The Coronavirus Thread Part 2

[playstationdude]

19 minutes ago, Bird Bird Bird said:

Challenge is unless the supreme leader or local government keep on stressing the important points to take care of, nobody listens. 

And everybody thinks, in a typical attitude, that they will not be struck by COVID, that somehow they are immune. Or COVID is something to be taken lightly. 

We had 2 deaths of healthy people in our extended family due to COVID. 

I know of at least 12 deaths in my immediate friend circle - usually either of their parents due to COVID, with some having no co morbidity at all. 

We know of most big hospitals getting swamped with post COVID sequele cases in the ICU, and the amount of MI and brain stroke have gone up. 

We have had about 18 cases in the company I work with, and 3 had to be admitted in ICU, and somehow survived. 1 of them is still in ICU with his whole family (mom, dad). Only his wife, kid and sister are ok. 

Point I'm trying to make is even though people have gone back to normal, the disease hasn't. 

While complete lockdown will not work since economy has to rebound, a very vigilant campaign has to start to ensure people follow the norms, maintain distancing, wear masks and are in general careful. And in communities where this is not happening, lockdown is the only option. 

In my society, the house next to next from us has 2 confirmed covid cases. These f**kers wear a surgical mask and roam around the society everyday for an hour. We overheard one of their wife saying she does not want to get tested as she does not want to be positive ! 

With morons like these, only option is lockdown. f**k their asses. Don't let them go out. 

Problem with wearing masks all the while you are out is the sweating. I usually go for jogs in the evening and was doing the same with masks till last week. Excessive sweating due to mask caused a pimple on my lip which then got filled with puss and the MFker swole like the rock. It was really painful. 

Since then I've stopped wearing a mask while jogging, unless i talk to someone in which case i put it on.

[El Tigre Chino]

7 minutes ago, The Panda said:

Not gonna lie, I am slowly starting to turn against the idea of lockdown. Streets are very busy as if everything has returned to normalcy. So what was the point of lockdown anyway? If anything, this lockdown seems to have done more damage to our country than COVID would have without lockdown. 

This is exactly the problem.

 

Except for the first week or two I've been seeing people merrily doing whatever they want regardless of lockdowns, it got treated like a vacation rather than a pandemic. And this was still the privileged ones being Grade A idiots. We have forgotten about the lacs & crores of people whose jobs & livelihood disappeared overnight and had to walk, beg & crawl their way back home. 

 

With the overnight lockdown we tried to copy-paste a solution from countries with far better infrastructure & facilities without adapting it to fit the realities of our society. There is a fair amount of hindsight bias over here but that is what the experts are there to figure out ahead of time and mitigate. 

[Bird Bird Bird]

https://www.deccanherald.com/science-and-environment/nearly-one-third-of-covid-19-patients-show-altered-mental-state-says-study-897909.html

 

That explains Trump. Ah ! 

[Walker]

Quote

On 15 August, a 33-year-old man landed in Hong Kong after flying home from Spain. On arrival, he was screened for coronavirus. Despite feeling well he tested positive. It was the second time he had picked up Covid-19 in less than five months. The case immediately caught scientists’ attention. The man was the first in the world to have a confirmed coronavirus reinfection and there were positives to take from the report. First and foremost, he was asymptomatic. Although reinfected with Sars-Cov-2, his immune system swung into action fast and contained the virus without him knowing.

 

Many researchers took heart from the case, but since the patient came to light a flurry of reinfections around the world have raised fresh concerns. Within days of the Hong Kong case being made public, doctors in the US reported that a 25-year-old man from Reno, Nevada, had been hospitalised with a Covid-19 reinfection after shrugging off an earlier brush with the disease. More cases soon followed. While most infections were no worse the second time around, a good number cropped up – in the US, the Netherlands, Ecuador and India – where the reinfection was more severe.

 

“It’s really hard to find a pattern right now,” said Akiko Iwasaki, a professor of immunobiology at Yale University who has been following cases of reinfection closely. “Essentially every case is different.”

So far, only two dozen or so reinfections have been confirmed worldwide in a pandemic that has infected more than 30 million people. For now at least, reinfection seems uncommon. But scientists point out that confirming reinfection is no easy task and many cases are missed.

 

To confirm a reinfection, scientists must examine the genetic code of the virus from each round of illness and prove they are distinct. That means having access to both sets of swabs and the wherewithal to do whole genome sequencing. Even in hospitals where the capacity exists, such tests are rarely done. Reinfected patients simply go unnoticed or unreported. “There is probably a lot more than we are seeing,” said Iwasaki.

The immune system’s battle against coronavirus is unleashed in several waves. The first line of defence, the innate immune system, is imprecise but fast. Invading pathogens prompt cells to churn out signalling proteins called cytokines which call in an army of white blood cells that engulf and disrupt the virus.

