***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.”

[O.city]

Originally Posted by lawrenceRaider

If you've got a link, I'd love to read about it.

Do they still think asymptomatic people don't spread the virus? I think that's the last thing I saw on it.

I’ll look for it.

Last I read most spread is pre symptoms and asymptomatic is basically zero

[lawrenceRaider]

Originally Posted by O.city

I’ll look for it.

Last I read most spread is pre symptoms and asymptomatic is basically zero

If I'm reading it right, this one suggests that even asymptomatic infections have strong immune response.

https://hollingscancercenter.musc.ed...out-antibodies

As does this one from Duke on kids.

https://pediatrics.duke.edu/news/chi...ong-antibodies

[suzzer99]

It seems like most of the times you hear about people being infected twice, one of the two was asymptomatic. That's what I was basing my thoughts on that one asymptomatic infection might not be that useful for immunity. But maybe that's wrong.

[O.city]

Children I would definitely believe it.

I’d have to dig into that other article, running short on time today

[lawrenceRaider]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

It seems like most of the times you hear about people being infected twice, one of the two was asymptomatic. That's what I was basing my thoughts on that one asymptomatic infection might not be that useful for immunity. But maybe that's wrong.

Anecdotally, the only people I have any direct knowledge of being infected twice were asymptomatic both times.

Isn't Lamar Jackson one of the reinfected who was asymptomatic both times?

[MahomesMagic]

Originally Posted by lawrenceRaider

Anecdotally, the only people I have any direct knowledge of being infected twice were asymptomatic both times.

Isn't Lamar Jackson one of the reinfected who was asymptomatic both times?

That can be tricky. Because if you don't get sick and they find particles on a +PCR it doesn't mean you are "infected".

[O.city]

I think Lamar was pretty sick the first time iirc

[lawrenceRaider]

Originally Posted by O.city

I think Lamar was pretty sick the first time iirc

Thanks, I couldn't remember for sure.

[dirk digler]

Just released CDC Study

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/...cid=mm7031e2_w

A new study shows the Delta coronavirus variant produced similar amounts of virus in vaccinated and unvaccinated people if they get infected – illustrating a key motivation behind the federal guidance that now recommends most fully vaccinated Americans wear masks indoors.

Experts say that vaccination makes it less likely that you'll catch Covid-19 in the first place – but for those who do, this data suggests they could have a similar tendency to spread it as unvaccinated people.

The study, published by CDC Friday, describes 469 Massachusetts residents who were infected in a July outbreak in Barnstable County, which includes the summer vacation destination Provincetown. No deaths were reported among them.

About 74% — or 346 cases — had been fully vaccinated. Of those cases, 79% reported symptoms. Genetically sequenced cases revealed the Delta variant as the main culprit.

The researchers found evidence that viral loads were similar among 127 fully vaccinated people and 84 others who were unvaccinated, partially vaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown. Viral load is a proxy for how likely someone might be to transmit the virus to others.

[carlos3652]

Im still shocked at the Pfizer study that showed the same amount of deaths in Vaccinated vs Unvaccinated (placebo) study.

[suzzer99]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

Just released CDC Study

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/...cid=mm7031e2_w

This is the Massachusetts group.

This 900-person delta cluster in Mass. has CDC freaked out—74% are vaccinated

(from the linked FB post)

531 are Massachusetts residents, 220 of which reside in Provincetown. The remainder of individuals who tested positive reside in other states. 74% of the cases are among vaccinated individuals, 87% are men with a median age of 40. Note that today’s update of the overall cluster number is the smallest daily increase in cases since we began reporting the numbers.

I’m curious as to why this data set is 87% men. Provincetown is very gay but that still seems too high.

Also of course there’s no room for the important part in the headline:

Seven hospitalizations have been reported to date associated with this cluster – 5 in MA and 2 out-of-state. No deaths have been reported.

So less than 1% risk of hospitalization and 0% risk of death.

[suzzer99]

Originally Posted by carlos3652

Im still shocked at the Pfizer study that showed the same amount of deaths in Vaccinated vs Unvaccinated (placebo) study.

Link?

[BigCatDaddy]

So would same viral load also be same hospitalizations and same deaths?

[TLO]

Originally Posted by carlos3652

Im still shocked at the Pfizer study that showed the same amount of deaths in Vaccinated vs Unvaccinated (placebo) study.

Seems legit

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

This is the Massachusetts group.

This 900-person delta cluster in Mass. has CDC freaked out—74% are vaccinated

(from the linked FB post)



I’m curious as to why this data set is 87% men. Provincetown is very gay but that still seems too high.

Also of course there’s no room for the important part in the headline:



So less than 1% risk of hospitalization and 0% risk of death.

The issue that concerned the CDC is the possibility of vaccinated potentially spreading the virus to others not getting hospitalized or dying. With the previous variants the vaccines pretty much stopped that but since Delta is over 1000+ more viral load that is probably why this maybe happening.

We are going to need a booster shot or wait til Pfizer releases their pill form by the end of the year which will stop transmission supposedly.