***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.”

[dlphg9]

Originally Posted by seamonster

A flu test costs 5 dollars genius.

I can tell you that a flu test doesn't cost $3500, not even close, but I can also tell you it doesn't cost $5 either. I worked in a hospital lab and sometimes I had to do the ordering for the tests and we couldn't even get the test for $5, so a hospital sure as hell isn't gonna charge you $5 to do the test. I wanna say a flu test at my local clinic would be ~$100 but my insurance covered the cost. I think most insurance companies cover a flu test.

I just looked at the article and its clear that the guy went to the ****ing ER, so his bill was so high because he went to the ER which is extremely expensive. Of course that idiot on Twitter failed to mention that. If he didn't think it was Coronavirus and he went to the clinic, then his bill would have been a fraction of the cost. People like Imran are ****ing idiots trying to push an agenda and use obscure examples to scare people "omg your insurance may not cover preventative costs?!". Getting checked for the flu/coronavirus isnt ****ing preventative. Preventative means you know to prevent getting it. God damn stupid ****ing people.

[dlphg9]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/hea...240476806.html

Um that's what they charged him. Have you not been paying attention to what's going on with healthcare bills the last 10 years?

He went to the god damn ER. He didnt get a bill that said Flu Test $3500.

[BigRedChief]

Geezzz I sure hope that it’s a BS report that when those Americans evacuated from ground zero in China with a positive test for the virus landed, they were processed by health workers without the proper equipment.

They then flew home to their cities on commercial airlines without being tested for the virus. That’s a for sure no doubt way to create a pandemic.

[KCFalcon59]

I tend to give more credence to Dr. Drew.

[BWillie]

This is really going to devalue my houses. Who owns houses? Old ppl. Who dies from Coronavirus old ppl.

[Spott]

Originally Posted by dlphg9

He went to the god damn ER. He didnt get a bill that said Flu Test $3500.

He deserved that bill for going to the ER for some silly shit like that. I’ve been to the ER 3 times in my life, once when I cut my finger off, and the other two when my son put a nail through his foot and later on broke his arm playing basketball. Each one of those times I had to wait in line behind a bunch of other ****heads that where there because they had simple cold/flu symptoms that could easily be treated with OTC medicines.

[dlphg9]

Originally Posted by Spott

He deserved that bill for going to the ER for some silly shit like that. I’ve been to the ER 3 times in my life, once when I cut my finger off, and the other two when my son put a nail through his foot and later on broke his arm playing basketball. Each one of those times I had to wait in line behind a bunch of other ****heads that where there because they had simple cold/flu symptoms that could easily be treated with OTC medicines.

Well im not sure, but if he thought he may have possibly had the coronavirus, then he might have called and said "Hey I was recently in China and feasted upon swamp rats, bats, and the pussy of several women whom said they had the coronavirus. I've been back in the US for a few days and now I feel sick."

In this scenario they probably would have directed him to go to the ER instead of the clinic since the ER would be more adept to handle the situation, so they could quarantine him and not expose other patients. Even if he didn't call in he made the smart choice.

[BigRedChief]

Some quick stats about the #coronavirus for those concerned pic.twitter.com/y68tGSYBqi

— Rachel Alter, MPH CPH (@RachelAlter007) February 28, 2020

[loochy]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Some quick stats about the #coronavirus for those concerned pic.twitter.com/y68tGSYBqi

— Rachel Alter, MPH CPH (@RachelAlter007) February 28, 2020

So basically, if you are old and sickly you probably won't die if you are young and healthy you have an even better chance of surviving.

[007]

Just another opportunity for big pharma to steal your money. With a little help from government stooges.

[Eleazar]

Originally Posted by loochy

So basically, if you are old and sickly you probably won't die if you are young and healthy you have an even better chance of surviving.

It's not as deadly as SARS was, it just appears to be fantastically easier to transmit.

[threebag]

Isn’t this how the aids came in? Through California... they love them some virus

[58-4ever]

Originally Posted by TLO

Kinda like the flu?

Exactly. A big distraction

[KCUnited]

[dlphg9]

This thing is a bit more than just some scare tactic and if the reported 2-4% mortality rate is indeed correct, then it has the same or even higher mortality rate as the Spanish Flu. Spanish flu wiped out 30 million people. Also if that mortality rate is correct than it is 20-40 times more deadly than the flu which kills 0.1%. There are conflicting reports from the WHO in regards to the amount of people that were infected but their symptoms were so mild they were never tested, if that number is significant than it could drop the mortality rate drastically. One of the people that was sent to China from WHO says that the number of those people seems to be very low and then another person from WHO says its impossible to tell until they can test for antibodies in people that werent tested.

So this has the potential to be fairly bad, but modern medicine can likely keep it from being too catastrophic.