COVID-19 Links, facts and discussion. Politics and hyperbole welcome.

[JLS]

Yes and I don't know anyone who does not expect the numbers to rapidly accelerate in the near future. The question is will the number of cases and deaths exponentially start to double, triple, quadruple every day with no end in sight. Or will the number of cases and deaths accelerate rapidly, level off, and then start to decline. Much like China has presumably done and we are starting to see from some other countries.

[/QUOTE]
The situation in China showed you can choke out the virus. The coming weeks will tell the much more important tale of what happens when you resume life? How much societal restriction is necessary to keep it in check?

Of course, little of this is overly relevant to the US because I doubt we ever would or could go to the extremes China did. I could be wrong.

At this point the best we can do is pray like hell the virus IS seasonal in terms of contagiousness and severity, and anti viral drugs are looming in the horizon. This isn’t just going away.

 

[Irrelevant]

New cases will certainly be influenced by increasing availability of tests (hopefully).

Wenatchee opened up a drive through testing facility (yah).
Two days later shut it down due to lack of tests and with no confirmed new supplies available (boo).

 

[406dn]

In the fifteen minutes since my last post there have been 500 new cases found. Undoubtably we aren't finding all of them as they occur since the testing capability is still insufficient.

 

[LWC55]

In the fifteen minutes since my last post there have been 500 new cases found. Undoubtably we aren't finding all of them as they occur since the testing capability is still insufficient.

That number will skyrocket now that we are getting more tests available. Heck there may be a million positive cases that haven't been tested yet. I think the real indicator to watch is the number of deaths. We still don't have enough tests available but we know when someone dies.

 

[Irrelevant]

That number will skyrocket now that we are getting more tests available. Heck there may be a million positive cases that haven't been tested yet. I think the real indicator to watch is the number of deaths. We still don't have enough tests available but we know when someone dies.

Unless of course they're in a third world country. Do you think we'll get accurate death counts from central Africa?

 

[406dn]

That number will skyrocket now that we are getting more tests available. Heck there may be a million positive cases that haven't been tested yet. I think the real indicator to watch is the number of deaths. We still don't have enough tests available but we know when someone dies.

Mostly agree with that. It's hard to hide a body.

 

[JLS]

America needed coronavirus tests. The government failed. — The Wall Street Journal

Decisions that limited testing for the pathogen blinded the U.S. to the outbreak’s scale, impeding the nation’s ability to fight it through isolating the sick and their contacts. Here’s how it happened.

apple.news

 

[ImBillT]

The real questions are not “how many people will get it”, or “how many people will die from it”. The real questions are “are more people going to catch this cold this year than normal” and “Are more people going to die from complications from this cold this than would normally die from complications of a cold”

I don’t know the answers to those questions. This might be a bad scary disease.

 

[ImBillT]

That number will skyrocket now that we are getting more tests available. Heck there may be a million positive cases that haven't been tested yet. I think the real indicator to watch is the number of deaths. We still don't have enough tests available but we know when someone dies.

This is what is making me begin to hope this has all been an overreaction. Covid-19 is real, and probably new. But I’m currently uncertain that we’re experiencing anything abnormal. It was mentioned earlier that about 250k elderly Americans die each year from pneumonia. If we loose 120k elderly Americans in 2020 to covid-19, but the total remains at roughly 250k, did anything unusual happen other than testing for and labeling the virus strain? Even then, I don’t want to minimize their deaths and would love to come up with a way to reduce them. I hope to be elderly someday myself. I just hope we’re freaking out about nothing.

 

[bushman13]

Not to pee in the cheerios, but it's 250k cases per year with a 20% death rate. 50k Americans die per year from it.

This is what is making me begin to hope this has all been an overreaction. Covid-19 is real, and probably new. But I’m currently uncertain that we’re experiencing anything abnormal. It was mentioned earlier that about 250k elderly Americans die each year from pneumonia. If we loose 120k elderly Americans in 2020 to covid-19, but the total remains at roughly 250k, did anything unusual happen other than testing for and labeling the virus strain? Even then, I don’t want to minimize their deaths and would love to come up with a way to reduce them. I hope to be elderly someday myself. I just hope we’re freaking out about nothing.

