***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.”

[ThaVirus]

Originally Posted by Megatron96

When I was a hiring manager, if the candidate didn't shake hands (other than for an injury/sickness) or if he gave me a limp handshake, he was crossed off the list as soon as he went out the door. Man up and learn to give a good firm handshake, sheesh . . .

This is stupid as hell and you sound like a real dumbshit

[TLO]

Originally Posted by wazu

Coronavirus possibly in KC.

Black & Veatch: 2 workers monitored for possible exposure to COVID-19 https://t.co/QSb0MPhO1Y

— KMBC (@kmbc) March 2, 2020

From the article

“We are currently monitoring a potential exposure of two members of our workforce to the COVID-19 virus. Out of an abundance of caution for our professionals and the community at large, these professionals are self-isolating

So how long does a test for this take?

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Megatron96

When I was a hiring manager, if the candidate didn't shake hands (other than for an injury/sickness) or if he gave me a limp handshake, he was crossed off the list as soon as he went out the door. Man up and learn to give a good firm handshake, sheesh . . .

Originally Posted by cdcox

I'm not falling for that. You probably just want to carry a club into the business meeting.

Originally Posted by ThaVirus

This is stupid as hell and you sound like a real dumbshit

Originally Posted by BWillie

Its just a pretty dumb outdated custom, thats why.

No shit. This out dated firm handshake BS is some cro-magnum mad men level of thinking. My hands are usually way bigger than whom I meeting. I’m 6 inches and 100 lbs bigger than them. I go in trying to show some dominance with a “firm” handshake, they ain’t giving me a job. At least 40% are women too. I’m supposed to crush their hands too? GTFO.

[Megatron96]

Originally Posted by ThaVirus

This is stupid as hell and you sound like a real dumbshit

Hahaha, well, it worked for me, dipstick.

I was the number 1 regional manager for 6 years running. Had a higher recruit retention rate than any other regional manager in the country. And my office managers, the guys and girls I recruited and trained, were consistently some of the best recruiters/trainers and producers nationally year in, year out.

I was the guy at the annual conference meeting that other regionals and office managers sought out and asked me for pointers on how I recruited and trained my people.

[Mennonite]

It's not rocket science guys. There's a middle ground between the two extremes you know. Not too hard, not too soft. Like a handjob from Goldilocks.

[suzzer99]

Originally Posted by TLO

From the article



So how long does a test for this take?

It's doubtful they're even being tested. Those only seem to go to hospitalized patients. I read somewhere that at the moment the US only has 1500 tests ready to go. They seem to be erring on the side of not causing a panic.

[cdcox]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

It's doubtful they're even being tested. Those only seem to go to hospitalized patients. I read somewhere that at the moment the US only has 1500 tests ready to go. They seem to be erring on the side of not causing a panic.

I heard the cost is $3500 per test.

[suzzer99]

No that's only if you go to the ER and ask for a regular flu test to rule out COVID-19 - which apparently only STUPID PEOPLE actually do - because they naively assume our USA #1! healthcare system isn't lying in wait to gouge the shit out of them and their insurance might actually cover something. Idiots!

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by cdcox

I heard the cost is $3500 per test.

from business insider


Testing for COVID-19 (the disease caused by coronavirus) is free, according to a new report.

But Americans could be stuck paying for other medical-related costs for suspected coronavirus treatment, like a $1,000 hospital stay

How much you can expect to pay depends on your insurance plan, if you have one.

Another non- partisan site says:
At this time, the CDC is the only facility equipped to test for COVID 19, or to designate other laboratories to do so. The CDC is not billing for testing for COVID 19, so patients will not incur costs when tested by the CDC.

[TribalElder]

Originally Posted by TLO

From the article



So how long does a test for this take?

a couple weeks most likely

free time off! Sick days here I come!!!

[Megatron96]

Originally Posted by Mennonite

It's not rocket science guys. There's a middle ground between the two extremes you know. Not too hard, not too soft. Like a handjob from Goldilocks.

Basically this. Don’t be a reerun.

[wazu]

Pretty normal stuff going on in China. Not nesscary to worry pic.twitter.com/BjbpQCV09p

— PFTCommenter(DC DEFENDERS2-0 when im at the game (@PFTCommenter) March 3, 2020

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by wazu

Pretty normal stuff going on in China. Not nesscary to worry pic.twitter.com/BjbpQCV09p

— PFTCommenter(DC DEFENDERS2-0 when im at the game (@PFTCommenter) March 3, 2020

It's a ****ing training exercise. JFC!

[Chiefspants]

Originally Posted by petegz28

It's a ****ing training exercise. JFC!

Yeah, I’m not sure China, a country that is blocking news agencies from visiting concentration camps holding hundreds of thousands of people, would sanction a video like this to be filmed, much less released, if this was a real event.

[petegz28]

Reviewed By:


Lisa Lockerd Maragakis, M.D., M.P.H.
Influenza (“the flu”) and COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus, are both infectious respiratory illnesses. Although the symptoms of COVID-19 and the flu can look similar, the two illnesses are caused by different viruses.

As of Mar. 2, 2020, the flu is showing much more of an impact on Americans than COVID-19. You can find up-to-date information on COVID-19 at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Lisa Maragakis, M.D., M.P.H., senior director of infection prevention at Johns Hopkins, explains how the flu and COVID-19 are similar and how they are different.

Similarities: COVID-19 and the Flu
Symptoms
Both cause fever, cough, body aches, fatigue; sometimes vomiting and diarrhea.
Can be mild or severe, even fatal in rare cases.
Can result in pneumonia.
Transmission
Both can be spread from person to person through droplets in the air from an infected person coughing, sneezing or talking.
A possible difference: COVID-19 might be spread through the airborne route (see details below under Differences).
Flu can be spread by an infected person for several days before their symptoms appear, and COVID-19 is believed to be spread in the same manner, but we don’t yet know for sure.
Treatment
Neither virus is treatable with antibiotics, which only work on bacterial infections.
Both may be treated by addressing symptoms, such as reducing fever. Severe cases may require hospitalization and support such as mechanical ventilation.
Prevention
Both may be prevented by frequent, thorough hand washing, coughing into the crook of your elbow, staying home when sick and limiting contact with people who are infected.

Differences: COVID-19 and the Flu
Cause
COVID-19: Caused by one virus, the novel 2019 coronavirus, now called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, or SARS-CoV-2.

Flu: Caused by any of several different types and strains of influenza viruses.

Transmission
While both the flu and COVID-19 may be transmitted in similar ways (see the Similarities section above), there is also a possible difference: COVID-19 might be spread through the airborne route, meaning that tiny droplets remaining in the air could cause disease in others even after the ill person is no longer near.

Antiviral Medications
COVID-19: Antiviral medications are currently being tested to see if they can address symptoms.

Flu: Antiviral medications can address symptoms and sometimes shorten the duration of the illness.

Vaccine
COVID-19: No vaccine is available at this time, though it is in progress.

Flu: A vaccine is available and effective to prevent some of the most dangerous types or to reduce the severity of the flu.

Infections
COVID-19: Approximately 90,279 cases worldwide; 100 cases in the U.S. as of Mar. 2, 2020.

Flu: Estimated 1 billion cases worldwide; 9.3 million to 45 million cases in the U.S. per year.

Deaths
COVID-19: Approximately 3,085 deaths reported worldwide; 6 deaths in the U.S., as of Mar. 2, 2020.

Flu: 291,000 to 646,000 deaths worldwide; 12,000 to 61,000 deaths in the U.S. per year.

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/heal...019-vs-the-flu