***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.”

[Bwana]

New case now in CO. This stuff has probably been here for awhile.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by Bwana

New case now in CO. This stuff has probably been here for awhile.

Yes. The whole " BREAKING NEWS... CASE FOUND IN ______ " is going to get old real quick.

[Nirvana58]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

How is it that you're able to know this, yet knowing that by every reporting body that breaks down its stats by vaccination status 95%+ of the people currently in ICUs and dying are not vaccinated (as posted dozens of times itt) is somehow beyond your grasp to learn or even acknowledge?

You seem to be extremely intentional about which statistics you absorb and which you ignore.

The cognitive disconnect in this post is astounding.

You are really trying to shame me by arguing that the vaccines have better protection than prior infection in the previous varients?

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath15

My mom had to take my stepdad to the hospital this morning. Running a 103 fever and labored breathing. Tested positive and he’s since been placed on BiPap and given Remdesivir and sent to the ICU.

If you’re the praying type, my family would appreciate one right about now.

I hope he is ok and recovers fine. Thoughts are with your family.

[DaFace]

Glad we're back to discussing the minutiae of definitions of terms and uninformed conclusions from incomplete data. We're really making progress now.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath15

My mom had to take my stepdad to the hospital this morning. Running a 103 fever and labored breathing. Tested positive and he’s since been placed on BiPap and given Remdesivir and sent to the ICU.

If you’re the praying type, my family would appreciate one right about now.

Sorry to hear this.

[DaFace]

Pretty good read from a Harvard epidemiologist about omicron. A few highlights:

GAZETTE: When the vaccines came out, manufacturers emphasized protection against severe disease as the most important effect. At this point, it seems like that is still going to be the case?

HANAGE: Data is still coming in, but that’s my expectation based on the amount of antibodies which are generated by the vaccines. One thing that was being underreported before this was the fact that if a lot of people got boosters, we had the prospect of the virus struggling to infect a person who had received three shots. And, at least in the short term, people with three shots would be substantially protected against all infection. It’s early days, but it looks like that’s not going to be the case with Omicron. What remains to be seen is how serious the infections are. That’s the crucial thing.

About all we can exclude are the extremes. We know that it’s not very mild because hospitalizations are ticking up in South Africa. We know that it’s not incredibly serious, because hospitalizations are ticking up but not incredibly fast. So, all we can exclude is the extremes, and there’s a lot of room between those extremes for the virus to spring a nasty surprise upon us.

-----

GAZETTE: What are the implications of this for the end of the pandemic? It seemed like we were heading toward a situation in the U.S. with widespread resistance from vaccination or infection, where the virus is still here but illness is largely less severe. Does this push that back?

HANAGE: Yes. But I think that it’s reasonable to say that whatever is going to happen with Omicron could happen really quickly. The other thing I would point out is that anybody who has talked about the “end of the pandemic” has been doing people a disservice. Because you don’t get “ends,” what you get is a point where, gradually, people are able to chill, and they chill at different rates depending on their own attitudes about risk. Eventually, we get to a point where the pandemic is in the rearview mirror, but that point is going to be different for everybody. What this definitely means is that those of us who work in public health and those of us who work in infectious disease have got something new, serious, and very concerning on our plate to deal with. Looking at the sequence of Omicron is one of the most extraordinary moments I’ve experienced over a couple of years, which themselves have been extraordinary.

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/sto...on-of-omicron/

[Chitownchiefsfan]

Originally Posted by TLO

I think the world should be marveling at what a scientific achievement these vaccines are, but instead, we're using the word "leaky" far too much for my comfort level.

And the word "Nazi" for some asinine reason.

[Otter]

Yes, please do read it. https://t.co/ADByB8uyEc

— Brit Hume (@brithume) December 1, 2021

[OnTheWarpath15]

Thank you to those of you who responded or reached out via rep or text.

He's in bad shape. In the ICU and given Remdesivir, a steroid I can't recall the name of and a Monoconal Antibody treatment. He's getting the max of 6L of oxygen and his blood oxygen level is only at 85% with the help. LTF elevated and has fluid on the lungs.

Get ****ing vaccinated, people.

[Bwana]

Originally Posted by TLO

Yes. The whole " BREAKING NEWS... CASE FOUND IN ______ " is going to get old real quick.

Oh, it already has, I laugh and live my life.

[jdubya]

Originally Posted by Otter

Yes, please do read it. https://t.co/ADByB8uyEc

— Brit Hume (@brithume) December 1, 2021

The last line needs to be repeated everyday: "But the reality is Covid is something we need to learn to live with..."

[Chief Pagan]

Not real encouraging...


Scientists in South Africa have reported a sudden, sharp rise in November in coronavirus cases among people in that country who had already been infected, in a study that has not yet been reviewed and published by a scientific journal. The authors noted that there was no such upswing when the Beta and Delta variants emerged.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/02/w...infection.html

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Chief Pagan

Not real encouraging...





Scientists in South Africa have reported a sudden, sharp rise in November in coronavirus cases among people in that country who had already been infected, in a study that has not yet been reviewed and published by a scientific journal. The authors noted that there was no such upswing when the Beta and Delta variants emerged.



https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/02/w...infection.html

Cases isn't necessarily the worst thing that could happen. Just depends on severity.

[TLO]

This is worth a read

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.the...rticle/620883/