many prayers,please keep us updated

I'm afraid we will all know someone with it before this is over. I'm getting worried.

One of the kids my son goes to school with is in ICU, flu tests have all come back negative, waiting on COVID results.  He is 16 or 17 and a really good athlete so it is shocking that he is so sick.  I asked my son if this boy vapes and he said most of the kids do, so yes probably he does.  Very scary how many teenagers and young adults are running around with lung damage and inflamation from vaping.

ETA- They are starting the drug combo on him, sounds like he is in pretty rough shape, prayers it works!  

Vaping is one of my pet peeves.  I actually had to roll up my window at a McDonalds drive-thru the other day because of the massive amount of vape steam coming from the car in front of me.  I think it's worse than cigarette smoking.

Bear, thank you for your insight!

How long do you think this will go on, business being closed, everyone being told to stay home, people losing jobs?  Is this going to get a lot worse before it gets better? Will the restrictions go on through the summer? or do you think we'll be past the worst soon and be able to go back to some normalcy. 

I know it's not good, but I'm just floored that it's gotten to this point. I never thought I'd see anything like this in my life. 

This is all new.  That's the thing here.  It really is a war without guns and bombs.  I look at it that way, just like others have, including Governor Cuomo and President Trump.  
I know a lot of people have asked questions about how long this will last, and when we can expect a return to normalcy.  Nobody can say with a lot of confidence, but if I had to guess, I'd say at least another month, maybe two, before the social distancing and business closures start to open up.  We haven't peaked yet, in terms of this disease incidence, and the deaths will keep mounting.  While it may seem overly simplistic, there is no way around the necessity for social distancing.  I look at it, more or less, as preventing the virus from finding new homes....essentially "starving" it out of food, you might say.  If I stay home the virus can't get me.  If I go to a busy airport, a busy bar, a busy restaurant, a packed rodeo, or even if I get together with seemingly healthy, younger friends, then I'm potentially vulnerable.  The importance of the word "novel" when describing this virus, can't be emphasized enough....."novel" means "new"....so, by definition we don't have anything to go by.  When this first started to come out in the news, my inclination was to look at it like another influenza and I will confess that the idea of this being deliberately sensationalized was my first reaction.  I think many if not most people felt that way. It didn't take too long before Instarted to realize that, regardless of any possible nefarious motives by Communist China, the reality is that we still have to attack this thing with everything we have.  Any half way measures may open the door for disaster.  Like Dr Fauci stated in many different ways, we are better off, in the long run, hitting this with everything we have.  This thing is at least 10 times more deadly than influenza.  It is more  contagious.  If you look at Ebola, for example, we only had about 10 cases in the US.  That virus had an overall mortality rate of 50%, so at first glance, one might think that was a much bigger threat to life, but nothing could be further from the truth, because the only way you caught Ebola was through direct contact with bodily fluids....saliva, urine, blood, and feces.  7 of those Ebola cases were nurses shipped here.  The one person who died was visiting Dallas from Africa when he became ill and eventually died.  The 3 or so people who contracted the virus here in the US were nurses caring for Ebola victims and came in contact with their bodily fluids.  The word "Ebola" strikes fear in people because of it's lethality and the virus basically consumed the victims....they essentially rotted. It was never a real threat to cause any significant epidemic here.  There's absolutely no comparison between Covid19 and Ebola, in terms of the potential for mass deaths, contagiousness, and devastation. This is invisible. Something as innocuous as touching a door knob, counter top, or gas pump by someone assymptomatic, or with minimal symptoms, who is harboring Covid19 can lead to others picking it up.  That's the real danger.  Even widespread testing won't come close to enabling us to isolate perfectly. 
The "multi pronged" approach the team is enacting is continuing to mitigate by social distancing, which hopefully will flatten that curve and allow us time to consider a wide variety of potential treatment options.  The scientists are carefully evaluating drug regimens and implementing trials as we speak.  Hope springs eternal that the latest rage of Hydroxychloroquine ("Plaquenil") with Azithromycin ("Zpac") will turn out to be as good as initial claims out of France seem to suggest.  We have to be careful not to jump to conclusions regarding the safety and advisability of widespread use and prematurely implement that as the standard of care.  Contrary to what the news reports and even some reckless doctors are saying on TV, there are some risks to consider with this combination.  There may be a more scientifically proven antiviral out there that will be safer and more effective. I trust the scientists on Trump's team to carefully consider everything, including risks and benefits.  Having said all that, I am VERY confident that a fairly effective treatment consensus will be arrived at.......Read that again, and hopefully that will be reassuring, at least.  As to vaccines, like Fauci said, most likely not for at least a year.  Convalescent serum from recovered victims of Covid19 looks potentially promising.  

