TOPEKA Kan. (AP) —&nbsp;A Kansas plant that makes sausage has shut down after five employees tested positive for the coronavirus amid continued problems at meatpacking plants in the state and across the country. 

The shutdown at the Johnsonville plant in Holton took effect Wednesday.

“It’s a tough decision to halt production, but we appreciate Johnsonville for doing this to help us stop the spread of COVID-19,” says Angie Reith, Jackson County Health Officer. “The Johnsonville team has implemented aggressive safety measures and did so early on to protect their workforce, and those efforts have helped immensely in identifying the virus in the facility as quickly as possible. We’ll continue our collaboration to minimize the spread of the virus.”

Johnsonville said all employees will continue to get paid, and downtime will be used to implement even more aggressive safety protocols before reopening. Some new safety protocols include placing additional barriers between workstations where social distancing is not possible.

Meanwhile, counties in southwest Kansas with plants continue to deal with outbreaks among employees. Ford, Seward and Finney counties together had more than 2,700 cases as of Monday, or 38% of the state’s total. They had the highest rates of cases per 1,000 residents in the state.

But some neighboring counties also are seeing higher-than-average rates of cases as well. Kearney County has 30 cases, for a rate of 7.61 for every 1,000 residents -- far above the state’s figure of 2.44.

Dr. Drew Miller, a family physician in Lakin, said the cases there are tied to the meatpacking industry.

“We’re seeing community spread, or household spread and community spread, from those that were initially affected in the meatpacking plants, and I guess that’s the part that concerns us more than the young, healthy workforce population,” Miller said in a Zoom interview. “They expose their parents or others living in their house that have other chronic illnesses to the virus.”

He expects to Kearny County to diverge with the state when it reaches the second phase of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9892bd95f6f6179dc01c4769adbab428">Kelly’s plan to reopen the economy</a>&nbsp;on May 18.

“It is an eerie thought, but as everybody else talks about reopening, it still feels like we’re looking COVID-19 straight in the eyes,” he said

Johns Hopkins University has reported 184 deaths and 7,200 cases in Kansas, although the actual number is thought to be higher in part because of the initial limits in testing.

For most people,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">the coronavirus</a>&nbsp;causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, or death.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589389305635.png" alt="Johnsonville Plant in Holton Google image" />
 <figcaption>Johnsonville Plant in Holton Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA Kan. (AP) —&nbsp;A Kansas plant that makes sausage has shut down after five employees tested positive for the coronavirus amid continued problems at meatpacking plants in the state and across the country. The shutdown at the Johnsonville plant in Holton took effect Wednesday.“It’s a tough decision to halt production, but we appreciate Johnsonville for doing this to help us stop the spread of COVID-19,” says Angie Reith, Jackson County Health Officer. “The Johnsonville team has implemented aggressive safety measures and did so early on to protect their workforce, and those efforts have helped immensely in identifying the virus in the facility as quickly as possible. We’ll continue our collaboration to minimize the spread of the virus.”Johnsonville said all employees will continue to get paid, and downtime will be used to implement even more aggressive safety protocols before reopening. Some new safety protocols include placing additional barriers between workstations where social distancing is not possible.Meanwhile, counties in southwest Kansas with plants continue to deal with outbreaks among employees. Ford, Seward and Finney counties together had more than 2,700 cases as of Monday, or 38% of the state’s total. They had the highest rates of cases per 1,000 residents in the state.But some neighboring counties also are seeing higher-than-average rates of cases as well. Kearney County has 30 cases, for a rate of 7.61 for every 1,000 residents -- far above the state’s figure of 2.44.Dr. Drew Miller, a family physician in Lakin, said the cases there are tied to the meatpacking industry.“We’re seeing community spread, or household spread and community spread, from those that were initially affected in the meatpacking plants, and I guess that’s the part that concerns us more than the young, healthy workforce population,” Miller said in a Zoom interview. “They expose their parents or others living in their house that have other chronic illnesses to the virus.”He expects to Kearny County to diverge with the state when it reaches the second phase of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9892bd95f6f6179dc01c4769adbab428">Kelly’s plan to reopen the economy</a>&nbsp;on May 18.“It is an eerie thought, but as everybody else talks about reopening, it still feels like we’re looking COVID-19 straight in the eyes,” he saidJohns Hopkins University has reported 184 deaths and 7,200 cases in Kansas, although the actual number is thought to be higher in part because of the initial limits in testing.For most people,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">the coronavirus</a>&nbsp;causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, or death.

Kansas sausage making plant shuts down amid COVID-19 cases

A drive-thru only COVID-19 testing site for Buchanan County residents will be&nbsp;open this weekend at Mosaic Life Care in St. Joseph.

According to a press release from Mosaic, the testing will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Testing will take place in the parking garage located on the northeast side of the hospital. Vehicles should enter off of Heartland Road by Plaza 2.

About 2,000 tests will be provided by the state of Missouri. Testing will be available at no cost for individuals over the age of 18 regardless of symptoms. Mosaic asks anyone wanting to be tested, to visit <a href="https://health.mo.gov/living/healthcondiseases/communicable/novel-coronavirus/community-testing.php">health.mo.gov/communitytest</a> or call (877) 435-8411, option 3 to register.&nbsp;

Tests used will be a nasopharyngeal swab. Once samples are collected, they will be sent to Quest Diagnostics for testing.&nbsp;Results should be available within 72 hours after testing.

For detailed information, including a directional map, please visit <a href="https://www.mymlc.com/corona">myMLC.com/corona</a>.

A drive-thru only COVID-19 testing site for Buchanan County residents will be&nbsp;open this weekend at Mosaic Life Care in St. Joseph.According to a press release from Mosaic, the testing will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Testing will take place in the parking garage located on the northeast side of the hospital. Vehicles should enter off of Heartland Road by Plaza 2.About 2,000 tests will be provided by the state of Missouri. Testing will be available at no cost for individuals over the age of 18 regardless of symptoms. Mosaic asks anyone wanting to be tested, to visit <a href="https://health.mo.gov/living/healthcondiseases/communicable/novel-coronavirus/community-testing.php">health.mo.gov/communitytest</a> or call (877) 435-8411, option 3 to register.&nbsp;Tests used will be a nasopharyngeal swab. Once samples are collected, they will be sent to Quest Diagnostics for testing.&nbsp;Results should be available within 72 hours after testing.For detailed information, including a directional map, please visit <a href="https://www.mymlc.com/corona">myMLC.com/corona</a>.

Mosaic Life Care hosting drive-thru COVID-19 testing this weekend

LONG BEACH, CA. —The&nbsp;<a href="http://calstate.edu/">California State University</a>, the largest system of four-year higher education in the country, with 23 campuses, 53,000 faculty and staff and 482,000 students announced Tuesday will continue with online classes this fall.

According to a media release, Chancellor Tim White said,&nbsp;“This approach to virtual planning is necessary for many reasons. First and foremost is the health, safety and welfare of our students, faculty and staff, and the evolving data surrounding the progression of COVID-19 – current and as forecast throughout the 2020-21 academic year. 

This planning approach is necessary because a course that might begin in a face-to-face modality would likely have to be switched to a virtual format during the term if a serious second wave of the pandemic occurs, as forecast. Virtual planning is necessary because it might not be possible for some students, faculty and staff to safely travel to campus.&nbsp;

Said another way, this virtual planning approach preserves as many options for as many students as possible.

Consequently, our planning approach will result in CSU courses primarily being delivered virtually for the fall 2020 term, with limited exceptions for in-person teaching, learning and research activities that cannot be delivered virtually, are indispensable to the university's core mission and can be conducted within rigorous standards of safety and welfare. There will be hybrid approaches and there will be variability across the 23 campuses due to specific context and circumstances.

Some possible examples of potential exceptions&nbsp; - and only when there are sufficient resources available and protocols in place to assure that rigorous health and safety requirements are in place - include clinical classes with training mannequins for our nursing students such that we keep students on track for licensure and entry into the state's healthcare workforce; essential physical and life science laboratory classes enabling degree completion and entry into the energy and bioscience fields; access to kilns and other unique facilities to enable students in the performing and creative arts to explore and express the depth, breadth and beauty of humanity; hands-on experience with unique instrumentation and senior capstone projects for engineering, architecture and agriculture students; and access to the blue-water hands-on interactive simulator for boat and ship handling, to provide students with knowledge, understanding and skills necessary for the maritime industry and required for licensure by the US Coast Guard and UN International Maritime Organization.

The granting of limited exceptions to permit in-person activities will continue to be informed by thoughtful consultation with academic senates, associated students, staff councils and union leadership, and will be based on compelling educational and research needs, while continuing to meet safety benchmarks. Any exceptions may be permitted only in the continued presence of the aforementioned rigorous safety measures and training, and only in consideration of resource availability and other matters of local context, and be in accordance with the guidance of local and state public health agencies, the repopulation directives of governmental authorities along with other relevant regulatory agencies.

This combination, really a myriad of factors, will result in variability across the 23 campuses due to specific context and circumstances, but predominately there will be limited in-person experiential learning and research occurring on campuses for the fall 2020 term. On some campuses and in some academic disciplines course offerings are likely to be exclusively virtual."

