***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.”

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

There’s a lot of wrong in this post. It’s estimated there are at least 200 viruses that cause the common cold. Of those only a few are known coronaviruses that affect people and they make up about 20-30% of cases.

That is correct. That is why I used the novel 2009 Swine Flu Virus as a baseline and not the other viruses that cause the common cold. The swine flu infected 61 million Americans in a one year period and it had a much lower R0 than Covid-19.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

And are wages going to magically raise across the board for people to afford the goods that aren't as cheap as they once were?

There aren't easy answers, obviously, but there are options that could be considered. At a minimum, there will likely be some consideration of how existing U.S. manufacturing capacity could be quickly pivoted like Ford (and others) are saying they might be able to do for ventilators.

But I certainly am not claiming that it will be easy - only that it may be necessary.

[Discuss Thrower]

Options that will be considered but ignored.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by rockymountainchief

Thought this might be of interest.

For the past five weeks, infectious disease researchers from institutions around the United States have been taking a survey that gathers their thoughts on the trajectory of the COVID-19 virus. The researchers come from academia, government and industry, and are experts in modeling the spread of viruses like this one:

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features...to-get-either/

Just quoting to emphasize that this is a good read.

[RINGLEADER]

Originally Posted by SupDock

Notice how the CDC guidelines for PPE have changed. They changed from N95 masks for healthcare providers to surgical masks being acceptable. Look at the PPE in China vs the PPE being used here.

This is so true.

Italy just gave up and they’re working through it. Imagine the same thing will happen here with doctors and nurses going down for a week or two then coming back to work with immunity.

This is going to get so bad if the rate is slowed...

[oaklandhater]

L.A. County gives up on containing coronavirus, tells doctors to skip testing of some patients https://t.co/T3szjlhMyp

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) March 20, 2020

Testing in this country has been a ****ing joke.

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by candyman

I'm not saying you're full of shit, but when you post stuff like this please provide links.

Perhaps you misunderstood some of my post. I didn't say 90% of the population gets Covid-19 or will get it, I said the American population gets other types of non-covid19 coronaviruses at a rate of at least 90% each year. The reason I indicated that is because it spreads at a similar rate to the common cold.

As far as the R0 of Covid-19 it can be seen anywhere from 2.1 to 3.5+. https://healthblog.uofmhealth.org/we...st-coronavirus

R0 of the swine flu is listed here at around 1.4. https://healthblog.uofmhealth.org/we...st-coronavirus

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by oaklandhater

L.A. County gives up on containing coronavirus, tells doctors to skip testing of some patients https://t.co/T3szjlhMyp

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) March 20, 2020

Testing in this country has been a ****ing joke.

They did that in China, too. If they came in with certain lower respiratory symptoms, they stopped waiting for lengthy tests and just assumed they had it. Considering them a presumptive positive.

[Nickhead]

Originally Posted by Monticore

If only there was an island full of convicts we could send them to.

not this time, all non residents/citizens are being escorted out of the building here

[KChiefs1]

Kansas has now surpassed Missouri in number of cases.

[DaneMcCloud]

https://www.latimes.com/california/s...inment-testing

The guidance, sent by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services to its doctors on Thursday, was prompted by a crush of patients and shortage of tests, and could make it difficult to ever know precisely how many people in L.A. County contracted the virus.

The guidance sets in writing what has been a reality all along.

The shortage of tests nationwide has meant that many patients suspected of having COVID-19 have not had the diagnosis confirmed by a laboratory.

[RINGLEADER]

Originally Posted by oaklandhater

L.A. County gives up on containing coronavirus, tells doctors to skip testing of some patients https://t.co/T3szjlhMyp

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) March 20, 2020

Testing in this country has been a ****ing joke.

The fact that there was not a plan in a drawer for how the government would respond if this happened is hard to believe.

[KChiefs1]

Originally Posted by oaklandhater

L.A. County gives up on containing coronavirus, tells doctors to skip testing of some patients https://t.co/T3szjlhMyp

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) March 20, 2020

Testing in this country has been a ****ing joke.

Yet it has the lowest death rate.

[BWillie]

This is not encouraging.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/trevorn.../#24d08a47e72e

Coronavirus Is Growing Faster In The United States Than Any Other Country In The World

[BIG_DADDY]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

https://www.latimes.com/california/s...inment-testing

The guidance, sent by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services to its doctors on Thursday, was prompted by a crush of patients and shortage of tests, and could make it difficult to ever know precisely how many people in L.A. County contracted the virus.

The guidance sets in writing what has been a reality all along.

The shortage of tests nationwide has meant that many patients suspected of having COVID-19 have not had the diagnosis confirmed by a laboratory.

Another stupid LA Times article. You will never know precisely how many people in the county contracted it when 80% have little to no symptoms. Duh

Not only that but I would imagine that most people unless they are on their death bed are not going to get tested.