***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.”

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Mecca

Do you volunteer to just go get the virus then?

Nice straw man, bro. Tell you what, you stay home until it's 100% safe to go outside, okay?

[O.city]

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.

The thing is, we just don't know. Until we do more testing, we wont know.

But the Sweden thing is, yeah, they may take it somewhat on the chin. But theoretically, they'll be thru it faster.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by petegz28

Nice straw man, bro. Tell you what, you stay home until it's 100% safe to go outside, okay?

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by O.city

The thing is, we just don't know. Until we do more testing, we wont know.

But the Sweden thing is, yeah, they may take it somewhat on the chin. But theoretically, they'll be thru it faster.

Exactly. We all know or have been told the quickest way to get through this was to let it run its course. That of course means more deaths and a run on the hospitals. I seem to remember saying this exact same thing early in this thread and being scoffed at for it. Not by you. Even the experts such as Fauci says our strategy will actually prolong things but keep the hospitals from being overrun.

So essentially we are choosing to be sick longer to hopefully reduce the overall amount of deaths. And that's one of those tough decisions you have to make one way or the other.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Mecca

I think this is more your speed

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by petegz28

I think this is more your speed

Well like.....up your nose with a rubber hose.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by O.city

The thing is, we just don't know. Until we do more testing, we wont know.

But the Sweden thing is, yeah, they may take it somewhat on the chin. But theoretically, they'll be thru it faster.

The "theoretically" is why they're important to watch. If the theory that a lot of people are asymptomatically infected is true, maybe it won't be so bad. But if that theory isn't true, any level of "herd immunity" is a pipe dream until a vaccine is available.

For better or worse, they will help us understand that.

[RunKC]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Why is she becoming unemployed?

Nobody has been coming in for over a month. Like literally nobody. Add I that all elective surgeries that are not critical have been delayed and there ya go. These hospitals are bleeding dry

[Monticore]

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?

The ICUs were potentially going to be overrun, also dealing with COVID patients in the ER/inpatient area is a slow process(labs/x-ray/disinfection everything takes longer) every patient with any covid symptom (long list) gets the covid treatment, which reduces the amount of patients departments can handle at one time.

[mazrim1978]

Originally Posted by petegz28

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.

My heart cath procedure to put in a stent has been canceled twice now due to being classified as elective. My ejection fraction is 30% this is a procedure I need done so I can start to recover from the heart attack I had in January.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by mazrim1978

My heart cath procedure to put in a stent has been canceled twice now due to being classified as elective. My ejection fraction is 30% this is a procedure I need done so I can start to recover from the heart attack I had in January.

Now that I don't get.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by DaFace

The "theoretically" is why they're important to watch. If the theory that a lot of people are asymptomatically infected is true, maybe it won't be so bad. But if that theory isn't true, any level of "herd immunity" is a pipe dream until a vaccine is available.

For better or worse, they will help us understand that.

Did you see the study I posted this morning from Scotland?

We know there are asymptomatic people out there. We don't necessarily know how many, but things are starting to show quite a few.

My thing is, if this was here in January as they now expect, why didn't it explode earlier?

[Monticore]

Originally Posted by mazrim1978

My heart cath procedure to put in a stent has been canceled twice now due to being classified as elective. My ejection fraction is 30% this is a procedure I need done so I can start to recover from the heart attack I had in January.

My colonoscopy has been cancelled again, which is definitely not as urgent as yours, but I did have large polyps removed 3 years ago so being somewhat at risk for CA I would rather have it done sooner than later.

[Monticore]

Originally Posted by O.city

Did you see the study I posted this morning from Scotland?

We know there are asymptomatic people out there. We don't necessarily know how many, but things are starting to show quite a few.

My thing is, if this was here in January as they now expect, why didn't it explode earlier?

With how high the hospitalization rate is you would assume numbers would have gone up.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by O.city

Did you see the study I posted this morning from Scotland?

We know there are asymptomatic people out there. We don't necessarily know how many, but things are starting to show quite a few.

My thing is, if this was here in January as they now expect, why didn't it explode earlier?

Methinks it did or was starting too but was not classified as such because we weren't looking for it. This is\was one of the worst of not the worst flu season ever. But I have talked to a couple people now who went to the doctor back in Jan and Feb and though they tested negative for influenza were told they had the flu and one doctor said "it's almost like there is something else going around".