I was planning to write some article on the mobile trends on this year based on news-feed from MWC 2020 mobile event. It seems that I have to change those plans because of this news that was just published:
The GSMA, the organization behind MWC, the world’s largest mobile trade show, has announced that it is officially canceling the show.
“The GSMA has cancelled MWC Barcelona 2020 because the global concern regarding the coronavirus outbreak, travel concern and other circumstances, make it impossible for the GSMA to hold the event,”
Links:
https://techcrunch.com/2020/02/12/gmsa-cancels-mobile-world-congress-due-to-coronavirus-concerns/
531 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
Jennifer, 43, oli ensimmäinen koronarokotteen testaaja: ”Oloni on mainio”
https://www.mtvuutiset.fi/artikkeli/jennifer-43-oli-ensimmainen-terve-koronarokotteen-testaaja-oloni-on-mainio/7763826#gs.0694l7
Yhdysvalloissa on alkanut ensimmäinen rokotetesti, jossa neljä vapaaehtoista tervettä sai koronavirusta vastaan kehitettyä rokotetta, kertoo BBC. Normaalisti rokotetta testattaisiin ensin eläimillä, mutta aikaa ei nyt ole.
Coronavirus: US volunteers test first vaccine
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-51906604
The first human trial of a vaccine to protect against pandemic coronavirus has started in the US.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Amazon is looking to hire 100,000 employees to keep up with demand
https://tcrn.ch/33nQInH
Amazon is looking to hire 100,000 new employees for its warehouse and delivery operations in the U.S. to keep up with demand during the current coronavirus outbreak, the company said today.
Amazon ramps hiring, opening 100,000 new roles to support people relying on Amazon’s service in this stressful time
https://blog.aboutamazon.com/operations/amazon-opening-100000-new-roles
Tomi Engdahl says:
Varoittava esimerkki koronaviruksen leviämisestä: Ensin tilanne oli hallinnassa, ja sitten ”Potilas 31” aiheutti 80 prosenttia kaikista Etelä-Korean koronatapauksista
https://tekniikanmaailma.fi/varoittava-esimerkki-koronaviruksen-leviamisesta-ensin-tilanne-oli-hallinnassa-ja-sitten-potilas-31-aiheutti-80-prosenttia-kaikista-etela-korean-koronatapauksista/
The Korean clusters
How coronavirus cases exploded in South Korean churches and hospitals
https://graphics.reuters.com/CHINA-HEALTH-SOUTHKOREA-CLUSTERS/0100B5G33SB/index.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Joe Tidy / BBC:
Israel approves emergency measures, it says lasting 30 days, for its security agencies to track the mobile phone data of people suspected to have COVID-19
Coronavirus: Israel enables emergency spy powers
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-51930681?at_custom2=twitter&at_medium=custom7&at_custom3=%40BBCTech&at_campaign=64&at_custom1=post+type&at_custom4=2A814E06-686A-11EA-A9B2-6BBC4744363C
The Israeli government has approved emergency measures for its security agencies to track the mobile-phone data of people with suspected coronavirus.
The new powers will be used to enforce quarantine and warn those who may have come into contact with infected people.
The temporary laws were passed during an overnight sitting of the cabinet, bypassing parliamentary approval.
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel called the move “a dangerous precedent and a slippery slope”.
Such powers are usually reserved for counter-terrorism operations.
Details of how the “cyber-monitoring” will work were not disclosed but it is understood the location data collected through telecommunication companies by Shin Bet, the domestic security agency, will be shared with health officials.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Coronavirus: Why washing hands is difficult in some countries
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-51929598
As Europe and much of the developed world shuts down in the face of coronavirus, many millions of people haven’t much hope in following the World Health Organization (WHO) advice on washing hands and keeping their distance.
About one billion people live in slum-like conditions, making up 30% of the world’s urban population. These housing facilities tend to have very little ventilation, drainage and sewage facilities, with diseases spreading easily.
