***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.”

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by Bearcat

via GIPHY

[BleedingRed]

Originally Posted by Mecca

Considering how awful are testing numbers are, especially in non big city areas, how much can maps like this really be trusted?

Saying Testing numbers are awful when we are close to top in the world in any metric you can think of minus testing per million which again, takes into account countries with less population than Kansas City is dumb.

By any standard the United States has amazing testing going on right now. So move off this point.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by BleedingRed

Saying Testing numbers are awful when we are close to top in the world in any metric you can think of minus testing per million which again, takes into account countries with less population than Kansas City is dumb.

By any standard the United States has amazing testing going on right now. So move off this point.

.7 is an impressive number when we have a person that posts here who discussed his false negative...

[Donger]

Originally Posted by BleedingRed

Saying Testing numbers are awful when we are close to top in the world in any metric you can think of minus testing per million which again, takes into account countries with less population than Kansas City is dumb.

By any standard the United States has amazing testing going on right now. So move off this point.

Wait, you STILL don't understand why per capita is the only metric which actually matters?

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by BleedingRed

Saying Testing numbers are awful when we are close to top in the world in any metric you can think of minus testing per million which again, takes into account countries with less population than Kansas City is dumb.

By any standard the United States has amazing testing going on right now. So move off this point.

have to disagree. Our testing is abysmal and people still can't get tests.

[limested]

Originally Posted by BleedingRed

Saying Testing numbers are awful when we are close to top in the world in any metric you can think of minus testing per million which again, takes into account countries with less population than Kansas City is dumb.

By any standard the United States has amazing testing going on right now. So move off this point.

When comparing to other countries test per million is the only metric that you can compare. Actual numbers are pointless.

[BleedingRed]

Originally Posted by limested

When comparing to other countries test per million is the only metric that you can compare. Actual numbers are pointless.

Cool well we should be passing S. Korea soon on test per Million, then Germany. Etc...

Considering we are testing more per a day, wont be long till we pass alot of countries who are doing "better"

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by BleedingRed

Cool well we should be passing S. Korea soon on test per Million, then Germany. Etc...

Considering we are testing more per a day, wont be long till we pass alot of countries who are doing "better"

They have less people so that is helpful to them I'd say.

[O.city]

We need to get to the point of testing 1 percent of the pop per week

[BleedingRed]

Originally Posted by O.city

We need to get to the point of testing 1 percent of the pop per week

I would suspect that is impossible. The highest we have gotten is 200k tests in one day. In order for us to get to 1% it would have to be 500k a day.

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by O.city

We need to get to the point of testing 1 percent of the pop per week

Yep plus we need to get our health care workers first in line. Currently barely any of them have been tested. That would be a good start.

[KC Dan]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

What states? Newsom banned gatherings over 250 people on March 12 and on March 15 asked people to voluntary closure of bars and in-home self-isolation of seniors 65 and older, as well as persons at-risk due to underlying conditions.

Other than that nothing changed until the official stay at home order on March 19th.

Ok, I'll just give my example - Washington. Without a state order, schools and businesses shut down well before the gov order . For example, even though my company is essential (semiconductor) and exempt, we've been working from home since March 6th... but whatever you know more than anyone cause....and my son lives in Seattle and works in Bellvue and has been working from home even longer..

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Mecca

Considering how awful are testing numbers are, especially in non big city areas, how much can maps like this really be trusted?

What numbers are you going to trust then? This is the problem, people present numbers then other people come up with reasons why they don't believe them.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by petegz28

What numbers are you going to trust then? This is the problem, people present numbers then other people come up with reasons why they don't believe them.

I don't have a ton of trust in any numbers because there is no way in knowing what is accurate or not.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by petegz28

What numbers are you going to trust then? This is the problem, people present numbers then other people come up with reasons why they don't believe them.

Yup.