***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.”

[PHOG]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Yes.

For the US, if they enforced a Hubei-style lockdown? Two months. But at this point, it's all over the country. The question is how many hot spots there are (NY, Seattle) and how bad they get.

The other thing one must consider is the possibility that China and South Korea are not done. The 1918 flu came back around and was much deadlier the second time. We must also consider the extent to which SARS-CoV-2 becomes as endemic in human population as influenza due to antigenic drift (viral mutation causing a new strain each year).

Thank you for the reply. I try to be an optimist, and I think, without any data to back it up, that all will work out. We are already trying human anti-virus (for lack of a better term),way ahead of schedule, and the toll doesn't seem all that bad so far, relatively speaking. SO FAR.

Could shit hit the fan? Absolutely.

Hoping all works out.

[wazu]

Guys this is starting to sound like a massive, MASSIVE ****-up!!!

[TLO]

Originally Posted by wazu

Guys this is starting to sound like a massive, MASSIVE ****-up!!!

Why is that?

[wazu]

We may have screwed ourselves for no good reason.

[The Franchise]

Oregon schools now closed thru April 28th.

[Megatron96]

Originally Posted by wazu

Guys this is starting to sound like a massive, MASSIVE ****-up!!!

Oh, calm down. Things aren't that bad. They're serious, yes, but not really bad. Things are moving in the right direction; they already have a couple options that seem to be effective in early testing. We're going to be okay.

[suzzer99]

Here's an unexpected side effect of the pandemic - the water's flowing through the canals of Venice is clear for the first time in forever. The fish are visible, the swans returned. pic.twitter.com/2egMGhJs7f

— Kaveri ���� (@ikaveri) March 16, 2020

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by The Franchise

Oregon schools now closed thru April 28th.

I don't get it. Ours got closed until April 5th which I thought was reasonable. Why not close for a couple of weeks and then evaluate?

[Kiimo]

If you're looking for a villain you can start with the medical supply companies that are suing doctors for 3D printing valves for a dollar that they charge $11,000 a piece for.



https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/17/2...ves-treatments

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by wazu

We may have screwed ourselves for no good reason.

Chillax, man

[wazu]

Originally Posted by Megatron96

Oh, calm down. Things aren't that bad. They're serious, yes, but not really bad. Things are moving in the right direction; they already have a couple options that seem to be effective in early testing. We're going to be okay.

Nearly 20% of households in the U.S. have already experienced a layoff or a reduction in work hours because of the coronavirus, according to a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll.https://t.co/8kiY0Ocl3V

— NPR (@NPR) March 18, 2020

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by BWillie

I'm on the fence about proclaiming that. I was hopeful that was the case once we started hearing of cases, because that would mean it isn't as jarring as we thought it might be.

However, now that I've seen what is happening in other countries and it starting to overload their healthcare system it couldn't have been here very long at least in community spread. If it had, our ICU's would have been overloaded already.

If it really did come from the live markets in Wuhan in November. And it wasn't heavily prevalent in Wuhan until December. I don't see how we would expected all of these rumors of community spread in December and January here.

This is becoming a generation changing event for those coming of age right now. They have never known any bad times. They were little kids in the 2008 crash. They are living life large. Partying at bars into the night, hanging out in groups. Filling up the sand on beaches. They have no idea the reality getting ready to smack them in the face.

The economy was on cruise control. Soon to be, in a matter of weeks, the worst since the great depression. Big layoffs are coming in all sectors of the economy. We are going to start seeing people dying in greater numbers in a week and the healthcare system max's out.

Originally Posted by Megatron96

Oh, calm down. Things aren't that bad. They're serious, yes, but not really bad. Things are moving in the right direction; they already have a couple options that seem to be effective in early testing. We're going to be okay.

We are pass the "hope" of avoiding a society changing event. Treasury secretary says 20% unemployment soon.


We need to face facts and meet the challenge. We will eventually be okay. The economy and jobs will come back. Its just going to take awhile.

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by petegz28

I don't get it. Ours got closed until April 5th which I thought was reasonable. Why not close for a couple of weeks and then evaluate?

I don't disagree, but I think some people would like certainty.

[eDave]

Originally Posted by eDave

Agreed. But his point about rent and mortgage (I'll add your car payment, insurance, etc.) being survivalbe is spot on.

I call it survival living and I've been through it a couple of times in my life and lived to tell the tale. I'm fairly well off now.

I just recieved notification that my tags need renewed. If I was living check to check, especiall now, this would be worrisome.

If I were in that situation I'd assess the need. I work from home, when I go out it's to the store (at night), and when I party, I obey all traffic laws. Chances of getting popped for expired tags is nill. Now, I'll pay a penalty, but I'll deal with that later. I got food to buy.

Anyway, don't stress. Manage your way through. There is no debtors prison and great credit is over rated and further releif is sure to come. Taxes delayed 90d for instance.

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

This is becoming a generation changing event for those coming of age right now. They have never known any bad times. They were little kids in the 2008 crash. They are living life large. Partying at bars into the night, hanging out in groups. Filling up the sand on beaches. They have no idea the reality getting ready to smack them in the face.



The economy was on cruise control. Soon to be, in a matter of weeks, the worst since the great depression. Big layoffs are coming in all sectors of the economy. We are going to start seeing people dying in greater numbers in a week and the healthcare system max's out.
We are way pass hope of avoiding a society changing event. Treasury secretary says 20% unemployment soon.

While this is true, the economy was in great shape before this happened. Which I would hope would mean a recovery would be easier. I don't know how to properly say this, but I wouldn't preoccupy myself in a bad economy strictly based on an unavoidable virus. That is just bad luck. If we had a bad economy, down turning even more before this that is scarier to me. Yes there will be hard times for all, but hopefully our previously strong economy will boon even further once we rid this from the world and we can revel and celebrate success together. Maybe it could, gasp, unify us the way 9/11 did. At least temporarily.