Here's the deal, if I were to answer your question with a tone of encouragement.  I think a treatment regimen may very well drastically shorten this crisis in the US, and I am still hoping that this turns out to be more seasonal than many expected.....just like SARS, when it abruptly disappeared in the middle of summer in 2003.  This virus is a Corona virus just like this one.  It's a possibility at least. 

As far as the efforts to put together a Covid19 relief legislation, I think that will be key in helping people get through this.  Typically, as a conservative, I'm against things like the "stimulus bill" of 2009 and other bailouts, this is a VERY unique situation in the history of the country.  With this crisis, the government directed people to say home.  They basically have ordered the shutdown of businesses. They created directives and orders that dictated people have to shut down, close doors, and stay away from work.  That has never happened in the history of the republic.  That's what makes this incredible Covid19 relief legislation so unique, and imperative, in my opinion.  People are suffering through no fault of their own.  This is one time where government has to come together and help its citizens through any way possible.  The debt will be staggering, but there are some "silver linings" out there cooking that may well offset, even eventually surpass the massive debt.

Scott ..... I have researched and can't find a difinitive answer....how long does the virus live on various surfaces?

edited to add: Since I am basically homebound, I thought you would like to know that, today, I am baking Apple Bread......LOL

I know there are some conflicting numbers out there on this, so the other day I looked up some reliable numbers.
Studies suggest that people may acquire the coronavirus through the air and after touching contaminated objects. Studies have shown the virus is detectable for up to three hours in aerosols, up to four hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel. 
In contrast, the influenza virus can remain for 24-48 hours, so this coronavirus sticks around a little longer.

I prefer apple pie!  I'll take apple bread, though, especially if it's still warm.  Do you have some good honey?  Milk?  I love milk. 

I believe in this thread I was asked a question, actually quite a few.  I answered what I thought then and still do today.  I tried to explain why I felt the way I did and it's just difficult to state opinions on here.  I honestly can't believe I saw it coming the way I did, I just read way too much.  My time is better used doing something productive around here than trying to convince people they should pay attention.  The little smiley faces are just easier.

Read the threads along with the dates posted.  I'm not a fan of many politicians at all.

I sure thought it was a topic worth discussing, just to talk about it traveling around the country, what's happening in different areas.  Remember when I first started paying attention it was 2 little red dots.  Instead I got raked over the coals for what I think.  Sorry I tried to tell you, it was going to get bad.  I wanted to be wrong, but I had a feeling too.  Have a nice day and stay safe.  Thank you Southtxpony and wanttochase3 for having an intelligent conversation about it.  I don't care if you agree with me or not, I enjoyed you sharing.  I don't have a medical degree but I thought the information I was giving was important.

Thank God for sunshine today.  Have a great day, I'm off to spray roundup and live dangerously, I hate weeds.

ETA: 2 little things that made me pay attention early on on 3/10 JD/EZ said a friend had a trip to Italy cancelled and when Joy took off from the View, I knew she had family in Italy and her kids were very afraid for her.  Plus reading world news and if you listenend to Trump's rallies he kept saying it was a democratic hoax even in early March it's on tape.

Palo, 

Cumo is an idiot.  He has done nothing but whine.  He is in a bad situation but so is our whole nation.  He is the one in February told all New York to go out and have a good time....

