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 BigRedChief:
If this is a super charged cousin of the Spanish flu that killed 20 million we could be in for a rough ride. Sure, that many died because there wasn't antibiotics and information on how virus's are transferred. But....
Historians say that at least 200K would have died because of the 10 day incubation period when the infected are asymptomatic. Mostly due to the rural places humans lived in that era. They knew to isolate the sick but the 10 day incubation period was too much for them to overcome in that era.
With modern medicine and IV antibiotics any previously healthy person shouldn't die in America from this disease that seeks immediate help. But people wait to long to go to a doctor or hospital, with the long incubation period of this virus that may exacerbate their stupid decisions to wait.
At least once every two weeks we had someone come into the ER who was septic(virus was in the blood) because they waited to long, We were able to save about 1/2. Jim Henson, founder of the Muppets died because he waited too long.
Antibiotics do nothing to combat flu or coronaviruses. Only potential infections they may create, but I suppose your point remains. [Reply]
AFAIK, there are many coronaviruses. SARS is a coronavirus. Bird Flu is a coronavirus. The common cold is a coronavirus. And this strain is more catchy than SARS or Bird Flu, but less deadly. But, hey, everyone! Pay no attention to politics, or what the government is doing to strip your rights and give us to Russia! Look, over there! Coronavirus! [Reply]
Originally Posted by JD10367:
AFAIK, there are many coronaviruses. SARS is a coronavirus. Bird Flu is a coronavirus. The common cold is a coronavirus. And this strain is more catchy than SARS or Bird Flu, but less deadly. But, hey, everyone! Pay no attention to politics, or what the government is doing to strip your rights and give us to Russia! Look, over there! Coronavirus!
That's the question. While everyone is looking over here, what's going on elsewhere that they don't want people to know. :-) [Reply]
You are statistically more likely to die in a car crash driving to the store to stupidly stock up on surgical masks, Purell, etc, than dying from the Coronavirus. [Reply]
Originally Posted by BWillie:
Antibiotics do nothing to combat flu or coronaviruses. Only potential infections they may create, but I suppose your point remains.
geeez every 1st grader knows antibiotics don't work on virus's.
I worked in a level 1 hospital for 10 years as a Respiratory Therapist. I dealt with the effects of a virus on thousands of people. It's been awhile since I was in the ER and ICU but since I had hundreds of people die under my care from secondary infections from virus and saved thousands, I don't think I've forgot basic facts. You ever see a person die in front of you that you are trying to save? You don't forget basic facts.
One more time.... its just basic cause and effect. Cause = Virus. Effect = increase in body temperature and secondary infections.
Then if you enter the cascading effect. This is where you life becomes endangered. Especially in the elderly and others there were not healthy to begin with when they got the virus. You cant cough up fluid out of your lungs. It gets infected. Your body starts to fail. We put you on a ventilator. Which may save your life or kill you because we now make it easier for the secondary infections to spread more easily throughout your body. [Reply]
The virus doesn't cause the fever, your body does, and that's a good thing. Fever should only be treated for specific reasons.
Also, the availability of steroids and antibiotics absolutely reduces fatality rates. Antibiotics reduce secondary infections.
This is a novel Corona virus, meaning it's brand new, but there are lots.of other Corona viruses, many of them cause common colds. This could be a reason why children seem to be less effected
The annual fatality rate of influenza is not 0.1 percent, it's around 0.01 percent or less. The Spanish flu had a fatality rate of over 2 percent.
Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88:
You are statistically more likely to die in a car crash driving to the store to stupidly stock up on surgical masks, Purell, etc, than dying from the Coronavirus.
Let's assume for a minute that China has vastly under-reported number of infections. Let's assume a million people in china got this. So we're talking about roughly .07% of their population that got this thing. And reports of new cases are slowing down. If the stock market is tanking over this hysteria then now would be a great time to buy. [Reply]
