***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.”

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by petegz28

Yeah, I am gonna go ahead and disagree.

Well, you're wrong - there's no "disagreement" about it. Younger kids will be sent home and high school aged kids that lie about symptoms will cause problems, too.

For schools to be open, not only will there be a reduced number of kids in each classroom due to social distancing requirements, every person who enters the school doors each day will need to have their temperature checked at least once a day, and you can damn sure bet that any kid that complains of a sore throat will be sent home asap.

If schools are forced to open next month due to a lack of federal funding, we'll be facing a disaster like we haven't seen so far this year, especially given there are more than 76 million students from K-12 in this country.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by cdcox

We are now killing and average 700 people a day, a rate that is going to climb to over a thousand within a few weeks. Other countries are doing much better, at controlling the disease, so it's not like we are doing everything we can to mitigate the disease. But rather than implementing better public health practices that are saving lives in other countries, you advocate throwing caution to the wind and pouring more gas on the fire. Just how many people are you willing to kill, Pete?

Dude, get the **** out of here with that shit. Anytime anyone disagrees with you it's they hate old people or you want to throw caution to the wind or you're willing to kill people when absolutely none of that is true.

Just shut the **** up.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Well, you're wrong - there's no "disagreement" about it. Younger kids will be sent home and high school aged kids that lie about symptoms will cause problems, too.

For schools to be open, not only will there be a reduced number of kids in each classroom due to social distancing requirements, every person who enters the school doors each day will need to have their temperature checked at least once a day, and you can damn sure bet that any kid that complains of a sore throat will be sent home asap.

If schools are forced to open next month due to a lack of federal funding, we'll be facing a disaster like we haven't seen so far this year, especially given there are more than 76 million students from K-12 in this country.

I am not wrong about a damn thing. It's impractical as all hell to shut down school every time someone says their throat hurts. I have a 1st grade student so it isn't like I don't have any skin in this game, unlike several here, not saying you.

Sending the kid home and automatically making them quarantine for 14 days because of it is 2 different things and I don't think that will be the case.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by cdcox

We are now killing and average 700 people a day, a rate that is going to climb to over a thousand within a few weeks. Other countries are doing much better, at controlling the disease, so it's not like we are doing everything we can to mitigate the disease. But rather than implementing better public health practices that are saving lives in other countries, you advocate throwing caution to the wind and pouring more gas on the fire. Just how many people are you willing to kill, Pete?

WE are not killing anyone. I don't know where you get this "we" shit.

[cdcox]

Originally Posted by petegz28

Dude, get the **** out of here with that shit. Anytime anyone disagrees with you it's they hate old people or you want to throw caution to the wind or you're willing to kill people when absolutely none of that is true.

Just shut the **** up.

Decisions have consequences. Our decisions to date have consequences of 1000 people dying per week. You have indicated that you accept those consequences and are willing to open things up further which will have more severe consequences. So my question is not unreasonable.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by cdcox

Decisions have consequences. Our decisions to date have consequences of 1000 people dying per week. You have indicated that you accept those consequences and are willing to open things up further which will have more severe consequences. So my question is not unreasonable.

Our decisions? Again where the **** do you get this shit from? Your "question" is absolute, hyperbolic bullshit.

[cdcox]

Originally Posted by petegz28

WE are not killing anyone. I don't know where you get this "we" shit.

I am a US citizen. I am including other US citizens in "we". Our country, between our formal health policy (that has federal, state and local components) and the sum of actions by individuals are killing 700 people per week. Other economically similar countries are doing much better. I would call them "They".

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by petegz28

I am not wrong about a damn thing. It's impractical as all hell to shut down school every time someone says their throat hurts. I have a 1st grade student so it isn't like I don't have any skin in this game, unlike several here, not saying you.

Sending the kid home and automatically making them quarantine for 14 days because of it is 2 different things and I don't think that will be the case.

Good ****ing god, Pete. Are you suggesting that school administrators and teachers will just outright ignore those children with temperatures and sore throats?

Have you even given one second of thought to the idea that 76 MILLION students going back to school during a pandemic is a very, very bad idea?

[lewdog]

Ignore all symptoms and allow people to spread this.

/Pete

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Good ****ing god, Pete. Are you suggesting that school administrators and teachers will just outright ignore those children with temperatures and sore throats?

Have you even given one second of thought to the idea that 76 MILLION students going back to school during a pandemic is a very, very bad idea?

Yeah, that's what I said right? No. I said sending them home for a sore throat and automatically making them quarantine are separate issues. I don't think it will be practical to make someone quarantine every time their throat is "sore".

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by petegz28

Yeah, that's what I said right? No. I said sending them home for a sore throat and automatically making them quarantine are separate issues. I don't think it will be practical to make someone quarantine every time their throat is "sore".

You’re going to have to test for any minor symptom though, otherwise you’re allowing a possible outbreak from an initial sore throat symptom. That’s the problem, it’s a logistical nightmare for schools.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by lewdog

Ignore all symptoms and allow people to spread this.

/Pete

That's not even what I said and you know it but I realize I am not part of the "we are all gonna die" club so whatever.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by petegz28

Yeah, that's what I said right? No. I said sending them home for a sore throat and automatically making them quarantine are separate issues. I don't think it will be practical to make someone quarantine every time their throat is "sore".

Please tell us how the school nurse is to differentiate between a sore throat, which could be strep, flu or even the common cold, and COVID-19.

Thanks in advance.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by petegz28

That's not even what I said and you know it but I realize I am not part of the "we are all gonna die" club so whatever.

Um, yeah, it is, Pete.

And no one is talking about how "we're all going to die", we're talking about how we're going to prevent people from unnecessary deaths.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Please tell us how the school nurse is to differentiate between a sore throat, which could be strep, flu or even the common cold, and COVID-19.

Thanks in advance.

Then keep you kids home, Dane. That's your prerogative. If I lived where you are I probably would. But where I am the risk is barely even minimal at this point.