He may very well be, but he seems to be trying to do a good job and he is trying to control a whole lot of people.  I just can't even imagine being in NYC in apartments the size some of them have.  I have land and just can't even imagine being in an apartment right now.

Im not a fan of cuomo at all and never have been(former ny'er). I have family in NYC who finally went for a walk yesterday after not leaving their apartment for 2 weeks. They are taking a vitamin supplement because they havent gotten enough sun. Another cousin left last week after not leaving their apartment for 2 weeks, who have a young child about 2 that i seriously doubt was doing well mentally, cooped up like that. Personally i would be going nuts but thats why i live in the country in the south with my horses on my property. Friends up there havent been able to go to the barn because they board and most boarding barns have shut to anyone besides the property owner and the workers. Its a crazy situation all around. 

I listened to a press conference he did a week or so ago, what a whiney ass. 

I couldn't handle it, I had to shut if off. 

Makes me wish we had a whiney ass instead of a republican, since nurses in our hospitals are have to use garbage bags for ppe.

Very sad, in my opinion.

I watched the rally.  He did NOT say it was a hoax.  He said in essence that the Dems were trying to conjure it into another Mueller and/or impeachment hoax.  That's what he meant and all the news media knew that's what he meant.   He also mentioned the importance of this coronavirus situation at his State of the Union Address, you know the one involving the document Nancy Pelosi tore up like a child throwing a temper tantrum.  

Palopony, please explain to me how having Obama or god forbid Hilary as President right now would make this any better? What would they be doing differently than President Trump. .  

How is is President Trumps fault the country is short on PPE? He is working with MANY companies to manufacture PPE and get it out to where it is needed. 

Since you since to want to bash our President, who in my opinion is doing a great job with all of this, what do YOU think needs to be done to remedy the shortage of PPE for our health care workers, or lets take it further, what is your solution to this whole mess? 

God Bless President Trump

When you head to town for feed and a few groceries and have to wipe the cobwebs off your air conditioner vent, I think you can truthfully say you have been STAYING AT HOME!  

I don't think Clinton or Obama would have dismantled the pandemic team.  I also don't think either of them would have said the things he has says at rallies.   I did hear him call it a democratic hoax and it's on tape.  I did not watch his rallies the last 2 weeks of February but the first week of March he sure did, also said we had it under control.

I don't think they would have sent PPE to china in February of this year because someone would have considered we may need it here.  I can't post links to prove my point and honestly most of you would disapprove of them anyway.  I have only suggested you all read, there are crummy politicians on both sides.  True I am not a Trump fan but none of you were fans of Obama.  You can hate on Obama all you want he read everything, and I think tried to do a good job. My 401K and IRA actually did very well while he was in office.  Do I agree with everything he did.  Heck no but I still think he tried.

Going to reply on why those people went on a cruise....... I hate cruise lines but just like when they cancelled the Rodeo in Houston, many just didn't believe it was that big of a deal.  Someone kept telling them it was under control.  I read RV forums also and many had cruises planned and were still going.  In fact they really didn't even consider changing any plans till last week.  Trust me I wondered why too.  Also 85% of truck drivers are still working and we better hope they don't get sick.

I also think stopping spring break travel would have been smart.  Just a few of my thoughts but how to actually slow it.  I have no idea and really don't believe anyone else does either.  News changes daily and who really knows.  I just hope we have some great minds trying to figure it out.  Now that they have admitted it seems to be a problem.

They aren't the President, last I looked.  I could post many crazy things republicans posted.  I have suggested many read his twittter feed.

Whatever happened to the buck stops here?

I could also name a few on both sides who sounded the alarm but no one listened.  Tom Cotton comes to mind, plus many opinion pieces from people who study this stuff.

Wish you gave as much medical information as you do political stuff.  Anytime you talk medicine I never question you and enjoy your input.  For a guy who says he's not a republican or democrat you sure swing right.  I admit on it some things I am very conservative.