Characteristics of Health Care Personnel with COVID-19 — United States, February 12

Of 9,282 U.S. COVID-19 cases reported among HCP, median age was 42 years, and 73% were female, reflecting these distributions among the HCP workforce. HCP patients reported contact with COVID-19 patients in health care, household, and community settings. Most HCP patients were not hospitalized; however, severe outcomes, including death, were reported among all age groups.

“were reported among all age groups.”

Severity of initial infection (viral load upon infection) may be a factor where the illness jumps more quickly from infection to a severe case. In hospital settings, where severe patients are housed, may present higher viral load contact for those who do come into contact with infections patients. Until the patient starts recovering the viral load, and viral shedding there from, is usually high.

“Severity of initial infection”

I think that’s exactly right and really needs to be discussed, especially as we open up businesses.

You do not want to be in an office working next to someone all day long who, while asymptotic, is exhaling coronavirus all day long.

We are going to have to institute a mandatory mask policy.

“You do not want to be in an office working next to someone all day long who, while asymptotic, is exhaling coronavirus all day long.....”We are going to have to institute a mandatory mask policy.”

1. It is an assumption and not a clinically studied and proven fact that sufficient viral shedding is ocurring when someone is asymptomatic. The best and most reliable studies - can flu and coronavriuses be transmitted by mere exhalation - used patients who already had clinically observed symptoms (and those had active infection viral loads). The real problem is not those who are really assymptomatic but folks who are actually ill already and continue to go to work and have other close contact with folks, pretending that it is “only a minor cold” or “just my usual allergies” (as they sneeze). THEY, not the asymptomatic are the real problem.

2. Requiring masks only makes sense if the requirement is for masks that actually block most of the virus, which most of the masks offered and most masks people are wearing today do not do. And no I do not think the government should be buying everyone “the proper” masks. And context is important as a mask is not a big requirement in universally all situations.

"It is an assumption and not a clinically studied and proven fact that sufficient viral shedding is ocurring when someone is asymptomatic."

Check out your CDC's tweet from yesterday on this subject. They call it, "growing evidence."

"Requiring masks only makes sense if the requirement is for masks that actually block most of the virus, . . ."

You can look up the NIH studies on how any mask is better than no mask after you look up the tweets.

You will wear a mask in the areas where it's mandated or you can stay home and not wear one, it's up to you.

It's a lot like drinking and driving. You can get drunk off your ass at home, but you can't jeopardize us driving drunk.

You sound non essential, anyway, so just stay home.

And what is the “growing evidence” the CDC sited?

You need to get a mind, not a herd mentality.

A recent study in one of Germany’s hardest hit towns, that included the social contact experience of the cases studied, found no evidence of infections for any severe cases traced to casual shopping. All the severe cases demonstrated likely multiple close contacts in confined spaces.

I think if govt mandates masks they realize these are essential jobs and they should be sending out extra covid checks to those workers just in appreciation....

I think non essential "workers" staying home and getting paid to sit home should have NO say in what the essential workers are doing....get a little skin in the game or loose a few paychecks and then you can complain....

I guess I'm just sick of those sitting home pulling in checks or on govt pensions ordering around those who are actually working and keeping this country afloat...

everyone in this country should have a consequence to this murderous shutdown...everybody....but infact millions are just lapping up the extra vacation time, preaching hysteria the whole time...

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