***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.”

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by jdubya

Federal? Nope. It all starts at home my friend. Each city should be responsible for itself and then county and then state.

Federal is last on the list for responsibility...

Lol.

Did you see how surge states like NY and AZ handled this? Just winging it with different and terrible ideas. Mismanaged across the board.

City? Local government officials with tiny ass budgets? Holy shit that’s hilarious!!!

This is a huge issue which requires top-down leadership to be successful.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by KCUnited

Agreed, its all mostly pretend to score covid virtue points in internet arguments.

The flipside is in cultures that value their elderly, they're mostly living at home with their kids and grandkids which might be deadlier than a facility just due to our daily lives. Facilities are fine but we need to start treating them with an ICU level of urgency and not staff them with people that aren't fit to even care for themselves let alone someone more susceptible. Obviously that comes at a cost so there are no easy answers.

My mother-in-law lives with us. I’m 100% certain she’s safer there than anywhere else. That’s just one household though.

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Central Iowa. The city close to me opened up some unused public housing for “overflow” effectively segregating the exposed from those coming in.

Of course, there isn’t nearly enough in many cases so yeah. state and federal cooperation could definitely help.

All rehabs here and hospitals had separate COVID wings setup, still within the same building but staff working that unit could only go to that unit and work no where else. Sadly it still takes people working in close contact with these patients in healthcare. It’s easily spread from workers to patients like this and can be largely unavoidable once even 1 worker brings COVID in.

[Monticore]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

The average life expectancy is the US is lower than most first first world nations, and there are many excess deaths every year just by not having universal health care and probably more covid deaths that could have been avoided as well.

Your medical system is inherently selfish .

[jdubya]

Originally Posted by lewdog

Lol.

Did you see how surge states like NY and AZ handled this? Just winging it with different and terrible ideas. Mismanaged across the board.

City? Local government officials with tiny ass budgets? Holy shit that’s hilarious!!!

This is a huge issue which requires top-down leadership to be successful.

I don’t disagree that many screwed the pooch but that is how the system is supposed to be structured. Feds are last ditch. Many counties were very prepared on their own and many were not.

Need to stop there I guess because pointing fingers belongs in DC

[KCUnited]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

My mother-in-law lives with us. I’m 100% certain she’s safer there than anywhere else. That’s just one household though.

Right. I live in a Hispanic community with 3, sometimes 4 generations living in the same household. Kids going to school, mom and dad working public facing jobs is ripe for abuela to get taken out. But what's the alternative, a facility with some GED nosepicker out protesting every night checking in on her daily? It's a tough situation that I don't have the answers to but hopefully can be addressed as a result of this.

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by KCUnited

Agreed, its all mostly pretend to score covid virtue points in internet arguments.

The flipside is in cultures that value their elderly, they're mostly living at home with their kids and grandkids which might be deadlier than a facility just due to our daily lives. Facilities are fine but we need to start treating them with an ICU level of urgency and not staff them with people that aren't fit to even care for themselves let alone someone more susceptible. Obviously that comes at a cost so there are no easy answers.

We spent $25k to test 200 employees at our rehab back in May. We are a small company. This last time it came through we couldn’t afford to do that again. Buying PPE alone is draining our small company and there’s no monetary help in place.

[jdubya]

Originally Posted by Monticore

The average life expectancy is the US is lower than most first first world nations, and there are many excess deaths every year just by not having universal health care and probably more covid deaths that could have been avoided as well.

Your medical system is inherently selfish .

Get the **** out of here with your bullshit. Much of Canada’s health care blows balls compared to the US.

The discussion doesn’t belong here

[lewdog]

I had to treat patients in our rehab this week as our full time Speech Therapist was out this week. First time in years. We have no known COVID cases currently. Nurses and therapist are doing the following as precaution anyway. We are wearing n95 masks with surgical over the top, face shields, gowns and gloves. I lost about 5 lbs this week!

[Monticore]

Originally Posted by lewdog

We spent $25k to test 200 employees at our rehab back in May. We are a small company. This last time it came through we couldn’t afford to do that again. Buying PPE alone is draining our small company and there’s no monetary help in place.

It is pretty crazy the amount of PPE you go through even when you ration .

[Monticore]

Originally Posted by jdubya

Get the **** out of here with your bullshit. Much of Canada’s health care blows balls compared to the US.

The discussion doesn’t belong here

You are the one who brought up caring for others , you are right though wrong place .

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by Monticore

It is pretty crazy the amount of PPE you go through even when you ration .

And the price gouging is still happening. Paying 400-500% more for gowns and masks than we used to.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Monticore

The average life expectancy is the US is lower than most first first world nations, and there are many excess deaths every year just by not having universal health care and probably more covid deaths that could have been avoided as well.

Your medical system is inherently selfish .

Did you catch the “non-political” part of the thread title? The simple fact is if people would stop being stupid and start looking out for people other than themselves, we wouldn’t need state healthcare. I could tell you why but I’m actually going to adhere to the not making it political part.

[Monticore]

Originally Posted by lewdog

And the price gouging is still happening. Paying 400-500% more for gowns and masks than we used to.

My wife is paying 5x times more for masks than before.

[Monticore]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Did you catch the “non-political” part of the thread title? The simple fact is if people would stop being stupid and start looking out for people other than themselves, we wouldn’t need state healthcare. I could tell you why but I’m actually going to adhere to the not making it political part.

I kept It as medical as possible , so I won’t elaborate.