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 htismaqe:
There aren't currently any laws regarding failure to wear a mask so it's not really a valid comparison.
That being said, let me be clear - it's not only that they don't fear the virus, they don't fear death. They don't fear anything. They're so focused on themselves (and usually their next fix) that nothing else matters.
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
Not here, there's not.
I haven’t witnessed anything that extreme, but there are plenty of these ‘badass’ types here in Texas that think they dont have to wear a mask. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Rain Man:
Well, that's no good.
I routinely work with public health officials and they're doing their jobs. It's bizarre to me that people won't listen to their recommendations.
It's probably different in different areas. My wife is from Iowa and I have a different perception of rural Iowa than rural Missouri. (Of course, she's from Iowa City which is not exactly rural nor typical of Iowa, so I've got imperfect information.)
I actually know the person whose Facebook post is quoted in the article that I linked. She's a nice person and is thoughtful, so I was surprised at her stance. But I see a lot of posts from my hometown friends in Missouri that are far more dogmatic than thoughtful, and it's pretty disappointing to see. I think you're right in that they don't fear a virus, but I more often hear "can't make me" arguments than health arguments from them. I'm charitably trying to conclude that it's just because the virus didn't hit their communities in force when the protective measures were being proposed, in which case they didn't see the need.
I lived around these people most of my life so it doesn't surprise me. They think you are infringing on their freedoms and they get that message from the top. They just can't wrap their head around the fact that it is not so much that they can get it (which we obviously don't want) but them getting it and then spreading it to 4-5 other people, and they spread it to 4-5 people and on and on. They want to make it all about them but this isn't just affecting them. [Reply]
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
Not here, there's not.
the mask\anti-mask argument is old.
There are people that won't wear a mask for various reason, mostly political.
There are people who swear by masks because they have to feel safe even if they may not be as safe as they feel.
Fair enough.
My problem is when you hear things like "you wear the mask to protect others from you, not you from others. Then you hear "well, it also protects you from others" which ironically negates the former to a degree.
Then the real fun starts.
85% of cases were people who wore masks most or all of the time. But how can that be? They wore masks!
You didn't wear them right.
You wore them but touched them.
You wore the wrong kind.
It's a convenient excuse to just blame the lack of masks when the reality is more people across the globe are wearing masks now than they were 5 months ago and we have a huge surge in cases.
Originally Posted by petegz28:
You're right! We need to listen to science like we did in the cases below.
Case One:
Covid poses nearly no risk to children but poses sever risk to the elderly.
Solution One:
Close the schools and send infected patients into nursing homes.
Case Two:
Obesity is one of the leading comorbidities that cause death from Covid.
Solution Two:
Close the gyms and keep the liquor stores open.
Case Three:
Outdoor transmission is very low and rare. Cases mostly spread indoors at gatherings.
Solution Three:
Close the beaches, parks and camp grounds and order people to stay home.
I must admit that one of the most disappointing things of this whole shutdown is the fact that liquor stores and marijuana stores were deemed "essential". I presume it's because the government figured it would cause more problems to close them than to leave them open, but what does that say about our society? [Reply]
Originally Posted by petegz28:
I'm gonna go Donger on here and point out the driving analogies are irrelevant. Driving is not a right, it is a privilege.
Ok. If we are going to go Donger on this...why is driving a privilege, and not a right? [Reply]
Originally Posted by Rain Man:
I must admit that one of the most disappointing things of this whole shutdown is the fact that liquor stores and marijuana stores were deemed "essential". I presume it's because the government figured it would cause more problems to close them than to leave them open, but what does that say about our society?
I understand and am thankful they left the liquor stores open. My point is the entire approach was idiotic. We don't want people in places so let's close a bunch of places and force people into their homes where we know they will want out and then they can all go to the very few places that are still open so we can make sure we get large crowds like we don't want. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Rain Man:
I must admit that one of the most disappointing things of this whole shutdown is the fact that liquor stores and marijuana stores were deemed "essential". I presume it's because the government figured it would cause more problems to close them than to leave them open, but what does that say about our society?
Tax revenue bro.
It's like closing down Walmart here. Or casinos.
Walmart is the number 1 contributor to the local option sales tax here. And one county over, the casino is literally FUNDING parts of the school district in lieu of additional local option sales taxes.
I don't know about there but pretty much the only things getting shut down here are small business. The chain restaurants are drive-up or carry-out and the chain stores are all open. It's all about generating enough revenue to stay open. [Reply]
In an attempt to steer the conversation in another direction...
My company has all of us back in the office as of this week. We're all required to wear masks, etc.
I share a rather large office with one other co-worker.
Any precautions we can take to help mitigate the possible spread? We have a giant window, but it doesn't open. I have a fan running in an attempt to keep air moving around. Any other ideas? [Reply]