***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.”

[O.city]

Originally Posted by petegz28

I think we just didn't have the infrastructure to do the kind of testing we are now. We didn't have the tests and we didn't have the labs to process all of the tests.

But I agree, I think there are some aspects at play that we can't talk about in here but it does bring up the ironic or otherwise coincidental timing of the surge in cases in relation to events taking place in the next 2 weeks.

Eh it was pretty predictable to figure the areas not hit early would eventually get it

It’s hard in rural areas now which makes things tough on metro areas in return

It’s just a bad situation all the way around

[KS Smitty]

Norton County KS has been hit hard. The correctional facility had a big outbreak and a nursing home had 100% of the residents get Covid-19 (10 of 62 have died) in addition to a lot of staff. 477 confirmed cases in a county of less than 5500.

[Otter]

This is a very good, no bullshit, podcast that explains why we're not being told the entire story on Covid-19:

[Rausch]

Originally Posted by Otter

... why we're not being told the entire story on Covid-19:

1) Politics
2) Money
3) Fear
4) Ignorance...

[O.city]

https://twitter.com/virusesimmunity/...099635714?s=21

Shows the effect of humidity

So get your humidifiers going in your houses this winter.

[O.city]

https://twitter.com/apsmunro/status/...295043584?s=21

Schools are safe. Get kids back in school everywhere

[loochy]

Originally Posted by O.city

https://twitter.com/virusesimmunity/...099635714?s=21

Shows the effect of humidity

So get your humidifiers going in your houses this winter.

That's just someone playing an MP3 with a Windows Media Player visualization.

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by O.city

https://twitter.com/apsmunro/status/...295043584?s=21

Schools are safe. Get kids back in school everywhere

Anecdotes are not evidence.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

Anecdotes are not evidence.

We have plenty of evidence to know schools aren’t super spreader events they were thought to be and aren’t really a problem vs how much disruption they cost

Verdict is in on thay

[TLO]

Originally Posted by O.city

We have plenty of evidence to know schools aren’t super spreader events they were thought to be and aren’t really a problem vs how much disruption they cost

Verdict is in on thay

+1

Open the schools

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by O.city

We have plenty of evidence to know schools aren’t super spreader events they were thought to be and aren’t really a problem vs how much disruption they cost

Verdict is in on thay

Ive been very pleased with how schools in my area have handled this and your right, no major outbreaks yet.

[Discuss Thrower]

Source

For US adults between the ages of 25-44, C-19 deaths account for roughly 17% of 14,155 excess deaths which, itself, is roughly 25% greater in amount compared to 2019. The paper highlights C-19 has an almost identical kill count in this age group (which, at least in the 2020 data, does not encompass the entire USA) to overdosing on opioids in 2019.

[Fish]

Oxford, AstraZeneca Coronavirus Vaccine Produces Immune Response in Adults


In an update this Monday, the University of Oxford and British drugmaker AstraZeneca announced that their experimental COVID-19 vaccine produces a similar immune response in both older and younger adults.

The current University of Oxford vaccine, also known as, AZD1222, is considered a frontrunner in the race to protect people around the world from the virus. The news today gives us a glimmer of hope as many countries around the world deal with a new wave of COVID-19.

“It is encouraging to see immunogenicity responses were similar between older and younger adults and that reactogenicity was lower in older adults, where the COVID-19 disease severity is higher,” says a representative from AstraZeneca in an article for Reuters.

“The results further build the body of evidence for the safety and immunogenicity of AZD1222."

[TLO]

Originally Posted by Fish

Oxford, AstraZeneca Coronavirus Vaccine Produces Immune Response in Adults


In an update this Monday, the University of Oxford and British drugmaker AstraZeneca announced that their experimental COVID-19 vaccine produces a similar immune response in both older and younger adults.

The current University of Oxford vaccine, also known as, AZD1222, is considered a frontrunner in the race to protect people around the world from the virus. The news today gives us a glimmer of hope as many countries around the world deal with a new wave of COVID-19.

“It is encouraging to see immunogenicity responses were similar between older and younger adults and that reactogenicity was lower in older adults, where the COVID-19 disease severity is higher,” says a representative from AstraZeneca in an article for Reuters.

“The results further build the body of evidence for the safety and immunogenicity of AZD1222."

Good news. Now let's see that phase 3 data.

(Even a sneak peak would be nice)

[dirk digler]

I don't think this is unexpected and covid possibly behaves like other coronaviruses like the cold.

Just another piece to the puzzle.

Scientists at Imperial College London have tracked antibody levels in the British population following the first wave of COVID-19 infections in March and April.

Their study found that antibody prevalence fell by a quarter, from 6% of the population around the end of June to just 4.4% in September. That raises the prospect of decreasing population immunity ahead of a second wave of infections in recent weeks that has forced local lockdowns and restrictions.

Although immunity to the novel coronavirus is a complex and murky area, and may be assisted by T cells, as well as B cells that can stimulate the quick production of antibodies following re-exposure to the virus, the researchers said the experience of other coronaviruses suggested immunity might not be enduring.

“We can see the antibodies and we can see them declining and we know that antibodies on their own are quite protective,” Wendy Barclay, head of the Department of Infectious Disease at Imperial College London told reporters.

There was no change in the levels of antibodies seen in healthcare workers, possibly due to repeated exposure to the virus.

The study backs up findings from similar surveys in Germany which found the vast majority of people didn’t have COVID-19 antibodies, even in hotspots for the disease, and that antibodies might fade in those who do.