***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]

My oldest son had the rona just before Christmas and has been asymptomatic since the end of December. Has it been established as of yet that those who have had it can get it again and be asymptomatic and contagious again?

[Chief Pagan]

Before the virus mutated much, I think second reinfections were really rare. But it sounds like there is growing evidence that the new mutations might be able to infect people that already had the original virus. I did a quick search but couldn't find the link I was looking for.

The vaccines seem to work against the mutated virus, but not as effectively.

[TLO]

15 inpatients today. Lowest number since July.

[MahomesMagic]

I sense a pattern emerging.https://t.co/UBKWYoOMHi

— Aaron Ginn (@aginnt) February 9, 2021

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by TLO

15 inpatients today. Lowest number since July.

See? it took 5 months but the mask mandate finally worked

[BigCatDaddy]

So 27 million confirmed cases and the CDC estimated 8 times that many have been infected so about 225 million people have had Covid in the US or about 75% of the population. I guess that's why the numbers are going down or am I missing something?

[Chief Pagan]

The South Africa and Brazil variants, which are the most concerning for immunity, share several mutations, including a key one called E484K. These mutations change the shape of the virus’s spike protein, making it less recognizable to the immune system. In South Africa, the variant is reinfecting some people who had COVID-19 before. On Sunday, the country even paused its rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine after data came to light suggesting that it does not protect against mild or moderate disease from the new variant. And the Johnson & Johnson and Novavax vaccines, which were trialed in parallel in multiple countries, also seem less effective in South Africa—falling from 72 to 57 percent efficacy and 89 to 49 percent efficacy, respectively. In Brazil, the region around Manaus is experiencing a huge second wave of COVID-19 despite high levels of previous immunity from a first wave last year. The new variant in Brazil may be responsible.

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/a...ccines/617973/

[displacedinMN]

my number came up

Getting a shot Saturday afternoon and second a month from now.
Not sure which version

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[IA_Chiefs_fan]

Originally Posted by displacedinMN

my number came up

Getting a shot Saturday afternoon and second a month from now.
Not sure which version

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sounds like Moderna. Pfizer is three weeks between.

[Indian Chief]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

So 27 million confirmed cases and the CDC estimated 8 times that many have been infected so about 225 million people have had Covid in the US or about 75% of the population. I guess that's why the numbers are going down or am I missing something?

Almost zero chance it's 8x. It's highly probable there have been 2-4x the known cases. Think about it this way, if the true number of cases was 225M, it wouldn't just be moving downward, it would be dropping like a rock.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by Indian Chief

Almost zero chance it's 8x. It's highly probable there have been 2-4x the known cases. Think about it this way, if the true number of cases was 225M, it wouldn't just be moving downward, it would be dropping like a rock.

I'm not sure. It has dropped like a rock in my area. From 90 to 15 hospitalized in a few months during a month you would expect numbers to be high. It sure isn't anything we are doing differently from the past 6 months so has to be something else.

[suzzer99]

Your area might have hit herd immunity when you factor out the people who are basically still isolating and being super safe.

[Chief Pagan]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

Your area might have hit herd immunity when you factor out the people who are basically still isolating and being super safe.

Give them a couple of months. Odds are they are going to find out that herd immunity doesn't protect them from the mutated versions.

Hopefully enough people get the vaccines and the vaccines are effective enough against the variations, but both of those would appear to be in some doubt.

[Kidd Lex]

Originally Posted by Chief Pagan

Give them a couple of months. Odds are they are going to find out that herd immunity doesn't protect them from the mutated versions.

Hopefully enough people get the vaccines and the vaccines are effective enough against the variations, but both of those would appear to be in some doubt.

We are at the beginning of the end. Rest assured.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

Your area might have hit herd immunity when you factor out the people who are basically still isolating and being super safe.

Hope so. We haven't had many vaccinated yet.