New CDC guidance: no gathering of more than 50 people for the next 8 weeks.

[brooklynite]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Sunday called for the cancelation of in-person events of 50 or more people for the next eight weeks to try and prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

The agency issued new guidance as governors across the country directed bars and restaurants to close down with the exception of carry-out or delivery business. Arizona, Ohio and other states have shuttered schools for weeks to try and limit transmission of the virus.

"Events of any size should only be continued if they can be carried out with adherence to guidelines for protecting vulnerable populations, hand hygiene, and social distancing," the CDC said. "When feasible, organizers could modify events to be virtual."

The guidance does not apply to large organizations like schools, universities or businesses, the CDC said, though many of those institutions have implemented telework or online classes. The advisory does not supersede direction from state and local officials.

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/487702-cdc-recommends-no-events-of-50-or-more-people-for-next-eight-weeks

[StarryNite]

1. Schools here in Arizona closing one after another.

[TwilightZone]

2. Meanwhile, hundreds rush to grocery stores.

My partner was just joking (sort of) about that being a gathering of significantly more than 50 people.

[Jarqui]

3. I'm beginning to suspect some of what we're being told.

There was a bus in China they had internal video of the passengers -one of whom infected the others. The people on the bus wearing masks did not get the virus. There was no mention of coughing or obvious symptoms for the person who infected the others. 30 minutes after they got off, someone else got infected. The virus got transmitted through the air - not by touch.

The lawyer from New Rochelle - 17 people around him - family, Rabbi, MD, postman - all caught the virus very quickly.

A video interview with a doctor talked about how 13 people met and all got the virus.

A family had a gathering for a meal. All got the virus.

Statement of the obvious: this thing is very contagious.

But I do not think you have to touch something or inhale someone's cough to get it.

I visited my past doctor in a retirement home weekly - until self quarantine a couple of weeks ago. We text every other day. I asked her "When you exhale onto a mirror, the warm moisture in your breath condensates on the mirror. Why couldn't the virus be exhaled by a mere breath?" (as opposed to a cough/sneeze) She said "with droplets going out with breath & cough, each droplet may contain 1 or 2 virion or active virus". A cough can project it 9 feet or so - which a breath cannot. Because the air is warm, it helps the droplets stay airborne longer. She agreed that an infected person's breath could infect others.

We do know people without symptoms are infecting others. In fact some studies suggest the people infected and not showing symptoms are more infectious than those with symptoms. Those infectious folks without symptoms are not coughing.

Tests indicate the virus can survive 3 hours in the air.

I suspect this has been downplayed because there are not enough masks to protect medical staff. To me, it underscores we just have to stay away from each other for a few weeks to stop transmitting this virus and help the medical community avoid a case load that is beyond their capacity

I'm not a doctor so take it with a big grain of salt.

My old doctor also added there appear to be a shortage of swabs to do the testing too.