There she goes again—Governor Kristi Noem is spreading misinformation about coronavirus and masks, saying the risks of the disease are minimal and the research on masks is mixed:
…Noem appears selective in the research she uses for her decisions, pointing to studies that indicate a low health risk from the virus, while downplaying scientific findings that show masks could slow the spread of the disease.
“We cannot sacrifice the educational, physical, emotional and social well-being of our kids. The risks of COVID are too minimal for us to make sure that they’re all going to stay home,” Noem said at a news conference at John Harris Elementary in Sioux Falls.
Noem said forcing children to wear masks is impractical and may lead to infections spreading if children touch their faces more frequently. Her stance on masks defies a push from the South Dakota State Medical Association to require face masks in schools.
…The governor cast doubt on a broad consensus in the medical community, including from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that wearing a mask could prevent the spread of the coronavirus, saying there is “very mixed research and the science has not proven what’s effective and what isn’t” [Stephen Groves, “Governor Pushes Schools to Remain Open, Disparages Masks,” AP via U.S. News and World Report, 2020.07.28].
Asked what science she’s reading to justify her hogwashery, Noem goes full Sarah Palin:
The governor has repeatedly said she is committed to making decisions based on science. When a reporter asked her how she prioritizes the barrage of research to inform her decisions, Noem said: “I am reading it all. And that is why we’ve been challenged because it’s been all over the map” [Groves, 2020.07.28].
Reading all of the science? More like ignoring it. She’s not reading the science from the Mayo Clinic:
Can face masks help slow the spread of the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19? Yes, face masks combined with other preventive measures, such as frequent hand-washing and social distancing, help slow the spread of the virus [“Covid-19: How Much Protection Do Face Masks Offer?” Mayo Clinic, retrieved 2020.07.29].
…or from Stanford:
I’ve heard so many misconceptions about cloth masks. Some people think that if you wear a mask for long periods of time you will trap and breathe in excess amounts of carbon dioxide, which could lead to brain damage. That’s just not true. A properly constructed mask provides more than enough ventilation. In fact, one way to test if your mask is well made is to try to blow out a candle through the mask from about 1 foot away. If you can’t do so, your mask might be too tightly woven. Other people feel that wearing a mask encourages people to touch their face and to loosen their adherence to other safety precautions like social distancing and hand washing. We’ve found the opposite. Wearing a mask reminds people to continue to be cautious. With a mask on, you actually touch your face less. People who experience skin irritation should ensure their mask has a layer of wicking fabric, like cotton, against the face, and everyone should change the mask if it becomes wet or dirty. Finally, it’s been suggested that mask-wearing may increase the concentration of viral particles around an infected person’s mouth and could increase the severity of the illness. While it’s true that some studies of health care workers have suggested that the viral dose is an important determinant of infection, it’s different for someone who is already infected. If you are sick, you already have the virus in your lungs; it’s not going to get any worse [Senior research scientist Amy Price, Ph.D., in Krista Conger, “5 Questions: Stanford Scientists on Covid-19 Mask Guidelines,” Stanford Medicine News Center, June 2020].
…or from her own Dear Leader:
America’s youth will act responsibly, and we’re asking everybody that when you are not able to socially distance, wear a mask, get a mask. Whether you like the mask or not, they have an impact. They’ll have an effect. And we need everything we can get [Donald Trump, press conference, White House, 2020.07.21].
Everything you are saying about masks and coronavirus is wrong, Kristi. If you really were reading all of the science, you’d know that.
Related Idiocy: Governor Noem is discouraging schools from setting clear metrics related to infection numbers to determine when to close down. Clear metrics are a benchmark of scientific decision-making. Governor Noem clearly doesn’t want decisions made by science.
Kristi Noem has cast her lot with Donald again. She believed him and pedaled his magic pills until they proved dangerous. She gave him his presidential re-election rally with our taxpayer-paid fireworks. Now she parrots his nonsense on masks while risking the lives of our kids. When,not if,the fatalities start racking up again here in South Dakota we need to throw her and Donald out.
I was shocked to hear our Governor say the best way to ‘kill’ the virus is to wash your hands. Soap does not kill virus, it merely washes it away, which is a great thing. To ignore transmission and exposure through the nose and mouth at this point in the pandemic is dangerous—-that is settled science. Yes, was your hands. Yes, cover you nose and mouth when indoors or in crowded areas. This isn’t an either or situation Governor.
