***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]

Kansas will require face masks in public beginning Friday

TOPEKA, Kan. (KAKE) - Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly says masks will be required in public statewide to help slow the spread of COVID-19.

The governor made the announcement during her Monday update from Topeka. The new mandate begins at 12:01 a.m. Friday.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by petegz28

I am just going by what seems to be the pattern. This late in the day usually shows the bulk of everything. We will see numbers go up from here bu I don't think it will be drastic in any way.

It looks like deaths are actually going to come in quite a bit lower than last Monday unless there is a big dump by one of the states.

[BigCatDaddy]

Deaths plummet and mask requirements increase. Odd. I have never been so happy to live where I do. Moving to KS or near KC will never happen after the way they handled this.

[007]

Originally Posted by Fish

Kansas will require face masks in public beginning Friday

TOPEKA, Kan. (KAKE) - Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly says masks will be required in public statewide to help slow the spread of COVID-19.

The governor made the announcement during her Monday update from Topeka. The new mandate begins at 12:01 a.m. Friday.

Love how there is nothing indicating how long this order is in place.

[Pants]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

Deaths plummet and mask requirements increase. Odd. I have never been so happy to live where I do. Moving to KS or near KC will never happen after the way they handled this.

Cases on 6/19: 12,401
Cases on 6/29: 14,398

Odd that the governor is responding to confirmed cases growing by 2,000 in 10 days.

[vailpass]

Has challenge testing the various vaccines in development been discussed here yet? It seems like an option that should really be considered. You take a group of volunteers, administer vaccine and placebo within the group, then subject them all to the virus and observe. It accelerates the testing process exponentially and is ethical when conducted correctly.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by Pants

Cases on 6/19: 12,401
Cases on 6/29: 14,398

Odd that the governor is responding to confirmed cases growing by 2,000 in 10 days.

Are they even at a death a day for the month?

[Pants]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

Are they even at a death a day for the month?

I'm 99% sure the answer to that is yes. I am not sure how that's relevant, though.

Are you saying the CFR of the virus is now magically 0%? Are you a proponent of letting this thing go unchecked?

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by vailpass

Has challenge testing the various vaccines in development been discussed here yet? It seems like an option that should really be considered. You take a group of volunteers, administer vaccine and placebo within the group, then subject them all to the virus and observe. It accelerates the testing process exponentially and is ethical when conducted correctly.

It seems iffy since someone could theoretically die from it, but hell, I'd volunteer.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Pants

I'm 99% sure the answer to that is yes. I am not sure how that's relevant, though.

Are you saying the CFR of the virus is now magically 0%? Are you a proponent of letting this thing go unchecked?

The answer to your question is yes. He definitely is.

[Pants]

Originally Posted by DaFace

The answer to your question is yes. He definitely is.

Do you know his reasoning? Seems like a bizarre and potentially very dangerous approach.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Pants

Cases on 6/19: 12,401
Cases on 6/29: 14,398

Odd that the governor is responding to confirmed cases growing by 2,000 in 10 days.

Yeah, there really hasn't been any surge in the KC area to call for any of this shit to be honest.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by Pants

I'm 99% sure the answer to that is yes. I am not sure how that's relevant, though.

Are you saying the CFR of the virus is now magically 0%? Are you a proponent of letting this thing go unchecked?

Yeah..looks a like a bit over 40 for the month. A little over 1 a day with a median age of 79.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by DaFace

The answer to your question is yes. He definitely is.

I would do more to protect the nursing homes. Other than that at this point game on.

[cdcox]

Originally Posted by DaFace

It seems iffy since someone could theoretically die from it, but hell, I'd volunteer.

I saw a couple months ago that there were plenty of volunteers for challenge testing.