***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.”

[wazu]

Germany only shows 2 in serious/critical, even though they have over 5K active cases. This value does seem pretty suspect.

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by SupDock

I would hope that we make steps before hospitals are at 200 percent capacity. Can you imagine what that would look like?

Yeah, I could have typed that differently.... my train of thought was that's the "oh ****" moment for those countries not realizing how bad it was going to get and then taking swift and drastic measures.

Looks like Italy went from ~3000 cases the first week of March to lock down on 3/8 and 10,000 cases on 3/10... so, when is that tipping point before taking such extreme measures and how long is it taking hospitals to go from current capacity to 200%+.

We're obviously learning from it by cancelling a ton of non-essential stuff first, plus more drastic steps like cancelling school.... so, if nothing else, hopefully it's slowing down the timeline so we don't get to a point of realizing we're ****ed after we're already ****ed.

[MOhillbilly]

Originally Posted by Mecca

Yet everyone is freaking out, it's really stupid how people react to everything now.

The animal in man is showing. We can hide from many things we cannot hide from this.

[ptlyon]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

WTF is wrong with people? Stealing crucial supply's from hospitals?

Simple really. Human beings resort to self preservation when incited into a panic from fear mongering, like you and others have done throughout this thread.

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by wazu

Germany only shows 2 in serious/critical, even though they have over 5K active cases. This value does seem pretty suspect.

I think critical is pretty subjective so it’s probably hard to really get a consistent number, plus reporting such a number seems like a secondary task as it happens but the other non subjective values have been consistent and appear accurate for all countries.

[Mecca]

If anyone has Comcast they are suspending their data cap for the next 2 months, if you pay to be uncapped you have to call and cancel that or you'll still be charged, just had to do this.

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by Mecca

If anyone has Comcast they are suspending their data cap for the next 2 months, if you pay to be uncapped you have to call and cancel that or you'll still be charged, just had to do this.

And then have to deal with them not screwing up adding it back on again? No thanks.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by ptlyon

Simple really. Human beings resort to self preservation when incited into a panic from fear mongering, like you and others have done throughout this thread.

Do you have any experience in epidemiology, public health, infectious disease, hospital administration, pharmacology, or differential diagnosis?

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by The Franchise

And then have to deal with them not screwing up adding it back on again? No thanks.

You just have to call in May and have it put back, it's probably worth it to save 100 bucks.

[PAChiefsGuy]

Originally Posted by ptlyon

Simple really. Human beings resort to self preservation when incited into a panic from fear mongering, like you and others have done throughout this thread.

I think most people here have simply stated facts. That's not fear mongering. Whether someone panics or not because of these facts is up to them.

[Chiefspants]

Originally Posted by wazu

Germany only shows 2 in serious/critical, even though they have over 5K active cases. This value does seem pretty suspect.

A lot of people are focusing on Germany’s other reported deaths atm. I haven’t seen the data myself, but some are questioning/bringing attention to deaths they attributed to pneumonia and cancer and asking if other counties would have labeled these deaths due to COVID-19.

[ptlyon]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Do you have any experience in epidemiology, public health, infectious disease, hospital administration, pharmacology, or differential diagnosis?

Nope. Don't need one to know this is being blown totally out of proportion.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by PAChiefsGuy

I think most people here have simply stated facts. That's not fear mongering. Whether someone panics or not because of these facts is up to them.

I said previously that we only had 10K ventilators in reserve. Dr. Fauci said on the Sunday morning TV shows it’s at 12K now. Hospital ICU’s are at 80% capacity with just “normal ICU” cases. A very small % with the coronavirus. He said Italy’s doctors are deciding who gets a ventilator and who doesn’t.

[ptlyon]

Originally Posted by PAChiefsGuy

I think most people here have simply stated facts. That's not fear mongering. Whether someone panics or not because of these facts is up to them.

I respectfully disagree. Guess it depends on what you yourself determines what "facts" are.

[Donger]

What is the "normal" ICU % capacity during flu season?