***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.”

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Unfortunately, Los Angeles and San Fran remain under lockdown until August and Newsom still says no fans at sporting events until there's a vaccine.

This condition would seem to imply a requirement to be vaccinated to go to the events. I’m sure that will work out well.

[Spott]

Originally Posted by petegz28

What's the point of TSA Pre then?

It normally only takes a couple of minutes from the time I arrive at the airport until I get through security with pre-check, but for whatever reason they were trying to pat down everyone and touch all of their personal belongings as much as possible at a time when that should probably be kept to a minimum.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by BWillie

So Pete, what do you want to bet there will be a vaccine? (I'll keep trying to reinforce reasonable thought by offering wagers)

Like I said, if we get one.

Some scientists fear that an effective coronavirus vaccine may prove impossible to produce.

https://www.businessinsider.com/coro...s-covid-2020-4

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by petegz28

Like I said, if we get one.

Scientists have learned quite a bit about this virus since April 25th and some companies are already claiming success against the virus in early clinical testing.

I'm unconcerned about scientists creating a vaccine and more concerned about its availability in the near future.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Scientists have learned quite a bit about this virus since April 25th and some companies are already claiming success against the virus in early clinical testing.

I'm unconcerned about scientists creating a vaccine and more concerned about its availability in the near future.

I wish I was as confident as you are in that. I do hope we get one and things appear promising but I guess until I actually see that we have an effective one I will always go with if vs. when.

[notorious]

Originally Posted by BleedingRed

Yup,

Her husband tried to go boating, and was stopped by some other citizens. The irony of how some certain states have handled this compared to other states cannot be understated.

Originally Posted by Donger

https://abcnews.go.com/Travel/wireSt...water-70882659

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by petegz28

I wish I was as confident as you are in that. I do hope we get one and things appear promising but I guess until I actually see that we have an effective one I will always go with if vs. when.

There are more than 100 labs around the world working towards a safe and effective vaccine and the US has already announced a $1.2 billion dollar grant to AstraZeneca to develop a vaccine at Oxford University.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/21/h...trazeneca.html

The deal with AstraZeneca is the fourth and by far the largest vaccine research agreement that the department has disclosed. The money will pay for a Phase 3 clinical trial of a potential vaccine in the United States this summer with about 30,000 volunteers.

The H.H.S. statement said the agency and AstraZeneca “are collaborating to make available at least 300 million doses,” and projected that the first doses could be available as early as October.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

There are more than 100 labs around the world working towards a safe and effective vaccine and the US has already announced a $1.2 billion dollar grant to AstraZeneca to develop a vaccine at Oxford University.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/21/h...trazeneca.html

The deal with AstraZeneca is the fourth and by far the largest vaccine research agreement that the department has disclosed. The money will pay for a Phase 3 clinical trial of a potential vaccine in the United States this summer with about 30,000 volunteers.

The H.H.S. statement said the agency and AstraZeneca “are collaborating to make available at least 300 million doses,” and projected that the first doses could be available as early as October.

I'm very well aware just gonna wait until we actually see it.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by notorious

I don't understand this woman or her extension of the lock down there. They are well, well below their projections and their numbers are all going in the right direction. It just starts to come off as she is going to let everyone know who is in charge.

[POND_OF_RED]

Originally Posted by BWillie

Wearing a mask is such an easy, cost effective and simple strategy that it does not cause undue hardships to anyone. In World War 2 and Vietnam they mandated certain citizens to go to war and that was perfectly acceptable. But requiring people to wear a mask is overstepping the boundaries?

Go back and look at the War Powers Act of 1941 for WW2 and see what things were implemented there. Compare that to now. We have it good my friends. What you are being asked to do is not unreasonable.

Way to try and change the narrative. That’s not the point and you know it. The problem is you’re wanting those masks to ALL be N95 masks. That’s when it becomes ridiculously neurotic and nearly logistically impossible

[Mr_Tomahawk]

Is it over yet?

[B_Ambuehl]

Originally Posted by jdubya

Do you think mitigation could have been effective without shutting everything down?

No real evidence lockdowns are any more effective than social distancing:

https://www.spiked-online.com/2020/0...ese-lockdowns/

Likely places like NY city would have required social distancing along with masks (like japan, singapore, & s. korea none of which locked down & still did better than even the best U.S state) but Fauci et. al screwed the pooch on that one early on by telling people masks don't work.

Simple universal mask wearing likely would do better than either social distancing or lockdowns. Pretty much what they did in Japan, but they're used to having to wear masks there: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2004.13553.pdf

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by Mr_Tomahawk

Is it over yet?

Pretty much.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by B_Ambuehl

No real evidence lockdowns are any more effective than social distancing:

https://www.spiked-online.com/2020/0...ese-lockdowns/

Likely places like NY city would have required social distancing along with masks (like japan, singapore, & s. korea none of which locked down & still did better than even the best U.S state) but Fauci et. al screwed the pooch on that one early on by telling people masks don't work.

Simple universal mask wearing likely would do better than either social distancing or lockdowns. Pretty much what they did in Japan, but they're used to having to wear masks there: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2004.13553.pdf

I haven't read your link yet but I don't think mask wearing is more effective than social distancing in practice simply because people do dumb shit while wearing a mask that negates the point of wearing a mask.

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by B_Ambuehl

No real evidence lockdowns are any more effective than social distancing:

https://www.spiked-online.com/2020/0...ese-lockdowns/

Likely places like NY city would have required social distancing along with masks (like japan, singapore, & s. korea none of which locked down & still did better than even the best U.S state) but Fauci et. al screwed the pooch on that one early on by telling people masks don't work.

Simple universal mask wearing likely would do better than either social distancing or lockdowns. Pretty much what they did in Japan, but they're used to having to wear masks there: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2004.13553.pdf

Agreed, I think, with what you are presenting. But shit, try getting people in the Midwest to wear a mask to the supermarket without freaking out. They are super pissed...about wearing covering that goes over their mouth and nose. Won't even do it for their country.