“It is not possible for us to separate a child from another in case of any infection. We don’t have any space. No rooms here. The government should take the infected people to hospitals,” she told the BBC.
But the water supply is erratic and on days when there is no water, the family has to forgo the quick bath they are accustomed to.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Coronavirus hits all 50 US states as death toll rises
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51939392
The deadly coronavirus has now hit all 50 states in the US as West Virginia reported its first case of the infection on Tuesday.
Announcing West Virginia’s first Covid-19 patient, Governor Jim Justice said: “We knew this was coming.”
New York City said it was considering a lockdown similar to one in the San Francisco Bay area.
There have so far been 108 deaths in the US from coronavirus and more than 6,300 confirmed cases nationwide.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Raju kasvu data- ja puhelinliikenteessä “ruuhkia voi ilmetä””
https://www.tivi.fi/uutiset/tv/ab4f4019-6962-42e5-9072-99571cf6cbd3
Puhe- ja dataliikenne ovat koronaviruksen takia rajussa kasvussa
Suomessa. Suomea kohdannut koronavirusepidemia on ajanut suuren osan
suomalaisista tekemään mahdollisuuksien mukaan etätöitä.
Luonnollisesti tämä muutos tarkoittaa myös data- ja puhelinliikenteen
kuormittumista. Telian julkaisemien tietojen mukaan puheliikenne
kasvoi maanantaina operaattorin verkossa jopa 30 prosenttia, ja
dataliikenne puolestaan 16 prosenttia edelliseen viikkoon verrattuna.
Lue myös: https://www.is.fi/digitoday/art-2000006443057.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Internet is drowning in COVID-19-related malware and phishing
scams
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2020/03/the-internet-is-drowning-in-covid-19-related-malware-and-phishing-scams/
Emails and websites are promising vital information about keeping safe
from the coronavirus pandemic thats sweeping the globe and threatening
millions. In fact, a flood of them are scams that push malware,
ransomware, and disinformation; attempt to steal passwords and
personal information; and conduct espionage operations by hackers
working for nation-states.
Roundup: The coronavirus pandemic delivers an array of cyber-security
challenges
https://www.zdnet.com/article/roundup-the-coronavirus-pandemic-delivers-an-array-of-cyber-security-challenges/
As the COVID-19 outbreak threatens to overload the healthcare system
and the global economy, it’s also having a powerful impact on the
security of businesses and individuals.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Social media giants warn of AI moderation errors as coronavirus empties offices
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-google/social-media-giants-warn-of-ai-moderation-errors-as-coronavirus-empties-offices-idUSKBN2133BM
Tomi Engdahl says:
Asiantuntijat arvioivat: Näin kauan koronapiina jatkuu Suomessa https://www.is.fi/kotimaa/art-2000006443464.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Brittiviranomaisten salainen dokumentti: koronaepidemia kestää keväälle 2021, jopa 7,9 miljoonaa sairaalaan https://www.is.fi/ulkomaat/art-2000006440758.html
UK coronavirus crisis ‘to last until spring 2021 and could see 7.9m hospitalised’
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/15/uk-coronavirus-crisis-to-last-until-spring-2021-and-could-see-79m-hospitalised
Exclusive: Public Health England document seen by Guardian says four in five ‘expected’ to contract virus
It also suggests that health chiefs are braced for as many as 80% of Britons becoming infected with the coronavirus over that time.
Prof Chris Whitty, the government’s chief medical adviser, has previously described that figure as the worst-case scenario and suggested that the real number would turn out to be less than that. However, the briefing makes clear that four in five of the population “are expected” to contract the virus.
The document says that: “As many as 80% of the population are expected to be infected with Covid-19 in the next 12 months, and up to 15% (7.9 million people) may require hospitalisation.”
The briefing sets out the latest official thinking about how severely the infection could affect both the public’s health and that of personnel in critical services such as the NHS, police, the fire brigade and transport.
“For the public to hear that it could last for 12 months, people are going to be really upset about that and pretty worried about that”, said Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia.
