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Alphabet, Walmart join U.S. effort to speed up coronavirus testing

reuters.com

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Re: Alphabet, Walmart join U.S. effort to speed up coronavirus testing

#111

The timing of that press conference was really suspicious, and makes me think this is still all about the stock market and not a public health strategy. It was scheduled to start at 3:00 PM, but they stalled until 3:30 PM to actually start it. 30 minutes before the stock market closed for the week. The longer they talked, the more the market went up. The market loved them. Everyone's confident that they are deliverin…

This is a global health crisis that happens to impact millions of workers who are now worried they might contract coronavirus or they might lose their jobs if they were in some of the more impacted industries. To be shorting and attacking the economy and businesses during this time (all businesses are interconnected, especially ones that provide food/energy/medical supplies) and be so distrustful of efforts to help r…

Wallstreet is not the economy. It's just bits in computers.

Re: Alphabet, Walmart join U.S. effort to speed up coronavirus testing

#112
post #2

Why is Google (and for that matter Apple) not helping to track the prior movement of every coronavirus patient where possible to identify additional potentially exposed individuals? Seems fairly straightforward given their massive surveillance infrastructure. Anyone at Apple or Google actually going to pitch in here and offer meaningful help? So far, crickets.

This would need to be opt-in, of course.

Re: Alphabet, Walmart join U.S. effort to speed up coronavirus testing

#113
post #4
post #2

Why is Google (and for that matter Apple) not helping to track the prior movement of every coronavirus patient where possible to identify additional potentially exposed individuals? Seems fairly straightforward given their massive surveillance infrastructure. Anyone at Apple or Google actually going to pitch in here and offer meaningful help? So far, crickets.

Because that would be an incredible violation of privacy and is probably illegal? I’m not even sure China does that.

Apparently Israel, Iran, and China are all using people’ cell phones to track infected people.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman...

Re: Alphabet, Walmart join U.S. effort to speed up coronavirus testing

#114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I could see how someone could get the impression he said it was coming Sunday evening The media (and many, many commenters here) were foaming at the mouth for another ORANGE MAN BAD story. It's amusing to watch all the frantic spinning taking place in this comments section to avoid walking back the ORANGE MAN BAD narrative from this morning. You were wrong, guys. Just admit it. It won't kill you. I am no particular…

Mod it down all you want. You'll still be wrong.

This kind of follow up comment doesn't help.

Re: Alphabet, Walmart join U.S. effort to speed up coronavirus testing

#115
post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google Communications says here that "Google is partnering with the US Government in developing a nationwide website that includes information about COVID-19 symptoms, risk and testing information." https://twitter.com/Google_Comms/status/1238989460127338497

Will everyone who blasted Trump in this entire post apologize? Don’t hold your breathe.

If I could make a list of the people least deserving of an apology, Trump would be near the top.

Re: Alphabet, Walmart join U.S. effort to speed up coronavirus testing

#116

Found it strange that some parts of media decided to focus on the semantics of Google and Verily being different subsidiaries of Alphabet. This is an almost meaningless detail.

I saw an article from Verge doing that. It was so cringe. I blamed it on someone there wanting to hop on the “orange man bad” bandwagon.

Re: Alphabet, Walmart join U.S. effort to speed up coronavirus testing

#117
post #115
post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Will everyone who blasted Trump in this entire post apologize? Don’t hold your breathe.

If I could make a list of the people least deserving of an apology, Trump would be near the top.

People with integrity apologize based on their own actions, not their opinions of the qualities of the other party.

I apologise to douchebags regularly, if I'm wrong, though I'm very clear about the limitations of the apology.

Re: Alphabet, Walmart join U.S. effort to speed up coronavirus testing

#118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because Walmart already has the infrastructure to (a) set up drive-through testing sites, (b) employees to perform the tests, and (c) the distribution network to get this test to the majority of America very quickly. Your local hospital, not being part of a larger chain or system, does not. These tests are all drive through, that is why you don't need PPE to go in, because you don't need to go in. I don't understand…

That's a really good answer. Thanks. I agree, but it just makes me pinch myself, check my pulse, and wonder if I'm in an alternate universe when the world pandemic of this age involves me going to Walmart instead of to a hospital. Second part of the question. Where do I go get tested in each state, right now?

You don't want to flood hospitals with millions of Americans that think they might have corona virus. Testing in non-hospital space is the correct thing to do.

Re: Alphabet, Walmart join U.S. effort to speed up coronavirus testing

#119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yea, that's the point. No one knows.

Apologies, I thought you were genuinely curious.

Your answer was that you don't know through. You just assume that the information would be easy to obtain by calling to hospital. (Which is not a way to distribute information many people need simultaneously anyway, even if it worked).

Multiple people who called ended up being sent (or told to call) from one place to another.They after series of calls ended up being told they cant get tested due to rules on who is being tested being quite strict.

It is not the case of "call your doctor and they will know and give you straight clear information". It might become that case after a while, but afaik it is not that way now.

Re: Alphabet, Walmart join U.S. effort to speed up coronavirus testing

#120

For what it's worth, here's what CNN was reporting Friday night: Google will not be publishing a national-scale website for coronavirus testing anytime soon, contrary to claims made by President Donald Trump during a Friday news conference. Instead, a health-focused subsidiary owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet, intends to launch a small-scale website next week to begin to triage California-based patients. Th…

And here's what Google Communications said three hours ago: "Google is partnering with the US Government in developing a nationwide website that includes information about COVID-19 symptoms, risk and testing information"

So, real question here.

What if the president makes a claim about a companys actions at time N, that company then says that the claim is false at time N+1, and then the company about faces and says they will be doing what the president claimed at time N+2.

Does this mean that the president lied or does the fact that the company changed their story later on make the president retroactively tell the truth?

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