***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.”

[Chief Roundup]

Bad Boy Mowers laid off 450 people today.

[Monticore]

I don’t remember people testing for SARS and other pandemics having to wear this level of PPE, they seem to be using Ebola level gear. I might be misremembering .

[TLO]

Originally Posted by ShowtimeSBMVP

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcar...younger-people


Hurting young kids lungs if they get it.

A new CDC analysis of more than 2,400 cases of COVID-19 that have occurred in the United States in the last month shows that at least 1 in 7 and perhaps as many as 1 in 5 people between the ages of 20 and 44 who contract the virus require hospitalization, a level exponentially higher than the hospitalization rates for influenza.

Between 2 percent and 4 percent of people that young are admitted to intensive care units. The fatality rate is low, only 0.1 percent to 0.2 percent, but is about two times higher than a bad flu season.

We're only testing the sickest of the sickest people right now, essentially.

There's no way that 1 in 5 people in that age bracket require hospitalization. If they did, our hospitals would already be totally overrun.

And if 1 and 5 people in that age bracket require hospitalization, then what is it, 1 in 3 or 1 in 2 for people that are older?

Data is good, and it helps to draw conclusions - but when we're missing the majority of the cases, those conclusions are going to be off.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by Monticore

I don’t remember people testing for SARS and other pandemics having to wear this level of PPE, they seem to be using Ebola level gear. I might be misremembering .

SARS (V1.0) had 27 cases in the United States.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by SupDock

As an FYI, blood typing is not routinely done on labs.

can you use some super magic powers and access my medical records and find out my blood type?

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by oaklandhater

Stay. At. Home. That means you, too, spring breakers. pic.twitter.com/jUOgjLaOGN

— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) March 18, 2020

Promoting a healthy lifestyle while smoking a cigar.

[eDave]

KC Zoo has a live feed of the penguins. Enjoy:

[Monticore]

Originally Posted by TLO

can you use some super magic powers and access my medical records and find out my blood type?

I am not sure if blood type is a factor, type A is very common .

[Monticore]

Originally Posted by eDave

KC Zoo has a live feed of the penguins. Enjoy:

Was hoping for more sex, thanks though

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by ShowtimeSBMVP

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcar...younger-people


Hurting young kids lungs if they get it.

The article doesn’t make the assertion you are claiming here.

[displacedinMN]

Originally Posted by Chief Roundup

Bad Boy Mowers laid off 450 people today.

great time for me to be looking for a job outside of teaching. Universe is against me.

[displacedinMN]

The Onion tweeted this 2001 article out again.

Planet Earth Doesn't Know How To Make It Any Clearer It Wants Everyone To Leave https://t.co/NpCeBE6c0b pic.twitter.com/bfv2XlxjS1

— The Onion (@TheOnion) March 18, 2020

['Hamas' Jenkins]

This is extremely discomfiting:

Just received word from an ICU doctor at a small NY hospital: They are officially out of ventilators and are now double venting patients with COVID (using the same ventilator for 2 infected patients). Do everything possible to avoid infection. PLEASE ISOLATE as best you can.

— Peter Attia (@PeterAttiaMD) March 18, 2020

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by stumppy

Nope, you're right. Call out the bullshit when you see it.

Doctors, nurses and RT’s working with known positive coronavirus patients can’t get tested. Supposedly they are going to the front of the line for testing now. We shall see.

The caregivers are positive, but don’t know, can’t get a test and then work with other patients. What could go wrong? China says 86% of people that tested positive never had any symptoms.

I took care of patients with TB. We took every precaution. We didn’t slack off at all. I had to get tested every week.

[cdcox]

Testing availability is still inadequate. People with symptoms can't be approved for testing without proof of direct exposure, despite the fact that most cases now are exactly of this nature.