***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.”

[WhawhaWhat]

Kansas authorities will test your meth for coronavirus.

OBERLIN, Kan. (KAKE) - Authorities in northwest Kansas say meth purchased locally may be contaminated with coronavirus -- which is not true -- and they are advising users to get their supplies tested for free.

It's the Decatur County Sheriff's Office's attempt to get meth off the streets with a humorous twist. In a Facebook post on Thursday, the sheriff's office asked users to bring their meth in to have it tested.

"If you're not comfortable going into an office, please contact any officer and they'll test your Meth in the privacy of your home," the post said.

According to the CDC, there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus in the state of Kansas.

[FloridaMan88]

Might be bad timing for a new Corona product launch...

Introducing Corona Hard Seltzer. Four delicious flavors. One splashy entrance. pic.twitter.com/XrPPr6nWrB

— Corona USA (@coronaextrausa) February 24, 2020

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by 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.

Thats a lot of words to basically say nothing.

[dlphg9]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

Thats a lot of words to basically say nothing.

Ok

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by 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.

The issue with those stats is that they only cover the percent of people who were SEEN AND TREATED. It's been reported that this thing can be carried by people showing no symptoms or only mild symptoms, and it's likely that those kinds of cases actually make up the vast majority of people "infected."

The real death rate is almost certainly well below 1%, and it might be more like 0.00001%, especially once we start including areas where the medical response is prepared and better equipped than rural China.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by DaFace

The issue with those stats is that they only cover the percent of people who were SEEN AND TREATED. It's been reported that this thing can be carried by people showing no symptoms or only mild symptoms, and it's likely that those kinds of cases actually make up the vast majority of people "infected."

The real death rate is almost certainly well below 1%, and it might be more like 0.00001%, especially once we start including areas where the medical response is prepared and better equipped than rural China.

You're making too much sense. I'm going to have to ask you to panic and post irrationally from here on out.

[RINGLEADER]

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

Might be bad timing for a new Corona product launch...

Introducing Corona Hard Seltzer. Four delicious flavors. One splashy entrance. pic.twitter.com/XrPPr6nWrB

— Corona USA (@coronaextrausa) February 24, 2020

[JohnnyHammersticks]

SARS AVIAN FLU SWINE FLU MERS ZIKA VIRUS EBOLA CORONA VIRUS IS GOING TO BE THE DEATH OF US ALL!!!!!!!!!

[Chief Pagan]

Originally Posted by DaFace

The issue with those stats is that they only cover the percent of people who were SEEN AND TREATED. It's been reported that this thing can be carried by people showing no symptoms or only mild symptoms, and it's likely that those kinds of cases actually make up the vast majority of people "infected."

The real death rate is almost certainly well below 1%, and it might be more like 0.00001%, especially once we start including areas where the medical response is prepared and better equipped than rural China.

It is higher than 0.00001%.

4 passengers from the Diamond Princess have already died. The ship holds less than 3000 passengers and not every passenger got sick.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by Chief Pagan

It is higher than 0.00001%.

4 passengers from the Diamond Princess have already died. The ship holds less than 3000 passengers and not every passenger got sick.

Looking at a small sample size will skew your results.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Chief Pagan

It is higher than 0.00001%.

4 passengers from the Diamond Princess have already died. The ship holds less than 3000 passengers and not every passenger got sick.

Yeah, I didn't mean that literally. I only meant to illustrate that the difference between the stated death rates and reality is likely quite large.

Somewhere around 0.1% seems about in line with what I would expect, which is in line with death rates from the flu.

[suzzer99]

Originally Posted by dlphg9

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.

A lot of people don't know any better. You calling them stupid isn't going to change the situation that they'll be scared to get tested.

[InChiefsHeaven]

https://fortune.com/2020/02/25/coron...rial-covid-19/

UNMC in Omaha conducting trials of the vaccine.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) confirmed on Tuesday that the first U.S. clinical trial for a coronavirus treatment has launched at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) in Omaha, Nebraska. The experimental therapy is biotech giant Gilead's remdesivir, an antiviral with the potential to treat a host of pathogens—including COVID-19, the disease caused by the new, novel coronavirus strain.

The treatment could hold real promise as coronavirus infections and deaths outside of China continue to swell. "There is only one drug right now that we think may have real efficacy and that’s remdesivir," said WHO assistant director-general Bruce Aylward during a press conference in Beijing on Monday. The drug is already being enlisted in clinical trials in China.

The NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) will be the trial's regulatory sponsor. While remdesivir is already being tested in other countries (and has previously been tested in other forms of coronavirus, including MERS and SARS) this will be the first time that a so-called "gold standard" trial of the treatment will be tested in America.

More at the link.

[suzzer99]

Originally Posted by TLO

Looking at a small sample size will skew your results.

I think it's over 700 confirmed cases by now. Which is enough sample size that you know the mortality results within a half a % or so. IE - if 1% die - the real rate could be .7% or it could be 1.2%. But it's probably not less or more.

The Chinese doctor was hospitalized for almost a month before he died. So it could take a long time to get a real death rate.

Of course the biggest factor in mortality is being old and having other health problems. Looks like 5 have died so far but obviously this population skews super old.

The number of asymptomatic confirmed cases is concerning.

I've read more than once that the most likely scenario is this thing is going to eventually get everywhere (people in China and Japan have already been reinfected) and it will become another seasonal flu/cold thing we just have to live with.

[ptlyon]

Originally Posted by MahiMike

This has to be affecting the Corona beer sales.

I have not drank Corona since the first time because of the flu like symptoms it gave me