***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.”

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by O.city

Do metro hospitals on hospitalize people from the metro?

Same thing as here, rural area spread is exploding which leads to increased hospitalizations because there aren’t rural hospitals to hold them

I know we do but I couldn't tell you what the extent is of that. I know that between the people I work with and people I talk with at KU Med there isn't a threat of overload. That doesn't mean we aren't busy. Just that there isn't a fear of people being turned away or not getting care.

I believe if you read the Channel 41 article that Dr. Larsen and others all said that very thing.

[Chief Roundup]

Originally Posted by petegz28

You either quoted a story that left a lot of things out or purposely left a lot of things out. Considering the misspelled Larsen's name too....

Earlier in the week, St. Luke's was on diversion for a short amount of time, which Larsen said happens at every hospital. This means they weren't accepting ambulances except for issues such as heart attack and trauma.

As of Friday afternoon, St. Luke's was not turning away ambulances.


The hospital sees a high volume of non-COVID patients in the beginning of the week, such as people who come in for surgery and need to stay a few days. Volumes typically level off toward the end of the week.

North Kansas City Hospital was on full diversion for less than half an hour late Friday morning, a spokesperson said, but that was due to “some significant trauma cases” in the emergency department.

The spokesperson said about half of the patients in critical care and the ICU at NKCH are COVID-19 patients and the hospital “continues to have capacity and is prepared to provide essential medical treatment."

https://apnews.com/article/virus-out...5fa3f7a1b47be3

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

A local source rather than the 30,000 ft view the AP gave.

Originally Posted by Chief Roundup

https://apnews.com/article/virus-out...5fa3f7a1b47be3

Yes and DT kindly pointed out what the AP left out and Channel 41 didn't.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by Otter

I was listening to the Skeptics Guild to the Universe, which I do respect their opinions, and they were touting how a couple mile stones were passed in the last week or so. Two million deaths worldwide and 200,00 in the US alone.

It got me thinking, how does it compare to the 1918 Spanish Flu? A quick google search and there were 50 million deaths from Spanish Flu worldwide. We got a way to go to meet that, but maybe it will be up there with it, right?

Then it occured to me that the population was a lot less back then, so lets do some quicky math. 50 million death from a 2 billion population makes it so that 2.5% of the world's population died from Spanish Flu. Our current world population is almost 8 Billion now. 2.5% of 8 billion is 200 million.

Any opinions beyond that are just subjective, take it as you will, but we have a ways to go before we get Spanish Flu Pandemic numbers

Luckily, this isn't anywhere near the Spanish Flu. When we were seeing CFR and IFR numbers that were frighteningly high in March and April, I think it caused a lot of worry. (Justifiably so) A lot of people, myself included, are still a bit shaken by that initial panic.

This pandemic has been awful. No doubt about it. But we should be thankful it isn't a whole lot worse.

[TLO]

And hopefully in the time that comes after this pandemic, governments around the world will develop an actual plan to handle what it's like to run into a highly contagious novel pathogen that has the ability to kill a lot more people than covid ever will.

[Monticore]

Originally Posted by TLO

Luckily, this isn't anywhere near the Spanish Flu. When we were seeing CFR and IFR numbers that were frighteningly high in March and April, I think it caused a lot of worry. (Justifiably so) A lot of people, myself included, are still a bit shaken by that initial panic.

This pandemic has been awful. No doubt about it. But we should be thankful it isn't a whole lot worse.

Medicine was a bit different back then. Covid then and Spanish flu now results would be different.

[TLO]

Girlfriends son isn't feeling well again. Has a very stuffy nose, but also says he can't taste or smell anything. Tried doing a taste test with him with some different items. He got a couple right, some wrong.

Idk

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by TLO

Girlfriends son isn't feeling well again. Has a very stuffy nose, but also says he can't taste or smell anything. Tried doing a taste test with him with some different items. He got a couple right, some wrong.