​​​​​​<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1585958389195.jpeg" alt="Classes will continue online for all 23 campuses in the California State University system this fall." />
 <figcaption>Classes will continue online for all 23 campuses in the California State University system this fall.</figcaption>
 </figure>LONG BEACH, CA. —The&nbsp;<a href="http://calstate.edu/">California State University</a>, the largest system of four-year higher education in the country, with 23 campuses, 53,000 faculty and staff and 482,000 students announced Tuesday will continue with online classes this fall.According to a media release, Chancellor Tim White said,&nbsp;“This approach to virtual planning is necessary for many reasons. First and foremost is the health, safety and welfare of our students, faculty and staff, and the evolving data surrounding the progression of COVID-19 – current and as forecast throughout the 2020-21 academic year. This planning approach is necessary because a course that might begin in a face-to-face modality would likely have to be switched to a virtual format during the term if a serious second wave of the pandemic occurs, as forecast. Virtual planning is necessary because it might not be possible for some students, faculty and staff to safely travel to campus.&nbsp;Said another way, this virtual planning approach preserves as many options for as many students as possible.Consequently, our planning approach will result in CSU courses primarily being delivered virtually for the fall 2020 term, with limited exceptions for in-person teaching, learning and research activities that cannot be delivered virtually, are indispensable to the university's core mission and can be conducted within rigorous standards of safety and welfare. There will be hybrid approaches and there will be variability across the 23 campuses due to specific context and circumstances.Some possible examples of potential exceptions&nbsp; - and only when there are sufficient resources available and protocols in place to assure that rigorous health and safety requirements are in place - include clinical classes with training mannequins for our nursing students such that we keep students on track for licensure and entry into the state's healthcare workforce; essential physical and life science laboratory classes enabling degree completion and entry into the energy and bioscience fields; access to kilns and other unique facilities to enable students in the performing and creative arts to explore and express the depth, breadth and beauty of humanity; hands-on experience with unique instrumentation and senior capstone projects for engineering, architecture and agriculture students; and access to the blue-water hands-on interactive simulator for boat and ship handling, to provide students with knowledge, understanding and skills necessary for the maritime industry and required for licensure by the US Coast Guard and UN International Maritime Organization.The granting of limited exceptions to permit in-person activities will continue to be informed by thoughtful consultation with academic senates, associated students, staff councils and union leadership, and will be based on compelling educational and research needs, while continuing to meet safety benchmarks. Any exceptions may be permitted only in the continued presence of the aforementioned rigorous safety measures and training, and only in consideration of resource availability and other matters of local context, and be in accordance with the guidance of local and state public health agencies, the repopulation directives of governmental authorities along with other relevant regulatory agencies.This combination, really a myriad of factors, will result in variability across the 23 campuses due to specific context and circumstances, but predominately there will be limited in-person experiential learning and research occurring on campuses for the fall 2020 term. On some campuses and in some academic disciplines course offerings are likely to be exclusively virtual."

Virus will keep nation's largest public university system closed this fall

A spike in COVID-19 cases, mostly from the mass testing of
Triumph Foods workers, apparently has Buchanan County and St. Joseph on the radar of the White
House.

NBC News reports documents it describes as originating from
the White House pandemic task force listing Buchanan County and the Kansas City
area as areas to watch. The documents also list Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska as
areas to watch due to a recent rise in coronavirus cases.

The documents indicate federal health officials are keeping a
close eye on St. Joseph, especially with the 412 cases arising from the mass
testing of Triumph Foods employees. The Kansas City Star reports 70 of those
workers testing positive live in the Kansas City area.

Leavenworth County, Kansas also has the attention of federal
officials, due to a spike in coronavirus cases, mainly at the Lansing State
Prison.

Buchanan County, St. Joseph health officials report 461 total
cases, 420 confirmed and 41 probable. There have been two deaths in Buchanan
County. Andrew County reports 12 cases; 11 confirmed and 1 probable.

Mosaic Life Care now has tested 3,082 people
with 152 testing positive for COVID-19. Ten of those have been hospitalized. Mosaic
is awaiting results from 116 tests.

Missouri now has slightly more than 10,006 cases with 524
deaths.

Kansas health officials report 7,116 cases with 158 deaths.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA spike in COVID-19 cases, mostly from the mass testing of
Triumph Foods workers, apparently has Buchanan County and St. Joseph on the radar of the White
House.NBC News reports documents it describes as originating from
the White House pandemic task force listing Buchanan County and the Kansas City
area as areas to watch. The documents also list Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska as
areas to watch due to a recent rise in coronavirus cases.The documents indicate federal health officials are keeping a
close eye on St. Joseph, especially with the 412 cases arising from the mass
testing of Triumph Foods employees. The Kansas City Star reports 70 of those
workers testing positive live in the Kansas City area.Leavenworth County, Kansas also has the attention of federal
officials, due to a spike in coronavirus cases, mainly at the Lansing State
Prison.Buchanan County, St. Joseph health officials report 461 total
cases, 420 confirmed and 41 probable. There have been two deaths in Buchanan
County. Andrew County reports 12 cases; 11 confirmed and 1 probable.Mosaic Life Care now has tested 3,082 people
with 152 testing positive for COVID-19. Ten of those have been hospitalized. Mosaic
is awaiting results from 116 tests.Missouri now has slightly more than 10,006 cases with 524
deaths.Kansas health officials report 7,116 cases with 158 deaths.

White House apparently keeping eye on St. Joseph COVID-19 cases

WASHINGTON (AP) — Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, warned bluntly Tuesday of “really serious” consequences of suffering, death and deeper economic damage if state and local officials lift stay-at-home orders too quickly, even as President Donald Trump pushes them to act to right a free-falling economy.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?471837-1/white-house-coronavirus-task-force-members-testify-coronavirus-response-reopening-phases">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;a replay&nbsp;the Senate hearing.

Fauci’s testimony before a Senate committee that included Kansas Senator Pat Roberts came as more than two dozen states have begun to lift their lockdowns as a first step toward economic recovery.

Underscoring the seriousness of the pandemic that has reached Congress and the White House, Fauci and other experts testified by video from their homes. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., chaired the hearing by video from the study in his cabin in Tennessee, though several members of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee did attend at the Capitol.

Fauci and other health officials stressed that pandemic danger persists, even as testing increases and work toward a vaccine and treatments continues.

More COVID-19 infections are inevitable as people again start gathering, but how prepared communities are to stamp out those sparks will determine how bad the rebound is, Fauci told the senators.

“There is no doubt, even under the best of circumstances, when you pull back on mitigation you will see some cases appear,” Fauci said.

And if there is a rush to reopen without following guidelines, “my concern is we will start to see little spikes that might turn into outbreaks,” he said. “The consequences could be really serious.”

In fact, he said opening too soon “could turn the clock back,” and that not only would cause “some suffering and death that could be avoided, but could even set you back on the road to try to get economic recovery.”

Fauci was among the health experts testifying Tuesday to the Senate panel, as Trump has been praising states that are reopening after the prolonged lockdown aimed at controlling the virus’s spread.

Committee chairman Alexander said as the hearing opened that “what our country has done so far in testing is impressive, but not nearly enough.”

Worldwide, the virus has infected nearly 4.2 million people and killed over 287,000 — more than 80,000 in U.S. alone. Asked if the U.S. mortality count was correct, Fauci said, “the number is likely higher. I don’t know exactly what percent higher but almost certainly it’s higher.”

Fauci, a member of the coronavirus task force charged with shaping the response to COVID-19, testified via video conference after self-quarantining as a White House staffer tested positive for the virus.

With the U.S. economy in free-fall and more than 30 million people unemployed, Trump has been anxious to reopen states for business.

<a href="https://apnews.com/4aca168a247602a2573ba94347045b30">A recent Associated Press review determined that 17 states did not meet a key White House benchmark&nbsp;</a>for loosening restrictions — a 14-day downward trajectory in new cases or positive test rates. Yet many of those have begun to reopen or are about to do so, including Alabama, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Utah.

Of the 33 states that have had a 14-day downward trajectory of either cases or positive test rates, 25 are partially opened or moving to reopen within days, the AP analysis found. Other states that have not seen a 14-day decline, remain closed despite meeting some benchmarks.

Besides Fauci, of the National Institutes of Health, the other experts include FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn and Dr. Robert Redfield, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — both in self-quarantine—and Adm. Brett Giroir, the coronavirus “testing czar” at the Department of Health and Human Services.

The event Tuesday got underway in the committee’s storied hearing room, but that’s about all that remained of the pre-pandemic way of conducting oversight. The senators running the event, Alexander and Democrat Patty Murray of Washington, were heads on video screens, with an array of personal items in the background as they isolated back home.

A few senators, such as Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski and Connecticut Democrat Chris Murphy, personally attended the session in the hearing room. They wore masks, as did an array of aides buzzing behind them.

The health committee hearing offers a very different setting from the White House coronavirus task force briefings the administration witnesses have all participated in. Most significantly, Trump did not control the agenda.

Eyeing the November elections, the president has been urging on protesters who oppose their state governors’ stay-at-home orders, while expressing his own confidence that the coronavrius will fade away as summer advances and Americans return to work and other pursuits.

