***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.”

[Ghost of Maslowski]

https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/down...04242020-1.pdf

[Marcellus]

And BTW thats the worst place for Covid in this entire country.

[Ghost of Maslowski]

https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/down...04242020-1.pdf

[KS Smitty]

Originally Posted by petegz28

Again, I think testing is being a bit overblown. We don't need tests to see our hospitals are obviously not overflowing. Don't get me wrong I am not against testing at all and think kits should be available but what is the strategy with testing at this point in regards to opening back up?

If I am sick I am staying home, especially right now. If I have symptoms I am being counted as positive even if I am not. I just don't see the correlation between testing and it being a requirement to opening things back up?

I mean, if you have an outbreak or are in a hot spot, you're gonna know without testing because there is going to be a run on the hospitals and doctors.

We are laying off doctors and nurses right now while at the same time we are being told we have to shut down so we don't overrun the hospitals.

Testing is the only way to answer the 2 questions posted by you and O.City that I quoted. It's also one of the "requirements" in Phase 1 of easing restrictions per the federal government guidelines.

Kansas cases are still increasing and although our hospitals aren't being overrun that doesn't mean we should just pull down our pants and slide on the ice.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by KS Smitty

Testing is the only way to answer the 2 questions posted by you and O.City that I quoted. It's also one of the "requirements" in Phase 1 of easing restrictions per the federal government guidelines.

Kansas cases are still increasing and although our hospitals aren't being overrun that doesn't mean we should just pull down our pants and slide on the ice.

I don't think anyone is advocating just opening up full blast. But the Gov s saying there aren't enough test kits available to open things back up. I just don't see how she gets there with that.

If you start to open things back up and people start going to the hospital, you're gonna know regardless of tests.

[ghak99]

Originally Posted by O.city

Ready to see people go hungry? Why?

In short, you can only push people so far. Once you're on the edge for too long, you either jump or start kicking people in the teeth to get away from it. Add making 6 figure decisions on a regular basis while carrying two generations of devotion on your shoulders, and things get ugly.

I doubt many people here know this, but even before Covid fired up dairy producers in some regions were regularly being sent mental health letters with suicide prevention information along with their milk checks. Think about that for a minute, you get your paycheck and the second page is full of information just trying to keep you from offing yourself. Then Covid hits. Essential workers going broke while .gov hands out raises for a large group of the population for sitting on the couch. Can you see where the wedge is being drove?

Originally Posted by O.city

Ghak99 how can this all be corrected/fixed?

At this point, I'm not sure I know how to answer your question. There are so many policies and decisions that have lead up to this point that it's one giant puzzle of ****dom. If I did, it would immediately need moved to DC.

I guess I'd start with a question. What percentage of your income do you spend on food? Not the high end food you really don't need, but just basic food to keep your family happy and growing. Then I'd ask what percentage of your income do you spend on golf, toys, cell phones, etc, etc. Compare those two figures with an open mind and ask yourself how it's even possible.

The US committed to having one of the cheapest reliable food supplies imaginable and the population takes it for granted. That commitment comes at a cost only a very small segment of the population even knows about. You just can't dig a hole for 20 years and then try to fix it overnight when Covid throws a wrench in the gears. It requires pain, desperation, and accepting reality to admit change has to happen in order to prevent these things from happening. That pain is what some producers are ready to see as they feel it'll lead to change.

We can't magically make these plants run wide open at this point. It's just not possible. You can adjust regulations and bust an oligarchy in an attempt to prevent it from happening in the future. It might mean your $1 cheeseburger needs to cost $1.10 in the future. It might even require making sure that extra .10 is invested in the proper locations.

[KS Smitty]

Originally Posted by petegz28

I don't think anyone is advocating just opening up full blast. But the Gov s saying there aren't enough test kits available to open things back up. I just don't see how she gets there with that.

If you start to open things back up and people start going to the hospital, you're gonna know regardless of tests.

I don't (personally) know what the number of kits are available in KS or how easy it is to procure them, I only know that's what's she's saying.

If things do open and people start going to the hospital what do you do to mitigate that? I totally agree that we need to ease restrictions but it has to be done intelligently, hopefully that's what happens.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by ghak99

In short, you can only push people so far. Once you're on the edge for too long, you either jump or start kicking people in the teeth to get away from it. Add making 6 figure decisions on a regular basis while carrying two generations of devotion on your shoulders, and things get ugly.

