***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.”

[srvy]

Originally Posted by BWillie

You are just going to have it at a rural venue outside of a city limit. Would be difficult to restrict gatherings outside city ordinances.

Yeah, those country bumpkins are so stupid they are going to sacrifice their community for some uppity JO jackasses and their wedding party.

[Chief Pagan]

Originally Posted by Chiefshrink

It's flu season my friend and Italy's average age is up there and their country was caught with their "collective public health pants down" not prepared for an outbreak that has not been seen. Same for the rest of the world and you can see the difference in preparedness of countries as this thing goes forward.

And are you saying the US will be okay because our "collective public health pants are up"?

If so, (and mods please don't boot me) besides comments from Trump what would give you that idea?

The country's ability to test and even find out where the virus is at is way behind China, Europe, and even places like Vietnam.

Doesn't seem reassuring.

[SupDock]

My bidet arrives tomorrow. Anyone want to buy some toilet paper?

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by Strongside

Also, Menorah has asked my mom to not “say anything about this, as they don’t want to scare off the public.”

So, ya know, **** Menorah.

This isn't the first story of suppression of testing, or of information that I've seen posted. That's a good way to create panic as well.



And to be clear, I'm not talking about you posting it, that's good. I'm talking about her employer and whoever issued the gag order.

[jd1020]

Originally Posted by SupDock

My bidet arrives tomorrow. Anyone want to buy some toilet paper?

[muddyjello]

Originally Posted by ForeverIowan

Educate yourself buddy. This virus is spreading at an exponential rate. It arrived to America much later than Europe and of course China. The virus caused 368 deaths in 24 hours in the country of Italy alone yesterday. Italy is on full blown lockdown. If you dont take drastic measures this thing is going to spread like fricken wildfire and result in hundreds of thousands if not millions of deaths in America. The United States will be placed on mandatory national lockdown within 24-48 hours mark my words.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graph...ona-simulator/

You really think we'll be locked down by mid week? Doubt that.

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by srvy

Id say stray away from Twitter bloggers before your brain turns to jelly. It's probably too late though.

The thing that bothers me about these Twitter posts is I have no idea who the hell most of them are and therefore have no idea how credible their information is. So I disregard nearly all of them.

[Chiefshrink]

Originally Posted by ForeverIowan

Pretty smug attitude.

Reflection would be very good for you.

[Chiefshrink]

Originally Posted by Bugeater

The thing that bothers me about these Twitter posts is I have no idea who the hell most of them are and therefore have no idea how credible their information is. So I disregard nearly all of them.

Smart !! A lot of "pot stirring attention whores" out there for sure.

[srvy]

Originally Posted by Bugeater

The thing that bothers me about these Twitter posts is I have no idea who the hell most of them are and therefore have no idea how credible their information is. So I disregard nearly all of them.

Thats me also.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Chief Pagan

23% of Italians are over 65. For the US it is 15%.

And the Italian health care system has collapsed in the sense they are doing triage to decide which patients to turn their backs on.

whats the % of the elderly in Spain?

Spain's trajectory is worse than Italy's pic.twitter.com/lZZ0o5ncOZ

— Tim Carney (@TPCarney) March 16, 2020

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

whats the % of the elderly in Spain?

Spain's trajectory is worse than Italy's pic.twitter.com/lZZ0o5ncOZ

— Tim Carney (@TPCarney) March 16, 2020

42.7 median age in Spain vs 45.5 in Italy. Pretty old still.

[suzzer99]

Originally Posted by KCUnited

In a study of 24 passengers eh?

Well it shows some people are definitely asymptomatic and shedding a lot of the virus - even more than the people who were symptomatic. So testing people with thermometers may not be that helpful.

I read a different study on a small population that showed the same thing. I'll post it when I find it.

[suzzer99]

Originally Posted by TLO

Suzzer... I like you. You seem like a good person. But your doom and gloom is growing tiresome.

FFS it's not gloom and doom to try to figure out how this thing is spreading. If we know asymptomatic people are shedding more virus than symptomatic people we can act accordingly and make better policies.

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

FFS it's not gloom and doom to try to figure out how this thing is spreading. If we know asymptomatic people are shedding more virus than symptomatic people we can act accordingly and make better policies.

Oh come on, how hard can it be to find some good news? We're only talking about a worldwide pandemic here.