The U.S. has seen at least 1.3 million infections and nearly 81,000 confirmed deaths from the virus, the highest toll in the world by far, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Separately, one expert from the World Health Organization has already warned that some countries are “driving blind” into reopening their economies without having strong systems to track new outbreaks. And three countries that do have robust tracing systems — South Korea, Germany and China — have already seen new outbreaks after lockdown rules were relaxed.

U.S. contact tracing remains a patchwork of approaches and readiness levels. States are hiring contact tracers but experts say tens of thousands will be needed across the country.

WHO’s emergencies chief, Dr. Michael Ryan, said Germany and South Korea have good contact tracing that hopefully can detect and stop virus clusters before they get out of control. But he said other nations — which he did not name — have not effectively employed investigators to contact people who test positive, track down their contacts and get them into quarantine before they can spread the virus.

“Shutting your eyes and trying to drive through this blind is about as silly an equation as I’ve seen,” Ryan said. “Certain countries are setting themselves up for some seriously blind driving over the next few months.”

Apple, Google, some U.S. states and European countries are developing contact-tracing apps that show whether someone has crossed paths with an infected person. But experts say the technology only supplements and does not replace labor-intensive human work.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, is warning Congress that if the country reopens too soon, "the consequences could be really serious.”

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?471837-1/white-house-coronavirus-task-force-members-testify-coronavirus-response-reopening-phases">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;the Senate hearing that began at 9a.m. CDT and is expected to last approximately 3 hours.

Fauci is among the experts testifying to a Senate panel as its hearing opened on Tuesday. His testimony comes as President Donald Trump is pressuring states to reopen after the prolonged lock-down aimed at controlling the virus’ spread. 

With the U.S. economy in free-fall and more than 30 million people unemployed, Trump wants to restart the economy.  Worldwide, the virus has infected nearly 4.2 million people and killed over 286,000. Some countries that have relaxed lock-down rules have seen new outbreaks.

WASHINGTON — Dr. Anthony Fauci says the government is working on several potential vaccines for COVID-19.

“We have many candidates and hope to have many winners,” he told the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension committee. “In other words, it is many shots on goal.”

Despite the rapid pace of work on vaccines, Fauci was offering no guarantees. He says, “The big unknown is efficacy.”

Fauci heads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and is the government’s leading expert on the pandemic. He says he hopes to have a vaccine in advanced trials by late fall or early winter.

WASHINGTON — The government’s leading infectious disease expert says he intends to warn the nation Tuesday that “needless suffering and death” will result from a rushed reopening of the economy.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?471837-1/white-house-coronavirus-task-force-members-testify-coronavirus-response-reopening-phases">Click here to watch</a> the Senate hearing that begins 9a.m. CDT and is expected to last approximately 3 hours.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, will appear before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension committee at a hearing assessing reopening plans.

In an email to the New York Times, Fauci said his major message will concern the danger of trying to open the country.

“If we skip over the checkpoints in the guidelines to ‘Open America Again,’ then we risk the danger of multiple outbreaks throughout the country,” Fauci wrote. “This will not only result in needless suffering and death, but would actually set us back on our quest to return to normal.”

This puts Fauci at odds with President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly urged governors to lift business closings and stay-at-home orders.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589293349894.png" alt="First ever U.S. Senate hearing with witnesses and chairman appearing via video conference. Those in attendance practice social distancing on Tuesday moring. The public is not in attendance at the hearing-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>First ever U.S. Senate hearing with witnesses and chairman appearing via video conference. Those in attendance practice social distancing on Tuesday moring. The public is not in attendance at the hearing-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, warned bluntly Tuesday of “really serious” consequences of suffering, death and deeper economic damage if state and local officials lift stay-at-home orders too quickly, even as President Donald Trump pushes them to act to right a free-falling economy.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?471837-1/white-house-coronavirus-task-force-members-testify-coronavirus-response-reopening-phases">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;a replay&nbsp;the Senate hearing.Fauci’s testimony before a Senate committee that included Kansas Senator Pat Roberts came as more than two dozen states have begun to lift their lockdowns as a first step toward economic recovery.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589299908069.png" alt="Kansas Senator Pat Roberts wore gloves and&nbsp; participated in Tuesday's first ever Senate hearing via video conference. Roberts referred to the dramatic number of virus patients identified in his hometown of Dodge City. -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Senator Pat Roberts wore gloves and&nbsp; participated in Tuesday's first ever Senate hearing via video conference. Roberts referred to the dramatic number of virus patients identified in his hometown of Dodge City. -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>Underscoring the seriousness of the pandemic that has reached Congress and the White House, Fauci and other experts testified by video from their homes. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., chaired the hearing by video from the study in his cabin in Tennessee, though several members of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee did attend at the Capitol.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589296928199.png" alt="Dr. Anthony Fauci during Tuesday's video conference before the U.S. Senate committee" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Anthony Fauci during Tuesday's video conference before the U.S. Senate committee</figcaption>
 </figure>Fauci and other health officials stressed that pandemic danger persists, even as testing increases and work toward a vaccine and treatments continues.More COVID-19 infections are inevitable as people again start gathering, but how prepared communities are to stamp out those sparks will determine how bad the rebound is, Fauci told the senators.“There is no doubt, even under the best of circumstances, when you pull back on mitigation you will see some cases appear,” Fauci said.And if there is a rush to reopen without following guidelines, “my concern is we will start to see little spikes that might turn into outbreaks,” he said. “The consequences could be really serious.”In fact, he said opening too soon “could turn the clock back,” and that not only would cause “some suffering and death that could be avoided, but could even set you back on the road to try to get economic recovery.”Fauci was among the health experts testifying Tuesday to the Senate panel, as Trump has been praising states that are reopening after the prolonged lockdown aimed at controlling the virus’s spread.Committee chairman Alexander said as the hearing opened that “what our country has done so far in testing is impressive, but not nearly enough.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589293586428.png" alt="Missouri Senator Roy Blunt watched the opening of the hearing Tuesday morning-image CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Missouri Senator Roy Blunt watched the opening of the hearing Tuesday morning-image CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>Worldwide, the virus has infected nearly 4.2 million people and killed over 287,000 — more than 80,000 in U.S. alone. Asked if the U.S. mortality count was correct, Fauci said, “the number is likely higher. I don’t know exactly what percent higher but almost certainly it’s higher.”Fauci, a member of the coronavirus task force charged with shaping the response to COVID-19, testified via video conference after self-quarantining as a White House staffer tested positive for the virus.With the U.S. economy in free-fall and more than 30 million people unemployed, Trump has been anxious to reopen states for business.<a href="https://apnews.com/4aca168a247602a2573ba94347045b30">A recent Associated Press review determined that 17 states did not meet a key White House benchmark&nbsp;</a>for loosening restrictions — a 14-day downward trajectory in new cases or positive test rates. Yet many of those have begun to reopen or are about to do so, including Alabama, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Utah.Of the 33 states that have had a 14-day downward trajectory of either cases or positive test rates, 25 are partially opened or moving to reopen within days, the AP analysis found. Other states that have not seen a 14-day decline, remain closed despite meeting some benchmarks.Besides Fauci, of the National Institutes of Health, the other experts include FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn and Dr. Robert Redfield, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — both in self-quarantine—and Adm. Brett Giroir, the coronavirus “testing czar” at the Department of Health and Human Services.The event Tuesday got underway in the committee’s storied hearing room, but that’s about all that remained of the pre-pandemic way of conducting oversight. The senators running the event, Alexander and Democrat Patty Murray of Washington, were heads on video screens, with an array of personal items in the background as they isolated back home.A few senators, such as Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski and Connecticut Democrat Chris Murphy, personally attended the session in the hearing room. They wore masks, as did an array of aides buzzing behind them.The health committee hearing offers a very different setting from the White House coronavirus task force briefings the administration witnesses have all participated in. Most significantly, Trump did not control the agenda.Eyeing the November elections, the president has been urging on protesters who oppose their state governors’ stay-at-home orders, while expressing his own confidence that the coronavrius will fade away as summer advances and Americans return to work and other pursuits.The U.S. has seen at least 1.3 million infections and nearly 81,000 confirmed deaths from the virus, the highest toll in the world by far, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.Separately, one expert from the World Health Organization has already warned that some countries are “driving blind” into reopening their economies without having strong systems to track new outbreaks. And three countries that do have robust tracing systems — South Korea, Germany and China — have already seen new outbreaks after lockdown rules were relaxed.U.S. contact tracing remains a patchwork of approaches and readiness levels. States are hiring contact tracers but experts say tens of thousands will be needed across the country.WHO’s emergencies chief, Dr. Michael Ryan, said Germany and South Korea have good contact tracing that hopefully can detect and stop virus clusters before they get out of control. But he said other nations — which he did not name — have not effectively employed investigators to contact people who test positive, track down their contacts and get them into quarantine before they can spread the virus.“Shutting your eyes and trying to drive through this blind is about as silly an equation as I’ve seen,” Ryan said. “Certain countries are setting themselves up for some seriously blind driving over the next few months.”Apple, Google, some U.S. states and European countries are developing contact-tracing apps that show whether someone has crossed paths with an infected person. But experts say the technology only supplements and does not replace labor-intensive human work.-----------WASHINGTON (AP) — Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, is warning Congress that if the country reopens too soon, "the consequences could be really serious.”<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?471837-1/white-house-coronavirus-task-force-members-testify-coronavirus-response-reopening-phases">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;the Senate hearing that began at 9a.m. CDT and is expected to last approximately 3 hours.Fauci is among the experts testifying to a Senate panel as its hearing opened on Tuesday. His testimony comes as President Donald Trump is pressuring states to reopen after the prolonged lock-down aimed at controlling the virus’ spread. With the U.S. economy in free-fall and more than 30 million people unemployed, Trump wants to restart the economy. Worldwide, the virus has infected nearly 4.2 million people and killed over 286,000. Some countries that have relaxed lock-down rules have seen new outbreaks.-----------WASHINGTON — Dr. Anthony Fauci says the government is working on several potential vaccines for COVID-19.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?471837-1/white-house-coronavirus-task-force-members-testify-coronavirus-response-reopening-phases">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;the Senate hearing that began at 9a.m. CDT and is expected to last approximately 3 hours.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589292074301.png" alt="Members of the U.S. Senate gather ahead of Tuesday's hearing -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Members of the U.S. Senate gather ahead of Tuesday's hearing -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>“We have many candidates and hope to have many winners,” he told the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension committee. “In other words, it is many shots on goal.”Despite the rapid pace of work on vaccines, Fauci was offering no guarantees. He says, “The big unknown is efficacy.”Fauci heads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and is the government’s leading expert on the pandemic. He says he hopes to have a vaccine in advanced trials by late fall or early winter.___WASHINGTON — The government’s leading infectious disease expert says he intends to warn the nation Tuesday that “needless suffering and death” will result from a rushed reopening of the economy.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?471837-1/white-house-coronavirus-task-force-members-testify-coronavirus-response-reopening-phases">Click here to watch</a> the Senate hearing that begins 9a.m. CDT and is expected to last approximately 3 hours.Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, will appear before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension committee at a hearing assessing reopening plans.In an email to the New York Times, Fauci said his major message will concern the danger of trying to open the country.“If we skip over the checkpoints in the guidelines to ‘Open America Again,’ then we risk the danger of multiple outbreaks throughout the country,” Fauci wrote. “This will not only result in needless suffering and death, but would actually set us back on our quest to return to normal.”This puts Fauci at odds with President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly urged governors to lift business closings and stay-at-home orders.___

