***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.”

[SupDock]

Originally Posted by patteeu

Deborah Blix is a doctor who works on the President’s coronavirus response team. She’s the person who said the things Katie Pavlich is talking about.

I would be interested to see the exact quote and the context. A Google search revealed nothing

[BIG_DADDY]

Originally Posted by patteeu

Deborah Blix is a doctor who works on the President’s coronavirus response team. She’s the person who said the things Katie Pavlich is talking about.

You can’t fix hysterical and stupid and it’s everywhere in here.

[ShowtimeSBMVP]

Originally Posted by SupDock

I would be interested to see the exact quote and the context. A Google search revealed nothing

It just happened at the press conference lol

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by SupDock

Sure, but what is her point?

Is she saying we shouldn't worry because the positive rate is so low?

This depends a lot on their testing strategy. My understanding is they were testing a lot of asymptomatic people who had contacted patients. The more patients you test with mild symptoms the more your positive rate will decrease

The point was repeated a few times. They are trying to encourage people to not take the tests without a directive to do so because if even they feel bad chances are they don’t have it and are taking away tests and eating resources that could be better suited for the more severe cases.

[patteeu]

Originally Posted by SupDock

Sure, but what is her point?

Is she saying we shouldn't worry because the positive rate is so low?

This depends a lot on their testing strategy. My understanding is they were testing a lot of asymptomatic people who had contacted patients. The more patients you test with mild symptoms the more your positive rate will decrease

I suspect it was meant to reassure people who are currently sick and worried about being infected with this virus but who haven’t been within the testing criteria by saying that the SK experience was that the vast majority experiencing symptoms are sick with the common cold or flu rather than covid19.

But my point was simply that the tweeter/blogger isn’t saying these things, she’s reporting what the doctor said.

[patteeu]

Originally Posted by SupDock

I would be interested to see the exact quote and the context. A Google search revealed nothing

The press conference just ended.

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by patteeu

I suspect it was meant to reassure people who are currently sick and worried about being infected with this virus but who haven’t been within the testing criteria by saying that the SK experience was that the vast majority experiencing symptoms are sick with the common cold or flu rather than covid19.

Which.. I don't really understand publicizing that figure.

Stick to "if you feel ill, stay at home unless your symptoms get worse."

[SupDock]

Originally Posted by patteeu

The press conference just ended.

I realize the conference was ongoing, but sometimes tweets with exact quotes appear quickly. My son was taking a nap so I was unable to watch

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by patteeu

I suspect it was meant to reassure people who are currently sick and worried about being infected with this virus but who haven’t been within the testing criteria by saying that the SK experience was that the vast majority experiencing symptoms are sick with the common cold or flu rather than covid19.

But my point was simply that the tweeter/blogger isn’t saying these things, she’s reporting what the doctor said.

Yeah, I thought it was a good point in the press conference. It's cold and flu season, and everyone with the sniffles is justifiably wondering if they have something that could be serious. South Korea's numbers imply that even if you're sick, 24 out of 25 are just down with normal stuff. It's a good perspective to keep in mind.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by patteeu

She’s a doctor on a coronavirus task force.

The blogger is not

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

It’s also why crying about more testing for anyone that wants it is largely pointless. What they announced today with an online guideline and where you can get the tests will hopefully mitigate the amount of people taking the test assuming it is clear in what and what doesn’t require a test.

No one is crying about "more" testing.

People are upset because of the lack of tests available.

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

The point was repeated a few times. They are trying to encourage people to not take the tests without a directive to do so because if even they feel bad chances are they don’t have it and are taking away tests and eating resources that could be better suited for the more severe cases.

There have been lots of reports of doctors requesting tests and they can't get them so more likely they are trying to cover their ass because they don't have enough tests and won't anytime soon. South Korea and other nations are kicking our ass in regards to testing.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Yeah, I thought it was a good point in the press conference. It's cold and flu season, and everyone with the sniffles is justifiably wondering if they have something that could be serious. South Korea's numbers imply that even if you're sick, 24 out of 25 are just down with normal stuff. It's a good perspective to keep in mind.

I do hope that we can get the tests out widely soon, regardless. I've had a cold for a couple of weeks, and while I'm 99.9% sure that's all it is, it's a bit disconcerting to think of the remote chance that I had covid when attending a funeral where my grandfather with severe respiratory issues was present.

[SupDock]

Originally Posted by patteeu

I suspect it was meant to reassure people who are currently sick and worried about being infected with this virus but who haven’t been within the testing criteria by saying that the SK experience was that the vast majority experiencing symptoms are sick with the common cold or flu rather than covid19.

But my point was simply that the tweeter/blogger isn’t saying these things, she’s reporting what the doctor said.

Correct, but it's not like she just put up quotations with exactly what the physician said. She mentioned things like " don't panic"

I was trying to determine what exactly the words were that the physician used, versus the reporters interpretation and comments

[SupDock]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Yeah, I thought it was a good point in the press conference. It's cold and flu season, and everyone with the sniffles is justifiably wondering if they have something that could be serious. South Korea's numbers imply that even if you're sick, 24 out of 25 are just down with normal stuff. It's a good perspective to keep in mind.

This again depends on the testing strategy of South Korea

If they are testing thousands of asymptomatic people, it's not so clear what to do with this data

It's difficult to compare positive rates in countries with very different testing strategies