[Powerline] The Sioux Falls facility is massive. It has 3,700 employees, of whom fewer than 10% have tested positive for COVID-19. The Sioux Falls facility is one of the main pork producers in the U.S., turning out around 18 million servings of bacon, pork chops, etc., per day. You may wonder, why were so many diagnostic tests performed on employees at that plant? The answer is that Smithfield implemented an aggressive program, in partnership with two major hospital systems, whereby anyone who entered or left the facility was questioned and had his or her temperature taken. Anyone who reported having a cough, etc., or who showed an elevated temperature was tested for COVID-19.
Moreover, the Post article conveyed the impression that the Smithfield plant might become a ghost facility, closed forever due to South Dakota's failure to elect a Democratic governor. In fact, the plant will reopen in a matter of days. During the brief time it has been closed, Smithfield has been working intensively with the Centers for Disease Control, OSHA, and others.
Large South Dakota HCQ Trial Begins:
Governor Noem has been working closely with President Trump and Vice President Pence to set up the largest clinical trial of Hydroxychloroquine that, to my knowledge, has so far taken place. South Dakota has secured access to a large number of doses of Hydroxychloroquine from the national stockpile to conduct a series of tests, in conjunction with some of the Midwest's major hospital groups.
There will be two tracks: one will test Hydroxychloroquine among those who have tested positive for COVID-19 and have been hospitalized. The second will be prophylactic, testing the drug among high-risk populations that have not been hospitalized, like health care workers. This will be a double-blind study that begins with a clinical trial involving 2,000 patients, but could be expanded to as many as 100,000. This study will tell us more about the effectiveness of Hydroxychloroquine than any other study has done, to my knowledge, to date.
Much more at link. Most of it is Powerline reporting on the Washington Post's biased misreporting. Great reporting by Powerline.
Related:
Sioux Falls: 2020-04-13 World's largest pork processor shuts down plant, warns of meat shortages during pandemic
Sioux Falls: 2018-07-22 Suspect with "extreme hatred for police, fire and government" and "manifesto" arrested with bomb-making materials and antifa materials
Sioux Falls: 2012-10-21 RIP George McGovern
Sioux Falls: 2020-04-13 World's largest pork processor shuts down plant, warns of meat shortages during pandemic
Sioux Falls: 2018-07-22 Suspect with "extreme hatred for police, fire and government" and "manifesto" arrested with bomb-making materials and antifa materials
Sioux Falls: 2012-10-21 RIP George McGovern
Related:
Smithfield: 2020-04-13 World's largest pork processor shuts down plant, warns of meat shortages during pandemic
Smithfield: 2019-10-18 Finally, a rebellion against Extinction Rebellion
Smithfield: 2018-03-24 Mugabe fights farm eviction
Smithfield: 2020-04-13 World's largest pork processor shuts down plant, warns of meat shortages during pandemic
Smithfield: 2019-10-18 Finally, a rebellion against Extinction Rebellion
Smithfield: 2018-03-24 Mugabe fights farm eviction
Related:
South Dakota: 2020-04-14 Coronavirus Roundup: CDC Director Says US Coronavirus Cases Stabilizing, Could Peak This Week
South Dakota: 2020-04-13 World's largest pork processor shuts down plant, warns of meat shortages during pandemic
South Dakota: 2020-04-05 Coronaplague Roundup: Italian COVID-19 Death Toll Surges Past 15,000 as 681 New Deaths Reported
South Dakota: 2020-04-14 Coronavirus Roundup: CDC Director Says US Coronavirus Cases Stabilizing, Could Peak This Week
South Dakota: 2020-04-13 World's largest pork processor shuts down plant, warns of meat shortages during pandemic
South Dakota: 2020-04-05 Coronaplague Roundup: Italian COVID-19 Death Toll Surges Past 15,000 as 681 New Deaths Reported