I doubt many people here know this, but even before Covid fired up dairy producers in some regions were regularly being sent mental health letters with suicide prevention information along with their milk checks. Think about that for a minute, you get your paycheck and the second page is full of information just trying to keep you from offing yourself. Then Covid hits. Essential workers going broke while .gov hands out raises for a large group of the population for sitting on the couch. Can you see where the wedge is being drove?



At this point, I'm not sure I know how to answer your question. There are so many policies and decisions that have lead up to this point that it's one giant puzzle of ****dom. If I did, it would immediately need moved to DC.

I guess I'd start with a question. What percentage of your income do you spend on food? Not the high end food you really don't need, but just basic food to keep your family happy and growing. Then I'd ask what percentage of your income do you spend on golf, toys, cell phones, etc, etc. Compare those two figures with an open mind and ask yourself how it's even possible.

The US committed to having one of the cheapest reliable food supplies imaginable and the population takes it for granted. That commitment comes at a cost only a very small segment of the population even knows about. You just can't dig a hole for 20 years and then try to fix it overnight when Covid throws a wrench in the gears. It requires pain, desperation, and accepting reality to admit change has to happen in order to prevent these things from happening. That pain is what some producers are ready to see as they feel it'll lead to change.

We can't magically make these plants run wide open at this point. It's just not possible. You can adjust regulations and bust an oligarchy in an attempt to prevent it from happening in the future. It might mean your $1 cheeseburger needs to cost $1.10 in the future. It might even require making sure that extra .10 is invested in the proper locations.

Damn

Yeah I can see where the frustration will come from there for sure.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by KS Smitty

I don't (personally) know what the number of kits are available in KS or how easy it is to procure them, I only know that's what's she's saying.

If things do open and people start going to the hospital what do you do to mitigate that? I totally agree that we need to ease restrictions but it has to be done intelligently, hopefully that's what happens.

I think you have to keep perspective above all. Right now it's just shut down everything and see what happens. We can't continue on that route. If we start to truly get a run on the hospitals then I think you have to start locking down some things again.

But my point is we locked down everything because we knew the hospitals would get overrun and we had to minimize it. That never happened. So that tells me that while locking down worked, perhaps it was a bit too much in some cases?

Again, no easy answers. But at some point pragmatism has to be taken into the equation as well.

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by ghak99

It might mean your $1 cheeseburger needs to cost $1.10 in the future. It might even require making sure that extra .10 is invested in the proper locations.

- after 2008 and all the stresses placed on energy and transport sectors, the '$1 cheeseburger' became the $5 cheeseburger.

A little overstated, but not nearly so much as 10 cent increase is understated.

Between minimum wages, social distancing, and food industry stresses, I would not be the least bit surprised to see individual $20 Value Meals in the fast food industry in the near future.

[KS Smitty]

Originally Posted by petegz28

I think you have to keep perspective above all. Right now it's just shut down everything and see what happens. We can't continue on that route. If we start to truly get a run on the hospitals then I think you have to start locking down some things again.

But my point is we locked down everything because we knew the hospitals would get overrun and we had to minimize it. That never happened. So that tells me that while locking down worked, perhaps it was a bit too much in some cases?

Again, no easy answers. But at some point pragmatism has to be taken into the equation as well.

Agreed, we just have to be smart about it. There should be some answers as to how much is too much with the states relaxing restriction today. It will be 11 days when KS is expected to ease restrictions, if GA etc have a huge spike in cases by then I expect Gov Kelly to extend the current restriction longer.

[Titty Meat]

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

- after 2008 and all the stresses placed on energy and transport sectors, the '$1 cheeseburger' became the $5 cheeseburger.

A little overstated, but not nearly so much as 10 cent increase is understated.

Between minimum wages, social distancing, and food industry stresses, I would not be the least bit surprised to see individual $20 Value Meals in the fast food industry in the near future.

Hyperbolic AF

[Monticore]

Sounds like they opened stuff up in Germany and people are still staying in.

[BigCatDaddy]

Only .08% of the fatalities were under 45 and no underlying condition. Wow.

[WhawhaWhat]

The family of this 4-year-old says they did everything right, but the little boy still contracted coronavirus and had to fight for his life in a Denver ICU https://t.co/H3AngsI4V9 pic.twitter.com/9OpvNA9x1Q

— CBS News (@CBSNews) April 25, 2020