Merged 2019-nCoV / Corona virus

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Just one point about contaminated surfaces such as bagged groceries: both coronavirus and influenza virus are enveloped, meaning they are surrounded by a fatty-membrane that is required for them to be infectious. This membrane is easily destroyed by soap or alchohol or by drying out. Rough estimates are they can survive on a non-porous surface (metal) up to 24-48 hours or a porous surface (paper) 8-12 hours. It depends on what kind and how much liquid was deposited with them, the humidity, the temperature, etc.

So anything in your pantry is probably non-infectious by the next day or sooner.
 
CNN: The eighth confirmed US case of the coronavirus is in a man in his 20s who lives in Boston, according to a press release from Boston and Massachusetts health officials. The man recently returned from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Boston Public Health Commission were notified by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the positive test results late Friday evening.

The man sought medical care soon after his return to Massachusetts, Massachusetts and Boston health officials said. He has been isolated since that time. His few close contacts have been identified and are being monitored for symptoms, according to the press release.
 
rjh01 said:
It might be more infectious in China because they smoke more there. This has been mentioned before.
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I think it's the severity rather than the likelihood of infection where smoking's an issue.

Dr.Sid said:
New cases per day in China might have peaked. It didn't increase for 3 days. Of course, too soon to be sure. That would mean 'the light on the end of the tunnel'. Usually it happens at around 50% of total cases.
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Yep, that does seem to be the case, and I doubt it's being under-reported by China, so I think the numbers are very trustworthy.

If they have managed to control it, it will rank as one of the most successful medical operations in history.

Then imagine how the same control measures would have gone in USA if the boot had been on the other foot.
 
William Parcher said:
I read this and I think to myself, "Yeah but you used your hands to put these things in your pantry."
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Huh? If you are infected, or if you have contamination on your hands from someone else? Even then what you put in your pantry will have very little infectivity the next day. Unless you re-infect it with unwashed hands taking it out.
 
Venom said:
I want it to reach more countries in higher numbers, a more sustained epidemic before I call it a pandemic.

Just looks like an outbreak, mostly primary exposure led to people getting sick as they boarded their flight and diagnosed when they arrived home. It hasn't been acting up too much in the countries seeded by the new virus.
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It's not a pandemic yet, but it certainly seems the most serous problem of this kind we have seen ina while.
It's has been a century since the last really bad pandemic...the Flu pandemic of 1918 so we might be overdue. The law of averages always catehes up with yuu.
 
South Australia now has its first two confirmed cases.

A couple who have travelled from China.

The couple in South Australia, a man and a woman both aged 60, were from Wuhan and visiting relatives in the state.

South Australia's chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier said they believed no one else in the state had been exposed to the pair.

"All of the right procedures were undertaken so we're not concerned about spread during that time and they have self-isolated in their home awaiting the results of the test," Dr Spurrier said.
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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02...rmed-in-south-australia-and-victoria/11920754

In this case I'm struggling to understand what "all the right procedures" could possibly mean.

Clearly it covers traveling in one or more aeroplanes from a place where the virus is to another place where the virus was not.

I'm reminded of an old joke:

"Once upon a time, everyone knew, if you get sick, you stay home.

Now, if you get sick the question is: "Where's the nearest movie theatre?"
 
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Actually, I'm really feeling sad for that couple.

If "no one else in the state has been exposed to the pair" that must mean that they were brought here in an air-tight box, or possibly a full body condom.

What an awful way to travel.
 
Giordano said:
Just one point about contaminated surfaces such as bagged groceries: both coronavirus and influenza virus are enveloped, meaning they are surrounded by a fatty-membrane that is required for them to be infectious. This membrane is easily destroyed by soap or alchohol or by drying out. Rough estimates are they can survive on a non-porous surface (metal) up to 24-48 hours or a porous surface (paper) 8-12 hours. It depends on what kind and how much liquid was deposited with them, the humidity, the temperature, etc.

So anything in your pantry is probably non-infectious by the next day or sooner.
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Not everything has a dry surface. Lettuce, for example. By the time it's in your bag it has been touched by the grocer, clerk and the bagger.
 
Giordano said:
Huh? If you are infected, or if you have contamination on your hands from someone else? Even then what you put in your pantry will have very little infectivity the next day. Unless you re-infect it with unwashed hands taking it out.
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Studies of infectivity vary widely with influenza and I assume it's applicable to coronavirus.

I'm on the library wifi running out of time but when my cable comes back on I'll post some examples.

I should point out, I managed to avoid the 2009 flu.
 
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Speaking of being in the library, there must be 10 inconsiderate people in here right now with disgusting coughs. I'm going to suggest they put hand sanitizer and masks with a sign at the door like the clinics all have.
 
dudalb said:
It's not a pandemic yet, but it certainly seems the most serous problem of this kind we have seen ina while.
It's has been a century since the last really bad pandemic...the Flu pandemic of 1918 so we might be overdue. The law of averages always catehes up with yuu.
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I'd say the last "really bad" pandemic was the 1957 "Asian flu", H2N2 pandemic.

Anything over a million deaths worldwide should be considered really bad imo, no matter the case fatality rate.

ETA: I might be mixing this up with the 1968 pandemic.
 
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