World Health Organization

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Specializes in ER.

What are the strengths and deficits of this organization? I've heard pros and cons lately. I do think, if there are problems, the time to address them is AFTER this crisis.

I'd love to learn information from fellow nurses.

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Specializes in Travel, Home Health, Med-Surg.

The WHO, as part of the UN, has botched the response to Covid. They were told by Taiwan on Dec 30 2019 about the human to human spread and did not tell anyone, they have given out false/incomplete information and mislead the world. They announced on Jan 14 that the virus was not spread human to human. They did not call it a global health emergency until Jan 30. Whether it is pure incompetence or done for political reasons only time will tell; although it does seem like they are covering for the Chinese government (it seems like the Chinese gov also had info they didn't share).

ps://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/chinese-officials-note-serious-problems-in-coronavirus-response-the-world-health-organization-keeps-praising-them/2020/02/08/b663dd7c-4834-11ea-91ab-ce439aa5c7c1_story.html

Our country, as well as others, made decisions based on the false info given by the WHO. This has not only cost people their very lives but also much financial damage as well. I don't have a problem with our gov withholding funds to the WHO until the mess over there is straightened out. IMO, it is better to withhold so (hopefully) we can get accurate info and know how to best control this virus. Should we keep pouring our tax dollars into the WHO just to get bad, or no, information?

https://thewashingtonsentinel.com/who-ignored-taiwans-warnings-in-december-about-chinas-coronavirus-outbreak/

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Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.

Strength: The WHO has scientist and are following facts to keep the world safe. In fact, as those who wish to politicize the pandemic continue to do so, the WHO is warning against this to prevent further casualties: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/08/as-trump-attacks-who-warns-against-politicizing-coronavirus-if-you-dont-want-many-more-body-bags.html

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Specializes in Travel, Home Health, Med-Surg.
10 minutes ago, SummerGarden said:

Strength: The WHO has scientist and are following facts to keep the world safe. In fact, as those who wish to politicize the pandemic continue to do so, the WHO is warning against this to prevent further casualties: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/08/as-trump-attacks-who-warns-against-politicizing-coronavirus-if-you-dont-want-many-more-body-bags.html

Says the guy who gave the false info and politicized it to begin with!

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Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.
On 4/16/2020 at 10:49 AM, Daisy4RN said:

They announced on Jan 14 that the virus was not spread human to human.

Daisy, this is the around the time the Trump administration was told about the virus and did nothing. https://www.motherjones.com/coronavirus-updates/2020/04/trump-coronavirus-response-new-york-times/

He continues to do nothing. He continues to find others to blame. So this week it is the WHO... last week it was the governors of the western and eastern states who are way more competent, trusted, and popular than he is!

Trump blaming others for his lack of leadership and the nonsense that he spews from his mouth is all a distraction, of course. At this time, Trump has stopped sending out stimulus checks to ensure that his signature gets put on them for.... What? Free campaign advertisement at OUR EXPENSE?? Meanwhile, our nation suffers as he puts energy into stroking his own ego. If he were a real leader, he would take responsibility and fix himself when he is wrong. However, he is never wrong... His words, not mine...

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Specializes in ED, psych.

At work and taking a quick break.

The WHO, who has done things I have disagreed with in the past and is a little more bureaucratic to my liking ... BUT taking the funding away like Trump is doing greatly affects those that the WHO impacts in other, low income countries. Please research what the WHO actually does - global wide efforts to decrease mortality rates in childbirth, genital mutilation, vaccinations against polio, Ebola ... and now this pandemic, which is spreading across the globe.

How do you think those lower income countries are going to do with a significant cut to a worldwide budget?

But ... this is Trump. A little, little man who is pointing the finger away from the failings of his administration. And that’s the ONLY reason why he’s doing it.

I just found out a coworker of mine just passed away just now. Argue with me if you like. I won’t be back.

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Specializes in Travel, Home Health, Med-Surg.
On 4/16/2020 at 12:24 PM, SummerGarden said:
On 4/16/2020 at 12:24 PM, SummerGarden said:

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/who-trashed-for-sharing-chinese-study-claiming-humans-cant-spread-coronavirus-during-outbreaks-onset

Whether or not you agree with the way the President has handled the covid situation doesn't change that the top dogs of the WHO have bungled their response and/or attempted to cover up for the Chinese communist government. I don't think that withholding funds temporarily until the WHO gets it together is going to create any significant problems. Quite the contrary, it should help!

