***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.”

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by SAUTO

Which isn't really a good thing at this point IMO.

Really? I can't think of a downside to it honestly.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by BleedingRed

No it really isn't,

in the last 2 months 107,000 people have died from heart disease. If COVID is really wide spread, (we do not know) this could be a realistic rate. The only thing alarming about it is that its new.

Is heart disease contagious?

JFC...

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by petegz28

okay....so you went from they changed "because" to now it changed but not really....

No it's not the same as someone moving the goalposts...

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by SAUTO

Almost 70k people in 2 months is an alarming rate IMO. that's not TBD it happened...

Is it two months or four months though? Perfect example of why it matters it’s been here longer than originally thought.

[TLO]

Was driving around to a few various locations for work this morning. There was noticeably more traffic and a lot of people at stores that had previously been closed.

[BleedingRed]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

Really? I can't think of a downside to it honestly.

Right it would mean we are closer to herd immunity. Literally has alot of upside to it.

[dirk digler]

Italy's lockdown ends today. They are opening up slowly which is good news.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

Really? I can't think of a downside to it honestly.

Good news: There's a small hope that we'll naturally start tapering off due to built immunity.
Bad news: We're not likely going to be able to stop it.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by jdubya

https://nypost.com/2020/05/04/what-i...murder-hornet/

Coyote Peterson vs Murder Hornet

What in the hell.

An extreme-nature-show host allowed himself to be stung on camera by the “nightmarish” Asian giant hornet — which is believed to have first shown up in the US in December and experts warn will now inevitably arrive in the New York area.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by Megatron96

Things are huge:

OMG that's terrifying..

[Megatron96]

Originally Posted by dlphg9

I swear I remember being a kid and over hearing some story on the news about killer bees and how they were coming to the US. It's constant scare tactics from the news. It's ridiculous.

They have. 3 out of 4 bee colonies in AZ are Africanized (killer) bees. Pretty much the same in southern CA, probably TX as well.

[BleedingRed]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

Is it two months or four months though? Perfect example of why it matters it’s been here longer than originally thought.

This, if we find out COVID has been here since December we are talking about it about it spreading for much longer.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by BleedingRed

No it really isn't,

in the last 2 months 107,000 people have died from heart disease. If COVID is really wide spread, (we do not know) this could be a realistic rate. The only thing alarming about it is that its new.

You are so ****ing stupid it is painful to watch.

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

Really? I can't think of a downside to it honestly.

Well there's the fact that asymptomatic people can and will spread it.

Which means that everyone you encounter could be spreading it. Makes it much more likely to get it without knowing.

Which makes everyone that deals with compromised people more at risk of spreading it to them.

[BleedingRed]

Originally Posted by DaFace

Good news: There's a small hope that we'll naturally start tapering off due to built immunity.
Bad news: We're not likely going to be able to stop it.

In our interconnected world you were never going to stop it. Our chance to "Stop It" died with China lying.