“A year is entirely plausible. But that figure isn’t well appreciated or understood,” added Hunter, an expert in epidemiology.
“I think it will dip in the summer, towards the end of June, and come back in November, in the way that usual seasonal flu does. I think it will be around forever, but become less severe over time, as immunity builds up,” he added.
The document also discloses that an estimated 500,000 of the 5 million people deemed vital because they work “in essential services and critical infrastructure” will be off sick at any one time during a month-long peak of the epidemic. The 5 million include 1m NHS staff and 1.5 million in social care.
The document also states that:
The health service cannot cope with the sheer number of people with symptoms who need to be tested because laboratories are “under significant demand pressures”.
From now on only the very seriously ill who are already in hospital and people in care homes and prisons where the coronavirus has been detected will get tested.
Testing services are under such strain that even NHS staff will not be swabbed, despite their key role and the risk of them passing the virus on to patients.
A senior NHS figure involved in preparing for the growing “surge” in patients whose lives are being put at risk by Covid-19 said an 80% infection rate could lead to more than half a million people dying.
If the mortality rate turns out to be the 1% many experts are using as their working assumption then that would mean 531,100 deaths. But if Whitty’s insistence that the rate will be closer to 0.6% proves accurate, then that would involve 318,660 people dying.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Koronaan löytyi tehokas lääke – auttaa, jos hoito päästään aloittamaan nopeasti
https://www.iltalehti.fi/koronavirus/a/0afe192c-9ed3-46bf-b8f2-bbcd1a173523
Kiinan viranomaiset kertovat, että japanilainen flunssalääke favipiravir (tunnetaan myös markkinanimellä Avigan) on osoittautunut tehokkaaksi myös koronapotilaiden hoidossa.
Testejä tehtiin Wuhanissa ja Shenzhenissä 340 potilaalle.
– Lääke on erittäin turvallinen ja se on osoittautunut tehokkaaksi hoitokeinoksi
Kun COVID-19 -potilaille annettiin favipiraviria, heidän testinsä osoittivat viruksen hävinneen keskimäärin neljässä päivässä positiivisesta testituloksesta.
Vastaavasti sellaisilla potilailla, jotka eivät olleet saaneet lääkettä, testitulos muuttui negatiiviseksi keskimäärin 11 päivässä
Auttaa, jos oireet ovat vielä lieviä
Lääkettä on testattu koronapotilaisiin myös Japanissa. Siellä saatujen tulosten mukaan se on tehokas potilaille, joilla on lieviä tai kohtalaisia oireita. Heillä lääke estää viruksen lisääntymisen.
Japanin terveysministeriön mukaan favipiravir (Avigan) ei ole osoittautunut tehokkaaksi sellaisten potilaiden hoidossa, joilla on vakavia oireita.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Pfizer and BioNTech announce joint development of a potential COVID-19 vaccine
https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/17/pfizer-and-biontech-announce-joint-development-of-a-potential-covid-19-vaccine/?tpcc=ECFB2020
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://m.facebook.com/1962602513952080/posts/2502326073313052/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.iltalehti.fi/asumisartikkelit/a/8e1209bd-c357-4353-a9d0-5fc680f989ea
Tomi Engdahl says:
United Auto Workers call on GM, Ford, FCA to shut down US factories
https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/17/united-auto-workers-call-on-gm-ford-fca-to-shut-down-u-s-factories/?tpcc=ECFB2020
Tomi Engdahl says:
Facebook was marking legitimate news articles about the coronavirus as spam due to a software bug
https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/17/21184445/facebook-marking-coronavirus-posts-spam-misinformation-covid-19?fbclid=IwAR1qTRBf6HC_tsfCuuGykAb19hzgotZ4c6iuRmeOO_RNys7ax9xU8QtbfdI
The company is fixing the posts and bringing them back
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2020/03/16/3d-printed-parts-keep-respirators-operational-during-covid-19-epidemic/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Staff angered as Charter prohibits working from home despite spread of coronavirus
https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/16/charter-coronavirus-work-home/
In the email, Nick Wheeler, a video operations engineer based in Denver, criticized his employer for not allowing its staff to work from home despite ongoing efforts to lock down vast swathes of the U.S. to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
The email was short. “I do not understand why we are still coming into the office as the COVID-19 pandemic surges around us,” he wrote.