🎥 Kansas Senator hears grim news from Coronavirus Task Force

Most of the Missouri River system levees have been repaired
from last year’s floods, but complications have arisen to delay the repair of
some significant levees along the river.

Civil Engineer Geoffrey Henggeler with the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers Kansas City office says while finishing touches remain to be done,
many levees from Holt County south along the Missouri River provide the
protection they did before the 2019 floods heavily damaged them. 

“Level of protection is in place for 39 of the 61 levees that
have been approved for repairs,” Henggeler reports during a Corps conference
call.

That phrase – level of protection – simply means the levees
have been restored to the height prior to the damage left by last year’s
floods. Not everything has been completed, though. Erosion from the floods must
be repaired, side cover established, riprap replaced, and drainage structure
repaired.

Two significant levees in northwest Missouri remain vulnerable
to flooding. A major agricultural levee in Atchison County, suffering from five
big scour holes, has yet to be repaired. And, it might take all summer to
repair the Rushville levee, which protects Lewis and Clark Village as well as Highway
59 and access to the Missouri River bridge at Atchison, Kansas.

The Rushville levee cuts through wetlands, complicating
repairs

Henggeler says land must be purchased before repairs can
begin.

“There’s some coordination that they’re doing with the NRCS
(USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, which has an easement in an area
where the levee is being proposed to be set back and the sponsor is
coordinating that. The Corps of Engineers is participating in that as
appropriate to finalize what the alignment of the repair will be.”

“We hope that that would be under contract or at least
advertised sometime this summer,” Henggeler says.

Civil Engineer Matt Krajewski with the Corps Omaha office says
the Corps has made good progress on the levees damaged from Atchison County,
Missouri north to Omaha.

“Thanks to a mild winter, we’ve made incredible progress restoring
the levee systems along the Missouri River and its tributaries that were
damaged in the 2019 flood,” Krajewski tells the conference call.

The Omaha District has jurisdiction over the Atchison County
agricultural levee. Krajewski says the levee, which is on the mainstem of the
Missouri River, suffered significant damage from last year’s floods. Right of
way is being acquired.

Corps officials insist the Missouri River system is in better
shape now than last year to handle any potential flooding this summer.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589298932070.jpeg" alt="Repair work on Levee 550 near Watson/Photo courtesy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers" />
 <figcaption>Repair work on Levee 550 near Watson/Photo courtesy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostMost of the Missouri River system levees have been repaired
from last year’s floods, but complications have arisen to delay the repair of
some significant levees along the river.Civil Engineer Geoffrey Henggeler with the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers Kansas City office says while finishing touches remain to be done,
many levees from Holt County south along the Missouri River provide the
protection they did before the 2019 floods heavily damaged them. “Level of protection is in place for 39 of the 61 levees that
have been approved for repairs,” Henggeler reports during a Corps conference
call.That phrase – level of protection – simply means the levees
have been restored to the height prior to the damage left by last year’s
floods. Not everything has been completed, though. Erosion from the floods must
be repaired, side cover established, riprap replaced, and drainage structure
repaired.Two significant levees in northwest Missouri remain vulnerable
to flooding. A major agricultural levee in Atchison County, suffering from five
big scour holes, has yet to be repaired. And, it might take all summer to
repair the Rushville levee, which protects Lewis and Clark Village as well as Highway
59 and access to the Missouri River bridge at Atchison, Kansas.The Rushville levee cuts through wetlands, complicating
repairsHenggeler says land must be purchased before repairs can
begin.“There’s some coordination that they’re doing with the NRCS
(USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, which has an easement in an area
where the levee is being proposed to be set back and the sponsor is
coordinating that. The Corps of Engineers is participating in that as
appropriate to finalize what the alignment of the repair will be.”Repair of the levee will take a while.“We hope that that would be under contract or at least
advertised sometime this summer,” Henggeler says.Civil Engineer Matt Krajewski with the Corps Omaha office says
the Corps has made good progress on the levees damaged from Atchison County,
Missouri north to Omaha.“Thanks to a mild winter, we’ve made incredible progress restoring
the levee systems along the Missouri River and its tributaries that were
damaged in the 2019 flood,” Krajewski tells the conference call.The Omaha District has jurisdiction over the Atchison County
agricultural levee. Krajewski says the levee, which is on the mainstem of the
Missouri River, suffered significant damage from last year’s floods. Right of
way is being acquired.Corps officials insist the Missouri River system is in better
shape now than last year to handle any potential flooding this summer.

Levee repair plugging along; some major levees still broken

Missouri is moving toward 10,000 coronavirus cases with nearly
500 deaths.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reports 121,296
Missourians have been tested for COVID-19 with 9,918 testing positive with 488
deaths.

State health officials report 447 cases in Buchanan County.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reports 7,116
cases of COVID-19 with 158 deaths.

Mosaic Life Care reports testing 3,082 people with 152 testing
positive for COVID-19. Ten of those who tested positive have been hospitalized.
Mosaic is awaiting results of 116 tests.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostMissouri is moving toward 10,000 coronavirus cases with nearly
500 deaths.The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reports 121,296
Missourians have been tested for COVID-19 with 9,918 testing positive with 488
deaths.State health officials report 447 cases in Buchanan County.The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reports 7,116
cases of COVID-19 with 158 deaths.Mosaic Life Care reports testing 3,082 people with 152 testing
positive for COVID-19. Ten of those who tested positive have been hospitalized.
Mosaic is awaiting results of 116 tests.

Missouri nears 10K COVID-19 cases; Buchanan CO at 447

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — State and local orders still in place for checking the spread of the novel coronavirus in Kansas are facing legal challenges from the state’s attorney general and business owners.

Republican Attorney General Derek Schmidt said Monday that he is reviewing whether it’s constitutional for people who violate Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s orders restricting business activities to face criminal charges. His office said the GOP district attorney in Reno County in south-central Kansas asked him for a legal opinion.

Schmidt’s announcement came a day after two business owners in Linn County in eastern Kansas filed&nbsp;<a href="https://apdocs.inside.ap.org/documents/150932-linn-county-lawsuit-05-11-20.html" target="_blank">a federal lawsuit</a>&nbsp;against the county, its county commission and its health director. They are challenging&nbsp;<a href="https://apdocs.inside.ap.org/documents/150933-linn-county-order-05-01-20.html" target="_blank">a May 1 order</a>&nbsp;from the health director requiring businesses to compile information on who visits their premises so the local health department can use it to trace the contacts of infected people.

(Advance to player to the 24:00 minute mark)

“It’s just as important now, perhaps more so, to follow the rule of law and respect our constitutional rights,” said Sam MacRoberts, litigation director for the Kansas Justice Institute, which is representing the Linn County business owners. “The government does not get a free pass, even during a pandemic.”