Hey Kristi. Try walking into Avera or Sanford demonstrating your “science” by not wearing a mask and dismissing social distancing. Then tell them that you know better than they do about how to fight this pandemic.
Just do it. It’ll be fun.
GNOem is proof positive that a corrupt education for some is a huge waste of time and effort. That girl is an ignorant danger to science and to humanity itself. And she spawned, that’s spooky.
As ds said Noem is casting her lot with Trump. Sadly she’s so busy kissing his butt that she doesn’t seem to realize that she’s spreading misinformation.
Her argument against masks doesn’t make sense at all.
Finally, if she wants to help schools then she has to put her wallet where her mouth is and sned schools more money.
DO IMAGINE THE HORROR: https://hempfoundation.net/hemp-mask/
“You have people who believe they are scientifically literate but, in fact, are not. And I don’t mind if you’re not scientifically literate, but just admit that to yourself, so that you’ll know, and perhaps you can take a first step to try to eradicate that. We’re an elective democracy where science and technology will define where the economically strong countries in the world will be. And science and technological literacy is important for security, as well. You can’t have people making decisions about the future of the world who are scientifically illiterate. That’s a recipe for disaster. And I don’t mean just whether a politician is scientifically literate, but people who vote politicians into office. If you’re not scientifically literate, what kind of society are we living in?”
– Neil deGrasse Tyson
Next up: Space alien DNA ……..
Current news reports are that the Covid 19 is slowing on the coasts and
increasing in the Midwest.
I just got back from a dispersed cmping week in the National grasslands in Perkins County and dispersed camping in the Southern Hills.
I drove through Sturgis, Deadwood
Hill City and Custer.
Holy cow.
Virtually every state license plate was seen. People were hanging from the
Trees. Just packed.
It’s the perfect storm.
Stay tuned. Stay Calm.
The Dope Queen of Delusion has it
all under control.
I think Bucko is right, we just have to get a handle on the alien DNA to fight the demons among us. But, not to worry. I understand Kristi has enuf chloroquine stockpiled just in case there is a flare-up. Fercryinoutloud, I came back to SD because I thought the people here were hard working, sensible, salt of the earth. I didn’t actually expect them to SALT THE EARTH! !@#%^&*
Nix, what percentage of the people you saw on your excursion were wearing masks? My recent tourist sightings in Keystone, Hill City and Spearfish revealed almost no one at all in the crowded streets and parking areas wearing masks. Apparently the anti-mask hype being spread by our brilliant Governor has infected a lot of visitors to SD.
Noem Nothing can’t not know she is spreading bullpucky and doing her constituents a horrible disservice. She needs her lying arse sued in federal court in front of a Liberal appointed judge who hasn’t sworn fealty to drumpf’s lies.
I do not see endangering people’s lives with demonstrably false information could be seen as upholding the constitution.
grudznick reads all of the science, too, and even I am a little confused by the conflicting studies. It seems a mask might help a bit for light breathers, but for heavy breathers they just blow right through it. If you see people without a mask at the bar you can be reasonably sure they are a heavy breather.
Yeah try getting into the V.A. with out one,if your registered there. whoops you never served.Like the other three in congress.
Politifact does what an irresponsible bunch of ignorant wingnuts refuse to do. Expose charlatans….
https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/jul/28/stella-immanuel/dont-fall-video-hydroxychloroquine-not-covid-19-cu/
BTW deaths from covid hoax are just under 153k and climbing.
What exactly is the “cost” of wiring a mask? What exactly is anyone being asked to give up? I had considered this a watershed moment when many of us might just for a moment think of others and take a real action – not for ourselves, but for others.
I would be willing to bet that the same crowd that refuses to wear masks because “liberty” would also be the first outraged by a topless woman expressing her “freedom.”
When Noem was finishing her degree while in Congress, much alarm was raised about its validity. Many professors asked how it was possible to do academic work in addition to meeting the demands of being a U.S. representative. The questions intensified when Noem’s faculty advisor was quoted by CNN as telling her, “You’re already serving. Why don’t you get credit for it and just write a little paper at the end?” Although I was long retired by then, I was exposed to the concern and anger. It ranged from demands to see her transcript, suggestions that her degree should be revoked, and questions about the integrity and competence of her professors.
