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.”
But waiting until then and keeping them out has pretty massive consequences as well
You are right but again which side would be the safer one to pick if you were making the decision especially after what were are seeing in places that opened up earlier than was recommended. I am not against sending kids back to school but trying to think like somebody having to make that call. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Pants:
My mom is a molecular biologist. She is not a virologist nor is she any sort of immunology expert.
However, the way she broke it down to me in laymen terms is that the receptor to which this thing binds to invade cells is very short in kids and gets longer as we age. Hence, kids not really getting sick from this on a large scale.
The elderly have really long receptors and get ravaged by the virus. That compounded with pre-existing conditions and overall worse health makes this thing so deadly to the elderly.
some people get their big receptors a tdifferent times I assume [Reply]
Originally Posted by Ebolapox:
I mean, how do you social distance in a bus? I teach in a rural district and most of the school (k-12) comes via bus. you think they're gonna wear their masks (if they're even required to wear them) on in the bus?
Yep. Big problem. I know that Austin, Texas is talking about putting only 12 kids on a bus, one per row basically. You can't do that in a rural area as you will never get all the kids to school on time, if at all [Reply]
But waiting until then and keeping them out has pretty massive consequences as well
Closing schools for so long let the genie out of the bottle. It's going to be hard to put it back in as much as it should be. Just a few issues will blow up on social media and over reactions will follow. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Ebolapox:
I mean, how do you social distance in a bus? I teach in a rural district and most of the school (k-12) comes via bus. you think they're gonna wear their masks (if they're even required to wear them) on in the bus?
Open the MFing windows
Blow the shit out before they ingest enough to infect [Reply]
Originally Posted by Ebolapox:
we're ignoring how many teachers, lunch ladies, secretaries, etc (school staff) will randomly go down and be out for a few weeks at best. the district I teach in has major issues in NORMAL years getting substitutes, I can't even imagine what it's going to be like this year (the range of ages of our subs is 45-75).
there are so many facets to this and so many moving targets that I don't see how we don't quarantine AGAIN by the end of the first semester.
I have asked this a few times in this thread and no one has gave me answer, but what happens when the first Covid positive kid shows up in school? Will they have to quarantine the whole school etc? [Reply]
Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud:
How is that going to happen when it's 20 degrees outside?
Or zero?
Well, usually in a school bus, the windows have these little clips that one may squeeze in order to release the window mechanism.
Are we more afraid of a little chilly air that can be offset by jackets, hats, and fuzzy masks? Or are we more fearful of the super death virus that is coming for us all? C'mon man, we have to make sacrifices here. [Reply]
Originally Posted by dirk digler:
I have asked this a few times in this thread and no one has gave me answer, but what happens when the first Covid positive kid shows up in school? Will they have to quarantine the whole school etc?
There was one at my son's preschool back in late May.
They closed the school for 2 days, cleaned it, and they were back the next Monday. The classes and staff were already quarantined isolated and confined to their particular class so there was no cross-class contamination. The potentially infected individuals were notified and tested.
No new transmissions occurred.
The infection wasn't in his class though, so I don't know how long the infected class had to sit out. [Reply]
Originally Posted by dirk digler:
I have asked this a few times in this thread and no one has gave me answer, but what happens when the first Covid positive kid shows up in school? Will they have to quarantine the whole school etc?
Hell if I know, I’m a teacher; they don’t tell us shit. I’m going to do in person teaching in fall bc bills to pay but the whole thing is f*cked [Reply]
Originally Posted by loochy:
There was one at my son's preschool back in late May.
They closed the school for 2 days, cleaned it, and they were back the next Monday. The classes were already quarantined so there was no cross-class contamination. The potentially infected individuals were notified and tested.
No new transmissions occurred.
The infection wasn't in his class though, so I don't know how long the infected class had to sit out.
Thanks. That seems reasonable and possible. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Ebolapox:
Hell if I know, I’m a teacher; they don’t tell us shit. I’m going to do in person teaching in fall bc bills to pay but the whole thing is fucked
Do they not pay or pay you less if you work virtually? That sucks man I feel for you and hope you stay safe. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Bugeater:
Not the same overhead without students. No way. Lights aren't on, minimal heat/AC, waaay less water usage, no wear and tear and kids breaking shit. Sure, still have regular maintenance to do but make no mistake, they're saving some change.
I know better than to expect any tax money back. I don't have school age children so it's already money I'm not getting anything in return for. But if I did, I'd feel a whole lot different about it, because all the shit they're saving money on...is costing me now. If they don't open, they owe the parents an awful lot.
Oh yeah the lights are still on as there will be teachers, staff and maintenance workers there. The HVAC is controlled by a computer for humidity and mold control that will not change. Yes and no and on less water. During this shut down time maintenance people have been using this time to do things that they don't normally have the time to do like pressure washing, etc.
Like I said I work at a college. I have already been surprised at how many professors do not have internet where they live or not good enough to have classes online from their homes.
I have seen several mention their property taxes. I am curious do you all not use the Homestead act to get the taxes on your homes reduced by $350? [Reply]