***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.”

[TLO]

Originally Posted by wazu

I have friends who are awaiting full FDA approval. They aren’t terrified conspiracy theorists, they just look at the extremely low mortality rate of COVID and don’t feel motivated to run out for a vaccine that is not fully approved. Not that unreasonable.

Originally Posted by old_geezer

You call it an excuse; I call it a choice. To set the record straight I decided to get vaccinated late last fall. I'm in my mid 70's. I'm not afraid of the vaccine just as I've never been afraid of Covid-19. I basically got vaccinated to calm the fears of people whom I might meet face to face. I haven't worn a mask for a long time and I just avoid places that still require a mask. My choice, and I don't get upset at whether anyone does or doesn't.

I apologize. I have a bad habit of lumping people who are waiting for reasonable reasons in with the crazy anti-vaxxers.

[Skyy God]

Originally Posted by TLO

I apologize. I have a bad habit of lumping people who are waiting for reasonable reasons in with the crazy anti-vaxxers.

I tend to doubt there are a ton of the former.

If you don’t trust the government generally and the interim FDA approval specifically, why is a formal government certification going to change your mind.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by TLO

loochy isn't a dumb dumb. He's not being serious.

Didn't say that.

I was just explaining this, because we all know there are still people out there that are hesitant on getting it, because of that reason, that's all.

[Monticore]

Originally Posted by wazu

I have friends who are awaiting full FDA approval. They aren’t terrified conspiracy theorists, they just look at the extremely low mortality rate of COVID and don’t feel motivated to run out for a vaccine that is not fully approved. Not that unreasonable.

Why are long term side effects of the vaccine a bigger concerns than long term side effects of Covid especially when we know for sure there will be for covid, the focus of death rates is understandable but you tend to miss the big picture .

[TwistedChief]

Sorry if this has been posted before.

But I realize some people worry about the unknown longer-term consequences of taking the vaccine. How about the unknown longer-term consequences of covid?

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/ar...g-as-it-sounds

The U.K. has been running an incredible project called UK Biobank involving half a million adults ranging in age from 40 to 69. They provide regular blood and other samples, as well as detailed health information plus thousands of scans, including brain images using MRI. This has allowed researchers to conduct one of the most rigorous analyses of the effects of Covid on the brain. What makes the data especially powerful is that they compare brain images before and after a Covid infection in the same people. So what did it show? Even mild cases of Covid led to loss of volume in certain areas of the brain, specifically those involved in processing smell and taste. But they also found statistically significant brain volume loss in the gray matter — the thin layer on the surface of the brain that contains most of the neurons — in other areas involved with memory formation. The authors speculate that this raises the possibility that even mild cases of SARS-Cov-2 infection can have deleterious effects that may last long past the period of infection.

[stevieray]

Freedom of choice.

What a beautiful thing.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by Coach

Didn't say that.

I was just explaining this, because we all know there are still people out there that are hesitant on getting it, because of that reason, that's all.

Understood

[wazu]

Originally Posted by Monticore

Why are long term side effects of the vaccine a bigger concerns than long term side effects of Covid especially when we know for sure there will be for covid, the focus of death rates is understandable but you tend to miss the big picture .

I understand that argument. For the record I am vaccinated and have generally encouraged others in my life to do the same. My point was just that there are reasonable people who have held off. If the FDA were to grant "full" approval I think we would see another pretty significant wave of vaccinations happen.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by TwistedChief

Sorry if this has been posted before.

But I realize some people worry about the unknown longer-term consequences of taking the vaccine. How about the unknown longer-term consequences of covid?

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/ar...g-as-it-sounds

The scary part of that is that I use my brain almost every day.

[Otter]

Originally Posted by TwistedChief

Sorry if this has been posted before.

But I realize some people worry about the unknown longer-term consequences of taking the vaccine. How about the unknown longer-term consequences of covid?

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/ar...g-as-it-sounds

Nobody knows your body better than you and you have the right to choose what's right for you.

[Monticore]

Originally Posted by sedated

I guess in the end we all agree - your body, your choice.

I would be out a job if people didn’t treat their body like shit , but it does put a drain on the medical system and raises costs for insurance I assume.

[TwistedChief]

Originally Posted by Otter

Nobody knows your body better than you and you have the right to choose what's right for you.

I agree and that's why I'm pro-choice.

[Monticore]

Originally Posted by Otter

Nobody knows your body better than you and you have the right to choose what's right for you.

Dealing with people everyday for the past 25 years regarding medical issues I would disagree with you , 90% of the population make uneducated guesses regarding their body .

[DaFace]

Can we not turn this into an abortion of a thread? Kthxbye.

[Bearcat]

I read about Springfield, MO diverting patients the other day (maybe in this thread), and the "my choice" stuff makes me wonder....

...in an otherwise black and white world (unvaccinated Covid patients wouldn't continue spreading Covid to other towns, and the lack of 'slippery slope' with hospitals being full of people who have made "my choice"), shouldn't Springfield area hospitals now be keeping so many ICU beds open and divert Covid patients? Should hospitals, with any future spikes, open new ICUs or stretch resources thin, etc; when they could just divert people who chose not to get vaccinated?

...and if given your choice to not be vaccinated, but you got Covid and needed an ICU visit, would you be okay with then driving 3+ hours to another hospital, or not receiving care at all?

I have family members who say "if Covid gets me, then I die", but then I wonder how far that attitude goes in terms of expecting health care and the chance to beat it.

It was actually the Tour de France thread that got me thinking about it... instead of one person ruining it for everyone and doing something stupid like limiting access for fans, they're just suing the shit out of that one person.