Her statements revive those concerns. A student paper on the subject would require a review of the literature and summary of its findings. Noem’s comments about the scientific literature indicate that she is not acquainted with it and is bluffing. And they certainly devalue the claims to a legitimate college degree, because they suggest that she is not acquainted with those fundamental academic tasks. When Stanford revoked the degree of a business school graduate because he got caught insider trading, the faculty said it had to be done to save the integrity of the degrees th university issued. I wonder how SDSU feels about her comments and her performance.
bearcreek
On average I’d say 20% wore masks
but that is absolutely just a swag.
Passing open bars on the road through
those towns there were virtually zero
masks.
I only stopped for fuel when I needed it. I didn’t see a soul camping where I camp.
Director Dr. Robert Redfield said Tuesday in an interview with ABC news:
“We have the most powerful weapon in our hands right now, I mean it’s an enormously powerful weapon. It’s just a simple, flimsy mask,” Redfield said. “This virus can be defeated if people just wear a mask.”
but of course bobble-heads only listen to Donald the chosen one….
drumpf maskless/thoughtless body count today 3:47 iowa time…
\Coronavirus Cases:
4,546,370
Deaths:
153,235
Noem Nothing owns a piece of this hoax.
New name, ” Kristi Hitler” she cant send our teachers to the gas chambers fast enough.
New Name ” Donald Hitler” He cant send everyone in America to the gas chambers fast enough.
“I’ve read it all. Nobody reads the science like I do.”
Actually King, soap does kill the virus. Soap doesn’t kill most bacteria, just helps lift it off to be washed down the drain. But most soap kills most viruses.
Soap kills viruses (first of all we may have to agree that a virus is a ‘life form’ or it’s not a matter of ‘killing’ it).
(1) Yes, soap ‘kills’ viruses: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/12/science-soap-kills-coronavirus-alcohol-based-disinfectants
(2) No, soap does not ‘kill’ viruses: “Soap and water don’t kill germs; they work by mechanically removing them from your hands.” https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/The_handiwork_of_good_health
A little learning can be a dangerous thing, and it spreads like wildfire, much faster than the real thing which is often indeterminate to the chagrin of those who are looking for the elusive, ‘absolute’ truth of the matter, be it on masks or viruses. Good luck, Kristi, but rather than trying to understand what is beyond your understanding, err on the side of what experts say is good practice.
Wonder if the guv will provide hand-washing stations at roads leading into Sturgis.Should help keep the numbers at the plateau she claims now.
Sioux Falls active Covid cases have nearly doubled in the last few weeks. It appears to me that about half of Sioux Falls residents are now wearing masks in businesses that don’t require them.
But what if everyone were listening to Kristi Noem and Donald Trump? What if everybody refused to wear a mask or socially distance?
Where would those infection numbers be in South Dakota and the country?
Kristi validates Louie Gohmert (dumbest member of congress). Yes, the DOPE really is in Pierre.
I want to know what Kristi is going to do with Donald’s demon sperm.
Mr. mike, there in Iowa where you are from, I see you are in a Red Zone. That bad. Very bad. Stay home and wear your mask. I worry about you.
King, actually soap dies kill the virus. Ingredients in soap dissolve the outer lipid coating that protects it. The contents then spill and the virus is dead
The New York Times
@nytimes
·
4h
In Opinon
“Hold Donald Trump up to a mirror and that bulging, scowling orange face is today’s Republican Party,” Stuart Stevens writes. “We Lost the Battle for the Soul of the Republican Party Long Ago. Only fear will motivate the party— cold fear only defeat can bring.”
Ask yourself:
Why these extremist right wing republicans are not trying to control Covid-19?
Why do the extremist right wing republicans ignore science?
Why is there no national plan or response to Covid-19?
Why does Trump keep trying to divide the country?
Why does Trump keep making himself look like a fool with his tweets?
Common sense and logic says the response should be just the opposite of what is going on. People should think about this and ask why!
