***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]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

If the death rate doubles every 4 days for the next 2 weeks we will be at roughy 15% of what happened with H1N1.

Through what timeframe?

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by Donger

Through what timeframe?

Ive given you the link before.

[displacedinMN]

A couple of lines from the today's UK Sunday Times:

Did you hear the one about John Travolta testing negative for the coronavirus? It turns out it was just Saturday Night Fever.

Know what goes great with a Corona virus? Lime disease.

So many coronavirus jokes out there, it's a pundemic.

In an unsettling reversal of my teenage years, I'm now yelling at my parents for going out.

[Probably my favourite so far] Day 2 without sport on TV. Found a young lady sitting on my sofa. Apparently she's my wife. She seems nice. :-)

[In poor taste no doubt, but we're living dangerously anyway] I managed to get one loo roll (toilet roll) from Tesco (the biggest UK supermarket). I feel bad for the next person to use their customer toilet.

[Demonpenz]

The people saying it's not going to get any worse are the same people that bet money on mr. t in rocky III

[Mr_Tomahawk]

So is China still reporting “no new cases”?

[displacedinMN]

[wazu]

Originally Posted by Mr_Tomahawk

So is China still reporting “no new cases”?

They never stopped. So far today they’re at 45.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

Ive given you the link before.

That was on cases, wasn't it?

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by Donger

That was on cases, wasn't it?

I can't find a month to month breakdown I did find the 12 month summary.

I think the bolded part especially the last couple sentences are pretty eye opening.

Abstract
To calculate the burden of 2009 pandemic influenza A (pH1N1) in the United States, we extrapolated from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Emerging Infections Program laboratory-confirmed hospitalizations across the entire United States, and then corrected for underreporting. From 12 April 2009 to 10 April 2010, we estimate that approximately 60.8 million cases (range: 43.3-89.3 million), 274,304 hospitalizations (195,086-402,719), and 12,469 deaths (8868-18,306) occurred in the United States due to pH1N1. Eighty-seven percent of deaths occurred in those under 65 years of age with children and working adults having risks of hospitalization and death 4 to 7 times and 8 to 12 times greater, respectively, than estimates of impact due to seasonal influenza covering the years 1976-2001. In our study, adults 65 years of age or older were found to have rates of hospitalization and death that were up to 75% and 81%, respectively, lower than seasonal influenza. These results confirm the necessity of a concerted public health response to pH1N1.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by dlphg9

I have a feeling this is going to get a lot worse before it gets better. I've been going to several different Wal-Mart's to just people watch and there are much more people there than usual. The most alarming thing is the number of elderly patients there and the people on the motorized scooters with their oxygen tanks. I listen to conversations and lots of older people talking about how this is just over hyped non sense.

This is just what im noticing here in Missouri.

we really don't know due to a lack of testing for citizens. LA and NY aren't even testing patients with the same symptoms as coronavius due to testing kit shortages.

Originally Posted by 007

Catholics don't have that option

Religious Jews too.

Originally Posted by Demonpenz

The people saying it's not going to get any worse are the same people that bet money on mr. t in rocky III

We are still on track with Italy. But, we started social distancing before they did so we will know by this time next week whether we are Italy or bent that curve better than Italy did.

Another variable is the shortage of PPE's in hospitals. How much are we spreading the virus due to not using standard medical practices to not infect others?

[Donger]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

I can't find a month to month breakdown I did find the 12 month summary.

I think the bolded part especially the last couple sentences are pretty eye opening.

Sol you are comparing our deaths so far (and with your extrapolation of two weeks) to the total number of deaths from H1N1, which ran for over a year?

[O.city]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

I can't find a month to month breakdown I did find the 12 month summary.

I think the bolded part especially the last couple sentences are pretty eye opening.

Why does this matter at this point?

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by Donger

Sol you are comparing our deaths so far (and with your extrapolation of two weeks) to the total number of deaths from H1N1, which ran for over a year?

I am saying I don't see a scenario we get to the numbers we saw on H1N1 that was killing younger people at much higher rate then older people which is the opposite here.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by O.city

Why does this matter at this point?

Why does any of this conversation matter?

[O.city]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

Why does any of this conversation matter?

I'm just trying to figure out what you're trying to get at with the H1N1 stuff.