***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.”

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by O.city

I did see that this morning. Thats the first place that has reported that whereas we have alot in Europe that are having no problems.

That many being sick that quick in is interesting. Wonder if it may have happened previously?

Here is my thought, it looks like Israel started off the right way and maybe that is the key.

So we should get local transmission way down and start off with the young kids. Let middle school - HS sophomores do virtual only and let juniors and seniors come back in.

I found out here in Clinton they had been doing some summer school for the young kids and there hasn't been an issue.

[Mr_Tomahawk]

Originally Posted by Donger

FWIW, not peer-reviewed and I really hope it's wrong:

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...429v1.full.pdf

There aren't any illustrations.

Can you summarize in Layman's terms?

[suzzer99]

Originally Posted by Donger

FWIW, not peer-reviewed and I really hope it's wrong:

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...429v1.full.pdf

It sounds like they're saying immunity duration is similar to the common cold?

What would that mean - vaccinations 4x a year?

[Donger]

Originally Posted by Mr_Tomahawk

There aren't any illustrations.

Can you summarize in Layman's terms?

They think antibody immunity only lasts a couple/few months.

[O.city]

You guys need to read up on Memory B cells

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by KS Smitty

The school thing is a mess with many parents wanting/needing to send their kids back and other parents concerned it's too soon. I know some that are planning homeschooling either way and it will be interesting to see what decisions get made. Here is an interesting read from an elementary teacher, who brings up some valid points/questions, although some may find them extreme but leaves her political comments 'til the end. "25 children standing three feet apart is a line over 75 feet long."

https://mrsteacherlife.wordpress.com...mfEOJp_-QRbQ2g

Then again after reading that..uhhh yeah good luck.

[O.city]

She says teachers did a good job with remote learning on the fly last year.

The numbers basically say the oppostite

[O.city]

We're basically saying schools aren't essential, then they'll come out and ask for more funding because of the importance.

I fully understand that i may not be rational about this.

[stumppy]

Originally Posted by KS Smitty

The school thing is a mess with many parents wanting/needing to send their kids back and other parents concerned it's too soon. I know some that are planning homeschooling either way and it will be interesting to see what decisions get made. Here is an interesting read from an elementary teacher, who brings up some valid points/questions, although some may find them extreme but leaves her political comments 'til the end. "25 children standing three feet apart is a line over 75 feet long."

https://mrsteacherlife.wordpress.com...mfEOJp_-QRbQ2g

Up until recently I took care of three of my grandkids for the past 1 1/2 years. After the refresher course on how kids, schools, and home life mesh together I'd have to agree with everything she said.

[stumppy]

Hell, we can't even keep kids from bringing home headlice from school. And we have a way to kill those little bastards.


edit: Kill the headlice not the kids.

[O.city]

I can understand high schoolers and that part of being out. But the primary schools? Ah, that makes no sense to me.

[O.city]

https://www.folkhalsomyndigheten.se/...choolchildren/

Summary

This report is a comparison between Finland and Sweden, two in many ways similar countries who applied different measures regarding schools during the covid-19 pandemic. There is no difference in the overall incidence of the laboratory confirmed covid-19 cases in the age group 1-19 years in the two countries and the number of laboratory confirmed cases does not fluctuate with school closure or change in testing policy in Finland. In Sweden, the number of laboratory confirmed cases is affected by change in testing policy. Severe covid-19 disease as measured in ICU admittance is very rare in both countries in this age group and no deaths were reported. Outbreak investigations in Finland has not shown children to be contributing much in terms of transmission and in Sweden a report comparing risk of covid-19 in different professions, showed no increased risk for teachers.

In conclusion, closure or not of schools had no measurable direct impact on the number of laboratory confirmed cases in school-aged children in Finland or Sweden. The negative effects of closing schools must be weighed against the positive indirect effects it might have on the mitigation of the covid-19 pandemic.

[stumppy]

I think they're going to have to come up with some kind of rotating classrooms. Like kids go every other day or something.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by O.city

You guys need to read up on Memory B cells

From what I've read, memory B cells are the cells which produce the antibodies, yes?

[O.city]

Originally Posted by Donger

From what I've read, memory B cells are the cells which produce the antibodies, yes?

https://askabiologist.asu.edu/memory-b-cell