Mr. Scott, grudznick chalks Mr. Trump’s actions up to him being insaner than most. The right wing Republicans, those not insaner than most, have probably read the science and know that you cannot control the bugs. That is the science of the covid bugs.
But, Grudz, you can control the virus by controlling three things. The dispersal distance of Covid can controlled by wearing masks. Masks also attenuate viral load. By social distancing a person decreases the the ability of the virus to reach a new “island.”
This is just basic ecology. The virus acts as an r-selected species. It depends on unmasked humans closely spaced together to reproduce most effectively. If you reduce the dispersal distance through mask wearing to much less than the distance to an infected person, you control the virus.
Is part of this an extension of the prosperity gospel thinking? God will look out for the chosen ones — and clearly we know who the chosen ones are (affluence demonstrates God’s approval). It seems to me that if one is turning his or her back to science, then there has to be something they are putting their faith in.
It has often been said, Mr. Pay, that in Union Center you can’t control the virus, the virus controls you. But talk about r-selected and ecology and attenuating viral loads sounds like good science, so you may be onto something.
Mr. o, god drowned in a bowl of cereal.
“We cannot sacrifice the educational, physical, emotional and social well-being of our kids.”
It appears Kruel Kristi is eager to sacrifice their lives and/or the lives of their families.
Pootie must be so proud of how his baby boy and the GOP are destroying the USA and so upset that average Americans are frustrating his goals. Thankfully we have all those good Americans, Democrats, youth, BIPOC, mothers, veterans, etc.
The next time she or one of her family is admitted for an invasive/surgical procedure just tell the nurses and surgeons that they do not have to wear masks because she doesn’t think it is necessary!!
Tourists on vacation come to SD and don’t wear masks that were required in their home state, just like bikers come to Sturgis and don’t wear the helmets required in their home state. Every year a handful of bikers kill themselves doing this. But brain trauma from a crash is not contagious the way COVID-19 is, so a lot more people are apt to die this year. More businesses need to require masks since SD has no governor.
People shouldn’t listen to Noem, she doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Unless you’re going to wear a dirty grimy mask for days on end without washing it, them maybe it will be unhealthy, but wearing a mask is always best if you want to protect your chances of getting against a deadly airborne virus.
My town in MN has a mask requirement for all public indoor places and people are doing just fine. Their freedoms aren’t being limited. For God’s sake South Dakota Republicans, grow up a little. Think about others for a change, wearing a mask is protecting other people also, not just yourself.
Hot water with soap DOES kill viruses.
Sadly enough, the only thing that would make Bone Spurs take Covid 19 seriously is if his Princess daughter Ivanka succombed to it. Same with Noem and other Republicans, ONLY if one of their precious family member became deathly ill from it, would it be taken seriously. Republicans are selfish that way.
Devos came to Kristi’s Reelection party at Mt Rushmore. Days later Trump started up “Back to School/Oblivious to Torpedos” under Devos’ lead. Kristi is cheerleading SD follow this step into madness. Spineless. Brainless.
Yet Trump shirks Federal responsibility while blaming sitting Democratic Governors and respected Health institutions for his own massive failures concerning the pandemic.
“New York Times
@nytimes . 18h
The Miami-Dade school district, the 4th largest in the U.S. and the largest in Florida, decided that schools would open online only. The decision comes even as Gov. Ron DeSantis, following President Trump’s lead, has pushed for in-person instruction.”
Hey, Herman Cain loved her position on masks…what could go wrong?
Hey, now, Mark, the science is still very mixed on whether Herman Cain is actually dead.
Mike
2,216,649 recovered
2,216,649 pre-existing conditions, thanks to EB5 Short Rounds
It brings me great happiness to hear other people taking Noem to task for her silliness and delusions. There are so many “Kristi fans” on FB that it’s very annoying to go there. Even as dumb as she is, it almost seems like she must have some ulterior motive in pushing school reopening so hard. Does her “family farm,” which appears to only exist to get government aid, get some kickback from Betsy DeVos or what? Both are total raging morons.
To follow up on Tin Higgins’ and Jerry’s comments:
https://www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/HealthU/2020/07/29/what-are-the-long-term-effects-of-covid-19/
Somehow the possibility of “recovering” doesn’t seem to make Covid 19 less worrisome for either our children or the adults they interact with.
