***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.”

[WhawhaWhat]

Cut the ear straps off your masks after you're done with them.

[htismaqe]

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by loochy

I've said it before, but my wife saw an abnormally high number of pneumonia cases and "flu" that came back negative last winter. I even remember her commenting on how strange it was back then.

I have heard similar from other doctors. I stated this months ago only to be scoffed at by the resident experts.

[suzzer99]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

We had something similar here. My daughter and my brother-in-law both were tested for multiple respiratory conditions last winter and both of them ended up being diagnosed with an "unknown virus".

I caught the "Vegas Flu" playing poker in Vegas in early Dec. Tons of people I know had something similar around the same time - fairly mild fever at first, then a week of horrible dry cough, then two weeks of slowly fading dry cough. I've never had anything like it.

I got tested for covid antibodies and came up negative. Who knows about those tests though.

I don't think I had covid but maybe there was some weird cousin of it circulating late last year.

[loochy]

Originally Posted by Donger

If those were COVID, why didn't we see a massive increase then instead of late March? Seems illogical.

I have no idea if they were COVID. I just know that she was puzzled by how much pediatric pneumonia was occurring. She also questioned the batches of flu tests they had in office because so many were returning negative.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by O.city

TLO, did you see any of the news on the Regeneron AB cocktail?

I saw it was added to the Recovery Trial. A step in the right direction.

I was hoping we'd have more answers on it by this point though.

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by loochy

I have no idea if they were COVID. I just know that she was puzzled by how much pediatric pneumonia was occurring. She also questioned the batches of flu tests they had in office because so many were returning negative.

Kids don’t get COVID so....

[loochy]

Originally Posted by lewdog

Kids don’t get COVID so....

I dunno. Something drove an uptick in pneumonia. Maybe bad air quality? Maybe randomness? Who knows?


My son has been going to school for 5 weeks now. The school has had one case in a student and one case in a faculty member so far.

[TLO]

My girlfriends son is showing symptoms. She's taking him to Urgent Care now.

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by TLO

My girlfriends son is showing symptoms. She's taking him to Urgent Care now.

How old?

[TLO]

Originally Posted by lewdog

How old?

Just turned 10

[htismaqe]

Prayers brother. Hopefully it's a whole lotta nothing!

[TLO]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Prayers brother. Hopefully it's a whole lotta nothing!

3 hour wait at the Urgent Care.

But we should have answers tonight. They do rapid testing out there if they determine he needs to be tested.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by TLO

3 hour wait at the Urgent Care.

But we should have answers tonight. They do rapid testing out there if they determine he needs to be tested.

Yeah, "Urgent" Care in most places is anything but urgent.

[Why Not?]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Yeah, "Urgent" Care in most places is anything but urgent.

And it’s not usually care either.