***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.”

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by Megatron96

Just how am I being a ****ing idiot?

By paying no attention to the recommendation of experts, which increases the chance of other people getting the virus, even if you have a less severe case.

It's not just about you, selfish prick.

[Megatron96]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

This is a spectacularly bad idea

Probably. That part was tongue-in-cheek, really. I don't know exactly why Maricopa has been so lightly effected. Less than 1% of 1% has even caught the stupid bug, so we've been kind of lucky, I'm guessing. It's nice though.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Megatron96

Just how am I being a ****ing idiot?

People can **** cheap hookers without a condom and get away with it too. That doesn't mean it's a good idea.

And in this case, you're also having sex with everyone else you come into contact with, so it's kind of shitty that you keep ****ing hookers raw.

[Megatron96]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

By paying no attention to the recommendation of experts, which increases the chance of other people getting the virus, even if you have a less severe case.

It's not just about you, selfish prick.

Ah, I am following most of the guidelines, dipstick. I don't have the virus. So I can't give it to anyone, because I don't have it to give, dipstick. Oh, and **** you too.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Megatron96

Ah, I am following most of the guidelines, dipstick. I don't have the virus. So I can't give it to anyone, because I don't have it to give, dipstick. Oh, and **** you too.

The odds are generally in your favor, but it's become very clear that this is primarily being spread by people who never show symptoms and never know that they're contagious.

[eDave]

Originally Posted by Megatron96

Probably. That part was tongue-in-cheek, really. I don't know exactly why Maricopa has been so lightly effected. Less than 1% of 1% has even caught the stupid bug, so we've been kind of lucky, I'm guessing. It's nice though.

We are neck-n-neck with Missouri.

[Bowser]

So have we moved on from worrying about overwhelming the hospitals and health care system to now worrying about how everyone is going to catch this? Because I basically assumed everyone understood they are indeed going to catch this at some point.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Bowser

So have we moved on from worrying about overwhelming the hospitals and health care system to now worrying about how everyone is going to catch this? Because I basically assumed everyone understood they are indeed going to catch this at some point.

I noticed that the Jackson County "plan" says there will not be a return to normalcy until there is a vaccine or suitable treatement.

We have no guarantee of a vaccine. I'm hoping suitable treatment gets here sooner rather than later.

[Megatron96]

Originally Posted by DaFace

People can **** cheap hookers without a condom and get away with it too. That doesn't mean it's a good idea.

And in this case, you're also having sex with everyone else you come into contact with, so it's kind of shitty that you keep ****ing hookers raw.

Ah, I'm not having sex with everyone, just one. And I'm also not touching people or licking door knobs. I'm just going about my business. It probably helps that no one in Anthem seems to have caught this thing, and that I literally see 5 people at work everyday, and we're separated by a window when I do go to work. But the fact of the matter is, that it's unlikely I can transmit something I don't have.

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by Bowser

So have we moved on from worrying about overwhelming the hospitals and health care system to now worrying about how everyone is going to catch this? Because I basically assumed everyone understood they are indeed going to catch this at some point.

We're playing it by ear . . .

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by Bowser

So have we moved on from worrying about overwhelming the hospitals and health care system to now worrying about how everyone is going to catch this? Because I basically assumed everyone understood they are indeed going to catch this at some point.

That has never been point, ever.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Bowser

So have we moved on from worrying about overwhelming the hospitals and health care system to now worrying about how everyone is going to catch this? Because I basically assumed everyone understood they are indeed going to catch this at some point.

That was never my assumption. There are at least a dozen countries around the world that pretty much have this thing under control, and I was hoping we could be one of them, but we just aren't capable of living with the restrictions necessary to do it.

So given that, my worry is just that "normal" is going to either require a majority of people getting it or a vaccine, both of which are probably a long way away.

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

That has never been point, ever.

It serves no one to lie about it now.

[Megatron96]

Originally Posted by eDave

We are neck-n-neck with Missouri.

I don't know what MO is doing. I do know that Maricopa since Jan. 22nd has admitted less than 800 to a hospital and less than 200 have died. We're down to just 214 in ICU today, or 4% of max. We haven't seen double-digit deaths in MC in more than three weeks.

And as of last week, I don't think Anthem has even had a death, maybe not even a hospital admission. In fact, right now you're more likely to die in a car wreck than of this virus in Maricopa county.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by DaFace

The odds are generally in your favor, but it's become very clear that this is primarily being spread by people who never show symptoms and never know that they're contagious.

It has?