A study by the National Academies of Sciences has determined that most civilian GPS services won’t suffer significant interference from Ligado’s new 5G cellular and data service but the military might be in some trouble. The study, which was ordered by Congress and funded by the Pentagon, determined that the Ligado network, which will carry 5G signals in frequency bands close to those used by GPS, “will not cause most commercially produced general navigation, timing, cellular or certified aviation GPS receivers to experience harmful interference."
“… governments around the world have profoundly failed in this crisis. China, especially, but also Italy, Iran and now the U.S.” “What’s missing now is the decisive national leadership and political will to do what’s necessary to slow its spread.”
Here we go again … if ONLY Governments (who are NOT MD’s – or mind readers) were doing their jobs. I can read between your lines.
Blaming “national leadership and political will” is much akin to blaming the mythical “they.” What the heck are you talking about here? Get specific … just WHO are you talking about and just WHAT would you have them do (or have done earlier) beyond what’s already been done in the relatively short time that this situation blossomed “exponentially” from a problem in faraway China to a world wide pandemic? I have a funny feeling that you’re really intimating a failure at the Presidential level or at least the senior political levels. I hope not? I know you don’t want politics entering your aviation blog so I’m trying not to go there but … I wanna know … EXACTLY WHO and EXACTLY WHAT? Spell it out for us … don’t translate oblique statements. Tell us.
I looked up 79 year old Dr. Fauci. He’s been at NIH for 52 years. 52 years! Since 1980, he’s been Chief of the Laboratory of Immunoregulation. “Dr. Fauci became director of NIAID in 1984. He serves as one of the key advisors to the White House and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on global AIDS issues and on initiatives to bolster medical and public health preparedness against emerging infectious disease threats such as pandemic influenza.” Just now as I’m typing, they’re calling him the 5-star General on the subject on TV. What the heck has THIS guy been doing all those years … investigating the sexual fantasies of tse tse flies with massive Government grants? Now he’s suddenly all over TV and testifying and warning us all with “oblique” statements and telling us we’re not prepared (sic). Beyond him, NIH has over 20,000 employees. And the other Agencies – likewise – have major employee numbers. What have all of them been doing? Living large off the Government grants playing with pet projects?
“Government leadership in the major venues—albeit not everywhere—has been two weeks behind the curve.” Seems to me that “Lites” runs SnF and Jack Pelton runs EAA, not the Government. It’s not THEIR fault … it’s the fault of NIH and Dr Fauci, et al, to have warned us all earlier and have had systems in place to deal with such things. Massive numbers of “et al” being paid handsomely to see stuff like this coming and to have put into place defense mechanisms proactively to prepare us … kinda like all the food and blankets in the atomic bomb shelters of the 50’s and 60’s. And we haven’t even addressed the foreign (obliquely translated … China) supply chain on testing kits. I’ll bite my tongue there.
My wife had an operation last week and asked for my help to do our weekly shopping today. I was taken aback at WalMart as to how many people were emptying the shelves of anything related to the subject du jour. The whole aisle of TP was empty. Bleach was gone. Alcohol was gone. One guy had half the remaining beer in the store in his cart. Sigh! From now on, I’m going there at 0300.
If you sense that you’ve riled me up with this one … you’d be correct. Those “government” medical employees failed us … not the politicians. Politicians are all running away from DC for their breaks except for the Chief Chickenchoker (oblique statement) who – IMHO – IS acting decisively.
I might skip SnF but I sure ain’t skipping Airventure. But I WILL be taking my Sears catalog with me.
Paul you nailed it! Thank you. And thank you for being one of those “responsible, informed citizens will have to step up.” You just stepped up.
Someone is asking what leadership should have done “beyond what’s already been done in the relatively short time that this situation blossomed “exponentially” from a problem in faraway China”? For starters, leadership should have immediately planned for pandemic readiness by implementing initiatives like test kit development and ICU bed provisioning as opposed to engaging in happy talk about warm weather coming soon and “this is just another hoax” so that the stock market would not tank. And much prior to events in China, leadership should not have squelched existing pandemic readiness. Chickens have come home to roost and the “Chief Chickenchoker” still doesn’t get it.
I still believe this thing is being overblown. Comparing the testing protocol with other countries is an apples and oranges comparison. Medical privacy laws here still apply. A lot of other countries have no such regulations. I myself have no intention of getting tested unless I start showing symptoms. There are other individual rights afforded by the US Constitution that have to be followed and using the excuse of stopping a disease with a fatality rate the same as the flu would be open to court challenges. Public events are one thing, telling(or ordering) Americans to not travel domestically will not go over well especially considering the low regard most Americans have for any government. The last time the Feds restricted domestic travel was during WWII. That was during a congressional declared war, something Congress has not had the will (for lack of a more descriptive word that is printable) to do since. My company has put in the aircraft additional cleaning materials in the planes and the cleaning crews are taking additional measures but no flights have been canceled yet. Restricting access at the US border for non-US citizens is one thing, but within the US, restrictions would be open to court challenges. I still wonder how long before some of the restrictions enacted by some states get challenged in court.
