***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.”

[BleedingRed]

Originally Posted by sedated

The fact that cases spike and then come down is not justification for doing nothing, because the level of that spike can vary and make a huge difference. As you quoted Sweden, who did not lock down, had a much higher death rate.

The virus may still be "out there", but there are countries with insignificant amounts of new cases, and the vast majority seem to be getting better by the week. But not the US, because everyone here wants to call it a hoax or say they are sick of it and if they really really really wish it to go away then it will.

Way higher? Did New York lock down? Because they lead the world. Also Sweden's overall death rate is not far from USA's.

Furthermore I wouldn't trust the numbers coming out of most of Europe do to their lack of testing.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by MahomesMagic

Right. You push the death into the future..it's a juggling act. And that's assuming your whole plan works.

Right now looks like Dr. Michael Levitt was the closest on Covid. The deaths go up, they peak, then they come down. Lockdown or not the curve does the same everywhere.

Now if you are an island like New Zealand and you lockdown early, congrats. You don't get Covid. Now what? When do you open? Because the virus will still be out there.

That's just demonstrably false. Norway and Finland are paired examples to Sweden. They are demographically and geographically similar. Sweden ignored a lockdown and Norway and Finland pursued an aggressive strategy with high volume testing and lockdowns.

Their deaths are 10 percent of Sweden's.

Meanwhile, they've bought themselves time to understand better therapies to minimize death, not to mention drawing themselves closer to a time when a viable vaccine could be distributed.

They've saved their healthcare workers tremendous stress and illness, and they've shown that distancing can and is effective.

It's actually comical that anyone would even attempt to support your point of view without resorting to sophistry.

[MahomesMagic]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

That's just demonstrably false. Norway and Finland are paired examples to Sweden. They are demographically and geographically similar. Sweden ignored a lockdown and Norway and Finland pursued an aggressive strategy with high volume testing and lockdowns.

Their deaths are 10 percent of Sweden's.

Meanwhile, they've bought themselves time to understand better therapies to minimize death, not to mention drawing themselves closer to a time when a viable vaccine could be distributed.

They've saved their healthcare workers tremendous stress and illness, and they've shown that distancing can and is effective.

It's actually comical that anyone would even attempt to support your point of view without resorting to sophistry.

When the deaths are so small as in just a few thousand in Sweden there are many equally valid explanations to yours.

If lockdowns are so key explain the higher death totals in Belgium, England, and Italy who followed a lockdown strategy.

Many of the world's top scientists still think Sweden had the best model.

[tk13]

Reason 213 the Sweden plan was terrible: We don't know how the virus behaves yet. A new Spanish study showed only 5% of people have antibodies.

Spain's large-scale study (61k people) indicates just 5% of its population has developed coronavirus antibodies - ie herd immunity “unachieveable” without vaccines. Largest antibody study in Europe according to European CDC. #COVID19 https://t.co/02nfJF1oA0

— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) July 6, 2020

[sedated]

Originally Posted by MahomesMagic

If lockdowns are so key explain the higher death totals in Belgium, England, and Italy who followed a lockdown strategy.

Larger populations?

Originally Posted by MahomesMagic

Many of the world's top scientists still think Sweden had the best model.

Who? They have themselves admitted it was a mistake.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by MahomesMagic

When the deaths are so small as in just a few thousand in Sweden there are many equally valid explanations to yours.

If lockdowns are so key explain the higher death totals in Belgium, England, and Italy who followed a lockdown strategy.

Many of the world's top scientists still think Sweden had the best model.

Again, you are ignoring per capita deaths. Why? If a country of 100 population only had 50 deaths, would you call that a success because they only had 50 deaths?

I don't know about Belgium, but the UK and Italy resisted lockdown efforts.

Which top scientists say that Sweden had the best model? Their own epidemiologist admits that they made mistakes.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by sedated

Larger populations?



Who? They have themselves admitted it was a mistake.

I don't know who has said what but the numbers show as far as deaths per 1m Pop. that Sweden is better off than the UK, Spain and Italy and is separated with us by only France. And currently none of their active cases are serious or critical.

[Chief Roundup]

This is all such bullshit. All the people that have been gathering in large numbers and not doing anything to protect us all, including themselves, should be punished for their carelessness. Those are the people that are causing this to get worse. They are the ones that are putting our economy and lifestyles in jeopardy. Put on and wear a mask and stay 30 feet away from others if at all possible. If it is not then make sure you have a mask and so do those people or publicly shame those people for not wearing masks.

[tk13]

Originally Posted by petegz28

I don't know who has said what but the numbers show as far as deaths per 1m Pop. that Sweden is better off than the UK, Spain and Italy and is separated with us by only France. And currently none of their active cases are serious or critical.

Notice no one ever compares Sweden to their neighbors Finland and Norway. I wonder why that is?

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Chief Roundup

This is all such bullshit. All the people that have been gathering in large numbers and not doing anything to protect us all, including themselves, should be punished for their carelessness. Those are the people that are causing this to get worse. They are the ones that are putting our economy and lifestyles in jeopardy. Put on and wear a mask and stay 30 feet away from others if at all possible. If it is not then make sure you have a mask and so do those people or publicly shame those people for not wearing masks.

That's idiotic. First off there are people who legitimately cannot wear masks for medical reasons.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by tk13

Notice no one ever compares Sweden to their neighbors Finland and Norway. I wonder why that is?

I didn't know I was supposed too? I guess that means we should compare Kansas to Arizona?

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by Chief Roundup

This is all such bullshit. All the people that have been gathering in large numbers and not doing anything to protect us all, including themselves, should be punished for their carelessness. Those are the people that are causing this to get worse. They are the ones that are putting our economy and lifestyles in jeopardy. Put on and wear a mask and stay 30 feet away from others if at all possible. If it is not then make sure you have a mask and so do those people or publicly shame those people for not wearing masks.

agreed.

This could all be over at this point.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by SAUTO

agreed.

This could all be over at this point.

Really? You think it would have just gone away?

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by petegz28

Really? You think it would have just gone away?

I think there was a way to make that happen.


I've laid it out multiple times here.


But **** pete, you are against wearing a mask still.


Shows that there are so many stupid people out there that no I don't think it's ever going away at this point

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by SAUTO

I think there was a way to make that happen.


I've laid it out multiple times here.


But **** pete, you are against wearing a mask still.


Shows that there are so many stupid people out there that no I don't think it's ever going away at this point

What's stupid is thinking this was just going to all go away in a month or two because people wore a mask.

But you obviously you know better than everyone. And just so you know, many experts are now pushing the WHO to classify this as airborne.

It was never going to go away at any point. Something you have failed to come to grips with this entire time.

But I am not here to argue with you. Good day.