Company prioritizes $15k ventilators over cheaper model specified in contract:
The Dutch company that received millions of taxpayer dollars to develop an affordable ventilator for pandemics but never delivered them has struck a much more lucrative deal with the federal government to make 43,000 ventilators at four times the price.
The US Department of Health and Human Services announced Wednesday that it plans to pay Royal Philips N.V. $646.7 million for the new ventilators—paying more than $15,000 each. The first 2,500 units are to arrive before the end of May, HHS said, and the rest by the end of December.
Philips refused to say which model of ventilator the government was buying. But in response to questions from ProPublica, HHS officials said the government is purchasing the Trilogy EV300, the more expensive version of the ventilator that was developed with federal funds.
The deal is a striking departure from the federal contract Philips' Respironics division signed in September to produce 10,000 ventilators for the Strategic National Stockpile at a cost of $3,280 each.
"This kind of profiteering—paying four times the negotiated price—is not only irresponsible to taxpayers but is particularly offensive when so many people are out of work," said Dr. Nicole Lurie, who served as the HHS assistant secretary for preparedness and response during the Obama administration. "And besides, most of these ventilators will come too late to make a difference in this pandemic. We'll then 'replenish' the stockpile at a ridiculously high price."
"What else," she asked, "won't we be able to buy as a result?"
(Score: 1, Redundant) by Runaway1956 on Monday April 13 2020, @01:30PM (8 children)
And, that does put a humorous side on things. Old, worn out bastards at the capitals instituting lockdowns, to protect themselves. Meanwhile, younger people continue to get horny, and circulate among other younger people. They're not immune, of course, but to them, it's not much more serious than the flu.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2020, @02:24PM (6 children)
Only if you compare individual cases is it "not much more serious than the flu".
But when you consider the fact that this virus has the potential to infect an entire country in a matter of weeks, even among younger people we are looking at something like a ~0.1% mortality rate, and things are significantly more serious than your usual flu season.
The US already has over half a million confirmed cases. The real number of infected is probably about 10 times that, so we're looking at about one in every 100 Americans already infected. That's only going to get worse!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2020, @02:48PM
Ooh, do tell how some people are immune to the flu.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday April 13 2020, @03:06PM (3 children)
So, roughly 5 million Americans infected? Ohhhh-kay.
So, that puts the population of the US around 500 million? I'm expecting a mini-baby boom before Christmas. Did I miss the last one? Or, have we had that many illegal aliens crash the border in recent months?
May I suggest that you are just feeding the fear?
https://healthvigil.com/flu-season-deaths-us-worlswide/ [healthvigil.com]
So, uhhhh, what are the numbers for the China virus again? I'm not seeing an existential threat to mankind yet. I'm seeing an existential threat to the old, the sick, and the weak. Oh shit, I'm old!!! And, it appears that I am less fearful than you are.
BTW - "flu related" doesn't exactly mean that the flu killed them. Nor does "Covid-19 related" exactly mean that they died from the China virus. I've mentioned the talk show I listen to often enough. Guests often call in to discuss stuff. At the present time, in some locations, if someone dies, and it isn't known exactly why they died, doctors and coroners are often marking "corona virus related", even if there was no indication of the corona virus prior to death. Basically, when you're swamped, you justify a few shortcuts here and there.
New Orleans, which was made infamous for some truly heinous cowardly acts in the aftermath of Katrina ranks right up there with inflated Corona virus infections and deaths.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2020, @05:18PM
It's definitely not an existential threat to mankind. But it is a terrible optics if you have mass graves for a few million.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Monday April 13 2020, @07:25PM (1 child)
Notice the use of the word "about". It covers a lot of numerical sins. Aboutly.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday April 14 2020, @02:58AM
I'm pretty sure numerical sins aren't among those that Jesus died for.
though, I'll have to reread Dante to find out what circle of Hell is designated for those type of sins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 14 2020, @08:35PM
Best data says that the asymptomatic cases seem to be about 50% of the known cases. Not 50% of all people. I think the data I've been seeing suggests a death rate of 1-3% of known cases leading to known infection rate of 5-10%, which would put the unknown cases at about 20% of the population total. Still pretty wicked, but not 50% of the population.
Coronavirus generally isn't very easy to get even in closer contact. But most of the measures are about flattening curves, not worrying about individual cases (i.e. lessen the impact of those who did get it).
(Score: 2) by Fluffeh on Monday April 13 2020, @11:22PM
It is more serious when the younger people then head home to their folks house, give it to them, then their parents end up in hospital or worse. Can't infect the hand that feeds you, lest it is too sick to feed you.