This just in: Walt Disney World in Orlando just announced they will close temporarily beginning 3/15 until at least the end of the month. The Disney company announced closure of its Disneyland park in California earlier today.
It’s hard for me to imagine how SnF can take place in the face of such mounting pressure, in spite of an announcement earlier today on the AOPA website that the show will go on. Something’s gotta give.
Well written piece as usual, Paul --for what it’s worth, I think you’re doing it right.
Paul, your opinion matters and I hope the organizers of Sun n Fun finally acknowledge the fact that this year’s edition MUST be cancelled. There’s no potential loss of revenue or opportunities that can be justified at this point. The real opportunity here is prevent more damage by fooling people to think it’s ok to come.
Looks like Dr. Trump and the WH’s Center of political disorders bullied and silenced the CDC’s staff including Dr. Fauci. In the interim, the disease gained in spread and strength. A terrible and cruel decision. A despicable, selfish, irresponsible political act.
Paul, I appreciate the “b----” it took to write this blog including posting some startling facts should anyone take the time to carefully study and corroborate. I read, re-read, and read again these statistics which represent the stark reality of this pandemic and the potential consequences for inaction, malaise, and apathy. I also spent time looking for scientific facts to refute these findings. Instead, the more research I did, the more it verified these conclusions. Each hour the accumulating, exponential numbers come in, they are verifying the accuracy of these warnings.
I too do not want any part of this virus. But more importantly, I can see that if we do not take personal responsibility…today, now, immediately…to do our part to mitigate further contamination, our collective inaction will result in an almost instantaneous overwhelming of our hospital emergency services, it will overload the entire healthcare system.
While some are not worried about the virus, they will become involved when emergency services are so taxed that any other trauma emergency service will have to wait because local emergency services are overwhelmed with critical care Covid-19 patients. Not only is Italy dealing with this catastrophe, Germany is now in the same shape.
When I was aboard ship for carrier quals, there were times when we heard GQ, GQ, GQ…General Quarters…this is not s drill. This is not a drill. For a time, life nationally and locally will not be the same.
Thanks for your efforts and sounding the clarion call.
As I type this (in Germany) toilet paper and desinfectant fluids are being stolen from medical practices, including childrens cancer clinics. Try that shoe for humanity. Aggressive social distancing, people are running around with dust masks (!) , Mercedes Benz putting staff on break, schools closing for ~ a month.
Meanwhile, the first female COVID 19 patient has been released from the hospital after 11 days. 85% of people could have it, its this time of year when people show flu and influenza symptoms by default. I’ve been sniffing for a week, completely normal for this tine of year.
I cancelled all 2020 events in 2019 and BOY/ GIRL/ UNDETERMINED am I glad I don’t have flights or hotels booked anywhere.
Strategically smart, completely well executed mass- panic and hysteria. The best comes out in people who are challenged beyond their usual bread and butter lifestyle.
A local restaurant that is usually busting was dead- on wiped empty of people last night. The economical impact of COVID 19 will be remembered 10 years from now. Well done, dear Chinese friends from Wuhan. Well done!
I see that you – like many – have a serious preexisting case of TDS disease, John. You do know that like CV-19, TDS is biphasic? In its first term, loss of logical thinking and hallucinations are the usual resultant. In its inevitable second term, the mortality rate is nearly 100% from cranial overpressures. This usually occurs in November. There’s little time left … I respectively suggest you get your affairs in order as your survival is seriously at risk. Coming to one’s senses is the only known cure for TDS.
The Chinese first reported a pneumonia of unknown cause in Wuhan in Hubei province to the WHO on December 31, 2019. The first death occurred on January 10. On January 23, 2020, they locked down and quarantined Wuhan and other cities in that area of 11 million residents. In between those two dates, the Chinese tried to hide the issue and silence those who were announcing it, including a doctor who subsequently died of the virus. Four days later on January 27, the US CDC issued updated travel guidance for China and ordered CBP to check individuals for symptoms. On January 31, the President announced travel restrictions to from China effective February 2. Worth noting, “Plugs” immediately branded that action by the President as xenophobic and unnecessary; he forgot racist. I guess HE has a medical degree and knows better even though he usually can’t figure out where he is? So I challenge ALL of you who think President Trump has failed us on this issue … what more could he have done and what would YOU have done during this compressed period of time? If you, too, have TDS … keep it to yourselves.
In the US, we have the HHS, CDC, NIH and other health organizations with budgets in the $billions. And we couldn’t have the necessary medical tools at the ready for a pandemic (sic). Dr. Fauci – as I have already reported – is now telling us that we are not prepared. So I’ll then ask … who’s job is it to first warn us and then pre-prepare the Country for such emergencies? When a war starts, you don’t call up corn farmers in Kansas, you call up the military to do what it prepares and trains for each and every day. Ya’ll have the right to your own opinion on the matter as do I. I am of the opinion that all of these organizations failed us, not the President who did act decisively. But then … I guess he coulda flown pallets full of money over to China to help them out sooner, no? I’m still waiting for my answer to WHO and WHAT.
