***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.”

[Donger]

Originally Posted by DaFace

Feel free to provide evidence to the contrary. (I'm not talking about impacting a single consumer, I'm talking about the potential for passing a disease like the flu or coronavirus.)

Okay. The SARS outbreak in 2002-2003. In late 2017, Chinese scientists traced the virus through the intermediary of civets to cave-dwelling horseshoe bats in Yunnan province.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushmeat

Bushmeat provides increased opportunity for transmission of several zoonotic viruses from animal hosts to humans, such as Ebolavirus, HIV,[6][7][8] and various species of coronavirus including SARS-CoV-2.[9]

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Donger

Okay. The SARS outbreak in 2002-2003. In late 2017, Chinese scientists traced the virus through the intermediary of civets to cave-dwelling horseshoe bats in Yunnan province.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushmeat

Bushmeat provides increased opportunity for transmission of several zoonotic viruses from animal hosts to humans, such as Ebolavirus, HIV,[6][7][8] and various species of coronavirus including SARS-CoV-2.[9]

Ban pork.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by DaFace

Ban pork.

Pork isn't bushmeat.

[eDave]

Ostrich Festival cancelled.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Donger

Pork isn't bushmeat.

Still capable of causing a pandemic.

[Chiefspants]

Originally Posted by DaFace

Still capable of causing a pandemic.

Ever heard of CWD? Probably should ban deer meat while we’re at it.

/s

I love venison - But still, we really need to amp up our testing for Chronic Wasting Disease in Deer - the potential is dangerous.

[cdcox]

Originally Posted by Donger

Can't agree with that at all. It would be nice if they at least cooked their bats, pangolins and wolf puppies some before eating them...

And, shall I post the video of the guy eating live baby mice?

There was a kid at boyscout camp who would eat raw salamanders. Stupidity isn't limited to one culture.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by DaFace

Still capable of causing a pandemic.

Sure it is. But, bushmeat provides increased opportunity for transmission of several zoonotic viruses from animal hosts to humans. That is the "cuisine" that caused the SARs outbreak in 2002-2003, and is very likely to be the "cuisine" that caused this. It isn't even influenza, like swine flu.

So, again, I can't agree with you that there's nothing inherently dangerous with eating bushmeat. I mean, we are living it right now.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by cdcox

There was a kid at boyscout camp who would eat raw salamanders. Stupidity isn't limited to one culture.

I didn't say it was. But the culture in question caused the outbreak in 2002-2003 and most likely this one. Like I've said, eat all the mice, bats, civets and pangolins you like. Just put it on the grill for a little longer, or at all.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Donger

Sure it is. But, bushmeat provides increased opportunity for transmission of several zoonotic viruses from animal hosts to humans. That is the "cuisine" that caused the SARs outbreak in 2002-2003, and is very likely to be the "cuisine" that caused this. It isn't even influenza, like swine flu.



So, again, I can't agree with you that there's nothing inherently dangerous with eating bushmeat. I mean, we are living it right now.

Perhaps my wording was too strong. Is it a good idea? Probably not. But would eliminating bush meat from the world prevent all possible pandemics? No.

[staylor26]

Originally Posted by DaFace

Perhaps my wording was too strong. Is it a good idea? Probably not. But would eliminating bush meat from the world prevent all possible pandemics? No.

Umm yea I would say you worded it completely wrong then.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by DaFace

Perhaps my wording was too strong. Is it a good idea? Probably not. But would eliminating bush meat from the world prevent all possible pandemics? No.

No, it wouldn't. But it would seem to eliminate SARS

[patteeu]

Originally Posted by cdcox

There was a kid at boyscout camp who would eat raw salamanders. Stupidity isn't limited to one culture.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by staylor26

Umm yea I would say you worded it completely wrong then.

My point is that it's silly to act like this is all China's fault when the U.S.'s cuisine has caused just as many issues like this.

Saying that China should do something about it is essentially saying that they should eliminate world hunger. In a perfect world, sure, but some issues can't be fixed easily.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by DaFace

My point is that it's silly to act like this is all China's fault when the U.S.'s cuisine has caused just as many issues like this.

Saying that China should do something about it is essentially saying that they should eliminate world hunger. In a perfect world, sure, but some issues can't be fixed easily.

This IS China's fault. So was 2002-2003. There is NOTHING with acknowledging that fact.

And yes, swine flu has killed many too. But again, pork isn't bushmeat. Pigs just happen to carry influenza, just like we do.