Some of my commenters have been touting Trump’s miracle drug. So how’s it doing so far:
Researchers analyzed medical records of 368 male veterans hospitalized with confirmed coronavirus infection at Veterans Health Administration medical centers who died or were discharged by April 11.
About 28% who were given hydroxychloroquine plus usual care died, versus 11% of those getting routine care alone. About 22% of those getting the drug plus azithromycin died too, but the difference between that group and usual care was not considered large enough to rule out other factors that could have affected survival.
Hydroxychloroquine made no difference in the need for a breathing machine, either.
Researchers did not track side effects, but noted a hint that hydroxychloroquine might have damaged other organs. The drug has long been known to have potentially serious side effects, including altering the heartbeat in a way that could lead to sudden death.
This study is certainly not definitive, but I seriously doubt this drug will be a game changer.
Trump said he plans to end immigration. So how’d Fox News react:
I won’t even comment on that screenshot, as I’d probably get myself into hot water.
Tyler Cowen also weighed in on immigration:
First, there is no guarantee that a good vaccine will be ready quickly, even within two years. There is still no vaccine, for instance, for the common cold or HIV-AIDS. Even if the U.S. has Covid-19 under control, there might be persistent if small pockets of Covid-19 in other countries, including populous, poor countries such as India, Pakistan and Nigeria. The U.S. may be reluctant to take new migrants from those parts of the world.
Whether or not that reaction is rational, it is easy to imagine the public being fearful about the potential of immigration to contribute to a pandemic resurgence.
Tyler is much more polite than I am, and I suspect he knows that such a response is not “rational”. If the US still has coronavirus cases in 2 years, then presumably immigrants could be tested for coronavirus before being allowed in. If through some miracle we’ve eliminated coronavirus, then immigrants would probably be tested and then quarantined for 14 days. The much bigger issue is tourism, for which a 14 day quarantine is not feasible. But then American tourists like me vote, and immigrants shut out of the country do not.
If Trump did end immigration, then the trend growth rate in America would fall even further. Obviously I don’t expect Trump to end immigration. Why not? Because he said he would end it, and he usually lies.
On a lighter note, David Levey sent me some poetry, found on the internet:
There isn’t any iceberg; the iceberg is a hoax; the iceberg is fake news.
There is an iceberg, but it’s in a totally different ocean.
The iceberg is in this ocean, but it will melt very soon
We didn’t hit the iceberg.
We hit the iceberg, but the damage will be repaired very shortly.
I saw the iceberg before anyone else.
The iceberg is a Chinese iceberg.
Nobody could have foreseen the iceberg.
*
We are taking on water, but the ship will not sink and there is no need for lifeboats.
We have lifeboats, and they are beautiful lifeboats.
Look, passengers need to ask nicely for the lifeboats if they want them.
We don’t have any lifeboats, we’re not lifeboat distributors.
The lifeboats were left on shore by the last captain of this ship.
I knew we needed lifeboats before anyone else.
Passengers should have planned for icebergs and brought their own lifeboats.
Nobody could have foreseen the need for lifeboats.
*
I’m the best captain ever.
Truman: The buck stops here.
Trump: The buck stops there.
Just a few letters apart.