***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.”

[njchiefs]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

Maybe right a little panic wouldn't be the worst thing if it gets people to wash their hands more and be a little more cautious.

Over 6 trillion dollars were “erased” from the stock markets due to the Corona virus fears. Can you imagine if 6 trillion dollars were infused into the health care system, how many would benefit? So yes, wash your hands, but “panic” affects us adversely in many ways.

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by philfree

The wife and I are scheduled to go to PCB Florida next week. The only state between here and there that has the virus is Tennessee and then of course Florida. We will stay at Graceland in Memphis and then the Renaissance Hotel in Montgomery Alabama. When we get to PCB we'll be staying in a beach side condo. Most of this is already paid for so if we cancel our trip we're going to be out a lot of money. I'm looking everyday for new outbreaks as I try and decide what to do. The wife has COPD. Should we stay or do we go?

Every single state has it. We just don't know about it yet.

[philfree]

Originally Posted by BWillie

Every single state has it. We just don't know about it yet.

Yeah that's prolly so! I should have said reported virus.

[FloridaMan88]

Originally Posted by FD

Too many people are panicking and that is unnecessary and unhelpful, but at the same time there is a big difference between the best-case and worst-case scenarios here. The difference is whether a couple thousand people die or 100,000+ people die. That to me is worth taking seriously, meaning stop treating this as a PR issue that will burn itself out and work to get on top of it before it gets out of control.

The seasonal flu this season has killed at least 12,000 people in the US (from October 1, 2019 through February 1, 2020).

31 million Americans were infected by the seasonal flu during that same time-frame and 210,000 to 370,000 had to be hospitalized from complications related to the flu.

Again this is all from the seasonal or "regular" flu that doesn't have the ominous "COVID-19" branding and therefore doesn't have the panic-inducing headlines in the media.

The worst thing about the COVID-19 "epidemic" to-date is the unnecessary hysteria.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

The seasonal flu this season has killed at least 12,000 people in the US (from October 1, 2019 through February 1, 2020).

31 million Americans were infected by the seasonal flu during that same time-frame and 210,000 to 370,000 had to be hospitalized from complications related to the flu.

Again this is all from the seasonal or "regular" flu that doesn't have the ominous "COVID-19" branding and therefore doesn't have the panic-inducing headlines in the media.

The worst thing about the COVID-19 "epidemic" to-date is the unnecessary hysteria.

They aren't really comparable. That's an influenza mortality rate of 0.00038% COVID-19 is being estimated at 3.4%

[patteeu]

Originally Posted by philfree

Here in Greene County Mo they have tested some people and the test came back negative but they are watching 5 people. There has been one death of an elderly man in the Florida Panhandle. Santa Rosa County which is between Ft Walton and Pensacola. He had been out of the country but they didn't/wouldn't say where.

The official statistics don’t really make much difference since testing has been so minimal.

[FloridaMan88]

Originally Posted by Donger

They aren't really comparable. That's an influenza mortality rate of 0.00038% COVID-19 is being estimated at 3.4%

12,000+ have died in the US from the seasonal/"regular" flu this year.

19 have died from COVID-19.

But continue panic-buying your toilet paper, Clorox wipes, etc.

[Third Eye]

Originally Posted by Donger

They aren't really comparable. That's an influenza mortality rate of 0.00038% COVID-19 is being estimated at 3.4%

It’s been said 100 times in this thread, but you are conflating mortality rates with case fatality rates. Additionally, that 3.4% is absolute worst case at this early stage and widely known to be overstated considering it doesn’t take into account cases that are undiagnosed. I would bet it ends up less than 1%. Again, that’s not to say that we shouldn’t be paying attention or doing what we can to minimize the effect, but let’s just ease up on the doomsday scenarios being peddled to drive clicks.

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

12,000+ have died in the US from the seasonal/"regular" flu this year.

19 have died from COVID-19.

But continue panic-buying your toilet paper, Clorox wipes, etc.

Except one kills old people at a rate exponentially more than the flu. Hey, I'm over it. We really botched the prevention aspect. Might not had made a difference. But this likely is going to be as rampant & widespread as H1N1 was when we have to wait 1.5 years to get a vaccine.

Possibly up to a quarter of a million old people are going to die, that didn't have to.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by Third Eye

It’s been said 100 times in this thread, but you are conflating mortality rates with case fatality rates. Additionally, that 3.4% is absolute worst case at this early stage and widely known to be overstated considering it doesn’t take into account cases that are undiagnosed. I would bet it ends up less than 1%. Again, that’s not to say that we shouldn’t be paying attention or doing what we can to minimize the effect, but let’s just ease up on the doomsday scenarios being peddled to drive clicks.

No, I'm not. The mortality rate, with the numbers we have right now, is 3.3%. 105,820 cases and 3,558 deaths.

[wazu]

North Korea has done an incredible job of containment.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

12,000+ have died in the US from the seasonal/"regular" flu this year.

19 have died from COVID-19.

But continue panic-buying your toilet paper, Clorox wipes, etc.

