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 :
Missouri will be able to vaccinate 339,000 people by the end of the month, Director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Dr. Randall Williams announced Friday.
He said this will include all forward-facing healthcare workers as defined by section 1A in the Missouri vaccination plan.
The first 51,000 Pfizer vaccines are expected to be made available to 21 freezer sites by Dec. 12. This will be followed by 61,000 Pfizer vaccines a week later and around 105,000 Moderna vaccines that will be sent to hospitals that are not part of the 21 assigned for the Pfizer vaccine. In the third week, 110,00 Pfizer vaccines and 46,000 Moderna vaccines will be available. This is pending the Food and Drug Administration's Emergency Use Approval.
Williams also said he expects the general public to start being vaccinated by May 1.
Originally Posted by Marcellus:
Are you saying that right now there is a database that exist that a 3rd party can go to to look and see if you have been vaccinated?
You don't understand the difference between that and having a piece of paper you show the school that your kid has been vaccinated?
Random questions from the mind of TLO: Take a stabat answering if you'd like/have the knowledge
1. What would happen if you somehow accidentally got both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine within a short period of time? What if the second shot you get doesn't match the first one, would it still work?
2. What is security like at the places that are manufacturing these vaccines? I like to picture heavily armed soldiers with automatic weapons covering the entrances. [Reply]
Originally Posted by TLO:
Random questions from the mind of TLO: Take a stabat answering if you'd like/have the knowledge
1. What would happen if you somehow accidentally got both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine within a short period of time? What if the second shot you get doesn't match the first one, would it still work?
2. What is security like at the places that are manufacturing these vaccines? I like to picture heavily armed soldiers with automatic weapons covering the entrances.
#2 one of the vets I’ve worked with in the past volunteered to be a company leader assigned by the military to be responsible for moving the vaccine to the states. Hopefully, it’s just a delivery to United, Delta airlines terminals or refrigerated rail cars and they put it on flights like they explained in the 60 minutes piece.
These are armed active duty military soldiers, ready to go wherever the pallets of vaccine are at that will be deployed to protect the vaccine if necessary. They are already authorized to shoot any would be robbers or unauthorized gangs that try to take the vaccine. But, they are planning a very low profile as to not alarm the general public. No one is expecting any trouble. Just in case break glass plans. [Reply]
Originally Posted by TLO:
Random questions from the mind of TLO: Take a stabat answering if you'd like/have the knowledge
1. What would happen if you somehow accidentally got both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine within a short period of time? What if the second shot you get doesn't match the first one, would it still work?
2. What is security like at the places that are manufacturing these vaccines? I like to picture heavily armed soldiers with automatic weapons covering the entrances.
I don't really know the answers to either question, but my suspicion would be:
1. We don't know. They work in similar ways, so there might be some cross-compatibility, but no one has tested it out. Probably not recommended regardless.
2. Drug companies regularly manufacture high-security drugs, so this can't really be out of the ordinary. [Reply]
I've heard since March is how N95 masks (manufactured by 3M) are the gold standard for facemasks. You can't find these things anywhere online because they are in such high demand and prioritized for health care workers.
The entire planet wants these N95 masks from 3M. Seems like they'd be the busiest beavers on the planet.
So today I see this headline: 3M is cutting another 2,900 jobs
3M's stock was among the worst-performing stocks in the Dow last year. This year, however, is only down 2.5% for the year with shares flat in premarket trading.
Originally Posted by Donger:
Why do you know that Amazon sells butt plugs?
I'm almost sad that there's an actual answer to this, and it's not because I looked for them. There's a story from Amazon's early days when their algorithms would occasionally suggest sex toys to people. There's a story in...maybe a book I read?...about Bezos getting an email about it and forwarding it to the department head with nothing but a "?" in his message. The "?" is apparently dreaded at Amazon. It loosely translates to, "WTF is this. Fix it immediately and convince me that I shouldn't fire you because of it."
Originally Posted by DaFace:
I'm almost sad that there's an actual answer to this, and it's not because I looked for them. There's a story from Amazon's early days when their algorithms would occasionally suggest sex toys to people. There's a story in...maybe a book I read?...about Bezos getting an email about it and forwarding it to the department head with nothing but a "?" in his message. The "?" is apparently dreaded at Amazon. It loosely translates to, "WTF is this. Fix it immediately and convince me that I shouldn't fire you because of it."
Good story, but I'm going with "It was for research!! I swear!!" [Reply]