“The CDC guidelines are clear. The CDPHE guidelines are clear. The WHO guidelines are clear. The science of social distancing is real. We have the complete ability to do our jobs entirely from home,” he wrote, reeling off the advice from several state and federal government departments and international health organizations. “Coming into the office now is pointlessly reckless. It’s also socially irresponsible. Charter, like the rest of us, should do what is necessary to help reduce the spread of coronavirus. Social distancing has a real slowing effect on the virus — that means lives can be saved.
“A hazard condition isn’t acceptable for the infrastructure beyond the short-term. Why is it acceptable for our health?” wrote Wheeler.
Hours later, he was no longer an employee.
Wheeler said he was given an ultimatum. Either he could work from the office or take sick leave. Staff are not allowed to work from home, he was told. Wheeler offered his resignation, but was sent home instead and asked to think about his decision until Monday.
Charter finds itself largely alone in mandating employees to work from its offices as its rivals push ahead with advising staff to work from home where possible.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Voiko poikkeustilanteessa käydä ulkoilemassa tai kaupassa? Tässä ohjeet koronaviruksen vaikeuttamaan arkeen
https://www.mtvuutiset.fi/artikkeli/voiko-poikkeustilanteessa-kayda-ulkoilemassa-tai-kaupassa-tassa-ohjeet-koronaviruksen-vaikeuttamaan-arkeen/7764190#gs.07cag6
Tomi Engdahl says:
Uusimmat tiedot koronaviruksesta: Suomessa kolmas tehohoitoon joutunut on työikäinen, varmennettuja tartuntoja nyt 359
https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11212596
Koronaviruskuolemia nyt enemmän Euroopassa kuin Aasiassa
Koronavirukseen on nyt kuollut enemmän ihmisiä Euroopassa kuin Aasiassa, laskee uutistoimisto AFP. Kello 13 mennessä Suomen aikaa Euroopassa oli koronavirukseen kuollut 3 421 ihmistä kun taas Aasiassa kuolleita oli 3 384.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Kolmasosa yrityksistä pelkää konkurssia – Keskuskauppakamarin toimitusjohtaja: “Koronavirusshokki ravistelee koko yrityskenttää”
Keskuskauppakamarin toimitusjohtaja Juho Romakkaniemi vaatii hallitukselta lisätoimia.
https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11263010
Tomi Engdahl says:
THL ennustaa: Koulujen sulkeminen hidastaa koronan leviämistä – tehohoito riittää paremmin ja se pelastaa työikäisiä
Terveyden ja hyvinvoinnin laitos arvioi, että koulujen sulkeminen laskee tautihuippua ja vähentää hieman iäkkäiden tartuntoja.
https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11263536
Tomi Engdahl says:
Alfred Ng / CNET:
HHS waives penalties for the use of non-HIPAA compliant video chatting services, like FaceTime and Skype, for telehealth during COVID-19 outbreak — The coronavirus crisis is pushing the US government to loosen one of its only laws on data privacy. The Department of Health and Human Services …
US waives potential health privacy penalties during coronavirus crisis
https://www.cnet.com/news/us-waives-potential-health-privacy-penalties-during-coronavirus-outbreak/
Doctors in the states can start using Facebook Messenger and FaceTime to diagnose patients, without worrying about violating privacy laws.
Tomi Engdahl says:
THL laati mallinnuksen koronaepidemiasta – kesto 188 päivää, 42 prosenttia väestöstä saisi tartunnan https://www.is.fi/politiikka/art-2000006443986.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Can someone confirm this and where do we download much needed 3d models?
