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 OnTheWarpath15:
Kids are pretty damn resilient though.
My best friend's daughter just had her 13th birthday back in mid-April, they had been planning a huge pool party for her and her classmates for months.
They ended up doing the "drive by" for her and she said it was the best birthday she's ever had.
Originally Posted by eDave:
Yea. If I was a kid, this thing would kick ass.
My oldest had the lead role in the school musical production of Matilda, which was cancelled due to C-19. She worked very hard to score the role, which is a huge deal here in Hollywood because nearly every parent works in the entertainment business in some capacity. So she not only missed out on the opportunity to perform after months and months of hard work, she missed the opportunity to further her acting and singing ambitions. Now, we'll need to wait at least a year for another opportunity and who knows if she'll get the lead role next year?
Also, she had her 12th birthday the first week of April and she was very, very sad. I made shimp and a filet mignon for her birthday dinner while my wife set up Zoom Birthday Chats with her friends. But it still wasn't the same as going to Disneyland and having a sleepover. I realize that she's no different than any other kid dealing with this but that didn't make the day any better for her. [Reply]
Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud:
My oldest had the lead role in the school musical production of Matilda, which was cancelled due to C-19. She worked very hard to score the role, which is a huge deal here in Hollywood because nearly every parent works in the entertainment business in some capacity. So she not only missed out on the opportunity to perform after months and months of hard work, she missed the opportunity to further her acting and singing ambitions. Now, we'll need to wait at least a year for another opportunity and who knows if she'll get the lead role next year?
Also, she had her 12th birthday the first week of April and she was very, very sad. I made shimp and a filet mignon for her birthday dinner while my wife set up Zoom Birthday Chats with her friends. But it still wasn't the same as going to Disneyland and having a sleepover. I realize that she's no different than any other kid dealing with this but that didn't make the day any better for her.
Originally Posted by Mr_Tomahawk:
So is it still possible that this thing can indeed mutate into a weaker form that can’t survive?
It's not likely to mutate to a weaker form that won't survive, but it may mutate to a less virulent form that could kill fewer people. Whatever allows for the virus to spread better will be preferentially selected for. If a mutation occurs that allows someone to shed virus longer, it will be more likely to survive. If a mutation occurs that improves infectiousness, it will be selected for. If a mutation occurs that would theoretically cause it to kill in a much shorter time, it likely won't be selected for, because that makes it harder to spread.
Using that logic, which is the foundation of evolutionary science, people should do whatever they can to make it harder to spread--distance yourself, wear masks, and wash/sanitize your hands regularly. [Reply]
Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins:
It's not likely to mutate to a weaker form that won't survive, but it may mutate to a less virulent form that could kill fewer people. Whatever allows for the virus to spread better will be preferentially selected for. If a mutation occurs that allows someone to shed virus longer, it will be more likely to survive. If a mutation occurs that improves infectiousness, it will be selected for. If a mutation occurs that would theoretically cause it to kill in a much shorter time, it likely won't be selected for, because that makes it harder to spread.
Using that logic, which is the foundation of evolutionary science, people should do whatever they can to make it harder to spread--distance yourself, wear masks, and wash/sanitize your hands regularly.
I recall SARS dying out because it mutated into a form where it killed much quicker, but also made it harder to spread, as you just described. That's probably what we'll have to hope for because I have zero confidence in a vaccine at this point. [Reply]
Originally Posted by SAUTO:
It's funny that all these people are trying to make excuses as to why California hasn't gotten hit as hard.
Different mutation, climate, whatever.
But every one of those same people are totally against doing exactly what California is doing.
Maybe they got it more right than everyone else. Instead of making up shit and guessing maybe other states should follow suit.
Florida hasn’t been hit hard either, despite not implementing the draconian lockdown measures.
Florida has a lower total cases and deaths # than California and their cases and death rate, factoring in the population difference is about the same. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Monticore:
Our fishing season opens this weekend and we live on the shores of biggest lake in central Ontario, after 8 months of being indoors from winter and this virus it is going to be difficult to keep people from flocking to the lake from across the provinvce. Which I understand and just don,t want to go backward and have to start over.
Well unless people can pick up the Rona from a fish, you should be good, if people are smart enough to social distance. [Reply]
