***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.”

[saphojunkie]

Originally Posted by petegz28

Before everyone freaks out let's provide some perspective...

Governor Kelly announced a man in his 70’s from Wyandotte County has died from COVID-19. He did have underlying health issues. Officials said he was in a long-term care facility.

My mom is in her 70s and has underlying health issues.

[Pablo]

Originally Posted by saphojunkie

My mom is in her 70s and has underlying health issues.

He clearly meant perspective that focuses solely on you and nobody else. Just pete things.

[Frazod]

Right now I'm more concerned about the economy collapsing than the virus. Just think of the billions in lost revenue from all the cancelled sporting events alone, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. How long until public transportation in major cities shuts down?

This shit is scary.

[saphojunkie]

Originally Posted by Pablo

He clearly meant perspective that focuses solely on you and nobody else. Just pete things.

I'm just trying to make him realize that it's not as simple as "derp Im fine cuz I'm not the olds"

Lots of people have loved ones who can't afford to get sick. And a few people seem hell bent on being the asinine voices of reason who lack any ability to reason.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by DaFace

There are 40 total deaths in the entire U.S....

100k is speculation, right? So let’s speculate that 3,500 have died in the past few months but the deaths were attributed to maladies that make this virus so dangerous such as asthma, COPD, heart disease, diabetes, etc.

The bottom line is that we just don’t know very much at this point in time.

[BigRedChief]

Most popular game in the arcade these days

[BryanBusby]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

100k is speculation, right?

Numbers are mostly speculative at this point thanks to the shitty response.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Frazod

Right now I'm more concerned about the economy collapsing than the virus. Just think of the billions in lost revenue from all the cancelled sporting events alone, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. How long until public transportation in major cities shuts down?

This shit is scary.

they need to act like this is a health crisis instead of a financial one. The Fed threw $1.5 TRILLION at the problem today and the market didn’t bat an eye.

Fix the health crisis and there’s no reason why the stock market and the economy wouldnt go back to what it was before the Coronavirus.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by saphojunkie

My mom is in her 70s and has underlying health issues.

She's at an increased risk then.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

100k is speculation, right? So let’s speculate that 3,500 have died in the past few months but the deaths were attributed to maladies that make this virus so dangerous such as asthma, COPD, heart disease, diabetes, etc.

The bottom line is that we just don’t know very much at this point in time.

Just do the math on what you're saying. If there were 100k people infected in Ohio, that would be somewhere in the range of 40 TIMES WORSE THAN ITALY on a per capita basis. Their entire healthcare system would be in a state of chaos if it were anywhere in the same universe as that.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by saphojunkie

I'm just trying to make him realize that it's not as simple as "derp Im fine cuz I'm not the olds"

Lots of people have loved ones who can't afford to get sick. And a few people seem hell bent on being the asinine voices of reason who lack any ability to reason.

I think you are taking what I said completely out of context. The ability to reason is to point out who is dying when someone dies. No one wants anyone to die. But the media is playing their sick game where they thrive on tragedy and a death toll is something they drool over.

So it's important to keep perspective. No one is saying **** old people. Or I don't care cause I am not old.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

they need to act like this is a health crisis instead of a financial one. The Fed threw $1.5 TRILLION at the problem today and the market didn’t bat an eye.

Fix the health crisis and there’s no reason why the stock market and the economy wouldnt go back to what it was before the Coronavirus.

At a certain point the panic and hysteria start becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. Panic breeds market sell offs. Market sell offs breed panic And round and round it goes.

A good part of the media is exploiting this for political reasons. A good part of it is exploiting it for ratings.

[suzzer99]

Originally Posted by DaFace

Just do the math on what you're saying. If there were 100k people infected in Ohio, that would be somewhere in the range of 40 TIMES WORSE THAN ITALY on a per capita basis. Their entire healthcare system would be in a state of chaos if it were anywhere in the same universe as that.

Italy isn't testing everyone - just sick people. S. Korea is the closest to testing everyone.

[BossChief]

Is it overkill at this point if drastic measures were taken to the level of:

Suspend all air travel
All interstate travel is shut down
Require all non essential businesses to suspend business
Encourage everyone to stay at home
Ban all groupings of a certain amount of people

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

Italy isn't testing everyone - just sick people. S. Korea is the closest to testing everyone.

The problem with testing is it's only good for that particular moment in time. I can test negative and 10 minutes later be exposed to someone who has the virus and there you have it.


We need to test but there is a lot of overrated expectations right now about what pre-emptive testing like what SK did really gets you.

Unless you lock everyone up and release them one by one as they test negative then large scale testing is going to be overrated.