***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.”

[BigRedChief]

18-49 year olds are 54% of the population that has tested positive for the coronavirus in NY state.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by petegz28

And? We've already seen reports out of states across the entire country, coast-coast.

You have no idea. If your argument is those numbers probably won't hold I will agree.

Otherwise you are just talking out of your ass at this point.

Which ones?

['Hamas' Jenkins]

BRC,

There is obviously a critical shortage of RTs in the US for this. I know that anesthesiologists and CRNAs can help fill some of that gap, but could an RT working remotely monitor multiple vents at once, giving instructions to lesser-trained healthcare workers (nurse's aids, LPNs) for the appropriate adjustments to serve as a sort of force multiplier?

[staylor26]

Originally Posted by O.city

It’s shown to be sensitive to heat so if Mother Nature could help us out and turn the ****ing thermostat up that would help

If you want some evidence to support that, we still only have 1 case in the Florida Keys and that was a lady that got it while in the UK.

This is despite them taking cruise ships up until about a week ago and just now closing hotels and forcing tourists/spring breakers out.

It should’ve been spreading down here by now.

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by Spott

I’ve never been in a Costco in my life. Looks like that isn’t going to change.

It's actually pretty efficiently run in non-apocolyptic times... granted, I never went to the one in KC.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by staylor26

If you want some evidence to support that, we still only have 1 case in the Florida Keys and that was a lady that got it while in the UK.

This is despite them taking cruise ships up until about a week ago and just now closing hotels and forcing tourists/spring breakers out.

It should’ve been spreading down here by now.

True, but we don't really know if it's not spreading or if it is and we just aren't testing for it yet.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Donger

Which ones?

[staylor26]

Originally Posted by O.city

True, but we don't really know if it's not spreading or if it is and we just aren't testing for it yet.

I know a lot of people that work at the hospital and nothing has changed. I don’t know any locals that are or have gotten sick and this is a small town where we’d know if people were getting sick.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by petegz28

Which ones have given an update today, and reported 0 new cases?

[O.city]

Originally Posted by staylor26

I know a lot of people that work at the hospital and nothing has changed. I don’t know any locals that are or have gotten sick and this is a small town where we’d know if people were getting sick.

For sure, but we are now seeing reports that there are 30-40% of the infections being asymptomatic or mild symptoms.

So who knows at this point.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Donger

Which ones have given an update today, and reported 0 new cases?

You mean you don't know? After you made 2 assumptions on why I reported was wrong you don't even know what you are referring too, do you? I told you which ones haven't. I think you should be able to figure out which ones had. WOW!



https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/

[ThaVirus]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

It's not just about deaths but hospitalizations and intensive treatment requirements. And those with comorbidities, even if younger, will still require treatment, which soaks up already withering and limited resources.

I get that, but it's not what I was commenting on. Homeboy I originally replied to said young people are dying from it. I was simply pointing out that it doesn't appear to be killing young, otherwise healthy individuals.

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong. I legitimately have not read of a single American death due to COVID of someone under 50 who didn't have some underlying health issue.

Originally Posted by Monticore

my point is a lot of people have underlying health issues even under 50. you can't tell somebody has high blood pressure by looking at them.(educated guess maybe) you would be surprised how many people in their late 30s and 40s on blood pressure meds.

https://www.heart.org/idc/groups/hea...ucm_319587.pdf

and this is just hypertension, not including the others I listed

I understand that. Even less conspicuous issues could be present, like that article I originally quoted in which the 20 had leukemia and apparently didn't know it.

Has there been a documented case of a young person dying of COVID due to complications caused by hypertension? If that's the case then damn near the entire Western Hemisphere is ****ed.

Originally Posted by Chief Roundup

Yeah but the ones that are not dying are losing between 20 to 40% of their lung function.

Has this been confirmed? If so, is the damage irreparable? I think the lungs are one of the few internal organs that can self-repair.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by staylor26

If you want some evidence to support that, we still only have 1 case in the Florida Keys and that was a lady that got it while in the UK.

This is despite them taking cruise ships up until about a week ago and just now closing hotels and forcing tourists/spring breakers out.

It should’ve been spreading down here by now.

Average March temperature in Australia is fairly close to Florida and they have over 1000 cases with an upward trajectory.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by O.city

For sure, but we are now seeing reports that there are 30-40% of the infections being asymptomatic or mild symptoms.

So who knows at this point.

Until you test 340 mil people, the asymptomatic thing is nothing more than speculation. We cannot let that paralyze us which it will at some point if we keep speculating.

[staylor26]

Originally Posted by O.city

For sure, but we are now seeing reports that there are 30-40% of the infections being asymptomatic or mild symptoms.

So who knows at this point.

I’m in no way pretending that I know what I’m talking about when it comes to this stuff. I just find that really strange when we’ve had tourists down here for weeks. You’d think some people would be getting sick and showing symptoms by now.