***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.”

[Donger]

Originally Posted by O.city

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

Thanks. That sounds much better than that study. Nice graphics, too.

I have no idea what this means, though:

Importantly, class-switched IgG memory B cells against S and RBD have been detected in blood of COVID-19 patients showing memory responses are generated during infection

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by O.city

It doesn't effect my family, wife works from home anyway.

But what are two parent working househoulds supposed to do if there isn't any school?

The same thing they did in April and May?

[staylor26]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath15

The same thing they did in April and May?

You mean when a lot of the parents were home too?

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by staylor26

You mean when a lot of the parents were home too?

Why would now be any different? If a community is in bad enough shape to consider keeping kids out of school, there’s a pretty good chance that everyone not deemed essential isn’t going to their office either.

The people I know that were working from home in April are still working from home now in July.

[BigCatDaddy]

They need to make schools exempt from Covid lawsuits.

[OnTheWarpath15]

All I know is I couldn’t have picked a better time to get out of teaching. I feel for my friends in SpEd, they have no chance of keeping masks on kids, keeping socially distant from kids and each other, etc.

Gonna be a shitshow.

[Great8]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath15

Why would now be any different? If a community is in bad enough shape to consider keeping kids out of school, there’s a pretty good chance that everyone not deemed essential isn’t going to their office either.

The people I know that were working from home in April are still working from home now in July.

My wife is an RN, and I'm a commercial estimator for a Stone and EIFS subcontractor-(construction is considered essential) and neither one of us has missed a day of work since this thing started. Nor did we have the choice to.
Now my daughter is 17 and going to be a senior in high school so she has her own car, but you're painting with an awful broad brush there.
Lots of parents are going to have to figure something out.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by O.city

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

Just about every expert out there is saying the risk in closing the schools is worse than the risk of keeping them open.

My 6.5 year old Son cannot effectively learn on a computer all day and neither my Wife nor I can stay home and play Teacher.

Our district and most districts are allowing Parents to opt-out of in-person classes if they choose.

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by Great8

My wife is an RN, and I'm a commercial estimator for a Stone and EIFS subcontractor-(construction is considered essential) and neither one of us has missed a day of work since this thing started. Nor did we have the choice to.
Now my daughter is 17 and going to be a senior in high school so she has her own car, but you're painting with an awful broad brush there.
Lots of parents are going to have to figure something out.

So again, you’ll do the same thing you did in April and May, correct?

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

They need to make schools exempt from Covid lawsuits.

Agreed.

[BigCatDaddy]

SJSD posted thier plan for reopening which included kids being "expected to wear face coverings" everyone melted down and they took the guidelines down an hour later claiming it was a "rough draft and not meant to be shared"

[petegz28]

CDC Director Says Closed Schools Pose ‘Greater Public Health Risk’ For Kids
https://khn.org/morning-breakout/cdc...risk-for-kids/

[Donger]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

SJSD posted thier plan for reopening which included kids being "expected to wear face coverings" everyone melted down and they took the guidelines down an hour later claiming it was a "rough draft and not meant to be shared"

Why on Earth would you find that amusing?

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

They need to make schools exempt from Covid lawsuits.

You’re ok with giving up your freedom to sue someone if this is handled poorly and costs lives, but won’t have your freedoms get in the way of wearing a mask?

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by Donger

Why on Earth would you find that amusing?

The back tracking.

Also can you imagine elementary aged kids asked to keep those on all day long. Good luck, teach.