1. #4721
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    Re: Latest on the Corona Virus

    As US president-elect Joe Biden prepares to be sworn into office next week, he’s assembling a team to lead some of the most important initiatives for the country.

    On Jan. 15, Biden tapped David Kessler as the new head of Operation Warp Speed (OWS), the federal funding arm that has been working with private companies like Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Novavax to manufacture and test Covid-19 vaccines at a breakneck pace. It’s a choice that could stand to boost public trust in federal vaccination investment and deployment.

    Kessler’s got the experience: He’s already been advising Biden on the pandemic since its onset, Anita Dunn, co-chair of the transition team, told the New York Times. And he served as the commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) during the 1990s, at a time where the AIDS epidemic was ravaging the country. Kessler was integral in efforts to bring antiviral HIV drugs to market in a little over a month. Perhaps most importantly, however, Kessler has no ties to big pharma—making him legitimately neutral in his role to support the development, manufacturing, and rollout of Covid-19 vaccines and treatments.

    Kessler is one of the few FDA commissioners who didn’t go on to work for a drug company after his tenure in the federal regulatory agency.

    There is nothing technically wrong with working for pharma after regulating it, Kessler told Quartz in 2019. But the optics aren’t great: When leaders of the regulatory body that approves drugs go on to advise the companies that make them, it gives the illusion of a revolving door—like the FDA’s “authority” is more of a chummy relationship. “[The American people] believe that the FDA is making their decisions in their interest and no one else’s,” Kessler told Quartz.

    After his tenure at FDA, Kessler went on to work in academia, and then for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a non-profit nutritional science advocacy group. He briefly served on the board of a company that creates transplantation diagnostic products, and in 2020 joined the board of Ellodi Pharmaceuticals, which develops drugs for the digestive system. However, according to the New York Times, he resigned from these boards this week, and does not own stock in any vaccine or pharmaceutical manufacturing company.

    That independence is a change of pace from Moncef Slaoui, who led OWS under the Trump administration. Slaoui held shares in Moderna while he funded the company to develop a Covid-19 vaccine. He eventually gave those up, but refused to give up some of his stock options in companies like GlaxoSmithKline, which is working with Sanofi to develop a Covid-19 vaccine and has received money from OWS.

    Federal employees are prohibited from such financial conflicts; in order for Slaoui to maintain his holdings, he was allowed to take on his role as a contractor.

    Critics maintain that Slaoui’s stock ownership in companies set to gain government investment eroded public trust in the government’s ability to make public health decisions based on the scientific merit of a company’s offerings.

    That trust is more important than ever as vaccines are deployed to millions of people. Already, the public is skeptical of the speed with which vaccines were developed—despite the fact that FDA upheld its usual standards before issuing emergency use authorizations.

    Kessler’s appointment to the OWS position could manage to restore some faith in the government’s ability to put public health before private profits. To start, Biden’s transition team told the Times, Kessler will focus his efforts on creating larger vaccination sites in places like high school gyms to speed the slow rollout of existing doses.

    ... and he’ll direct new investments in pharma—this time, focusing on novel antiviral treatments for Covid-19.

  2. #4722
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    Re: Latest on the Corona Virus

    Quote Originally Posted by SalesServiceGuy View Post
    As US president-elect Joe Biden prepares to be sworn into office next week, he’s assembling a team to lead some of the most important initiatives for the country.

    On Jan. 15, Biden tapped David Kessler as the new head of Operation Warp Speed (OWS), the federal funding arm that has been working with private companies like Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Novavax to manufacture and test Covid-19 vaccines at a breakneck pace. It’s a choice that could stand to boost public trust in federal vaccination investment and deployment.

    Kessler’s got the experience: He’s already been advising Biden on the pandemic since its onset, Anita Dunn, co-chair of the transition team, told the New York Times. And he served as the commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) during the 1990s, at a time where the AIDS epidemic was ravaging the country. Kessler was integral in efforts to bring antiviral HIV drugs to market in a little over a month. Perhaps most importantly, however, Kessler has no ties to big pharma—making him legitimately neutral in his role to support the development, manufacturing, and rollout of Covid-19 vaccines and treatments.

    Kessler is one of the few FDA commissioners who didn’t go on to work for a drug company after his tenure in the federal regulatory agency.

    There is nothing technically wrong with working for pharma after regulating it, Kessler told Quartz in 2019. But the optics aren’t great: When leaders of the regulatory body that approves drugs go on to advise the companies that make them, it gives the illusion of a revolving door—like the FDA’s “authority” is more of a chummy relationship. “[The American people] believe that the FDA is making their decisions in their interest and no one else’s,” Kessler told Quartz.

