***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.”

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by O.city

All across Europe they've had schools open for a while and don't have problems. I'm sure someone will cite the one in Israel where they did have problems, but if you read into that, they had teachers and students going to school symptomatic.

I don't think anyone would argue that wouldn't cause problems.

By symptomatic they mean what exactly, considering C-19 symptoms seem almost all-encompassing at this point.

A study that percolated out from Iran noted a lot of cases were co-infections with H1N1. Have bacterial or viral co-infections been ruled out in the seriously ill cases here or not?

[Pants]

Originally Posted by O.city

All across Europe they've had schools open for a while and don't have problems. I'm sure someone will cite the one in Israel where they did have problems, but if you read into that, they had teachers and students going to school symptomatic.

I don't think anyone would argue that wouldn't cause problems.

I thought school in European countries didn't start till like September? Are you sure?

I absolutely could be wrong about this. This is just what I had always thought to be the case, even before COVID.

[suzzer99]

That's what I was wondering - how much are schools really open in Europe right now?

Also in a lot of those places they've gotten cases to near zero with masks, social distancing, heavy testing and contact tracing. We're not doing well at any of those things right now, and nowhere near as low in cases.

[Chiefnj2]

I’m not sure comparing US schools to European or Asian schools is comparing apples to apples. You’d have to look at Classroom density, PPE provided, testing and willingness of kids to wear and keep masks on.

[suzzer99]

And general level of outbreak going on around the school.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

Simple question (well kind of).

In general are kids safer in a controlled environment with protocols, people in masks, and regular sanitizing and cleaning or at home with and doing who knows what?

I did see someone, not sure who, bring that up. With Kids especially high schoolers at school, you can control and know where they are etc. With them doing school from home, they're gonna be out and about.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

By symptomatic they mean what exactly, considering C-19 symptoms seem almost all-encompassing at this point.

A study that percolated out from Iran noted a lot of cases were co-infections with H1N1. Have bacterial or viral co-infections been ruled out in the seriously ill cases here or not?

Fever, body aches, cough were the ones I read.

I would guess there are some co infections, but those are pretty easy to rule out based on my knowledge so if it were high, I'd think you'd know about it by now. With most viral infections, you're gonna get secondary bacterial infections so thats not abnormal.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by Pants

I thought school in European countries didn't start till like September? Are you sure?

I absolutely could be wrong about this. This is just what I had always thought to be the case, even before COVID.

Most of them went back a while ago, based on my remembered reading. I know Sweden never closed primary schools thru the whole ordeal.

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by O.city

I did see someone, not sure who, bring that up. With Kids especially high schoolers at school, you can control and know where they are etc. With them doing school from home, they're gonna be out and about.

you've obviously never had a high schooler yet.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

And general level of outbreak going on around the school.

We also have areas that have kept daycares and such open thru all this and I haven't seen anything on big out breaks there. I know thats not necessarily at the level of a school.

[O.city]

If things keep going this way, we should be nearing the end of this first wave in the next 6 weeks or so.

Hopefully we can make it without it flaring up to badly in some areas.

[O.city]

Spain isn't looking good either. Areas that were spared early there are getting it now.

Not good.

[SAUTO]

The state has us at 1034 for the day.

Worldometers has us at almost 1400.

Another backlog coming.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by SAUTO

The state has us at 1034 for the day.

Worldometers has us at almost 1400.

Another backlog coming.

They generally don't give test results out over the weekend because the test sights are closed so there is always going to be a surge every Mon-Tuesday.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by O.city

We also have areas that have kept daycares and such open thru all this and I haven't seen anything on big out breaks there. I know thats not necessarily at the level of a school.

My Son has gone to day care all summer and until yesterday they did not have to wear masks. Only the Teachers. No one got Covid. Today they all had to start wearing masks even outside. So they went from one extreme to the other.