***NON-POLITICAL COVID-19 Discussion Thread***

[JakeF]

A couple of reminders...

Originally Posted by Bwana

Once again, don't come in this thread with some kind of political agenda, or you will be shown the door. If you want to go that route, there is a thread about this in DC.

Originally Posted by Dartgod

People, there is a lot of good information in this thread, let's try to keep the petty bickering to a minimum.

We all have varying opinions about the impact of this, the numbers, etc. We will all never agree with each other. But we can all keep it civil.

Thanks!

Click here for the original OP:

Spoiler!

Apparently the CoronaVirus can survive on a inanimate objects, such as door knobs, for 9 days.

California coronavirus case could be first spread within U.S. community, CDC says
By SOUMYA KARLAMANGLA, JACLYN COSGROVE
FEB. 26, 2020 8:04 PM

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating what could be the first case of novel coronavirus in the United States involving a patient in California who neither recently traveled out of the country nor was in contact with someone who did.

“At this time, the patient’s exposure is unknown. It’s possible this could be an instance of community spread of COVID-19, which would be the first time this has happened in the United States,” the CDC said in a statement. “Community spread means spread of an illness for which the source of infection is unknown. It’s also possible, however, that the patient may have been exposed to a returned traveler who was infected.”

The individual is a resident of Solano County and is receiving medical care in Sacramento County, according to the state Department of Public Health.

The CDC said the “case was detected through the U.S. public health system — picked up by astute clinicians.”

Officials at UC Davis Medical Center expanded on what the federal agency might have meant by that in an email sent Wednesday, as reported by the Davis Enterprise newspaper.

The patient arrived at UC Davis Medical Center from another hospital Feb. 19 and “had already been intubated, was on a ventilator, and given droplet protection orders because of an undiagnosed and suspected viral condition,” according to an email sent by UC Davis officials that was obtained by the Davis Enterprise.

The staff at UC Davis requested COVID-19 testing by the CDC, but because the patient didn’t fit the CDC’s existing criteria for the virus, a test wasn’t immediately administered, according to the email. The CDC then ordered the test Sunday, and results were announced Wednesday. Hospital administrators reportedly said in the email that despite these issues, there has been minimal exposure at the hospital because of safety protocols they have in place.

A UC Davis Health spokesperson declined Wednesday evening to share the email with The Times.

Since Feb. 2, more than 8,400 returning travelers from China have entered California, according to the state health department. They have been advised to self-quarantine for 14 days and limit interactions with others as much as possible, officials said.

“This is a new virus, and while we are still learning about it, there is a lot we already know,” Dr. Sonia Angell, director of the California Department of Public Health, said in a statement. “We have been anticipating the potential for such a case in the U.S., and given our close familial, social and business relationships with China, it is not unexpected that the first case in the U.S. would be in California.”

It is not clear how the person became infected, but public health workers could not identify any contacts with people who had traveled to China or other areas where the virus is widespread. That raises concern that the virus is spreading in the United States, creating a challenge for public health officials, experts say.

“It’s the first signal that we could be having silent transmission in the community,” said Lawrence Gostin, director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Center on National and Global Health Law. “It probably means there are many more cases out there, and it probably means this individual has infected others, and now it’s a race to try to find out who that person has infected.”

On Tuesday, the CDC offered its most serious warning to date that the United States should expect and prepare for the coronavirus to become a more widespread health issue.

“Ultimately, we expect we will see coronavirus spread in this country,” said Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. “It’s not so much a question of if, but a question of when.”

According to the CDC’s latest count Wednesday morning, 59 U.S. residents have tested positive for the new strain of coronavirus — 42 of whom are repatriated citizens from a Diamond Princess cruise. That number has grown by two since Messonnier’s last count Tuesday, although the CDC was not immediately available to offer details on the additional cases.

More than 82,000 cases of coronavirus have been reported globally, and more than 2,700 people have died, with the majority in mainland China, the epicenter of the outbreak.

But public health leaders have repeatedly reminded residents that the health risk from the novel coronavirus to the general public remains low.

“While COVID-19 has a high transmission rate, it has a low mortality rate,” the state Department of Public Health said in a statement Wednesday. “From the international data we have, of those who have tested positive for COVID-19, approximately 80% do not exhibit symptoms that would require hospitalization. There have been no confirmed deaths related to COVID-19 in the United States to date.”

CDC officials have also warned that although the virus is likely to spread in U.S. communities, the flu still poses a greater risk.

Gostin said the news of potential silent transmission does not eliminate the possibility of containing the virus in the U.S. and preventing an outbreak.

“There are few enough cases that we should at least try,” he said. “Most of us are not optimistic that that will be successful, but we’re still in the position to try.”

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by O.city

Cause we just let it spread like wild and didn't control it?

We?

[Pants]

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

Nah, I think I captured the zeitgeist infinitely better.

That pain you're sensing might be the spark of recognition.

I mean, I think I understand what you're saying. It's definitely not painful to me. I could be way off, but I feel like your stance might be:

"If you're scared of this thing, don't leave your house. Don't impose quarantines, let them be self-imposed by those who are willing to make that sacrifice."

If that's the case, I can definitely go down that path with you and feel pretty righteous about my stance. The stance that mitigation efforts can serve as a middle ground between having to chose safety vs economic ruin and other sacrifices that may come to your mind.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

We?

America?

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

Its eventually died out everywhere else its been no matter how bad it was including Italy.

Why would the US have a year long battle when its not happened in any other place no matter the intensity or severity of the outbreak?

I never said anything about a "year long battle" nor did I mention Italy or any other country.

The United States isn't Italy or any other country for that matter.

The US caseload is breaking records every day, so how can any one be optimistic about this virus dying out?

[Donger]

I wonder if we'll hit the 100,000 daily cases that Fauci warned about. Let's hope not.

[Fat Elvis]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

I never said anything about a "year long battle" nor did I mention Italy or any other country.

The United States isn't Italy or any other country for that matter.

The US caseload is breaking records every day, so how can any one be optimistic about this virus dying out?

via GIPHY

[petegz28]

AZ really is looking like it has turned the corner. According to the AZ Dashborad cases, hospitalizations and deaths are and have been dropping off significantly.

https://www.azdhs.gov/preparedness/e...ards/index.php

[TLO]

SARS-CoV-2 infection induces robust, neutralizing antibody responses that are stable for at least three months

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...1.article-info

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by TLO

SARS-CoV-2 infection induces robust, neutralizing antibody responses that are stable for at least three months

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...1.article-info

The "90%" aspect of that seems like an important part that the headline glosses over.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by DaFace

The "90%" aspect of that seems like an important part that the headline glosses over.

That and the fact that it wasn't peer reviewed

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

That and the fact that it wasn't peer reviewed

Well, sure, but if you're throwing it out for that, we'd have like 3 articles posted in the history of this thread.

[Discuss Thrower]

"Social distancing and COVID-19: A law of diminishing returns"

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by DaFace

Well, sure, but if you're throwing it out for that, we'd have like 3 articles posted in the history of this thread.

I take all of these articles with a grain of salt because as we've seen, information about this virus changes every single day.

The main issue I have with non-peer reviewed papers and articles based on said reviews is that far more often than not, they provide false hope.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

"Social distancing and COVID-19: A law of diminishing returns"

I guess that's interesting, but it's unclear to me what the mechanism is supposed to be that would cause that. If it's that people stop obeying social distancing rules after a while, I guess that makes sense. I'm just not sure what the policy implications are when they don't really explain why they think it's happening.

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

"Social distancing and COVID-19: A law of diminishing returns"

Now that is a solid source!!