***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]

This sucks:



(CNN)After falling for months, Covid-19 hospitalizations across the US are on the upswing and approaching the peak levels seen in April.

The reason is simple: the US is experiencing a surge in cases, with states such as Florida, Texas and California reporting thousands of new confirmed cases in recent weeks.

At the peak of the pandemic in April, 59,538 people were hospitalized nationwide on April 15, according to the Covid Tracking Project. That number reached its lowest level on June 15 with 27,772 people hospitalized. But as of July 20, that number has climbed back up to 58,330 -- just hints beneath April's high.

Adm. Brett Giroir, an official on the White House coronavirus task force, said on Monday there was "no question we are having a surge right now."

[O.city]

Hopefully it's peaking.

[displacedinMN]

Gov. Tim Walz is expected to announce a statewide mandate on Wednesday requiring Minnesotans to wear face masks in stores, public buildings and other places where people gather indoors, a dramatic extension of his emergency powers in the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic that still appears on the upswing in many stat

[BigCatDaddy]

50% of CA cases are from Latinos? Wow.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by Donger

This sucks:



(CNN)After falling for months, Covid-19 hospitalizations across the US are on the upswing and approaching the peak levels seen in April.

The reason is simple: the US is experiencing a surge in cases, with states such as Florida, Texas and California reporting thousands of new confirmed cases in recent weeks.

At the peak of the pandemic in April, 59,538 people were hospitalized nationwide on April 15, according to the Covid Tracking Project. That number reached its lowest level on June 15 with 27,772 people hospitalized. But as of July 20, that number has climbed back up to 58,330 -- just hints beneath April's high.

Adm. Brett Giroir, an official on the White House coronavirus task force, said on Monday there was "no question we are having a surge right now."

Thankfully we have a much better idea of how to treat this thing now compared to back in April

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by O.city

So refutations? The epidemiologist at Oxford is off on?

She's wrong about almost everything.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

Yep though I am wondering how this is all going to work with these multiple vaccines because they all do it differently. So who gets to decide which vaccine a person gets?

Initially, it will probably just be a matter of what one you can get access to. In the long-term, we'll start to get data on which ones work best (minimal side effects, percent effective, length of protection, etc.), and the best ones will win out.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by TLO

Thankfully we have a much better idea of how to treat this thing now compared to back in April

We do?

[TLO]

Originally Posted by Donger

We do?

Um.... Yes?

[Donger]

Originally Posted by TLO

Um.... Yes?

How are treatments better now than compared to April? What are we doing differently/better?

[tk13]

Originally Posted by Donger

How are treatments better now than compared to April? What are we doing differently/better?

It's not like they have the thing licked but they definitely have a better idea of things that don't work. That's why the dragging this out was a smart play than taking it head on in March when they didn't know anything about it.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by tk13

It's not like they have the thing licked but they definitely have a better idea of things that don't work. That's why the dragging this out was a smart play than taking it head on in March when they didn't know anything about it.

Yes, but other than some hope for remdesivir as a therapeutic and laying patients on their stomachs, what else has come to light?

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by Donger

Yes, but other than some hope for remdesivir as a therapeutic and laying patients on their stomachs, what else has come to light?

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...say-scientists

[Donger]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...say-scientists

That's good, thanks. I hope it pans out.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by Donger

How are treatments better now than compared to April? What are we doing differently/better?

I'm not going to list everything, but here's some highlights.

1. Not putting everyone on a ventilator. Remember when ventilators were a major concern? Notice that they aren't anymore?
2. Remdesivir
3. Covelesant plasma
4. Dexamethasone
5. Various other drugs/treatments that are showing promise but aren't widely studied yet

Compared to - "Oh shit - we have no idea what this disease is or how to treat it"

Yeah I'd say we're in a better place.