***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.”

[Discuss Thrower]

I can almost guarantee there will not be a single inning of MLB baseball played this year.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

The Chinese Government issued a new order today restricting resumption of team sports, a heavy blow for pro basketball to return there soon as was planned. China's attempt to restart sports are being watched closely by leagues across the world. Huge issue is asymptomatic carriers

— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) March 31, 2020

Which is exactly why you need rapid result testing online before you can discuss this.

If you can have guys come into clubhouses in the morning, do their tests and then be confirmed negative by gametime - I think you can make it work. Especially in non-contact sports like baseball where any contact is incidental, in open space and of extremely short duration.

By any reasonable study done, the odds of getting this from someone while playing a baseball game outdoors are exceptionally remote.

The issues will come in locker rooms and dugouts. So if you can get your testing done prior to games, you should be in pretty decent shape there. Would the public stand for something like 1,500 tests done/day by MLB? Dunno - there would probably be a fair amount of outcry there. But we're getting closer and closer to having that million/day capacity and if that's the case, mlb conducting 80ish tests/gm immediately prior to games shouldn't really interfere w/ the public at large.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Donger

And we should make that many and have them ready for next time.

I'm sure we will have plenty of PPE's, test kits and ventilators in reserve the next time we face a pandemic. The people will insist. Who's going to say no, that's not needed?


And not be dependent on other countries for those medical supplies.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

I'm sure we will have plenty of PPE's, test kits and ventilators in reserve the next time we face a pandemic. The people will insist. Who's going to say no, that's not needed?

No one.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

I can almost guarantee there will not be a single inning of MLB baseball played this year.

I love your optimism on each and every topic.

[wazu]

Originally Posted by Chief Roundup

In normal times no one would be, but with Covid-19 they are carriers that spread this stuff to the people that are much more susceptible to this virus. They do it without even knowing it most times. All people including kids should be staying away from each other.

For youth I'm more concerned about mental health. Getting outside and playing some basketball supports that more than sitting at home staring at their phones. Builds up some herd immunity as well. (Although probably not since the likelihood of any of those kids being infected is extremely, extremely small.)

[Hog's Gone Fishin]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

I'm sure we will have plenty of PPE's, test kits and ventilators in reserve the next time we face a pandemic. The people will insist. Who's going to say no, that's not needed?


And not be dependent on other countries for those medical supplies.

No doubt. Now if we can get our meds manufactured here that would be a big plus.

Depending on meds made in China doesn't even make sense.

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Which is exactly why you need rapid result testing online before you can discuss this.

If you can have guys come into clubhouses in the morning, do their tests and then be confirmed negative by gametime - I think you can make it work. Especially in non-contact sports like baseball where any contact is incidental, in open space and of extremely short duration.

By any reasonable study done, the odds of getting this from someone while playing a baseball game outdoors are exceptionally remote.

The issues will come in locker rooms and dugouts. So if you can get your testing done prior to games, you should be in pretty decent shape there. Would the public stand for something like 1,500 tests done/day by MLB? Dunno - there would probably be a fair amount of outcry there. But we're getting closer and closer to having that million/day capacity and if that's the case, mlb conducting 80ish tests/gm immediately prior to games shouldn't really interfere w/ the public at large.

Abbott is releasing their rapid testing device next week so hopefully they will send some to the NBA and MLB.

[Monticore]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

I'm sure we will have plenty of PPE's, test kits and ventilators in reserve the next time we face a pandemic. The people will insist. Who's going to say no, that's not needed?


And not be dependent on other countries for those medical supplies.

I am not sure if you can just store some of this stuff for ever (masks etc. not sure on test kits) our hospital were giving away masks a few years ago that were old and people tried to wear them recently and they were just falling a part and told us not to use them. Keeping that type of stuff fresh in large amount would be expensive.

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

I love your optimism on each and every topic.

I like DJLN and all but he's delusional in thinking MLB -or any sports league for that matter- is feasible.

The NFL will probably try to do their weird isolation plan but that will implode the second someone tests positive.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by wazu

For youth I'm more concerned about mental health. Getting outside and playing some basketball supports that more than sitting at home staring at their phones. Builds up some herd immunity as well. (Although probably not since the likelihood of any of those kids being infected is extremely, extremely small.)

