ss120396

Universities already make admissions decisions based on incomplete grades senior year - mostly based on exams people have already taken before. I don't see how this would lead to the elimination of exams. In the UK where, unlike the US, basically your entire performance in a course is determined by the end of year exams, people are freaking out. GCSE and A-level exams have been cancelled. Kids now going to be assessed by prior performance on mock exams they had no idea would mean anything. If anything this might lead to more exams and coursework throughout the year in countries where that is not the norm.

The federal government already spends way more on healthcare than it does on the military. And that's before you throw in state spending - which is tilted even more towards healthcare vs. defense than the federal budget. Anyway this whole thing strikes me as poor/nonexistent pandemic preparation strategies in Western countries, rather than underfunding.

I don't see how any of this would lead to major healthcare reform or the demise of insurance companies. I'm all for health reform that lowers costs, but I don't think that would help in a situation like this. The countries with public healthcare systems are having issues with ventilator and bed shortages just like everyone else. And by some measures the US is more prepared, with more ICU beds per capita than most other countries (though still far too few to weather the virus without social distancing).

AlienUk

What I have noticed is most of the tropical countries, ie the Caribbean and Africa (with the exception of South Africa) have extremely low rates....Being of Jamaican descent, I have been watching Jamaica like a hawk and at present it has around 38 cases with 2 deaths....

scrubbedexpat096

44 now, didn't record first case until 9th of march...

They are just much earlier in the game, the same with most of the African countries, the exponential growth is starting to bear out.

So certainly doesn't look like being a 'tropical country' helps at all.

Pulaski

So one of the Republican Representatives from Texas, who is a coronavirus denier and mask sceptic, has, surprise, surprise, been diagnosed with covid-19. Unsurprisingly, since this news broke he has posited that he might have caught the virus because he was, on occasion, wearing a mask.

A Texas congressman who is often seen around the Capitol without a mask has tested positive for coronavirus.

Republican Louie Gohmert was due to fly with President Donald Trump to Texas on Wednesday and was routinely tested as part of White House travel protocol.

Mr Gohmert was pictured mingling with other officials on Tuesday during a hearing on Capitol Hill while not wearing a mask or socially distancing.

AlienUk

Wow...how'd he manage to snare an imaginary virus with his mask?

Pulaski

He'll be alright, after all it's just a little flu-like bug.

Steerpike

Can you link to some article where he blames it on wearing a mask? I'd love to see that!

moneypenny20

The article is in Pulaski's previous post.

AlienUk

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53588843

Steerpike

Thanks! Amazing ...

The Mirror

And Herman Cain passing away from the virus didn't exactly ruin my day either

Pulaski

@Steerpike

Which is exactly the same article (same URL) I had post a linked to, ... and this was pointed out above by @moneypenny20.

Steerpike

Obviously I missed it. Some people use underline here in posts for emphasis, which is also the universal indicator for a url link. I often find myself clicking on the underlined text only to realize it's just underlined for emphasis! In this case, I must have assumed it was underlined for emphasis. Looks rather obvious now