***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 dirk digler

According to the article I posted a page or 2 back, NY doctors are now proning covid patients and giving them oxygen instead of putting them on vents right from the start. It seems to be helping.

I looked at a few guidelines, and this seems to make sense. They do give the caveat that if they have respiratory distress they should not be proned outside the ICU.

The model of proning all qualifying patients makes more sense to me than using proning on the floor for struggling patients to avoid a trip to the ICU.

My response was more in reaction to the idea that failure to prone patients on a general floor was akin to incompetence.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by Donger

Because deaths lag new cases and hospitalizations. By what, 10 to 14 days, I think?

I think we're already +250 for deaths on the day.

[petegz28]

I think we are going to see 2k deaths again today

[patteeu]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Touting the efficacy of a drug without evidence which has not yet been demonstrated and wasn't apparent weeks ago is actively harmful.

That may be true, but that doesn’t mean that other’s aren’t doing their own cost/benefit calculation and coming to the sincere conclusion that it’s worth the risk to make the option available. My only point is that both sides can sincerely want to save lives, but disagree on what approach should be taken.

Dane’s remark seemed to suggest that one side wants good things and the other wants some unspecified bad thing summarized by calling it a purely political agenda or something like that.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by BryanBusby

People have to plan things out in advance, Pete.

Really?

[Dartgod]

Originally Posted by SupDock

I'm not trying to be disagreeable, but proning awake non-ventilated patients isn't a standard of care that I am aware of. I'm not saying there isn't a place for it, but using it as a technique to avoid mechanical ventilation in a non-ICU setting seems sketchy.

Is there data to suggest it reduces need for invasive ventilation? I would think it depends on the patients trajectory, as delaying intubation can be dangerous. If someone is on the floor, proning may just delay the inevitable, and have higher risk of profound hypoxia if their condition rapidly changes.

Don't question BRC. He stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by TLO

I think we're already +250 for deaths on the day.

Yes but Donger is correct. We are going to see deaths spike as cases come down.

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by SupDock

I looked at a few guidelines, and this seems to make sense. They do give the caveat that if they have respiratory distress they should not be proned outside the ICU.

The model of proning all qualifying patients makes more sense to me than using proning on the floor for struggling patients to avoid a trip to the ICU.

My response was more in reaction to the idea that failure to prone patients on a general floor was akin to incompetence.

Yeah as I stated to him doctors are trying to figure out the best way to treat patients and fight this new virus so saying doctor's are incompetent is wrong IMHO. China and Italy were putting massive amount of people on vents so that is what we tried to do at first.

Along with the possible blood clotting issue and low oxygen but being able to talk etc we are going to figure this thing out pretty soon I think or at least an idea of how to treat it and not have people die as much.

[TLO]

Can someone explain the significance of the red and blue lines on this graph and tell me if there's any conclusion to be drawn from them?

https://health.mo.gov/living/healthc...-dashboard.pdf

(More so the blue line I guess. I understand what the red line is depicting)

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

Yeah as I stated to him doctors are trying to figure out the best way to treat patients and fight this new virus so saying doctor's are incompetent is wrong IMHO. China and Italy were putting massive amount of people on vents so that is what we tried to do at first.

Along with the possible blood clotting issue and low oxygen but being able to talk etc we are going to figure this thing out pretty soon I think or at least an idea of how to treat it and not have people die as much.

Just trying to make some light of things here but wouldn't it just ****ing completely suck ass if we found out the way to deal with this was just to lay on your ****ing stomach!

[loochy]

Originally Posted by TLO

Can someone explain the significance of the red and blue lines on this graph and tell me if there's any conclusion to be drawn from them?

https://health.mo.gov/living/healthc...-dashboard.pdf

(More so the blue line I guess. I understand what the red line is depicting)

The blue line is the % change from the previous measurement point


so it's the % increase or decrease in reported cases


so the amount of growth of new cases is dwindling


it needs to be far in the negative to really signal things getting better

[TLO]

Originally Posted by loochy

The blue line is the % change from the previous measurement point


so it's the % increase or decrease in reported cases


so the amount of growth of new cases is dwindling

That's what I thought but wanted to confirm.

Thanks.

[kgrund]

Originally Posted by TLO

Can someone explain the significance of the red and blue lines on this graph and tell me if there's any conclusion to be drawn from them?

https://health.mo.gov/living/healthc...-dashboard.pdf

(More so the blue line I guess. I understand what the red line is depicting)

The blue line is showing the 7 day average increase in new cases. Could be used as a measure of the virus slowing.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by TLO

Age Ranges of Deaths Number of Deaths
Under 20 0
20-29 0
30-39 3
40-49 4
50-59 14
60-69 24
70-79 39
80+ 49

Is that Missouri?

[Bwana]

Originally Posted by TLO

What's the news? Are these being prescribed as treatments or something?

I was reading an article about the topic earlier today. Evidently there has been a lot of it prescribed with the disease and they expect a shortage.