First Case of New Coronavirus Detected In US (npr.org) 95
The first case of an infection with a new coronavirus has been discovered in the United States. NPR reports: A man from Washington state returned home after a trip to Wuhan, China, on Jan. 15, sought medical attention on Jan. 19 and now is in isolation at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, Wash. State health officials say his condition is quite good and even referred to him as "healthy." But testing from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the 20th confirm that he is infected with the Wuhan coronavirus. The man arrived back in the U.S. prior to the implementation of screening at three domestic airports on Friday. As of yesterday, over 200 cases of the virus have been reported in China.
UPDATE (Score:5, Funny)
NEW UPDATE (Score:4, Funny)
News update: nuke them from orbit - it's the only way to be sure.
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"Residents are advised to barricade themselves in their homes by placing a couch or dresser against their front door and arm themselves with a shotgun."
Are you crazy? The Winchester Pub is the only secure place.
That won't work (Score:2)
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The man has developed a taste for human flesh and has ripped the throats out of three nurses and escaped. Residents are advised to barricade themselves in their homes by placing a couch or dresser against their front door and arm themselves with a shotgun. Aim for the head - it's the only way to be sure.
Oh, based on documentaries I have seen about this situation I assumed the authorities generally advised people to split up, take no precautions, and quietly sneak into an area where infected people are known to congregate. Since the infected are usually pretty slow it's usually best to get to a labyrinthian building with multiple entrances so they can come from multiple directions. Make no attempt to engage with ranged weapons, all encounters with the infected should be hand-to-hand with an appropriate po
So in all seriousness, what do we know? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:So in all seriousness, what do we know? (Score:5, Funny)
We can avoid Chinese people.
Re: So in all seriousness, what do we know? (Score:1)
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Or Americans with passports.
Re:So in all seriousness, what do we know? (Score:5, Insightful)
did you know Bruce Willis once had HAIR?!!! (Score:2)
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That sort of thinking is GOING TO GET US ALL KILLED!!!!!!
Oh, sorry, I was just trying to fit in...
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Famous last words.
Re:So in all seriousness, what do we know? (Score:5, Funny)
Close off Madagascar.
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Close off Madagascar.
Which shouldn't do any good if the disease is waterborne and transmissible by migratory birds. Good luck dealing with that into perpetuity.
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Where are you getting that information? It clearly isn't true.
Maybe you are paid to apologize for the Chinese, or forced to, but this type of misinformation isn't appropriate.
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Where are you getting that information? It clearly isn't true.
From his ass. Coronavirus isn't restricted to transmission by bodily fluids. This is very much like SARS; a new type of common cold that is more likely to kill you on account of your body having never seen it before.
Previously, the Chinese government had claimed that all infections were from people who visited the Wuhan pig market.
Now we have people saying it might only infect healthcare workers.
Somehow I doubt there is a lot of overlap between "health care workers" and "visits a pig market."
Re:So in all seriousness, what do we know? (Score:5, Informative)
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Since SARS they have had IR cameras at airports in Japan. Do they not have them in the US? The UK doesn't seem to have them but they usually try to hide cameras here.
Anyway the theory is that they will catch sick people by looking for elevated body temperature. I don't know how effective it is but effectiveness is largely irrelevant when it comes to spending money on this sort of thing.
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Coronavirus Endoribonuclease Activity in Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus Suppresses Type I and Type III Interferon Responses. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/p... [nih.gov]
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No, the infection vector for a coronavirus is virtually *identical* to the infection vector for a common cold or flu, and similarly can survive outside of the body for several hours or days.
I expect, however, there will be a vaccine for this particular one before the end of next month. I know that progress on fully mapping its genome is going quite quickly.
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That's true, but cold and flu viruses are not airborne either. They're transmitted through bodily fluids, including fluid drops in sneezes. You can get one from being sneezed on, or near, but you can't get one from breathing the air in a room an infected person was in a few minutes ago. Or from breathing the air on a plane, for that matter, unless you're close enough to get sneezed on.
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but you can't get one from breathing the air in a room an infected person was in a few minutes ago.
OK, if you're done making up facts, go and look up how long the shit floats around the room after you sneeze. Then look up if things floating in the air are considered airborne, or not.
Re:So in all seriousness, what do we know? (Score:5, Informative)
Okay, here is the CDCs contact precautions. Note that the droplet class and the airborne class are not the same.
https://www.cdc.gov/infectionc... [cdc.gov]
Here's the CDC's guidance on influenza transmission:
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/profes... [cdc.gov]
Are you done making up shit to scare people?
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Are you done making up shit to scare people?
Liar, liar, pants on fire! No, I'm not going to stop correcting bullshit because you said something stupid.
You would have to be an abject idiot to read my comments on this virus and think I'm trying to scare somebody. A complete utter moron.
What the fuck do you think happens with illnesses that are transmitted through the air? Did you think it was the fucking vapors?!
