***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.”

[Swanman]

Originally Posted by Sure-Oz

When we are out with our kid we do the same. My daughter never had an issue wearing them and we just don't want her to feel isolated. I definitely don't want to get it and get her sick.

Good man, this Sure-Oz. There are a group of parents trying to lobby/intimidate our school board into ditching the mask mandate for all schools, even those where kids are too young to be vaccinated. I know some of the people, and the kids don't like the masks because all they see every day is their parents acting like damn babies about the masks. Our kids don't see it as a big deal because we explained why it was needed and we damn sure didn't make a big deal out of it. We had fun with it, found cool masks with stuff the kids like on them and now it's just something we do.

[TLO]

I hate articles like this. I'm not even going to post the whole thing because this is stupid.

'Pfizer COVID vaccine significantly less effective against Delta variant'

The effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine against the Delta variant is “weaker” than health officials hoped, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Friday, as 855 people tested positive for coronavirus and more countries were listed as places of high infection.

“We do not know exactly to what degree the vaccine helps, but it is significantly less,” Bennett said.

[loochy]

Originally Posted by Swanman

Good man, this Sure-Oz. There are a group of parents trying to lobby/intimidate our school board into ditching the mask mandate for all schools, even those where kids are too young to be vaccinated. I know some of the people, and the kids don't like the masks because all they see every day is their parents acting like damn babies about the masks. Our kids don't see it as a big deal because we explained why it was needed and we damn sure didn't make a big deal out of it. We had fun with it, found cool masks with stuff the kids like on them and now it's just something we do.

Welcome to 12 months ago

[TLO]

Thanks Prime Minister! What a wealth of information you are.

[MahomesMagic]

Originally Posted by TLO

I hate articles like this. I'm not even going to post the whole thing because this is stupid.

'Pfizer COVID vaccine significantly less effective against Delta variant'

The effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine against the Delta variant is “weaker” than health officials hoped, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Friday, as 855 people tested positive for coronavirus and more countries were listed as places of high infection.

“We do not know exactly to what degree the vaccine helps, but it is significantly less,” Bennett said.

Yes, reality can crush press releases.

[Swanman]

Originally Posted by Sure-Oz

Is Chicago still heavily masked up? I was up there memorial day weekend and even outdoors it was like 95% masks

I don't go downtown much but it would not surprise me. They lived through the really bad times last spring and remember it so the mask isn't some awful thing to them. I was down there in October and every single person for the most part was masked up, even outside. I live about 20 miles from the loop and around here, most have ditched masks because of vaccination or they just never wore them to begin with (or wore them with their nose/mouth hanging out). Dupage county has the highest vaccination percentage in the state but there are still pockets of anti-vaxxers here and there.

[TLO]

More stuff from Isreal. (This one is worth reading)

Israeli study of breakthrough infections following full BNT-Pfizer vaccination, 40% immunocompromised

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.new...mpromised.aspx

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by TLO

I hate articles like this. I'm not even going to post the whole thing because this is stupid.

'Pfizer COVID vaccine significantly less effective against Delta variant'

The effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine against the Delta variant is “weaker” than health officials hoped, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Friday, as 855 people tested positive for coronavirus and more countries were listed as places of high infection.

“We do not know exactly to what degree the vaccine helps, but it is significantly less,” Bennett said.

The word "significantly" is particularly problematic. I'm sure they're referring to statistical significance, but all that really means is that it's less effective with no regard to the magnitude. It might still be 90% vs. 95%, but because it's less and they have the sample size for it, it's a "significant difference."

[Sure-Oz]

Originally Posted by Swanman

Good man, this Sure-Oz. There are a group of parents trying to lobby/intimidate our school board into ditching the mask mandate for all schools, even those where kids are too young to be vaccinated. I know some of the people, and the kids don't like the masks because all they see every day is their parents acting like damn babies about the masks. Our kids don't see it as a big deal because we explained why it was needed and we damn sure didn't make a big deal out of it. We had fun with it, found cool masks with stuff the kids like on them and now it's just something we do.

Same with our school. Yep, kids just following what the parents are doing. Parents should be protecting their kids with this delta one being way more contagious.

[Sure-Oz]

Originally Posted by Swanman

I don't go downtown much but it would not surprise me. They lived through the really bad times last spring and remember it so the mask isn't some awful thing to them. I was down there in October and every single person for the most part was masked up, even outside. I live about 20 miles from the loop and around here, most have ditched masks because of vaccination or they just never wore them to begin with (or wore them with their nose/mouth hanging out). Dupage county has the highest vaccination percentage in the state but there are still pockets of anti-vaxxers here and there.

Yeah I was pretty surprised. The loop and downtown had limits and forced masks. No one seemed to have issues. Glad they took it seriously.

[Swanman]

Originally Posted by Sure-Oz

Yeah I was pretty surprised. The loop and downtown had limits and forced masks. No one seemed to have issues. Glad they took it seriously.

It was the same way in NYC. The areas with the super dense populations got the memo pretty damn quickly.

[Swanman]

Originally Posted by Sure-Oz

Same with our school. Yep, kids just following what the parents are doing. Parents should be protecting their kids with this delta one being way more contagious.

My oldest has developmental delays so she really needs to be in school and not at home, but if they drop the mask mandate for her age level, I will seriously consider keeping her home until she can get vaccinated. I hope our school board isn't that stupid but there will be a lot of vocal anti-maskers at the next board meeting. One good thing is the superintendent reiterated that they will be following CDC guidelines in the fall so I hope it stays that way.

[Chief Roundup]

Out of the 32 Covid patients that are hospitalized where I work 5 have been completely vaccinated.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by Chief Roundup

Out of the 32 Covid patients that are hospitalized where I work 5 have been completely vaccinated.

What's the demographic like of those who are vaccinated and still hospitalized?

[NotDonger]

Regarding "the fully vaccinated," I wonder how many of them were infected during the 14 day period after the boost shot and weren't truly "fully vaccinated."