Preparing For Spreading Coronavirus

[fidelity]

Everything I’ve seen indicates this virus is not particularly dangerous to young people including the very young.

Yes, in fact the Chinese numbers were quite dramatic (looking at 10s of thousands of infected individuals). Kids 0-9 were the least frequently infected and they have no reported fatalities - pretty remarkable given the size of the patient cohort. There were also relatively few infected from ages 10-20, and a very low death rate.

Infection frequencies pick up for 21 and older substantially. Death rates start to trend up at age 50. For the 10-49 age group, it seemed to be as dangerous as a normal season of flu.

Don't get me wrong. Otherwise healthy 30 year olds are still dying of the infection, which is new for a fast spreading coronavirus (the original SARS didn't spread as easily as this one).

 

[ironpony]

Pill form meds? I hear 90% of pills are made in China, wtf, we can’t make an aspirin?

Where can one find .gov’s information on what to do given a quarantine placed upon an individual, family, neighborhood or even a city?

 

[JPG]

Just heard 3 cases in MD. Hogan to talk at 8pm tonight

 

[Reptile]

Just heard 3 cases in MD. Hogan to talk at 8pm tonight

Too early to panic?

 

[teratos]

Just heard 3 cases in MD. Hogan to talk at 8pm tonight

Yep. The MD Dept of Health has no plan in place to deal with testing these folks. If we get a confirmed case in our office, we’ll be shut down for cleaning and quarantined.

 

[t84a]

None of them contracted the virus in the US.

 

[Shoobedoo]

Yep. The MD Dept of Health has no plan in place to deal with testing these folks. If we get a confirmed case in our office, we’ll be shut down for cleaning and quarantined.

Good luck bro, I sincerely hope it doesn't come to that...

 

[KJackson]

Can anyone sum up his remarks? I wasn't able to get to hear his presentation.

 

[6-Pack]

3 people from Montgomery County (1x female in her 50s and a couple in their 70s) travelled overseas (didn’t say where) and came back on 2/20. They were tested yesterday (3/4) and today the results came back positive.

 

[KJackson]

Thanks much.

 

[aklax11]

Montgomery county!

 

[ComeGet]

Montgomery county!

Farkin' wunnerful.

 

[silver78]

Were they wandering around for two weeks spreading the virus?

 

[ComeGet]

Were they wandering around for two weeks spreading the virus?

From what I can tell, yep.

 

[JPG]

Were they wandering around for two weeks spreading the virus?

No. Apparently anyone traveling in those countries on the virus watch (China, Greece, Italy, etc) go through customs. If they are "OK" they are told to go home and self quarantine for 14 days. The State they live in (in this case Maryland) then "tracks" them daily with phone calls.

These people called the hospital to let them know they were coming in for testing and hospital staff met them wearing PPE, tested them and sent them back home.

They specifically said that these 3 individuals have not come into contact with school age children.

 

[pbharvey]

I’m not sure if all hospitals are equipped to test or if Holy Cross is the go-to hospital in MoCo.
FWIW the MoCo permit office still has a sign up about Ebola telling people to do something if they’ve been somewhere.

 

[willtill]

So as expected, the virus finally has gained a foothold in Maryland. The way society moves around today it was inevitable. What is also inevitable is the spread will not/cannot be controlled effectively. It's going to eventually run through the population.

Deep down inside we all know this. Holding out at the surface though for some governmental broad stroke to minimize it. In my opinion we are all going to see it.

Oh well, not fretting about it. Going on as usual and if I get sick, I'll weather through it.

 

[toppkatt]

Comments of James Robb, MD UC San Diego, is a virologist who’s worked with this virus for almost 50 years.
Here is what I have done and the precautions that I take and will take. These are the same precautions I currently use during our influenza seasons, except for the mask and gloves.:
1) NO HANDSHAKING! Use a fist bump, slight bow, elbow bump, etc.
2) Use ONLY your knuckle to touch light switches. elevator buttons, etc.. Lift the gasoline dispenser with a paper towel or use a disposable glove.
3) Open doors with your closed fist or hip - do not grasp the handle with your hand, unless there is no other way to open the door. Especially important on bathroom and post office/commercial doors.
4) Use disinfectant wipes at the stores when they are available, including wiping the handle and child seat in grocery carts.
5) Wash your hands with soap for 10-20 seconds and/or use a greater than 60% alcohol-based hand sanitizer whenever you return home from ANY activity that involves locations where other people have been.
6) Keep a bottle of sanitizer available at each of your home's entrances. AND in your car for use after getting gas or touching other contaminated objects when you can't immediately wash your hands.
7) If possible, cough or sneeze into a disposable tissue and discard. Use your elbow only if you have to. The clothing on your elbow will contain infectious virus that can be passed on for up to a week or more!
What I have stocked in preparation for the pandemic spread to the US:
1) Latex or nitrile latex disposable gloves for use when going shopping, using the gasoline pump, and all other outside activity when you come in contact with contaminated areas.
Note: This virus is spread in large droplets by coughing and sneezing. This means that the air will not infect you! BUT all the surfaces where these droplets land are infectious for about a week on average - everything that is associated with infected people will be contaminated and potentially infectious. The virus is on surfaces and you will not be infected unless your unprotected face is directly coughed or sneezed upon. This virus only has cell receptors for lung cells (it only infects your lungs) The only way for the virus to infect you is through your nose or mouth via your hands or an infected cough or sneeze onto or into your nose or mouth.
2) Stock up now with disposable surgical masks and use them to prevent you from touching your nose and/or mouth (We touch our nose/mouth 90X/day without knowing it!). This is the only way this virus can infect you - it is lung-specific. The mask will not prevent the virus in a direct sneeze from getting into your nose or mouth - it is only to keep you from touching your nose or mouth.
3) Stock up now with hand sanitizers and latex/nitrile gloves (get the appropriate sizes for your family). The hand sanitizers must be alcohol-based and greater than 60% alcohol to be effective.
4) Stock up now with zinc lozenges. These lozenges have been proven to be effective in blocking coronavirus (and most other viruses) from multiplying in your throat and nasopharynx. Use as directed several times each day when you begin to feel ANY "cold-like" symptoms beginning. It is best to lie down and let the lozenge dissolve in the back of your throat and nasopharynx. Cold-Eeze lozenges is one brand available, but there are other brands available.
I, as many others do, hope that this pandemic will be reasonably contained, BUT I personally do not think it will be. Humans have never seen this snake-associated virus before and have no internal defense against it. Tremendous worldwide efforts are being made to understand the molecular and clinical virology of this virus. Unbelievable molecular knowledge about the genomics, structure, and virulence of this virus has already been achieved. BUT, there will be NO drugs or vaccines available this year to protect us or limit the infection twithin us. Only symptomatic support is available.
I hope these personal thoughts will be helpful during this potentially catastrophic pandemic. You are welcome to share this email. Good luck to all of us! Jim
James Robb, MD

 

[ironpony]

A new norm, no longer at the top of the food chain ...






If they can make a vaccine, will this low mortality rate covid-19 vax replace the current vaccines? One may think it best to stick with the vaccine killing tens of thousands ... Just a thought, no answer needed.

 

[Mightydog]

Montgomery county!

Knew we should’ve built that wall!