***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.”

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by Pickle Rick

Were you diagnosed with Covid-19?

Was tested on Day 3 of symptoms, test came back negative. Doc is convinced it was a false negative, as is a friend who works for Johns Hopkins.

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by ghak99

Of course. There were at least a dozen assumed that lead up to the one positive in my county. None of them were tested and I really have no idea how the one positive got tested because they never got to a level of serious symptoms.

As a response to the positive test they opened a drive through test with what appeared to have fairly low requirements to meet the testing threshold. Meanwhile they had ~10 people held in hospital who were assumed. Eventually, everyone who was held got tested and now all have been retested. Whatever the hell it is, it apparently isn't the Kung Flu or the tests completely suck donkey balls. All of the above has the community divided between being scared sheep and those ready to move on.

I'm in the camp of "roll out the damn serology tests already". I'd like to know if it is what put me on the floor a few weeks back.

My doc here in STL is part of a group that meets daily to discuss what's going on, he mentioned that they all suspect the tests being given in Missouri are faulty.

FWIW.

[ghak99]

Originally Posted by BryanBusby

Yeah but the value of my stonks have gone down so health be damned. Die for my portfolio please.

Birth year matters.

I know several people in their 50s who want us to go back to work asap. They feel like their retirement depends on it and without that cushion their glory years will suck ass after suffering through decades of life trying to save every penny for them.

I'm younger than they are and will probably be much better off with regards to retirement fund because of this crash, even though I'm currently bleeding out in the short term view of the real world right now.

It's not hard to see why certain people feel the way they do.

[OnTheWarpath15]

Hamas, or someone much smarter than me...

I'm trying to figure out how to word this, as this might be a really stupid question.

I tested negative back in March. If I were to do the antibody test, and it came back that I had developed antibodies and could donate plasma - that would mean I did have COVID, correct?

[O.city]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath15

Hamas, or someone much smarter than me...

I'm trying to figure out how to word this, as this might be a really stupid question.

I tested negative back in March. If I were to do the antibody test, and it came back that I had developed antibodies and could donate plasma - that would mean I did have COVID, correct?

If you have antibodies that are specific to the Rona then yeah.

I believe it’s IgG or IgM but don’t really remember which

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by stevieray

I disagree.

And people pretending this is somehow worse than other calamities are fear mongers.

I get that it's scary, and I think the breathing factor plays big part of that.

But more people are dealing with and dying of worse things every single day, I'm not saying that to downplay the severity, rather to help keep things in perspective.

I watched a good friend who was a complete bad ass wither away in a few weeks. Couldn't keep food down, even struggled with drinking water. Hadn't eaten in two weeks when I saw him. Constant pain from sternum to liver. ZERO energy level .Said a hiccup felt like a firecracker going off. A cough? A grenade. He died 10 days later, two days before my birthday.

It all sucks big time, but life HAS to move forward.

I get what you're saying, but in terms of the fear that's out there, all of the other ways someone might die on any given day hasn't shut down the world before and in general all of those other things are well known.

Everyone knows they could die in a car accident every time they get into a car, but most people are either too young/dumb to care or old enough and have survived long enough to understand the risk is relatively low.

This shit has shut down everything in a matter of 4 weeks and already I would venture to guess a whole helluva lot of people out there know someone who's at least presented with all of the right symptoms and can say it wasn't just the normal flu..... the actual risk may still be relatively low, but it's also a very new and unknown risk.

That said, I do agree in that I don't think there will be lasting fear, for that very reason.... time will go on and if the risk is actually relatively low, people will see that, and it'll also become a known risk like other things.


Condolences.

[stumppy]

Originally Posted by O.city

If you have antibodies that are specific to the Rona then yeah.

I believe it’s IgG or IgM but don’t really remember which

Hey....he asked for someone SMARTER than him!

[Titty Meat]

WTF:

https://www.kcur.org/post/kansas-cit...tails#stream/0

[O.city]

Originally Posted by stumppy

Hey....he asked for someone SMARTER than him!

via GIPHY

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath15

My doc here in STL is part of a group that meets daily to discuss what's going on, he mentioned that they all suspect the tests being given in Missouri are faulty.

FWIW.

I am very glad you are getting better. I have relayed this story before but there was a local nurse here that had direct contact with our counties first confirmed COVID19 case and developed severe symptoms a week later and had to be hospitalized up in KC. She has had 3 tests so far and all negative.

Either the tests are shit or the person doing the tests aren't doing it right. my guess is the CDC tests aren't accurate.

[O.city]

PCR tests aren't exactly the greatest way to test. It is what it is.

I've read some studies that they aren't thinking the false negative rate is 35%. Pair that with the fact that there's some thought that we have only tested 1% of the infections here and it's kinda crazy to think about.

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by stumppy

Hey....he asked for someone SMARTER than him!

He makes a good point, O.

I mean, I never would have put a bottle of Pappy's on the line in a death pool.

[Titty Meat]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

I am very glad you are getting better. I have relayed this story before but there was a local nurse here that had direct contact with our counties first confirmed COVID19 case and developed severe symptoms a week later and had to be hospitalized up in KC. She has had 3 tests so far and all negative.

Either the tests are shit or the person doing the tests aren't doing it right. my guess is the CDC tests aren't accurate.

Let me guess the testing kits were made in China lol

[O.city]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath15

He makes a good point, O.

I mean, I never would have put a bottle of Pappy's on the line in a death pool.

I regret nothing.



I'm a fan of Pappy's but not a huge one. Plus you could use it more than me at this point

[ghak99]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath15

My doc here in STL is part of a group that meets daily to discuss what's going on, he mentioned that they all suspect the tests being given in Missouri are faulty.

FWIW.

I joked with an administrator in the local hospital and asked if the test kits at the lab came out of some mud hut in China. He didn't think it was funny, at all. He really needs some sports in his life before he goes insane, but his reaction could easily have been taken as a tell.