***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.”

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by KS Smitty

She's a great lady.

Just don't be saying that where she can hear it. Our house is barely big enough for my ego...

[loochy]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

I have posted previously about my ex who is a RN and both her and her husband were hard core anti-vaxxers, anti-mandates etc, alot of it because of politics. They got it really bad and ended up both hospitalized and had to tote around oxygen and health care home came to take care of them for a couple of weeks. She was so close to going on a vent and you would think that would change a person. But she is still anti-vax and thinks the vaccine is made from aborted fetuses, but he has done a complete 180. He has had some kidney issues etc from covid so he is now all hardcore get the vaccine and mask mandates. Really interesting case study.

I don't see how getting sick would convince a person that vaccines work or aren't dangerous. I think all it would do is convince someone that COVID isn't fake.

[sedated]

Originally Posted by Chief Pagan

But a worst-case scenario is a future mutation that bucks the trend and is more lethal.

Have there been any cases of this actually happening?

Maybe I'm being hopeful but if the new variant is drastically less serious than other versions, it seems to be some light at the end of the tunnel. This one appears to be about as serious as a cold for the vast majority, the next variant or two could be so mild that it fades into the background and we don't even have to test.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by sedated

Have there been any cases of this actually happening?

Maybe I'm being hopeful but if the new variant is drastically less serious than other versions, it seems to be some light at the end of the tunnel. This one appears to be about as serious as a cold for the vast majority, the next variant or two could be so mild that it fades into the background and we don't even have to test.

Yes, it can happen.

Hopefully not, but it's not a given that future mutations will be less virulent.

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by loochy

I don't see how getting sick would convince a person that vaccines work or aren't dangerous. I think all it would do is convince someone that COVID isn't fake.

If you are on your deathbed that has to change your perspective some don't you think?

[loochy]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

If you are on your deathbed that has to change your perspective some don't you think?

I don't know? Were they presented with some kind of new evidence? They had already tuned out the widely available evidence, soo.....?

[WilliamTheIrish]

Originally Posted by BDj23

lol where is the proof?

If you need proof, ask any hospital administrator or just ask any ICU RN. They’ll tell you.

[WilliamTheIrish]

Originally Posted by BDj23

Politicians lie all the time. If this is happening "25 times a day" I think there would be at least ONE video, considering everyone in the world has a camera in their pocket.

But you're an NPC, so eat it up.

I’m just going to tell you straight up: it’s happening. All the time.

[WilliamTheIrish]

Originally Posted by Bugeater

That is infuriating. You'd think watching a loved one clinging to life would result in a revelation or two. I'm not going to lie, I was in the skeptic camp for quite a while and the only reason I did the vacs was because of the Mrs pushing me to do them. But what I've seen the past few months was a reality check and this is the one time I don't mind admitting she was right.

Good on your wife. And you too.

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by loochy

I don't know? Were they presented with some kind of new evidence? They had already tuned out the widely available evidence, soo.....?

Good question..maybe because they were in that disinformation bubble (she still is). I know they thought Covid = flu so being in their mid 40's they thought if they got Covid it would be mild at best so ending up in the hospital and clinging to life wasn't in their calculations I imagine.

[phisherman]

Stupid Covid. Took a rapid test today because I was planning on going to Lake of the Ozarks to visit the in-laws and got a positive result. I am fully vaccinated but not boosted, however I got my last Pfizer shot the first week of February, so yeah, almost 11 months out from my last shot.

It feels like I've got sinusitis, which I get more or less every year in the spring when the weather starts to change and pollen is everywhere.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by phisherman

Stupid Covid. Took a rapid test today because I was planning on going to Lake of the Ozarks to visit the in-laws and got a positive result. I am fully vaccinated but not boosted, however I got my last Pfizer shot the first week of February, so yeah, almost 11 months out from my last shot.

It feels like I've got sinusitis, which I get more or less every year in the spring when the weather starts to change and pollen is everywhere.

Man, that sucks. My wife and I have a week long trip to see a variety of family next week, and she wasn't feeling great this week. We were dreading the test result, but she came back negative. Sorry it's messing up your Xmas.

[phisherman]

Meh, if the whole family took negative tests by Saturday morning we would probably go, assuming everyone is negative and also not symptomatic. All the in-laws are vaccinated except for a sister-in-law who already had Covid likely twice. At this point, nobody else in the house has any symptoms at all but since they never took tests they just don't know whether or not they were actually infected (but they likely were). I haven't been quarantining in the house at all so I'd say it's been all over here by this point.

At this point, I'm pretty sure it's burnt through my whole family as my daughter and son were the first to get the sniffles like two weeks ago. When they started feeling better, which was literally maybe a day or two of them feeling cruddy, then my wife got it. She is unvaccinated and took it pretty hard for a day or two. She said she never had a fever but I know she never took hers. She also pretty much slept on the couch for two and a half days. Like clockwork, three days after her symptoms stop, here it comes for me. It's not any heavier than a cold and man, the last time I got Influenza B it was WAY, WAY worse than this.

[loochy]

Originally Posted by phisherman

Stupid Covid. Took a rapid test today because I was planning on going to Lake of the Ozarks to visit the in-laws and got a positive result. I am fully vaccinated but not boosted, however I got my last Pfizer shot the first week of February, so yeah, almost 11 months out from my last shot.

It feels like I've got sinusitis, which I get more or less every year in the spring when the weather starts to change and pollen is everywhere.

Just be glad you didn't end up going and unknowingly infecting the old inlaws.

[phisherman]

Oh, absolutely. My father in law is 82 and got the J&J shot. He's the one I worry about as he has COPD and a few other comorbidities.

We can go and visit them next week and it doesn't really change things other than my kids getting to see their cousins. We see the rest of the siblings and her parents quite frequently during the year.