You should see my !@#$ing HOA facebook page.

The hand-wringing from retirees and bored housewives over teenagers playing hoops up at the school playground is just ridiculous.

"WHERE ARE THEIR PARENTS??!?!?!?"

I dunno - maybe allowing their kids to go out and actually exercise or hold onto small amounts of normalcy while shit's being uprooted around them?

I wish I could convince any of my middle-aged buddies to go out and hit some softballs or something. Thus far we've managed to pull off a Saturday night drinking game night on Zoom, but haven't gotten the scrimmage organized...yet. This idea that the only amount of acceptable risk is zero risk right now is just bizarre to me. You can't tell people that they're going to be shut-ins and like it.

While there are (unfortunately) large groups of people who are going to be happy sitting ass and binging Netflix, there are a whole ton of folks who aren't wired that way and NEED some kind of physical activity to keep from going batshit. I can already tell that my 6 year old girl and 2 year old boy fall into that category (the 2 year old girl...well she'll be fine either way). People are wired differently and asking everyone to just behave the same way is completely absurd.

[Chief Roundup]

Originally Posted by wazu

For youth I'm more concerned about mental health. Getting outside and playing some basketball supports that more than sitting at home staring at their phones. Builds up some herd immunity as well. (Although probably not since the likelihood of any of those kids being infected is extremely, extremely small.)

Wonder what it would do for their mental health if they transmitted this Covid-19 to one of their parents/grandparents and it killed them. This social distancing should only last for a couple/few months. That should not be a mentally challenging problem and it is not like parents cannot take them outside.

[Monticore]

Originally Posted by wazu

For youth I'm more concerned about mental health. Getting outside and playing some basketball supports that more than sitting at home staring at their phones. Builds up some herd immunity as well. (Although probably not since the likelihood of any of those kids being infected is extremely, extremely small.)

Kids risk of kids being infected is the same as anybody else, they might not get as ill but cans till spread it to their parents or grand parents who could be in a high risk category, losing a grandparent would be bad for mental health .

My kids are outside in my backyard playing basketball together or solo , playing hockey, ping pong, biking, roller blading ,video games with friends online(socializing) , I can imagine single kid households would make things more difficult.

[dirk digler]

This is not good.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/...h-15167883.php

The captain of a nuclear aircraft carrier with more than 100 sailors infected with the coronavirus pleaded Monday with U.S. Navy officials for resources to allow isolation of his entire crew and avoid possible deaths in a situation he described as quickly deteriorating.

The unusual plea from Capt. Brett Crozier, a Santa Rosa native, came in a letter obtained exclusively by The Chronicle and confirmed by a senior officer on board the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, which has been docked in Guam following a COVID-19 outbreak among the crew of more than 4,000 less than a week ago.

“This will require a political solution but it is the right thing to do,” Crozier wrote. “We are not at war. Sailors do not need to die. If we do not act now, we are failing to properly take care of our most trusted asset — our Sailors.”

In the four-page letter to senior military officials, Crozier said only a small contingent of infected sailors have been off-boarded. Most of the crew remain aboard the ship, where following official guidelines for 14-day quarantines and social distancing is impossible.

“Due to a warship’s inherent limitations of space, we are not doing this,” Crozier wrote. “The spread of the disease is ongoing and accelerating.” He asked for “compliant quarantine rooms” on shore in Guam for his entire crew “as soon as possible.”

“Removing the majority of personnel from a deployed U.S. nuclear aircraft carrier and isolating them for two weeks may seem like an extraordinary measure. ... This is a necessary risk,” Crozier wrote. “Keeping over 4,000 young men and women on board the TR is an unnecessary risk and breaks faith with those Sailors entrusted to our care.”

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Monticore

Kids risk of kids being infected is the same as anybody else, they might not get as ill but cans till spread it to their parents or grand parents who could be in a high risk category, losing a grandparent would bad for mental health .

On a similar note, they did an interview with Bill Gates on TED this past week, and he addressed the desire to open back up the economy and accept our fate.

I can't recall his exact words, but it was along the lines of "it's hard to convince people to go out there and spend money while ignoring the piles of bodies" and that people would be hesitant to go about normally while knowing they're making the problem worse.

He's got a point. The economy is ****ed no matter what restrictions there are in place.