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.”
The biggest problem is if you have minor symptoms but aren't sure if it is Covid there isn't a way to be sure. So you go quarantine yourself with your family members and infect them. Then one of them doesn't have minor symptoms and then dies.
That's why testing being available is the most important problem we are facing and right now we're woefully unequipped for it.
It doesn't help that a CT scan is part of the deal to know for sure and those are wildly expensive and time-consuming in this country and forget it if you don't have health insurance. Not getting political, these are the facts. [Reply]
NJ at least saying businesses can do business until 8 but they have to adhere to the 50 people limit. But they can also do take out and carryout services after 8.
Much better than Illinois that just shut down all restaurants and bars period. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Kiimosabi:
The biggest problem is if you have minor symptoms but aren't sure if it is Covid there isn't a way to be sure. So you go quarantine yourself with your family members and infect them. Then one of them doesn't have minor symptoms and then dies.
That's why testing being available is the most important problem we are facing and right now we're woefully unequipped for it.
It doesn't help that a CT scan is part of the deal to know for sure and those are wildly expensive and time-consuming in this country and forget it if you don't have health insurance. Not getting political, these are the facts.
Define minor symptoms? Then we might agree. Until then you'd have everyone bum rushing the hospitals every time they cough. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Detoxing:
Get off the computer. Turn off the T.V.
Go do something else all day. Do you game? Go do that.
Unplug, or plug into something that's not Virus talk all day.
That is a bit of the problem - there is little else going on other than virus talk. You can read books, watch Netflix/movies, or play video games. That's pretty much it.
Some of us aren't big on those and unwind socially, can't do that for the foreseeable future. [Reply]
Originally Posted by petegz28:
Define minor symptoms? Then we might agree. Until then you'd have everyone bum rushing the hospitals every time they cough.
I mean, I understand but other countries have drive-thru tests and hopefully they are fast-tracking that development. The idea that there are hundreds of thousands of infected people who haven't shown symptoms yet walking around and spreading this is what is putting the world on lock-down.
Here's a thread, political opinions within are not my own.
FINAL UPDATE (thread): My #COVID19 test came back positive.
I want to thank everyone for the outpouring of support. It means a lot to my family and me.
I am almost back to 100%. I’m lucky enough not to fall in the vulnerable category and, for me, it was just like the flu. 1/
Originally Posted by TLO:
So I can't get in to speak to my counselor for over a week. I wouldn't mind hearing some advice from you guys on things I can do to alleviate this stress and anxiety regarding this disease.
I'd like to stay up to date on the current information, but I do feel like I'm overloading myself right now with TOO much information.
Why can’t you see him?
Anxiety is all about control, specifically an inability to control things that are of concern. You are seeking information out of belief it helps you feel better but that’s not going to happen. You tell yourself its for the sake of knowledge to try to feel better. That’s the rub though. You are actually just making the anxiety worse because no matter what you read you cannot control the situation. Avoidance isn’t necessarily the answer either though as the kind of anxiety you are experiencing will consistently lead to unwanted and intrusive thoughts.
You have to understand how it’s working in your mind. Ultimately you are given the information. You decide how to handle it. The question to ask yourself then is, does being in a constant state of stress and anxiety about the situation and what you read actually change anything about it? Anxiety is about a desire to control. You will reduce anxiety when you accept the limits of what you control. [Reply]
Originally Posted by sedated:
That is a bit of the problem - there is little else going on other than virus talk. You can read books, watch Netflix/movies, or play video games. That's pretty much it.
Some of us aren't big on those and unwind socially, can't do that for the foreseeable future.
Originally Posted by PAChiefsGuy:
It is truly amazing to me that some people on here are still not taking this virus seriously. Truly unbelievable
There is a difference between not taking it seriously and completely panicking. The media and talking heads are making it sound like that if you get it you're dead. That's their tone. And when you shut down everything you feed that tone. [Reply]
Speaking of handling this self-isolation/voluntarily-quarantined stuff and the impact of big business on our miserable, disgusting, increasingly temporary lives ...
I propose that Amazon makes all their movies free of charge for 60 days. Comcast, too.