***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.”

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by SAUTO

They still aren’t testing everyone showing signs...

Buddy’s mom is still in isolation and no test. Since Monday

Honestly - it isn't even necessary YET to be able to test everyone showing signs because ultimately as soon as you're showing signs right now you're sent to self-isolate anyway.

The answer to the test result (for the symptomatic anyway) is largely irrelevant. They're treating the symptoms on the go either way.

When it WILL be vital is after we can find an verify an effective course of therapeutic care, especially in early-onset cases. At THAT point catching it on day 3 vs. waiting to see what it's doing by day 8 is enormous. If we can catch it on day 3 by testing people as soon as they show signs, that allows us to shorten the runway on the disease, keep people out of critical beds and get them out of the hospital quicker to ease capacity issues.

I know it's frustrating for people to not know. And probably frustrating for scientists and academics as well. But the real world impact of not having a roaring test setup right now probably isn't critical.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

My wife mentioned off-hand at a wedding in 2014 that I was going thin on top. I had no idea, and always bought into the "mom's dad" line of genetic bullshit.

I immediately ran into the bathroom and started trying to take pics of the top of my head. I scrolled through the unfocused, shaky images like they were frames from Zapruder's camera.

"It's just a cowlick," I told myself. My aunt, who owns a salon, said the same.

She was lying, and I was in denial for about 18 months. I figure after we get through all this shit I'll just keep it buzzed. No point in treating a Tyler Palko hairline like it's Mahomes.

Just use rogaine.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by BleedingRed

Volume of tests are being done in hot spots, since the CDC and FDA got out of the way there have been over a million test kits shipped. Processing them on the back end has increased dramatically.

So, one million have shipped. That doesn't really help the other 348 million that haven't been tested.

No one knows were we are in terms of infection due to the lack of tests available. ER's in California will not administer a test unless the patient is showing advanced symptoms, which virtually eliminates everyone else.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Hammock Parties

Just use rogaine.

Tried it. Didn't do dick.

Mine wasn't balding in the back, though - just getting super-thin in the front. Like Hamas, I denied it for a year until I came back from a trip to Mexico and looked at pictures of me in a pool.

"Who's that balding **** standing with my kid? And when did he get fat?"

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by Hammock Parties

Just use rogaine.

Too messy, and really only temporary. Didn't want to use Propecia , either. I have a general rule that you don't **** with hormones.

[Talisman]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

No point in treating a Tyler Palko hairline like it's Mahomes.

[Monticore]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

My wife mentioned off-hand at a wedding in 2014 that I was going thin on top. I had no idea, and always bought into the "mom's dad" line of genetic bullshit.

I immediately ran into the bathroom and started trying to take pics of the top of my head. I scrolled through the unfocused, shaky images like they were frames from Zapruder's camera.

"It's just a cowlick," I told myself. My aunt, who owns a salon, said the same.

She was lying, and I was in denial for about 18 months. I figure after we get through all this shit I'll just keep it buzzed. No point in treating a Tyler Palko hairline like it's Mahomes.

I too am follicularly challenged, but with a large mole in the back and a dent in the front my burr hole surgery I can't go full Kojak.so I am in between a pebble and a larger pebble.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by BleedingRed

Volume of tests are being done in hot spots, since the CDC and FDA got out of the way there have been over a million test kits shipped. Processing them on the back end has increased dramatically.

Which has ALWAYS been the choke point and why internal development of a scaleable test state-side was so critical.

Processing was going to be a nightmare if we adopted any of tests available. We simply didn't have some of those necessary reagents and our labs weren't set up to run those tests well.

A ton of credit so due to some very smart people for recognizing what HAD to be done over a relatively short time-frame rather than what could be done immediately in front of them. The focus on developing our own tests that could be processed using abundant materials (or none at all) and automated through existing lab capacity was vital. It will be an incredible tool in our arsenal going forward.

[saphojunkie]

Well, chloroquine and hydrochloroquine now completely out of stock. We're gonna find out pretty damn soon if this is working.

[saphojunkie]

Originally Posted by BleedingRed

I wouldn’t doubt it, testing capacity isn’t a problem anymore. People need to move off that talking point. The USA is testing more people per day now than any country. Hence the spike in infection.

Yes, it is. My friend has multiple, obvious symptoms. She has underlying conditions that make her vulnerable. She cannot get a test. Things are better but we are nowhere near testing enough.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by saphojunkie

Well, chloroquine and hydrochloroquine now completely out of stock. We're gonna find out pretty damn soon if this is working.

Heard some absolute horror stories about plastic surgeons, dermatologists and other providers calling in huge scripts for their families, claiming they all had RA, which is not only not within their scope of practice, but ridiculous given that you only need 12 tabs for a course of treatment per some of the literature.

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by Hammock Parties

Just use rogaine.

I don't think it helps the front of your head, does it? Just the crown.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by BleedingRed

Volume of tests are being done in hot spots, since the CDC and FDA got out of the way there have been over a million test kits shipped. Processing them on the back end has increased dramatically.

This patently false.

Only people that are showing advanced symptoms are receiving the tests, so we have no idea how many are asymptotic or are in the early stages of the disease.

[saphojunkie]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

My wife mentioned off-hand at a wedding in 2014 that I was going thin on top. I had no idea, and always bought into the "mom's dad" line of genetic bullshit.

I immediately ran into the bathroom and started trying to take pics of the top of my head. I scrolled through the unfocused, shaky images like they were frames from Zapruder's camera.

"It's just a cowlick," I told myself. My aunt, who owns a salon, said the same.

She was lying, and I was in denial for about 18 months. I figure after we get through all this shit I'll just keep it buzzed. No point in treating a Tyler Palko hairline like it's Mahomes.

male pattern baldness is carried on the X chromosome. You cannot inherit from your father, as he had to give you a Y. Your mother could have given you the X from her father or her mother. It's still a crap shoot.

Additionally, there are other factors that can cause hair to thin, but the "mother's father" thing isn't bullshit. It's just not the whole story.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by saphojunkie

Well, chloroquine and hydrochloroquine now completely out of stock. We're gonna find out pretty damn soon if this is working.

Let us hope/pray/wish... whatever form you choose, that it works.