***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.”

[Fish]

Originally Posted by Mecca

The same people who are using these lines, are the people who gave exactly 2 shits about any of those issues until it affected their ability to profit off those people.

"Listen folks, we realize there's a record breaking blizzard happening out there, with ice covered roads, and near zero visibility. But we also know how Frank likes his Keystone Ice. So get out there and drive around."

We're in this together,

AAA Collision Center

[Donger]

FWIW:

If the United States had implemented social distancing policies just a week sooner, it could have prevented more than half the number of coronavirus deaths and infections, according to new research from Columbia University.

And if the country had locked down two weeks earlier than it did, it could have prevented 84% of deaths and 82% of cases, said the the research team, led by epidemiologist Jeffrey Shaman.

“Our findings underscore the importance of early intervention and aggressive response in controlling the Covid-19 pandemic,” the researchers wrote in the report, published online in the pre-print server MedRxiv.

Their findings have not been reviewed by other experts for accuracy.

The US timeline: The first US case was reported at the end of January. It wasn’t until mid-March that the Trump administration urged Americans to avoid groups and limit travel. That’s also when cities like New York started to close schools.

The study used epidemiologic modeling to gauge transmission rates from March 15 to May 3 and determine the impact social distancing could have.

The first days were crucial. “During the initial growth of a pandemic, infections increase exponentially. As a consequence, early intervention and fast response are critical,” the researchers wrote.

But they admitted it’s also true that they could not account for how people would have responded to earlier policies.

“Public compliance with social distancing rules may also lag due to sub-optimal awareness of infection risk,” they said.

All 50 states are now in some stage of reopening. If local leaders detect a growth in new cases, they should respond quickly, the Columbia team said -- a longer response time results in a stronger rebound of infections and death.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

The same people ball washing "medical experts" now shit on a group of 600 doctors.

I figured that was coming in this thread. It's become group think for a bunch of leftys.

I don't think hand dominance has anything to do with it.

[Fish]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

The same people ball washing "medical experts" now shit on a group of 600 doctors.

I figured that was coming in this thread. It's become group think for a bunch of leftys.

Why do you prefer the advice of 600 doctors over the advice of millions of doctors, epidemiologists, health groups, and health organizations around the world all recommending the opposite?

You prefer the small minority against the overwhelming consensus, because it confirms your bias. No other reason.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

The same people ball washing "medical experts" now shit on a group of 600 doctors.

I figured that was coming in this thread. It's become group think for a bunch of leftys.

Go play around with the covid 19 simulator and get back to me.....it takes about 3 minutes to realize if this was handled the way you want it handled by August 31 our death number will be over a million, how about that?

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by Fish

Why do you prefer the advice of 600 doctors over the advice of millions of doctors, epidemiologists, health groups, and health organizations around the world all recommending the opposite?

You prefer the small minority against the overwhelming consensus, because it confirms your bias. No other reason.

You must be talking to different people than me. When Buchanan County was the "Hot Spot" in the country several ER medical professionals from the hospital told me if this is it a hot spot right now we really over reacted to this thing.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

You must be talking to different people than me. When Buchanan County was the "Hot Spot" in the country several ER medical professionals from the hospital told me if this is it a hot spot right now we really over reacted to this thing.

Not everyone lives in BFE bro.

[Fish]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

You must be talking to different people than me. When Buchanan County was the "Hot Spot" in the country several ER medical professionals from the hospital told me if this is it a hot spot right now we really over reacted to this thing.

Sure they did. And you'd prefer to believe that offhand anecdote over the abundance of data from around the world which shows the opposite. Confirmation bias.

[BWillie]

Brazil wallowing around with us now. Same amount of new cases.

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by Fish

Why do you prefer the advice of 600 doctors over the advice of millions of doctors, epidemiologists, health groups, and health organizations around the world all recommending the opposite?

You prefer the small minority against the overwhelming consensus, because it confirms your bias. No other reason.

Yes. Hesrightyouknow.meme

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by BWillie

Brazil wallowing around with us now. Same amount of new cases.

Unironically Brazil has a president that buried his head in the sand when this started and has already been through 2 health officials because they won't just say what he tells them too...

They actually have the potential to have it be totally devastating there because of ignorance.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by Fish

Sure they did. And you'd prefer to believe that offhand anecdote over the abundance of data from around the world which shows the opposite. Confirmation bias.

Sure thing, bro. Everything is opening back up and life is moving on so we will see what happens. I haven't changed shit but if you want to hide in the closet that's your freedom to do.

[ChiliConCarnage]

Govt gave 1.2 billion to AstraZeneca's work with Oxford.

[WhawhaWhat]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

Did you read the link?

I did and after reading the first few paragraphs I wanted to know the source for this information which they did disclose:

To gather signatures for the letter, Gold and Barke partnered with the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), a doctors' group that advocates for less government interference in the relationship between doctors and patients, and notably has taken part in legal challenges against the Affordable Care Act and advocated to allow doctors to use hydroxychloroquine on themselves and their patients.

Seems curious. Probably need to get some additional info on this Association of American Physicians and Surgeons.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Associ...s_and_Surgeons

The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) is a conservative non-profit association founded in 1943. The group was reported to have about 5,000 members in 2014. The association advocates a range of scientifically discredited hypotheses, including the belief that HIV does not cause AIDS, that being gay reduces life expectancy, that there is a link between abortion and breast cancer, and that there is a causal relationship between vaccines and autism. It is opposed to the Affordable Care Act and other forms of universal health insurance.

As I suspected.. wrong forum.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Fish

Those are important issues, but they've all existed from the beginning of time, and are not directly caused by social distancing. That's some really weak reasoning to the point of being irrelevant. Yes, those issues could possibly be exacerbated by the shutdown. But that doesn't justify throwing out the idea of social distancing and eliminating mass gatherings when those things are proven to save lives. Those doctors should work on those individual problems directly. Because their argument sucks.

Do what? Did you read the entire article? It was not exclusively social distancing. And those issues ARE exacerbated by the shut down so I don't know where you get the "could be" shit?

I'd say they put forth a much more coherent argument than you just did, that's for sure.