***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.”

[Monticore]

Originally Posted by DaFace

There are far more hospitals that are super slow right now (due to no elective procedures) than there are hospitals that are over capacity.

I did 1 outpatient yesterday , big hospitals in the US are most likely losing millions daily and many staff are being laid off or have their hours cut,I spend more time acting like a Wallmart greeter at the front of the hospital than doing patients right now at a significantly higher pay . Canadian hospitals I don't think are affected as much ,well because socialism/how they get funded. Surgeons , Radiologists and such are losing a lot of course.

[PAChiefsGuy]

Originally Posted by Mecca

Can it wait till I beat FF7, the extra time is helping....

I was thinking of picking this up

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by DaFace

Perhaps, which is why Sweden is important to watch. If they can stay the course, it'll be an indication that we can get by with fewer restrictions. If they become a huge problem in the next couple weeks, it's a good indication that loosening restrictions is gonna be hard.

Disagree to a point They never locked down. We have. Every time we have pointed to Europe we come out much better than what people think.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by PAChiefsGuy

I was thinking of picking this up

It's pretty sweet, not a true remake, more like a re-imagining of the game. Also it's not the "FULL" game, this is just 1 of a 3 game series.

[PAChiefsGuy]

Originally Posted by Mecca

It's pretty sweet, not a true remake, more like a re-imagining of the game. Also it's not the "FULL" game, this is just 1 of a 3 game series.

Cool. I'll def check it out. Had a rough night playing COD and Madden yesterday could use a switch up.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by DaFace

There are far more hospitals that are super slow right now (due to no elective procedures) than there are hospitals that are over capacity.

Originally Posted by loochy

Because there aren't enough patients

She's a PCP at a neighborhood clinic. They're only seeing sick visits right now. All sports physicals, "well child checks", rtx have been canceled.

That makes no sense. This was to keep our hospital health care systems from being overrun. If they are not being overrun why not let those established patients in the local neighborhood clinic go in and get their normal services?

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

That makes no sense. This was to keep our hospital health care systems from being overrun. If they are not being overrun why not let those established patients in the local neighborhood clinic go in and get their normal services?

In most cases, it's against the shutdown orders.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

That makes no sense. This was to keep our hospital health care systems from being overrun. If they are not being overrun why not let those established patients in the local neighborhood clinic go in and get their normal services?

Because elective surgeries and what not are just that. So between social distancing and people just generally wanting to stay away from medical facilities you have a slow down. Welcome to the reality of it all.

And FYI, outside of the NY area it appears most hospitals are not being impacted like we were expecting.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by DaFace

In most cases, it's against the shutdown orders.

But, they can give them "essential" status and are choosing not to. It seems that if the WWE is essential, so are these services.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by petegz28

Disagree to a point They never locked down. We have. Every time we have pointed to Europe we come out much better than what people think.

It doesn't really matter unless you think we already are reaching some significant level of immunity. Without that, opening up is no different than never doing restrictions in the first place.

[loochy]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

That makes no sense. This was to keep our hospital health care systems from being overrun. If they are not being overrun why not let those established patients in the local neighborhood clinic go in and get their normal services?

Because the governmental fear mongering makes the practitioners feel like every patient is a walking covid bomb waiting to go off, so the hospital admin turned off the flow

And of course they don't have enough PPE for the full patient capacity

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by DaFace

It doesn't really matter unless you think we already are reaching some significant level of immunity. Without that, opening up is no different than never doing restrictions in the first place.

We are going to have a harder time reaching any level of immunity by hiding. Just saying.

[LTL]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

That makes no sense. This was to keep our hospital health care systems from being overrun. If they are not being overrun why not let those established patients in the local neighborhood clinic go in and get their normal services?

Hospital I’m at furloughed almost 100 from their clinic a couple weeks ago. A friend of mine works at a bigger hospital system and they furloughed 600 or almost 10 pct of the staff. I know we are sending nurses and RTs home on a daily basis cause their just isn’t enough to do.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by petegz28

We are going to have a harder time reaching any level of immunity by hiding. Just saying.

Do you volunteer to just go get the virus then?

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

But, they can give them "essential" status and are choosing not to. It seems that if the WWE is essential, so are these services.

Why do they need to be "essential"? If they haven't been deemed that yet then why now? I will tell you now that our health system has told people in similar positions to seek out other position in the health system even if they have to learn something new we will work with them.