***NON-POLITICAL COVID-19 Discussion Thread***

[JakeF]

A couple of reminders...

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.”

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by TLO

Correct, but they've had sustained community transmission for some time.

Ohio has not.

I'm just having trouble wrapping my brain around the numbers, man. Or I just don't want to believe it.

This virus has been here since November at least if not October. Would you really be surprised after almost 6 months if 100,000 people in Ohio had it?

[Chief Roundup]

Originally Posted by penguinz

You reduce population by killing off those who are able to reproduce. Not by killing off those who have lived their lives.

So, if we lose population at the current rate of death from the Coronavirus, 11.5 Million people will die and that is not a reduction in population?

[Chief Pagan]

Originally Posted by Stryker

Have not read all posts. What scares the hell out of me is the virus goes dormant since spring and summer are coming so the chance of "flu" and "colds" should recede. Then fall and winter come and BAM! Corona 2.0 rears it's ugly head. This really sucks.

Going dormant would be a good thing even if it comes back.

Flatten the curve and spread out the peak and give hospitals time to prepare and restock things like the high quality face masks.

[Deberg_1990]

Probably been mentioned, but 'Contagion' is a really good fictional movie on this subject matter.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by TLO

Correct, but they've had sustained community transmission for some time.

Ohio has not.

I'm just having trouble wrapping my brain around the numbers, man. Or I just don't want to believe it.

I understand your optimism and that's a great quality to have in times like these, but in all honestly, I think it's the latter.

[suzzer99]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

It's INSANE here in Los Angeles. I'll post more pictures later but this is the first thing I saw entering Costco at 10am:

I got from Westwood to Redondo Beach in under 30 minutes at 6pm tonight.

(For those who don't know - Thursday is usually the worst by far.)

[suzzer99]

My boss told me that after the experience with Wuhan the Chinese govt completely shut down Chongqing - the city where her parents live - after only 10 positive tests. Chongqing has 30 million people.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

I understand your optimism and that's a great quality to have in times like these, but in all honestly, I think it's the latter.

Na, 100k is nonsense. Could it get there? Sure. Is it there now? No. Again, if it were, Ohio's morgues would be overflowing.

[suzzer99]

Originally Posted by TLO

I'd be willing to put money on there being a vaccine ready by next winter. They'll streamline the process and make it happen.

By next winter seems extremely likely.

[Chiefspants]

Originally Posted by petegz28

This virus has been here since November at least if not October. Would you really be surprised after almost 6 months if 100,000 people in Ohio had it?

It has not been here since October.

Medical professionals believe (after dating the virus in a lab) that it wasn’t contracted by a human until mid to late November at the earliest - and that was in China.

[suzzer99]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

I did the math: a full battery of coronavirus testing costs at minimum $1,331.

I also did the legal research: the Administration has the authority to make testing free for every American TODAY.

I secured a commitment from a high-level Trump official that they’d actually do it. pic.twitter.com/RmolCtmNbG

— Rep. Katie Porter (@RepKatiePorter) March 12, 2020

I'll believe it when I see it.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Chiefspants

It has not been here since October.

Medical professionals believe (after dating the virus in a lab) that it wasn’t contracted by a human until late November at the earliest - and that was in China.

Dude, seriously, I said November if not October. People travel from here to China and vice-versa every day, or did anyway.

[Bwana]

And BOOM! Montana has it's first case.

[ghak99]

Originally Posted by penguinz

You reduce population by killing off those who are able to reproduce. Not by killing off those who have lived their lives.

You're right, but their goal would be to eliminate the current drain on society. They would not want to decrease their working/productive population.

Not that I think this is what they intentionally did.

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by Stryker

Have not read all posts. What scares the hell out of me is the virus goes dormant since spring and summer are coming so the chance of "flu" and "colds" should recede. Then fall and winter come and BAM! Corona 2.0 rears it's ugly head. This really sucks.

I did a little reading the other day about this because I wasn't sure how it worked... the theory is apparently the flu and other viruses migrate across the world as opposed to going dormant.

So technically speaking, eliminating travel between the northern and southern hemisphere would kill it off... as opposed to it 'waking up' in the northern hemisphere next winter.

Either way, the 2.0 is probably right, as they would hitch a ride to Australia and mutate for their winter.