re: Why didn't we use the South Korean approach?

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yes but he's MMQBing that argument and it makes no rational sense

the issue is EARLY appropriation of tests, b/c that's when fedgov was still in control. those tests weren't going to non-infected states much

however, AFTER testing was opened up to private industry, it exploded in those areas. that's not "appropriation" b/c it was out of the government's hands at that point

he/she is using data from after the government ceded control to argue about the situation when the government was in full control

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The "fedgov" is still supposed to be in full control, because the law states they are. The CDC has federal control over what state governments can/cannot do in regards to infectious disease.

The FDA has federal authority over drugs and testing devices and other medical devices that may be used or may be developed in times of pandemic infection.

It requires waivers and EUAs from the FDA, or they have the lawful right and authority to shut down state attempts to address infection and treatment at the state level. Even the CDC can be shut down by the FDA - a sister agency - if they do not follow approved methods.

Your implication that the "fedgov" handed over authorities on how to deal with this COVID-19, as if they have no more say in the matter, is cute in it's quaintness and naivety. Trump would NEVER give up authority of ANYTHING. The only thing he has given up is the responsibility. Not the same thing.


The CDC's first tests that had the negative control contamination were sent as kits to pre-CDC approved subordinate state labs to confirm their efficacy. These kits were designed to support 700 sample tests per kit, and 200 kits were sent out in early February (Feb. 5). They were NOT used to test patient samples, but only used to trial samples.

Once the defective negative controls were determined, the tests were sent back to CDC to determine why they failed. In the meantime, the CDC worked to fix the issue, which took most of February. Once they fixed the defect, they began sending out test kits to pre-approved state government labs, and by-passed the trial confirmation, allowing for those kits to be used to test actual patient samples. The # of test kits were still very low, some 250 a day.

By the end of February, the FDA agreed to drop regulations of pre-approving state testing labs, and allowed for private, commercial, and institutional labs to begin developing and conducting tests. These labs however were still heavily dependent on available supplies of needed test components from outside sources.

By mid March, the FDA (or CDC, not sure right now) dropped another regulation requiring all test results to be sent to the CDC offices in Atlanta, GA for confirmation, which was drastically slowing and bottle-necking test results, and creating a backlog of waiting samples.

Again, this was in middle March. Go check Chromedome's thread and see where the daily test cases start kicking upwardly. It was middle March. THAT was when we finally stopped running in place on top of the water, and starting progressing forward in testing. The middle of March.

The "fedgov" has had it's fingers in this pie the whole way. It hasn't given up "control" of anything - it merely started getting out of everyone's way. It's still not out the whole way, however.

But the private industry has still struggled to ramp up manufacture of all the test components - swabs, vials, reagent compounds, extraction chemicals. There's still been a huge depletion of PPE supplies for other protective gear that is needed for safe application of the tests.

Again, it is the "fedgov" - the President of the United States - that has sole authority to enact the Defense Production Act. The state governments do not have this power. The President could have invoked this authority from the start, since his administration knew for years that PPE stockpiles for such a viral pandemic was depleted.

Still, Trump waited until March 18 to declare his intention to use the DPA, but didn't actually use it until Mar. 27th for General Motors, and then April 2nd for several companies to manufacture N95 masks, nearly a month later after it was well known there were few supplies of such masks available. Just 5 days ago, they announced they would use the DPA to ramp up manufacture of swabs.

Again, this is FEDERAL GOVERNMENT control, not state government. A State Governor in Wyoming cannot do a damned thing to make a business in New Mexico manufacture emergency supplies for them.

AGAIN, there has been ZERO concession of control. The ONLY thing Trump has sought to do from the beginning, is deny responsibility.