 

[ImBillT]

Not to pee in the cheerios, but it's 250k cases per year with a 20% death rate. 50k Americans die per year from it.

ahhh. Well that certainly changes numbers a lot.

 

[bushman13]

It still outlines the point that emotion is manufactured.

ahhh. Well that certainly changes numbers a lot.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

Don’t know about anyone else’s grocery store, but things were WAY more calm today than the last several times I went. I would imagine it’s a combination of time, messaging from local government, and probably extra funds people had for hoarding drying up, maybe other factors IDK.

 

[schmalts]

Well, didn't want to say anything until now but got word my Wife's test was negative. She developed flu like symptoms and since she is an RN they required her to test before returning to work. However..... I person I do actually know tested positive. He was in Germany and came back with friends that all started feeling ill. He never would have went in if his buddies did not tell them they got sick too. More reason not as many cases were found as until now people just assume it's the flu. I had the same thing the wife has but last week. I did not get the low grade fever so I was pretty sure it was my seasonal cold and now since she tested neg I know that is all it was. We were talking at dinner and she said she wished in some ways it was positive just to know it was over with and it wasn't that bad.....and so she can go to work without getting it.

 

[Irrelevant]

Well, didn't want to say anything until now but got word my Wife's test was negative. She developed flu like symptoms and since she is an RN they required her to test before returning to work. However..... I person I do actually know tested positive. He was in Germany and came back with friends that all started feeling ill. He never would have went in if his buddies did not tell them they got sick too. More reason not as many cases were found as until now people just assume it's the flu. I had the same thing the wife has but last week. I did not get the low grade fever so I was pretty sure it was my seasonal cold and now since she tested neg I know that is all it was. We were talking at dinner and she said she wished in some ways it was positive just to know it was over with and it wasn't that bad.....and so she can go to work without getting it.

Remember there is evidence of false positives. WA doc is a prime example. But generally congrats on the good news.

 

[Dave N]

Well, didn't want to say anything until now but got word my Wife's test was negative. She developed flu like symptoms and since she is an RN they required her to test before returning to work. However..... I person I do actually know tested positive. He was in Germany and came back with friends that all started feeling ill. He never would have went in if his buddies did not tell them they got sick too. More reason not as many cases were found as until now people just assume it's the flu. I had the same thing the wife has but last week. I did not get the low grade fever so I was pretty sure it was my seasonal cold and now since she tested neg I know that is all it was. We were talking at dinner and she said she wished in some ways it was positive just to know it was over with and it wasn't that bad.....and so she can go to work without getting it.

Good news!

 

[schmalts]

Remember there is evidence of false positives. WA doc is a prime example. But generally congrats on the good news.

He was notified be people he interacted with on a trip overseas that they tested positive, by the time he went in for testing he had a fever for a couple days. It is a GOOD thing they informed him as he would have not self quarantined himself being a busy body

 

[beginnerhunter]

I'm not sure its relevant to compare US numbers to France, Germany, or Italy. Much of the decision making and testing is coming down to individual states. Plus, geographically, think about how far Washington state is from New York. But yeah, the numbers are going to shoot way up as testing increases.

The federal government can certainly help support state efforts by injecting resources into testing and manufacturing of medical supplies, but I think things like "shelter in place", curfews, and business/school closings should be decided at the state/local level. Might also need to consider state to state travel restrictions. Our governor is begging people not to go on spring break trips.

 

[Trial153]

We have had some interesting cases come up COVID+ positive in my region. They are presenting challengers to both first responders and law Enforcement responding, and in one instance turned into a positive exposure.
response guidelines are a work in progress for us at this point.


Hypoxia without explanation: Elderly woman complaining of right upper quadrant pain, history of aortic aneurysm, initially reported no fevers or cough, saturation of 86% on room air...CT with concerning lesion and COVID (+)

Missed febrile exposure: Echo response for cardiac arrest. Patient walking to bathroom and collapsed. History of renal failure. No history of fevers. After intubation, resuscitation and completion of care it was discovered that the wife had fever and cough. She was COVID (+)

Missed cough: Call for a fall. Crew arrived. No PPE. Helped the patient up. No injuries. Asked him how he fell...he lost his balance while coughing. COVID (+)

 

[ImBillT]

It still outlines the point that emotion is manufactured.

Also, do we have an estimated death rate among the elderly? Hopefully sub 20%.