# Coronavirus COVID-19 (2019-nCoV) Thread - 2020 Breaking News **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [February 11, 2020, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758 "2020-02-11T01:16:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 73
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1443 "2020-03-25T01:09:41Z")
Bad news, everyone. [Child in Los Angeles County dies of coronavirus.](https://apnews.com/e8dacf3176e0bbf479dc05b267489f93) > [@](#): > > Los Angeles County has reported what may be the first confirmed U.S. death of a child from coronavirus. > > Health officials say the youth lived in the Mojave Desert city of Lancaster located north of Los Angeles. County public health director Barbara Ferrer says it’s a “devastating reminder that COVID-19 infects people of all ages.” > > She did not provide any details about the child. ---
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1444 "2020-03-25T02:32:04Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Bad news, everyone. > > [Child in Los Angeles County dies of coronavirus.](https://apnews.com/e8dacf3176e0bbf479dc05b267489f93) They seem to be backpedaling on that. > [@](#): > > But hours after saying the person died from Covid-19, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health issued another news release, saying there might now be an “alternate explanation” for the death. > > The department characterized the case as “complex” and despite early testing indicating a positive result for Covid-19, further investigation by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would be required. > > Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti told CNN the person who died was a teenager. But no doubt the ever-responsible media will keep trumpeting it just as they are doing with every young case in this country. Glancing over the headlines in the last few days, you’d have no idea elderly people are affected by this at all. ---
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1445 "2020-03-25T02:39:17Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > The understanding is that yes it did. > > It would also interesting to have those numbers somehow normed to age distribution of sorted by age group at least. But that might be too much to hope for. Nope, here they are. Italy age distribution: > **[Italy Age structure - Demographics](https://www.indexmundi.com/italy/age_structure.html)** > > Facts and statistics about the Age structure of Italy. Updated as of 2020. [https://www.statista.com/statistics/1103023/coronavirus-cases-distribution-by-age-group-italy/](https://www.statista.com/statistics/1103023/coronavirus-cases-distribution-by-age-group-italy/) So, the elderly are vastly over represented amongst the diagnosed cases, strongly implying many undiagnosed younger cases. And this article from JAMA today shows mortality patterns in Italy are similar to everywhere else, based on week old data: [https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2763667](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2763667) ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1446 "2020-03-25T03:03:01Z")
> [@Shmendrik](#): > > But no doubt the ever-responsible media will keep trumpeting it just as they are doing with every young case in this country. Glancing over the headlines in the last few days, you’d have no idea elderly people are affected by this at all. :dubious: You mean the same “ever-responsible media” you just cited for a correction? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1447 "2020-03-25T03:25:44Z")
> [@Shmendrik](#): > > They seem to be backpedaling on that. > > But no doubt the ever-responsible media will keep trumpeting it just as they are doing with every young case in this country. Glancing over the headlines in the last few days, you’d have no idea elderly people are affected by this at all. Gavin Newsom attributed the kid’s death to the virus. And the “child” was 17. ---
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1448 "2020-03-25T03:27:45Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > :dubious: > > You mean the same “ever-responsible media” you just cited for a correction? > > :rolleyes: Sure, those same media sources, who had all of that information in an article with a headline implying none of it. Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1449 "2020-03-25T03:28:07Z")
[President of Brazil hates Brazilians; wants them to die](https://apnews.com/e8dacf3176e0bbf479dc05b267489f93) (maybe? or maybe something else?): > [@](#): > > President Jair Bolsonaro is sticking with his contention that concern about the new coronavirus is overblown, and has accused Brazilian media of trying to stoke nationwide hysteria. > > Bolsonaro said in a nationally televised address that the media had seized on the death toll in Italy, which he said is suffering so severely because of its elderly population and colder climate. > > The president said: “The virus arrived, we are confronting it, and it will pass shortly. Our lives have to continue, jobs should be maintained.” > > Bolsonaro added that certain Brazilian states should abandon their “scorched earth” policy of prohibiting public transport, closing business and schools, and calling for mass confinement at home for their residents. > > As he spoke, some Brazilians who are home in self-isolation protested what they view as his blasé attitude toward the pandemic by leaning from their windows to bang pots and pans. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1450 "2020-03-25T03:29:11Z")
