***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.”

[O.city]

Originally Posted by stumppy

How do you figure that? Should they not be counted as positive because they have other health conditions?

Originally Posted by DaFace

I'd be more surprised if there are places that AREN'T testing everyone who is hospitalized. You can't have it spreading undetected through a hospital.

No I agree. Testing is fine

It just seems a bit off to label someone that’s in for a vehicle accident or something of that nature as a Covid hospitalization

[O.city]

I’m fine with counting them as a positive, just not sure they’re a true Covid hospitalization

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by O.city

I’m fine with counting them as a positive, just not sure they’re a true Covid hospitalization

Yeah, I see what you're saying. It's the same issue with people who died FROM covid vs. people who died WITH covid.

It's an issue, but I don't know what there is to be done about it at this point. It's hard to have consistency when the feds have basically just told the states to figure it out for themselves.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by DaFace

Yeah, I see what you're saying. It's the same issue with people who died FROM covid vs. people who died WITH covid.

It's an issue, but I don't know what there is to be done about it at this point. It's hard to have consistency when the feds have basically just told the states to figure it out for themselves.

For sure. They’re all doing in different so it makes it difficult to get a large scale picture

[vailpass]

I got my test yesterday morning. There was nothing to it, just made my eyes water for a second then done. Results came back last night negative. Actually what they said was "not present".
Going to get an antibody test later this week, see if anything is cooking there.

[tyecopeland]

Originally Posted by Three7s

I'm starting to think that covid-19 isn't as fatal as first thought, and if deaths don't increase by August or so, I think that theory will be proven correct. I'm not saying there aren't serious cases, but like I said before, there are millions of people around the world that are infected, yet just 1% of infections are in a hospital and that rate will probably continue to go down.

Yes, this thing can still kill you if you're old or have other health issues, but if you're relatively healthy, there's really nothing to worry about from what I'm seeing right now.

That's what lots of people thought from the onset but we were ridiculed and told that we didn't care about people.

[BryanBusby]

Something that has killed over 100k in the US alone and is on pace for 200k in a few months sounds pretty ****ing deadly to me.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by tyecopeland

That's what lots of people thought from the onset but we were ridiculed and told that we didn't care about people.

I've said for a long time that I expect the actual CFR to be around 0.5% or so. The problem is just that 0.3% of the population is still a **** ton of people (around a million, to be specific). Even if it is "no worse than the flu" (which it is), we don't have a vaccine for it, so all of those vulnerable people don't have a way of defending themselves like they do for the flu.

[Rasputin]

Originally Posted by vailpass

I got my test yesterday morning. There was nothing to it, just made my eyes water for a second then done. Results came back last night negative. Actually what they said was "not present".
Going to get an antibody test later this week, see if anything is cooking there.

I hated the ****ing test it was like they pulled out brain tissue from back of my head .

[BleedingRed]

Originally Posted by BryanBusby

Something that has killed over 100k in the US alone and is on pace for 200k in a few months sounds pretty ****ing deadly to me.

Wait till you hear about heart disease numbers.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by BleedingRed

Wait till you hear about heart disease numbers.

Yes because I can get heart disease because some moron sneezed on me right?

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by Rasputin

I hated the ****ing test it was like they pulled out brain tissue from back of my head .

Sorry to hear it. Maybe it's like when you have blood drawn: the experience depends on the person doing the poking. Some you don't even notice and some you really notice.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by BleedingRed

Wait till you hear about heart disease numbers.

Really? This idiotic crap again?

[stumppy]

Originally Posted by Donger

Really? This idiotic crap again?

Consider the source.

[Ebolapox]

Originally Posted by BleedingRed

Wait till you hear about heart disease numbers.

good thing is heart disease is TOTALLY not contagious unless you're talking genetic causes (aka, heart disease DOES run in families)