***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.”

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Mecca

I'd have more respect for the opinion if they'd just start it with "I'm a selfish twat that doesn't care about anything but what I want."

Cause that's at least an honest take as opposed to trying to argue stupidity.

You mean if someone just shared your opinion on things. Nice straw man. "You either agree with me or you want people to die!!!"

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

I wonder where people initially got the idea that masks aren’t helpful?

Or the idea that medical advice was being given for reasons other than medical effectiveness.

[Mecca]

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/histo...mic-180974911/

That is actually a really well done article about the 1918 pandemic and getting back to normal. The only thing they really don't touch on is Woodrow Wilson's failure to do anything other than ignore it during his second term..

Woodrow Wilson and Warren Harding, arguably the 2 worst presidents of all time.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by POND_OF_RED

Why didn’t you include the fact that the flu is twice as deadly in anyone younger than 24? Seems like that would be vital information when berating someone for comparing it to the flu. I agree that overall this is much worse than the flu, but you can’t argue that for certain ages that’s just not true. So, yeah, younger people have a right to think the flu is more dangerous because it is for them.

Because I've yet to see a virus that refuses to infect someone or allow people to become vectors because of their age.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by petegz28

You mean if someone just shared your opinion on things. Nice straw man. "You either agree with me or you want people to die!!!"

Your argument yesterday was basically "I don't wanna wear one" have we lost all common sense, if something is spread with airborn particles doesn't a face covering help?

[Donger]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

I wonder where people initially got the idea that masks aren’t helpful?

Are you referring to the Surgeon General's comments?

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Because I've yet to see a virus that refuses to infect someone or allow people to become vectors because of their age.

Nice dodge there.

[Monticore]

Originally Posted by POND_OF_RED

Why didn’t you include the fact that the flu is twice as deadly in anyone younger than 24? Seems like that would be vital information when berating someone for comparing it to the flu. I agree that overall this is much worse than the flu, but you can’t argue that for certain ages that’s just not true. So, yeah, younger people have a right to think the flu is more dangerous because it is for them.

The flu is dangerous for everybody.

[Donger]

Oh good. "It's just like the flu" is back...

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

Nice dodge there.

It's not a dodge, it's a matter of truth. Yes, there are certain populations that have lower risks; it doesn't make them immune to catching or spreading the disease, and given that most other populations have a substantially higher risk, the end result of that will result in more hospitalizations and more deaths.

Ninety percent of people with polio are asymptomatic. It doesn't mean that you shouldn't vaccinate everyone.

[Strongside]

Wife's employer asked that her and her colleagues on a specific team get antibody tests from Quest on Monday. Got her results back today and they were positive, so she was exposed at some point.

Neither of us have been sick since early January - when we both had pretty high fever for days accompanied by a cough, but tested negative for flu.

So either it's been here longer than previously thought, or we had it with no symptoms. Our kid has gone to daycare through the entire stay home since my wife works in healthcare, so it's conceivable that he could have brought it home. She's not been knowingly exposed to anyone with it.

Now I wanna go get one done.

I know they haven't proven whether or not the antibodies have any effect on immunity or how long that might last, but it's interesting nonetheless.

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

wtf? They could have said use or make cloth masks. This is almost criminal.

That, and the reason why the US supply of masks was running so thin.

Spoiler!

(They were being sold to China)

[Monticore]

Originally Posted by Strongside

Wife's employer asked that her and her colleagues on a specific team get antibody tests from Quest on Monday. Got her results back today and they were positive, so she was exposed at some point.

Neither of us have been sick since early January - when we both had pretty high fever for days accompanied by a cough, but tested negative for flu.

So either it's been here longer than previously thought, or we had it with no symptoms. Our kid has gone to daycare through the entire stay home since my wife works in healthcare, so it's conceivable that he could have brought it home. She's not been knowingly exposed to anyone with it.

Now I wanna go get one done.

I know they haven't proven whether or not the antibodies have any effect on immunity or how long that might last, but it's interesting nonetheless.

Some anti body test have a high false positive .

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

Or the idea that medical advice was being given for reasons other than medical effectiveness.

The irony is the people that want to scream this isn't a black and white thing want to lecture you for not having a black and white take on things like masks. I have read a few articles throughout all of this but I will go back to the one I posted yesterday about masks. Hamas or Monticore can speak to the actual measurements I guess.

It takes 1,000 units of the virus for a person to become infectous

And infected person expels approximately 900 units per minute from normal speaking and breathing

Masks prevent possibly up to 50% of the particles which now say takes you 900 units in 1 minute to 900 units in 2 minutes

Masks do not necessarily nor are they being alleged to prevent you from inhaling these particles. They are to prevent you from spreading not you from getting

So let's just apply some actual real world scenarios

Walking past an infected person in the grocery store will not expose you long enough to become infected as you would have to be exposed to them for over 1 minute of they are unmasked

Talking to a masked person, whether you have a mask on or not, inside of 1m of space will give you about just over 2 minutes before you start becoming infected

So as they said, the masks are not doing much good for people say in retail and you are not exposing yourself to anyone else long enough say walking through the grocery store isle to need a mask.

This is the gray area that some people both love and hate. The best thing they seem to have right now is stay 6ft away. Retail establishments need to use things like the shields and such at check out. If you have symptoms then you should be wearing a mask even though your chance of infecting someone is very minimal unless you spend several minutes talking to them within 3 ft.

So basically as many experts have said, masks are good for protecting you from someone coughing and sneezing on you and little else.

[POND_OF_RED]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Because I've yet to see a virus that refuses to infect someone or allow people to become vectors because of their age.

I just found it interesting that you left that key piece of research out. You do agree that the flu is much more deadly than coronavirus for our younger generation right? Which is where this perception is coming from.