***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.”

[O.city]

Governments track coronavirus infections, but what about tracking immunity? https://t.co/2pVmbEUXtY via @AlArabiya_Eng I will be very interested to see the extent to which COVID19 is attenuated, if at all, by the heat, in places like the Gulf.

— Nicholas A. Christakis (@NAChristakis) March 28, 2020

[TLO]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaChief

Honestly the best way to combat the spread is to start telling true stories (so it's going to be hard for the media to pull off) of people who died, especially people who were healthier and younger.

You'd like to think that you can convince people to abide by social distancing/stay at home rules by appealing to altruism for at-risk people. Not working. You need to appeal to people's selfishness.

If my neighbor could get it, people still do things that spread it. IF they're fighting for their own lives/families, that will change.

You'll get better behavior when people WANT to change, not when they're told to.

They're already doing this. Anyone under 50 that dies from the virus is BREAKING NEWS.

I can't stand it.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by D2112

Quarantine so people can’t leave the state. And nobody can come in. Continue stay at home and shelter with more restrictions. Try and contain it

Originally Posted by Donger

He's probably referring to quarantine. No one new goes in. No one comes out.

I totally understand the concept, but how on earth do you actually enforce it?

[Indian Chief]

Originally Posted by D2112

They should lock down ny/nj/ct for 3 weeks. Start there because people there aren’t getting it and that’s the hot spot

I know you live in NJ like me so you'll get this. The biggest issue in NJ was the sheer number of people that commute from the state into NYC for work. Look at the NJ counties that are the worst -- Bergen, Essex, Union, Hudson, etc. Everything bordering NY, where high numbers of commuters live. It took too long to put a stop to that and the city spilled into the neighboring state.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by TLO

I totally understand the concept, but how on earth do you actually enforce it?

With green men with guns, if necessary.

Shutting down air travel from there is easy.

[2112]

Originally Posted by TLO

I totally understand the concept, but how on earth do you actually enforce it?

That’s a good question. These are untested waters. I’m locking myself down. I’m good for a month. And there’s too many dumb people out there making this problem worse

[BleedingRed]

https://twitter.com/michaelcoudrey/s...737440768?s=21

Someone embed for me

[eDave]

Interesting pattern across N. Texas. If you zoom closer at the original map, you can see a lot of "trails ( right column in texas). Lots of red dots along highways and stuff.

[candyman]

Originally Posted by Donger

With green men with guns, if necessary.

Shutting down air travel from there is easy.

Aliens? I could get behind that.

[eDave]

Originally Posted by TLO

Everything's pretty much open anyway. I never knew so many businesses were "essential". The good ol Pawn Shop in St Joe is even still open.

I'd like to go have a nice dinner out.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by eDave

Interesting pattern across N. Texas. If you zoom closer at the original map, you can see a lot of "trails ( right column in texas). Lots of red dots along highways and stuff.

Northwest Nebraska looks like the place to be.

[eDave]

Originally Posted by TLO

Northwest Nebraska looks like the place to be.

I'd rather die.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by eDave

I'd like to go have a nice dinner out.

Hopefully someday soon my man

[oaklandhater]

The first US death from the Coronavirus was four weeks ago today on February 29. It took 27 days to go from 1 death to 1,000 deaths in the US.

Now the US is over 2,000 deaths. That second 1,000 deaths took less than 3 days.

The number of deaths today is already over 400.

— Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) March 28, 2020

[notorious]

Originally Posted by eDave

I'd rather die.

No kidding.

I live in the middle of nowhere and that place seems barren to me.