Kelly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9892bd95f6f6179dc01c4769adbab428">lifted a statewide stay-at-home order</a>&nbsp;May 4 but plans to keep some restrictions in place at least until June 15, and she is allowing local officials to impose tougher rules. She’s faced criticism from the Republican-controlled Legislature for not reopening the economy quickly enough, and some GOP lawmaker want to curb the governor’s power in emergencies.

“It’s partly pent-up frustration,” Kelly said during a Statehouse news conference Monday. “Everybody is getting some coronavirus fatigue here.”

The state health department reported that confirmed and probable coronavirus cases increased Monday to 7,116, up 9.5% or 615 since Friday. The department reported an additional six COVID-19-related deaths, up 4% since Friday, for a total of 158 since early March.

The number of coronavirus cases it thought to be higher because of limited testing, particularly early in the state’s outbreak, and because people can be infected without feeling ill. Also, Johns Hopkins University on Monday reported 175 deaths for the state.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death.

Kelly has left it to local law enforcement officials to determine whether people violating her executive orders face fines, citations or arrest.

Schmidt said Monday that the Legislature determines what constitutes a crime, not the governor, and the Kansas Supreme Court has never ruled on whether that power can be delegated to the governor in an emergency.

Kelly responded: “Executive orders without teeth are useless, so I think there has to be some mechanism for enforcement.”

The federal lawsuit against Linn County alleges that its order, issued May 1, violates the business owners’ right to be protected from unreasonable searches of their property, guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The lawsuit alleges that the directive to businesses, including doctor’s and lawyer’s offices, to compile information about customers and turn it over to the health department represents a warrant-less search of their records, without giving them a way to appeal the department’s actions.

Filing the lawsuit were Jackie Taylor, owner and publisher of the Linn County News in Pleasanton, and Linda Jo Hisel, owner of Nana Jo’s restaurant in La Cygne. The Kansas Justice Institute, which represents them, is an arm of the Kansas Policy Institute, a small-government, free-market think tank.

The county has about 9,800 residents and has had six coronavirus cases, or 0.62 cases per 1,000 residents compared to the state’s 2.44 cases per 1,000 residents.

“The people coming to my restaurant are practically family, and I shouldn’t be expected to keep tabs on them for the government,” Hisel said.

The Linn County Commission’s chairman and its health director did not immediately return telephone messages seeking comment.

Dr. Lee Norman, the state health department’s director, said collecting such information would be “terrifically helpful” in contact tracing but raises privacy concerns. Kelly said it would not be “my first choice” as a coronavirus response.

“I think that’s going a little bit too far,” she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589280011411.png" alt="During her Monday new conference, Governor Laura Kelly said, “Everybody is getting some coronavirus fatigue here."&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>During her Monday new conference, Governor Laura Kelly said, “Everybody is getting some coronavirus fatigue here."&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — State and local orders still in place for checking the spread of the novel coronavirus in Kansas are facing legal challenges from the state’s attorney general and business owners.Republican Attorney General Derek Schmidt said Monday that he is reviewing whether it’s constitutional for people who violate Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s orders restricting business activities to face criminal charges. His office said the GOP district attorney in Reno County in south-central Kansas asked him for a legal opinion.Schmidt’s announcement came a day after two business owners in Linn County in eastern Kansas filed&nbsp;<a href="https://apdocs.inside.ap.org/documents/150932-linn-county-lawsuit-05-11-20.html" target="_blank">a federal lawsuit</a>&nbsp;against the county, its county commission and its health director. They are challenging&nbsp;<a href="https://apdocs.inside.ap.org/documents/150933-linn-county-order-05-01-20.html" target="_blank">a May 1 order</a>&nbsp;from the health director requiring businesses to compile information on who visits their premises so the local health department can use it to trace the contacts of infected people.(Advance to player to the 24:00 minute mark)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGovLauraKelly%2Fvideos%2F904749063357797%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>“It’s just as important now, perhaps more so, to follow the rule of law and respect our constitutional rights,” said Sam MacRoberts, litigation director for the Kansas Justice Institute, which is representing the Linn County business owners. “The government does not get a free pass, even during a pandemic.”Kelly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9892bd95f6f6179dc01c4769adbab428">lifted a statewide stay-at-home order</a>&nbsp;May 4 but plans to keep some restrictions in place at least until June 15, and she is allowing local officials to impose tougher rules. She’s faced criticism from the Republican-controlled Legislature for not reopening the economy quickly enough, and some GOP lawmaker want to curb the governor’s power in emergencies.“It’s partly pent-up frustration,” Kelly said during a Statehouse news conference Monday. “Everybody is getting some coronavirus fatigue here.”The state health department reported that confirmed and probable coronavirus cases increased Monday to 7,116, up 9.5% or 615 since Friday. The department reported an additional six COVID-19-related deaths, up 4% since Friday, for a total of 158 since early March.The number of coronavirus cases it thought to be higher because of limited testing, particularly early in the state’s outbreak, and because people can be infected without feeling ill. Also, Johns Hopkins University on Monday reported 175 deaths for the state.For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death.Kelly has left it to local law enforcement officials to determine whether people violating her executive orders face fines, citations or arrest.Schmidt said Monday that the Legislature determines what constitutes a crime, not the governor, and the Kansas Supreme Court has never ruled on whether that power can be delegated to the governor in an emergency.Kelly responded: “Executive orders without teeth are useless, so I think there has to be some mechanism for enforcement.”The federal lawsuit against Linn County alleges that its order, issued May 1, violates the business owners’ right to be protected from unreasonable searches of their property, guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.The lawsuit alleges that the directive to businesses, including doctor’s and lawyer’s offices, to compile information about customers and turn it over to the health department represents a warrant-less search of their records, without giving them a way to appeal the department’s actions.Filing the lawsuit were Jackie Taylor, owner and publisher of the Linn County News in Pleasanton, and Linda Jo Hisel, owner of Nana Jo’s restaurant in La Cygne. The Kansas Justice Institute, which represents them, is an arm of the Kansas Policy Institute, a small-government, free-market think tank.The county has about 9,800 residents and has had six coronavirus cases, or 0.62 cases per 1,000 residents compared to the state’s 2.44 cases per 1,000 residents.“The people coming to my restaurant are practically family, and I shouldn’t be expected to keep tabs on them for the government,” Hisel said.The Linn County Commission’s chairman and its health director did not immediately return telephone messages seeking comment.Dr. Lee Norman, the state health department’s director, said collecting such information would be “terrifically helpful” in contact tracing but raises privacy concerns. Kelly said it would not be “my first choice” as a coronavirus response.“I think that’s going a little bit too far,” she said.

🎥 Governor responds to challenges of coronavirus orders 

WASHINGTON (AP) — With deaths mounting at the nation’s nursing homes, the White House strongly recommended to governors Monday that all residents and staff at such facilities be tested for the coronavirus in the next two weeks.

Why the government is not ordering testing at the nation’s more than 15,000 nursing homes was unclear. Nor was it clear why it is being recommended now, more than two months after the nation’s first major outbreak at a nursing home outside of Seattle that eventually killed 45 people.

Vice President Mike Pence, who leads the White House coronavirus task force, told governors on a video conference call that it’s the federal government’s strong recommendation that such testing be done.

“We really believe that all 1 million nursing home residents need to be tested within next two weeks as well as the staff,” added Dr. Deborah Birx, the task force coordinator, according to a recording of the call obtained by The Associated Press.

President Trump has repeatedly said there have been plenty of testing kits and has shifted blame to governors for reacting too slowly on testing, a charge he repeated in a Rose Garden news conference later Monday.

“Frankly, some of the governors were very lax with respect to nursing homes. It was obvious right from the beginning,” Trump said, referring to the Washington state outbreak.

Asked why testing was recommended, not ordered, Trump said: “I would certainly consider that. I will mandate it if you’d like.”

More than 27,000 residents and staff have died from outbreaks of the virus at the nation’s nursing homes and long-term care facilities, according to an AP tally based on state health departments and media reports. That is about a third of all 80,000 deaths in the U.S. that have been attributed to the virus.

Nursing home operators have said the lack of testing kits has left them nearly powerless to stop the virus from entering their facilities because they haven’t been able to identity silent spreaders not showing symptoms.

The American Health Care Association, the main nursing home trade group, welcomed the new testing recommendation but said the federal government needed to do more to make that possible, including allocating billions of additional dollars to the effort.

Charlene Harrington, a professor emeritus of nursing at the University of California, San Francisco, said nursing homes should have been prioritized from the start given their vulnerable populations and questioned why the testing recommendation is only happening now.

“We’re two months into it,” she said. “If they had done that to begin with, we would’ve picked up cases early and we wouldn’t have so many deaths.”

Representatives for the federal Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services did not immediately respond when asked why the agency wasn’t making testing a requirement. In mid-March, it asked homes to cease group gatherings and visitations, and to screen staff with such measures as temperature checks.

A senior administration official said taking a tougher stand is still an option.

“If the states aren’t able to come back with plans quickly to do it, then there’s a good chance we will order them to do that, but we believe that right now there are plenty of tests out there,” the official said on condition of anonymity because he lacked authorization to speak to the media.

West Virginia and Texas have already mandated testing for all nursing home residents and staff. And just Sunday, New York, the nation’s leader in nursing home deaths, began requiring all staff to be tested twice a week.

Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine said his state was ramping up testing but cast doubt on the feasibility of doing that for everyone in every home.

“I don’t know that that’s going to get done,” said DeWine, whose state has reported nearly 500 deaths in long-term care facilities in three weeks. He added, “There’s frankly a lot of people in the medical field who would argue that the testing of everybody in that nursing home might not be the best protocol.”

Pence led the White House’s weekly call with governors from an isolated room after his press secretary tested positive Friday. Three of the country’s top health care officials, including infection disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, are quarantining themselves on fears they have been exposed to the virus, too.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589232183933.png" alt="President Trump during a media briefing Monday -White House photo" />
 <figcaption>President Trump during a media briefing Monday -White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — With deaths mounting at the nation’s nursing homes, the White House strongly recommended to governors Monday that all residents and staff at such facilities be tested for the coronavirus in the next two weeks.Why the government is not ordering testing at the nation’s more than 15,000 nursing homes was unclear. Nor was it clear why it is being recommended now, more than two months after the nation’s first major outbreak at a nursing home outside of Seattle that eventually killed 45 people.Vice President Mike Pence, who leads the White House coronavirus task force, told governors on a video conference call that it’s the federal government’s strong recommendation that such testing be done.“We really believe that all 1 million nursing home residents need to be tested within next two weeks as well as the staff,” added Dr. Deborah Birx, the task force coordinator, according to a recording of the call obtained by The Associated Press.President Trump has repeatedly said there have been plenty of testing kits and has shifted blame to governors for reacting too slowly on testing, a charge he repeated in a Rose Garden news conference later Monday.“Frankly, some of the governors were very lax with respect to nursing homes. It was obvious right from the beginning,” Trump said, referring to the Washington state outbreak.Asked why testing was recommended, not ordered, Trump said: “I would certainly consider that. I will mandate it if you’d like.”More than 27,000 residents and staff have died from outbreaks of the virus at the nation’s nursing homes and long-term care facilities, according to an AP tally based on state health departments and media reports. That is about a third of all 80,000 deaths in the U.S. that have been attributed to the virus.Nursing home operators have said the lack of testing kits has left them nearly powerless to stop the virus from entering their facilities because they haven’t been able to identity silent spreaders not showing symptoms.The American Health Care Association, the main nursing home trade group, welcomed the new testing recommendation but said the federal government needed to do more to make that possible, including allocating billions of additional dollars to the effort.Charlene Harrington, a professor emeritus of nursing at the University of California, San Francisco, said nursing homes should have been prioritized from the start given their vulnerable populations and questioned why the testing recommendation is only happening now.“We’re two months into it,” she said. “If they had done that to begin with, we would’ve picked up cases early and we wouldn’t have so many deaths.”Representatives for the federal Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services did not immediately respond when asked why the agency wasn’t making testing a requirement. In mid-March, it asked homes to cease group gatherings and visitations, and to screen staff with such measures as temperature checks.A senior administration official said taking a tougher stand is still an option.“If the states aren’t able to come back with plans quickly to do it, then there’s a good chance we will order them to do that, but we believe that right now there are plenty of tests out there,” the official said on condition of anonymity because he lacked authorization to speak to the media.West Virginia and Texas have already mandated testing for all nursing home residents and staff. And just Sunday, New York, the nation’s leader in nursing home deaths, began requiring all staff to be tested twice a week.Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine said his state was ramping up testing but cast doubt on the feasibility of doing that for everyone in every home.“I don’t know that that’s going to get done,” said DeWine, whose state has reported nearly 500 deaths in long-term care facilities in three weeks. He added, “There’s frankly a lot of people in the medical field who would argue that the testing of everybody in that nursing home might not be the best protocol.”Pence led the White House’s weekly call with governors from an isolated room after his press secretary tested positive Friday. Three of the country’s top health care officials, including infection disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, are quarantining themselves on fears they have been exposed to the virus, too.___

White House recommends virus tests for all nursing home residents

Missouri is approaching 10,000 COVID-19 cases as Buchanan
County tops 400.

The Missouri Department of Health says 9,844 Missourians have
contracted the coronavirus. Health officials have recorded 482 deaths in
Missouri. More than 115,000 Missourians have been tested.

Buchanan County reports 426 cases of COVID-19; 389 confirmed
with 37 probable. The county has recorded two deaths.

Mosaic Life Care has now tested 2,882 residents in its network
with 145 positive for COVID-19. Ten of those testing positive have been
hospitalized. Mosaic is awaiting results on 15 tests.

Kansas health officials report nearly 6,984 cases with 157
deaths.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostMissouri is approaching 10,000 COVID-19 cases as Buchanan
County tops 400.The Missouri Department of Health says 9,844 Missourians have
contracted the coronavirus. Health officials have recorded 482 deaths in
Missouri. More than 115,000 Missourians have been tested.Buchanan County reports 426 cases of COVID-19; 389 confirmed
with 37 probable. The county has recorded two deaths.Mosaic Life Care has now tested 2,882 residents in its network
with 145 positive for COVID-19. Ten of those testing positive have been
hospitalized. Mosaic is awaiting results on 15 tests.Kansas health officials report nearly 6,984 cases with 157
deaths.

Missouri approaches 10K COVID-19 cases, Buchanan CO tops 400

By LYNN HORSLEY <a href="https://www.kcur.org/community/2020-05-11/here-is-what-people-can-and-cant-do-as-johnson-and-wyandotte-counties-begin-to-gradually-reopen">Kansas News Service</a>

Johnson and Wyandotte Counties begin to gradually reopen their 
economies on Monday, May 11, following weeks of stringent stay-home 
orders during the COVID-19 pandemic.

They follow Kansas City, Missouri, which began allowing some non-essential businesses to reopen Wednesday, May 6.

<a href="https://www.kcur.org/2020-05-06/heres-what-people-can-do-and-not-do-in-kansas-city-missouri-as-stay-at-home-order-partially-lifts" target="_blank">Read KCUR’s “Here’s What People Can Do – And Not Do – In Kansas City, Missouri, As Stay-At-Home Order Partially Lifts”</a>

Health
 officers in Johnson and Wyandotte counties said they thought a May 11 
start date was safer for their communities. They still are strongly 
urging people who are out and about to wear cloth masks in public 
settings.

Johnson County is mostly following Kansas Gov. Laura 
Kelly’s phased approach in reopening statewide, while Wyandotte County 
is taking a more restrictive approach.

In
 Johnson County, here are some of the places that residents and 
customers can start to visit that they couldn’t before. You can read the
 county’s reopening plan <a href="https://jocogov.org/sites/default/files/documents/CMO/Phased%20opening%20in%20Johnson%20County%202.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.

However, here are the things you still can’t do:

Those types of businesses can’t open at least until May 18 under <a href="https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Reopen-Kansas-Framework.pdf" target="_blank">Kansas’ reopening plan.</a> That second phase depends on virus data trends improving.

Johnson County Library is also developing a phased reopening plan and more information will be <a href="https://www.jocolibrary.org/" target="_blank">at the Library’s website.</a>

Wyandotte County has a more gradual plan for reopening. The details can be read <a href="https://www.wycokck.org/WycoKCK/media/Health-Department/Documents/Communicable%20Disease/COVID19/RestartWYCOGuidanceDocument043020.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.

In the first phase, most people are still urged to stay at home as much as possible. Here are some important details:

As in Johnson County, many 
businesses and functions will remain closed in the first phase, 
including haircare places, gyms, community centers, libraries, museums 
and entertainment venues.

In Wyandotte County, elective dental procedures are discouraged for now.

Government
 offices remain closed although people can do various services online, 
including vehicle titling and registration. More information is at the <a href="https://www.wycokck.org/auto" target="_blank">Unified Government’s website</a>.

