***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.”

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by eDave

Arizona:

Cases: The 3-day total just hit a new peak as well as the 7-day avg. This is the 2nd highest number of positive cases added in a single day. We've also broken through the 40K mark in positive cases, (6 days have passed since we crossed the 30K mark).

Testing: PCR testing is up by a couple thousand tests over yesterday again. (Good!) 2nd highest PCR testing number reported ever.

Spread: Overall PCR positive test percentage ticked up again from 8.7% to 8.9% (based on 365K tests, up from a 6.6% low) and the average for this week is 16% (based on 3K cases, I expect this to continue to rise based on previous rate of growth).

Hospital Utilization: COVID Hospitalizations are up by 5% (all time high). ICU beds for COVID patients hit all time high again. (Overal ICU usage shot up from 80 to 83%) Ventilators in use for COVID also hit all time high again. Itubations for COVID patients shot up 25%.

And here I thought the problem would just go away when Ducey fired the scientists in charge of your response in Arizona because they were giving him information he didn't like.

[eDave]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

And here I thought the problem would just go away when Ducey fired the scientists in charge of your response in Arizona because they were giving him information he didn't like.

Eh. We are the ones going out. It's on us.

[Donger]

I wonder if Arizona is going to tighten things back up?

[SupDock]

Originally Posted by Donger

I wonder if Arizona is going to tighten things back up?

There is a petition by healthcare workers to start mandatory masking.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by SupDock

There is a petition by healthcare workers to start mandatory masking.

Pretty political, so read at your own risk/desire:

https://www.azcentral.com/story/opin...ce/3082620001/

https://www.azcentral.com/story/opin...ed/5175510002/

[eDave]

Ducey's got a press conference in 1/2 hour. And has tweeted about masks 5 times within the last 24hrs. And the petition was 1000 medical offices.

Tucson looks to be going there on their own so I suspect Ducey will side-step the mask issue and put in on local authorities.

I have directed our City Attorney to work on amending our local emergency proclamation to require wearing masks in public.

Public health experts agree - the time to #MaskUpTucson is NOW.

— Regina Romero (@TucsonRomero) June 17, 2020

Or he will just stand in front of the currently burning mountains and say "this if fine". Here's a recent tweet from an AZ house republican.

Imagine how depressed the media will be once we move on from the coronavirus.

— Warren Petersen (@votewarren) June 17, 2020

[Deberg_1990]

I thought the heat was supposed to kill this thing off?

[Donger]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

I thought the heat was supposed to kill this thing off?

What is the average temperature of the human body?

[O.city]

https://twitter.com/marcoajelli/stat...389870594?s=21

70 percent a symptomatic?

[Pants]

Originally Posted by eDave

Ducey's got a press conference in 1/2 hour. And has tweeted about masks 5 times within the last 24hrs. And the petition was 1000 medical offices.

Tucson looks to be going there on their own so I suspect Ducey will side-step the mask issue and put in on local authorities.

I have directed our City Attorney to work on amending our local emergency proclamation to require wearing masks in public.

Public health experts agree - the time to #MaskUpTucson is NOW.

— Regina Romero (@TucsonRomero) June 17, 2020

Or he will just stand in front of the currently burning mountains and say "this if fine". Here's a recent tweet from an AZ house republican.

Imagine how depressed the media will be once we move on from the coronavirus.

— Warren Petersen (@votewarren) June 17, 2020

Get pete on the phone with Ducey right now. Do they not know that wearing masks does not work? There are two articles about this. And pete knows a doctor. Jesus.

[SupDock]

Originally Posted by Donger

What is the average temperature of the human body?

Remember when someone linked an article on using heat to kill the virus, but confused Farenheit and Celsius.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by eDave

AZ was one on par with MO before we re-opened. So no.

When did you guys "re-open"?

[eDave]

Originally Posted by TLO

When did you guys "re-open"?

Month ago. Shortly before you see all the AZ graphs turn upwards.

[SupDock]

Originally Posted by eDave

Month ago. Shortly before you see all the AZ graphs turn upwards.

Anecdotally, it seems like people said "**** it" after Memorial Day

[Donger]

Originally Posted by SupDock

Remember when someone linked an article on using heat to kill the virus, but confused Farenheit and Celsius.

Lol, no I don't.