Agitprop in action? [Was U.S. SARS Outbreak? Vallejo, California]

5/25.03

[blam]

"coworkers who could provide even more substantiation and input regarding what she observed before becoming deathly ill herself.

Wouldn't this mean that she died?

[blam]

"I just sent this to my cousin in the SF Bay area. His wife is Chinese & a Dr. she has worked at Kaiser as well. He is going to check it out & get back to me."

Thanks Ditter. Ping me when you get an answer. You and I are darn close to the 50% death rate (65 years old and older) of those who get SARS.

[tubebender]

Have you heard anything about this...

[vikingchick]

Thanks for the ping, CC. sw, looks like we might have it here too.

[Future Useless Eater]

Possible SARS case detected next door in Vallejo
Napa Valley Register, CA - May 22, 2003
... According to Kaiser Vallejo public information officer Valerie Roberts Gray, the patient has some of the risk factors present in SARS cases: travel to a SARS ...

Suspected SARS case reported
Fairfield Daily Republic, CA - May 22, 2003
... Kaiser Medical Center in Vallejo ... Public Health Monday it treated a man who met the case definitions outlined by the Centers for Disease Control for SARS ...

Kaiser Confident Of Handling SARS
Vallejo News, CA - May 21, 2003
... However, she said recently Kaiser Vallejo has reported at least two suspected SARS cases to the Center for Disease Control. Solano ...

[D. Brian Carter]

On May 16, a thread was started by a "Freeper" who had "inside information" from someone who worked in an unnamed Northern California hospital, stating that a SARS outbreak was being covered up. The thread was deleted after much skepticism from responding posters, and for the reason that there was no source except for an anonymous person who worked in the hospital.

Before this thread was deleted, though, I did notice the name of Astraea Kelly appear, who apparently was the "reliable friend" of the "Freeper" who posted the information.

So I did a bit of research on this Astraea Kelly... and discovered a bit of a rabble-rouser, a far left wing activitst, and the union steward at her hospital.

I'm not saying this automatically disqualifies her assertions, but just for the sake of argument and reason, I will post the web addresses for articles either written by her, posts of hers to public threads, or references to her. (I am assuming Astraea is a woman, please correct me if I am wrong).

Here are the links:

The Many Faces of Terror An Activist’s Response

Safeway Solidarity Actions

Oakland, CA, Mass Solidarity Rally Today

A-Infos: Anarchist News Service

US, Teamsters at Full Strike Sanction/Status for Safeway

FBI Targetting Labor Activist In Oakland

On the Picket Line (from Socialist Worker Online)

Call to Action on "the election" (From riseup.net)

And now I'm tired of posting Astraea Kelly's online links, but feel free to hit that link to get to some more enlightening information from Kelly. And think about the source when you comment on this article....

Brian

[CobaltBlue]

>>On May 16, a thread was started by a "Freeper" who had "inside information" from someone who worked in an unnamed Northern California hospital, stating that a SARS outbreak was being covered up.<<

That's the story I remember. Thanks.

[TaxRelief]

The Sierra Times editor checked no sources other than the communist labor organizer, Astraea Kelly. He did not speak to the CDC, her employers or KaiserPermanente. He did no research on this very experienced activist.

Astraea Kelly Unveiled:
(Employee of AFL-CIO)

From: Astraea Kelly (wingsong@e...)
Date: Thu Jun 1, 2000 10:50 pm
Subject: S.F. Healthcare Worker Rally
Support Workers' Right to
Organize At Catholic
Hospitals.
Any denial of basic rights
in our country to organize
for better working
conditions or patient
conditions, intimidation,
harassment, or refusal to
negotiate in good faith,
over working
conditions constitutes a
"Sweatshop". Help us send a
message to
the Catholic Church that
this will not be tolerated in any
industry.
Astraea Kelly
Laney College
Oakland, CA.
RALLY AND SPEAK OUT
JUNE 13, 2000
4:00 P.M. - 6:00 P.M.
MARRIOTT HOTEL
55 4TH STREET, SAN FRANCISCO
NEAR POWELL ST. BART STATION
Join hundreds of healthcare workers

[Admin Moderator]

Do you remember what day this first went up, or what the "Freeper"'s name was?

[D. Brian Carter]

05/16/03, my first response posted at 3:10 PM PDT, initial poster Watchman123.

[deport]

His post says May 16, but no freeper name

[Admin Moderator]

Thank you.

[CobaltBlue]

This story on Rense.com shows that this is indeed the lady I was thinking of.
http://www.rense.com/general37/ssrree.htm

If I'd known it was Rense, I'd have been more suspicious, but still . . . . earlier today it was posted that no probable or suspected SARS case in the US has tested positive for SARS so far.
http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/8525697700573E1885256D2E007BB28E?OpenDocument&c=SARS&count=10

We know that the SARS Co-V causes SARS in monkeys, which means it fulfills Koch's postulates.

'Tis a puzzlement.

So, if a hospital or a government says, well, this person has something that looks like SARS but the tests are negative, and there are no known contacts with a SARS vector -- there is a tremendous pressure to say it cannot be SARS.

Tourism. Industry. Keeping the hospital open. Not quarantining all contacts.

Someone said, and I think they are right, that normally with diseases - this is what they teach them in medical school - when you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras. Zebras are rare. But with SARS, you should be thinking zebras, not horses, because the consequences are so dire.

From a public health standpoint, trying to save as many lives as possible, that's true.

But not everybody thinks that way.

I go to Kaiser. If you expect them to make an effort looking after you, forget it. If you are educated and proactive and look after yourself, it's perfectly adequate and cost-effective. I have rheumatoid arthritis and take many many costly pills that I get for a $10 co-pay, see the doctor whenever I need to, for a $10 copay, except for the rheumatologist who is hard to see, but so are private rheumatologists.

I pity people who expect the doctor to take care of them, call them up, check on them, keep track of their tests and their meds but otherwise Kaiser is OK.

[TaxRelief]

I know some USAirways employees who are unhappy with Kaiser, too. But you guys are getting a great deal.

I go to "one of the best" private doctors in town. He doesn't do any checking up or free samples or any follow-up at all. Patients have to be self-responsible, even with private health care.

I use a medical care account and catastrophic insurance so when I go to the doctor, a routine check-up with lab tests can exceed $400, before I buy that nasty little prescription!

---

Beyond the Kaiser thing, if you check some of the Astraea links you will see one post where she describes stealing the wallet of an FBI agent who came to her house to interview her. She brags that the wallet contains crucial contact info that exposes other agents. Is this someone you can trust?

[Domestic Church]

Thank you for being so diligent on this.

[TaxRelief]

Watchman123 first gathered personal information, from anyone who responded, when he posted a sales pitch for a Photo-Oxidation Machine (4/16/2003).

[TaxRelief]

I think his/her emergence may have coincided with graduation!

[Admin Moderator]

Thanks. You got the date wrong by only a few days. I found it here. I'll restore it shortly to let others assist in digging through this. Click here

[TaxRelief]

It all makes sense now...

Freshman in extremely liberal college has to endure hazing to enter elite fraternity. One of the rituals includes being forced to sign up for an account with the dreaded ;-( Freerepublic.com. They are the required to take an oath to be a thread disrupter for one month after graduation.

LOL!

[Admin Moderator]

Riseup.net, part of the Red Cursor Collective. I believe that they have some relationship to ANSWER.