Idk

I know people love to give me shit about it but yeah, not being able to smell or taste while having a congested, stuffy nose is not uncommon at all.

The colds are going around right now. I've been battling bouts of congesting the last week myself.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by petegz28

I know people love to give me shit about it but yeah, not being able to smell or taste while having a congested, stuffy nose is not uncommon at all.

The colds are going around right now. I've been battling bouts of congesting the last week myself.

I know what you mean. It's hard for a 10 year old to tell me whether or not he thinks his taste and smell are just slightly off, or just simply not there.

[philfree]

Originally Posted by Monticore

Medicine was a bit different back then. Covid then and Spanish flu now results would be different.

This seems true but we also have pretty rapid world travel to spread COVID and still yet we had no immediate vaccine or real treatment. And so far we're lucky COVID didn't devastate our young people like the Spanish Flu did.

[TLO]

He guessed right on pickle juice
A mint
And chocolate syrup.

He missed on cinnamon powder.

We were having a laugh doing the tests. I got hit back with mayo, mustard, and nutella.

I think it's probably just a stuffy nose.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by TLO

He guessed right on pickle juice
A mint
And chocolate syrup.

He missed on cinnamon powder.

We were having a laugh doing the tests. I got hit back with mayo, mustard, and nutella.

I think it's probably just a stuffy nose.

Shit, if he's 10 he is good. Now, you on the other hand....

[TLO]

He guessed right on pickle juice
A mint
And chocolate syrup.

He missed on cinnamon powder.

We were having a laugh doing the tests. I got hit back with mayo, mustard, and nutella.

I think it's probably just a stuffy nose.

[Rausch]

Originally Posted by philfree

This seems true but we also have pretty rapid world travel to spread COVID and still yet we had no immediate vaccine or real treatment. And so far we're lucky COVID didn't devastate our young people like the Spanish Flu did.

Young people with a healthy immune system are good. Very unlikely they see the serious end of this.

At my work it's just now really going around. EVERYONE has been exposed to multiple people with the Rona. Most have no symptoms at all. Not even fever.

Probably 1/3 have missed time (because you have to stay home if you have symptoms.)

A cowoker had the common symptoms (headache, no smell/taste for 3 days, 4 day flu symptoms.) She's 24-26, mixed race, no health issues. She's fine now other than still being shorter of breath than normal.

She had 5 days of symptoms total, 3 days of being "really sick," and day 8 she's just doing the mandatory 2 negative tests to return.

For the older elderly and those with compromised immune systems this could be fatal. This is also possible for the flu. Research what you can do to help your own natural immune system. Read up on what you could be doing that compromises it. Change your odds by being smart about what you can control yourself.

And believe it our not studies have shown that laughter can help the immune system. CP can save lives - post here early and often...

[philfree]

Originally Posted by Rausch

Young people with a healthy immune system are good. Very unlikely they see the serious end of this.

At my work it's just now really going around. EVERYONE has been exposed to multiple people with the Rona. Most have no symptoms at all. Not even fever.

Probably 1/3 have missed time (because you have to stay home if you have symptoms.)

A cowoker had the common symptoms (headache, no smell/taste for 3 days, 4 day flu symptoms.) She's 24-26, mixed race, no health issues. She's fine now other than still being shorter of breath than normal.

She had 5 days of symptoms total, 3 days of being "really sick," and day 8 she's just doing the mandatory 2 negative tests to return.

For the older elderly and those with compromised immune systems this could be fatal. This is also possible for the flu. Research what you can do to help your own natural immune system. Read up on what you could be doing that compromises it. Change your odds by being smart about what you can control yourself.

And believe it our not studies have shown that laughter can help the immune system. CP can save lives - post here early and often...

I have a small business and we all ended up with it. The other three guys are close to retirement so I've worried about them. I ended up with a little pneumonia but I'll kick that with ease. Truth is I've had worse strep than this COVID.