You don't comprehend your links. You clearly just fished for anything that might support what you said, but since you're wrong, you didn't fin
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LOL! Yeah, duh I'm not his personal secretary. It is the responsibility of the person making a point to make the point.
If it is just straight bullshit, no counter-point is called for. And if it is a link that is off topic and doesn't support what they say it supports, telling them that is the entire counter-argument. Irrelevant bullshit does not call for a detailed breakdown.
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No, the infection vector for a coronavirus is virtually *identical* to the infection vector for a common cold
Generally, coronavirus is considered to be one of the ~200 different viruses that cause the "common cold."
So it isn't "virtually" identical. It is literally identical.
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Re:So in all seriousness, what do we know? (Score:5, Informative)
The common cold is the illness, not the virus, and there are about 200 different viruses that cause the common cold, including rhinovirus which accounts for as many as 25% of cases of the common cold, but also coronavirus, influenze viruses, adenoviruses, human respiratory syncytial virus, enteroviruses, human parainfluenza viruses, and metapneumovirus, etc.
Yes, you read that right, the viruses that causes the flu are quite common and usually don't cause the flu; they usually just cause a common cold.
Why did you say something so stupid? Because you listen to your friends or other blather, and you're credulous of what they say. You'd aliterate, you don't read to find out the answer. You just remember what you heard, and correct people as if it was true. Even when the other person read the shit right before writing what you wanted to "correct."
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There are only around 100 rhinoviruses that cause the common cold. 200 was the number of different strains inclusive of other types.
If you want your synthesis to make it sound like you're an expert, you're gonna have to pay more attention to the details, Bro.
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I wasn't attempting to come across as an expert, I can only say what I've read. I remember reading that there were approximately 200 or so viruses that could cause a cold and the vast majority of colds were caused by rhinoviruses, I assumed, perhaps incorrectly, that the number of actual rhinoviruses that could cause a cold was still quite close to 200. You've corrected me on the actual numbers, and that's fine.
My point remains, a coronavirus is not the same thing as what is referred to as the "comm
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I wasn't attempting to come across as an expert
LMFAO.
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When you perceive laughter as an agenda... it might be time to unplug.
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Right, but it might be your own mental context.
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I expect, however, there will be a vaccine for this particular one before the end of next month. I know that progress on fully mapping its genome is going quite quickly.
If this happens, it will be a great way of getting rid of the antivax pests.
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Modded as a troll for not citing sources now? (Score:2)
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Re:So in all seriousness, what do we know? (Score:4, Informative)
Re: So in all seriousness, what do we know? (Score:1)
Probably nothing to worry over (Score:5, Informative)
This virus transmits human-to-human, causes pneumonia, and has a roughly 3-4% mortality rate. What else do we know that is useful information? What prophylactic measures can we take?
I had concerns a couple of days ago and looked into it.
It would appear that CDC and WHO were actually on the ball and jumped in awhile ago. There are quarantine procedures in effect in China, and they are keeping a close eye on the situation. As mentioned in the OP, this is one person who came back from China before the procedures began, and is in isolation. If no others are infected, then it's contained and won't be a world-wide threat.
OTOH, several reports suggest (with slight evidence, but no proof) that the Chinese government is hiding the actual number of cases and that the epidemic is actually much larger than reported.
For comparison, the SARS event (also a coronavirus) seems similar to this one, had 8K cases with about 800 fatalities, mostly in China.
If you're not in China then the chance of getting this is very low.
If you *are* in China then the chances are somewhat higher but still relatively low, and the general outlook is good even if you get the virus.
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China learned from the SARS outbreak and is working properly with the WHO and other relevant bodies this time, and being open about the scale of it.
They seem to have realized that they can't really cover things up any more because everyone has a phone and information spreads fast over the internet.
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It is a type of the common cold.
Like all types of the common cold, it can cause viral pneumonia if your body can't figure out how to kill it.
What prophylactic measures can we take?
Eat healthy, don't smoke, don't drink, get enough exercise, get enough sleep, stay home and rest if you get sick instead of being a macho cheesehead and turning it into pneumonia.
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What prophylactic measures can we take?
Wear a condom over your head.
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And make sure to take deep breaths. Then you won't have to worry about any virus.
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As for what measures to take, that's simple. Wash your hands, avoid crowds if you can, if you get sick wear a face mask to prevent s
Coronavirus. Yeah right. (Score:1, Offtopic)
They won't admit it, but this is probably the result of combining the ebola virus with the common cold. They won't tell you this because that would be a terrible, terrible thing.
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"probably" is a pretty strong statement, you have strong evidence to back up your strong statement?
Will your evidence all explain who "they" is?
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They won't admit it, but this is probably the result of combining the ebola virus with the common cold. They won't tell you this because that would be a terrible, terrible thing.
Literally true. They really won't tell you a lie designed only to panic you. It would be a terrible, terrible thing. And there is no upside.