 

Next to gear up is the adaptive immune system, a more specialised attacking force. This unleashes T-cells, which destroy infected cells, and prompts B-cells to make antibodies that stick to viruses and stop them spreading further. If and when the infection is beaten, the T- and B-cells stand down, but some should be stored in the body for years, an immune memory that can be recommissioned should the virus try again.

 

Given the complexity of the immune response, it is no surprise that scientists are struggling to unravel why reinfections occur. Blood tests on patients reveal that virus-disabling antibodies can wane after a few months, particularly in those with mild or no symptoms. But even with healthy levels of antibodies, reinfection can not only happen, but cause more serious disease.

 

In a report on reinfected healthcare workers in India, Prof Jayanthi Shastri and her team at Kasturba hospital for infectious disease in Mumbai describe a 25-year-old nurse who suffered more with a reinfection two months after her first battle with coronavirus. “Her immunity wasn’t enough to protect her from the second, more severe infection despite the presence of neutralising antibodies,” Shastri said.

 

The finding, and similar cases, has refocused attention on a handful of questions that scientists are struggling to answer. What does protective immunity look like? How long does it last? Do some patients fail to mount the right response? Does the virus damage the immune system? And are reinfected people infectious to others?

 

Danny Altmann, professor of immunology at Imperial college in London, guesses that those who recover from Covid-19 will have perhaps 90% protection for a “fair while”. But how long is that? “I would bet my house on you being safe for possibly a year but not much longer,” he said. “The problem is that whenever an immunologist says anything about Covid immunity to a journalist, it’s right for about two weeks and then it’s completely wrong.”

Source : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/06/flurry-of-coronavirus-reinfections-leaves-scientists-puzzled

[Walker]

Quote

A team of scientists in India has developed an inexpensive paper-based test for coronavirus that could give fast results similar to a pregnancy test.

The test, named after a famous Indian fictional detective, is based on a gene-editing technology called Crispr. Scientists estimate that the kit - called Feluda - would return results in under an hour and cost 500 rupees (about $6.75; £5.25).

 

Feluda will be made by a leading Indian conglomerate, Tata, and could be the world's first paper-based Covid-19 test available in the market.

 

"This is a simple, precise, reliable, scalable and frugal test," Professor K Vijay Raghavan, principal scientific adviser to the Indian government, told the BBC.

 

Researchers at the Delhi-based CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), where Feluda was developed, as well as private labs, tried out the test on samples from about 2,000 patients, including ones who had already tested positive for the coronavirus.

 

They found that the new test had 96% sensitivity and 98% specificity. The accuracy of a test is based on these two proportions. A test that's highly sensitive will detect almost everyone who has the disease; and a test that has high-specificity will correctly rule out almost everyone who doesn't have the disease.

 

The first ensures not too many false negative results; and the second not too many false positives. India's drug regulator has cleared the test for commercial use.

 

"The new test has the reliability of the PCR test, is quicker and can be done in smaller laboratories which don't have sophisticated machines," Dr Anurag Agarwal, director of IGIB, told the BBC.

 

Sample collection for the Feluda test will be similar to the PCR test - a nasal swab inserted a few inches into the nose to check for coronavirus in the back of the nasal passage. India still doesn't allow Covid-19 tests from saliva samples.

Full story : https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-54338864

 

[Walker]

Quote

How to tell which countries are coping best with Covid

The death rate in Germany stands at around 11.5 deaths per 100,000 people, while in neighbouring Belgium it's more than seven times higher at 87 per 100,000. France stands somewhere in between at around 48 per 100,000 while the UK is nearer the top of the European table, at 63.3 per 100,000.

 

Each is a prosperous country with a capable health-care system and each has applied broadly similar tools to fight the virus, with some combination of lockdowns, social distancing and the encouragement of improved hand hygiene bolstered by localised curfews in some cities. But the further you look into the data the harder it becomes to explain the differences.

 

Lombardia and Veneto for example are neighbouring provinces in Northern Italy, but the differences between their experiences are striking - Lombardia's death rate is 167 per 100,000 and Veneto's 43.

 

he influential German scientist Christian Drosten put it like this ahead of this month's World Health Summit in Berlin: "There are already speeches celebrating German success but it's not very clear where that comes from. We have moved with exactly the same measures as others. We didn't do anything particularly well, we just did it sooner."

 

Germany does have an extensive testing system, a well-established network of public health track and trace officials, and a greater number of places in intensive care units than most other countries.

 

But perhaps equally importantly, it has Angela Merkel - one of the few world leaders who is a scientist and who can understand and explain the data herself.

 

At a news conference after meeting with the heads of Germany's regional governments for example Ms Merkel began one answer with the words: "I simply conducted a model calculation." She proceeded to talk her audience through the maths of exponential growth in a pandemic, concluding with a warning that Germany would need to take extra measures. She was careful to describe the situation as "urgent" but not dramatic.

