***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.”

[suzzer99]

Originally Posted by O.city

What are the “percentages” of those with underlying conditions?

It’s a bad deal for a lot of people. It’s not hard to take it serious and do things that will help us get thru faster and safer while also allowing businesses and such to move forward.

It's not just death - it's the long-haulers too. It's people who used to run marathons who can't walk up a flight of stairs w/o losing the breath - months after recovery. I know more and more anecdotal stories of this. Way more than kids committing suicide because they can't sit in class.

[jdubya]

Man made virus that is brutal to the elderly and those with comorbidities. Cases will ebb and flow but a vaccine is near. Maybe within 2 months I think.

Carry on

[suzzer99]

It possibly escaped from a lab but there's no evidence it's man made.

[Demonpenz]

I don't know if anyone that knows a guy my age in st joe but he just came out of 5 days with it at mosiac. he is 38?

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

It's not just death - it's the long-haulers too. It's people who used to run marathons who can't walk up a flight of stairs w/o losing the breath - months after recovery. I know more and more anecdotal stories of this. Way more than kids committing suicide because they can't sit in class.

There's also anecdotal stories of people with lung cancer and COPD having it and surviving.

Anecdotes are just that, anecdotes.

There's actual statistical data available that suggest the suicide rate is up anywhere from 20-30% this year over last year.

You don't want people to downplay the seriousness of the virus itself. Don't downplay the seriousness of the fallout of measures taken to reduce its spread either.

It's not either/or.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

If they committed suicide because of one semester of not being able to physically go to school they probably weren't going to do very well in real life.

Many humans around the globe face much much tougher challenges than having to zoom for a year of school. Yet somehow they cope.

The fear of course is the college kids coming back home with it and killing their parents or grandparents.

Originally Posted by suzzer99

Personal bias - you mean like just deciding that the mental health effect somehow trumps the very real observed effect of the virus killing people - because you know it in your bones?

I mean are American kids really that unbalanced that a little bit of temporary hardship and sacrifice sends them into suicide? If so we have much bigger problems than the virus imo.

What a POS you are.

[suzzer99]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

There's also anecdotal stories of people with lung cancer and COPD having it and surviving.

Anecdotes are just that, anecdotes.

There's actual statistical data available that suggest the suicide rate is up anywhere from 20-30% this year over last year.

You don't want people to downplay the seriousness of the virus itself. Don't downplay the seriousness of the fallout of measures taken to reduce its spread either.

It's not either/or.

Now do the suicide rate of teenagers and college kids - which is what I was responding to. Provide a link please.

Or even provide a link that suicide rates are up significantly since Feb. I've been googling a ton and all I find is speculation and stuff about suicidal ideation and how to get help.

This suicide stuff has been a big talking point of the people who claim we can't look at excess deaths as any kind of metric (because of supposed massive amounts of quarantine suicide). I'm not buying it.

[suzzer99]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

Whar a POS you are.

Says the biggest POS who hasn't been kicked out of this thread yet. You've never shown a lick of human empathy for anyone who gets sick from covid. All you do is try to sneak in BS talking points any way you can. You don't give a shit about suicide. Spare me.

[Fish]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

There's also anecdotal stories of people with lung cancer and COPD having it and surviving.

Anecdotes are just that, anecdotes.

There's actual statistical data available that suggest the suicide rate is up anywhere from 20-30% this year over last year.

You don't want people to downplay the seriousness of the virus itself. Don't downplay the seriousness of the fallout of measures taken to reduce its spread either.

It's not either/or.

To be honest though, it's not really unexpected that the suicide rate would go up. Any forced isolation would do so. But that shouldn't really be used as evidence that lockdowns and mitigation are a bad thing. Not that you are doing so, but that's generally the insinuation with that kind of statement. If there were a nuclear detonation in the US, it would also require forced isolation. Which would also increase depression and suicide rates. We are very social creatures. That doesn't mean the danger of radiation isn't legitimate. Just that isolation increases the chances depression/suicide/etc. regardless of cause.

[suzzer99]

I've been googling for a half an hour and I can't find any actual evidence the suicide rate has gone up since March. Maybe it has. But right now it's all just speculation that it could go up - from everything I've found. The most recent hard numbers seem to be from 2018.

Suicide has been going up steadily in the US for the last 20 years. That much isn't speculation.

[Fish]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

I've been googling for a half an hour and I can't find any actual evidence the suicide rate has gone up since March. Maybe it has. But right now it's all just speculation that it could go up - from everything I've found. The most recent hard numbers seem to be from 2018.

Suicide has been going up steadily in the US for the last 20 years. That much isn't speculation.

There's really not any good valid data for 2020 suicides yet. Usually that kind of data lags by a couple years. 2018 data is the best you'll find right now. There's honestly no concrete evidence that the suicide rate has gone up. It's mostly projections using past data, or anecdotal stories of increases in phone calls and such.

Again, there should be an expectation of increase in depression/suicide regardless. Which doesn't by itself mean that lockdowns or mitigation efforts are a bad thing. The key is finding balance between limiting those issues while still making progress on the big issue which in this case is a global pandemic.

[KCUnited]

Depressed, suck it up.

Diabeetus, shut it down.

[O.city]

It’s a ****ed situation. All the way around.

I’ve got more family members who are really struggling with the virus now, couple are younger so hopefully they’ll pull thru it.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by KCUnited

Depressed, suck it up.

Diabeetus, shut it down.

Wear your damn mask kids so my fat ass can eat a box of Twinkies on the daily.

[jdubya]

SF Bay Area has almost 9 million people. I just read there are about 350 people hospitalized in Bay Area hospitals for covid.........