***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.”

[Donger]

Florida set a US record for coronavirus cases in a single day Saturday, with a total of 11,458 new cases, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University (JHU).

Florida has now surpassed New York's previous highest single-day total of 11,434, which was recorded on April 15, by JHU.

[Bob Dole]

Originally Posted by Donger

Florida set a US record for coronavirus cases in a single day Saturday, with a total of 11,458 new cases, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University (JHU).

Florida has now surpassed New York's previous highest single-day total of 11,434, which was recorded on April 15, by JHU.

Oh no, record people have a virus!

How many millions dead?

[Donger]

Originally Posted by Bob Dole

Oh no, record people have a virus!

How many millions dead?

500,000 globally so far. 132,000 here so far.

[Gravedigger]

Originally Posted by Bob Dole

Oh no, record people have a virus!

How many millions dead?

It’s already surpassed the Flu, which was a standard talking point of dismissive people, but I guess that milestone has now risen to 1000000 people to be considered serious. Even if it did hit a million Americans I have a feeling that bar would still continue to rise.

[Chitownchiefsfan]

Originally Posted by Gravedigger

It’s already surpassed the Flu, which was a standard talking point of dismissive people, but I guess that milestone has now risen to 1000000 people to be considered serious. Even if it did hit a million Americans I have a feeling that bar would still continue to rise.

It's also killed more people than the flu while infecting only a fraction that the flu infects each year

[TLO]

Originally Posted by Chitownchiefsfan

It's also killed more people than the flu while infecting only a fraction that the flu infects each year

We legitimately have no idea how many people it has infected.

[petegz28]

COVID-19 is close to losing its epidemic status in the U.S., according to the CDC

https://justthenews.com/politics-pol...-according-cdc

Coronavirus deaths in the country have nearly reached a level where the virus will cease to qualify as an epidemic under Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rules, the federal agency reported on Friday.

The CDC qualifies a disease outbreak as an "epidemic" if the number of deaths attributable to the disease exceeds a certain percentage of total deaths per week. That threshold for pneumonia, influenza and COVID-19 fluctuates slightly depending on the time of year, ranging from around 7% at the height of flu season to around 5% during less virulent months.

CDC data indicate that deaths from those ailments began skyrocketing in the country around the second week of March, hitting a peak around early May and then plummeting quickly after that.

The latest data show that the percentage of deaths in the country attributable to those factors had as of the last week in June reached its lowest point since the end of last year, becoming "equal to the [current] epidemic threshold of 5.9%," the CDC said.

The agency notes that the official tally of deaths "will likely change as more death certificates are processed, particularly for recent weeks." Yet the number of deaths attributable to COVID-19, pneumonia and influenza have been declining for 10 straight weeks, the agency said on its website, suggesting COVID-19 may cease to qualify as an epidemic in the next few weeks.

The welcome news comes as fear over a "second wave" of the virus has gripped the U.S., with some states experiencing fresh surges of COVID-19 along with increased hospitalizations.

Though infections are significantly up in some places, deaths throughout the country have remained flat, due likely to several factors including a younger cohort of infections as well as improved treatment methods.

[Mr_Tomahawk]

Originally Posted by petegz28

COVID-19 is close to losing its epidemic status in the U.S., according to the CDC

https://justthenews.com/politics-pol...-according-cdc

Coronavirus deaths in the country have nearly reached a level where the virus will cease to qualify as an epidemic under Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rules, the federal agency reported on Friday.

The CDC qualifies a disease outbreak as an "epidemic" if the number of deaths attributable to the disease exceeds a certain percentage of total deaths per week. That threshold for pneumonia, influenza and COVID-19 fluctuates slightly depending on the time of year, ranging from around 7% at the height of flu season to around 5% during less virulent months.

CDC data indicate that deaths from those ailments began skyrocketing in the country around the second week of March, hitting a peak around early May and then plummeting quickly after that.

The latest data show that the percentage of deaths in the country attributable to those factors had as of the last week in June reached its lowest point since the end of last year, becoming "equal to the [current] epidemic threshold of 5.9%," the CDC said.

The agency notes that the official tally of deaths "will likely change as more death certificates are processed, particularly for recent weeks." Yet the number of deaths attributable to COVID-19, pneumonia and influenza have been declining for 10 straight weeks, the agency said on its website, suggesting COVID-19 may cease to qualify as an epidemic in the next few weeks.

The welcome news comes as fear over a "second wave" of the virus has gripped the U.S., with some states experiencing fresh surges of COVID-19 along with increased hospitalizations.

Though infections are significantly up in some places, deaths throughout the country have remained flat, due likely to several factors including a younger cohort of infections as well as improved treatment methods.

Cool.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by TLO

We legitimately have no idea how many people it has infected.

Maybe 10 times as many as tested positive according to the CDC

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

Maybe 10 times as many as tested positive according to the CDC

If that is true, we are still not close to herd immunity but it takes the mortality rate down to like .5% or so.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by TLO

Please let the downward trend continue!

It looks like many states didn't report yesterday, or worldometers didn't update them.

[suzzer99]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

Maybe 10 times as many as tested positive according to the CDC

10x reported case numbers is a good ballpark that always seems to be verified when they do studies of an entire town or something.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

10x reported case numbers is a good ballpark that always seems to be verified when they do studies of an entire town or something.

So aside from people not getting it all obviously being the best scenario, is it good or bad then that maybe 25 million people have this as opposed to 2.5 million given that apparently 24.5 millionish appear to have little or no symptoms?

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by petegz28

So aside from people not getting it all obviously being the best scenario, is it good or bad then that maybe 25 million people have this as opposed to 2.5 million given that apparently 24.5 millionish appear to have little or no symptoms?

At this point, it's great news.

[srvy]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

It's almost like...they should be reserved for healthcare professionals or something.

Aha and so many health workers goy covid19. Not the right mask for the job hmmmm.