Lynn Horsley is a freelance writer in Kansas City. Follow her on Twitter @LynnHorsley.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589205232552.png" alt="Restaurants and many other mom-and-pop stores in downtown Overland Park will be allowed to open Monday, May 11, with some restrictions still in place. Sam Zeff / KCUR" />
 <figcaption>Restaurants and many other mom-and-pop stores in downtown Overland Park will be allowed to open Monday, May 11, with some restrictions still in place. Sam Zeff / KCUR</figcaption>
 </figure>By LYNN HORSLEY <a href="https://www.kcur.org/community/2020-05-11/here-is-what-people-can-and-cant-do-as-johnson-and-wyandotte-counties-begin-to-gradually-reopen">Kansas News Service</a>Johnson and Wyandotte Counties begin to gradually reopen their 
economies on Monday, May 11, following weeks of stringent stay-home 
orders during the COVID-19 pandemic.They follow Kansas City, Missouri, which began allowing some non-essential businesses to reopen Wednesday, May 6.<a href="https://www.kcur.org/2020-05-06/heres-what-people-can-do-and-not-do-in-kansas-city-missouri-as-stay-at-home-order-partially-lifts" target="_blank">Read KCUR’s “Here’s What People Can Do – And Not Do – In Kansas City, Missouri, As Stay-At-Home Order Partially Lifts”</a>Health
 officers in Johnson and Wyandotte counties said they thought a May 11 
start date was safer for their communities. They still are strongly 
urging people who are out and about to wear cloth masks in public 
settings.Johnson County is mostly following Kansas Gov. Laura 
Kelly’s phased approach in reopening statewide, while Wyandotte County 
is taking a more restrictive approach.<h2>Johnson County</h2>In
 Johnson County, here are some of the places that residents and 
customers can start to visit that they couldn’t before. You can read the
 county’s reopening plan <a href="https://jocogov.org/sites/default/files/documents/CMO/Phased%20opening%20in%20Johnson%20County%202.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.<ol>
 <li>Offices
 such as law firms and advertising agencies that don’t usually serve the
 public can open with social distancing among workers.</li><li>Restaurants can offer dine-in service for parties of 10 or fewer people but tables must be at least 6 feet apart.</li><li>Farmers markets are allowed, with social distancing.</li><li>Retail stores such as clothing and gift shops can serve shoppers, with social distancing.</li><li>Churches can hold services with more than 10 people but social distancing is required between families.</li><li>The motor vehicle offices in Olathe and Mission are open on a limited basis, but reservations are required. (You can make them <a href="https://www.jocogov.org/residents/vehicles" target="_blank">here</a> in order to secure a place in line.) Still, the county strongly urges patrons to conduct as much business online as possible.</li><li>The New Century and Executive airports are also open as of Monday, May 11.</li>
 </ol>However, here are the things you still can’t do:<ol>
 <li>Visit a bar or nightclub except for curbside or carryout.</li><li>Get a haircut or a massage.</li><li>Visit a gym, library, playground or community center.</li><li>Attend a theater or other indoor entertainment venue.</li>
 </ol>Those types of businesses can’t open at least until May 18 under <a href="https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Reopen-Kansas-Framework.pdf" target="_blank">Kansas’ reopening plan.</a> That second phase depends on virus data trends improving.Johnson County Library is also developing a phased reopening plan and more information will be <a href="https://www.jocolibrary.org/" target="_blank">at the Library’s website.</a><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589205343951.png" alt="Businesses like this family owned cupcake store in downtown Kansas City, Kansas, have been closed to walk-in business since the shutdown started in mid-March. Laura Ziegler photo" />
 <figcaption>Businesses like this family owned cupcake store in downtown Kansas City, Kansas, have been closed to walk-in business since the shutdown started in mid-March. Laura Ziegler photo</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Wyandotte County</h2>Wyandotte County has a more gradual plan for reopening. The details can be read <a href="https://www.wycokck.org/WycoKCK/media/Health-Department/Documents/Communicable%20Disease/COVID19/RestartWYCOGuidanceDocument043020.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.In the first phase, most people are still urged to stay at home as much as possible. Here are some important details:<ol>
 <li>Offices, manufacturing and logistical businesses can open with social distancing among workers and customers.</li><li>No
 dine-in restaurant service is allowed and farmers markets are 
discouraged. Carry out and curbside service are allowed with 6-foot 
social distancing, as are food trucks.</li><li>Hotels and motels can operate at no more than 25% capacity.</li><li>Church
 services, including weddings and funerals, can only accommodate 10 
percent of capacity as determined by the fire marshal, and personal 
greetings are discouraged.</li>
 </ol>As in Johnson County, many 
businesses and functions will remain closed in the first phase, 
including haircare places, gyms, community centers, libraries, museums 
and entertainment venues.In Wyandotte County, elective dental procedures are discouraged for now.Government
 offices remain closed although people can do various services online, 
including vehicle titling and registration. More information is at the <a href="https://www.wycokck.org/auto" target="_blank">Unified Government’s website</a>.Lynn Horsley is a freelance writer in Kansas City. Follow her on Twitter @LynnHorsley.

What the reopening of Johnson, Wyandotte counties looks like

WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite a century’s progress in science, 2020 is looking a lot like 1918.

In the years between two lethal pandemics, one the misnamed Spanish flu, the other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">COVID-19</a>, the world learned about viruses, cured various diseases, made effective vaccines, developed instant communications and created elaborate public-health networks.

Yet here we are again, face-masked to the max. And still unable to crush an insidious yet avoidable infectious disease before hundreds of thousands die from it.

As in 1918, people are again hearing hollow assurances at odds with the reality of hospitals and morgues filling up and bank accounts draining. The ancient common sense of quarantining is back. So is quackery: Rub raw onions on your chest, they said in 1918. How about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/7f0a9a77dad8c8722aa54fef45e8667b">disinfectant in your veins</a>&nbsp;now? mused President Donald Trump, drawing gasps instead of laughs over what he weakly tried to pass off as a joke.

In 1918, no one had a vaccine, treatment or cure for the great flu pandemic as it ravaged the world and killed more than 50 million people. No one has any of that for the coronavirus, either.

Modern science quickly identified&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak">today’s new coronavirus</a>, mapped its genetic code and developed a diagnostic test, tapping knowledge no one had in 1918. That has given people more of a fighting chance to stay out of harm’s way, at least in countries that deployed tests quickly, which the U.S. didn’t.

But the ways to avoid getting sick and what to do when sick are little changed. The failure of U.S. presidents to take the threat seriously from the start also joins past to present.

Trump all but declared victory before infection took root in his country and he’s delivered a stream of misinformation ever since. President Woodrow Wilson’s principal failure was his silence.

Not once, historians say, did Wilson publicly speak about a disease that was killing Americans grotesquely and in huge numbers, even though he contracted it himself and was never the same after. Wilson fixated on America’s parallel fight in World War I like “a dog with a bone,” says John M. Barry, author of “The Great Influenza.”

The suspected ground zero of the Spanish flu ranges from Kansas to China. But it was clear to U.S. officials even in 1918 that it didn’t start in Spain.

The pandemic took on Spain’s name only because its free press ambitiously reported the devastation in the disease’s early 1918 wave while government officials and a complicit press in countries at war — the U.S. among them — played it down in a time of jingoism, censorship and denial.

Like COVID-19, the 1918 pandemic came from a respiratory virus that jumped from animals to people, was transmitted the same way, and had similar pathology, Barry said by email. Social distancing, hand-washing and masks were leading control measures then and now.

<a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-opinion-flashback-1918-flu-pandemic-timeline-htmlstory.html" target="_blank">Medical advice from then&nbsp;</a>also resonates today: “If you get it, stay at home, rest in bed, keep warm, drink hot drinks and stay quiet until the symptoms are past,” said Dr. John Dill Robertson, Chicago health commissioner in 1918. “Then continue to be careful, for the greatest danger is from pneumonia or some kindred disease after the influenza is gone.”

In the manner of the day, there just had to be a catchy rhyme in circulation, too: “Cover up each cough and sneeze. If you don’t you’ll spread disease.”

But there were also marked differences between the viruses of 1918 and 2020. The Spanish flu was particularly dangerous to healthy people aged 20 to 40 — the prime generation of military service — paradoxically because of their vibrant immune systems.

When such people got infected, their antibodies went after the virus like soldiers spilling from the trenches of Europe’s killing fields.

“The immune system was throwing every weapon it had at the virus,” Barry said. “The battlefield was the lung. The lung was being destroyed in that battle.”

Young soldiers and sailors&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/1918-commemoration/pandemic-timeline-1918.htm" target="_blank">massed at military camps</a>&nbsp;in the U.S., sailed for Europe on ships stuffed to the gunwales with humanity, fought side by side in the trenches and came home in victory to adoring crowds. The toll was enormous, on them and the people they infected. The Spanish flu could just as easily have been called the U.S. Army or U.S. Navy flu instead. Or the German or British flu, for that matter.

Among those who died in the pandemic was Friedrich Trump, Donald Trump’s paternal grandfather. Among those who contracted it and recovered were the wartime leaders of Britain and Germany as well as of the United States, British and Spanish kings and the future U.S. president, Franklin Roosevelt, when he was assistant Navy secretary.

But the toll was heavier on average people and the poor, crowded in tenements, street cars and sweaty factories.

They could not all live by the words of the 1918 U.S. surgeon general, Rupert Blue: “Keep out of crowds and stuffy places as much as possible. ... The value of fresh air through open windows cannot be overemphasized. ... Make every possible effort to breath as much pure air as possible.”

An estimated 675,000 Americans died in the pandemic, which is thought to have infected one-third of the global population.&nbsp;<a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html" target="_blank">Tracking by Johns Hopkins University</a>&nbsp;shows the continuing COVID-19 pandemic has killed more than 250,000 people globally, more than 68,000 in the United States.

In 1918, the surgeon general noted in a handbill that “a person who has only a mild attack of the disease himself may give a very severe attack to others.” The warning is just as applicable to the coronavirus, especially as scientists learned large numbers of people with COVID-19 may spread it despite no obvious symptoms. Exactly how often the new virus kills can’t be determined without better counts of the infected; some estimates&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3291398/" target="_blank">put the 1918 flu’s death rate at 2.5%.</a>

Blue’s public notice also warned people to avoid charlatans and only get medicine from doctors.

Physicians, though, didn’t always know what they were doing. Medical journals at the time describe a rash of unusual treatments, some in the league of Trump’s amateur theories about disinfectant, blasts of lights and an unapproved drug that has both potential benefits and risks.

