***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.”

[O.city]

I get not rushing on safety

But if you have that now, get the shit oit the door and let’s get this moving

[sedated]

People are definitely ignoring social distancing. The bars near me are packed, with tables full of people.

I went out on Sat (I stick to patios) and a friend wanted to take me to a karaoke bar where some other friends were. The main room was full of people, and the people I knew were in a small private room, no masks, door shut, no ventilation. I noped out of that one.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by O.city

I get not rushing on safety

But if you have that now, get the shit oit the door and let’s get this moving

To your point about masks:

My Son is starting winter soccer tonight. They have to wear a mask while not on the field. One of the Mom's texted the Coaches asking if her Son could wear his mask the whole time. Of course no one has a problem with that.

But let me ask, what is really being prevented if your 1 child is wearing a mask around 19 others that aren't?

But it makes the Mom feel like she is being "extra safe".

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by sedated

People are definitely ignoring social distancing. The bars near me are packed, with tables full of people.

I went out on Sat (I stick to patios) and a friend wanted to take me to a karaoke bar where some other friends were. The main room was full of people, and the people I knew were in a small private room, no masks, door shut, no ventilation. I noped out of that one.

Why don't you quit pussying around and get it and get it over with already???

I keed...I keed

[underEJ]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

I hated at first wearing a mask but now I am used to it. Here is my hot take, during flu season we should all wear masks in public moving forward. I know it probably won't happen here but it does happen in Asian countries.

I view mask wearing like wearing seat belts and it took a very long time to get people using their seat belts but now it is common.

I know for our company, we've already talked about future flu seasons and what we have learned. Most people feel very strongly that no one who has any symptoms at all should come to work in the future. Since we have our conferencing and remote work game pretty well perfected, it seems totally reasonable to me. We are luckily a very large creative company that can do 90% of our job from home as long as the bandwidth holds up (remotely operating machines that are onsite.)

We also don't think we will ever return to historical meeting sizes on site. All meetings will have a remote capability, and our smallest 50% of meeting rooms are being converted to other uses.

After a survey, almost 25% of people would like to work remotely permanently, another 50% want some flexibility to work remotely part time, and almost 25% want to return to pre-covid in-office hours. Out of the back to normal folks, a good chunk of them don't want their coworkers to work from home either, unless they are sick. They believe the social aspect of the workplace is a defining part of our creative process.

I don't know that I believe that, but I'm willing to at least try to find out what we can recreate to facilitate that same feeling of collaboration for them. At the same time, other companies will offer the flexibility now to attract talent, and we can't say no and expect to retain the best people.

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by petegz28

You gonna pay the bills and salaries if he shuts them down?

The federal gov should

[Mr. Plow]

Originally Posted by petegz28

If he hasn't gotten worse since last Monday then most likely he has had what he is going to have. It is very much like the flu, the way you feel. Tired, achy, and just feel like "I'm sick". If he hasn't developed a cough then he is doing very well all things considered.

Hopefully you are right. He hasn't had a cough. He's been taking his temp/oxygen/blood sugar pretty regularly and other than a little bit of a temp every so often, everything else has been in line with where it should be.

[O.city]

Seriously, let’s get some ****ing vaccines out the door

If we know their safe now, everyone who has trouble between now and when they come out could be helped

Mass speed this shit

[suzzer99]

Originally Posted by TLO

I don't want to be "that guy", but I'm starting to question the efficacy of masks.

I've been a big supporter of masks since the beginning. I still think their biggest role might be lowering the amount of virus you get when you're around an infectious person. If so, that's still a potentially huge benifit. I will continue wearing my mask each day for this reason alone.

But at this point we're seeing such accelerated spread all over the country and all over the world. We have political leaders standing at podiums telling us we're failing at social distancing, wearing masks, etc. Frankly, it's getting old.

Did the entire world just decide to stop with the masks and social distancing? Is that why cases are going up? I think not. I do think people are tired of the restrictions, but I don't think that's why there is such an increase in cases.

There's something else going on that we're not seeing. Yet.

If the bars are open in your area that's more than enough to counteract people wearing masks to go shopping.

In LA we've had masks and no bars or indoor dining for a few months now. It's not great but our explosion stopped and we're muddling along.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

If the bars are open in your area that's more than enough to counteract people wearing masks to go shopping.

In LA we've had masks and no bars or indoor dining for a few months now. It's not great but our explosion stopped and we're muddling along.

Do you guys have schools open?

[dirk digler]

Around 100 children are taking part in the trial for Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, helping to make sure it is safe for kids. https://t.co/LXd34sR1JB

— ABC News (@ABC) November 16, 2020

Pfizer tested the vaccine on adults first and then gradually opened its trials to children, following safety protocols, according to Dr. Robert Frenck, who is leading the trial for Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine at Cincinnati Children's Hospital.

"In clinical trials, typically what we’re going to do is start in adults and to get information about the vaccine in adults, and then once we have a good handle as far as the safety profile in adults, if it would be a disease it would affect children, then we would be looking to move into testing in children," he said. "We have a very good understanding of the safety from this vaccine in adults … which then allowed us to move down into adolescents."

While children have not faced as many deaths from COVID-19 as adults, particularly people in the high-risk category of being over age 65 and/or having preexisting conditions, they can still get the virus and even more importantly, they can transmit the virus to adults, according to Frenck.

"That's one of the things I’m concerned about, is that a child or adolescent may not realize that they have COVID, they may not be getting that sick, but they have something and they’re transmitting it to their parents or their grandparents," he said. "So that’s why it’s so important to be studying this vaccine and immunizing children and vaccines, too."

Frenck said he wants to assure people, especially parents, that the apparent speed of the vaccine hitting the market does not mean that researchers are "cutting any corners."

"People should feel comfortable that this vaccine and all vaccines for COVID are being tested with great rigor," he said. "We’re doing everything the way that we normally do. If anything we may be compressing the time a little bit by having people work seven days a week and shifts around the clock to be able to collect data, to be able to analyze data, but we’re not cutting any corners."

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

The federal gov should

I agree. Or the state or the county..whomever is ordering the shut down.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

If the bars are open in your area that's more than enough to counteract people wearing masks to go shopping.

In LA we've had masks and no bars or indoor dining for a few months now. It's not great but our explosion stopped and we're muddling along.

Wanna substantiate that?

[TLO]

Locally, our daily new cases are staggeringly high. As is our positivity rate.

Yikes.

[TLO]

Better stock up on your toilet paper while you can.. The dominos are starting to fall.

NEW: Philadelphia bans indoor gatherings of any size, public or private. https://t.co/lqVaDefmyq

— Matt McCarthy (@DrMattMcCarthy) November 16, 2020