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.”
Originally Posted by Monticore:
I do feel for the people living in tiny downtown apartments though, especially if they have kids and a wife.
Yeah, it's lack of empathy. Kinda like they say it's always easier to spend someone else's money. And just like now, all the people screaming to stay locked down largely are not being impacted financially. [Reply]
Originally Posted by POND_OF_RED:
Found a rare restaurant open for dine in at the airport. They removed seating at the bar and closed tables for distancing. All the available seats are taken and there are about 10 people distancing themselves outside of the bar waiting to dine in as well. I think it’s safe to say a lot of people are so ready to get back to any semblance of normal.
We have only 4 options for delivery in my town and they are all pizza shops and I am definitely tired of my own cooking. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Monticore:
I do feel for the people living in tiny downtown apartments though, especially if they have kids and a wife.
"His team estimates that more than 19% of people in the same household as a COVID-19 patient, or nearly 1 in 5, can expect to develop the infection. An estimated 14% of close contacts who aren't in the same household but see the patient regularly will also develop the infection themselves, Yang says.
The researchers calculated the risk by using patient information on 212 ''primary" patients, 137 close contacts who developed COVID-19 and 1,938 uninfected close contacts, all in Guangzhou, China. To arrive at the estimates of risk, they also used a statistical model to account for all the differences in exposure level, Yang says, such as whether a household had one person ill or two. The researchers assumed an average incubation period of 4 days and a maximum infectious period of 13 days."
Originally Posted by petegz28:
Yeah, it's lack of empathy. Kinda like they say it's always easier to spend someone else's money. And just like now, all the people screaming to stay locked down largely are not being impacted financially.
Most people are being impacted financially either through loss of work and the markets. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Donger: Bill Gates thinks there are 8 to 10 promising coronavirus vaccine candidates and one could be ready in as little as 9 months
Originally Posted by petegz28:
My favorites are the celebrities saying how we are all in this together and to just stay inside. Never mind their inside is several thousand square feet bigger and what not.
You suffer in your tiny living room while I suffer in my 2,000 square foot man cave with full wet bar or lounge around my pool, etc. :-)
Just stay inside...we're all in this together..
Why are you posting pictures of your house? [Reply]
Originally Posted by ChiliConCarnage:
I find it feels good so many were asymptomatic but also scary for when we open. They spread it to the family, kids and S/O go spread it at school and work. It seems hard to imagine were not going to see ongoing regional lockdowns all the time.
That many asymptomatic cases makes me think this thing is already everywhere. There's no containing it. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower:
Looks like the lockdowns weren't all that effective then if that's the metric we want to use then, doesn't it?
If you don't think social distancing prevents the spread of infectious diseases, I'm not sure what else I can say to you for you to believe me.
Do you think that sitting in your home, the virus will come knock on your door and force its way into your lungs? Social distancing always works. The degree it works depends on how drastic the measures are. We have greatly diminished this from moving forward, especially since it was during the cold and flu season.
Every thing you do affects the spread. Leave everything open, way more are effected. If you ONLY shut schools down and left all businesses open it would still decrease the spread. It is a sliding scale on the degree of social distancing a state or country implements.
We are moving out of that and into spring & summer when coronaviruses do not spread AS EASILY. But we still do not know for sure how this novel virus will react. When states & non-essential businesses reopen we can expect more cases.
If you want to re-open the economy. Fine. If you are fine with hundreds of thousands, potentially millions dying from a virus because you believe your way of life or economic prosperity is more beneficial than the consequences. Also fine. That is up to your own personal ideology and of opinion. Indicating social distancing does not work and we have not mitigated the spread of the virus by what we have done so far is just plain ignorant. [Reply]