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Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.
On 4/16/2020 at 1:40 PM, Daisy4RN said:

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/who-trashed-for-sharing-chinese-study-claiming-humans-cant-spread-coronavirus-during-outbreaks-onset

Whether or not you agree with the way the President has handled the covid situation doesn't change that the top dogs of the WHO have bungled their response and/or attempted to cover up for the Chinese communist government. I don't think that withholding funds temporarily until the WHO gets it together is going to create any significant problems. Quite the contrary, it should help!

Trump had time to act and chose not do anything, despite the WHO. Trump waited past January, past February, and well into March before he agreed that there was a Pandemic and that has nothing to do with WHO. In fact, Trump has said more destructive things and made way more mistakes that has harmed our country during this Pandemic compared to the WHO. Maybe we should cut him off too?

Although, the WHO has their own faults, Trump's faults, which is harming our country outweighs anything the WHO has done. Trump is at fault for the poor Federal response, which is ongoing. Trump is at fault for his own poor judgment (he even points to his head and stated that it is all the knowledge and information he needs). In fact, as Trump is blaming the WHO this week, he has the audacity along with his state-run television station to try to influence the county that it is OK to go back to work rather than shelter-in place.

For example, the politicians and talking heads on the extreme right media outlets are working from home or wear full PPE garb while talking to the public. However, they have the nerve to ask working class and middle class people to refuse to shelter-in place and "go back to work". Some on state-run TV have already started preparing their viewers for the fact that if they go back to work, more people will die because the virus will spread faster, but that should be OK with America.

This, of course, is the opposite of the teaching of the WHO, because it is the opposite of science. Many people don't need to die if we shelter-in place. This of course will require that checks be given to those who need them now and not later. Cutting off the WHO does not help us in any way!

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Specializes in ED, psych.

https://www.Google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2020/04/16/health/WHO-Trump-coronavirus.amp.html

“But a close look at the record shows that the W.H.O. acted with greater foresight and speed than many national governments, and more than it had shown in previous epidemics. And while it made mistakes, there is little evidence that the W.H.O. is responsible for the disasters that have unfolded in Europe and then the United States.”

Like I stated before, the US President is becoming criticized for his response times, in particular the lack of activity in February. For example, the president played a video during the briefing this week with a visual timeline of his response to the coronavirus. The timeline listed out dates from January to March, namely when Trump implemented the travel ban from China on January 31. Skips February which the exception of 2/6 - first testing kits being shipped out. Why skip February? Because it was “a hoax of the Democrats,” “like the flu,” “go away in warm weather” yadda yadda yadda.

His administration’s response and deflection of blame (“I take no responsibility”) is abysmal.

He is deflecting onto the WHO. He is admonishing them for the very same he is being accused (and observed doing) - being slow to respond and being China-centric.

Interestingly, it was Trump himself who went out of his way to publicly and repeatedly praise the Chinese government for its handling of the virus at a time at the beginning of the year that his administration was negotiating a trade deal with China (Jan. 24, about a month after the virus was discovered there, Mr. Trump tweeted: “China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency”).

I have some faults with the WHO. But here is where US funding goes:

https://apps.npr.org/dailygraphics/graphics/who-budget-20200416/

Cuts from US funding will be felt in low income countries the most. Go ‘merica.

This cut in funding is nothing to celebrate.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
On 4/16/2020 at 12:43 PM, pixierose said:

just found out a coworker of mine just passed away just now. Argue with me if you like. I won’t be back

@pixierose my sympathies on your and your coworkers loss.

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On 4/15/2020 at 11:00 PM, Emergent said:

What are the strengths and deficits of this organization? I've heard pros and cons lately. I do think, if there are problems, the time to address them is AFTER this crisis.

I'd love to learn information from fellow nurses.

Why do you ask?

Is the question related to the blame our administration is putting on the organization?

I ask because your question coincides with this.

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Specializes in Travel, Home Health, Med-Surg.
16 hours ago, SummerGarden said:

Trump had time to act and chose not do anything, despite the WHO. Trump waited past January, past February, and well into March before he agreed that there was a Pandemic and that has nothing to do with WHO. In fact, Trump has said more destructive things and made way more mistakes that has harmed our country during this Pandemic compared to the WHO. Maybe we should cut him off too?

Although, the WHO has their own faults, Trump's faults, which is harming our country outweighs anything the WHO has done. Trump is at fault for the poor Federal response, which is ongoing. Trump is at fault for his own poor judgment (he even points to his head and stated that it is all the knowledge and information he needs). In fact, as Trump is blaming the WHO this week, he has the audacity along with his state-run television station to try to influence the county that it is OK to go back to work rather than shelter-in place.

