***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.”

[jdubya]

In my county of 1.1 million people in the east SF bay area, with theaters, barbers, salons and gyms open.....we have a whopping 27 people in the hospital with covid.

(somewhere Donger screams)

[O.city]

Originally Posted by Pants

I saw an article that both KS and MO are now experiencing uncontrolled spread.

Originally Posted by TLO

Things I'd say to the author of that article

1. Welcome to the last 2 months or so
2. See point 1

Yeah, rural MO is getting rocked at the moment.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by O.city

Hospitals are pretty much full here now. They’re transferring covid patients out because they don’t have beds

Friend of mine who works in hospital management here said they are tight because they are back to handling all the usual stuff which is pretty high volume usually on top of the covid cases.

People forget most hospitals are back to handling normal patient things unlike in the spring and early summer.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

Friend of mine who works in hospital management here said they are tight because they are back to handling all the usual stuff which is pretty high volume usually on top of the covid cases.

People forget most hospitals are back to handling normal patient things unlike in the spring and early summer.

And didn't a lot of hospitals let a lot of the staff go this summer?

[Donger]

Originally Posted by O.city

Yeah, rural MO is getting rocked at the moment.

What's your take on the cause? What's driving it?

[O.city]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

Friend of mine who works in hospital management here said they are tight because they are back to handling all the usual stuff which is pretty high volume usually on top of the covid cases.

People forget most hospitals are back to handling normal patient things unlike in the spring and early summer.

The problem is you have to have the covid stuff in completely separate areas. Basically they have a covid wing all to itself. Takes up alot of space and manpower.

There wasn't a covid surge here in the spring and early summer so hospitals were pretty much dead. Not the case now.

It's a warzone here in both hospitals at the moment.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by Donger

What's your take on the cause? What's driving it?

There's alot of "it won't effect us, it won't get here" until it does. So I would guess thats why.

They had a couple large gatherings in my hometown about a month ago and last I heard one of them was up to 27 cases from that alone.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by O.city

There's alot of "it won't effect us, it won't get here" until it does. So I would guess thats why.

They had a couple large gatherings in my hometown about a month ago and last I heard one of them was up to 27 cases from that alone.

What's the masking situation like?

[O.city]

Originally Posted by Donger

What's the masking situation like?

Pretty nonexistent before, but now that it's being hit hard they're wearing them I hear. Not sure though.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by Donger

What's the masking situation like?

We are under a "mask mandate". I went into the gas station this morning and saw 1 out of about 10 wearing one.


Don't shoot the messenger but I think most feel that have sacrificed enough of their time to the cause and are moving on as if things are back to normal. Being basically the last place to get hit hard in the country has it's pluses (better treatments/understanding) and minuses (tired of the shit that didn't effect us much until recently).

[Donger]

Originally Posted by O.city

Pretty nonexistent before, but now that it's being hit hard they're wearing them I hear. Not sure though.

Hope it helps.

[O.city]

Apathy was always gonna be an issue. People are just worn out over it and that's when it can get really bad. Hopefully things improve. We shall see.

Europe is having a hard time again, so I'm guessing we're in for it as well.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by O.city

The problem is you have to have the covid stuff in completely separate areas. Basically they have a covid wing all to itself. Takes up alot of space and manpower.

There wasn't a covid surge here in the spring and early summer so hospitals were pretty much dead. Not the case now.

It's a warzone here in both hospitals at the moment.

Yea I get it but the point is the hospitals are not full simply "because of Covid". They are full because at some point in time you have to start treating and dealing with the other health issues, and then there is Covid taking up needed space in ICU and other areas.

From what I understand the hospitals would already be back logged with regular cases without Covid. This is something people warned about early on.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

Yea I get it but the point is the hospitals are not full simply "because of Covid". They are full because at some point in time you have to start treating and dealing with the other health issues, and then there is Covid taking up needed space in ICU and other areas.

From what I understand the hospitals would already be back logged with regular cases without Covid. This is something people warned about early on.

Sure, you still have heart attacks and broken arms during a pandemic.

They're absolutely full because of Covid. There are 155 Covid patients in the hospitals here. They require alot of staff and PPE which stretches the hospital thing.

I don't understand trying to downplay the situation. It's not at a breaking point, but it's not something to hand wave.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by O.city

Sure, you still have heart attacks and broken arms during a pandemic.

They're absolutely full because of Covid. There are 155 Covid patients in the hospitals here. They require alot of staff and PPE which stretches the hospital thing.

I don't understand trying to downplay the situation. It's not at a breaking point, but it's not something to hand wave.

155 patients out of how many beds in Springfield?