Yes, and let's hope that nowhere near 61,000,000 get infected with this bug. I think the panic-buying is funny, so what you just said isn't applicable to me.

[eDave]

I consider you part of our United family and your safety remains our highest priority.

We are in the business of serving people and in the midst of this coronavirus outbreak it's important that we give you as much flexibility as possible when planning your next trip. But it's also important that we give you as much information as possible about the procedures we follow to clean our aircraft and maintain a sanitary environment once we're in the air.

Our teams are in daily contact with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), federal agencies and other global health organizations to share the most up-to-the-minute information to ensure the actions we're taking are comprehensive and appropriate.

So today, I wanted to personally reach out and share a few of the steps we are taking for you, our customer:

Before you fly
To give you the greatest flexibility, when you book any flight with us now through March 31, you can change it for free over the next 12 months – any ticket, any fare type, any destination.

On the ground
Our team of in-house medical experts and industrial hygienists oversee our aircraft cleaning procedures to ensure they meet or exceed all CDC guidelines. Hard surfaces such as lavatories, tray tables, window shades and armrests are thoroughly wiped down with a high-grade disinfectant and multi-purpose cleaner. And when we are advised by the CDC of a person who has traveled on board and is potentially exhibiting coronavirus symptoms, that aircraft is taken out of service and sent through a full decontamination process that includes our standard cleaning procedures plus washing ceilings and overhead bins and scrubbing the interior.

In the air
Our aircraft are equipped with state-of-the-art circulation systems, similar to those found in hospitals, which use a high-efficiency (HEPA) filter to circulate the air and remove more than 99% of airborne particles. We're also adjusting our inflight service to limit person-to-person contamination. This includes handing beverages directly to customers instead of allowing customers to touch a tray and ensuring all flight attendants wear gloves during service.

More information on each of these efforts can be found on the United Hub.

I know I speak for every member of our United family when I say that we take the greatest pride in the role we play in the lives of our customers, personally and professionally.

I want you to know that you can continue to rely on us. So, the next time we have the privilege of welcoming you aboard our aircraft, you can know our commitment to you remains as steadfast as ever.

Kind regards,

Oscar
Oscar Munoz
CEO

[Donger]

Originally Posted by eDave

I consider you part of our United family and your safety remains our highest priority.

We are in the business of serving people and in the midst of this coronavirus outbreak it's important that we give you as much flexibility as possible when planning your next trip. But it's also important that we give you as much information as possible about the procedures we follow to clean our aircraft and maintain a sanitary environment once we're in the air.

Our teams are in daily contact with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), federal agencies and other global health organizations to share the most up-to-the-minute information to ensure the actions we're taking are comprehensive and appropriate.

So today, I wanted to personally reach out and share a few of the steps we are taking for you, our customer:

Before you fly
To give you the greatest flexibility, when you book any flight with us now through March 31, you can change it for free over the next 12 months – any ticket, any fare type, any destination.

On the ground
Our team of in-house medical experts and industrial hygienists oversee our aircraft cleaning procedures to ensure they meet or exceed all CDC guidelines. Hard surfaces such as lavatories, tray tables, window shades and armrests are thoroughly wiped down with a high-grade disinfectant and multi-purpose cleaner. And when we are advised by the CDC of a person who has traveled on board and is potentially exhibiting coronavirus symptoms, that aircraft is taken out of service and sent through a full decontamination process that includes our standard cleaning procedures plus washing ceilings and overhead bins and scrubbing the interior.

In the air
Our aircraft are equipped with state-of-the-art circulation systems, similar to those found in hospitals, which use a high-efficiency (HEPA) filter to circulate the air and remove more than 99% of airborne particles. We're also adjusting our inflight service to limit person-to-person contamination. This includes handing beverages directly to customers instead of allowing customers to touch a tray and ensuring all flight attendants wear gloves during service.

More information on each of these efforts can be found on the United Hub.

I know I speak for every member of our United family when I say that we take the greatest pride in the role we play in the lives of our customers, personally and professionally.

I want you to know that you can continue to rely on us. So, the next time we have the privilege of welcoming you aboard our aircraft, you can know our commitment to you remains as steadfast as ever.

Kind regards,

Oscar
Oscar Munoz
CEO

And we give our GS members a SCUBA tank.

[FD]

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

The seasonal flu this season has killed at least 12,000 people in the US (from October 1, 2019 through February 1, 2020).

31 million Americans were infected by the seasonal flu during that same time-frame and 210,000 to 370,000 had to be hospitalized from complications related to the flu.

Again this is all from the seasonal or "regular" flu that doesn't have the ominous "COVID-19" branding and therefore doesn't have the panic-inducing headlines in the media.

The worst thing about the COVID-19 "epidemic" to-date is the unnecessary hysteria.

Not sure what your point is or how this is a response. The range of outcomes from covid-19 is somewhere between a couple thousand dead and 100,000+ dead and this depends on whether we take it seriously or not. I personally would prefer we prevent tens of thousands of unnecessary deaths.