***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.”

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Monticore

What do you do with a kid with a sniffle or diarrhea quarantine for 14 days at home or test them every week? What if half the class has a soar throat etc. Keep them all home anyways.?

Considering the data shows it is very unlikely half the class will have a sore throat as a result of Covid I would say it won't happen much.

Secondly you can what if this thing until the end of time.

[cdcox]

Originally Posted by TLO

Schools are about to become just as politicized as masks.

I hate this. I hate everything about this. I hate the people trying to fan the flames of fear. I hate the people that say "it's just the flu". I don't know who or what to believe from any source whatsoever. Everything has to be a politicized pissing match.

We know that social distancing and mask wearing are necessary when you bring people together. At my university we are reducing classroom capacity by 70% and requiring masks. Only about 1/4 of our classes will be fully face-to-face; the rest will be online and hybrid. We have hundreds of people that have been fully devoted to planning and implementation since mid May. Our students are 18 years old and up. Despite all this, we're not certain we will be successful.

I'm not sure if K-12 schools have the resources to do this level of planning and flexibility in operations. But even if they do, you have added complication of elementary school kids. Draw your own conclusions.

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by petegz28

So you "know" they spread it because you are friends with someone? Okay

I don't know what to tell you Pete. It is not like the experts haven't been saying for months that younger people need to Social distance etc so they don't bring the virus home to their parents and grand parents. I think I hear that 10x per day.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by jdubya

So you disagree.....thats ok

JFC, are you kidding with this nonsense?

The virus is already spreading like wildfire and you think it's "okay" for nearly 800, 000 people to return to LAUSD schools?

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by jdubya

Like I said....the bay area didnt open like you guys. Our gyms never re-opened. They were going to re open on July 1st but then it got held in check. The only bars serving up here were a small handful that had outdoor seating only.....but go ahead and run around and scream...it might help

It's people like your dumb ****ing ass that are responsible for cases blowing up.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by petegz28

School Children Don’t Spread Coronavirus, French Study Shows
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...ch-study-shows


This study actually states kids are more likely to be infected by their parents rather than the other way around.

This is most important line in the entire article you linked:

Epidemiologist Arnaud Fontanet and colleagues said more studies on schools were needed because of the small number of cases they were able to study.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

This is most important line in the entire article you linked:

Epidemiologist Arnaud Fontanet and colleagues said more studies on schools were needed because of the small number of cases they were able to study.

I don't disagree but the studies we have seen have not shown the justification for some to be making the completely opposite opinion. Again, in cases like where you are and Phoenix I would not be so keen on opening schools.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

I don't know what to tell you Pete. It is not like the experts haven't been saying for months that younger people need to Social distance etc so they don't bring the virus home to their parents and grand parents. I think I hear that 10x per day.

You said "you know they spread it". You don't know. For all you know they got it from an adult. And studies done by other experts are saying it is not quite the worry as you are making it out to be.

Quit being so God damn paranoid about every little thing.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by petegz28

I don't disagree but the studies we have seen have not shown the justification for some to be making the completely opposite opinion. Again, in cases like where you are and Phoenix I would not be so keen on opening schools.

That's why anyone making a blanket statement is acting the fool.

Cases won't spread in lightly populated areas like they do in the US population centers, which have seen a record number of cases in the past week, with no signs of slowing down in sight.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

That's why anyone making a blanket statement is acting the fool.

Cases won't spread in lightly populated areas like they do in the US population centers, which have seen a record number of cases in the past week, with no signs of slowing down in sight.

Which is why I think you have to take it on a case-case basis for each locality.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by petegz28

Which is why I think you have to take it on a case-case basis for each locality.

And this is my biggest concern with the virus because there's just not enough information available to indicate that children will be safe if returned to schools in August.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/12/healt...ren/index.html

First cases of coronavirus-related inflammatory syndrome identified in children in South Carolina

Two children in South Carolina have been diagnosed with the coronavirus-related pediatric inflammatory syndrome, according to the state's Department of Health and Environmental Control.

The children are both under the age of 10, DHEC said in a news release Sunday. One is located in the Midlands region in central South Carolina. The other is in the Pee Dee region in the northeastern part of the state. Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, or MIS-C, is a potential complication seen in some children and teenagers following Covid-19 infections or exposure to those with Covid-19. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health advisory to doctors across the country in May, warning them to be on the lookout for the syndrome. Symptoms include fever, stomach pain, vomiting, a rash and fatigue, according to the CDC.

