***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.”

[Kidd Lex]

Originally Posted by O.city

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-1046-6

This study found that a small percent of spread is from asymptomatic or presymptomatic people.

If that’s the case it gets easier to control

O.city thank you for always sharing informative news and links and when warranted your opinions. Best value add in this mega-threads existence.

[SupDock]

Originally Posted by dlphg9

Sounds like she was getting screened for MRSA. That's a nares swab and it's a pretty typical pre surgery test.

In my hospital system, all surgical patients are Covid-19 tested

[TLO]

Why is it kept such a closely guarded secret where hospitalizations at our local hospital are from? Trust me I understand HIPPA - but you could at least tell us what county they are from.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by TLO

Why is it kept such a closely guarded secret where hospitalizations at our local hospital are from? Trust me I understand HIPPA - but you could at least tell us what country they are from.

Probably the US

[TLO]

Pence says there will be a vaccine "before the end of this year." Here's what we know

Vice President Mike Pence said this morning that he believes the US will have a coronavirus vaccine before the end of 2020.

"We have many companies — several companies — that are in phase 3 clinical trials for a vaccine that I believe we'll have before the end of this year," he said on CNN this morning.
Pence added: "But we're also not waiting on that. We're actually manufacturing millions of doses of a vaccine so the moment the FDA says it's safe and effective, we'll be able to distribute it to the American people."

Some background: President Trump has suggested that a vaccine for the coronavirus could be ready before Election Day this year. And while It's possible that a vaccine could be approved by the Food and Drug Administration at some point in November, there is obviously no firm timeline or guarantee that one will be.

And even when one is approved, it will likely still be many months before it's widely available across the US. In interviews last month, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infections disease expert, made clear that while a vaccine could be approved by or possibly before November, it would likely not be available widely until "several months" into 2021.

[BigBeauford]

Originally Posted by TLO

Why is it kept such a closely guarded secret where hospitalizations at our local hospital are from? Trust me I understand HIPPA - but you could at least tell us what country they are from.

I am surprised that counties (I assume that's what you meant) isn't accessible in some fashion. There really aren't any patient identifiers attached to that.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

Probably the US

Oooops. Edited.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by BigBeauford

I am surprised that counties (I assume that's what you meant) isn't accessible in some fashion. There really aren't any patient identifiers attached to that.

Exactly.

[O.city]

It’s getting hit hard here. Up to 100 hospitalizations and 22 in icu

[R Clark]

Where is up here? I’ll stay away

[TLO]

Originally Posted by O.city

It’s getting hit hard here. Up to 100 hospitalizations and 22 in icu

We're at 19 today. That's the most we've had in quite some time.

4 in ICU. 1 on a vent.

[O.city]

https://twitter.com/whitneyepi/statu...135677952?s=21

Good breakdown from an epidemiologist on the recent children article

[O.city]

https://twitter.com/michaelmina_lab/...627870720?s=21

Breakdown on how the pcr test is actually too specific for asymptomatic testing and is causing too many unnecessary quarantines

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by O.city

https://twitter.com/michaelmina_lab/...627870720?s=21

Breakdown on how the pcr test is actually too specific for asymptomatic testing and is causing too many unnecessary quarantines

Wasn't this known long before C-19 became a 'thing'?

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by TLO

We're at 19 today. That's the most we've had in quite some time.

4 in ICU. 1 on a vent.

Didn't another assisted living center around the area get hard again?