    After his tenure at FDA, Kessler went on to work in academia, and then for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a non-profit nutritional science advocacy group. He briefly served on the board of a company that creates transplantation diagnostic products, and in 2020 joined the board of Ellodi Pharmaceuticals, which develops drugs for the digestive system. However, according to the New York Times, he resigned from these boards this week, and does not own stock in any vaccine or pharmaceutical manufacturing company.

    That independence is a change of pace from Moncef Slaoui, who led OWS under the Trump administration. Slaoui held shares in Moderna while he funded the company to develop a Covid-19 vaccine. He eventually gave those up, but refused to give up some of his stock options in companies like GlaxoSmithKline, which is working with Sanofi to develop a Covid-19 vaccine and has received money from OWS.

    Federal employees are prohibited from such financial conflicts; in order for Slaoui to maintain his holdings, he was allowed to take on his role as a contractor.

    Critics maintain that Slaoui’s stock ownership in companies set to gain government investment eroded public trust in the government’s ability to make public health decisions based on the scientific merit of a company’s offerings.

    That trust is more important than ever as vaccines are deployed to millions of people. Already, the public is skeptical of the speed with which vaccines were developed—despite the fact that FDA upheld its usual standards before issuing emergency use authorizations.

    Kessler’s appointment to the OWS position could manage to restore some faith in the government’s ability to put public health before private profits. To start, Biden’s transition team told the Times, Kessler will focus his efforts on creating larger vaccination sites in places like high school gyms to speed the slow rollout of existing doses.

    ... and he’ll direct new investments in pharma—this time, focusing on novel antiviral treatments for Covid-19.
    It seems like most people Biden is putting in power have very many questionable past relationships.


    Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

  3. #4723
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    Re: Latest on the Corona Virus

    Quote Originally Posted by Phil B. View Post
    It seems like most people Biden is putting in power have very many questionable past relationships.


    Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
    The news article describes just the opposite. The Operation Warp Speed Director has no personal ties to bug pharma. The Trump appointee came from Big Pharma and refused to sell all of his shares to remove any conflict of interest.

  4. #4724
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    Re: Latest on the Corona Virus

    There has been a lot of talk in the United States about how beneficial the economic lock down has been in combating the spread of Covid-19. In a study provided on Yahoo today of ten countries this "mantra" of some state governors (like ours in California) has been refuted. In fact, it is suggested that stay at home orders are harmful.

    These 2 COVID Precautions May Not Be Necessary After All, New Study Finds

  5. #4725
    IT Manager 10,000+ Posts bsm2's Avatar
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    Re: Latest on the Corona Virus

    Quote Originally Posted by slimslob View Post
    There has been a lot of talk in the United States about how beneficial the economic lock down has been in combating the spread of Covid-19. In a study provided on Yahoo today of ten countries this "mantra" of some state governors (like ours in California) has been refuted. In fact, it is suggested that stay at home orders are harmful.

    These 2 COVID Precautions May Not Be Necessary After All, New Study Finds
    HILARIOUS AS IT ONLY WORKS IF YOU WEAR MASKS and Social Distance.
    Thanks for pointing that out

    Health measures Only work if EVERYONE Follows the recommendations.

  6. #4726
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    Re: Latest on the Corona Virus

    Quote Originally Posted by slimslob View Post
    There has been a lot of talk in the United States about how beneficial the economic lock down has been in combating the spread of Covid-19. In a study provided on Yahoo today of ten countries this "mantra" of some state governors (like ours in California) has been refuted. In fact, it is suggested that stay at home orders are harmful.

    These 2 COVID Precautions May Not Be Necessary After All, New Study Finds
    Over here the first lockdown did no good infections were up but then there was more testing, and the WHO has suggested that the PCR tests produce false results.
    When you think you have made a procedure idiot proof your company employs a better idiot.

  7. #4727
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    Re: Latest on the Corona Virus

    Delta has already banned over 800 passengers over mask compliance issues,

  8. #4728
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    uRe: Latest on the Corona Virus

    Quote Originally Posted by bsm2 View Post
    Delta has already banned over 800 passengers over mask compliance issues,
    Question: If I wear two masks, does it cut my risk in half?

  9. #4729
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    Re: uRe: Latest on the Corona Virus

    Quote Originally Posted by BillyCarpenter View Post
    Question: If I wear two masks, does it cut my risk in half?
    Question how much protection do you get Mr Wizard for not wearing Mask?
    Asking for a friend

  10. #4730
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    Re: uRe: Latest on the Corona Virus

    Quote Originally Posted by BillyCarpenter View Post
    Question: If I wear two masks, does it cut my risk in half?
    no but it could affect your health in other detrimental ways.

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