***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.”

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by jjjayb

Vaccinated people spread covid too. What's your point?

That choices have consequences.

Non-smokers get lung cancer, but healthcare premiums are still up to 50% higher for smokers due to taking on the additional risk.

And since ICUs are full in certain areas, it would be nice if people were at least cognizant of the fact that if you're taking on that additional risk of not vaccinating, you could put even ore strain on a system.

And yeah, just because I could still still end up in the hospital due to being in a car accident while wearing a seat belt doesn't mean I'm going to stay home.

[suzzer99]

What most people don't realize is even if they think they have good insurance - they are still going to owe a ton of money if they have to spend time in the ICU.

Oh sorry that ventilator tube was out-of-network. $80,000 please!

[Monticore]

Originally Posted by KCrockaholic

I’m not an anti-vaxxer but I would say why not? If it can cure you once you’re sick then might as well.

I think because it’s experimental treatment which some people have had terminology regarding the vaccine

[loochy]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

What most people don't realize is even if they think they have good insurance - they are still going to owe a ton of money if they have to spend time in the ICU.

Oh sorry that ventilator tube was out-of-network. $80,000 please!

Your insurance doesn't have an out of pocket max? We have $6,550 per individual max. We met ours last year pretty easily after 2 ER visits and several cardiology appointments. We got a cardiac ablation and a night in the hospital for free. They didn't pull any of that "out of network" crap on us, aside from the physicans' network bill, which wasn't that bad anyway.

[suzzer99]

There's nothing to stop the hospital from going after you for out-of-network stuff your insurance refuses to pay. It's called balance billing. Mostly it happens with emergency room visits or elective procedures that patients don't realize are partially done with out-of-network contractors. But it can happen in the ICU. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/patient...d-to-covid-19/

[RaidersOftheCellar]

Originally Posted by jjjayb

You do realize they don't treat vaccinated and unvaccinated the same in hospitals right? If you are vaccinated they don't test you for covid unless you are symptomatic. If you are un-vaccinated they do test you for covid even if you're asymptomatic.

Put it this way. If both of us go to the hospital because of heart attacks, you are vaccinated, I am not. They will test me for covid, even though I'm not there for Covid. They won't test you. If I show a positive test result, even though I'm not there for Covid, even though I'm asymptomatic, I'm considered "hospitalized with Covid". You won't be. Even if you are positive and asymptomatic just like me. They don't test you.

Why do they do this? Why would I even be considered "covid related hospitalization" when my hospitalization has nothing to do with Covid? I'm there for a heart attack and asymptomatic. There is nothing scientific about this. When you intentionally skew data like this you've lost every bit of trust I would otherwise have in you.

Another excellent point that will be ignored by a bunch of people who label themselves objective and critical thinkers.

[RaidersOftheCellar]

Originally Posted by loochy

Your insurance doesn't have an out of pocket max? We have $6,550 per individual max. We met ours last year pretty easily after 2 ER visits and several cardiology appointments. We got a cardiac ablation and a night in the hospital for free. They didn't pull any of that "out of network" crap on us, aside from the physicans' network bill, which wasn't that bad anyway.

Yeah....very few plans will have an OOP higher than $7,000. Sometimes there will be an out of network max of $10,000 or so.

[sedated]

Originally Posted by RaidersOftheCellar

Yeah....very few plans will have an OOP higher than $7,000. Sometimes there will be an out of network max of $10,000 or so.

Only $10,000? Whew, I thought it might actually be significant

I might check in for the weekend just for fun.

[RaidersOftheCellar]

Originally Posted by sedated

Only $10,000? Whew, I thought it might actually be significant

I might check in for the weekend just for fun.

That would be one of the worst plans out there. And ideally, most of your services would be in network. But $10,000 sounds a lot better than $80,000 or higher, no?

Healthcare costs are a joke in this country but this isn't exactly breaking news.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by RaidersOftheCellar

That would be one of the worst plans out there. And ideally, most of your services would be in network. But $10,000 sounds a lot better than $80,000 or higher, no?

Healthcare costs are a joke in this country but this isn't exactly breaking news.

You know what sounds good? Getting a vaccine and avoiding this all together.

[Hamwallet]

If you are spending over 7K in medical bills per year…. Do you skateboard ever day?

[TLO]

What are the sane and reasonable folks thoughts in here about boosters?

[Hamwallet]

By quarterly injections to help the vaccine. Sounds like we did everything we could do and this is the solution.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by TLO

What are the sane and reasonable folks thoughts in here about boosters?

I still haven't seen anything that suggests most healthy people should need it with either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. Both of those seem to be 85%+ effective against Delta, and severe breakthrough cases are exceedingly rare. But I think we're still waiting on solid evidence about waning immunity.

I'd probably consider it given that J&J isn't nearly as effective as the other two, but I'll probably just ask my doc what she thinks in a month or two.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by Hamwallet

By quarterly injections to help the vaccine. Sounds like we did everything we could do and this is the solution.

Thanks for your input.