***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.”

[O.city]

Originally Posted by DaFace

My interpretation of it from the beginning was that it was a "not enough evidence" situation rather than a "we have found conclusive evidence to say that you can be infected multiple times."

Could there be fringe cases where people get infected multiple times? We'll see. You'd think we'd know it if a ton of people were getting infected twice, though.

Originally Posted by notorious

They shouldn't have released the article until it was peer reviewed and hammered with insane scrutiny.

That's the bar we've set for all the good news. Why should the bad news be any different?

Hamas has brought this up, but some of the medical stuff they’re releasing is just not meant to be broken down like it has been. Not that non medical people can’t but DaFace would feel similar in terms of mathematical models.

The fear porn has gotten a bit out of control imo

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by notorious

They shouldn't have released the article until it was peer reviewed and hammered with insane scrutiny.

That's the bar we've set for all the good news. Why should the bad news be any different?

They retracted it, which suggests that the bar isn't any different.

[notorious]

Originally Posted by DaFace

They retracted it, which suggests that the bar isn't any different.

It still spread like wildfire. Even my brother, pharmacist, sent me a link.


There has been an incredible amount of irresponsibility from entities we should be able to trust. They are damaging the trust bond.

In the long run their actions can have dire consequences. People will tune them out for being wrong, or releasing incorrect and premature information.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by O.city

Hamas has brought this up, but some of the medical stuff they’re releasing is just not meant to be broken down like it has been. Not that non medical people can’t but DaFace would feel similar in terms of mathematical models.

The fear porn has gotten a bit out of control imo

It's not new, but we have a real problem these days with how much media (and politics, frankly) requires sensationalism to survive. People go nuts over stories that confirm their biases on either end of the spectrum (OMG the world is ending! AND OMG we're destroying the economy!).

I constantly try and apply a filter of "is this pulling on my emotions" when reading this stuff. That means that I don't get excited about positive news, but I don't freak out about the negative either. It's not as exciting as going nuts every time there's something that freaks you out, but it helps to cut through the noise.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by notorious

It still spread like wildfire. Even my brother, pharmacist, sent me a link.


There has been an incredible amount of irresponsibility from entities we should be able to trust. They are damaging the trust bond.

In the long run their actions can have dire consequences. People will tune them out for being wrong, or releasing incorrect and premature information.

I don't disagree, but I just think that's happened with just about any kind of sensationalist news with this whole thing (hydroxychloroquine for example).

That being said, I dumped Facebook about a year ago, so if you're referring to things on there, I'm out of the loop. I actually think this thread has been a pretty balanced resource even if it's a bit of a mess at times.

[notorious]

Facebook is a joke. When someone asks,"Did you see _____on facebook?" it triggers an auto tune-out in my brain.

Roll eyes, chuckle, etc.

[O.city]

I hate that it’s gotten so politicized

There’s the “open it wide up right now” crowd and the “stay locked away till a vaccine” crowd and they’re just going to war with each other.

So much fear mongering going on. My hygienist are afraid they’re gonna get the plague even when I show them research on infection control and things we can do to insure safety in the workplace they freak out.

They’ve scared people to a point that’s just crazy

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by stumppy

I'll just say consider the source and leave it at that.

Fact check it.

By paying an additional 20% on top of traditional Medicare rates for COVID-19 patients during the public health emergency, and by reimbursing hospitals for treating the uninsured patients with the disease (at that enhanced Medicare rate).

Both of those provisions stem from the*Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by notorious

Facebook is a joke. When someone asks,"Did you see _____on facebook?" it triggers an auto tune-out in my brain.

Roll eyes, chuckle, etc.

I have Facebook simply for....well I really don’t even know why I have it. I don’t use it, I have it set where no one can really find me anyway.

I’ve been debating on deleting for a while. Don’t know why I haven’t pulled the trigger. I looked at my last 2 years and I think I’ve posted 2 times. Most of the stuff is pictures of our kids my wife tags me in.

[notorious]

Originally Posted by O.city

I have Facebook simply for....well I really don’t even know why I have it. I don’t use it, I have it set where no one can really find me anyway.

I’ve been debating on deleting for a while. Don’t know why I haven’t pulled the trigger. I looked at my last 2 years and I think I’ve posted 2 times. Most of the stuff is pictures of our kids my wife tags me in.

It's great for my business, and I've reconnected with people I haven't seen in a long time.

People live their entire lives through it, and that scares the hell out of me.

[O.city]

Hospitals income has tanked so it wouldn’t surprise me if things are being coded....differently. I would hope that’s not the case but who knows

They’re opening the hospitals here in springfield back up to elective surgeries May 4th. It’s kinda crazy that they shut down a lot of the stuff, my orthopedic surgery buddies have pts that needed knees and hips done to function that they put on hold and now have had to reschedule. The “elective surgery” protocol got pretty wonky imo

[O.city]

Originally Posted by notorious

It's great for my business, and I've reconnected with people I haven't seen in a long time.

People live their entire lives through it, and that scares the hell out of me.

Oh yeah, it’s nice for that stuff. My wife runs my office accounts and they’ve been helpful for sure. I scroll thru it a lot to see friends and such but the more and more I do the more I just get tired of the bullshit

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by O.city

I hate that it’s gotten so politicized

There’s the “open it wide up right now” crowd and the “stay locked away till a vaccine” crowd and they’re just going to war with each other.

So much fear mongering going on. My hygienist are afraid they’re gonna get the plague even when I show them research on infection control and things we can do to insure safety in the workplace they freak out.

They’ve scared people to a point that’s just crazy

I agree. Just wish there was some way around it.

I think it became this way because of the botched handling of the situation in the beginning, which many laid directly at the feet of the current administration. While it's true at some level, most of the issues we're dealing with are just because we, as a country, haven't ever had something like this happen and were caught flat footed. That spans multiple administrations. And regardless, we're in it now - just get on with figuring out how to move forward.

But after that started all the way back in February, people divided into camps like they always do, and discussion has suffered ever since. It's infuriating.

[mlyonsd]

Originally Posted by notorious

It's great for my business, and I've reconnected with people I haven't seen in a long time.

People live their entire lives through it, and that scares the hell out of me.

I'm not on FB but during the pandemic I've learned it's the best place to go for up to date information regarding a business.

[notorious]

Originally Posted by O.city

Oh yeah, it’s nice for that stuff. My wife runs my office accounts and they’ve been helpful for sure. I scroll thru it a lot to see friends and such but the more and more I do the more I just get tired of the bullshit

I have to admit, I laughed a little bit after making my comment then realizing I have 64,000 posts on here!