Over the past week, I’ve started having dreams overtly about the virus and am surprised it hasn’t happened sooner. Maybe covert manifestations–stressful dreams, rudderlessness–were occurring prior. We went to the drive-in on Saturday for a friend’s birthday and so my visit, masked, to the bathroom there has had me hyper-aware of any physical quirks that may-or-may-not actually be manifesting.
The White House is infected.
- Katie Miller, Pence’s press secretary and spouse of Stephen Miller, a senior advisor to Trump.
- One of Trump’s personal valets. This after Trump went on a cross-country trip for some reason. “The military valets responsible for the President’s personal needs are a rare group [with] access to the food he eats and the Diet Cokes he summons with the push of a red button.” “the valet was in the room with him on Tuesday, the day he began exhibiting symptoms”
- Ivanka’s personal assistant.
- Dr. Stephen Hahn of the FDA, Dr. Robert Redfield of the CDC are on 14-day quarantine, and Dr. Fauci of the NIAID is on “moderate” quarantine.
(from Trump sought a reopening but found the virus in the White House instead, CNN, Sat 9 May 2020; 11 Secret Service employees infected with coronavirus, 60 in self-quarantine, USA Today, Sat 9 May 2020)
Trump is still not wearing a mask while meeting in close quarters and at a mask factory (where, bonus, “Live and Let Die” was playing). Pence is still not wearing a mask, while at the Mayo Clinic, when all others are wearing masks, and then tries to cover up the fact that the medical center requested masks be worn, and then revokes White House access to the reporter who reported on it.
Trump produced this comedy gold when asked about Katie Miller testing positive:
Well I don’t know much about it. Does anybody want to talk about it? She’s a wonderful young woman, Katie. She tested very good for a long period of time and the all of a sudden today she tested positive. She hasn’t come into contact with me. She spent some time with the Vice President. It’s I believe the press person? Right? It’s a press person? So she tested positive out of the blue. This is why the whole concept of tests aren’t necessarily great. The tests are perfect, but something can happen between the test where it’s good and then something happens and all of a sudden… She was tested very recently and tested negative and then today I guess for some reason she tested positive. So Mike knows about it and Mike has done what he has to do. I think he’s on an airplane going to some faraway place. But you’ll be able to ask him later on. But they’ve taken all of the necessary precautions. I understand Mike has been tested–the Vice President–and he tested negative.
from @atrupar, Fri 8 May 2020
So much to unpack there. Tests are “perfect” but “not great” but we should feel reassured because all of the White House is getting tested and, but still not him or Pence, are wearing masks. And how can a person be tested negative then later be tested positive? And who is this “Katie” you speak of? Oh, and he’s not certain where the Vice President is–the Vice Fucking President–but knows he’s “going to some faraway place”.
Actually, it’s best to not unpack.
Fact-checking ‘Plandemic’: A documentary full of false conspiracy theories about the coronavirus
Dispersal
The Risks – Know Them – Avoid Them
The above is from Prof. Erin Bromage (“a Comparative Immunologist and Professor of Biology (specializing in Immunology) at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth”). A summary, understanding that it may (only an estimate) take 1,000 particles to become infected, culled from the article:
| Type of Dispersal | Droplets Dispersed | Speed of Dispersal | Viral Particles Released |
| breathing | 50-5,000 | 20/min | |
| speaking | 500-50,000 | 200/min | |
| coughing | 3000 | 50 mph | 200 million |
| sneezing | 30000 | 200 mph | 200 million |
How the virus spreads in enclosed areas:
