***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.”

[BigCatDaddy]

Parsons thinks MO will be opening up by May.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by Monticore

With how high the hospitalization rate is you would assume numbers would have gone up.

Maybe they did and we just didn't know it? I don't know. They haven't really spiked anywhere else though.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

Parsons thinks MO will be opening up by May.

Maybe the middle of the state....

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by mazrim1978

My heart cath procedure to put in a stent has been canceled twice now due to being classified as elective. My ejection fraction is 30% this is a procedure I need done so I can start to recover from the heart attack I had in January.

Originally Posted by Monticore

My colonoscopy has been cancelled again, which is definitely not as urgent as yours, but I did have large polyps removed 3 years ago so being somewhat at risk for CA I would rather have it done sooner than later.

This is what happens when you become myopic in your approach. Rightly or wrongly.

There comes a point where it's obvious you are trying kill the headache by cutting off the head.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by O.city

Did you see the study I posted this morning from Scotland?

We know there are asymptomatic people out there. We don't necessarily know how many, but things are starting to show quite a few.

My thing is, if this was here in January as they now expect, why didn't it explode earlier?

That's the biggest reason I'm not convinced that the asymptomatic numbers are huge, or at least not huge enough to make that much of a difference. Herd immunity requires like 60-80% of people being immune, and even if you assume there are 10 times as many people immune as our current number of known cases, that's still only around 2% of the U.S. population right now.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Mecca

Maybe the middle of the state....

He can open whatever he wants to open can't he? The KC area has been the least impacted in the state for the large metro areas. The Mayor of KC I do not believe can override the Gov if the Gov says KC is open for business.

[BigCatDaddy]

I guess in May..my bad.

"So I would just say sometime in may, let me just say this, sometime in May, we will start opening the state up"

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by petegz28

He can open whatever he wants to open can't he? The KC area has been the least impacted in the state for the large metro areas. The Mayor of KC I do not believe can override the Gov if the Gov says KC is open for business.

I live in Jackson County which honestly kinda sucks for it.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by DaFace

That's the biggest reason I'm not convinced that the asymptomatic numbers are huge, or at least not huge enough to make that much of a difference. Herd immunity requires like 60-80% of people being immune, and even if you assume there are 10 times as many people immune as our current number of known cases, that's still only around 2% of the U.S. population right now.

And how long does a person stay asymptomatic? So let's say I was asymptomatic and I have stated home for a month then is the assumption I still have it or will always have it or has it died off?

[ghak99]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

That makes no sense. This was to keep our hospital health care systems from being overrun. If they are not being overrun why not let those established patients in the local neighborhood clinic go in and get their normal services?

It makes perfect sense and should have been expected.

The media has spent weeks making this thing out to be the end of the world. We don't have enough ventilators!!!!! Every news channel and half the entertainment shows on TV have been telling people, especially the elderly, to stay home and hide on a 5 minute loop for weeks. As a result, everyone is canceling every appointment they have.

Dooming and glooming the public into a panic has consequences. You can't just reverse the tide. The nurses will just have to take it on the chin like the rest of us.

[Dunit35]

My wife and many others were furloughed last Friday. This Friday is her last day. She works at one of the main hospitals here. They told her 6-8wks and she can come back. Hopefully it works out because she loves what she does.

As others have said. They canceled all elective surgeries and postponed most doctors visits. Huge amounts of money lost so far. She administers radiation to cancer patients. Nobody’s coming in to get treated because they’re afraid of the virus and they aren’t getting many new clients due to doctors not visiting with patients. They keep saying they’re waiting for this surge so they need only essential Covid employees. They keep pushing back this surge date rather than just admitting they were wrong and there won’t be one.

Open it up already.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Mecca

I live in Jackson County which honestly kinda sucks for it.

Jackson county has actually been pretty good overall.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by petegz28

He can open whatever he wants to open can't he? The KC area has been the least impacted in the state for the large metro areas. The Mayor of KC I do not believe can override the Gov if the Gov says KC is open for business.

It depends on how it's done, but in most cases, that's not true. Local government can usually add MORE restrictions, but they can't say there are LESS.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by petegz28

And how long does a person stay asymptomatic? So let's say I was asymptomatic and I have stated home for a month then is the assumption I still have it or will always have it or has it died off?

I think the theory is it's relatively short. A couple weeks for incubation, contagious without knowing it for a few days, then fine (and immune). Lots of grey areas there, though.

[Monticore]

Originally Posted by petegz28

Methinks it did or was starting too but was not classified as such because we weren't looking for it. This is\was one of the worst of not the worst flu season ever. But I have talked to a couple people now who went to the doctor back in Jan and Feb and though they tested negative for influenza were told they had the flu and one doctor said "it's almost like there is something else going around".

I think the previous years flu season was worse 80k deaths