Great link bcb! Yes, the republican mantra is to eliminate the ACA/Obamacare because Black guy don’tcha know. If that were to actually happen, then we would go back to when EB5 Short Rounds started to make his millions on the backs of sick people and pre existing conditions in the health insurance racket.
If anyone thinks that Covid19 will somehow not be asked in life insurance now and if the ACA is repealed, on health insurance applications, you’re high. This Covid will continue to plague the health systems forever.
“Can you get life insurance if you have the coronavirus?
Right now, insurers are asking people to wait until they have recovered from the coronavirus to apply for life insurance. When applying for a policy, you’ll be asked to disclose your medical history, including whether you are currently ill. Some companies are specifically asking applicants if they have been treated for COVID-19. Because the coronavirus can make someone terminally ill so quickly, you likely won’t even be able to purchase a guaranteed issue policy, a type of life insurance that doesn’t require a medical exam or extensive health questions and offers a relatively small death benefit”
https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/insurance/life-insurance-coronavirus-faq
Better check with the local pole barn builder to see if your family can use his big deep post hole auger to plant you on the cheap, because life insurance and burial insurance will not be for you if you “recover” from the Covid.
.
Life insurance, health insurance . . . meh. If Covid complicated crop insurance sales, THEN we would see some action!
o, but it does complicate crops. Bankers want you to have life insurance in order to loan you the operating money for your place. Ask GNOem what would have happened to them without life insurance on her daddy, not trump.
Here’s how a state actually uses science to protect its citizens:
“The 21-page ‘Safe Learning Plan’ for [Minnesota] schools uses state Department of Health tracking of new virus cases as the first hurdle schools have to jump to be able to reopen. To fully reopen, a county should have fewer than 9 cases of the virus per 10,000 residents over a 14-day period. Schools in counties with higher case counts could attempt to reopen on a more limited basis for full or part-time classes, with younger students getting priority for in-person instruction. Schools in counties with more than 50 cases per 10,000 residents should consider going fully online–but some districts could deviate from the guidance if they can keep students safe.
“The plan outlines how schools would work with state health and education officials to evaluate how the virus is spreading in local communities, whether school districts are prepared to implement rules about mask wearing, daily cleaning and health screenings, and how teachers and other staff members would be tested if there are cases of the virus in a school building.”
“In schools that do open, masks would be required — and provided by the state — for both students and teachers. As in the first months of the pandemic, schools that are not fully open would be required to provide free childcare for school-age children of critical workers. Schools will also have to accommodate any students that do not want to return to in-person classes with options for full-time distance learning.”
“Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, [said] ‘response won’t differ just by district, but by schools within the district, because high school students present more risks for spreading COVID-19 in their communities compared with children in elementary schools.’
“Education Minnesota, the union representing about 80,000 Minnesota teachers, said its survey showed teachers split over the idea of returning to the classroom, with fewer than 1 in 5 supporting the idea of classes resuming full time.”
Strib paywall
is.gd/137U9l
The state will furnish all testing supplies and PPE each public school requires.
In response to Judy Woodruff’s comment last night on PBS Newshour when she told Mitch McConnell that Nancy Pelosi was requiring masks in the House, McConnell replied “We’ve had good luck [in the Senate] without a requirement…We’ve had good compliance without a mandate…It appears to not be necessary because everyone is doing it.”
Fine if true. In South Dakota not everyone is doing it.
grudz makes the same logic error around “virus control” as do he and his fellow “conservatives” around the issue of “gun control”. In both cases – the control is actually directed at HUMAN BEHAVIOR and in neither case is it actually directed at the behavior of the “other thing”.
Shame shame on governor noem for allowing sturgis to hold the motorcycle event without manatory masks. She is putting thousands of people at risk. I hope she is riding with them without a mask. She is totally irresponsible .
How dare her! Just for the money. Many of our big events have been cancelled to save our people, so, why don’t you respect the people & keep them alive. I hope the Native Americans can keep the thousands through.
And then there was one….
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/08/baby-born-in-dallas-believed-to-be-first-to-contract-19-in-womb/
good thing wingnut science convinced them kids don’t get or spread covid-19.
I too support euthanasia, provided the “patient” understands the consequences of his actions.