***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.”

[TLO]

Originally Posted by DaFace

I had assumed that cruise ships had already been shut down. Weird.

They've been out to sea since early March. Apparently they thought they were all safe on board? Idk.

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

The old folks are being hard-headed as hell about this thing.

My grandparents are in their 80s and my grandpa is just a walking disaster - damn near every part of him is broken in some way. They have spent the last week insisting that they're gonna come back to KC from their little snowbird cottage in Florida. My mom and I have been arguing with them to just !@#$ing stay put.

Yesterday they finally relented and said they'd stay there. There's just no sense at all in exposing yourself to more people. I mean on one hand, florida is probably going to get hit harder and with their population of elderly there may be a greater chance of capacity issues in their hospitals. But driving 16 hours over a couple of days to get yourself back to Kansas City isn't smart either - that's just more time out in the public.

Ultimately had they come up with a better reason, I suspect I'd have been more inclined to listen. But they just wanted to get back and open their house back up and get to a couple of doctors appointments they'd had scheduled. Just being stubborn old goats.

Originally Posted by DaFace

I can't speak for them, but I have a feeling if I made it to 80+ years, I'd almost have a "bring it on!" mentality about this whole thing. You likely don't have many years left - might as well live life rather than be confined to your home like a prison.

(I reserve the right to change my position about it in 45 years though.)

More reasons the airports should have been closed. **** it, open the restaurants and bars back up and let the goddamn thing play out.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by TLO

Also heard from the same guy that there will be likely be a continuing trend of about 10 out of 100 people that actually test positive.

This number is still kind of astounding to me. We can talk about false positives/negatives all you want. It's still pretty crazy.

[Monticore]

Originally Posted by DaFace

I had assumed that cruise ships had already been shut down. Weird.

They had 70 ships at sea last week.

[wazu]

Originally Posted by DaFace

I can't speak for them, but I have a feeling if I made it to 80+ years, I'd almost have a "bring it on!" mentality about this whole thing. You likely don't have many years left - might as well live life rather than be confined to your home like a prison.

(I reserve the right to change my position about it in 45 years though.)

Yeah no kidding. I'm finally retired, trying to enjoy my newfound freedom before my body breaks down, and people want me to "shelter in place"? Screw that. Even if you're 80 years old your odds are actually still really good against this thing.

[oaklandhater]

NEW: Friday 27 March update of coronavirus mortality trajectories

• UK has more dead at this stage than any country except Spain & Italy ⚠️
• US now clearly more deaths than China or Iran, could soon pass France
• India added

Live version FREE TO READ https://t.co/VcSZISFxzF pic.twitter.com/aT5lZ0601R

— John Burn-Murdoch (@jburnmurdoch) March 27, 2020

Death toll trajectories in subnational regions:

• New York, Catalonia, Madrid, Paris: new urban epicentres
• London curve steepens, more than 60 new deaths in last 24h
• Florida & California steepening but still no nationwide US lockdown

All charts: https://t.co/VcSZISFxzF pic.twitter.com/0ng4J0EdUl

— John Burn-Murdoch (@jburnmurdoch) March 27, 2020

[eDave]

Originally Posted by wazu

Yeah no kidding. I'm finally retired, trying to enjoy my newfound freedom before my body breaks down, and people want me to "shelter in place"? Screw that. Even if you're 80 years old your odds are actually still really good against this thing.

My dad is over the top scared. He's like 82 or something like that.

Asshole brother was talking about inheritance the other day.

[Monticore]

Originally Posted by wazu

Yeah no kidding. I'm finally retired, trying to enjoy my newfound freedom before my body breaks down, and people want me to "shelter in place"? Screw that. Even if you're 80 years old your odds are actually still really good against this thing.

if i hit 80 i am doing coke and jumping out of planes, try and stop me.

[oaklandhater]

The University of Washington projects that the pandemic will peak on April 14th, and there will be roughly 80,000 deaths by the end of August.


How many more deaths do we need until we get a nation wide lockdown.

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by oaklandhater

The University of Washington projects that the pandemic will peak on April 14th, and there will be roughly 80,000 deaths by the end of August.


How many more deaths do we need until we get a nation wide lockdown.

Did you ever post the details of this lockdown you are advocating? I may have missed it.

[oaklandhater]

Originally Posted by Bugeater

Did you ever post the details of this lockdown you are advocating? I may have missed it.

I mean the state lockdowns are barely being enforced.

it needs to come down from a federal level.

something like Ireland is doing for 2-3 weeks is what we need to get ahead of this

BREAKING: Ireland announces nationwide lockdown due to coronavirus, effective at midnight

— BNO Newsroom (@BNODesk) March 27, 2020

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by oaklandhater

How many more deaths do we need until we get a nation wide lockdown.

Maybe more than 5 per 1 million people.

[oaklandhater]

Originally Posted by Hammock Parties

Maybe more than 5 per 1 million people.

the thing is once we reach that level it's gonna be a bitch slowing it down.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by eDave

My dad is over the top scared. He's like 82 or something like that.

Asshole brother was talking about inheritance the other day.

Yeah, that's shitty. I've always found talk of inheritance to be a bit offputting in general. I'd imagine I'll get something when my parents pass (hopefully not for years), but I won't be building it into my retirement plans. I get what I get, and hopefully they live long enough that there won't be much left.

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by oaklandhater

I mean the state lockdowns are barely being enforced.

it needs to come down from a federal level.

something like Ireland is doing for 2-3 weeks is what we need to get ahead of this

You're dodging the question. Just give me list of conditions.