Flu Outbreak: Medicine Shortages And A Rising Death Toll In California

A severe flu outbreak has struck California making the medicine used to treat the illness sparse, and filling emergency rooms with those suffering from the symptoms. The death toll is also rising rapidly as more and more people are succumbing to the virus.

According to the LA Times, health officials said Friday that 27 people younger than 65 have died of the flu in California since October, compared with three at the same time last year. Nationwide and in California, flu activity spiked sharply in late December and continues to grow. For example, the emergency room at UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica typically treats about 140 patients a day, but at least one day this week had more than 200 patients mostly because of the flu, said the ER’s medical director, Dr. Wally Ghurabi. “The Northridge earthquake was the last time we saw over 200 patients,” Ghurabi said.

The flu season normally peaks in February, but experts claim that this year, it’s peaking early, and that’s why there have been so many flu victims.  The flu season is typically worst around February but can reach its height anytime from October to April. Though influenza had only killed three Californians at this time last year, it had taken 68 lives by the end of February, according to state data.

Many California doctors, however, maintain that the recent surge has been unusually severe. “Rates of influenza are even exceeding last year, and last year was one of the worst flu seasons in the last decade,” said Dr. Randy Bergen, clinical lead of the flu vaccine program for Kaiser Permanente in Northern California.

State health officials also said Friday that there was no region of the state where people were being spared from the flu. In Riverside and San Bernardino counties, ambulance services have been severely strained because of the number of flu calls coming in, local health officials said. “The ambulances have to wait … and if they’re waiting there, they can’t be out on calls,” said Jose Arballo Jr., spokesman for the Riverside County Department of Public Health.

Plus, emergency rooms are so crowded that ambulances arriving at hospitals can’t immediately unload their patients, so they’re unable to leave for incoming 911 calls.

Predictable Pattern: Gun Stocks Jump After This Recent Mass Shooting

In the wake of the horrific mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada, gun stocks have predictably skyrocketed.  As with every mass shooting in recent American history, incidents like this one tend to make Americans want to take matters into their own hands to protect themselves and their families.

Shares of Sturm Ruger rose nearly 4 percent and American Outdoor Brands, formerly Smith & Wesson, rose nearly 5 percent or more in Monday morning trading. The shares are up as traders bet that more will be purchasing guns in the face of likely new proposed restrictions on guns.

But gun stocks have historically risen after high-profile shootings. After the Orlando, Florida, and San Bernardino, California, shootings, “you saw a two to [a] three-month surge in firearms sales,” said Rommel Dionisio, managing director at Aegis Capital. The two ISIS-linked attacks “certainly triggered something in the American consciousness about personal safety.”

Although a national change in gun ownership laws appears unlikely, “certainly on a state-by-state basis you can see states pass tighter gun control laws,” Dionisio said.  And president Donald Trump has agreed with former president Barack Obama on gun control in the past.

President Obama spoke for me and every American in his remarks in #Newtown Connecticut.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 17, 2012

Back in 2000, Trump, in his book “The America We Deserve,“ said he supported the 1994 federal assault weapons ban. That law expired in 2004 and was not renewed by Congress.

Gun stocks continue to rise for often months after horrifying shootings. In the month after mass U.S. shootings, Sturm Ruger shares climb an average of nearly 2.9 percent and American Outdoor Brands rises almost 5.4 percent, according to analysis using Kensho, a quantitative analytics tool used by hedge funds. The study looked at 32 instances since the Columbine High School shooting in April 1999 in Colorado.

Gun sales had climbed ahead of the election on expectations of a Democratic victory and that Hillary Clinton would increase restrictions on purchases immediately. After Trump’s win, sales of the weapons dropped and so did the shares.

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Author: Mac Slavo
Views: Read by 1 people
Date: October 2nd, 2017
Website: www.SHTFplan.com

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WATCH: Cop Threatening Fake Charges Against Innocent Man is Everything Wrong with Police Today

San Bernardino, CA — The next time someone asks you why people don’t trust police, show them this video of a San Bernardino Sheriff’s deputy threatening to make up charges against an innocent man — for no reason.

Duncan Hicks went to the San Bernardino Sheriff’s station last month to file a report but was met with obstinate bureaucracy and eventually threats.

Hicks was attempting to file a report with the department and had done so on multiple occasions without incident. Hicks told CBS Los Angeles this was his third time there and he also called once to file a few custody disputes with his child’s mother. But this time, he says, the deputy refused to write his report down and then took it a step further.

Hicks was politely trying to explain to the deputy that his report was not stating the problem when the cop lost it.

“This is not explaining the incident, sir,” said Hicks.

“K, Duncan. You know what man? I’m about getting tired of you and you’re about to go to jail just so you know,” barks the deputy, threatening an entirely innocent man.

“What am I going to jail for?” asked Hicks.

“I’ll create something you understand? You’ll go to jail. You understand that?”

Remaining vigilant and unafraid, Hicks stood his ground as he knew the cop had no basis to make such threats.

“You can’t say that. How are you gonna create something? That’s against the law,” Hicks said.

The deputy then responds with a complete and total lie by threatening to arrest Hicks for filming. “Recording me like that. That’s illegal without my knowledge. You want to go to jail for that too?”

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According to the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department, however, audio and video recording in the station is allowed.

Hicks then fires back noting that he is only filming because an armed man is threatening to kidnap and cage him for no reason. “You have a gun on your hip. I’m doing this for my protection,” he says.

“Uh, uh, you’re not starting that in my lobby,” says the clerk before the video ends.

As CBS Los Angeles reports, Sheriff John McMahon, released a statement that read in part: “Since viewing the video, our employees’ response to the citizen is not consistent with my expectation of customer service. Additionally, the deputy’s responses are not consistent with the interpretation of the law…”

Hicks told the local news that “If that’s his way of protecting and doing his job I would like him to be fired,” and he is right. However, as of Thursday, the officer in the video is still employed.

Imagine for a moment that you made threats to kidnap and cage someone for the sole purpose of being aggravated with them. Imagine that you made these threats while on the job, at your place of work, and the person you threatened — was a customer. Do you think that for one second you would be able to keep that job — not too mention avoid jail for those threats?

However, if you are a police officer, you can do so with impunity.

Below is a video that highlights everything wrong with police in America today. These people fail to realize that they are public servants — not little tyrants who can deprive people of their freedom on a whim. Until this entitled attitude changes, this divide between the police and the policed will continue to grow.

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Matt Agorist is an honorably discharged veteran of the USMC and former intelligence operator directly tasked by the NSA. This prior experience gives him unique insight into the world of government corruption and the American police state. Agorist has been an independent journalist for over a decade and has been featured on mainstream networks around the world. Follow @MattAgorist on Twitter and now on Steemit