***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.”

[suzzer99]

From twoplustwo.com:

I know and deal with several people every day that are rabidly anti-vax, including the guy who had the office two doors down from me who has been in the ICU for a month and a half now whose family is asking for PTO donations. I gave a week cause I don’t want him to die even though I think he’s an idiot.

Are PTO donations really a thing? Not much shocks me these days. But companies requiring/allowing PTO donations for someone in the ICU is seriously dystopian.

[KS Smitty]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

From twoplustwo.com:



Are PTO donations really a thing? Not much shocks me these days. But companies requiring/allowing PTO donations for someone in the ICU is seriously dystopian.

Yes, lots of places allow for PTO donations. I have seen them used for cancer treatments, recovery from injuries and other cases where someone is looking at a long term absence from work for medical reasons.

[suzzer99]

The company should provide some kind of long term disability insurance for that. Asking the employee and everyone else to give up their vacation time because someone got very sick seems like something an evil super villain would do.

You get super sick, go through hell, lose all your vacation, and your coworkers are all pissed because they lost their vacation too. Once you get healthy again seems like a good time to just quit.

Now in this case it was the guy's own fault, which complicates things. But in normal cases - that whole process seems really ugly to me. I get PTO for little sicknesses - fine. But long term should be covered by some other system.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

From twoplustwo.com:



Are PTO donations really a thing? Not much shocks me these days. But companies requiring/allowing PTO donations for someone in the ICU is seriously dystopian.

Yes, PTO donations is a thing. My company also does this too.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

The company should provide some kind of long term disability insurance for that. Asking the employee and everyone else to give up their vacation time because someone got very sick seems like something an evil super villain would do.

Not really. They just send a note explaining the situation and that any employee can donate their leave if they wish to do so.

Nobody's being forced to give up their PTO.

[Fish]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

The company should provide some kind of long term disability insurance for that. Asking the employee and everyone else to give up their vacation time because someone got very sick seems like something an evil super villain would do.

You get super sick, go through hell, lose all your vacation, and your coworkers are all pissed because they lost their vacation too.

Now in this case it was the guy's own fault, which complicates things. But in normal cases - that whole process seems really ugly to me. I get PTO for little sicknesses - fine. But long term should be covered by some other system.

Hi! Welcome to the US!

[KS Smitty]

Originally Posted by Coach

Not really. They just send a note explaining the situation and that any employee can donate their leave if they wish to do so.

Nobody's being forced to give up their PTO.

^^^This^^^ It's strictly up to the employees to donate or not, kinda like what CP is doing for NZoner's family and have done for others previously.

[suzzer99]

I get that it's voluntary. But the point is everyone shouldn't have to lose their vacation, or be an asshole, because someone got sick. There should be a better system. Even the person who got sick shouldn't also lose all their vacation because of it. That's a double kick in the nuts. I get that PTO is ok for normal short term illness. But for long term illness it's a terrible solution imo.

Imagine a dystopian hellscape where an employee loses 4 fingers for some transgression. But if 3 of his fellow employees donate their pinkies, he only loses his pinky. Hey nothing wrong because it's all voluntary, right? No - it's obviously a terrible system. There should be a better way to take care of people with long term illness is what I'm saying.

[IA_Chiefs_fan]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

The company should provide some kind of long term disability insurance for that.

Why is that on the employer and not the employee?

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

I get that it's voluntary. But the point is everyone shouldn't have to lose their vacation, or be an asshole, because someone got sick. There should be a better system.

Imagine a dystopian hellscape where an employee loses 5 fingers for some transgression. But if four of his fellow employees donate their pinkies, he only loses his pinky. Hey nothing wrong because it's all voluntary, right? No - it's obviously a terrible system. There should be a better way to take care of people with long term illness is what I'm saying.

My company provides long-term disability and short-term disability insurance for people. No one has ever used the long-term, but a few have used the short-term and it's worked great. It's not that expensive, either.

[suzzer99]

Originally Posted by IA_Chiefs_fan

Why is that on the employer and not the employee?

Because the employer is providing PTO. It should just be bundled together in the same system imo. No one thinks they're going to be sick for months, until it happens. It's such a rare event that the long term insurance can't be that expensive, I would think. Isn't this what Aflac does?

I'm just saying that a system where if anyone gets super sick they'll have to beg other employees to donate PTO is a bad system. It's like relying on gofundme for healthcare.

[Pitt Gorilla]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

My company provides long-term disability and short-term disability insurance for people. No one has ever used the long-term, but a few have used the short-term and it's worked great. It's not that expensive, either.

Yeah, but you're a really decent dude.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by Pitt Gorilla

Yeah, but you're a really decent dude.

Well, I can't argue with that.

[lawrenceRaider]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

I get that it's voluntary. But the point is everyone shouldn't have to lose their vacation, or be an asshole, because someone got sick. There should be a better system. Even the person who got sick shouldn't also lose all their vacation because of it. That's a double kick in the nuts. I get that PTO is ok for normal short term illness. But for long term illness it's a terrible solution imo.

Imagine a dystopian hellscape where an employee loses 4 fingers for some transgression. But if 3 of his fellow employees donate their pinkies, he only loses his pinky. Hey nothing wrong because it's all voluntary, right? No - it's obviously a terrible system. There should be a better way to take care of people with long term illness is what I'm saying.

Sad. In your world, people helping others is dystopia. The only real difference between donated PTO and what you want is one is voluntary.

[Otter]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

From twoplustwo.com:



Are PTO donations really a thing? Not much shocks me these days. But companies requiring/allowing PTO donations for someone in the ICU is seriously dystopian.