***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.”

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by O.city

All these prisons keep testing and finding asymptomatic positives everywhere

They’ll theoretically be immune by the fall so if football gets cancelled we can have real life cons vs guards

Me and a friend has a discussion about prisons weeks ago, it seemed odd their hadn't been an outbreak considering the living in close quarters etc...

[Donger]

IHME bumped the deaths to 74,000

[TLO]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Data entry error?

This appears to have been the case. They moved it back to 303 this morning.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by Donger

IHME bumped the deaths to 74,000

I'm honestly surprised they aren't projecting it to be higher.

[Monticore]

Originally Posted by Bob Dole

I hate that ****ing camera looking at my vocal chord. First time I went to my ENT I was like WHAT THE ****????

Seems preferable to a camera looking at my ureters or cecum.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

Me and a friend has a discussion about prisons weeks ago, it seemed odd their hadn't been an outbreak considering the living in close quarters etc...

There's been outbreaks in prisons. They don't seem to be a huge topic of discussion though, for whatever reason

[loochy]

Originally Posted by TLO

There's been outbreaks in prisons. They don't seem to be a huge topic of discussion though, for whatever reason

because they're prisons and nobody gives a damn about prisoners

[2112]

Originally Posted by jdubya

As a throat ca patient I see the surgeon every 3 months for routine check up. I get a camera shoved in my nose that travels to the back of my throat and it is bigger than that swab. Annoying and creepy as heck but it doesnt hurt.....

I’ve had that done. That camera hose is soft and flexible. That ****ing swab looks rigid even though it’s smaller. I’ll take the camera, thank you

[Monticore]

Originally Posted by TLO

There's been outbreaks in prisons. They don't seem to be a huge topic of discussion though, for whatever reason

Outbreaks in prisons might bring up questions in regards to overcrowding(whether true or not) maybe which is not something people want to advertise.

[Monticore]

Originally Posted by 2112

I’ve had that done. That camera hose is soft and flexible. That ****ing swab looks rigid even though it’s smaller. I’ll take the camera, thank you

They don't use lidocaine spray for the swabs, that I am aware of.I guess they might not always for the camera either.
Edit: just asked and nope no spray they go in dry.

[wazu]

Originally Posted by TLO

There's been outbreaks in prisons. They don't seem to be a huge topic of discussion though, for whatever reason

Remember that for the most part society has made light of the fact that prisoners get raped all the time. Add to that, if there were ever a good place to build up herd immunity, wouldn't prison be it?

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

https://www.dropbox.com/s/cd1628cau0...cript.pdf?dl=0


Study of antibody tests for specificity. Almost all of the tests are garbage. Key information is in a data table after the main article. Only two of the tests had a specificity above 99%, and many had a specificity of less than 90%, which renders them functionally worthless.

I wonder if that is because the FDA is just letting anyone create an anitbody test? IIRC the Santa Clara antibody test was found out to be from a non approved FDA test.

[2112]

Originally Posted by Monticore

They don't use lidocaine spray for the swabs, that I am aware of.I guess they might not always for the camera either.
Edit: just asked and nope no spray they go in dry.

I didn’t get sprayed for the camera. It didn’t hurt and it didn’t bother me. I guess my ear nose and throat guy is gentle. But when you see people jamming those rigid swabs in, that certainly looks uncomfortable.

[Monticore]

Originally Posted by 2112

I didn’t get sprayed for the camera. It didn’t hurt and it didn’t bother me. I guess my ear nose and throat guy is gentle. But when you see people jamming those rigid swabs in, that certainly looks uncomfortable.

I think they have get to the level of you ear hole or there about , just picture something entering your nostril and going all the way back there, hurts just thinking about it.

[Monticore]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

I wonder if that is because the FDA is just letting anyone create an anitbody test? IIRC the Santa Clara antibody test was found out to be from a non approved FDA test.

I assume it is hard getting something to pick up corona virus antibodies from COVID-19 but not pick up antibodies from all the other corona viruses, seems like a fine line.