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 DaneMcCloud:
I think it's a bit easier to close schools at this point in time because in many cases, it's near Spring Break, so a few extra days doesn't really mean much in terms of the overall school year.
In LA, we're doing Home School, as in all the Middle & High School students will be "attending" class online because they've been given school-issued Chromebooks.
As for the Elementary kids, they're being given school assignments via email, which need to be returned as if they're in school, as well as their daily reading, math practice, etc.
So in reality, at least in LA, the kids aren't missing out on the educational aspect, just the social aspect. Although I'm not even sure how much of the social aspect they'll miss out on because if the other kids across the nation are anything like mine, they're FaceTiming their friends daily.
How are they handling families that don't have internet access [Reply]
Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud:
I think it's a bit easier to close schools at this point in time because in many cases, it's near Spring Break, so a few extra days doesn't really mean much in terms of the overall school year.
In LA, we're doing Home School, as in all the Middle & High School students will be "attending" class online because they've been given school-issued Chromebooks.
As for the Elementary kids, they're being given school assignments via email, which need to be returned as if they're in school, as well as their daily reading, math practice, etc.
So in reality, at least in LA, the kids aren't missing out on the educational aspect, just the social aspect. Although I'm not even sure how much of the social aspect they'll miss out on because if the other kids across the nation are anything like mine, they're FaceTiming their friends daily.
Originally Posted by 007:
How are they handling families that don't have internet access
That, I have no idea.
But it seems as if everyone has internet access these days, even if it's just over their phone.
I'm obviously not familiar with how it's done in other states and metro areas but here, the teachers email all of the parents daily, if not twice a day. The Principle, coaches, Art directors, etc. are in constant touch with parents and I often email and text with school and district administrators, sometimes multiple times per day.
Funny thing is I can barely remember my parents ever coming to my school when I was a kid, let alone being on a first name basis with admin and teachers or going with them to Disneyland, as we often do. [Reply]
Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud:
That, I have no idea.
But it seems as if everyone has internet access these days, even if it's just over their phone.
I'm obviously not familiar with how it's done in other states and metro areas but here, the teachers email all of the parents daily, if not twice a day. The Principle, coaches, Art directors, etc. are in constant touch with parents and I often email and text with school and district administrators, sometimes multiple times per day.
Funny thing is I can barely remember my parents ever coming to my school when I was a kid, let alone being on a first name basis with admin and teachers or going with them to Disneyland, as we often do.
In Missouri the schools have a loaner program for a hot spot internet access thing for kids without internet access. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Megatron96:
Lew, I never said, and in fact I think I said the opposite; that I was invulnerable. I know I'm vulnerable. More vulnerable than everyone in my family with the exception of my mother. The fact that I smoke makes me even more vulnerable, but there's nothing I can do about that. I hardly smoke anymore, but I did for decades, and my lungs are what they are. If I catch this thing I'm probably something like a 1:4 for dying. Maybe worse. But that's just what it is.
As for other people, just what can I do that will help that much? I have to work, and I can't fly a plane from home. Fortunately, I don't interact with many people in a normal week, either at work or off.
But the facts are still the same: the vast majority of people that catch this thing are going to survive it. So yeah, it sucks that a lot of people are going to die, mostly the very old or young, and those whose immune systems are compromised. But most people will be fine.
My whole point has always been that we need less freaking out and more being rational and patient.
Flattening the bell curve is very important. That’s why things are behind cancelled. That’s being prudent and proactive, not panic. I can’t make this any simpler for you.
I am still required to work but I will go no where else this week. Home and work and that’s it. I’ll do my part in this the best I can. [Reply]
Originally Posted by PAChiefsGuy:
No one here said anyone should panic.
I get what you are saying but if people continue to go out and spread the virus that means more people are going to die or get sick. There's currently no vaccine for the CoronaVirus so if your immune system doesn't fight it off you are ****ed. sure most ppl will be fine but what about the ones who are not? I dont know about you but I think not going out to a restaurant or bar for one week or two is worth saving a life even if the person is old or has a pre-existing health condition.
I get what you're saying.
From my POV, I interact with about 6 people a day in a normal week. The same 6 people. On days off, I meet with two friends for dinner when I can in a small restaurant we've going to for years. Other than that, I see my gf when able, and take my mother to church and have dinner with her (she's been nursing a broken ankle so we haven't gone in a while, and probably won't for a few more weeks).
Now if I was 20 something and spent my down time bar crawling, dating multitudes of women, etc. that would be different.
Look, I never said or advocated the idea that we should go around as if this wasn't happening. I do think that eventually everyone is going to come into contact with this thing no matter what we do. But trying to slow its progress is naturally a good idea.
My original point was that IMO, I don't think closing bars and restaurants is going to have a significant effect, because people will just congregate elsewhere to drink and socialize, have unprotected sex, etc. And there's not one thing I can do about that.
What I'm not going to do is worry about that. If my friends want to meet up for dinner next week, I'm going. If my gf wants to hang out, I'm there. If my mother wants to go to church in a couple weeks, I might say "maybe we should wait another week or two," but if she insists, I'm taking her to church. She's a retired physician and a grown woman, and she can make her own much more informed decisions for herself. [Reply]