For example, the politicians and talking heads on the extreme right media outlets are working from home or wear full PPE garb while talking to the public. However, they have the nerve to ask working class and middle class people to refuse to shelter-in place and "go back to work". Some on state-run TV have already started preparing their viewers for the fact that if they go back to work, more people will die because the virus will spread faster, but that should be OK with America.

This, of course, is the opposite of the teaching of the WHO, because it is the opposite of science. Many people don't need to die if we shelter-in place. This of course will require that checks be given to those who need them now and not later. Cutting off the WHO does not help us in any way!

This time line shows that the Trump admin was acting in those months you claim they were not all the while getting zero help from the Democrats in Jan (who were still busy trying to impeach him) and liberal state media who were also calling him xenophobic along with all the other names they have been calling him for 3 years now. I am sure you know that the WHO did not officially classify the coronavirus a Pandemic until March 11.

https://pjmedia.com/trending/timeline-the-trump-administrations-decisive-actions-to-combat-the-coronavirus-pandemic/

Of course we should all be talking about getting back to work and getting the country moving again and how to do that. If we don't the whole country is going to implode. This is common sense.

I am not saying that the Trump admin is perfect but if you look at the time line it is clear that they have been working hard (despite interference from some Dems and their state media)

Jan 6 CDC issues a level 1 travel watch for China outbreak and offers to send a team to China which China declined

Jan 8 WHO praises China for notable achievement in ID of virus and Chinas increased capacity to manage new outbreaks

Jan 14 WHO announced Chinese gov has found no evidence of human to human spread, meanwhile according the AP internal Chinese docs show that Chinese gov acknowledged human to human spread and were hiding info

Jan 15 Trump signs trade deal with China

Jan 17 Second death in Wuhan, CDC and HHS start screening travelers from Wuhan

Jan 20 Chinese expert on infectious dx confirms human to human transmission

Jan 21 First US case

Jan 23 WHO said outbreak did not constitute a public emergency and there was no evidence of the virus spreading between humans outside of China

Jan 29: The White House forms a coronavirus response task force, initially led by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.

Jan 30 WHO declares a global emergency

Jan 31 Trump issues travel ban from China/persons who pose a risk of transmitting 2019 novel coronavirus, Azar declares public health emergency

In response to the ban :

NYT quotes Dr Osterholm (epidemiologist) travel ban “more of an emotional or political reaction”

WaPo: slams the WH for acting in disregard of WHO travel restriction recommendations

Vox: “Is this going to be a deadly pandemic? No”

CNN “It’s not a new pandemic, it’s the flu”

Feb 1 Biden (the other guy running for President) calls Trump hysterical, xenophobic and accuses him of fearmongering

Feb 2: NYC Health Commissioner and also Chair of NYC Council health committee tell people to go about your lives and no problem gathering in crowds for Lunar New Year parade

Feb 4 WHO urged that there be no travel bans

Feb 5 After doing nothing r/t coronavirus House Democrats take up virus in the House Foreign Affairs after the President was acquitted on both articles of impeachment (21 days after the first death of coronavirus)

Feb 11 Biden advisor says evidence suggests coronavirus won’t be a serious pandemic

Feb 17 Fauci says risk of infection in US is mimiscule

Feb 24 Pelosi visits SanFran Chinatown and asks others to be careful but come visit

Feb 24 White house requests $ 2.5 billion to help combat coronavirus

The United States confirmed 18 more cases including evacuated passengers from the cruise ship, bringing the total number to 53

Feb 25 Trump says admin will seek 2.5 billion from Congress to combat virus

Feb 26 Pence tasked with leading response

Feb 26 Dr Brix joins Pence

End of Feb US had 68 cases

March 2 NYC Mayor DeBlaso encourages New Yorkers to go on with your lives and get out on the town

March 4 NYC official states no indication that being in a car or the subway is a risk;

CNN’s Anderson Cooper and Dr Sanjay Gupta “..if you are freaked out about the coronavirus you should be more concerned about the flu”

March 9 Bernie Sanders says he would not close the border even if necessary to stop the spread and called Trump xenophobic

March 11 Trump blocks travel from Europe and declares national emergency authorizing $50 million to states; WHO classifies coronavirus officially a Pandemic

March 26 CARES bill passes after being help up in Congress by Pelosi trying to add funding for entities that have zero to do with covid

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