That explains alot, sadly.

Yikes!! 17 days!!! That's a lot longer than the up to 3 days we've been hearing.

Umm, well, that's a bit of a change!

I don't think I'm the hearty type. This is Day 8 and I am about to lose it.

17 days on a surface, 2 years in a freezer. How can we resume normal life like that?

Maybe the NYT editorial last Friday was right; IIRC the guy suggested isolating only the vulnerable and sending everyone else out there to slosh around and create herd immunity. Maybe that *is* the way to handle this bizarre virus that transmits so easily but it so mild for most, even totally asymptomatic.

We need to divide the country into like 6 regions. Start with Region 1. Move staff ,supplies and ventilators and field hospitals into Region 1. When they are in place, end quarantine and get people out and about (with the exception of at-risk groups). Facilitate interaction among everyone else; heck fund a Baccchanalia. For those who get sick and need care, you have capacity. For those who get sick and don't need care (80% of them), they bring Region 1 on its way to herd immunity. Once you reach herd immunity, move out of Region 1. Lather rinse and repeat in Region 2.

Has it been confirmed that you actually have immunity after you get it? I think we need greater testing capability to undertake something like that - more like what South Korea did.

3katz, I've seen squirrely answers to that (in fairness it is all so new). However I would think it must be the case otherwise how would you ever get to herd immunity?

I've seen a few references that there are 2 strains of the virus and if you get one it doesn't give you immunity to the other...but none of that was from any official source, so I'm skeptical.

We still don't know if it's actually very INFECTIVE after so much time, but I'd rather not be the one to test it...

I don’t think we know yet that we do get herd immunity. The places that have it under control like China and South Korea haven’t completely let people loose yet to confirm that.

I don't think that any country has had enough people get sick and recover to attain herd immunity, which needs to be something like 70% of the population.

I'm staying home until there's a vaccine. 😊

I think the at risk population in the US amounts to something like right under 50% of all people so it is still a very large population that would be affected. I can't remember where I read that as it was a while back as in more than a month ago, but I'm sure there would be sources available with that info now.

I saw something that said the virus mutates. I think it was from this source not sure of the accuracy as I've not had the time to review it's sources: https://medium.com/@tomaspueyo/coronavirus-the-hammer-and-the-dance-be9337092b56?fbclid=IwAR1TyOTJ-R1Wwpff9Eb87W30eS0z03cELuZ3JHn8qya9dLHT7fLcCDxL9n4

I have a friend who works at NIH; her boss is Dr. Fauci. She said that unfortunately, scientists don't know enough about this virus (yet) to be able to make any pronouncements about the number of strains; about herd immunity; about temperatures and the decline, survival, or return of the virus; about mutations; or any of it. She said most money and efforts are being directed to the clinical side of this crisis, not to the scientific side (which is her area of expertise).

Kkay that explains a lot. Tell her to tell Fauci to get some rest; i read he is going flat out 20hrs a day ... not good for the immune system! ; )

I love Dr. Fauci, please get that message to him...

I love him even more after a recent interview when he said “no comment” and “ "I can't jump in front of the microphone and push him down,"

I don't think it has been confirmed that getting COVID-19 once gives you immunity. A few days ago, an NPR host was interviewing a doctor from Washington state, and asked him, "So medical staff that have once tested positive for COVID-19, I guess they will be the superheros in the medical community after that -able to treat everyone without worrying." And the doctor immediately came back with, "We don't know that at all. There's no data that shows getting it once protects you." We know this is a virus, that mutates frequently, like the flu, so wouldn't we expect it to behave similarly? (i.e. You can get a flu shot, but you can still catch a different flu).

I heard that same interview, but yet many experts are talking about herd immunity and even implying that that is the way most of these things are resolved.

Thank you kkay for some dependable news. So many myths out there. Thank your friend(s) for us, for their service!

Informative article I just read (interview with David Ho, an expert on viral epidemics):

https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/tip-iceberg-virologist-david-ho-bs-74-speaks-about-covid-19

Great interview - thanks for the link.

Knowing just the little I know about viruses from microbiology class, I think the idea that we can sanitize our way out of this is a little too optimistic. I know what great lengths you have to go to to just keep a small space "clean" as they call it, let along large areas with people moving in and out. One does what one can, but I would not relax and think there is zero risk when I hear that a thorough cleaning has been done of this or that area. That's not the same as guaranteed "virus free" under any circumstances. Viruses have varying levels of dormancy. A lot of variables go into the lifespan determinations, not all can be controlled.