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.”
All of this panic and overreaction for a virus that will have a minimal health impact on 80% of those infected (i.e. minimal symptoms or symptoms that are about the same as the common cold). [Reply]
Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88:
All of this panic and overreaction for a virus that will have a minimal health impact on 80% of those infected (i.e. minimal symptoms or symptoms that are about the same as the common cold).
A 36 year old got it in Omaha. And is in serious condition with pneumonia. [Reply]
City of Austin just canceled their SXSW festival due to Coronavirus fears. It's at least a $300M impact to Austin.
Definitely the right call, but man.....
Sorry..didn't see the previous post about it being canceled. My bad [Reply]
Originally Posted by C3HIEF3S:
Indeed employees here in Austin have been doing the same, as well as Amazon employees in Seattle.
Meanwhile my stupid-ass boss' boss won't let anyone wfh unless they pretend to be sick or are sick. And we could all easily do the exact same job from home. [Reply]
As we learn more about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), it is important to follow the guidelines laid out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). What we know now is that COVID-19 is transmitted through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Getting sick from these droplets requires a close proximity to an infected person, or touching a surface that might have a droplet, then touching your mouth, nose and possibly eyes.
Because of this, surfaces and objects are the major way that the virus is spread, and so the main means of prevention should be handwashing, avoiding touching your face and avoiding close contact with people who are sick. Cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces is also suggested. As of now, masks are not recommended for protection against COVID-19. Masks should only be worn by some health care professionals and patients being screened and receiving care for COVID-19, to protect other patients and health care workers.
Banner Health has developed a process to safely screen patients for COVID-19 in our primary care clinics. In order to be screened in one of these clinics, patients would need to meet CDC criteria for testing. This can be determined through a phone conversation with one of our team members. If you or a loved one has concerning symptoms, please call your primary care doctor’s office to discuss your symptoms and determine if in-person evaluation or testing is necessary. If you do not have a primary care doctor and would like to establish care with Banner, visit our Find a Doctor tool on BannerHealth.com . Patients that meet criteria for further in-person evaluation or testing will be scheduled for an appointment to be seen at one of our clinics and provided with instructions for how to safely enter the building in cooperation with the on-site medical team.
Thank you for being the most important part of what we do.
Originally Posted by :
It was odd, the firefighters thought, how many calls were coming from the Life Care nursing facility in Kirkland.
The day before, Thursday, had been especially bad. Five separate calls for respiratory distress or fever. After several calls, the firefighters masked up -- they believed something worrisome was spreading, maybe a bad flu.
But it wasn’t the flu. Through the chain of command, firefighters learned that management at Life Care said a resident and a health worker had been tested the week before for coronavirus, or COVID-19, a virus that had been especially cruel to the elderly and infirm.
Evan Hurley, a 9-year veteran with Kirkland Fire and a union trustee, said a firefighter relayed this story: On Friday, the firefighter arrived at Life Care, walked in, and saw a charge nurse in just her scrubs. No mask, no protective gown.
“Hey, you guys are supposed to be in self-quarantine,” the firefighter said.
“No, we’re not,” the nurse replied.
“Well, our chain of command talked to your management, and they say something different.”
The nurse insisted; she hadn’t heard anything, she said.
The firefighter looked down the hall and saw two caregivers in scrubs -- no mask or gown.
“What the hell?” the firefighter thought. “Who is not telling you that you have two suspected coronavirus cases?”
Originally Posted by :
Hearing this news, Kevin Connolly and his wife, Jody, were shocked, he wrote on Facebook. Jody’s father was there, but Life Care had not called about a possible outbreak, he wrote.
The Connollys called Life Care, where a receptionist “told us not to believe everything you hear on the news,” Connolly said on Facebook.
Residents did not know they were living amid an outbreak, he said. Staff were given masks, but residents were not. For dinner that Saturday night, his father-in-law was given half a sweet potato.
Originally Posted by :
Officials had said 10 workers from the Centers for Disease Control were supposed to fly into Seattle, and beeline for Kirkland, but the journalist hadn’t seen them. Families said they hadn't seen them either. Calls to the governor's office, public health and the CDC, have not clarified whether anyone from the CDC has come to Seattle.
Originally Posted by :
Evan Hurley says many members have looked back at the logs, curious to see if there were more calls than usual from Life Care in recent weeks.
In January, firefighters responded seven times to the Life Care facility. In February, and the first five days of March, they responded 33 times.
Firefighters are now grappling with the idea that coronavirus may have already been circulating at Life Care for weeks and that they, and Life Care workers, residents and visitors, had not been warned to take precautions, And that they may have inadvertently helped spread the virus farther.
In the days leading up to last Friday, Life Care staff and first responders were using nebulizers and CPAP machines to treat patients. “We essentially aerosolized it,” one first responder said, because before last Friday, that was standard protocol to treat patients.