***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.”

[TinyEvel]

Next case will be in Seattle. Our friend up there, a kid i their high school has it.

[TinyEvel]

Originally Posted by wazu

If the stock market is tanking over this hysteria then now would be a great time to buy.

Yeah the hysteria isn't the death rate its the effect of the fear of the deaths -- the quarantine and stay home rules that will shut down businesses and economies. Travel, hospitality, manufacturing, etc. etc. Could be a ripple effect for a while.

I think the market will stay low as reports of massive increases in cases in the US spook everyone. Wait it out a week or two then get back in. But I know nothing.

[RINGLEADER]

Originally Posted by wazu

Let's assume for a minute that China has vastly under-reported number of infections. Let's assume a million people in china got this. So we're talking about roughly .07% of their population that got this thing. And reports of new cases are slowing down. If the stock market is tanking over this hysteria then now would be a great time to buy.

No one can time the market but I took out a big chunk on the theory that if the market is going to freak out over 500 cases in northern Italy, what is it going to do when there are 500 cases in Manhattan. If the incubation period can be two weeks and you can spread it asymptomatically then this thing is out and its going to be everywhere soon. I doubt the mortality rate is as high as they say given the fact that they don’t have clear numbers on who is infected, but the news and the threat of news is going to keep the markets depressed until something happens to give investors hope that new negative news won’t fall out of the blue. That’s my $.02 and I certainly could be wrong.

[BigRedChief]

The U.S. surgeon general on Saturday urged the public to stop buying masks, warning that it won’t help against the spread of the coronavirus but will take away important resources from health care professionals https://t.co/HqImnlCfSV

— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 29, 2020

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

The U.S. surgeon general on Saturday urged the public to stop buying masks, warning that it won’t help against the spread of the coronavirus but will take away important resources from health care professionals https://t.co/HqImnlCfSV

— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 29, 2020

This is complete bullshit and I don't know why they keep saying this. A SURGICAL mask will not protect you but a N95 mask absolutely will. Its not fail proof but you get ten times the protection you get from a surgical mask against droplets.

[Chief Pagan]

Originally Posted by penguinz

Not true. SARS and MERS were types of coronavirus.

I didn't mean to say that humans had never been infected by a coronavirus. But this strain is new. After you get a particular strain of the flu you will have some immunity to similar strains. So the world could be starting out with zero immunity.

A given strain of the flu won't infect half the population in the course of a year or two. But in a plausible bad case scenario this coronavirus could.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by BWillie

This is complete bullshit and I don't know why they keep saying this. A SURGICAL mask will not protect you but a N95 mask absolutely will. Its not fail proof but you get ten times the protection you get from a surgical mask against droplets.

I presume that he's referring to people buying N95 masks.

[Chief Pagan]

Originally Posted by wazu

Let's assume for a minute that China has vastly under-reported number of infections. Let's assume a million people in china got this. So we're talking about roughly .07% of their population that got this thing. And reports of new cases are slowing down. If the stock market is tanking over this hysteria then now would be a great time to buy.

True. But a lot of people in China got it while the country had draconian quarantine measures in place. If the disease gets a foothold in other countries you either take a huge hit from the quarantine itself. Or you let the disease run rampant and take a hit from that.

SARS and MERS were stamped out between quarantines and not being that infectious. But if a disease is infectious enough you can't get it stamped out everywhere. And modern economies can't permanently close their borders.

If the fatality rate is low enough draconian quarantines might do a lot of damage without doing that much good. It could be letting the disease run its course and caring for the sick is a better approach.

[Fat Elvis]

Originally Posted by Chief Pagan

True. But a lot of people in China got it while the country had draconian quarantine measures in place. If the disease gets a foothold in other countries you either take a huge hit from the quarantine itself. Or you let the disease run rampant and take a hit from that.

SARS and MERS were stamped out between quarantines and not being that infectious. But if a disease is infectious enough you can't get it stamped out everywhere. And modern economies can't permanently close their borders.

If the fatality rate is low enough draconian quarantines might do a lot of damage without doing that much good. It could be letting the disease run its course and caring for the sick is a better approach.

The Chinese government built two hospitals in the span of a few days each...the first hospital was started when the number of infections and deaths were still really pretty low. They also essentially quarantined an entire city of 11 Million people. Chinese officials had some idea what they had on their hands.

[SupDock]

Originally Posted by Fat Elvis

The Chinese government built two hospitals in the span of a few days each...the first hospital was started when the number of infections and deaths were still really pretty low. They also essentially quarantined an entire city of 11 Million people. Chinese officials had some idea what they had on their hands.

I think China deserves a little credit as well. The rest of the world had a little time to think and prepare. China just had to react

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Donger

I presume that he's referring to people buying N95 masks.

I’m assuming that too. Health care professionals know those stupid paper marks are to protect others from you. Which they don’t really but that’s another conversation for another time. They don’t stop anything close to 100%.

Every hospital, health care worker is using the n95 type of mask to limit exposure from patients. If millions rush to CVS/Amazon etc. to get a n95 mask and there are no new supplies getting out of China. That can be a serious problem for health care workers.

[KChiefs1]

Originally Posted by Fat Elvis

The Chinese government built two hospitals in the span of a few days each...the first hospital was started when the number of infections and deaths were still really pretty low. They also essentially quarantined an entire city of 11 Million people. Chinese officials had some idea what they had on their hands.

Can you imagine quarantining NYC?

[Mennonite]

Originally Posted by KChiefs1

Can you imagine quarantining NYC?

I say we give it a shot.

[TribalElder]

first us death happened in seattle
https://www.npr.org/2020/02/29/81072...ronavirus-dies

[Nickhead]

what's a mask gonna do if someone infected sneezes and your eyes aren't covered?