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 SupDock:
Just got mine. Anecdotally hurt less than the flu shot. I will let you all know how I feel tomorrow.
Most everyone at my wife's work felt absolutely nothing. Wfie had a sore arm and a bit of fatigue the first day, which may or may not have been attributed to the vaccine (it was that minor).
Quite frankly, I think she's one of the people that's just not going to catch this. She sees multiple positive patients a day. A good portion of her office (that she shares a small 20 x 20 room with 6 other providers at once) has had it. Her nurse had it. Yet she hasn't had it and she's not especially overly careful with her PPE usage. [Reply]
Originally Posted by jdubya:
Interesting. My son works for a small company run by a married couple. He is in close proximity to both fairly often. The couple came down with symptoms last wednesday and tested positive for the rona yesterday. My son came down with same symptoms on Sunday (fever/nausea/aches, pains and cough) and tested negative today. I figure it must be a false negative as I am hearing there may be more false negatives than false positives.
Edited to add: He just texted me to clarify he had 2 tests today; The antibody blood test (which is the one that came back negative) and the nasal swab....which he has not heard the results yet.
I work at a small company, with less than 10 employees. 6 of those employees are in and out of hospitals and labs in the Midwest, but usually only where they are making or compounding drugs.
We have a single employee, who is as close to the stereotypical redneck Republican as you can get. His job often takes him into the morgues in these hospitals. He travels more than any other technician, and is in a couple of hospitals a day, from Iowa to Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, etc.
He didn't want to wear a mask in the office, kinda chastised others for "falling" for the caronavirus hype. He came back from a road trip that took him into hospitals in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri, and walked into the office wearing a mask.
He said that 7 of the 10 hospitals he tested either had body bags lining the halls outside of the morgues, or were using additional mobile cold storage behind the hospital. He said it was the worst thing he has ever seen, and he once was directed into the morgue where they forgot an autopsy was being done.
I always wore my mask at places I was supposed to, and I am not embarrassed to say that I am a Democrat, but when this dude was so shook that he started wearing his mask everywhere, I realized that maybe it really was worse than inside my little bubble. I cannot stress enough how much this guy was thought it was a hoax or just way overblown, and I cannot stress enough just how hard he did a 180.
I stay in my bubble. I don't interact with people, and do most of my work from home now, but his reaction had an affect on me.
Originally Posted by O.city:
Astra Zeneca exec said their data shows their vaccine just as effective as the other two
A company executive saying it’s 95% effective as the rest on the market. Doesn’t that need a grain of salt? Hope they are right, that’ll be fantastic. But..... didn’t I read it was 70%-75% effective in the trials? Or am I confusing 3rd tier studies and drugs? [Reply]
I'm getting increasingly frustrated with my work and their seemingly lackadaisical approach to the vaccine rollout.
I've talked to corporate - no answers.
I've talked to DMH in Missouri - they tell me we need to be partnered with a pharmacy. We fall into the 1a category.
I try to ask corporate about this - no answers.
If they don't feel like telling me what's going on, fine. I just hope they have a ****ing plan in place. Right now I'm not so sure they do have a plan.. [Reply]
Originally Posted by TLO:
I'm getting increasingly frustrated with my work and their seemingly lackadaisical approach to the vaccine rollout.
I've talked to corporate - no answers.
I've talked to DMH in Missouri - they tell me we need to be partnered with a pharmacy. We fall into the 1a category.
I try to ask corporate about this - no answers.
If they don't feel like telling me what's going on, fine. I just hope they have a ****ing plan in place. Right now I'm not so sure they do have a plan..