***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.”

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by O.city

Yes.

Would be nice to be able to test if someone is currently shedding virus.

What happened to the Abbott quick test getting more wide spread. I assume its still unreliable.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

Look man, its not been the practice and I explained why it made no sense. Just because CDC recommended it prior doesn't mean it was actually happening or it was sound logic.

I've only been dealing with this every day since April but I am sure you read something somewhere after your google search to the contrary.

What makes you think it wasn't general practice? Are you claiming that from an anecdotal perspective, or nationally?

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by Donger

What makes you think it wasn't general practice? Are you claiming that from an anecdotal perspective, or nationally?

How does someone who spends hours a day posting on this topic still not understand jack shit? I explained why it isn't done. We deal with 3 states and multiple county health departments who all followed the same practices.

When do you propose the person be tested? On what day after exposure?

[Donger]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

How does someone who spends hours a day posting on this topic still not understand jack shit? I explained why it isn't done. We deal with 3 states and multiple county health departments who all followed the same practices.

When do you propose the person be tested? On what day after exposure?

As soon as the exposed person, if infected, would show a positive, obviously.

Do you think that if say, Dr. Birx came into contact with a confirmed COVID-19 person, she wouldn't get tested?

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by Donger

As soon as the exposed person, if infected, would show a positive, obviously.

Do you think that if say, Dr. Birx came into contact with a confirmed COVID-19 person, she wouldn't get tested?

I don't have any more crayons to try to explain this to you again. Go back to my first explanation and keep reading until it makes sense or don't, I don't give a shit.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

I don't have any more crayons to try to explain this to you again. Go back to my first explanation and keep reading until it makes sense or don't, I don't give a shit.

Sure:

Dr. Robert R. Redfield Statement on SARS-CoV-2 infections
Media Statement

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, July 22, 2020
Contact: Media Relations
(404) 639-3286

Misleading media reports have suggested there are 24 times more SARS-CoV-2 infections than reported cases. As CDC has been saying, our retrospective estimate is that there were 10 times more cases than reported from the period where we’ve been examining antibody data: March through May.

The JAMA article estimated that the range was as low as 6 times in certain areas. Moreover, the article also points out that in 10 jurisdictions sampled, somewhere between 1% and 6.9% of individuals in those jurisdictions are calculated to have had infection at some point based on antibody testing.

Of the 10 states in which data was collected for this study, one state was estimated to have 23.8 times more infections than reported cases, but this may be due to underreporting or less testing done at the time the data was collected. The article indicates that the underreporting was in part due to asymptomatic individuals that were not seeking testing at the time.

Lastly, this study covered a time period from March to the beginning of May. Today, we are testing more individuals and identifying more asymptomatic individuals than was able to be done previously.

Forgive me, but I'll think I'll take his word over yours.

[Donger]

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/symp...ry?id=71594849

"Anyone who thinks they may be infected -- independent of symptoms -- should get a test," Redfield told Dr. Jennifer Ashton, ABC News' chief medical correspondent, and Aaron Katersky, ABC News Radio correspondent and host of the "Bringing Back America" podcast.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by Donger

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/symp...ry?id=71594849

"Anyone who thinks they may be infected -- independent of symptoms -- should get a test," Redfield told Dr. Jennifer Ashton, ABC News' chief medical correspondent, and Aaron Katersky, ABC News Radio correspondent and host of the "Bringing Back America" podcast.

Remember when they said we shouldn't wear masks either? Information is gathered, then guidance is updated.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by TLO

Remember when they said we shouldn't wear masks either? Information is gathered, then guidance is updated.

Yes, I do. And that's why I asked why the testing guidance was altered. What new information has been gleaned?

[Donger]

"I was under general anesthesia in the operating room and was not part of any discussion or deliberation regarding the new testing recommendations," Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

"I am concerned about the interpretation of these recommendations and worried it will give people the incorrect assumption that asymptomatic spread is not of great concern. In fact it is," he added.

[Chief Roundup]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

There is literally no reason to test people who have been exposed who are asymptomatic. You quarantine them and move on. This has been the practice in most places the whole time unless there is a specific need to test someone outside of normal protocols. Its waste of resources.

If they are not tested how do you know that there is a need to quarantine them? Just because someone is exposed doesn't mean that they have Covid.

[Chief Roundup]

Originally Posted by Donger

Unless it's been proven with 100% certainty that there is not asymptomatic spread, that makes no sense.

If a person tests positive how is that they could not spread Covid?

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Chief Roundup

If they are not tested how do you know that there is a need to quarantine them? Just because someone is exposed doesn't mean that they have Covid.

You didn't just ask this question, did you? Please tell me that's sarcasm.

[stumppy]

[petegz28]

Looks like the DOJ is asking for data from NY, NJ, PA and MI regarding how they handled nursing homes and possible CRIPA violations. While we don't want this being a political pawn I think the governors of all of the states need to be careful how they handle certain situations. We know there was an estimated 11,000 additional deaths in NY alone because of how the nursing home situation was handled.