***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.”

[lawrenceRaider]

Originally Posted by O.city

It’s not less deadly to a non immune person.

Thanks to pre existing immunity, the death rate has lowered a lot.

Delta seems to be killing the same people as Alpha. Obese and/or older people.

Has anyone seen a young person in hospital on the news who wasn't a very large person?

[TwistedChief]

Good news:

https://twitter.com/carlquintanilla/...26338578137090

[jerryaldini]

Back when the numbers were good I booked a flight to KC to visit my mom in a nursing home. Would be spending most of the day in there for a few days. I'm thinking I should cancel that. I was there in the early summer, drove instead of flight, when numbers were down. Thinking I would feel I need to quarantine after flying to visit such a place. So frustrating.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by lawrenceRaider

Delta seems to be killing the same people as Alpha. Obese and/or older people.

Has anyone seen a young person in hospital on the news who wasn't a very large person?

Have had a few friends have to be hospitalized with it. Weren't overweight.

Thankfully they've gone home and are on the mend. But I know the hospital here has been hit with the 30-50 year olds alot more in this wave.

[MahomesMagic]

Originally Posted by lawrenceRaider

Delta seems to be killing the same people as Alpha. Obese and/or older people.

Has anyone seen a young person in hospital on the news who wasn't a very large person?

About half the Covid "patients" are people who check in for something else and get a +PCR test.

So those people could very well be younger.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by MahomesMagic

About half the Covid "patients" are people who check in for something else and get a +PCR test.

So those people could very well be younger.

Not the case here I don't believe. Not sure elsewhere on policy.

[MahomesMagic]

Originally Posted by O.city

Not the case here I don't believe. Not sure elsewhere on policy.

It seems to be nationwide.

Based on the data, I would assume all Covid hospital numbers are padded with about 50% of all patients in for something else.

We saw that with child/pediatric hospital numbers.

We saw that briefly in Florida where more than 50% of the hospital patients were in for something else.

Most places don't report for/with.

Same thing here:

So what does this mean? Of all the hospitalizations in the state of North Dakota, about 40% of them are currently "for" covid, with the other 60% incidentally "with" covid and just happened to test positive.

We should be adding this context to the US when we speak of hospitlzns pic.twitter.com/jLbYlgxk8R

— Woke Zombie �� (@AWokeZombie) July 30, 2021

[O.city]

Originally Posted by MahomesMagic

It seems to be nationwide.

Based on the data, I would assume all Covid hospital numbers are padded with about 50% of all patients in for something else.

We saw that with child/pediatric hospital numbers.

We saw that briefly in Florida where more than 50% of the hospital patients were in for something else.

Most places don't report for/with.

Same thing here:

So what does this mean? Of all the hospitalizations in the state of North Dakota, about 40% of them are currently "for" covid, with the other 60% incidentally "with" covid and just happened to test positive.

We should be adding this context to the US when we speak of hospitlzns pic.twitter.com/jLbYlgxk8R

— Woke Zombie �� (@AWokeZombie) July 30, 2021

Unless there are that many emergencies for those of younger ages, they're going in for Covid illness because last I knew they had shut down most elective procedures here. So unless my friends are just lying to me, it's been pretty hard hit here.

[Bearcat]

The context is that hospitals are once again turning away patients due to lack of beds, a problem that never consistently existed before Covid... a year after opening new ICU units and around here, preparing to use refrigerated trucks for dead bodies.

If numbers were/are actually padded, I'm not sure why it matters all that much... demand from sick people needing a hospital >>> supply of hospitals/healthcare workers.

Yeah, if some rural hospital with 3 ICU beds has 4 patients, okay... but not so much that logic for Springfield, etc.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by Bearcat

The context is that hospitals are once again turning away patients due to lack of beds, a problem that never consistently existed before Covid... a year after opening new ICU units and around here, preparing to use refrigerated trucks for dead bodies.

If numbers were/are actually padded, I'm not sure why it matters all that much... demand from sick people needing a hospital >>> supply of hospitals/healthcare workers.

Yeah, if some rural hospital with 3 ICU beds has 4 patients, okay... but not so much that logic for Springfield, etc.

Our issue is we draw from so much of the surrounding area as there aren't many small rural hospitals left.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by lawrenceRaider

Delta seems to be killing the same people as Alpha. Obese and/or older people.

Has anyone seen a young person in hospital on the news who wasn't a very large person?

Local hospital had 16 people on vents last week in their covid unit. 3 were under 25. 30 year old friend of mine who is an endurance athlete almost died from covid 3 weeks ago. 4 children locally had to be sent to Mercy in KC because of covid.

Again death is not the only negative outcome and it is effecting all kinds of people.

[MahomesMagic]

Originally Posted by O.city

Unless there are that many emergencies for those of younger ages, they're going in for Covid illness because last I knew they had shut down most elective procedures here. So unless my friends are just lying to me, it's been pretty hard hit here.

Two different things.

You can have an actual surge of Covid patients AND padded numbers from people in for elective surgeries testing positive on their way in.

My point wasn't about any situation in particular it was just to remember the overall hospital numbers are padded.

You can still see changes as you would expect because California/Florida are near peak season now.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by MahomesMagic

Two different things.

You can have an actual surge of Covid patients AND padded numbers from people in for elective surgeries testing positive on their way in.

My point wasn't about any situation in particular it was just to remember the overall hospital numbers are padded.

You can still see changes as you would expect because California/Florida are near peak season now.

Your claim that over half of the patients were there because of a positive test and not symptoms doesn't speak to "padded" numbers.

[MahomesMagic]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

Local hospital had 16 people on vents last week in their covid unit. 3 were under 25. 30 year old friend of mine who is an endurance athlete almost died from covid 3 weeks ago. 4 children locally had to be sent to Mercy in KC because of covid.

Again death is not the only negative outcome and it is effecting all kinds of people.

It is possible that there is also a surge in RSV and it is also there along with Covid?

I am hearing that children are surging into hospitals but that the main culprits aren't Covid but RSV.

[MahomesMagic]

Originally Posted by O.city

Your claim that over half of the patients were there because of a positive test and not symptoms doesn't speak to "padded" numbers.

So if I go in for a knee surgery, get a positive test on a PCR test but have no symptoms of illness you think I should be classified as a Covid "patient"?