One 1918-era doctor recommended that people sniff a boric acid and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) powder to rinse out nasal passages. Others prescribed quinine, strychnine and a poisonous garden plant called Digitalis to help circulation, as well as drugs derived from iodine for “internal disinfection,” according to Laura Spinney, who wrote the 2017 book “Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How it Changed the World.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite a century’s progress in science, 2020 is looking a lot like 1918.In the years between two lethal pandemics, one the misnamed Spanish flu, the other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">COVID-19</a>, the world learned about viruses, cured various diseases, made effective vaccines, developed instant communications and created elaborate public-health networks.Yet here we are again, face-masked to the max. And still unable to crush an insidious yet avoidable infectious disease before hundreds of thousands die from it.As in 1918, people are again hearing hollow assurances at odds with the reality of hospitals and morgues filling up and bank accounts draining. The ancient common sense of quarantining is back. So is quackery: Rub raw onions on your chest, they said in 1918. How about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/7f0a9a77dad8c8722aa54fef45e8667b">disinfectant in your veins</a>&nbsp;now? mused President Donald Trump, drawing gasps instead of laughs over what he weakly tried to pass off as a joke.In 1918, no one had a vaccine, treatment or cure for the great flu pandemic as it ravaged the world and killed more than 50 million people. No one has any of that for the coronavirus, either.Modern science quickly identified&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak">today’s new coronavirus</a>, mapped its genetic code and developed a diagnostic test, tapping knowledge no one had in 1918. That has given people more of a fighting chance to stay out of harm’s way, at least in countries that deployed tests quickly, which the U.S. didn’t.But the ways to avoid getting sick and what to do when sick are little changed. The failure of U.S. presidents to take the threat seriously from the start also joins past to present.Trump all but declared victory before infection took root in his country and he’s delivered a stream of misinformation ever since. President Woodrow Wilson’s principal failure was his silence.Not once, historians say, did Wilson publicly speak about a disease that was killing Americans grotesquely and in huge numbers, even though he contracted it himself and was never the same after. Wilson fixated on America’s parallel fight in World War I like “a dog with a bone,” says John M. Barry, author of “The Great Influenza.”The suspected ground zero of the Spanish flu ranges from Kansas to China. But it was clear to U.S. officials even in 1918 that it didn’t start in Spain.The pandemic took on Spain’s name only because its free press ambitiously reported the devastation in the disease’s early 1918 wave while government officials and a complicit press in countries at war — the U.S. among them — played it down in a time of jingoism, censorship and denial.Like COVID-19, the 1918 pandemic came from a respiratory virus that jumped from animals to people, was transmitted the same way, and had similar pathology, Barry said by email. Social distancing, hand-washing and masks were leading control measures then and now.<a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-opinion-flashback-1918-flu-pandemic-timeline-htmlstory.html" target="_blank">Medical advice from then&nbsp;</a>also resonates today: “If you get it, stay at home, rest in bed, keep warm, drink hot drinks and stay quiet until the symptoms are past,” said Dr. John Dill Robertson, Chicago health commissioner in 1918. “Then continue to be careful, for the greatest danger is from pneumonia or some kindred disease after the influenza is gone.”In the manner of the day, there just had to be a catchy rhyme in circulation, too: “Cover up each cough and sneeze. If you don’t you’ll spread disease.”But there were also marked differences between the viruses of 1918 and 2020. The Spanish flu was particularly dangerous to healthy people aged 20 to 40 — the prime generation of military service — paradoxically because of their vibrant immune systems.When such people got infected, their antibodies went after the virus like soldiers spilling from the trenches of Europe’s killing fields.“The immune system was throwing every weapon it had at the virus,” Barry said. “The battlefield was the lung. The lung was being destroyed in that battle.”Young soldiers and sailors&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/1918-commemoration/pandemic-timeline-1918.htm" target="_blank">massed at military camps</a>&nbsp;in the U.S., sailed for Europe on ships stuffed to the gunwales with humanity, fought side by side in the trenches and came home in victory to adoring crowds. The toll was enormous, on them and the people they infected. The Spanish flu could just as easily have been called the U.S. Army or U.S. Navy flu instead. Or the German or British flu, for that matter.Among those who died in the pandemic was Friedrich Trump, Donald Trump’s paternal grandfather. Among those who contracted it and recovered were the wartime leaders of Britain and Germany as well as of the United States, British and Spanish kings and the future U.S. president, Franklin Roosevelt, when he was assistant Navy secretary.But the toll was heavier on average people and the poor, crowded in tenements, street cars and sweaty factories.They could not all live by the words of the 1918 U.S. surgeon general, Rupert Blue: “Keep out of crowds and stuffy places as much as possible. ... The value of fresh air through open windows cannot be overemphasized. ... Make every possible effort to breath as much pure air as possible.”An estimated 675,000 Americans died in the pandemic, which is thought to have infected one-third of the global population.&nbsp;<a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html" target="_blank">Tracking by Johns Hopkins University</a>&nbsp;shows the continuing COVID-19 pandemic has killed more than 250,000 people globally, more than 68,000 in the United States.___BAD SCIENCEIn 1918, the surgeon general noted in a handbill that “a person who has only a mild attack of the disease himself may give a very severe attack to others.” The warning is just as applicable to the coronavirus, especially as scientists learned large numbers of people with COVID-19 may spread it despite no obvious symptoms. Exactly how often the new virus kills can’t be determined without better counts of the infected; some estimates&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3291398/" target="_blank">put the 1918 flu’s death rate at 2.5%.</a>Blue’s public notice also warned people to avoid charlatans and only get medicine from doctors.Physicians, though, didn’t always know what they were doing. Medical journals at the time describe a rash of unusual treatments, some in the league of Trump’s amateur theories about disinfectant, blasts of lights and an unapproved drug that has both potential benefits and risks.One 1918-era doctor recommended that people sniff a boric acid and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) powder to rinse out nasal passages. Others prescribed quinine, strychnine and a poisonous garden plant called Digitalis to help circulation, as well as drugs derived from iodine for “internal disinfection,” according to Laura Spinney, who wrote the 2017 book “Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How it Changed the World.”Popular theories spread that warming your feet would prevent infection, or gobbling brown sugar, or getting the onion rubdown. A “clean heart” was one supposed preventive, though it is not clear whether that meant the organ or the heart of love.“There was no Tony Fauci back then,” Barry said in a remote&nbsp;<a href="https://www.loc.gov/item/webcast-9104/" target="_blank">Library of Congress interview</a>&nbsp;in April.We have Fauci now — a federal immunologist who has been regarded as the truth-teller in White House briefings, singularly immune to Trump’s positive spin and falsehoods. Plus, we know so much more than people did in 1918.Yet we’re still hearing lots of Dark Ages nonsense.Conspiracy theorists have blamed COVID-19 on the development of 5G networks, just as they say radio waves caused the 1918 flu. Arsonists recently torched more than a dozen British cell towers after that falsehood circulated.Over the months of this pandemic, The Associated Press has debunked a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/Fact-checking">series of bogus remedies&nbsp;</a>that spread on Facebook, Twitter and the like. No, blasting hot air up your nose from a hair dryer won’t protect you. Nor will drinking tonic water, eating high-alkaline foods, stuffing antibiotic ointment up your nose, downing vodka or any home elixir.No, it’s not true that if you can’t hold your breath very long, you have COVID-19. Or that a vaccine from a lab only works on a disease created by a lab.Social distancing has not come with social-media distancing. Over a century of science, we haven’t gone back to the future, but ahead to the past.___LESSONS OF 1918 (and 1919)In September 1918, as the Spanish flu’s second and by far deadliest wave hit in the U.S., Philadelphia’s public health chief disregarded advisers and let a massive war-bond parade proceed through downtown. The H1N1 virus raced through the masses in what has been called the world’s deadliest parade. As officials insisted there was nothing to be alarmed about, people were seeing neighbors sicken and die with astonishing speed and mass graves being dug.“It’s just the flu” had worn thin as the mantra of officialdom.Late that November, sirens wailed in San Francisco to sound the all-clear after six weeks of lockdown and tell people they could remove their masks. San Francisco, like many cities in the West, had been largely spared the first wave and spent the interval preparing for Round 2, mandating masks and jailing people who didn’t comply.They had a rhyme for that, too, of course: “Obey the laws, and wear the gauze. Protect your jaws from septic paws.”<a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/influenza-san-francisco/" target="_blank">The precautions paid off&nbsp;</a>with a death rate lower than in afflicted cities elsewhere. But the city relaxed too soon.In December, thousands of new cases erupted. A wave spilling into the new year was underway. San Francisco’s death toll mounted by more than 1,000. It was the last lashing by the Spanish flu, and a less lethal one.The brutal lessons of 1918 and 1919? To Barry, who was enlisted 15 years ago in a Bush administration drive to prepare all levels of government for pandemics, they are to respond early, relax cautiously, tell people the truth.Instead he has seen denial followed by a chaotic federal response and leadership vacuum as Washington and the states compete for the same medical essentials and now move fitfully toward reopening.“Now we have plans, even war-gamed the plans, spent billions preparing for just what is happening, federal agencies have been tasked to handle all these things, and we get ... next to nothing,” he said.Not even a jingle.

Coronavirus Update