***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.”

[stevieray]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

People with diabetes such as myself can't infect 10 other people with diabetes. If tomorrow they offered a 1-2 shot dose to stop diabetes or stop people from smoking the lines for it would be 100 miles long.

I'm addressing assuming/accepting risks from personal choices.

[suzzer99]

Risk of hurting someone else doesn't enter into that equation for you?

[O.city]

Virginia is tracking breakthough cases, hospitalizations and deaths. Their weekly report includes data up to July 18 (last Sunday). If you just look at the data from June 1 to July 18 - including all the time Delta was here - there are still very few breakthrough cases. pic.twitter.com/Y3FNcIoCqz

— Aaron Astor (@AstorAaron) July 23, 2021

Looks like vaccines holding up well against Delta in Virginia.

[suzzer99]

Originally Posted by Fish

Oops. I didn't realize the poor guy died..

https://twitter.com/stephenharmon

Looking at this timeline he seemed like a decent guy too. 100% of my anger is at the people out there spreading anti-vaxx nonsense for profit and power - half of them probably vaxxed in secret to boot.

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

Risk of hurting someone else doesn't enter into that equation for you?

Odd how 100 years elapsed before the concept that another person's health became paramount concern to the average individual.

[stevieray]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

Risk of hurting someone else doesn't enter into that equation for you?

Every time you've run a red light.

[TwistedChief]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

Odd how 100 years elapsed before the concept that another person's health became paramount concern to the average individual.

That's not really accurate. Several vaccines have been mandatory for children to attend schools, so the health of others as it relates to infectious diseases has been a paramount concern for some time.

People just weren't snowflakes about it while hiding under the my-body-my-choice veil.

[MahomesMagic]

Originally Posted by O.city

Virginia is tracking breakthough cases, hospitalizations and deaths. Their weekly report includes data up to July 18 (last Sunday). If you just look at the data from June 1 to July 18 - including all the time Delta was here - there are still very few breakthrough cases. pic.twitter.com/Y3FNcIoCqz

— Aaron Astor (@AstorAaron) July 23, 2021

Looks like vaccines holding up well against Delta in Virginia.

Didn't the CDC say that a breakthrough case in the vaccinated is only a hospitalization or death? So what is the point of showing a "cases" stat if they are counted differently?

[O.city]

Virginia apparently is tracking them

So that’s good news on the vaccine front

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

Risk of hurting someone else doesn't enter into that equation for you?

Ive reached the point where I just let the unvaccinated assume the risk. I'm vaccinated and mostly carefree. What I don't like is that this is going to slow normalcy. Hospitals are overwhelmed at a time when health care workers are burnt out. And supply chains are an absolute mess with threats of continued disruptions - you can't afford to just pluck sick workers off the line for a few weeks.

And I'd really prefer an nfl season where we don't have to deal with games and seasons be influenced by cases. That could all go away just by teams and the league hitting Vax thresholds.

[MahomesMagic]

Originally Posted by O.city

Virginia apparently is tracking them

So that’s good news on the vaccine front

But if their definition is the same as the CDC they actually aren't.

We also know front-end testing and rules differ now for detection.

Until we get that all sorted out I will be skeptical of any % cases data in the US.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by MahomesMagic

But if their definition is the same as the CDC they actually aren't.

We also know front-end testing and rules differ now for detection.

Until we get that all sorted out I will be skeptical of any % cases data in the US.

I believe it’s symptomatic true breakthrough so I’m not sure why you would be skeptical

[MahomesMagic]

Originally Posted by O.city

I believe it’s symptomatic true breakthrough so I’m not sure why you would be skeptical

So let's say you have a large concert that wants everyone to show a vaccine card or a negative test.

Who do you think is getting a testing increase?!

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by TwistedChief

That's not really accurate. Several vaccines have been mandatory for children to attend schools, so the health of others as it relates to infectious diseases has been a paramount concern for some time.

People just weren't snowflakes about it while hiding under the my-body-my-choice veil.

I also don't think people fully appreciate how many things "the government" does to keep people safe without anyone really noticing. I attended a traffic safety conference a few years ago for work, and it was kind of eye opening all of the things that people were working on, and all the things they could point to from the past:

-Seat belt laws
-Car seat design, safety recommendations and laws
-Speed limit and traffic light optimization
-Signage improvements and standardization
-Rumble strips on the sides of highways to alert people who are drifting off
-New types of intersection designs (e.g., roundabouts, diverging diamonds)
-(probably hundreds more)

Most of those have been largely invisible to the public (except maybe seat belt laws), but they've collectively dropped traffic fatality rates from ~25 per 100k per year in the 70s to ~10 today.

There are just as many advances in medicine over the years as well, but I haven't attended any conferences that summarize it. The part that's just so hard to understand is that most people will willingly take whatever drug their doctor prescribes with very little thought about it, but when one of them is called a "vaccine" everyone freaks out. It's bizarre.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by MahomesMagic

So let's say you have a large concert that wants everyone to show a vaccine card or a negative test.

Who do you think is getting a testing increase?!

What does that have to do with anything we’re talking about?