Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

[Griff]

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019...out/index.html

For confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases, reported illnesses have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death. Symptoms can include:

Fever
Cough
Shortness of breath

CDC believes at this time that symptoms of COVID-19 may appear in as few as 2 days or as long as 14 days after exposure. This is based on what has been seen previously as the incubation period of MERS-CoV viruses.

It looks like this thing spreads really easily.


Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet)
Via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.


Good luck if your immune system is compromised...

Also remember to buy low in the stock market when day traders get stupid.

[Luce]

There is now a case in California. Dude wasn't traveling and has no known contacts with primary cases.

Given the 14 day incubation period, that means a ton of people are probably infected.

[Griff]

Yeah, I was listening to a Black Plague podcast recently, incubation period is a big deal.

[glatt]

Took my wife to urgent care last night. She had all the symptoms. 104 fever. I was pretty sure it was the kung flu, because I'm convinced it is already here. But they did a nose swab and it came back as regular old influenza (type A, whatever that means.)

She had gotten the flu shot, but I guess this is a different strain.

I think of COVID-19 as just another strain of the flu, and just about as dangerous.

My wife should be OK. She's staying home, but it ruins a big weekend of plans.

She wanted to crawl into bed last night after getting back from urgent care, but spent two hours coming up with sub plans for work.

At urgent care, they asked if she had been to China.

[Clodfobble]

Mr. Clod is just barely over a moderately severe bout of flu-like illness (kept him out of work for almost a week, but nothing that needed hospital attention,) and now the rest of us all have it. Kids have been out of school since Tuesday.

I, too, believe it's already here and thoroughly widespread, and I think it's telling that a lot of people test negative at first, and then test positive up to 28 days after exposure. I'm actually hoping that we do already have it, and then we'll get better and have immunity for the remainder of the lockdown that is sure to happen to some degree in the coming months. Certainly the kids would appreciate a month or two of school closures.

[glatt]

Originally Posted by Griff

These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.

It was only a couple years ago that I first heard what sounded to me like the plausible explanation for why the winter months see more illness.

Droplets stay airborne longer in the winter because the cold air is drier than humid air in the summer, and the little atomized spittle droplets dry out more and are lighter and float around on air currents longer than in the wet humid summer. They are simply suspended in the air longer, giving you more time to breathe them in.

Indoors, the air is heated, and it gets super dry. Just think about your lotion needs in the winter. There are virus particles floating around all over the place.

Public buildings should install misters like in the vegetable section of the grocery stores just to keep everything damp and knock the germs to the floor.

[Griff]

Yeah, it seems like this thing is probably already widespread. The symptoms being the same as every other damn thing is going to mask it for a while.

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by glatt

It was only a couple years ago that I first heard what sounded to me like the plausible explanation for why the winter months see more illness.

Plus, people are concentrated indoors for more of the day.

Other people, I mean. I'm indoors most of the day either way...

[Gravdigr]

I have a gaming controller coming from China. I'm gonna soak the package down with Lysol before handling/opening it.

I'm wondering if it will get quarantined at some point along the way?

[Luce]

Originally Posted by glatt

I think of COVID-19 as just another strain of the flu, and just about as dangerous.

From what I gather, it's actually less dangerous on a case-by-case basis, but also more contagious.

[glatt]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

Plus, people are concentrated indoors for more of the day.



Other people, I mean. I'm indoors most of the day either way...

Yeah. I never bought that argument. The overwhelming majority of people are inside all year long.

[Undertoad]

All this has got to be made worse by the pollution in eastern China. People already face a respiratory disaster just waking up in the morning.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by glatt

Droplets stay airborne longer in the winter because the cold air is drier than humid air in the summer, and the little atomized spittle droplets dry out more and are lighter and float around on air currents longer than in the wet humid summer.

Like the poop molecules.

[Griff]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

All this has got to be made worse by the pollution in eastern China. People already face a respiratory disaster just waking up in the morning.

Yeah, we'd expect worse outcomes there.

[Clodfobble]

Plus, 68% of Chinese men are smokers, including 41% of male physicians. China accounts for slightly more than half of all smokers, worldwide.