***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.”

[SupDock]

Originally Posted by BIG_DADDY

Slowing down what most people will get anyway -vs- The economic fallout you are creating. Small business is already getting crushed. One of my favorite restaurants I can never get a seat in and have to wait I went to yesterday for happy hour. Owners eyes glazed over with only one other person in his big ass restaurant. He is like WTF? 4PM

WE are not going to change anything other than how fast this thing runs it's course.

How fast it runs its course makes a difference from a medical supply point of view.

[BIG_DADDY]

Originally Posted by Donger

Okay, that's a non-answer.

I've mentioned a few times that this will just happen again unless and until the Chinese stop their penchant for eating bushmeat. Or at least putting it on the ****ing grill for a few minutes first.

It's man made and came out of a lab. Give me a break. Please don't talk in circles. What do you mean by take it back?

[BIG_DADDY]

Originally Posted by jd1020

Which is the point. We are months away from even trialing a vaccine.

It will run it's course way before that. Vaccine at this point for this virus is just pretty talk.

[BIG_DADDY]

Originally Posted by SupDock

How fast it runs its course makes a difference from a medical supply point of view.

I get that. Lets not pretend though that there are not consequences for shutting down the country though because there are.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by BIG_DADDY

It's man made and came out of a lab. Give me a break. Please don't talk in circles. What do you mean by take it back?

I didn't say take it back.

You think this virus was created in a lab?

[mr. tegu]

I haven’t seen anything but I haven’t looked really either. Has anyone seen any complaints or pressure directed at China for causing this? Demanding changes perhaps?

[ReynardMuldrake]

Originally Posted by jd1020

Tell me what airborne means then.

https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2020/02/41...-not-be-enough

Reading that makes me wonder why more people aren't wearing gloves in public. If you can get it from touching a contaminated surface you'd think gloves would be just as useful as a mask.

[SupDock]

Originally Posted by BIG_DADDY

I get that. Lets not pretend though that there are not consequences for shutting down the country though because there are.

Who is saying there are no consequences?

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by BIG_DADDY

Slowing down what most people will get anyway -vs- The economic fallout you are creating. Small business is already getting crushed. One of my favorite restaurants I can never get a seat in and have to wait I went to yesterday for happy hour. Owners eyes glazed over with only one other person in his big ass restaurant. He is like WTF? 4PM

WE are not going to change anything other than how fast this thing runs it's course.

Before I post a reply, do you acknowledge graphs as data or not? If so, I will post some graphs to help illustrate the benefits of social distancing & precautions.

[SupDock]

Originally Posted by ReynardMuldrake

Reading that makes me wonder why more people aren't wearing gloves in public. If you can get it from touching a contaminated surface you'd think gloves would be just as useful as a mask.

The problem isn't the virus getting on your hands, it's when it gets on your face. Gloves generally don't stop people from touching their faces.

That's why washing your hands and using sanitizer is important

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by BIG_DADDY

It's man made and came out of a lab. Give me a break. Please don't talk in circles. What do you mean by take it back?

Bats. Do you know why it almost assuredly came from bats, as do many other mutated strains of the flu and coronaviruses?

[Donger]

Originally Posted by ReynardMuldrake

Reading that makes me wonder why more people aren't wearing gloves in public. If you can get it from touching a contaminated surface you'd think gloves would be just as useful as a mask.

Wearing gloves doesn't help if you still touch your face, rub your eyes, use your phone, etc. before taking the gloves off (or just washing your hands without gloves).

[Donger]

Because it's a common habit – most people do it all the time without realizing it. APIC estimates the average person touches their face 23 times per hour, based on a small 2015 study.

[suzzer99]

Originally Posted by BWillie

You typically catch the virus from droplets in the air or by touch from hard surfaces. The virus doesn't live very long on clothing, or on hair.

According to my boss who has family there - in China they're telling people it can live up to 5 hours on clothing. So to take off your clothes when you come in from shopping or w/e - and either let them sit by the door for 5 hours, or wash them.

[ReynardMuldrake]

Originally Posted by SupDock

The problem isn't the virus getting on your hands, it's when it gets on your face. Gloves generally don't stop people from touching their faces.

That's why washing your hands and using sanitizer is important

Go out in public, wear gloves, come home, throw them away. That way it doesn't matter whether you touch your face or not. Assuming the virus can't penetrate the glove.