Medical company threatens to sue volunteers that 3D-printed valves for life-saving coronavirus treatments
The valve typically costs about $11,000 — the volunteers made them for about $1
https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/17/21184308/coronavirus-italy-medical-company-threatens-sue-3d-print-valves-treatments
A medical device manufacturer has threatened to sue a group of volunteers in Italy that 3D printed a valve used for life-saving coronavirus treatments. The valve typically costs about $11,000 from the medical device manufacturer, but the volunteers were able to print replicas for about $1 (via Techdirt).
Volunteers 3D-Print Unobtainable $11,000 Valve For $1 To Keep Covid-19 Patients Alive; Original Manufacturer Threatens To Sue
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20200317/04381644114/volunteers-3d-print-unobtainable-11000-valve-1-to-keep-covid-19-patients-alive-original-manufacturer-threatens-to-sue.shtml
Techdirt has just written about the extraordinary legal action taken against a company producing Covid-19 tests. Sadly, it’s not the only example of some individuals putting profits before people.
Last Thursday, a hospital in Brescia, in the north of Italy, needed supplies of special valves in order to use breathing equipment to help keep Covid-19 patients alive in intensive care (original in Italian). The manufacturer was unable to provide them because of the demand for this particular valve. The Metro site explains what happened next:
With the help of the editor of a local newspaper Giornale di Brescia and tech expert Massimo Temporelli, doctors launched a search for a 3D printer — a devise that produces three dimensional objects from computer designs.
Since lives were at stake, he went ahead anyway, creating the 3D file from scratch. According to the Metro article, he produced an initial batch of ten, and then 100 more, all for free. Fracassi admits that his 3D-printed versions might not be very durable or re-usable. But when it’s possible to make replacements so cheaply — each 3D-printed part costs just one euro, or roughly a dollar — that isn’t a problem. At least it wouldn’t be, except for that threat of legal action, which is also why Fracassi doesn’t dare share his 3D file with other hospitals, despite their desperate need for these valves.
the official list price for a single valve is 10,000 euros — about $11,000. This is a perfect example of how granting an intellectual monopoly in the form of a patent allows almost arbitrarily high prices to be charged, and quite legally.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Japanese Flu Drug ‘Effective’ Against Coronavirus In Clinical Trials, Chinese Officials Say
Japanese Flu Drug ‘Effective’ Against Coronavirus In Clinical Trials, Chinese Officials Say
http://on.forbes.com/61831sa7V
Tomi Engdahl says:
Päivä 77: Jopa 25 miljoonaa ihmistä voi menettää työnsä pandemian seurauksena
https://www.iltalehti.fi/koronavirus/a/4d91358f-a125-45f2-9e4a-ba9534464fda
Tomi Engdahl says:
FAA temporarily closes tower at Chicago’s Midway Airport after employees test positive for COVID-19
https://tcrn.ch/2TXxJNJ
In another example of the far-reaching effects of the coronavirus outbreak, the FAA today said that it is temporarily closing the tower at Midway Airport, the second largest airport in the Chicago area. In a statement, the FAA says that that several technicians at the facility tested positive for COVID-19. For a while, there was a ground stop in effect for Midway and no flights could take off to land at the airport.
Tomi Engdahl says:
NIOSH-Approved P95 Particulate Filtering Facepiece Respirators
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/topics/respirators/disp_part/p95list1.html
The P95 particulate filtering facepiece respirator filters at least 95% of airborne particles and is strongly resistant to oil.
