***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.”

[RINGLEADER]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Without question.

And you've devalued the dollar significantly in the process.

Side effects may not justify the cure on this one. This is an EXTREME measure and if that's the direction they go, they had better have some really good ****ing science that says "we do this or several million people WILL die..."

Not might die, but will. This isn't the thing you do to pre-emptively address a calamity, it's something you do to avoid an imminent one. This will fundamentally alter this nation and perhaps permanently.

If there's a way to do ANYTHING other than this, then you cannot do this. I'm truly floored by the transformation of our economy proposed in that legislation.

Having read it closely (not just the bullet points) they need to scale this back — there are elements that are absolutely last resort measures and they seem to be specifically going after controls on certain incentives, forms of commerce, and welfare that will be almost impossible to turn off once you open up the gates. This is going to be used to justify everything from nationalized healthcare to industry, and I’ll leave it to each individual to determine their own stance on those topics. But I don’t see how a lot of these provisions, as written, pass thru Congress as written.

[RINGLEADER]

Also, things like forgiving student and other debts and providing arbitrary waivers on future debts have nothing to do with the current crisis. If you’re forced to do something like this the goal should just be in stopping invoices/bills from having to be paid for the period of time that the national emergency continue and then some form of payment to those that need it for essentials. It doesn’t have to be any more complicated or stray into areas that have nothing to do with the current situation.

[Frazod]

Went to the store early again this morning. Still no chicken, but I got the last remaining package of ground pork, some ground beef (limit one) and a couple of packs of hot dogs. Feel like I hit the ****ing lotto. Woohoo.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Frazod

Went to the store early again this morning. Still no chicken, but I got the last remaining package of ground pork, some ground beef (limit one) and a couple of packs of hot dogs. Feel like I hit the ****ing lotto. Woohoo.

This shit is getting out of hand. People need to calm the **** down a bit. The world isn't ending. This isn't The Walking Dead. It would help if the media wasn't on 24/7 freak out mode.

[lewdog]

Gyms closed here now.

Stores still low on meat. There isn’t a food shortage people! Shop like normal you ****s!

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by petegz28

This shit is getting out of hand. People need to calm the **** down a bit. The world isn't ending. This isn't The Walking Dead. It would help if the media wasn't on 24/7 freak out mode.

The 24/7 news cycle mixed with social media has made people think everything is so much worse than it actually is in general that an event like this brings out the worst.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Mecca

The 24/7 news cycle mixed with social media has made people think everything is so much worse than it actually is in general that an event like this brings out the worst.

Exactly!

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by lewdog

Gyms closed here now.

Stores still low on meat. There isn’t a food shortage people! Shop like normal you ****s!

It's ****ing insane. "Stay inside unless you need to get out" doesn't mean raid the food shelves. Then again, it took a global virus to get people to wash their ****ing hands.

[Mecca]

I always try to explain to a friend of mine, crime is actually down from where it was when we grew up, you'd just never know that because coverage is up....then he wants to argue about it and it annoys me to no end.

[KChiefs1]

Originally Posted by lewdog

Gyms closed here now.

Stores still low on meat. There isn’t a food shortage people! Shop like normal you ****s!

[KChiefs1]

Originally Posted by Frazod

Went to the store early again this morning. Still no chicken, but I got the last remaining package of ground pork, some ground beef (limit one) and a couple of packs of hot dogs. Feel like I hit the ****ing lotto. Woohoo.

I feel bad because I have a half a beef in the freezer.

[petegz28]

Also some key things that are not being said that you really need to be doing as you stay cooped up inside....

1. At least once a day regardless of weather, open a window for a minimum of 20 minutes to swap out bad air with good

2. If you have recently been sick, change your air filter

3. Get outside, especially if it is sunny, for at least 20 minutes to get some vitamin D. 20 minutes in the sun will generate roughly 3 days of vitamin d in your system

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Near as I can tell - THIS is the end-game for the attempts at virus suppression. I mean...it has to be. You can't hold this thing back forever no matter how hard you try and the longer you do, the less acquired immunity you'll have built up to slow the inevitable spikes in the winter months.

The 'stop the spread' idea is only temporary. Then with the warmer weather will come some easing on movement to allow for the 'flatten the curve' idea to go into full effect and attempts at herd immunity.

And in that 2-4 weeks where we try to put the clamps down, we'll be trying to ramp up our manufacturing base to try to be able to tread water.

Once you start to get a better handle on what the respective approaches entail, you can actually see how they may dovetail together. Frankly, I think the idea of 'cyclical contractions' is going to be just as bad as simply letting the thing take hold. You give people that kind of uncertainty and we'll continue with this national tension for a year or longer. That's not tenable.

But if you have a genuine plan in place where you squeeze tight at the beginning and then relax before allowing nature to take hold (and improved therapeutic treatments/additional supplies to reduce its impact) you're probably gonna see the best combination of outcomes.

But I think it requires a more clear articulation of intentions by national leadership. Give people a target and they'll chase it. Give them a seemingly interminable grind and they'll give up.

I am starting to come around to this idea as well. 4-6 weeks then reopen everything and do the best we can, maybe quarantine people 60\65 or older.

Otherwise there won't be much of a country left. Leadership from the top down has completely failed us.

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by petegz28

Also some key things that are not being said that you really need to be doing as you stay cooped up inside....

1. At least once a day regardless of weather, open a window for a minimum of 20 minutes to swap out bad air with good

2. If you have recently been sick, change your air filter

3. Get outside, especially if it is sunny, for at least 20 minutes to get some vitamin D. 20 minutes in the sun will generate roughly 3 days of vitamin d in your system

Best post you’ve made in here.

Stay healthy. Still want a beer with you someday. I work near Sun City man!

[Sure-Oz]

Originally Posted by petegz28

Also some key things that are not being said that you really need to be doing as you stay cooped up inside....

1. At least once a day regardless of weather, open a window for a minimum of 20 minutes to swap out bad air with good

2. If you have recently been sick, change your air filter

3. Get outside, especially if it is sunny, for at least 20 minutes to get some vitamin D. 20 minutes in the sun will generate roughly 3 days of vitamin d in your system

It would help if it wasn't raining pretty much everyday so far this week.

Good advice. Definitely gonna a take a walk around the neighborhood or do something in the yard.