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.”
There are no current vaccines for any human Coronavirus. Until they successfully create the first one I would not hold my breath expecting there to be one for Covid-19.
Coronavirus vaccine challenges
Past research on vaccines for coronaviruses has also identified some challenges to developing a COVID-19 vaccine, including:
Ensuring vaccine safety. Several vaccines for SARS have been tested in animals. Most of the vaccines improved the animals' survival but didn't prevent infection. Some vaccines also caused complications, such as lung damage. A COVID-19 vaccine will need to be thoroughly tested to make sure it's safe for humans.
Providing long-term protection. After infection with coronaviruses, re-infection with the same virus — though usually mild and only happening in a fraction of people — is possible after a period of months or years. An effective COVID-19 vaccine will need to provide people with long-term infection protection.
Protecting older people. People older than age 50 are at higher risk of severe COVID-19. But older people usually don't respond to vaccines as well as younger people. An ideal COVID-19 vaccine would work well for this age group. [Reply]
Originally Posted by POND_OF_RED:
I’m talking about LA county making it mandatory to wear a mask outside. This is LA County:
If you’ve ever been there you know there are still plenty of places you could go and social distance very easily. It’s a bit extreme and it’s punishing people who can use common sense. Hopefully I’m overreacting and common sense will also be applied with the mandate, but c’mon...
If anything can be learned from 2020 is that the majority of people have no common sense. :-) [Reply]
Originally Posted by Monticore:
If they do the severity is reduced and the ones that don't get the flu because they are vaccinated protect the ones that don't get it shot or can't or don't build up the same immunity from the shot.
People talk about "herd immunity" in terms of the virus spreading so far that we get it, but it's very, very rarely ever happened that way. We have a far greater likelihood of reaching herd immunity with a vaccine (and some modest impact from people who have already gotten COVID and recovered) even if 100% of people don't get it.
The vaccine can also help with the "it only impacts the vulnerable" stuff. If you can even get enough vaccines out there so that people who are vulnerable can get it, that makes it a lot easier to accept the "let's all just go for it and accept the consequences" approach for the greater population. [Reply]
Originally Posted by DaFace:
People talk about "herd immunity" in terms of the virus spreading so far that we get it, but it's very, very rarely ever happened that way. We have a far greater likelihood of reaching herd immunity with a vaccine (and some modest impact from people who have already gotten COVID and recovered) even if 100% of people don't get it.
The vaccine can also help with the "it only impacts the vulnerable" stuff. If you can even get enough vaccines out there so that people who are vulnerable can get it, that makes it a lot easier to accept the "let's all just go for it and accept the consequences" approach for the greater population.
yup, but the young and healthy crowd or the I won't let Gates control my brain crowd will say they don't need it. [Reply]
Originally Posted by limested:
If anything can be learned from 2020 is that the majority of people have no common sense. :-)
Which is fine. I can still use mine to protect myself from them. I shouldn’t need overreactive official county mandates to do that. I’ll stop there in case that’s getting too political. I hope you get my point though. [Reply]
Originally Posted by MahomesMagic:
I would prefer to get Covid instead of a rushed vaccine.
I doubt they will solve this anytime soon anyway...there has never been a successful coronavirus vaccine created before.
I understand being somewhat leery of a vaccine created this quickly , which is a valid argument , the ones I mentioned above are not .
I think vaccines have saved more people then they have killed but I still would wait for some extensive testing before I would line up for one. [Reply]
Originally Posted by MahomesMagic:
I doubt they will solve this anytime soon anyway...there has never been a successful coronavirus vaccine created before.
People keep parroting this but it really doesn't mean anything.
SARS and MERS were completely different from SARS2. [Reply]
