The other day I posted about coronavirus test kits being sent from Italy to the U.S.  It seemed strange considering that we need them here.

Yesterday in La Repubblica, one of Italy’s main newspapers, an article was published  regarding the sale of COVID-19 testing kits (Coronavirus, mezzo milione di tamponi da un’azienda di Brescia agli Stati Uniti).

Copan Diagnostics, with its Italian base in Brescia, the heart of the coronavirus outbreak here in Italy, sold 500,000 test kits to private companies and American distributors. Copan says the kits were not sold to the American government although an American military plane and an American military base in Italy (Aviano) were used to take the kits to the States. The plane’s destination was Memphis.

So first question, why is the American military, subsidized by the taxpayers, sponsoring private companies? This reminds me of the two republican senators who, after being briefed about the coronavirus, sold their stock before the markets crashed (Republican senators sold stocks before markets plunged on coronavirus fears). Once again, the taxpayers are subsidizing the elite who are so worried about socialism. The senators, who are paid by the citizens, have access to information they should use to help those who butter their bread instead of  for personal profit.

As for Copan, they claim they were just doing the typical capitalistic thing to do and feel no shame. Furthermore, they say, there are enough kits for the Italians. The problem is, they claim, it takes time for testing.  (Copan, l’azienda italiana che vende tamponi anche agli Usa: da noi non mancano kit, ma il tempo per l’analisi).

From what I’ve read, although it is true that testing takes not only time but qualified personnel, kits are not in abundance. Many doctors and nurses who work with the infected have not been tested and many have died.

Copan Diagnostics has its Italian base in Brescia, the heart of the infection. At the time kits were sent to the USA, in Italy there were almost 30,000 cases and 2,158 deaths (higher than in China). In the United States there were only 86 deaths and 4,500 positives.

What happens if one of Copan Diagnostics’ employees, busy making kits for Copan profit, gets infected, where will he go to be treated? Certainly not to Memphis. He will be treated in Italy in the very region that is overwhelmed and struggling for survival.

If you have the stomach for hardcore reality, look at this video to see what the doctors and nurses saving lives have to deal with on a non-stop basis: The shocking centre of the COVID-19 crisis

In Italy right now so many people and companies are donating money and equipment. Giorgio Armani donated E100.000 and encouraged the wealthy to do the same. Francesco Totti, famed soccer player, donated therapy equipment. Esselunga, grocery store chain, donated E2.5 million. Ferrari is now making hospital ventilators. And the list goes on and on.

Copan Diagnostics, what have you donated?

I visited the Copan Diagnostics FB page and, although the comments were in Italian, Copan’s answers were all in English. Why? Don’t they have any employees in Brescia capable of speaking Italian?

Maybe I should send them an email customercare@copangroup.com…

Day 11 of the Lockdown

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Whereas Trump “spiritual adviser” Paula White begs for cash to heal the “soul sick” during COVID-19 pandemic

(While White claimed the Bible could help people through coronavirus quarantine, it’s unclear how the $91 will help), in Italy the Methodists and the Waldensian churches give E8 million towards fighting the coronavirus (Coronavirus: le Chiese valdesi e metodiste stanziano 8 milioni di euro)