***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.”

[LoneWolf]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

If a preacher can be arrested for having church, charged with a misdemeaner, why isn't that just as illegal?

Because there isn’t a shutdown order preventing people from touching things. For ****s sake, everyone in that store is touching the handle on the shopping cart, the door handle to get in if they aren’t automatic, and every item they touch to put in their basket was touched by at least one person before they touched it.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by TLO

What's the theory on this?

If anyone cares to chime in I'd be interested to hear.

[PAChiefsGuy]

Originally Posted by LoneWolf

Because there isn’t a shutdown order preventing people from touching things. For ****s sake, everyone in that store is touching the handle on the shopping cart, the door handle to get in if they aren’t automatic, and every item they touch to put in their basket was touched by at least one person before they touched it.

Yeah but they aren't going around and touching every single computer they see like an idiot which is at minimum spreading fear.

[WhawhaWhat]

Originally Posted by LoneWolf

What law is she breaking? Is it stupid? Yes, but **** off with the arrested and prosecuted bullshit.

It's already happened.

A 26-year-old Missouri man who authorities say was seen in a social media video licking items at a Walmart to mock fears of the coronavirus pandemic was arrested and charged with making a terrorist threat.

Cody Lee Pfister posted a video of himself licking deodorants at the Warrenton store on March 11, according to court documents. As he wiped his tongue across the packages, he asked, "Who's scared of coronavirus?" according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Pfister was arrested Monday.

The Warrenton Police Department said in a Facebook post that it received calls from local residents, as well as people overseas in the Netherlands, Ireland and the United Kingdom, to report the video.

"We take this incident very seriously, especially with this infectious disease and the state that the country is in," Lt. Justin Unger told NBC News. "We take these things seriously to protect our community.”

A criminal complaint states that Pfister "knowingly caused a false belief or fear that a condition involving danger to life existed" by posting the video online. He appeared in court Wednesday and is due back in May.

NEPTUNE, N.J. – A man is facing charges after coughing on a Wegmans employee in New Jersey and claiming he had the coronavirus, authorities said.

George Falcone, 50, of Freehold Township, was charged with making terroristic threats, harassment and obstruction after officials said he refused to identify himself or provide identification to township police for more than 40 minutes, according to a news release from the state Attorney General's Office.

Gov. Phil Murphy, who mentioned the incident at a news conference Tuesday, said police responded to a call after a man was in a confrontation with a female employee of the supermarket chain and then "coughed on the woman and told her after doing so that he had the coronavirus."

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by carlos3652

So now can we put away the doubts that 1k per day is a reality? Can we also state that 20k deaths in the US sometime in April is a possibility?

10 days ago people were saying this was not gonna happen and mocking the math.

It sucks but the next 14 days are going to be brutal. Hopefully the curve flattens faster and social distancing (the 60-70% of the population that is doing it) works.

Hold on just a sec. First off, anything is possible. Secondly the call of 1,000 deaths in a day was supposed to happen over 4 - 5 days ago. There is something to be said that it took longer to get there than what people were saying.

Yes, the next 14 are going to be not fun. But I think we need to focus across the entire country and not let NY be the indicator of what is or will be for everyone else.

[LoneWolf]

Originally Posted by PAChiefsGuy

She's putting others at risk intentionally. Even if she thinks she doesn't have it and she could have it and not even know it.

What if someone dies or spreads the virus to others due to her actions? Bet if it was you or one of your family members you wouldn't be saying the bullshit you just posted.

So would it have been OK if she just touched one laptop she was interested in buying? What if someone was infected by it?

Everyone needs to calm the **** down. Protect yourself as much as possible and come to grips with the fact that you are probably going to come in contact with several people who are infected.

[PAChiefsGuy]

Originally Posted by LoneWolf

So would it have been OK if she just touched one laptop she was interested in buying? What if someone was infected by it?

Everyone needs to calm the **** down. Protect yourself as much as possible and come to grips with the fact that you are probably going to come in contact with several people who are infected.

If you can't figure out the difference between her touching one laptop she was interested in and what she did then I don't know what to tell you.

No one is panicking over this I'm just saying what she did is stupid and unnecessary. She clearly thinks this is a game and it isn't.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by TLO

What's the theory on this?

That is a scary situation but in the bigger picture is it any different than any other medical condition? Why did you have an aneurysm and survive but someone who had the same kind died? Why is it you had a heart attack with worse blockage and live but someone in much better health dropped dead? Why did you survive a stroke and someone else didn't? Why did your progressive cancer respond to treatment but someone else's not-so-progressive cancer kill them in a 3 weeks?

I just think that while it is something we want to understand we can ask that same question in just about every scenario when it comes to things like that.

[LoneWolf]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

It's already happened.

Dumb as hell.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by LoneWolf

So would it have been OK if she just touched one laptop she was interested in buying? What if someone was infected by it?

Everyone needs to calm the **** down. Protect yourself as much as possible and come to grips with the fact that you are probably going to come in contact with several people who are infected.

Dude she was clearly touching them all for a specific reason and it wasn't to try them out. I understand what you're saying but right now it's not cool what she did.

[LoneWolf]

Originally Posted by PAChiefsGuy

If you can't figure out the difference between her touching one laptop she was interested in and what she did then I don't know what to tell you.

Listen, you dumb ****, I already said it was stupid. It’s not against the law is what I said. If you’re such a scared pussy, lock yourself in your house and we’ll see you in a few months.

[LoneWolf]

Originally Posted by petegz28

Dude she was clearly touching them all for a specific reason and it wasn't to try them out. I understand what you're saying but right now it's not cool what she did.

It was stupid, which I already stated, but it’s not illegal.

[PAChiefsGuy]

Originally Posted by LoneWolf

Listen, you dumb ****, I already said it was stupid. It’s not against the law is what I said. If you’re such a scared pussy, lock yourself in your house and we’ll see you in a few months.

**** you bitch. Let her come into your Mom's house where you live in the basement and touch everything there if you think you are so tough watching the video on a computer.. Dumbass.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by LoneWolf

It was stupid, which I already stated, but it’s not illegal.

Under the circumstances it could be. It all comes down to why she was doing it. Outside of being diagnosed with OCD what she was doing is illegal. It would be the same as screaming fire in a theater or bomb on a plane.

[mlyonsd]

Here's some hope. A possible treatment that attacks the virus is going to US military trials.

https://nypost.com/2020/04/01/doctor...onavirus-cure/