NIOSH-Approved Particulate Filtering Facepiece Respirators
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/topics/respirators/disp_part/default.html
This site provides a listing of NIOSH-approved particulate filtering facepiece respirators. This type of air-purifying respirators protects by filtering particles out of the air the user is breathing. There are seven classes of filters for NIOSH-approved filtering facepiece respirators available at this time.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hengityssuojaimet
https://www.allergia.fi/astma/elintavat-ja-ymparisto/hengityssuojaimet/#70230b46
Kotona tulee aina silloin tällöin eteen töitä, joissa on hyvä käyttää hengityssuojainta. Myös keväinen katupöly ja siitepöly saa herkimmät harkitsemaan hengityssuojaimen käyttöä.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Boeing Seeks $60 Billion Bailout For U.S. Aerospace
http://on.forbes.com/61801saHM
Boeing called for at least $60 billion in financial support for U.S. aerospace companies Tuesday as they struggle with a steep falloff in revenue amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Any taxpayer-funded aid for Boeing is bound to raise criticism after a year of harsh scrutiny of its failures that led to two fatal crashes of its flagship airliner, the 737 MAX. Boeing stressed in a statement that financial support for the company would flow through to its suppliers and support the broader health of the U.S. aerospace industry. The statement didn’t specify how much of the $60 billion the company believes it needs.
Tomi Engdahl says:
If government announcements about corona didn’t pull any punches
https://www.facebook.com/403047189753068/posts/2891219890935773/
Tomi Engdahl says:
FDA Approved Anti-Malarial drug showing efficacy in halting the Coronavirus
Chloroquine Phosphate helped S Korea and china slow down the virus. US Govt has stockpiled and is using it to protect healthcare workers now.
French researcher posts successful Covid-19 drug trial
https://www.connexionfrance.com/French-news/French-researcher-in-Marseille-posts-successful-Covid-19-coronavirus-drug-trial-results
Tomi Engdahl says:
Topline: New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday morning that U.S. President Donald Trump has agreed to dispatch a U.S. Navy hospital ship to New York harbor to help ease crowded city hospitals.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2020/03/18/us-navy-hospital-ship-will-anchor-in-new-york-harbor-to-treat-coronavirus/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Valerie/#76616c657269
Tomi Engdahl says:
EXCLUSIVE notes on Inside Goldman Sachs economic analysis of coronavirus
https://roselawgroupreporter.com/2020/03/exclusive-notes-on-inside-goldman-sachs-economic-analysis-of-coronavirus/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Suomen arviot: Korona vie tulevina viikkoina tuhansia suomalaisia sairaalaan
https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11261761
Hallitus rajoittaa suomalaisten kohtaamisia, jotta tauti leviäisi hitaammin ja sairaalat selviäisivät paremmin hoidosta.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Emeritusprofessori: Useimmat koronaviruskuolemat Suomessa voitaisiin välttää – ”laumaimmuniteetin rakentamiseen perustuva politiikka on tuhon tie”
https://www.suomenuutiset.fi/emeritusprofessori-useimmat-koronaviruskuolemat-suomessa-voitaisiin-valttaa-laumaimmuniteetin-rakentamiseen-perustuva-politiikka-on-tuhon-tie/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Kaatuvatko seinät päällesi kotona? Tässä THL:n asiantuntijan vinkit etätöihin korona-aikaan
Etätyötä tekee nyt kotonaan ennennäkemätön määrä suomalaisia.
https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11259240
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://lehtilehti.fi/2006/02/aivan_vitunmoiseen_paniikkiin_aihetta/
Tomi Engdahl says:
DAS INTERVIEW
«We’re at a Real Risk of Financial Markets Being Closed»
https://themarket.ch/english/were-at-a-real-risk-of-the-financial-markets-being-closed-ld.1715
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-ten-reasons-why-you-ought-not-to-panic-132941
Tomi Engdahl says:
Air, Surface Environmental, and Personal Protective Equipment Contamination by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) From a Symptomatic Patient
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2762692
Tomi Engdahl says:
Näin pitkään koronavirus pysyy hengissä eri pinnoilla – voi tarttua muovilta jopa päivien ajan
https://www.iltalehti.fi/koronavirus/a/74075dda-bd31-4a8d-bb8b-affb83ce9132
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffkauflin/2020/03/03/why-the-coronavirus-could-cause-a-fintech-slowdown/
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Billionaire Interview That Tanked The Stock Market
https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoinegara/2020/03/18/the-billionaire-interview-that-tanked-the-stock-market/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Valerie/#76616c657269
Bill Ackman panicked about the coronavirus early on.
