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.”
Finally something we can all agree on. Politicians who break their own rules can get fucked. If a rule can't even be followed by those who passed it, it's a bad rule. And this is from someone who is generally fine with COVID-related restrictions. [Reply]
Originally Posted by loochy:
Why? Politics is already in the equation.
I'm aware of the political involvement. Just wish it wasnt so blatant. I was hoping that with a pandemic ending vaccine maybe just maybe we could be apolitical on this one. Just scientific based decisions on who goes first and next etc.
I'd not have an issue with 70+ year old people getting it before young healthy grocery workers. Just announce it at the office, governors mansion etc. To announce it in the largest retirement community in America, well thats politics instead of lets protect the elderly first. I'm sure every governor on both sides will be trying to curry favor with voters, thats what they do. Not just one side will be doing this crap. [Reply]
Originally Posted by BigRedChief:
I hate we don’t follow standards. Letting each state decide can only allow politics into the equation.
—————————————————————————————
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday declared elderly Floridians will be next in line to get vaccinated for COVID-19, before essential workers and younger people with underlying health conditions, cementing the state’s position in a shifting public health policy debate.
During a press conference in The Villages retirement community, DeSantis said the state will be prioritizing people over the age of 70 for the next round of vaccine doses. He bristled at proposed recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control that would give the vaccine to essential workers and adults of any age with certain underlying conditions at the same time, in Phase 1b of the rollout.
If the only thing you’re looking to do is lower the death rate, this is ideal.
But vaccinating essential workers and such helps keep the economy going.
Originally Posted by O.city:
If the only thing you’re looking to do is lower the death rate, this is ideal.
But vaccinating essential workers and such helps keep the economy going.
Tough trade offs
Considering that one of the most frequent laments in this thread is "the deaths", it seems DeSantis is doing exactly what people want - trying to lower the death rate as quickly as possible. [Reply]
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
Considering that one of the most frequent laments in this thread is "the deaths", it seems DeSantis is doing exactly what people want - trying to lower the death rate as quickly as possible.
Yep.
It’s a very nuanced discussion though, which means, not well suited for chiefsplanet. :-) [Reply]
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
Considering that one of the most frequent laments in this thread is "the deaths", it seems DeSantis is doing exactly what people want - trying to lower the death rate as quickly as possible.
I guess that's true if the spread by those other populations is under control or if the vaccinations are going to happen quickly for the entire population. They're bailing water out of a bucket that's being filled, and it seems like turning off the spigot might be a better long term solution. But if the vaccinations are fast enough that there's not a long-term timeline, then this would be the way to go.
I hope that they've got some people who modeled it and came up with a recommendation, because that shouldn't be an overly difficult process. But it's Florida and that governor seems like he's not very bright, so the initial smell is they're taking a short-term approach in an attempt to make the governor look good. [Reply]
Originally Posted by O.city:
If the only thing you’re looking to do is lower the death rate, this is ideal.
But vaccinating essential workers and such helps keep the economy going.
Tough trade offs
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
Considering that one of the most frequent laments in this thread is "the deaths", it seems DeSantis is doing exactly what people want - trying to lower the death rate as quickly as possible.
As I said, I can see how decreasing the death rate would take priority. That’s not a way out there opinion. Legit view on things. I just wished they would stick to the merits and not have a political rally at the same time. You know we are going to hear politicians on both sides doing the same thing. [Reply]
Originally Posted by BigRedChief:
I hate we don’t follow standards. Letting each state decide can only allow politics into the equation.
—————————————————————————————
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday declared elderly Floridians will be next in line to get vaccinated for COVID-19, before essential workers and younger people with underlying health conditions, cementing the state’s position in a shifting public health policy debate.
During a press conference in The Villages retirement community, DeSantis said the state will be prioritizing people over the age of 70 for the next round of vaccine doses. He bristled at proposed recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control that would give the vaccine to essential workers and adults of any age with certain underlying conditions at the same time, in Phase 1b of the rollout.
Inoculating the essential workers and such would be the best way and fastest way to keep the economy going while you are building up vaccines for everyone.
Seems like that would be what everyone whose biggest concern was the economy and such would prefer [Reply]
