Coronavirus in the US

btw: several posters have mentioned the testing in Korea, but I haven’t seen the results (or I missed them):

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3065187/coronavirus-south-koreas-aggressive-testing-gives

“Anyone that needs a test or wants a test can have a test. They are all set, they are out there - as of right now, they are out there. The tests are perfect.”

-President Donald Trump just now

“I’d rather have the people not taken off the ship because of the numbers - I don’t want the numbers to go up. But I’m leaving this up to the Vice President. They are mostly Americans. But my preference is for them to stay on the ship - the numbers”.

Re: The Montgomery County MD cases: The 3 cases of COVID-19 in MD were apparently thought to have been exposed on an international cruise, which returned to the US on 2/20. The article below states is was NOT a cruise that went out of Baltimore.

https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/bs-hs-coronavirus-friday-20200306-tzmaqfm7bvbpvox6qdvdwha5te-story.html

The people exposed (a couple and an unrelated person) were symptomatic and sought medical care, but didn’t think to get tested for the coronavirus until the state health department contacted them, alerted by the CDC that they were at risk.

While the articles don’t mention the ship, I am making the (perhaps incorrect) assumption that it was the Grand Princess, currently quarantined outside of San Francisco while passengers are tested. That ship had gone from San Francisco to Mexico previously, and passengers who had disembarked on 2/21 were among those who were later found to have the virus. If it’s not the Grand Princess, then there is another ship with cases out there that the CDC knows about, but we don’t.

There are other Grand Princess related COVID cases I haven’t seen mentioned, including 3 in Canada: https://nationalpost.com/news/world/coronavirus-live-updates-covid19-canada

Plus the restaurant employees do not have to handle $$ bills and change.

BTW, US is going to quarantine repatriated $$$:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-fed-dollars-idUSKBN20T1YT

And China has been washing their paper currency to curb the virus spread.

Notice the big political gatherings aren’t cancelling. Rallies, town halls, shaking hands - still going on.

What the President is saying is untrue. He is spreading dangerous untruths.

Many health professionals online are reporting that they are unable to get tests for their patients that they think need testing.

In most places, there is no central agency that people who are afraid they might be infected can go to get tested, so they don’t have to go to an emergency room and (1) waste resources, if uninfected or (2) infect others, if infected.

They hardly even tested anybody on that cruise ship off San Francisco, for gosh sake.

The study result of 2-3 hour survival time on metal surfaces comes from CDC Director Redfield’s testimony in Congress:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-usa-cdc/us-cdc-aggressively-evaluating-whether-coronavirus-survives-on-surfaces-agency-chief-idUSKCN20L37L

The estimate that the virus can survive up to 9 days comes from prior studies on other coronavirus

Just realizing now that I apparently should have asked my oldest’s college for a room and board refund when they abruptly ended spring semester and sent everyone home early after that massive tornado outbreak in April 2015. Aside from a couple of trees, the campus wasn’t even damaged! The kids were all fine. No staff member of the college died or was seriously hurt.

They were out of water and at least one professor’s house was completely demolished, but I’m sure they should have come up with something. After all, we were paying them for a whole semester.

I can’t believe the thought never occurred to us. We were just glad the tornadoes missed them all and they were alive. Others in the area weren’t so fortunate.

(Real story, but in no way would I actually expect any sort of refund - even now. Life happens and I’m glad my kid plus all of his fellow students survived. It never affected his degree aside from a couple weeks of lessons missed and his finals were canceled. It certainly hasn’t affected him as an adult.)

I know NYS has issued protocols on cleaning public transit systems in NYS including places such as Port Authority terminals. It’s one of the bits I overheard in my H’s call in this morning (and the Gov mentioned it in his presser a few days ago.) I also heard a part about contingency plans for opening dorms on a few campuses to quarantine SUNY students coming back from overseas programs.

Interesting read about a UK patient who died and things were a bit bungled.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/06/coronavirus-britons-quarantined-on-cruise-ship-off-san-francisco-grand-princess

What the heck? There’s not the right button to hit for this.

I’ve seen other mention of the same and connected it to Grand Princess as well as CDC tracked down folks once the 2 confirmed cases and 1 death took place.

