***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.”

[O.city]

Originally Posted by MahomesMagic

No, I don't see that.

Problem in the US is we never get data but propaganda.

Other countries are more transparent but the process is unfolding right now.

They seem to do something (reduce symptoms) for a while but I am not sold on 99% suppression of death either.

Remember, the sliver of people that were vulnerable was really small to start with. In order to suppress death the vaccines need to stimulate the weakest people's immune systems. The initial clinical trials were mostly young and healthy.

This picture paints about 3000 words. pic.twitter.com/IJ6AJA1YEr

— Alison Buttenheim (@abuttenheim) July 20, 2021

[MahomesMagic]

Originally Posted by O.city

This picture paints about 3000 words. pic.twitter.com/IJ6AJA1YEr

— Alison Buttenheim (@abuttenheim) July 20, 2021

Again, it doesn't.

Could it be doing something, having an effect? Sure.

But how do you separate that out from the build up of population immunity, the vulnerable already died, the variant transmits better but is less virulent?

Remember, these same people showed graphs touting the vaccines when they looked like mirror copies from a year ago (seasonality forgotten).

I don't have an answer. But I can say some people are probably jumping the gun.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by MahomesMagic

Again, it doesn't.

Could it be doing something, having an effect? Sure.

But how do you separate that out from the build up of population immunity, the vulnerable already died, the variant transmits better but is less virulent?

Remember, these same people showed graphs touting the vaccines when they looked like mirror copies from a year ago (seasonality forgotten).

I don't have an answer. But I can say some people are probably jumping the gun.

If it's age stratified, the vulnerable argument wouldn't necessarily hold. Same for population immunity as that would reflect in cases I'd think.

If it were less virulent, the death rates among the unvaccinated would be lower. Last I looked, they weren't.

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by O.city

If it's age stratified, the vulnerable argument wouldn't necessarily hold. Same for population immunity as that would reflect in cases I'd think.

If it were less virulent, the death rates among the unvaccinated would be lower. Last I looked, they weren't.

Was basically going to say the same thing... those three things are all constants relative to comparing vaccinated vs unvaccinated. They either help or hurt both populations' numbers.

[O.city]

https://twitter.com/rak3re/status/14...480359427?s=21

Good thread

[Chief Roundup]

The hospital I work at is now making changes to other buildings and floors in preparation for worse conditions than they had in 2020.
They are having doctors and therapists cancel elective procedures or move therapies to off-site buildings. We installed 12 new air scrubbers in rooms that were not covid ready. Now those rooms are negative pressure. We are going to do several annex buildings tomorrow.

[Chief Pagan]

Originally Posted by carlos3652

I think people need to understand, Vaxxed or Unvaxxed, you will get Covid. The probability of getting really really sick is low for unvaxxed and basically null for vaxxed.

The other thing that bothers me, is that even if the US is 100% vaxxed, that doesnt stop the strain to evolve or mutate in other parts of the world, the strain will eventually get here as well.

Yes, even those that are vaccinated can get and pass on the Delta virus, but not as well. 100% vaccination rate would get us to the fabled land of herd immunity and the virus wouldn't circulate.

I suppose some future mutation might have a R greater than 1.0 and still circulate barring a booster shot.

[Sure-Oz]

@DrEricDing: ALMOST DOMINANT—The #DeltaVariant is now 83% of all sequenced samples in US, says @CDCDirector, up from 50% ~2 weeks ago. "We should think about Delta variant as the 2020 version of #COVID19 on steroids” says @ASlavitt. Dear @CDCgov—please update masks.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/20/healt...day/index.html

@DrEricDing: 6) the #DeltaVariant is nearing total domination. Delta is COVID on steroids. I kid you not. https://twitter.com/drericding/statu...21491856568334

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by Sure-Oz

@DrEricDing: ALMOST DOMINANT—The #DeltaVariant is now 83% of all sequenced samples in US, says @CDCDirector, up from 50% ~2 weeks ago. "We should think about Delta variant as the 2020 version of #COVID19 on steroids” says @ASlavitt. Dear @CDCgov—please update masks.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/20/healt...day/index.html

@DrEricDing: 6) the #DeltaVariant is nearing total domination. Delta is COVID on steroids. I kid you not. https://twitter.com/drericding/statu...21491856568334

This makes me wonder where we'd be right now if we didn't have the vaccines so quickly.

[Pitt Gorilla]

This one really stinks. F Covid.

https://cbs2iowa.com/news/nation-wor...0sFmHVaaxbNWYg

Georgia deputy loses 5-year-old son to COVID-19

"I have lost my best friend."

A Whitfield County, Georgia deputy and his wife are mourning the loss of their 5-year-old boy to COVID-19.

Wyatt Gary Gibson died on Friday, July 16, after a short battle with the virus, family members told our Atlanta affiliate station WSB-TV.

Wyatt was the son of Whitfield County Sheriff's Lt. Wes Gibson and Alexis Gibson. He was the older brother to a 9-month-old sister.

"My little buddy. My best friend. My helper," wrote Wes Gibson in a Facebook post Sunday, "In a way I know that you're still here, but I miss you so damn much! I wish this was one adventure that you did not start... I have lost my best friend."

"There are no words that can be spoken to ease his pain and the pain of his family. Lt. Gibson is a dedicated public servant of Whitfield County that truly cares about our community. He is one of the best of us at the Sheriff’s Office," wrote Juan Martinez on Facebook.

Family members told WSB-TV that the whole family got sick, but only Wyatt ended up having complications, including a stroke and COVID pneumonia.

Wyatt passed away at Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga on Friday, according to his obituary.

Community members are coming around the Gibson family as they grieve.

A GoFundMe campaign has been started for the Gibsons to help pay for medical bills and funeral costs. A Meal Train for the family has also been started.

"May the care and love of those around them provide comfort and peace to get them through this time of heartache," wrote Tunnel Hill Police Department in a statement on Facebook.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

This makes me wonder where we'd be right now if we didn't have the vaccines so quickly.

In a very, very bad place

[O.city]

https://twitter.com/sailorrooscout/s...283816448?s=21

[Swanman]

Originally Posted by O.city

https://twitter.com/sailorrooscout/s...283816448?s=21

I am curious how the data set will change once more delta variant infections are included. That data was up to date through alpha it looks like. Obviously the sterilizing immunity will drop from the around 90% but anything above 65% or so is still very acceptable. Also have to combat the rampant disinformation / incompetent messaging.

[Swanman]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

This makes me wonder where we'd be right now if we didn't have the vaccines so quickly.

The whole country would look more like SW Missouri.

[suzzer99]

“One of the last things they do before they’re intubated is beg me for the vaccine. I hold their hand and tell them that I’m sorry, but it’s too late.” --Dr. Brytney Cobia, Birmingham, AL. https://t.co/bjU1WA4vKN

— Dodes (@racheld) July 21, 2021