***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.”

[dirk digler]

https://www.thurrott.com/apple/23455...t-tracing-tech

Apple and Google are today announcing a major partnership. Two of the world’s largest tech companies are joining forces to build a new contact tracing technology for the COVID-19 outbreak.

Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced the partnership today. The aim of the partnership is to build a new contact tracing tech that will make use of Bluetooth to help reduce the spread of the virus, with privacy and security in mind.

The companies will be working on a “comprehensive” solution that will include APIs and OS-level integration that will enable contact tracing via Bluetooth. The solution will be rolled out in two different phases.

In May, Apple and Google will release APIs to enable interoperability between Android and iOS devices. The APIs, which can be used by public health authority apps, will allow devices to broadcast anonymous identifiers to devices that a person meets. This way, if a user tests positive for COVID-19 on an app from a public health authority, the people that they meet will be notified via these new APIs used by the apps.

Later in the year, Apple and Google will enable much deeper, OS-level integration. The companies plan on building a Bluetooth Low Energy-based contract tracing platform to their own operating systems. “This is a more robust solution than an API and would allow more individuals to participate, if they choose to opt in, as well as enable interaction with a broader ecosystem of apps and government health authorities,” the companies said in a joint press statement.

The following two images explain how the technology would work:

[Donger]

Sorry, but **** that with a rusty chainsaw.

[Titty Meat]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

I may or may not have a information connection for Research. What do you want to know?

Same thing I asked my friend at Truman.

Have they had anyone die? How many hospitalizations? How is the equipment supply?

Friend at Truman said they didnt have anyone die, not very many hospitalizations either. They sent anyone home who had mild cases. Was also told they are doing great in terms of equipment needed.

[wazu]

Originally Posted by Donger

Sorry, but **** that with a rusty chainsaw.

You sound like a reckless person who wants to endanger the lives of healthcare workers.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by Donger

It's a respiratory virus, not anus/anal.

No wonder he's scared, he thinks he's gonna get ass ****ed.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by wazu

You sound like a reckless person who wants to endanger the lives of healthcare workers.

As I've said before, the idea of any tech being used to trace who has the virus and where they've been like China was using is going to spark huge backlash...

[stevieray]

Originally Posted by Donger

Sorry, but **** that with a rusty chainsaw.

Everyone MUST carry a cell phone on them at all times?

I agree...dipped in antifreeze.

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by Mecca

No wonder he's scared, he thinks he's gonna get ass ****ed.

via GIPHY

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Donger

Sorry, but **** that with a rusty chainsaw.

Originally Posted by Mecca

As I've said before, the idea of any tech being used to trace who has the virus and where they've been like China was using is going to spark huge backlash...

Originally Posted by stevieray

Everyone MUST carry a cell phone on them at all times?

I agree...dipped in antifreeze.

Yeah **** that shit. This ain't China. The government tracking our movements. How could such a bad idea come out of the smart people at Google and Apple?

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by Titty Meat

Same thing I asked my friend at Truman.

Have they had anyone die? How many hospitalizations? How is the equipment supply?

Friend at Truman said they didnt have anyone die, not very many hospitalizations either. They sent anyone home who had mild cases. Was also told they are doing great in terms of equipment needed.

Yes several including some young people

Don't know but ICU is pretty full.

PPE is rationed to one a day


Description from yesterday was "haven't hit the fan yet but it is getting worse".


Oh and if you go on vent you are going to die. Haven't had one person yet get off vent

[mlyonsd]

Task force briefing starting early today because of the holiday.

It's on now.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

Yes several including some young people

Don't know but ICU is pretty full.

PPE is rationed to one a day


Description from yesterday was "haven't hit the fan yet but it is getting worse".


Oh and if you go on vent you are going to die. Haven't had one person yet get off vent

How young is "young"?

And that's terrifying hearing about the ventilator thing.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

https://www.thurrott.com/apple/23455...t-tracing-tech

Apple and Google are today announcing a major partnership. Two of the world’s largest tech companies are joining forces to build a new contact tracing technology for the COVID-19 outbreak.

Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced the partnership today. The aim of the partnership is to build a new contact tracing tech that will make use of Bluetooth to help reduce the spread of the virus, with privacy and security in mind.

The companies will be working on a “comprehensive” solution that will include APIs and OS-level integration that will enable contact tracing via Bluetooth. The solution will be rolled out in two different phases.

In May, Apple and Google will release APIs to enable interoperability between Android and iOS devices. The APIs, which can be used by public health authority apps, will allow devices to broadcast anonymous identifiers to devices that a person meets. This way, if a user tests positive for COVID-19 on an app from a public health authority, the people that they meet will be notified via these new APIs used by the apps.

Later in the year, Apple and Google will enable much deeper, OS-level integration. The companies plan on building a Bluetooth Low Energy-based contract tracing platform to their own operating systems. “This is a more robust solution than an API and would allow more individuals to participate, if they choose to opt in, as well as enable interaction with a broader ecosystem of apps and government health authorities,” the companies said in a joint press statement.

The following two images explain how the technology would work:

I have a friend who's hooked into South Korea and I just talked to him yesterday. He said they're doing that there, or at least a variation of it that shows the places that COVID people visited in the previous days. He thought the three things that helped Korea were this system, a culture of masks, and high obedience to governmental decrees.

I didn't really understand the value of this, though. If the virus is widespread, then hits are going to show up everywhere. The only advantage I saw was that it might freak people out so much that they'll all stay home.

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by Donger

Sorry, but **** that with a rusty chainsaw.

[limested]

Originally Posted by Donger

Sorry, but **** that with a rusty chainsaw.