***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.”

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by DaFace

I hereby dub you an official member of the "world is black and white" club with Pete.

Ahhh..you are better than that. The numbers arent what you and many others expected. It's a good thing. Don't go full Donger.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

Ahhh..you are better than that. The numbers arent what you and many others expected. It's a good thing. Don't go full Donger.

Can't be! I heard once restrictions were reduce it would spike!

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by Donger

Yes, it is the point. If you think it isn't, feel free to explain.

Simply reopening cannot be the blame for cases and any past predictions based on reopening leading to or not leading to increases are invalid due to the fact that a normal reopening did not occur since thousands upon tens of thousands of people have done things so much worse for the virus to spread than eating out, movies, sports, etc. could have possibly accomplished. You will not be able to accurately judge the affects of reopening.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

Simply reopening cannot be the blame for cases and any past predictions based on reopening leading to or not leading to increases are invalid due to the fact that a normal reopening did not occur since thousands upon tens of thousands of people have done things so much worse for the virus to spread than eating out, movies, sports, etc. could have possibly accomplished.

So you think increasing the number of people interacting during a pandemic that is spread by humans is not going to see an increase in new cases?

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by Donger

So you think increasing the number of people interacting during a pandemic that is spread by humans is not going to see an increase in new cases?

I mean that’s not even close to being what I said or suggested. Like at all.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by Donger

Can't be! I heard once restrictions were reduce it would spike!

Thank you again. Last 6 weeks deaths went from 1800 to 800 per day. I love being right in a case like this. You should be happy you were wrong.

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by petegz28

you ever take your 2nd antibody test?

Nope. They haven’t offered to test me again after my first was undetermined. State is rolling back through our building next week to swab all patients and staff that have tested negative on last test.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

I mean that’s not even close to being what I said or suggested. Like at all.

Sorry, but your paragraph was very difficult to interpret. Then you agree with what I stated, yes?

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

Ahhh..you are better than that. The numbers arent what you and many others expected. It's a good thing. Don't go full Donger.

Feel free to dig through this thread and find me making these kinds of predictions. You won't find it.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

Thank you again. Last 6 weeks deaths went from 1800 to 800 per day. I love being right in a case like this. You should be happy you were wrong.

That's quite the surge 2 weeks after opening up. A lot of local fear mongers are kicking their dogs right now.

and:

They want to believe it, so it is. They'll either ignore the data or challenge its veracity.

You're doing great.

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by Donger

Sorry, but your paragraph was very difficult to interpret. Then you agree with what I stated, yes?

That depends on what you stated. If you believe that states reopening then having an increase in cases is going to give us an accurate data set about the affects of reopening then I don’t agree with that and neither should you.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

That depends on what you stated. If you believe that states reopening then having an increase in cases gives us a an accurate data set about the affects of reopening then I don’t agree with that and neither should you.

Correlation and not causation? It's clear that increased testing will lead to more cases, but not all. Then, we have the hospitalization data.

Sorry, it just seems weird to me that people think ending the mitigation efforts won't lead to more cases.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by Donger

That's quite the surge 2 weeks after opening up. A lot of local fear mongers are kicking their dogs right now.

and:

They want to believe it, so it is. They'll either ignore the data or challenge its veracity.

You're doing great.

You seem to be lost. You seem to want to argue 2+2 is 5. The data is on the CDC site. Maybe someone else can explain it to you better than I.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

You seem to be lost. You seem to want to argue 2+2 is 5. The data is on the CDC site. Maybe someone else can explain it to you better than I.

As has been explained, the CDC shows cases on a national scale. Are you going to dispute that many states are showing increases in both cases and hospitalizations?

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by DaFace

Feel free to dig through this thread and find me making these kinds of predictions. You won't find it.

I don't care enough to look it up but there were a number of posters here that were certain easing restrictions at the time they have been eased was going to cause more issues. Everyone pretty much agreed with testing and restrictions being so different all over the death count was the number to keep an eye on.

Like I said. Everyone should be thrilled at the steep decline.