> [@Shmendrik](#): > > Sure, those same media sources, who had all of that information in an article with a headline implying none of it. :rolleyes: You mean the one you didn’t link to? That one? Or were there many and you didn’t link to any of them? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1451 "2020-03-25T03:36:52Z")
Stupid 502/504 errors… The story had none of those details when I posted the link and quote; do you think I or they would deliberately withhold information? Why would you think that and why would you think anyone would do that? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1452 "2020-03-25T03:37:42Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > :rolleyes: > > You mean the one you didn’t link to? That one? Or were there many and you didn’t link to any of them? It was CNN, ftr. But really it’s a general thing. “Doctors told 21 year old soccer coach he had nothing to worry about, then he died of Covid the next day”. Open the article, then they mention that he actually had acute leukemia. Seriously. It’s understandable… it’s a tough time, there’s a lot of competition for clicks. Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1453 "2020-03-25T03:39:22Z")
:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1454 "2020-03-25T03:39:22Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Stupid 502/504 errors… > > The story had none of those details when I posted the link and quote; do you think I or they would deliberately withhold information? Why would you think that and why would you think anyone would do that? > > 😕 No, but I think the online media are strongly incentivised to use the most clickworthy headlines they can. I certainly wasn’t implying you were deliberately withholding any information. Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1455 "2020-03-25T03:40:54Z")
Duly noted; thanks for your contributions to this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Settimo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Settimo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Settimo)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1456 "2020-03-25T03:49:42Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > So China is going to lift the lockdown in Wuhan in 2 weeks. They seem to have capped the number of cases at around 81k. The US, with 1/4 the population, is probably going to surpass that in 2 days. > > What do we make of this? It seems that China has done more than “flatten the curve,” they _appear_ to have stopped it pretty much altogether. Were their lockdowns that effective? With several states under lockdowns now, will we see a change in the rate of new cases in a few days/weeks? (I’m hesitant to call them “similar” lockdowns, I’m in a lockdown state and things don’t seem to have changed much) Yeah. A few weeks ago I would not have predicted that the US (and for that matter so many other countries) would apparently be in the back seat with the virus driving at this point, when there are “model” countries (Taiwan was also cited just a bit upthread) that have shown more control. This really has to burn Trump’s biscuits, seeing China potentially surge on ahead with manufacturing etc, while the US gets shut down (and probably motivates some of the republican “quietus for grandma” rhetoric). I really think POTUS and the republicans would make a lot better use of their time going hard at the public health angle, instead of getting so obsessed by the economy in the short term: tackle the public health challenge first, then sort through the wreckage and revitalize the economy. Honestly, POTUS seems so exclusively fixated on the economy and not the public health stuff it’s kind of surreal. The brick wall is the looming spiraling death toll from a public health standpoint, and he seems unable to not keep running into it. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1457 "2020-03-25T03:57:31Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Now THAT is a fantastic, strong government response to a looming crisis. > > Good job, Taiwan! Good responses come from good preparation, which Taiwan did in spades. They had already done much of the preparation work by having detailed plans for a response to epidemics. A number of reports in the media has written about the good responses by Taiwan and certain other countries including Singapore. Taiwan had caught wind of the problem in the end of December and was screening people on flights from Wuhan from December 31. They have good reason to be afraid. They normally have millions of visitors from China annually, and about 400,000 Taiwanese work there. It could have been a complete disaster. > [@](#): > > btw, was Freddie Lim involved in any noticeable way, do you know? Was not. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1458 "2020-03-25T04:14:04Z")
422,829 confirmed infections 18,907 dead 109,102 recovered In the US: 54,867 confirmed infections 782 dead 378 recovered Yesterday’s numbers for comparison: > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > 381,649 confirmed infections > 16,558 dead > 102,429 > > In the US: > > 46,145 confirmed infections > 582 dead > 295 recovered ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1459 "2020-03-25T04:16:41Z")
> [@TokyoBayer](#): > > Was not. Ah, well; I hope he’s doing good things besides. Thank you very much for the news from Taiwan. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1460 "2020-03-25T04:49:23Z")
