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.”
So the good news with the mutations is that there can only be so many mutations in the spike protein before it mutates itself out of being able to bind to human cells [Reply]
Originally Posted by O.city:
So the good news with the mutations is that there can only be so many mutations in the spike protein before it mutates itself out of being able to bind to human cells
Originally Posted by dirk digler:
True but once the FDA fully approves it I imagine lots of companies will mandate it (not for altruistic motives but they want everyone to come back into the office). We already saw the courts rule in favor of the Houston hospital that enforced it so we should see more of this happening in the near future.
Our office definitely reminding people they can get it and even doing on site. Just shy of forcing it. I could see that happening. [Reply]
Originally Posted by O.city:
So the good news with the mutations is that there can only be so many mutations in the spike protein before it mutates itself out of being able to bind to human cells
asked a friend about this saying there will be mutations to it that render it useless in humans. But those variants won't be transmitted obviously. We'll still be spreading the other ones. [Reply]
I get the sentiment. It's not bad to get exposed to stuff that's harmless if that helps us against the harmful stuff. It's just hard to selectively do it.
As far as human contact, I really think I'd be a great candidate for a Mars mission. I'm perfectly content sitting in my house and having only the occasional video chat with others, even if it's on a 24-hour time lag due to the distance from the sun. Being the sole passenger on a freighter a few years ago will definitely go on my resume when they start hiring settlers.
I hadn't really thought about this before, but presumably when we settle Mars there'll be no contagious diseases, right? If you check people before they blast off from earth, measles and covid and diphtheria will never make the jump.
An outbreak of common colds at an Antarctic base after seventeen weeks of complete isolation
T. R. Allen, A. F. Bradburne, E. J. Stott, C. S. Goodwin, and D. A. J. Tyrrell
INTRODUCTION
It has commonly been believed that on small Antarctic bases, isolated for many
months, upper respiratory infections die out during the first few weeks of isolation
and that the men are virtually symptom-free for the rest of the isolation period.
With the arrival of the relief ship or aircraft, outbreaks of respiratory disease have
been noted to occur (Taylor, 1960; Siple, 1960; Hedblom, 1961; Cameron & Moore,
1968; Holmes, Allen, Bradburne & Stott, 1971). This has tended to follow the
pattern seen in other isolated communities (Paul & Freese, 1933; Shibli, Gooch,
Lewis & Tyrrell, 1971).
Several studies of upper respiratory disease in men at isolated Antarctic
stations have been undertaken. Sera obtained from the McMurdo Sound wintering
party of 1958 were tested for the presence of antibodies to a number of respiratory
viruses, but not including rhinoviruses, and showed no evidence of infection with
any of the viral antigens tested (Chanock, R. M., quoted by Cameron & Moore,
1968). A systematic study of monthly serum specimens collected from the members of the South African National Antarctic Expeditions in 1961-62 showed no
evidence of new virus infection (J. H. S. Gear, quoted by Cameron & Moore,
1968). In their 1968 study of the epidemiology of respiratory infections at Mawson,
an Australian Antarctic Research Expedition station, Cameron & Moore (1968)
made observations on infective diseases during the period of isolation, and found
no diagnostic rises in antibody titre against influenza viruses A and B, mumps,
adenovirus, herpes simplex and ornithosis. All attempts at virus isolation from
throat, nose and faeces swabs were unsuccessful. * The apparent absence of respiratory infections for long periods during isolation
in Antarctica has provided opportunity for basic epidemiological study, and
T. R. ALLEN AND OTHERS
experimental inoculation of volunteers using easily traced viruses was started in
1968 with interesting results (Holmes et al. 1971). Further study along these lines
was contemplated for the winter of 1969 at Adelaide Island Base, one of the
British Antarctic Survey stations. During the preliminary observation period,
after 17 weeks of isolation, upper respiratory symptoms occurred in one man and
then spread to half the Base complement over the next week in the manner of an
infectious disease. No virus had been artificially introduced at this time, and the
outbreak was unexpected. Clinical records were kept, samples of serum and nasal
washings were taken for analysis in the United Kingdom, and possible enviionmental factors were noted.
