Coronavirus in the US

Parent Cafe
5921

From the WHO/China joint report, though it’s likely already been posted:

quote Transmission in health care settings and among health care workers (HCW) – The Joint Mission discussed nosocomial infection in all locations visited during the Mission. As of 20 February 2020, there were 2,055 COVID-19 laboratory-confirmed cases reported among HCW from 476 hospitals across China. The majority of HCW cases (88%) were reported from Hubei.

Remarkably, more than 40,000 HCW have been deployed from other areas of China to support the response in Wuhan. Notwithstanding discrete and limited instances of nosocomial outbreaks (e.g. a nosocomial outbreak involving 15 HCW in Wuhan), transmission within health care settings and amongst health care workers does not appear to be a major transmission feature of COVID-19 in China. The Joint Mission learned that, among the HCW infections, most were identified early in the outbreak in Wuhan when supplies and experience with the new disease was lower. Additionally, investigations among HCW suggest that many may have been infected within the household rather than in a health care setting. Outside of Hubei, health care worker infections have been less frequent (i.e. 246 of the total 2055 HCW cases). When exposure was investigated in these limited cases, the exposure for most was reported to have been traced back to a confirmed case in a household.

[/quote]

In other words, most infections occur between household members.

5922

This isn’t like the flu. Recuperation time can be 20-36 days for many.

Will their be herd immunity? The jury is still out on that. Many experts say coronaviruses tend to offer very short term immunity and there is no evidence that people can eventually get the virus again.

It’s about slowing down the spread - the flattening of the curve, or as Boris Johnson called it today - squashing the sombrero. Overwhelmed hospitals will affect people who have other conditions as well.

Really, I think keeping kids out of school for a couple weeks (absent childcare issues for those workers on the front line) are the least of our worries. There have been periods in time where school disruption has been longer than that.

5923

For many healthy people this is very much like the flu. For many it is even less than the flu.

Those that seem to have the most issues are already unhealthy or aged.

Kids haven’t been shown to be spreading this virus. Why focus on them?

We should be focusing on our most vulnerable while letting the healthy carry on.

There’s no evidence that this won’t provide herd immunity. There’s no evidence it can be caught again.

Healthy individuals seem to handle this virus well.

5924

I can certainly understand that. It seems most healthy people that get this virus would not need hospitalization. Our most vulnerable individuals would.

5925

There is no evidence of any of the stuff you mention - herd immunity and such.

I also have seen no evidence that children, though asymptomatic, can’t pass it along.

5926

So, with all the closures, this will slow the number of cases, allowing the hospitals to not become overwhelmed.

Moving forward - should most of us expect to be infected with the virus?
I mean, we WILL get it - just not sure when?

5927

@MarylandJOE, my understanding is that anyone infected can spread the virus and that anyone can be infected, including children, and that people of all ages have been infected.

5928

There’s no evidence contrary to what I have mentioned.

It makes sense that getting this would offer immunity. Herd immunity.

I’ve seen no evidence that children that are asymptomatic can pass it along.

5929

Re: flattening the curve. Look up “#catteningthecurve” - it is on Twitter. Hilarious!! Can’t link to Twitter, so google it. Awesome.

5930

Fauci: “We will have a lot more cases” of coronavirus in the US
CNN

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, believes the US will see “a lot more” coronavirus cases as the disease continues to spread.

Fauci’s remarks were made tonight during CNN’s coronavirus town hall where he also discussed the need to get the number of coronavirus cases in the US to stabilize.

“What we hope to do with both containment and mitigation is to get this peak to actually flatten out,” Fauci said. “We will have a lot more cases. The question is are we going to blunt that peak? The things we are doing by preventing infections from coming outside in with the travel restrictions, which are totally appropriate, and I think very helpful as well as doing containment and mitigation from within.”

5931

So, we close schools for two weeks in a state with twelve cases.

In two weeks that state has 40 cases, do we reopen the schools? How about in two months when that state has 800 cases?

I just don’t see the value.

5932

Life is getting back to normal in China as the outbreak lifts

CNN Correspondent David Culver, reporting from Shanghai, joined CNN’s coronavirus town hall to describe the improving situation in China.

Just a few weeks ago, the country was reporting thousands of cases a day. Now, it’s down to about a dozen a day on average — a huge drop.

