***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.”

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by Mecca

The same people who are using these lines, are the people who gave exactly 2 shits about any of those issues until it affected their ability to profit off those people.

Bull shit. The people who are concerned about a rise in despair and lack of opportunity problems are people who care about those issues and want a society that provides individuals an opportunity to do something about them, and they're concerned now because the government is imposing conditions [merits of the imposition aside] that make it harder and in some cases impossible to do anything about them.

In a free society facing viral crisis, effort must be made to persuade the populace of the necessity of the measures imposed, and the citizens should be treated as valued employees performing the national 'job' of fighting the virus. Couple those notions with the pledge to not impose more restrictions than essential, and you make the difference between a populace persuaded to exhibit the resolve to work together, and a populace forced to comply on pain of consequence. And if you're in a populace forced to comply, telling you that your despair or lack of opportunity is 'tough nuts' the sell gets even harder.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Fish

Sure they did. And you'd prefer to believe that offhand anecdote over the abundance of data from around the world which shows the opposite. Confirmation bias.

okay, Mr. Data

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Fish

Why do you prefer the advice of 600 doctors over the advice of millions of doctors, epidemiologists, health groups, and health organizations around the world all recommending the opposite?

You prefer the small minority against the overwhelming consensus, because it confirms your bias. No other reason.

Because you know for a fact that these are the only 600 doctors in the entire world that have this position. And you know for a fact that everyone else shared your opinion.

You must know lots of things and stuff.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Fish

"Listen folks, we realize there's a record breaking blizzard happening out there, with ice covered roads, and near zero visibility. But we also know how Frank likes his Keystone Ice. So get out there and drive around."

We're in this together,

AAA Collision Center

could you conjure up a more idiotic, straw man?

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

Bull shit. The people who are concerned about a rise in despair and lack of opportunity problems are people who care about those issues and want a society that provides individuals an opportunity to do something about them, and they're concerned now because the government is imposing conditions [merits of the imposition aside] that make it harder and in some cases impossible to do anything about them.

In a free society facing viral crisis, effort must be made to persuade the populace of the necessity of the measures imposed, and the citizens should be treated as valued employees performing the national 'job' of fighting the virus. Couple those notions with the pledge to not impose more restrictions than essential, and you make the difference between a populace persuaded to exhibit the resolve to work together, and a populace forced to comply on pain of consequence. And if you're in a populace forced to comply, telling you that your despair or lack of opportunity is 'tough nuts' the sell gets even harder.

^

[Kiimo]

Originally Posted by Mecca

Unironically Brazil has a president that buried his head in the sand when this started and has already been through 2 health officials because they won't just say what he tells them too...

They actually have the potential to have it be totally devastating there because of ignorance.

Gosh what is that like

[BWillie]

I hate that wearing a mask or not is somehow now a political statement.

Do you people not want to watch Patrick Mahomes play football in the fall or something? Not wearing a mask will help contribute to doing that. And if I can't see Patrick Mahomes play football, I'm going to hate all of you.

[Donger]

Chest-thumping is now a prophylactic.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by BWillie

I hate that wearing a mask or not is somehow now a political statement.

Do you people not want to watch Patrick Mahomes play football in the fall or something? Not wearing a mask will help contribute to doing that. And if I can't see Patrick Mahomes play football, I'm going to hate all of you.

I'm not sure how much of it is a political statement compared to how much of it is about selfishness or it being equated to not being manly and the issue of how "the man is dying in america"

[wazu]

Originally Posted by BWillie

I hate that wearing a mask or not is somehow now a political statement.

Do you people not want to watch Patrick Mahomes play football in the fall or something? Not wearing a mask will help contribute to doing that. And if I can't see Patrick Mahomes play football, I'm going to hate all of you.

I'm definitely part of the "end the lockdowns, stop all this nonsense" crowd, but I still wear a mask at the grocery store. It costs me nothing. It also feels like it discourages people from making small talk with me which is a major bonus.

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by wazu

I'm definitely part of the "end the lockdowns, stop all this nonsense" crowd, but I still wear a mask at the grocery store. It costs me nothing. It also feels like it discourages people from making small talk with me which is a major bonus.

Ahahha yeah. I find myself talking less. Like I was going to say something to someone, and I was like....nahhh. I can talk in it just fine...but it makes me want to talk less. So I appreciate that.

[Mecca]

I also wanted to point out for the Brazil talk, they are also testing in small numbers so their numbers spiking is a really bad sign. They have a ton of people, lots of poor that live right on top of each other, they're 3rd in cases with a testing number that is 11 times less than the US...

The other place that will likely see this happen is India, their testing is also very sparse and they've risen to 11th in cases.

[Monticore]

Originally Posted by BWillie

Ahahha yeah. I find myself talking less. Like I was going to say something to someone, and I was like....nahhh. I can talk in it just fine...but it makes me want to talk less. So I appreciate that.

I just wear my hospital scrubs everywhere and people can’t get away from me fast enough , not having to talk to random women about their irregular periods is a nice bonus from this.

[Baby Lee]

Individuals vary almost infinitely.

My sister has asthma, and can't complete much of any tasks in a mask. So she just stays home.

My aunt is deaf and relies on lip reading for a big part of her communication. So this is like her own BirdBox hellscape.

[Monticore]

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

Individuals vary almost infinitely.

My sister has asthma, and can't complete much of any tasks in a mask. So she just stays home.

My aunt is deaf and relies on lip reading for a big part of her communication. So this is like her own BirdBox hellscape.

My deaf elderly patients don’t understand me to well at wok with my mask on , getting a history from them was hard enough before.