***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.”

[ptlyon]

Haven't visited in a while. Glad to see this thread stayed non-political.

[Monticore]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Uhh yeah thats what the DPA is supposed to do, force companies to make the PPE.

We could have forced 3M to open more factories to increase PPE capacity here in the USA.

Thats exactly what we did with ventilators. The taxpayers paid the set up costs but the federal government doesn't know how to make ventilators. The government used the DPA to force GE to open up a shuttered plant and make more ventilators. Ended the ventilator shortage.

We didnt do that with PPE.

We started with a shuttered building and solved the vent shortage in 2 months time. No one can make an reasonable argument that America is not capable of making enough PPE, which are way way easier to manufacture than vents, for its citizens safety in 9 months time.


Edit:
The government pays the start up costs but the company that was forced to open, keeps all the profits. So its not like the shareholders lost money either.

Cost of PPE is getting ridiculous, my wife bought cheaper n95s because 1500$ for 100 masks seemed a tad expensive, she paid 750$

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

BRC pretty much answered this but yes they could contract with another company or force them. The government has wide authority to do what needs to be done in a crisis like this.

We also need to start making certain drugs here in the US as well that way we aren't dependent on China.

They have wide authority to prioritize "common good" manufacturing over course-of-business manufacturing. For example, forcing GE to make more ventilators.

From my understanding, they can also disburse funds for starting up operations but it doesn't give them the authority to force a company to make something that is currently something they don't make. For example, if Purell only makes hand sanitizer in Malaysia and has no facilities here, they can't force Purell to make it here without additional incentives. My understanding is admittedly limited however.

Also, while making drugs here would be a good thing, the government can only prioritize drugs related to the immediate crisis of course. Wholesale manufacturing of drugs in the US would be a sweeping change largely covered outside of the DPA.

It would have been nice if the government would have been incentivizing companies for the past 2 decades to not move all their operations overseas, but that ship has sailed, pardon the pun. Despite the gravity of the COVD situation, it's still a relatively "mild" crisis and here we are. Imagine what things would be like if it were more lethal or if were in some kind of war?

So yes, you're absolutely right. This needs to get fixed, both in the short-term and the long.

[R Clark]

For being the greatest nation in the world it’s some ignorant shit that we aren’t turning out massive amounts of ppe .politics should be left in the ditch along the road.

[R Clark]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

They have wide authority to prioritize "common good" manufacturing over course-of-business manufacturing. For example, forcing GE to make more ventilators.

From my understanding, they can also disburse funds for starting up operations but it doesn't give them the authority to force a company to make something that is currently something they don't make. For example, if Purell only makes hand sanitizer in Malaysia and has no facilities here, they can't force Purell to make it here without additional incentives. My understanding is admittedly limited however.

Also, while making drugs here would be a good thing, the government can only prioritize drugs related to the immediate crisis of course. Wholesale manufacturing of drugs in the US would be a sweeping change largely covered outside of the DPA.

It would have been nice if the government would have been incentivizing companies for the past 2 decades to not move all their operations overseas, but that ship has sailed, pardon the pun. Despite the gravity of the COVD situation, it's still a relatively "mild" crisis and here we are. Imagine what things would be like if it were more lethal or if were in some kind of war?

So yes, you're absolutely right. This needs to get fixed, both in the short-term and the long.

Just think if something happen like ww two we would be so screwed today

[Skyy God]

How freaking cool is it that Dolly Parton helped develop the Moderna vaccine??

https://www.esquire.com/news-politic...cine-covid-19/

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

So who is the federal government going to contract with to take over these shuttered plants? Are they going to force them to do it? Or are they just going to do it themselves, since the government apparently has some kind latent manufacturing ability?

By the time anything was actually operational to an effective extent we would be years past Coronavirus. Its sounds easy to say we need to open plants to start making PPE but the reality is its not nearly that simple. I mean first off where you getting the equipment? Do we need to build that too? Where does that come from etc....Then you need the raw materials to make the PPE, where does that come from?

Hopefully though we learn from this situation and don't get caught with our pants down next time.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by R Clark

For being the greatest nation in the world it’s some ignorant shit that we aren’t turning out massive amounts of ppe .politics should be left in the ditch along the road.

I would assume that will change but this is something that would literally take years to accomplish.

[Fish]

Originally Posted by Cave Johnson

How freaking cool is it that Dolly Parton helped develop the Moderna vaccine??

https://www.esquire.com/news-politic...cine-covid-19/

Dolly Parton is actually a pretty freaking awesome person. She's directly donated ~150,000,000 books to kids across the world too. As well as various other charities and programs.

https://imaginationlibrary.com/

[Otter]

Something extremely bogus is going on. Was tested for covid four times today. Two tests came back negative, two came back positive. Same machine, same test, same nurse. Rapid antigen test from BD.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 13, 2020

[TLO]

Originally Posted by Otter

Something extremely bogus is going on. Was tested for covid four times today. Two tests came back negative, two came back positive. Same machine, same test, same nurse. Rapid antigen test from BD.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 13, 2020

Hard Q.

But yes, it is a bit odd. I wonder what his results would be if he had gotten a PCR test?

[O.city]

THE GOOD NEWS: Immunity to the coronavirus might last years, maybe even decades, according to a new study — the most hopeful look yet at this issue. 1/xhttps://t.co/ntTmKxKjbm

— Apoorva Mandavilli (@apoorva_nyc) November 17, 2020

You mean it's like every other virus we know about? I'm shocked.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by O.city

THE GOOD NEWS: Immunity to the coronavirus might last years, maybe even decades, according to a new study — the most hopeful look yet at this issue. 1/xhttps://t.co/ntTmKxKjbm

— Apoorva Mandavilli (@apoorva_nyc) November 17, 2020

You mean it's like every other virus we know about? I'm shocked.

[Pants]

Originally Posted by O.city

You mean it's like every other virus we know about? I'm shocked.

[R Clark]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

I would assume that will change but this is something that would literally take years to accomplish.

I am not a manufacturing guru but I ain’t buying yrs . I’ve been on to many fast pace projects that were a hellve a lot more complicated than making ppe and it didn’t take yrs .you got the money anything can be made to happen in damn near any time frame