***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.”

[suzzer99]

And their parents and teachers.

[stumppy]

Originally Posted by MahomesMagic

Does Trump control the UK scientists too?!

There has been no recorded case of a teacher catching the coronavirus from a pupil anywhere in the world, according to one of the government’s leading scientific advisers.

Mark Woolhouse, a leading epidemiologist and member of the government’s Sage committee, told The Times that it may have been a mistake to close schools in March given the limited role children play in spreading the virus.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/n...tist-3zk5g2x6z

This UK scientist.

[O.city]

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...t-nordic-study

[staylor26]

[kcxiv]

I know covid isnt the flu and its a bit different, but everytime i have been sick in say the last 10 years, it has come from a kid, my nieces/nephew, or my neighbors kids when i go hang out over there.

I'd just be skeptical about it is all.

[suzzer99]

Originally Posted by kcxiv

I know covid isnt the flu and its a bit different, but everytime i have been sick in say the last 10 years, it has come from a kid, my nieces/nephew, or my neighbors kids when i go hang out over there.

I'd just be skeptical about it is all.

Same here. It's either a kid - usually a party with chips and dips - or an airplane. I can't think of the last time I got sick other than those. Oh yeah - live poker all night in Vegas. Duh.

I have a feeling the airplane is something that's floating around in me already, but it gets all spread around when the pressure changes are like taking a plunger to my sinuses.

[petegz28]

Okay something is going on and there is some kind of significant change in things. Cases are almost 80k today and have been "surging" for well over a month and really all things considered we have see marginal movement in deaths all things considered. Don't get me wrong we have seen a rise in deaths but on balance we aren't seeing anything like we did before and with the exception of the 4 hot spots we aren't even seeing a run on the hospitals.

Makes you wonder if things are taking a turn for the better in that maybe this thing is becoming less and less virulent.....

[O.city]

I’m guessing it means we’re catching a lot more infections now than we were then. Hell there might have been 100k alone in New York

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by O.city

I’m guessing it means we’re catching a lot more infections now than we were then. Hell there might have been 100k alone in New York

We might be but cases is not what matters. That's the point. What does cases translate too? I mean no one freaks out when "everyone is getting the flu" because we know it means you will get sick and be back to normal. At some point that is going to happen with Covid as well.

So while there is obviously a rise in cases we have to really keep perspective on what that means. I mean the upward move in deaths was a bit expected but also a bit surprising that is isn't worse to be honest. Hopefully we are seeing this thing tame itself down some.

[O.city]

Texas and Arizona have rolled over and look to be going down. That’s atleast some good news

[O.city]

Originally Posted by petegz28

We might be but cases is not what matters. That's the point. What does cases translate too? I mean no one freaks out when "everyone is getting the flu" because we know it means you will get sick and be back to normal. At some point that is going to happen with Covid as well.

So while there is obviously a rise in cases we have to really keep perspective on what that means. I mean the upward move in deaths was a bit expected but also a bit surprising that is isn't worse to be honest.

Can’t die if you don’t get it. So cases lead to death?

No one freaks out about getting the flu cause we have treatments and have some immunity and don’t have a high rate of bad outcomes

[TLO]

Originally Posted by O.city

I’m guessing it means we’re catching a lot more infections now than we were then. Hell there might have been 100k alone in New York

Yeah - this. I remember when you had to practically be dying to actually get a test. Now you can get tested with relative ease. (Most places)

Speaking of which I think it's time to start moving away from PCR testing. The turn around times are simply not practical. I saw a report the other day that antigen testing is around 97% accurate if done within 5 days of symptom onset. These types of tests give you results in 5 minutes. Not 15 days.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by O.city

Can’t die if you don’t get it. So cases lead to death?

No one freaks out about getting the flu cause we have treatments and have some immunity and don’t have a high rate of bad outcomes

Well that can be said about the flu as well so I don't quite agree though I am not saying you are wrong.

We have treatments for the flu but we still lose 1,000's to it each yer including infants and children.

So no, cases does not = death...anyway

[TLO]

And if the antigen test shows a negative and the doctor is still skeptical, then do the PCR test. We're never going to be able to ramp up the ability to process PCR tests efficiently at the volume we're currently testing.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by petegz28

Well that can be said about the flu as well so I don't quite agree though I am not saying you are wrong.

We have treatments for the flu but we still lose 1,000's to it each yer including infants and children.

So no, cases does not = death...anyway

More cases equal more deaths pete this isn’t hard man. Individually, it may be mild illness for however many, but it’s not for some. So higher case counts mean more deaths.