***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.”

[Bob Dole]

Originally Posted by SAUTO

Sunday’s and Mondays are always down. We’ve gone through this Pete

I thought it was rainy days and Mondays.

[ghak99]

Originally Posted by petegz28

3 more small businesses in OP say they will not re-open when this is all said and done.

One of the local restaurants here was being cleaned out today. I know what the rent is on the building, and completely understand. Another that has been trying to hang on via pick up orders says if it goes longer than 3 weeks he'll be hauling his stuff out next.

Saw another that was using this time to do a remodel and had his staff all painting the walls and giving the place a make over. I thought it was great that he had his staff doing work when he could have hired it done cheaper, but then I got to wondering if they'd rather have been drawing the new unemployment.

Of course all the crap chain restaurants say they'll be opening up as soon as possible. That should spike the TP sales all over again when those grease factories open their doors back up.

[Chief Pagan]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Yeah, I hope people prioritize local businesses over chains when they start spending money again. A world of chain restaurants and big corporations is not a good world.

Unfortunately I think big chains and big corporations will have an even bigger slice of the economy by the time this is fully over.

I definitely support trying to patronize smaller shops.

For the small shops that go under, it is unlikely the land lord is going to find another tenant.

It would be nice if small businesses could do a fast and easy bankruptcy and then open up again in the same location. If they were profitable before the pandemic you would expect the same shop to be profitable afterwards.

But our system isn't geared for that. And I suppose I should stop at this point anyway.

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by Bob Dole

I thought it was rainy days and Mondays.

And automatic weapons.

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by Chief Pagan

Unfortunately I think big chains and big corporations will have an even bigger slice of the economy by the time this is fully over.

I definitely support trying to patronize smaller shops.

For the small shops that go under, it is unlikely the land lord is going to find another tenant.

It would be nice if small businesses could do a fast and easy bankruptcy and then open up again in the same location. If they were profitable before the pandemic you would expect the same shop to be profitable afterwards.

But our system isn't geared for that. And I suppose I should stop at this point anyway.

It's a myth that the US is small business friendly. It probably was at one time, but that time has long passed and you are correct, this isn't going to help.

[Monticore]

Originally Posted by Bugeater

It's a myth that the US is small business friendly. It probably was at one time, but that time has long passed and you are correct, this isn't going to help.

In Canada the margins are so small for restaurants especially in small towns it will be hard for them to recover.

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by Monticore

In Canada the margins are so small for restaurants especially in small towns it will be hard for them to recover.

Which brings up another concern of mine...if they're required to run only partial capacity in order to reopen, many simply will not be able serve the volume of customers they need to survive. I doubt the property owners are going to be willing to only charge partial rent to accommodate that. The outlook is pretty bleak for the industry.

[Dartgod]

Originally Posted by Bob Dole

I thought it was rainy days and Mondays.

They always get me down.

[petegz28]

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by PAChiefsGuy

It'll take time but I'm sure most of them will be back.

Based on what?

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

Based on what?

[LiveSteam]

[Discuss Thrower]

Didn't expect to see this

[Bugeater]

"You've reached your free article limit."


What the **** ever, not before I copied it, now it's free for everyone.

Jim McDonald is using all of his four decades of experience in financial markets to navigate the global pandemic’s impact for wealthy and institutional customers at Northern Trust Corp. His main message: be bullish on U.S. stocks.

The huge policy response from American authorities and prospects for even more fiscal measures have left McDonald favoring the U.S. over others. For the chief investment strategist at Northern Trust, which manages about $1.2 trillion, this earnings season won’t offer much to investors. What’s more important is understanding how the economy will get back on its feet as restrictions ease, he says. And for that, clues can be found as lockdowns in Europe end.
“This earnings season is not going to get us there,” he said in a phone interview. “There will not be enough information to have confidence in what the 2021 earnings number should be.”

However, “the U.S. has had the most cohesive, immediate and sizable policy response, and that is what has underpinned our favoring of U.S. equities,” McDonald said.
The S&P 500 is up 28% since the March low and the rally in technology giants has ensured the Nasdaq 100 is no longer down for 2020. Still, many companies will take the high degree of uncertainty as a chance to say that they aren’t able to give guidance, said McDonald. He’s betting the fiscal boost will be large enough to offset the demand destruction from the virus.
“We think there will be sufficient willingness to spend, but if we get a negative surprise -- if the coronavirus reaccelerates globally significantly -- that would be a problem,” he cautioned.
Germany is among the first nations in Europe taking cautious steps toward normalcy, loosening some restrictions on public life from Monday. Its success may help inform decisions in other jurisdictions that are still deliberating on how and when to ease lockdowns.
“Everyone will have an outlook but the reality is the economy is very dependent on the path of the coronavirus and the success in opening it back up,” said McDonald, who began his career in 1981 at accounting giant Arthur Andersen. “So that’s why looking at the success of countries like Germany, like Austria, like Spain and then increasingly the U.S., will be helpful to determine what the outlook in 2021 will actually be.”

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by Bugeater

"You've reached your free article limit."


What the **** ever, not before I copied it, now it's free for everyone.

That was actually the wrong link.


I did not expect to see this

Burger chain Shake Shack will return its entire $10 million loan from the U.S. government after facing widespread criticism https://t.co/C3aCujvrf3

— Bloomberg (@business) April 20, 2020