***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]

I've had a terrible smell in my nose for months. Pretty sure it's from wearing a respirator all day.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by petegz28

One thing you might ask him after his smell starts to return is if when he is just sitting around and there isn't any particular odor in the air if he smells something like sour or rotten garbage?

It seems like if I am just sitting at me desk or in my car or on the couch I smell a faint odor of what is like bad garbage. It could be my own odor but I have read others having similar. One you eat something or smell something else it is fine. It's really weird.

I suspect I had Covid (but never tested) in the spring and over the course of the year I get this weird smell of like something burning on an occasion. It's like for a split second and is gone.

[Indian Chief]

Had a meeting yesterday that our hospital is planning on having the Pfizer vaccine as we have the cold storage capability. One interesting note is that while they anticipate receiving some in December, there is a general belief that there may not initially be enough for the entire system and they will have a sub-prioiritization for the first distribution.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by Indian Chief

Had a meeting yesterday that our hospital is planning on having the Pfizer vaccine as we have the cold storage capability. One interesting note is that while they anticipate receiving some in December, there is a general belief that there may not initially be enough for the entire system and they will have a sub-prioiritization for the first distribution.

I've been told to place an order of the Pfizer vaccine, you have to order a minimum of like 900 doses. Any truth to that?

[suzzer99]

Phase 1 will include healthcare personnel (HCP), other essential workers, high risk adults, and adults over 65. Phase 1 has 3 tiers: 1a (highest priority), 1b and 1c.
2/ pic.twitter.com/CpxDgMTGhO

— Ed Belongia MD (@EdBelongia) November 24, 2020

[loochy]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

Phase 1 will include healthcare personnel (HCP), other essential workers, high risk adults, and adults over 65. Phase 1 has 3 tiers: 1a (highest priority), 1b and 1c.
2/ pic.twitter.com/CpxDgMTGhO
— Ed Belongia MD (@EdBelongia) November 24, 2020

Good. I'm ready to stop worrying about my parents.

[loochy]

Originally Posted by TLO

I've been told to place an order of the Pfizer vaccine, you have to order a minimum of like 900 doses. Any truth to that?

well I'm sure all 900 will be used

[TLO]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

Phase 1 will include healthcare personnel (HCP), other essential workers, high risk adults, and adults over 65. Phase 1 has 3 tiers: 1a (highest priority), 1b and 1c.
2/ pic.twitter.com/CpxDgMTGhO

— Ed Belongia MD (@EdBelongia) November 24, 2020

I'm really surprised that smoking is still listed as a "high risk" category. There have been so many studies showing smoking offers at least some sort of protective effect.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by loochy

Good. I'm ready to stop worrying about my parents.

I fat thumbed the down vote button by accident. Sorry.

Originally Posted by loochy

well I'm sure all 900 will be used

Yes, but my understanding is you have to give the 900 doses in a very short period of time. I could see where that may lead to some issues.

[Indian Chief]

Originally Posted by TLO

I've been told to place an order of the Pfizer vaccine, you have to order a minimum of like 900 doses. Any truth to that?

Yes, although I don't know what the number is.

Re: distribution phases -- The reality is, if all goes according to plan, I've seen estimates of being able to deliver 30M+ vaccines per month, starting in January. Assuming that holds, by spring anyone that wants the vaccine should be able to go get it regardless of priority.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by TLO

I'm really surprised that b smoking is still listed as a "high risk" category. There have been so many studies showing smoking offers at least some sort of protective effect.

Well I see they are just going off what the CDC has listed. The CDC for the longest time had it listed as "this may cause you to be at higher risk" then bumped it up without any updates to the studies they reference. Idk

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

Phase 1 will include healthcare personnel (HCP), other essential workers, high risk adults, and adults over 65. Phase 1 has 3 tiers: 1a (highest priority), 1b and 1c.
2/ pic.twitter.com/CpxDgMTGhO

— Ed Belongia MD (@EdBelongia) November 24, 2020

It's kind of insane to me that around a third of people in the U.S. are considered to be high-risk. It's also amusing that "Phase 1" contains ~260 million people while "Phase 2" only has ~70 million. Just semantics, but it seems like it would make more sense to call it Phase 1-5.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by TLO

Well I see they are just going off what the CDC has listed. The CDC for the longest time had it listed as "this may cause you to be at higher risk" then bumped it up without any updates to the studies they reference. Idk

I doubt they've been terribly precise about updating the categories based on preliminary research. In the end, it isn't going to matter much.

[Indian Chief]

Originally Posted by TLO

Yes, but my understanding is you have to give the 900 doses in a very short period of time. I could see where that may lead to some issues.

It would definitely be a factor in some places. Our system is more than double that, so it's not an issue here.

[Indian Chief]

Originally Posted by DaFace

It's kind of insane to me that around a third of people in the U.S. are considered to be high-risk. It's also amusing that "Phase 1" contains ~260 million people while "Phase 2" only has ~70 million. Just semantics, but it seems like it would make more sense to call it Phase 1-5.

My gut feeling is that it was done on purpose. By telling essentially 2/3 of the population that they are a priority and included in phase 1, you make everyone feel included and no one can argue being left out. The remaining population is healthy, under 65, non-essential workers. I doubt that group cares much about being in the back of the line, save for having a high-risk family member.