Christian Drosten says a population that feels well-informed is more likely to comply with government instructions or requests.

It makes for an interesting read - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-54391482

[ayush12ice]

7 hours ago, playstationdude said:

He is not completely wrong though, how long can you keep businesses locked up? The 3 month lockdown f**ked a lot of my employer's business leading to a lot of layoffs. Im sure there are other companies facing the same issue.

I know a few big mechanical companies also facing massive layoffs.

 

Problem in the US, in all honesty is the initial message from him. Even if they had the level of messaging as we had in India (not saying India did great, just that it was better than the US), US would have done much much better.

 

Population density here in most areas, is very less. A lockdown or proper social distancing and following the basic CDC guidelines from back in March would have contained the virus spread here. But the messaging was so mixed. 

Many a times on my morning walks (5-6kms or so), I literally do not even see one person out there.

 

 

7 hours ago, El Tigre Chino said:

Also the same guy after walking up a flight of stairs.

 

 

 

He is fat also. This might be a regular thing. speaking from experience. :| 

[Maximus]

 

[armaan]

13 hours ago, Walker said:

 

well my best friends aunt and her entire family who lives in buffalo new york  got covid twice once in march and second time 2 months later 

i though reinfection was common knowledge 

 

p.s they all fine 

[Walker]

Good they're fine. Reinfection can happen is known. Cases have been reported since August.

 

Not sure about common knowledge. 

 

Researchers still don't know about the scale of reinfection because it works differently. Some have harsher symptoms, some hardly at all. Posted an article above exactly about that.

Edited October 7, 2020 by Walker

[Walker]

 

 Probably the wrong place but its Covid based. 

[Bird Bird Bird]

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/09/k-overlooked-variable-driving-pandemic/616548/

[Walker]

"Meanwhile, in Daegu, South Korea, just one woman, dubbed Patient 31, generated more than 5,000 known cases in a megachurch cluster."

 

That was a good read!

Edited October 7, 2020 by Walker

[Walker]

ACG?

[Big Boss]

Huh maybe subscribe guy.

[Bird Bird Bird]

59 minutes ago, Walker said:

"Meanwhile, in Daegu, South Korea, just one woman, dubbed Patient 31, generated more than 5,000 known cases in a megachurch cluster."

 

That was a good read!

It's a fascinating insight, and may change the way we social distance or draw laws/plans to handle the pandemic. 

[Right]

one of my bestie got tested positive.

he has absolutely zero clue how he got it, has barely stepped out of house.

 

docs asked him for Home Quarantine, gave some vitamins and zinc....in 3 days he has largely recovered, in the sense getting smells and tastes back, no fever, rare coughing.

This virus is crazy, everyone gets affected differently.

[Aercy]

Things get scary when you see/hear deaths of known people. A relative of mine who was a retired doctor and came out of retirement to help, died few months back of C19. I think the lockdown helped but maybe it was not executed well enough. Human life is more important than economy. We Indians are gnerally not very disciplined and caring towards others around us, so without lockdown, I imagine it would have been much worse.

[armaan]

17 hours ago, Walker said:

Good they're fine. Reinfection can happen is known. Cases have been reported since August.

 

Not sure about common knowledge. 

 

Researchers still don't know about the scale of reinfection because it works differently. Some have harsher symptoms, some hardly at all. Posted an article above exactly about that.

 

Actually true its not common knowledge because today on my college friends whatsapp group they were discussing this weekends plan as bars are now open in mumbai.

they said most of them and their families have already been infected in the last few months and are now immune to it!!!

 

I think the main problem in our country is that the media doesn't talk about covid 19 enough! 

all day it's bs propaganda SSR and politics so naturally now people think covid is not a big problem anymore or have enough knowledge about it! 

 

the worst thing i saw today was an old man who pulled his mask down spat his paan on the street put his mask right back up in front of the police and 

the police officer didn't react!!!!  

[Walker]

2 minutes ago, armaan said:

 

Actually true its not common knowledge because today on my college friends whatsapp group they were discussing this weekends plan as bars are now open in mumbai.

they said most of them and their families have already been infected in the last few months and are now immune to it!!!

 

I think the main problem in our country is that the media doesn't talk about covid 19 enough! 

all day it's bs propaganda SSR and politics so naturally now people think covid is not a big problem anymore or have enough knowledge about it! 

 

the worst thing i saw today was an old man who pulled his mask down spat his paan on the street put his mask right back up in front of the police and 

the police officer didn't react!!!!  

Yeah that thought is so damn dangerous.

 

TBH intelligent news died a long time back. Everything is so sensationalized and OTT its more like entertainment than the new. FFS its the news not some soap opera. Every show has a breaking now icon for some f**king reason. Like wtf is breaking every second of every day ad infinitum?