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.”
The majority of the workforce-age population in the US (80% of the workforce is 50 and under years of age) has a .4% or less mortality rate from COVID-19.
This is why there should have been a middle ground in virus control/mitigation from what was done during the 2009-2010 H1N1 pandemic (which was sporadic actions), to the complete shutdown of society response to COVID-19.
It would absolutely never work, but ignoring that...
I halfway think that everyone under age 50 who doesn't otherwise have any health issues should just gather in public spaces, infect each other, suffer for two weeks, and then resume our normal lives. We'd practically create herd immunity in two weeks. [Reply]
Went to the local grocery store earlier today. It was still mostly stocked, with the exception of the toilet paper section, but there were noticeable gaps missing on the some of the shelves.
I got the last container of low acid orange juice in the store. That seemed like an odd thing for them to be running out of.
Glad I went today. At 2:00 on a Friday afternoon the place was as busy as a normal Saturday afternoon. I assume tomorrow will be a madhouse. [Reply]
It will be interesting to see how accepting everyone will be if the restrictions ramp up to what is going on in Italy now.
Everyone on mandatory (with the risk of fine/arrest) lockdown in their homes.
All businesses shutdown except for grocery stores and pharmacies.
If you want to go to a grocery store/pharmacy, you have to first submit a written request form to local authorities for approval and only one member of a household can go out.
When out you have to maintain at least three feet between yourself and other people.
When inside the grocery stores/pharmacies, you only have a limited amount of time to shop and there is a limited quantity of people allowed inside at one time (with everyone else waiting outside, maintaining the required distance between other people).
I can't imagine the American public accepting such drastic measures unless the mortality rates rise dramatically from COVID-19. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Frazod:
Went to the local grocery store earlier today. It was still mostly stocked, with the exception of the toilet paper section, but there were noticeable gaps missing on the some of the shelves.
I got the last container of low acid orange juice in the store. That seemed like an odd thing for them to be running out of.
Glad I went today. At 2:00 on a Friday afternoon the place was as busy as a normal Saturday afternoon. I assume tomorrow will be a madhouse.
Originally Posted by DaFace:
It would absolutely never work, but ignoring that...
I halfway think that everyone under age 50 who doesn't otherwise have any health issues should just gather in public spaces, infect each other, suffer for two weeks, and then resume our normal lives. We'd practically create herd immunity in two weeks.
That sounds like a great idea in theory but unfortunately, I'll bet you'd find that the number of Americans under the age of 50 that have absolutely no health issues would be pretty small.
For example, I know a ton of otherwise "healthy" people that take Humira for psoriasis, arthritis and other conditions, people that take Proton Pump Inhibitors (Prevacid, Nexium, et al), Embrel, anti-inflammatories and so many other meds, all of which suppress the immune system, which raises their threat level in regards to this particular virus.
I would venture to guess that once all of those have been eliminated, there wouldn't be enough people to create herd immunity. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Spott:
How did the produce section look?
Oh yeah, that was pretty picked over too. Chicken and ground beef nearly gone. I usually buy ground pork and that was gone as well.
My biggest concern right now is a potential supply chain breakdown, so we mostly stocked up on canned stuff. My spinner rack has never been as full as it is right now. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Spott:
Supposedly the virus doesn’t spread well where it’s hot and humid. It was 87 today and it’s supposed to get below 80 anytime soon.
As far as I know there’s no correlation to weather. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Frazod:
Oh yeah, that was pretty picked over too. Chicken and ground beef nearly gone. I usually buy ground pork and that was gone as well.
My biggest concern right now is a potential supply chain breakdown, so we mostly stocked up on canned stuff. My spinner rack has never been as full as it is right now.
Going grocery shopping tomorrow, so I’ll find out. The wife’s a vegetarian which kind of makes me one by default. Hopefully Whole Foods isn’t wiped out when we get there. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Spott:
Going grocery shopping tomorrow, so I’ll find out. The wife’s a vegetarian which kind of makes me one by default. Hopefully Whole Foods isn’t wiped out when we get there.
Originally Posted by DaFace:
It would absolutely never work, but ignoring that...
I halfway think that everyone under age 50 who doesn't otherwise have any health issues should just gather in public spaces, infect each other, suffer for two weeks, and then resume our normal lives. We'd practically create herd immunity in two weeks.
I actually read an article about that in an immunological journal I stumbled across. Theoretically if we isolate and don't get this less virulent strain, there could be a lessening of cases over the summer, then in the fall it mutates to more virulent and we have no resistance.