“What we need to stress though is that it did not start out this way,” said Culver. “Early on, go back seven weeks, they had allegations of cover ups, allegations of underreporting, really only 200 tests a day for a sitting population of 11 million.”

Remember: Whistleblowers in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, like Dr. Li Wenliang, tried to warn people and sound the alarm as early as December — but were punished and censored by local officials. Li later died of the coronavirus.

What changed: The central government’s involvement, Culver said.

“They pushed out the local government. They said, we’re taking control. It became a military-like operation. They began ramping up production of face masks. Our daily lives changed drastically.”

What China looks like now: Things are slowly getting back to normal, now that the outbreak seems largely contained in most of the country.

“Just today the parks are reopening in Shanghai, restaurants have given the all clear to have as many people as they need to party-wise to come in and book a table. Tourist attractions are starting to reopen,” said Culver — a jarring difference from life in China just weeks ago, when people didn’t dare go outside, and when major cities felt like ghost towns.

5933

PGA Tour announces cancellation of The Players Championship
From CNN’s Homero De La Fuente

The PGA Tour announced late Thursday night that they are canceling The Players Championship taking place this week in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, and events across all Tours through the Valero Texas Open on April 2.

“We have pledged from the start to be responsible, thoughtful and transparent with our decision process. We did everything possible to create a safe environment for our players in order to continue the event throughout the weekend, and we were endeavoring to give our fans a much-needed respite from the current climate. But at this point — and as the situation continues to rapidly change — the right thing to do for our players and our fans is to pause," the PGA said.

5934

Yes, children can get the virus. The data seems to show they are minimally affected. Why focus on the kids? Why not isolate grandma? Keep her safe.

5935

The comments regarding Asia and masks are interesting. I live in an Asian country where masks are used very commonly during cold/flu/allergy season, and people are using them now if they can find them. We are having the same kinds of shortages that people on CC in the US are describing - masks, sanitizers, toilet paper, etc. In the country where I live, the level of reported cases is quite low, but the testing rate is also quite low, so it is difficult to tell exactly what is going on. Reading these comments, however, gives me hope that maybe the numbers are real. Fingers crossed.

5936

Alaska reports its first coronavirus case

Alaska has identified its first coronavirus case, a “foreign national” traveler, according to Gov. Mike Dunleavy.

The patient is a foreign national who was “transiting through” the state, according to State Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anne Zink.

“My heart goes out to this individual, as they are suddenly here and getting this news and information far away from loved ones and family,” Zink said today.

Alaskan officials are not identifying the patient’s country of origin, but say the individual came to the state by plane and has been cooperative.

5937

What to stock up on if your community goes on lockdown

At CNN’s ongoing town hall, we’re taking audience questions and answering them with medical experts weighing in.

One viewer asked: What supplies should I get in case my community locks down?

Here’s what Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, had to say:

Extra medication in case you can’t get refills
Bottled water
Canned food

But he and CNN’s Anderson Cooper acknowledged that sometimes health insurance doesn’t allow for extra medication.

“We’re looking at relieving a lot of regulations and other things to make it easier for people to cope with this … really somebody should look at that,” Fauci said.

People have been panic buying: Stores have sold out of face masks, hand sanitizer, food staples, and more.

The cleaning supplies can be good to have, especially soap and sanitizer — but one unusual item selling out is toilet paper.

It’s not entirely clear what is driving the panic buying of toilet paper. The trend began in Hong Kong last month after rumors that border closures would cut off the supply from China — but the rumors were dispelled by the government, and there don’t appear to be any similar rumors in the US.

[ there’s that bottled water again ]

5938

I totally agree with travel restrictions for those outside of the US. Why bring in cases from other countries?

Absolutely there will be many more cases in the US.

5939

I’m not sure that’s true. Per postings in the international EM medicine forums, in Italy, the hospitalized/critically ill patients have been split 70-30. 70% are older than 60 usually with comorbidities, but the other 30% have been adults aged 20-50, who were otherwise healthy.

In some patients there appears to be a “cytokine storm” that happens later in the disease progression, particularly in younger patients who appear to be recovering. (BTW, this is same mechanism that made the 1918 Spanish flu so deadly among young adults.)

5940

Honestly, someone needs to do a PhD dissertation on the irrational fear that we might find ourselves with no TP! What lurks in our lizard brain that is driving this fear?