***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.”

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by lewdog

I agree. With a mask mandate in place, small businesses would have been able to follow mitigation strategies better than a place like Walmart.

The ****?
A little mom and pop storefront is going to mitigate better than acres of store aisles?

Congestion is the small business' lifeline. Walmarts of the world can do fine with a [relatively] few customers per hour piling up their carts to the brim and shuffling through the self-serve scanners.

Heck, Walmart could build a more profitable business model in their parking lots alone than most mom&pops.

[Chief Pagan]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

Warmer weather is something I strongly believe factors in as well - based on a bunch of stuff I've read. I worry when it gets cold the virus will be viable for a lot longer in the air and on surfaces.

Also some experts believe one of the reasons for seasonal cold and flu is the transfer from cold/dry air to hot/heated indoor air plays havoc with our mucus membranes - which are the first line of defense.

Those seem to be factors and vitamin D from sunlight and the immune system might also be a factor.

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by petegz28

You realize that 99.9% of the rest of the world can't be treated like professional athletes, right?

There is colleges out there doing daily testing of all their students. Just do some rapid testing and wear a silly mask and we could probably be 80-85% back to normal and save alot of lives in the process.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by TLO

We're 4 individuals away from having to convert one of our regular floors into a covid floor. No idea where our cases are coming from because our hospital likes to keep everything very hush hush.

Hopefully KC has room for some patients if we need them.

I thought we had 96 rooms.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Originally Posted by petegz28

You realize that 99.9% of the rest of the world can't be treated like professional athletes, right?

Speaking of that number...99.9 percent if us will be just fine

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

There is colleges out there doing daily testing of all their students. Just do some rapid testing and wear a silly mask and we could probably be 80-85% back to normal and save alot of lives in the process.

And dealing with nursing homes would have saved about 100k lives but whatever. Keep moving your target. If we did rapid testing, as we are already wearing the "silly masks", you would just find something new to be afraid of.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Pasta Giant Meatball

Speaking of that number...99.9 percent if us will be just fine

99.95% really...but who is counting

[TLO]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

I thought we had 96 rooms.

48 on the 5th floor, and they can convert 48 more on the 4th floor if needed. So yes, 96 total.

We're at 45 right now.

[Baby Lee]

As reeruned as being anti-mask out of principle may or may not be, 'wear a silly mask and go back to normal' is 100x as reeruned.

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by petegz28

And dealing with nursing homes would have saved about 100k lives but whatever. Keep moving your target. If we did rapid testing, as we are already wearing the "silly masks", you would just find something new to be afraid of.

There was alot of mistakes made early on no doubt but 8 months in we have a good idea how to combat this. There is no reason why we can't do rapid testing and masks to get us mostly back to normal.

Like I see no reason why people can't attend these NFL games. Yeah you will have limited attendance but you can just spread them out and force masks and it will be ok even indoors.

[Demonpenz]

St Joe hospital is full of triumph Mexicans

[Demonpenz]

wearing a mask is the new normal though and I have just accepted it.

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

As reeruned as being anti-mask out of principle may or may not be, 'wear a silly mask and go back to normal' is 100x as reeruned.

BL you misquoted me, I said 80-85 back to normal.

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

BL you misquoted me, I said 80-85 back to normal.

15% reerunation rebate granted. . .

On a more serious note, the problem isn't one mindset or another, so much as it's the more general mindset that anyone has enough of a handle on this novel virus to have a painless solution for everyone.

I said early on that we're going to have to either lock down everyone everywhere until the virus dies due to lack of transmission, get comfortable with death or get a vaccine, and anything else is either pollyannish or rebellious in its own way.

Haven't seen much to alter that calculus yet.

[Shiver Me Timbers]

30 days to slow the spread
90 days to slow the spread
365 days to slow the spread..........................