New case just reported in GA, in Floyd county (about 90 minutes or so northwest of Atlanta) in a patient who travelled home from Washington (I rethink they said DC, but will have to double check which Washington).
** Washington DC

https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/floyd-hospital-georgia-patient-preliminarily-tests-positive-coronavirus-cdc-now-testing/YWK6AIO7UNHU7PVMINX26ZA3HM/

fwiw: CDC is estimating a bunch of more tests available early next week, more than 1.2m (Yeah, I get that they missed their 1m target for today.)

CDC says older adults should “stay at home as much as possible” due to coronavirus

CDC posted new guidance on its website, encouraging older people and people with severe chronic medical conditions to “stay at home as much as possible.”

This advice is on a CDC website that was posted Thursday.

The CDC says early data suggests older people and people who have severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung, or kidney disease are at higher risk for more serious illness from the novel. coronavirus. The CDC says older people are twice as likely to become seriously ill if they become infected with the virus.

Some context: This advice from the CDC comes as two top infectious disease experts with ties to the federal government have advised people over 60 and those with underlying health problems to strongly consider avoiding activities that involve large crowds, such as traveling by airplane, going to movie theaters, attending family events, shopping at crowded malls, and going to religious services.

A Trump administration official tells CNN that the US Department of Health and Human Services “is in the process of doing targeted outreach to the elderly community and those that have serious underlying health conditions.” " (CNN)

First coronavirus case announced in Oklahoma

"Oklahoma now has a confirmed case of novel coronavirus, according to Gov. Kevin Stitt. The patient is a male in his 50s who lives in Tulsa County and recently traveled to Italy.

In a press conference in Tulsa, Stitt said the patient is in isolation at home and there is no sign of community spread in Oklahoma.

The test was processed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, but the state can process future coronavirus tests at a University of Oklahoma laboratory, Health Commissioner Gary Cox announced." (CNN)

21 people on the Grand Princess have tested positive…

https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2020/03/06/coronavirus-minnesota-first-case-covid19/

1st Minnesota Case Confirmed

"The person in the case is an older adult Ramsey County resident who traveled on a cruise ship that had a known COVID-19 case. The person began to develop symptoms on Feb. 25, the state confirmed. The patient was said to be in isolation at home and recovering.

Minnesota Commissioner of Health Jan Malcolm said that they’ve been anticipating the first case of coronavirus in Minnesota, and used the announcement as a reminder for Minnesotans to do all they can to help slow the spread of the illness.

“It is critical that all of us do our part to slow the spread of this virus by covering coughs, washing hands, and staying home when sick with cold or flu-like symptoms. We also need to prepare for community mitigation measures like telework arrangements and temporary school closures should they become necessary,” Malcolm said.

Earlier Friday, the state health department reported that they had performed 36 tests on Minnesotans that had all come back negative for COVID-19…

On Wednesday, Minnesota lawmakers held their first public hearing on COVID-19. The hearing focused on the initial cost and the possible scope of an outbreak in Minnesota. The initial ask from the Minnesota Department of Health is an immediate $40 million from taxpayers, but it was clear that is just the beginning — and the number of cases they were potentially talking about numbered in the thousands.

State Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm says the state is getting ready for a potential mass outbreak."

So, we now know the ship has been infected. Shouldn’t they test the remainder and then quarantine everyone in two groups - positives and negatives?

Pence speaking now and recommending elderly people not go on cruises. Does he not realize that elderly people is the market? He is going to Florida for discussions with cruise ship executives.

that press briefing was…something else.

PLACER COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH CONFIRMS 3 NEW COVID-19 CASES, ALL WITH TIES TO CRUISE SHIP

The three new cases were from South and Mid Placer and all traveled on the Grand Princess cruise ship from San Francisco to Mexico Feb. 11-21. Two had mild symptoms that have already resolved; the third currently has mild symptoms. All three are isolated at home and none required hospitalization.

Don’t think I’ve seen these ^ or this:

Yolo County Reports First Confirmed Case of COVID-19

Public health experts at the Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) have received confirmation that a Yolo County resident has tested positive for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). This is the first case in Yolo County.

This individual is an older female with underlying health conditions. She is currently hospitalized and is improving. From initial interviews, she acquired the disease through community transmission.

“Given the rapid spread of COVID-19 around the world, I am not surprised that the virus is in our county”, stated Yolo County Public Health Officer, Dr. Ron Chapman.

https://www.yolocounty.org/Home/Components/News/News/10543/26?backlist=%2fhealth-human-services