***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.”

[TLO]

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by TLO

Dude at lunch time even....lol

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

Many people in this world get COVID-19 and have minimal/no symptoms.

90% of the people who have complications from COVID-19 and drain hospital capacity have underlying health conditions that result from bad CHOICES.

Being obese, being diabetic (95% of diabetics in the US have the lifestyle-caused Type 2 version), and having hypertension... all conditions from bad lifestyle choices.

That is a more of an age issue than bad choices issue. There was a study by Harvard that estimated that once you are over 55 you have a 90% chance of hypertension. 1/3 of the country has high blood pressure and diabetes. I can tell you have never been around elderly people.

[Monticore]

Originally Posted by petegz28

Well gee, that solves it. You and SAUTO can tell all the people it's just a choice and quit going to your doctors, taking your meds and talking with your shrinks.


Who knew it was just that simple, heh?

If your point you are trying to make is just because you smoke and drink doesn't make you a child or spouse abuser I would agree. Other than that I fail to see what your point is?

I don't know anymore lol , I think I have low blood sugar but all of sudden I afraid to treat it.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

That is a more of an age issue than bad choices issue. There was a study by Harvard that estimated that once you are over 55 you have a 90% chance of hypertension. 1/3 of the country has high blood pressure and diabetes. I can tell you have never been around elderly people.

Define elderly.....it's a joke...it's a joke

[petegz28]

Looks like airline will start checking the temps of passengers. I would like it if thy would do that anyway. Too many sick people getting on planes before all this as it was.

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by petegz28

Define elderly.....it's a joke...it's a joke

65\70 and above.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

65\70 and above.

Dude, I was joking

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by petegz28

Dude, I was joking

no you weren't.

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by petegz28

And you're a dick....

at least im a dick that smarter than you.

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by petegz28

Yeah that's what most people and I would lay money that every psychiatrist and other medical professionals would think about your "just choose to not too" avice.

**** people with mental disorders and diseases right? I mean

Why don't alcoholics just simply "choose" not to drink?
Why don't heroin addicts just "choose" not to do drugs?
Why don't bipolar people just "choose" to be happy?
Why don't people suffering from depression just "choose" to not be depressed?
Why don't people who suffer from anxiety just "choose" to chill out?


You know, because it's just that simple according to SAUTO.


Meanwhile there are entire medical fields and professions along with $100's of millions spent every year just getting people to realize "it's just a choice" and **** anything else it might be.

the answer to all of those is i dont know, because they CAN make that choice.


not saying it's an easy choice or even an easy thing to do but it IS a choice.

speaking from experience.

[FloridaMan88]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

That is a more of an age issue than bad choices issue. There was a study by Harvard that estimated that once you are over 55 you have a 90% chance of hypertension. 1/3 of the country has high blood pressure and diabetes. I can tell you have never been around elderly people.

Advanced age is a contributing risk factor for obesity, diabetes, and hypertension, but lifestyle is still the primary cause of these conditions.

Otherwise wouldn’t every older person automatically get those conditions?

No, there are plenty of healthy older people who are not obese, not diabetic and do not have hypertension because they make good lifestyle decisions and take care of their health.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by petegz28

Define elderly.....it's a joke...it's a joke

Originally Posted by dirk digler

no you weren't.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by SAUTO

the answer to all of those is i dont know, because they CAN make that choice.


not saying it's an easy choice or even an easy thing to do but it IS a choice.

speaking from experience.

I'll give you a smidge here just because you had a brief moment of reality

[Third Eye]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

As testing goes up and the positivity number goes down that is a good thing.

It’s not indicating the number of positives, but rather the proportion. When testing was very limited in the beginning, only the most severe were tested. As such, the proportion of those tested who were positive was high. As testing becomes more available, more people are tested who have less severe symptoms. Now the positivity rate comes down. That isn’t the absolute number of positives though. It is very easy to have the rate come down but the absolute number to go up. It all depends on how much the testing has increased.