If there’s one place where I agree with Paul’s analysis here it’s that individuals now have to take this matter into their own hands. Business as usual is no longer appropriate. Cancelling SnF may well be called for pending further analysis of the problem while Airventure is far enough off that we can revisit the issue. He already said that. I see that EAA has cancelled its TriMotor tour short term, as well.
Attacking this problem with political opinions and viewpoints is inappropriate and won’t help at all. We’re all learning a lot of lessons from this issue. Not the least of which is allowing our logistics and supply trains to emanate from China was a gigantic mistake that needs to be rectified ASAP. If they cut us off from necessary drugs and supplies, we’re all screwed.
Well written, Larry. The present stuation’s most valid lessons applying to the long term include trhe issue of critical goods and often services centered in a single geographic area - offshore - where any sort of control of the local environment is out of our hands.
Thank you for your perspective and the link to the Medium.com article. I agree with you 100% and have recommended it as reading to many acquaintances.
Countries that have “flattened” the COVID occurrence curve achieved that goal through government recommended/mandated self quarantine and aggressive social distancing.
As you state,regardless of one’s concern for their own health, broader social responsibility entails doing everything possible to slow the spread of this new viral illness in order to avoid overwhelming our health care system. Current information suggests a person can spread the disease before any symptoms develop. The article you linked to says that the virus is quite contagious, there is no current vaccine or herd immunity and it will spread throughout all societies. The current proven practice is strict social distancing to minimize the number of people who require acute medical care at any one time.
Personally I will practice a high level, but not absolute, self quarantine and absolute social distancing. I hope to not contract the disease but primarily I do not want to play a part in spreading what appears to be a highly communicable virus.
The failure of many US government agencies and private organizations to recommend much less mandate these precautions in a timely manner is disheartening.
Perhaps you could further highlight the link to the article that got your attention.
Well, the chance of being exposed is virtually 100%. So, why not be an early adopter? Go to SnF and get sick before the rush and before the medical system gets all clogged.
The failure to take action on this global pandemic that was predicted does not fall on the CDC, NIH or any other governmental agency. They do the research and develop plans for guidance for the medical industry to correlate programs for hospitals and health programs to follow. They don’t create budgets or laws to follow or penalize hospitals not following guidelines. Politics and the White House determines the course of action in emergencies. COVID-19 is an emergency the President failed to take action on. If anyone remembers past history, Bush failed to take action during hurricane Katrina with an inept Brown heading a gutted FEMA. Republicans gutted FEMA as Brown had no idea of how to use FEMA for disaster relief. Once again, an America’s President has failed to act in haste, ignoring the CDC and NIH by pooh poohing COVID-19 as nothing more than a flu. Ignorance delayed a response only the President can muster the agencies to act, not the agencies to act on their own since they do not control the emergency monies needed to fund on the spot lab tests or staffing during an emergency the rest of the world is already dealing with. The draconian measure of Wuhan quarantining its province state was the only way to block travel in and out of the state and seems successful in stemming the tide of new outbreaks. Italy is already doing the same in less fashion. Where is the USA response? March and now a decision was made to block incoming air traffic from Europe? COVID-19 is already here. Yet the politicians are struggling to vote on a $8 billion dollar funding program to staff emergency labs and hospitals. Three months to determine bow is the time to fund an emergency health plan? Slow witted is one way to describe the President refusing to act swiftly. Don’t blame the agencies reporting their findings and imploring the President to act in the name of US health.
Thank you Paul for sharing the article and link to Medium.com. This was the first time I have really understood the ramifications of this pandemic. All of the people here should do the same. In my opinion, I do blame this administration for the lack of leadership and completely dismissing it as a hoax. It is too late now. We all need to get comfortable working by ourselves and keeping distances for the next few months.
Mt wife works in a hospital and I worry about her not only getting it but spreading it to other Dr.s and patients.
In my view, this can’t be repeated often enough. Health care workers are most at risk and they don’t enjoy the luxury of social distancing. Nothing is more important than flattening the steepness of the onset curve. And the only way to do that now is to stay home, and/or out of crowds and public spaces as much as possible.
The government–and yes, President Trump–have failed to convey this emphatically enough because it’s a politically unpalatable message and connotes panic. It is not panic. It’s orderly urgency. I fear we may have already passed that tipping point, however.
Covid-19 is not the enemy, it is not the REAL threat, the Chinese are. It’s time to wake up and smell the roses. It’s time for all US industry to get out and stay out. The Chinese currently have us holding our ankles and have been for decades. They are the real short and long term threat. Wake up America.
