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 KCChiefsFan88:
This is not an apples to apples comparison at this point.
There are far less diagnosed cases of COVID-19 than the seasonal flu at this point.
As the testing becomes more widespread there are going to be more confirmed cases of COVID-19 in people who have just minor symptoms (and before widespread testing they could have easily passed their symptoms off as the cold and not a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis).
Right now the majority of people who are getting the confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis skew to be more sick which is why they are at a hospital/doctor and able to get the testing.
It would be interesting to know the math behind both sides of the graph... you can say the same thing for the flu side, meaning the majority of people don't exhibit symptoms at all and many more aren't tested, so it would require some estimations.
If the flu side already has estimations built in, I'd think they would carry over the same estimations for Coronavirus and wouldn't necessarily need official test results to determine those numbers. [Reply]
Originally Posted by cdcox:
South Korea does to. How? Testing lots of people, isolating them and letting most people go about their business with some precautions.
Exactly.
This thing will get around to everyone but a slow spread without panic and with sensible reactions and life goes on... [Reply]
Originally Posted by cdcox:
There is uncertainty, no doubt. I tend to question the 4-6 week time line because there would be way more cases if that were true.
You are assuming every case is critical enough for someone to go to the doctor and get tested. [Reply]
Originally Posted by petegz28:
So what people? The 100k attending?
We are a town of 250K or so maybe 10K attend. Most are international or tourists from other parts of the USA. The Indy car race circuit is like a mini-city moving with the races. Lots of support staff move with them too.
We thought it was canceled. Or at least the public was not allowed in. You can turn on your TV, looks like stands are almost full. [Reply]
This thing will get around to everyone but a slow spread without panic and with sensible reactions and life goes on...
I don't think what China is doing is the answer but I also don't think what South Koreas is doing will necessarily work here. USA population is more than triple South Koreas.
I hope you are right though. Time will tell. [Reply]
Originally Posted by BigRedChief:
We are a town of 250K or so maybe 10K attend. Most are international or tourists from other parts of the USA. The Indy car race circuit is like a mini-city moving with the races. Lots of support staff move with them too.
We thought it was canceled. Or at least the public was not allowed in. You can turn on your TV, looks like stands are almost full.
You don't happen to mean the re-airing of a different race as opposed to the race supposed to be taking place in St. Petersburg, do you? [Reply]
Originally Posted by Rausch:
Keep in mind that Italians (and many Europeans) are just naturally more affectionate people. More hugging/kissing than other cultures. Anything that spreads fast will spread faster if a lot of physical contact is the norm.
Social norms and habits are hard to break.
I think it has more to do with that than their medical, political, or economic situation...
The Swiss and Germans aren't though. Nor Scandinavians - and they're having issues too. [Reply]