***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.”

[Dartgod]

Originally Posted by stumppy

Just call me Capt. Oblivious.

Heh.

[eDave]

Originally Posted by stumppy

Just call me Capt. Obvious.

I'm still trying to figure out what you said that warrents such praise.

[BIG_DADDY]

Originally Posted by Dartgod

It's the way of ChiefsPlanet. Always has been, always will.

That said, I'd like to see this thread maintain a higher level of civility than the norm. There is a lot of good, important information in this thread and I'd rather not see it get lost in the bickering.

I don’t envy the moderators job in this thread. This is a huge subject right now and there is a lot of media trying to take advantage of that by politicizing all if it infuriating the public and then they come in here. Great job mods.

[FAX]

Originally Posted by tk13

It's still the case. That's literally what people in the know are still complaining about. We haven't been testing at a high level at all and we still aren't. They will never contain it unless the government gets serious about it.

West Virginia was the final state to finally have a case, announced today. They've done like 140 tests. Total. We're finally starting to ramp up testing in this country but it's already too late. That's the problem. You're going to have a whole bunch of mild and asymptomatic people out there spreading this around like wildfire.

Which raises another of the crucially important unknowns, Mr. tk13.

If it's true that hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of people have had the disease and presented few or no symptoms (didn't even know they had it), are we to isolate those people, ravage their livelihoods, destroy their businesses and bank accounts and scare them half to death? Or is it wiser to isolate only those individuals who are "at-risk" based on current knowledge (i.e. the elderly and those with existing compromised immune systems and/or breathing-related problems)?

FAX

[Halfcan]

Quarantine Day 1: Out of Cheetos and Little Debbie Snack Cacks. Not sure I can hold on...

[stumppy]

Originally Posted by Dartgod

Heh.

You're not wrong. Been taking care of the four grandkids for three days by myself. My brain has been stressed the **** out and not firing on all cylinders.

[FAX]

Originally Posted by Stanley Nickels

Incredibly wrong and irresponsible.

86% of 11 million is 9.5 million (or thereabouts).

FAX

[Titty Meat]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Six of 11 novel coronavirus cases in Johnson County, Kansas, were “acquired locally,” according to the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment.


Seems like a small number but gotta wonder how many that infected is the question

[stumppy]

Originally Posted by eDave

I'm still trying to figure out what you said that warrents such praise.

I believe I was the victim of some of BD's scathing sarcasm.

[Dartgod]

Originally Posted by BIG_DADDY

I don’t envy the moderators job in this thread. This is a huge subject right now and there is a lot of media trying to take advantage of that by politicizing all if it infuriating the public and then they come in here. Great job mods.

Everyone has done a great job policing themselves for the most part.

[LiL stumppy]

Originally Posted by petegz28

Seen the toilet paper isle lately? That's how we know it is hysteria.

The definition of hysteria is, "exaggerated or uncontrollable emotion or excitement, especially among a group of people."

The majority of American's do not fit anywhere near this description. There are no mass rioting or looting, no marshal law, no increase in crime that's been documented.

It's a country of people that are taking precautions as they should and as they've been directed to (minus the whole TP issue, which is the only ridiculous thing that's really happened.)

People are stocking up on food because they assume a federal quarantine is headed down the pipe and they may as well shop now, rather than later.

If you can't see the implications of this virus, on our elderly population and certainly our economic system, you are being ignorant.

It's not a joke, it's not game, it's a legitimate pandemic that is being handled as such.

[eDave]

Originally Posted by Halfcan

Quarantine Day 1: Out of Cheetos and Little Debbie Snack Cacks. Not sure I can hold on...

Ha ha. I eat like a KING on grocery shopping day. Sweets are gone by day 2.

[Stanley Nickels]

Originally Posted by FAX

86% of 11 million is 9.5 million (or thereabouts).

FAX

The suggestion is that 86% of all COVID cases were likely undiagnosed. So for every 1 diagnosis they estimated that there were 6 undocumented cases. This is on the order of tens of thousands. The article does not suggest that 86% of Wuhan had the disease.

[tk13]

Originally Posted by FAX

Which raises another of the crucially important unknowns, Mr. tk13.

If it's true that hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of people have had the disease and presented few or no symptoms (didn't even know they had it), are we to isolate those people, ravage their livelihoods, destroy their businesses and bank accounts and scare them half to death? Or is it wiser to isolate only those individuals who are "at-risk" based on current knowledge (i.e. the elderly and those with existing compromised immune systems and/or breathing-related problems)?

FAX

The right answer is to get out ahead of it like South Korea did and isolate everyone who tests positive. But it's too late for that.

In theory if you shut everything down for a couple, three weeks you probably increase your odds if everyone obeys the order. Problem is people here aren't going to obey the order. It's hard to say you can just let people mill about normally when there's a disease spreading around we don't know everything about. We don't entirely know if there are superspreaders of this disease, and there are cases where people who seem to be doing fine deteriorate rapidly in a very short period of time. That's a dangerous wheel to spin. I don't think you're ever going to get any health official to agree to that.

[BIG_DADDY]

Originally Posted by eDave

I'm still trying to figure out what you said that warrents such praise.

One of my best friends is a biotech founder as are some of my clients. I have a family member in a very high position in the government. Nobody truly knows exactly what is going on and where this will take us for sure. The fact that he doesn’t buy into anything too much is great in this doom and gloom thread.