> [@Shmendrik](#): > > Nope, here they are. > > Italy age distribution: > [Italy Age structure - Demographics](https://www.indexmundi.com/italy/age_structure.html) > > [Italy: COVID cases distribution by age 2023 | Statista](https://www.statista.com/statistics/1103023/coronavirus-cases-distribution-by-age-group-italy/) > > So, the elderly are vastly over represented amongst the diagnosed cases, strongly implying many undiagnosed younger cases. > > And this article from JAMA today shows mortality patterns in Italy are similar to everywhere else, based on week old data: > > [Case-Fatality Rate and Characteristics of Patients Dying in Relation to COVID-19 in Italy | Critical Care Medicine | JAMA | JAMA Network](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2763667) Interesting links and thank you for them but not exactly what I was hoping would be available: a comparison between countries of death rates per million by age cohort. **In terms of the 17 year old who died.** Would love clinical details! Sadly this will not be the last death of someone under 18 years old due to COVID-19. Those 18 and under are 24% of the United States population, some with multiple chronic illnesses and disabilities, and presumptively (whether the cases get diagnosed or not) will be roughly 24% of all infections, even if most end up not getting diagnosed as such. Assuming this death is attributable to COVID-19, then that 24% of the population has resulted in 0.12% of U.S. deaths. It is notable how rarely those under 18 are getting significantly ill or died, but a rare event will still become a significant number absolutely with a larger enough n. Another math check. Today [Fauci stated](https://apnews.com/e8dacf3176e0bbf479dc05b267489f93) > [@](#): > > Dr. Anthony Fauci, who is advising President Donald Trump on the pandemic, says about one per 1,000 people leaving New York are infected. He says that’s eight to 10 times more than in other areas. NYC population is a bit over 8.6 million. That statement implies that currently there are about 8600 individuals in NYC (0.1% of the population, one per 1,000) who are infected but either not yet sick but will become sick over the next 5 to 6 days, or will stay asymptomatic (but potentially contagious for some period). Currently [NYC](https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/imm/covid-19-daily-data-summary.pdf) is experiencing about 2400 to 2500 new positive cases a day. His statement implies that the current daily reported positive case number is an accurate to slightly overstated reflection of the numbers of infection (inclusive of those who never get diagnosed for a variety of reasons), and likely to stay flat for at least the next five days rather than to rise exponentially. I am a bit incredulous. It seems more likely that even with testing rolled out they are likely missing many of the infected and that growth closer to exponential than flat is more likely for at least the near term. ---
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1461 "2020-03-25T05:27:30Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Currently [NYC](https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/imm/covid-19-daily-data-summary.pdf) is experiencing about 2400 to 2500 new positive cases a day. His statement implies that the current daily reported positive case number is an accurate to slightly overstated reflection of the numbers of infection (inclusive of those who never get diagnosed for a variety of reasons), and likely to stay flat for at least the next five days rather than to rise exponentially. > > I am a bit incredulous. It seems more likely that even with testing rolled out they are likely missing many of the infected and that growth closer to exponential than flat is more likely for at least the near term. Several days ago, a group of 114 young Israeli Hassidim who had been studying in Brooklyn flew back to Israeli, where they were quarantined and tested. 65 of them tested positive. I’m not saying they’re representative of Brooklyn or NYC as a whole, but it’s interesting. > **[65 hassidim who visited US hospitalized in Israel with coronavirus | The...](https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/65-chabad-hassidim-from-us-hospitalized-in-israel-with-coronavirus-621957)** > > Lubavitchers quarantined at Dan Jerusalem Hotel, infected move to hospital; Health Ministry tracking down other flight passengers. Chabad's 770 Crown Heights headquarters closed for first time ever. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1462 "2020-03-25T06:12:01Z")
Possible genuine hope: > **[New York will be first state to test treatment of coronavirus with blood from...](https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-care/new-york-will-be-first-state-test-treatment-coronavirus-blood-n1167136)** > > The method dates back more than a century, but it has not been used widely in the United States in decades. Long story short: harvest plasma from people who have recovered, which will be chock full of antibodies that can boost the immune system when injected. As a treatment, it goes way back, even to the Spanish flu. The FDA has approved initial trials. Could be a big help. My agnostic prayer goes out: to Whom it may concern… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758.md?page=72) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758.md?page=74)