***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.”

[penguinz]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

I agree. A balanced plan factoring in everything including both health care and economics should have been in place. Hopefully we are better prepared if and when it happens again.

Unfortunately with the leadership in place, ALL parties, I do not seeing this happening.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by penguinz

Unfortunately with the leadership in place, ALL parties, I do not seeing this happening.

* Looks over to China and bushmeat consumption *

[O.city]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

That's probably years away. You are chasing unicorns there my man.

A vaccine probably is. Not knowledge and therapeutics of the virus and how to treat it

That’s what this was always about. Buy the medical community time to figure out what it is and how to treat it

[penguinz]

Originally Posted by POND_OF_RED

So are we still considering this a novel virus if we have a team of experts working on all these charts and stuff? I’m assuming with how much people are praising Fauci and his knowledge of the virus that it’s not considered novel anymore. Is that correct or is it just a huge contradiction to the English language?

A novel virus is one that has never been seen in humans before. Has nothing to do with how much knowledge there is about the virus, it will always be novel. Now if this strain mutates into a new virus it won't be novel as its origin in humans was already known.

[O.city]

There’s some recent papers written that are starting to show some interesting stuff

Maybe this is more of a blood issue than a true respiratory one.

[RunKC]

Originally Posted by O.city

Even if you try to open it back up, if you can’t make people feel safe and that they aren’t at risk of infection it won’t really matter

We are in a tough spot until vaccine is released. Not sure what else we can do

[Monticore]

Is it more likely this becomes seasonal the longer it progresses, if so stopping now would make it even more important.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by penguinz

Unfortunately with the leadership in place, ALL parties, I do not seeing this happening.

It was a huge failure worldwide but I agree.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by RunKC

We are in a tough spot until vaccine is released. Not sure what else we can do

We’ll need a vaccine

But we can mitigate it until then. We’re smart enough

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by O.city

A vaccine probably is. Not knowledge and therapeutics of the virus and how to treat it

That’s what this was always about. Buy the medical community time to figure out what it is and how to treat it

It doesn't matter. People will still have irrational fears for quite awhile.

[O.city]

There’s got to be some type of innate immunity or something that’s throwing all the models off. They’re modeling it like it’s a novel virus and no one has any protection, which makes sense

But we just don’t know enough about it

[O.city]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

It doesn't matter. People will still have irrational fears for quite awhile.

Well when it effects those older and with underlying conditions like it does added to the fact that a whole shit ton of people in our country have underlying conditions (seriously it’s astonishing) they probably should be scared

It’s a shitty situation all around

[TLO]

Originally Posted by O.city

There’s some recent papers written that are starting to show some interesting stuff

Maybe this is more of a blood issue than a true respiratory one.

How so?

[O.city]

But if you can have an antiviral or an antibody treatment for it that can keep people from drowning in their own body fluids, people will feel more comfortable getting out there

[O.city]

Originally Posted by TLO

How so?

Well, there’s some scant evidence that it’s attacking Heme molecules in blood ( I’m admittedly out over my skis here in reading some of these papers, they’re unreal and I’m just a damn dentist). So if I’m reading it right there is some thought that it actually inhibits our ability to load oxygen into our blood, not necessarily our ability to inhale oxygen

Again grain of salt