"We continue to see more and more young people, especially those under 20, contracting and spreading COVID-19, and we know MIS-C is a threat to our youngest South Carolinians," State Epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell said in a news release. "MIS-C is a serious health complication linked to COVID-19 and is all the more reason why we must stop the spread of this virus. Anyone and everyone is susceptible to COVID-19 as well as additional health risks associated with it, which is why all of us must stop the virus by wearing a mask and stay six feet away from others," Ball said. "These simple actions are how we protect ourselves and others, including our children."

Experts are still learning about MIS-C and trying to determine why some children experience it while others do not. But two recent studies -- both published last month in the New England Journal of Medicine -- show MIS-C can cause serious symptoms and is potentially fatal. They showed that 80% of patients with MIS-C required treatment in intensive care. In one report, CDC researchers analyzed 186 cases from 26 states between March 15 and May 20.

Patients were hospitalized for a median of seven days and 20% required ventilation to help them breathe. Four patients, or 2%, died. The median age of patients was 8 years old. Just 7% of patients were under a year old, most of the rest were between a year old and 14, and 16% were ages 15 to 20.
The second report, by the New York State Department of Health, examined 99 children with suspected or confirmed MIS-C who were hospitalized between March 1 and May 20. In that study, the median hospital stay was six days.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

And this is my biggest concern with the virus:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/12/healt...ren/index.html

First cases of coronavirus-related inflammatory syndrome identified in children in South Carolina

Two children in South Carolina have been diagnosed with the coronavirus-related pediatric inflammatory syndrome, according to the state's Department of Health and Environmental Control.

The children are both under the age of 10, DHEC said in a news release Sunday. One is located in the Midlands region in central South Carolina. The other is in the Pee Dee region in the northeastern part of the state. Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, or MIS-C, is a potential complication seen in some children and teenagers following Covid-19 infections or exposure to those with Covid-19. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health advisory to doctors across the country in May, warning them to be on the lookout for the syndrome. Symptoms include fever, stomach pain, vomiting, a rash and fatigue, according to the CDC.

"We continue to see more and more young people, especially those under 20, contracting and spreading COVID-19, and we know MIS-C is a threat to our youngest South Carolinians," State Epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell said in a news release. "MIS-C is a serious health complication linked to COVID-19 and is all the more reason why we must stop the spread of this virus. Anyone and everyone is susceptible to COVID-19 as well as additional health risks associated with it, which is why all of us must stop the virus by wearing a mask and stay six feet away from others," Ball said. "These simple actions are how we protect ourselves and others, including our children."

Experts are still learning about MIS-C and trying to determine why some children experience it while others do not. But two recent studies -- both published last month in the New England Journal of Medicine -- show MIS-C can cause serious symptoms and is potentially fatal. They showed that 80% of patients with MIS-C required treatment in intensive care. In one report, CDC researchers analyzed 186 cases from 26 states between March 15 and May 20.

Patients were hospitalized for a median of seven days and 20% required ventilation to help them breathe. Four patients, or 2%, died. The median age of patients was 8 years old. Just 7% of patients were under a year old, most of the rest were between a year old and 14, and 16% were ages 15 to 20.
The second report, by the New York State Department of Health, examined 99 children with suspected or confirmed MIS-C who were hospitalized between March 1 and May 20. In that study, the median hospital stay was six days.

I share the concern but there is also as sense of practicality that comes into play. If we wait until we know we are 100% safe from all things Covid to move forward then you might as well just cancel Christmas for the next decade or two.

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by petegz28

Which is why I think you have to take it on a case-case basis for each locality.

Sure, but it seems we can't trust every locality to do what they need to do, and they're ****ing it up for the ones who are.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by petegz28

I share the concern but there is also as sense of practicality that comes into play. If we wait until we know we are 100% safe from all things Covid to move forward then you might as well just cancel Christmas for the next decade or two.

Did you just totally misinterpret the article? Doctors don't know why some children that have contracted COVID-19 also had a severe inflammatory disease.

Until there's further information available, it would be stupid to send children in as guinea pigs.

That has absolutely nothing to do with shutting down everything for years.

Good grief.

[Bugeater]

I'll say one thing, I'm glad I'm not the one who has to make the decision about schools. You're damned if you do and damned if you don't.