He began arranging for his firm’s fifty employees to abandon their midtown Manhattan offices. He put on doomsday hedges. And then he pulled an enormous amount of cash from an ATM. By the time the Dow Jones Industrial Average was plunging seemingly a thousand points a day, Ackman’s $5.6 billion firm was making money amid the chaos.
So when he woke on Wednesday morning, Ackman didn’t have a pleasant message for America. He took to Twitter to recommend a shutdown of the country.
“Hell is coming,” said Ackman, in a frenzied 28-minute interview. “Shut it down now,” he said of the economy, “There is a tsunami coming.”
Ackman recommended President Trump effectively close the country for 30 days and shut the borders to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Yes, it would mean an economic disaster, so Ackman recommended that Trump call a national ‘Spring Break’ and have the government pay wages, halt foreclosures, and help with other monthly bills like rent to tide people over.
This way Americans will stay at home and the virus will stop spreading.
“What’s scaring the American people and corporate America now is the gradual roll-out,” said Ackman, of containment and distancing measures. “Capitalism does not work in an 18-month shutdown, capitalism can work in a 30-day shutdown.”
The hedge fund manager, turned amateur health expert, said the contagiousness of the virus may mean millions will die without drastic measures. He choked up when talking about the risks of the disease to his elderly father, and revealed that some of his employees may have the virus.
As he spoke, the market plunged, tick-by-tick.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down over 1,000 points when he went on air. It hit a circuit breaker as he spouted dark doom and gloom, then closed for 15 minutes. When it reopened, it was down 2,000-plus.
His “shut it down now” idea, increasingly, is becoming the pandemic playbook for cities either implementing or considering “shelter-in-place” laws. And, in recent days and weeks, health experts have responded positively to market-tanking warnings by public officials about the virus.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Charter staff told to report to offices despite positive coronavirus tests
https://tcrn.ch/33s3CkA
Staff at telecommunications giant Charter Communications are still having to work from corporate offices — against the advice from the federal government — despite at least one employee testing positive for coronavirus and other staff coming into contact with another confirmed case.
The phone and internet giant, which owns the Spectrum brand, has doubled down in the past week on its policy of disallowing its 15,000 office-based employees to work from home, prompting one engineer to quit over fears he would contract the illness.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Kiinalaislääkärit: Lähes kaksi kolmasosaa koronan vuoksi tehohoitoon joutuneista potilaista menehtyi – nämä olivat yleisimmät kuolinsyyt https://www.is.fi/ulkomaat/art-2000006444837.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Rajujen koronarajoituksien vaikutus: Epidemian kesto kaksinkertaistuu puoleen vuoteen
https://www.mtvuutiset.fi/artikkeli/rajujen-koronarajoituksien-vaikutus-epidemian-kesto-kaksinkertaistuu-puoleen-vuoteen/7765504#gs.0uejn9
THL on julkistanut ennusteita koronaepidemian hidastamistoimien vaikutuksesta.
Laskelmien mukaan rajoitustoimien seurauksena epidemia pitenee kaksinkertaiseksi, eli kolmesta kuukaudesta puoleen vuoteen. Samalla päivittäisten tartuntojen määrää saadaan laskettua 70 prosentilla.
THL:n mukaan kaiken kaikkiaan tartunnan saaneiden osuus laskee noin 65 prosentista hiukan yli 40 prosenttiin. Se puolestaan tarkoittaa, että väestöön jää riittävästi alttiita uuden, pienemmän epidemia-aallon syntymiselle myöhemmin.
Tartuntojen määrän vähentäminen pienentää kuitenkin terveydenhuollon ylikuormitusta meneillään olevan epidemian aikana.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Study: 17.9% Of People With COVID-19 Coronavirus Had No Symptoms
https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2020/03/18/what-percentage-have-covid-19-coronavirus-but-do-not-know-it/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Valerie/#76616c657269