.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday warned that it expects the novel coronavirus to begin spreading in the U.S. at the community level, and that �disruption to everyday life may be severe.�
Dr. Nancy Messonnier, the agency�s director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said in a press briefing on Tuesday that the time for Americans to begin preparing for a potential outbreak of the virus is now, although officials believe the immediate threat to the public remains low.
�As more and more countries experience community spread, successful containment at our borders becomes harder and harder,� Messonnier said. �Ultimately, we expect we will see community spread in this country. It�s not so much a question of if this will happen anymore, but rather more a question of when this will happen, and how many people in this country will have severe illness.�
Citing the recent uptick in cases in countries with confirmed illnesses, Messonnier said health officials recognize that once the virus hits, it moves �quite rapidly," adding that the outbreak is inching closer toward pandemic status. She explained several measures the U.S. is prepared to take should the outbreak become severe, including closing schools and hosting meetings remotely.
"I understand this whole situation may seem overwhelming and that disruption to everyday life may be severe, but these are things people need to start thinking about now," Messonnier said.
Messonnier said that she herself spoke to her family over breakfast on Tuesday and that while she feels the risk of coronavirus at this time is low, she told them they needed to be preparing for "significant disruption" to their lives.
The U.S. currently has 14 confirmed cases of the virus in people who have traveled to China or been in close contact with someone who has. An additional 39 residents were infected with the virus while onboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan, but last week the health agency said those cases would be counted separately from the national tally.