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 SAUTO:
where did the 80 year visiting his kids come into this discussion?
When people started talking about how one person's choices leading to his own death mattered and others didn't.
When the vast majority of these transmissions appear to be a result of family transmission, how else do you think older/higher risk individuals are contracting it?
Either free will is relevant is or it isn't. If we're willing to disregard the guy who panicked because he's watching a life he built crumble around him, then we must also be willing to disregard the diabetic who ate himself into a state where his body can't fight this off. Or the 65 year old that told his family to come over for dinner and got sick.
Personally I'm willing to give ALL of them a bit of a pass right now, which is why I'm unwilling to hand-waive the mental health impacts of this. Unlike others who feel emboldened to pick winners and losers. [Reply]
Originally Posted by DJ's left nut:
As I've said, I've simply gone through too much of this crap to keep track of it. It was from a couple of studies released last Thursday/Friday(ish).
Children to adult transmissions are showing to be exceptionally rare.
those studies are now outdated IMO (and not trying to bash you here it could be true). if they were done in the us it could be that there wasnt enough data, if they were done in another country who knows whether to believe them...
italy and spain both have older populations are those people around many sick kids? i dont know. [Reply]
Originally Posted by PAChiefsGuy:
Comparing an 80-year-old visiting her kids dying due to the CoronaVirus to a 30-year-old blowing his brains out is one of the most asinine comparisons I've ever heard in my life.
Ever think maybe the 30-year-old didn't enjoy living and just decided to use these times as an excuse?
Or maybe this was a catalyst that could've been avoided and that person may have found his way through this in time. How's saying "well this guy was probably gonna kill himself anyway" any different than saying "well hell, that 80 year old would've been dead in a few years one way or the other..."?
The lack of internal consistency here is laughable.
Either you're responsible for your own choices or you aren't. [Reply]
22.2% to 26.9% of people being hospitalized for COVID-19 complications have diabetes.
If you choose to be obese and eat unhealthy shit, you are making lifestyle choices that lead to diabetes and increase your chances of getting COVID-19-related complications.
Originally Posted by :
COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus that can cause several symptoms, including fever, coughing, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing. As COVID-19 continues to spread in the United States, it is important for everyone to take the necessary precautions to help prevent infection and spread of the virus. Individuals over 60 years of age and those with pre-existing medical conditions, including diabetes, are at the highest risk for complications.
Recent studies have shown that of those hospitalized for severe disease, 22.2% to 26.9% reported living with diabetes. Diabetes and high glucose levels are associated with increased complications, respiratory failure and mortality in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.
Originally Posted by DJ's left nut:
When people started talking about how one person's choices leading to his own death mattered and others didn't.
When the vast majority of these transmissions appear to be a result of family transmission, how else do you think older/higher risk individuals are contracting it?
Either free will is relevant is or it isn't. If we're willing to disregard the guy who panicked because he's watching a life he built crumble around him, then we must also be willing to disregard the diabetic who ate himself into a state where his body can't fight this off. Or the 65 year old that told his family to come over for dinner and got sick.
Personally I'm willing to give ALL of them a bit of a pass right now, which is why I'm unwilling to hand-waive the mental health impacts of this. Unlike others who feel emboldened to pick winners and losers.
Originally Posted by DJ's left nut:
What's political about it? Quit trying to shut down a discussion because you don't like what it implies.
The 80 year old that visits his kids had a choice as well. So did the person that has multiple comorbidities due to lifestyle decisions.
One side of this dialogue is claiming a moral high-ground and believes that gives them the right do decide which deaths matter and which ones are to be disregarded. How isn't that putting your thumb on the scale?
If you're going to try to make this decision purely from a public health perspective, then the impacts this makes on people's mental health is absolutely relevant to the discussion.
I do think that we need to consider the impact on mental health. I know that this quarantine has been very hard on my own. However, I also believe that the excess deaths postulated from opening everything back up far surpass the mental health damage.
From a selfish standpoint, I also know that opening everything up places me at higher risk as well as my wife. I don't want her exposed any more than possible, not only for my sake, but hers.
Ultimately, I think we have to do whatever we can to stop overwhelming the healthcare system. If we end up with a surge that overwhelms our ability to protect them, it will create a shortage of providers for years that will itself lead to thousands upon thousands of excess deaths. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Donger:
We don't know. What we do know is that there have only been 82 confirmed new cases today. And that is fewer than yesterday.
which is because they stopped testing most people that have it. not because ita slowing down
My work had a number you could call to deal with the mental aspect of all of this and the councilers aren't meeting patience due to the virus. THX [Reply]
All I'm saying is that if you're focusing exclusively on deaths that occur as a result of this, you cannot disregard those mental health outcomes either.
Because as you noted - no one wins if they are dead. And the man that killed himself - irrationally or otherwise - is no less dead.
Again - do I believe suicides as a result of this are going to be 1 for 1 with fatalities as a result of the disease? No, of course not. But I think they'll happen. And they'll happen in significant enough numbers that they need to be included in the decision-making process. [Reply]