***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.”

[TLO]

Anyone have any thoughts on the Pfizer document drop? I can't even pretend to read into it very well. It's incredibly complex.

[jerryaldini]

So glad to finally move on from this after two years. My county just dropped its mask recommendation. Too bad Putin had to start a dumbass war as soon as we were ready to feel the world was sorta normal again.

[lawrenceRaider]

Originally Posted by TLO

Anyone have any thoughts on the Pfizer document drop? I can't even pretend to read into it very well. It's incredibly complex.

Honestly I don't much care about it. We have real world results after having given billions of shots to billions of people.

There's been a lot of hand waving from the usual anti-vaxx crowd, but even they haven't been able to give any real specifics about it other than it's a lot of pages.

[TLO]

Pfizer asking the FDA for approval for a 4th shot for those 65+

Moderna decides they're just going to ask the FDA for a 4th shot for everyone 18+

[dirk digler]

I honestly haven't been much attention at all to Covid but it sounds like isn't done with us yet. This BA2 variant is wrecking havoc across the world and soon will do it here. PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!

Note for the BA.2 new wave, the countries graphed below all have considerably higher vaxx and booster rates in the US, and particularly for people age 60+ https://t.co/aRRb4Z0nR3

— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) March 17, 2022

[TLO]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

I honestly haven't been much attention at all to Covid but it sounds like isn't done with us yet. This BA2 variant is wrecking havoc across the world and soon will do it here. PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!

Note for the BA.2 new wave, the countries graphed below all have considerably higher vaxx and booster rates in the US, and particularly for people age 60+ https://t.co/aRRb4Z0nR3

— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) March 17, 2022

BA2 isn't all that concerning, in the big picture of things. Yes we're going to start seeing cases rise in the US again though.

I'm more concerned about what variant comes next.

[Sure-Oz]

Man...more boosters ftw

Was hoping we'd have like a shot every year like the flu at this point.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by Sure-Oz

Man...more boosters ftw

Was hoping we'd have like a shot every year like the flu at this point.

I did a little reading today, I've mostly left thinking about covid in the past for now.

A broad recommendation for a 4th shot for all seems very likely to get rejected. Like greater than a 99% chance.

A recommendation for those over 65? More likely. Though the data aren't all that compelling for a 4th shot, IMO.

[loochy]

Hey, remember when COVID was a thing? This thread slipped to page 5 already.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by loochy

Hey, remember when COVID was a thing? This thread slipped to page 5 already.

The current positivity rate in Colorado is around 2-3%, so while there are plenty of people with colds (myself included), there's just not a ton of COVID out there. Hopefully BA.2 stays pretty mellow. Looks like it will so far, but you never know.

[lawrenceRaider]

Originally Posted by DaFace

The current positivity rate in Colorado is around 2-3%, so while there are plenty of people with colds (myself included), there's just not a ton of COVID out there. Hopefully BA.2 stays pretty mellow. Looks like it will so far, but you never know.

Was 1.2% in Wichita last I looked. The county is shutting down the COVID tracker end of this week or next.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by DaFace

The current positivity rate in Colorado is around 2-3%, so while there are plenty of people with colds (myself included), there's just not a ton of COVID out there. Hopefully BA.2 stays pretty mellow. Looks like it will so far, but you never know.

Alaska is the only state with positivity over 5% now. Every state was way over that in January.

[DaFace]

Well, it ain't over I guess. I just tested positive after attending a large (~1k people), in-person event for work on Monday and Tuesday.

So far it just feels like the flu, so hope it stays that way.

[Bwana]

Originally Posted by DaFace

Well, it ain't over I guess. I just tested positive after attending a large (~1k people), in-person event for work on Monday and Tuesday.

So far it just feels like the flu, so hope it stays that way.

At this point, you should be good. The current strains seem to be pretty watered down compared, to the first two. Get well soon bud.

[Chief Pagan]

The impacts are mostly on the vulnerable.

My 80+ year old mom, who has been waiting forever for hip surgery has been told that it will be canceled (again) if she happens to get covid before the scheduled surgery.

She did get a booster about 4 weeks ago with the surgery in mind, so hopefully that is a non issue.