C'mon China (Score:1)
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Poor hygiene and sanitation, poor education (especially about hygiene and sanitation), etc., and that's just for humans. Conditions for livestock and other animals is even worse.
A better question would be "how are we not seeing *more* of this stuff?".
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Would this rather has to do with the world largest number of people for the virus to randomly mutate in?
Re: C'mon China (Score:2)
Combination. As far as density is concerned, China isn't that much different but it's a really large area where people universally lack hygiene and healthcare (due to decades of socialist/communist approaches to economy and government).
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China... where people universally lack hygiene and healthcare (due to decades of socialist/communist approaches to economy and government).
I guess, you have not been to China :).
Re:C'mon China (Score:4, Interesting)
This isn't politically correct to say, but it's cultural. Just like "bush meat" in Africa causes problems, poor sanitation in markets leads to this. China needs to modern up on this. No more live animals in the markets, proper refrigeration in the markets, standards for cleaning and handling. Some traditions will have to be changed. Tough noogies. Your traditions aren't worth it when they have the potential to put disease carriers on a plane.
The irony of it all--you see so many of them wearing surgical masks here in the states, and then in their own country they have live animals in cages next to fresh meat.
Re:C'mon China (Score:5, Interesting)
Depending on what sources/definitions you want to go with the percentage of the population in the US whose occupation is farming or ranching ranges from 1.3% to 2.5% of employment, or about 2.5-5 million people. Meanwhile in China farming accounts for 25-35% of the labor force, or 300-425 million people. (Again, depending on what sources you want to go with.)
So China has about 4 times the population of the US and over 10 times as many people involved in agriculture per capita. So even ignoring differences in animal handling, processing, and cooking, you'd still expect there to be about 40 times as much direct interaction with potential new disease vectors in China as you would see in the US.
less deadly then the Flu (Score:3)
At 6 deaths out of 300 (which are of course sad and we should care about), it is maybe half as deadly as the Flu. Seems significantly less infectious then the Flu as well (if the data coming out of China so far is accurate).
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true.
But also too early for the amount of panic I am hearing in the media.
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If you read the news instead of listening to it, you won't hear any panic at all.
You won't really read much, either.
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You would generally expect people with mild symptoms not to seek medical attention, since it is a type of common cold.
And you would expect most of the fatalities to be people who tried to get help because they were really really sick.
So while I agree it is too early to calculate the mortality rate, it is very exceptionally unlikely to be higher than 6 per 300, which is not that big a deal from a public health perspective. (especially considering that once people have been exposed to it, the mortality will g
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Problem with that comparison is that flu is pretty fucking deadly.
Most people only THINK that they get the flu each year and actually just have a cold.
In reality, influenza is a lot rarer and when you so catch it you got a 1 in 5 to 1 in 10 chance you'll die from it [who.int] if your immune system is at all compromised.
E.g. If you're old.
Plus, you'll be lucky if you only end up with really bad pain all over for a month or so and not progressing to a BAD case of pneumonia as the virus literally rips through your cells [sciencedaily.com]
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Problem with that comparison is that flu is pretty fucking deadly.
Most people only THINK that they get the flu each year and actually just have a cold.
Some studies suggest that many self-diagnosed cases of "flu" are also food poisoning.
Beer safety facts (Score:2)
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If it's a Coronavirus, can I protect myself by switching to Tecate?
Sorry, but you’ll have to take more extreme measures and switch to tequila.
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If you already have the corona in your system, the only way to protect yourself is to bathe fully submerged in lemon juice and salt for at least 37 minutes.
If you substitute lime juice, make sure to add 5% tequila.
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Basic Facts ... (Score:5, Informative)
It is the same family of viruses as the common cold, SARS (remember that from 2002-2004?), and MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, which jumped to humans from camels).
These are the basic facts about the coronavirus outbreak in China [www.cbc.ca], where it originated, what are the symptoms, ...etc.
It does not seem to be as virulent as SARS though (so far), which is a good thing.
It's Captain Trips! (Score:2)
It's all over; I'm making reservations for Vegas.
Re: It's Captain Trips! (Score:1)
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M O O N
That spells Coronavirus.
infection was jumping from animals to humans (Score:2)
It makes me wonder if the stress that animals experience when treated cruelly by people produces stress hormones in them that creates the conditions for adaptation that result in these viruses.
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Stress weakens the immune system, thus making more a favorable environment for new diseases to develop. It increases the potential for transmission on a day per day basis, so more rolls of the dice for a real winner.
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More likely, excessive antibiotic use in livestock animals combined with poor conditions sets the stage for outbreaks of new strains. It is highly unlikely that the stress hormones directly affect the virus. Instead, it just makes the animals less able to fight infection. And with antibiotic use from before birth, they likely have reduced immune systems to start with.
Send in the anti-vaxxers (Score:1)
Time to send in the anti-vaxxers to start building immunity.
So, where are the volunteers?
Pets/Pots (Score:1)
Coronavirus Preventive Measures (Score:1)