***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]

Also Texas's testing has dropped significantly for unknown reasons

Based on local reporting and data from counties, it appears these reductions are contributing to the very low state-wide testing numbers, though no one has yet explained why.

— The COVID Tracking Project (@COVID19Tracking) August 12, 2020

[O.city]

Originally Posted by lewdog

My coworker was 4 weeks in the hospital. He’s now in acute rehab. Still on oxygen but up and moving with a walker. He’s doing much better but permanent pulmonary damage is still very likely.

/only deaths matter though.

Good to hear. Hope he keeps improving.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

Also Texas's testing has dropped significantly for unknown reasons

Based on local reporting and data from counties, it appears these reductions are contributing to the very low state-wide testing numbers, though no one has yet explained why.

— The COVID Tracking Project (@COVID19Tracking) August 12, 2020

https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/testing/...l-states/texas

Looks like it. And positivity is back up to 24%

[O.city]

With PCR testing being apparently the standard and the timing issues, we're essentially always looking about 8 days into the past on this stuff.

You gotta get cheap at home testing out there.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by O.city

With PCR testing being apparently the standard and the timing issues, we're essentially always looking about 8 days into the past on this stuff.

You gotta get cheap at home testing out there.

I really hope we get some sort of postmortem reflection back on all of this to try and help understand why this is still such a problem. Getting too far into the discussion would just lead to political finger pointing I'm sure, but I honestly don't know what has been such an issue. Lack of coordination? Lack of funding? Simple human errors? The virus is just a pure pain in the ass?

It just seems criminal that we're 6 months into this thing and testing is still a complete cluster.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by DaFace

I really hope we get some sort of postmortem reflection back on all of this to try and help understand why this is still such a problem. Getting too far into the discussion would just lead to political finger pointing I'm sure, but I honestly don't know what has been such an issue. Lack of coordination? Lack of funding? Simple human errors? The virus is just a pure pain in the ass?

It just seems criminal that we're 6 months into this thing and testing is still a complete cluster.

Well, there's a bunch of factors IMO.

Just the raw amount of tests we're running is just a bitch. The actual PCR test is pretty intensive to run IIRC, so thats another thing.

But mainly yeah, there's probably some political things we could get into here, but that's not for today.

There's some real break thru on the paper saliva tests recently so that would be huge. If you can get those out cheap, everyone would know daily, so we coudl get back closer to normal.

[O.city]

New Zealand up to 36 cases.

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by O.city

With PCR testing being apparently the standard and the timing issues, we're essentially always looking about 8 days into the past on this stuff.

You gotta get cheap at home testing out there.

I took part in a study looking to make at home saliva test kits backs in May. Provided 30 minutes of spitting into a cup. Lol

Still not seeing much on it but that would be awesome, easy test.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by lewdog

I took part in a study looking to make at home saliva test kits backs in May. Provided 30 minutes of spitting into a cup. Lol

Still not seeing much on it but that would be awesome, easy test.

The ones I was reading about are basically like a pregnancy test. Just lick it once and you have a result.

They aren't as accurate as PCR, but they're fast. We need fast and abundant. If they're 85 percent of a PCR but you can do it daily and have a result quick, you're so much better off.

(As i type this the little 8 year old I'm about to have to do fillings on just ripped the N2O mask off and told my assistant to go to hell he's not doing this, so my day just got real fun)

[Donger]

Originally Posted by O.city

The ones I was reading about are basically like a pregnancy test. Just lick it once and you have a result.

They aren't as accurate as PCR, but they're fast. We need fast and abundant. If they're 85 percent of a PCR but you can do it daily and have a result quick, you're so much better off.

(As i type this the little 8 year old I'm about to have to do fillings on just ripped the N2O mask off and told my assistant to go to hell he's not doing this, so my day just got real fun)

Wow, that would be a game changer. Right now, all samples have to be shipped off somewhere for processing, yes?

[TLO]

Originally Posted by Donger

Wow, that would be a game changer. Right now, all samples have to be shipped off somewhere for processing, yes?

No. There are rapid tests that can be completed in your doctor's office/urgent care that take 15 minutes to get results.

[loochy]

Originally Posted by Donger

Wow, that would be a game changer. Right now, all samples have to be shipped off somewhere for processing, yes?

We can't just ship off annoying kids for "processing", you sicko. Do you work for Wayfair or something?

[Donger]

Originally Posted by TLO

No. There are rapid tests that can be completed in your doctor's office/urgent care that take 15 minutes to get results.

Thanks. I wonder what percentage of our testing uses that method.

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by O.city

The ones I was reading about are basically like a pregnancy test. Just lick it once and you have a result.

They aren't as accurate as PCR, but they're fast. We need fast and abundant. If they're 85 percent of a PCR but you can do it daily and have a result quick, you're so much better off.

(As i type this the little 8 year old I'm about to have to do fillings on just ripped the N2O mask off and told my assistant to go to hell he's not doing this, so my day just got real fun)

FDA hasn't approved those yet IIRC because they are afraid of false negatives which I understand. The antigen test is shit to and Gov Dewine's tests prove that out.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

FDA hasn't approved those yet IIRC because they are afraid of false negatives which I understand. The antigen test is shit to and Gov Dewine's tests prove that out.

The antigen test isn't shit.