***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 DaFace

Outside of the tone, which aspects of his post do you disagree with?

• Mask usage is lower in rural areas than urban areas.
• People in rural areas are less likely to believe that COVID is a problem at all.
• Rural areas are being hit disproportionately hard by COVID in the past month.
• Educational attainment is much lower in rural areas than in urban areas.

I live in rural MO so:

1. Definitely
2. Definitely
3. Yes
4. Don't know

[O.city]

Originally Posted by Easy 6

Sure, Jan

I mean, sorry?

I have an office in both settings currently. There’s been a noticeable difference in multiple factors but I’m not necessarily attributing that to any certain reason.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Easy 6

Hate to see it coming from him of all people

Extremely disappointing

Disappointing that I'm aware of demographic trends?

[tyecopeland]

Originally Posted by DaFace

That's literally contradicted by the data you just replied to...

I could see how that graph could be confusing him. It actually takes some looking at and thought before it makes sense.

[tyecopeland]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

I live in rural MO so:

1. Definitely
2. Definitely
3. Yes
4. Don't know

Same here. Mid mo. Rural.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by tyecopeland

I could see how that graph could be confusing him. It actually takes some looking at and thought before it makes sense.

Yeah, I looked at quickly. I'm also working while I'm browsing.

But go on with your bad self, keep making fun of country bumpkins. We're so ****ing stupid and inferior to you.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Irrelevant, as usual.

I said IOWA.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...-mask-map.html

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Donger

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...-mask-map.html

I'm out in my community EVERY DAY. I see 80+ % masks being worn. But yeah, I'm sure the NYT has people out here in rural Iowa too.

[tyecopeland]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Yeah, I looked at quickly. I'm also working while I'm browsing.

But go on with your bad self, keep making fun of country bumpkins. We're so ****ing stupid and inferior to you.

Eh. I can see how you took that as a shot at you but it wasn't intentional. I was trying to say it took me awhile to see what daface was saying. I looked at it the same way you did for awhile.

Also, I'd fit in the country bumpkin category too. I'd say I probably live in a very comparable size community or smaller that you do.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

I'm out in my community EVERY DAY. I see 80+ % masks being worn. But yeah, I'm sure the NYT has people out here in rural Iowa too.

You live in a rural area?

[O.city]

My dads been a high school basketball official for 45 years this year, still going strong. They’re having some games and he’s commented on mask wearing and lack thereof especially earlier. Said it’s been noticeably increasing as cases and such have gone up in these rural areas

Anecdotal so obviously grain of salt

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by tyecopeland

Eh. I can see how you took that as a shot at you but it wasn't intentional. But I was trying to say it took me awhile to see what dart was saying. I looked at it the same way you did for awhile.

Thank you, then. I apologize.

I know better than to look at this thread anyway. It's all a bunch of elitists mask shaming people, despite the fact that they have ZERO clue what's going in each of our own communities.

It's all about sewing division and hatred. Race, religion, education, economics, any way you can denigrate someone else, that's what this is all about.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Donger

You live in a rural area?

I sure ****ing do. Said that multiple times over the past 20 years. Lots of people here know where I live but those people also pay attention and care about more than winning an argument.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

I sure ****ing do. Said that multiple times over the past 20 years. Lots of people here know where I live but those people also pay attention and care about more than winning an argument.

Okay. Perhaps your rural area is an exception.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by tyecopeland

Eh. I can see how you took that as a shot at you but it wasn't intentional. I was trying to say it took me awhile to see what dart was saying. I looked at it the same way you did for awhile.

Also, I'd fit in the country bumpkin category too. I'd say I probably live in a very comparable size community or smaller that you do.

I'm just surprised that it isn't common knowledge that education levels are higher in urban areas. Rural flight is a huge issue, so I'm surprised that people are apparently not aware of it. It's a pretty common topic in discussions about how to keep small towns alive.