***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]

NY reporting 630 new deaths.

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by stumppy

HEY!

OH HAI

[Monticore]

Originally Posted by wazu

Well then let's fire his non-essential ass.

He is most likely losing tons of money as are other medical professions, they are not as vocal about it because they understand the situation.

[Donger]

Gasoline now at $1.82/gallon

[TLO]

Originally Posted by Donger

NY reporting 630 new deaths.

I saw that. Quite the drop.

I see the IHME models still haven't updated this morning. Taking their time I guess.

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by Merde Furieux

Actually, the most prevalent example of Dunning Kruger is the person who suggests somebody else is an example.

(That would be you, loser).

I guess it could be, but not in this case.

'Hamas' is obviously a bright individual, at least for anyone on the brighter side of the DK spectrum. So, in his case, pointing it out is not a good example of DK, because people on that end will typically show an inferiority according to DK.

If an idiot went around saying it about someone else, then yeah, it would be a very good and ironic example.

DK in a nutshell: Idiots have genius moments, (relative) geniuses have idiot moments, and both groups focus too much on those moments and not nearly enough on their average.

tl;dr, trolling or not, you're on the wrong end of the spectrum.

[Bwana]

Originally Posted by Donger

Gasoline now at $1.82/gallon

I was thinking about this topic yesterday. I wonder what the overall fuel consumption level is in this country now, compared to pre Covid levels.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by TLO

I saw that. Quite the drop.

I see the IHME models still haven't updated this morning. Taking their time I guess.

It's an increase actually. Was 606 yesterday unless I kissed something.

[Pants]

Originally Posted by Donger

Gasoline now at $1.82/gallon

Are you still in that industry, Donger?

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by Bwana

Back to DC with you.

First person this week, I believe.

[IowaHawkeyeChief]

Originally Posted by Monticore

I still don't understand why people downplaying COVID are comparing it to a very deadly virus people should be more fearful of, seems odd to me.

There's a happy median...

It was important to treat the virus differently at first for a few reasons. We weren't sure who it effected, how it was best treated and what the true case fatality rate/Infection fatality rate was going to be as this ran its course. We thought it may be as high as 4%. That was scary and should have been. However, since then we know who it effects, we know better how to treat it and we are getting better at that every day, and the projected case fatality rate is falling drastically by the earlier posted models. When this started, if you were younger and healthy, it wasn't sure what the risk were, but it was projected that 4 out of every 100 infected would die. The new models suggest that if you are younger and healthy your risk will be 1 out of every 1500, actually less than the annual flu. The next few weeks will tell if those models are correct, if they are, along with advancements on testing and treatment, hopefully we will be open sooner rather than later.

[Great8]

Originally Posted by Donger

Gasoline now at $1.82/gallon

$1.66 and dropping every day here.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by Bwana

I was thinking about this topic yesterday. I wonder what the overall fuel consumption level is in this country now, compared to pre Covid levels.

Went from 9.5 million barrels a day to 6.5:

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by DaFace

I personally don't think that saying "People who spend their lives obsessed with politics" is political.

I'm still tempted to try my thread idea. It'd be a pain to enforce, but it could be done manually...

Please do. This thread is even more of a wreck than normal thanks to a couple that waded over to the deep end from the kiddie pool.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by Pants

Are you still in that industry, Donger?

Still? I never was.