Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #56

[tresir2012]

We know this is true, and the scientists do keep telling us this. And this has been the truth time after time after time.

That is why I am kindof more hopeful of/will trust more the studies going on in other countries. I believe the US is creating a much greater "slippery slope" than other countries.

This famous cartoon came out years and years ago...but I find it quite relevant to the current thinking in the US.....

That cartoon is perfect. Yes it's old and I have seen it many times but LOL .

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Australia backed by the EU are pushing for an inquiry. China is effectively starting a trade war with Australia over it. I saw the link today but cannot remember if I posted it so I will see if I can find it. The world does not need this right now but Australia is pretty isolated for Trade so it is important to them.

Looks like EU has agreed to help. Link below.

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/fed...dependent-pandemic-probe-20200515-p54t9q.html

Yes...I know you posted it earlier... I am just glad it is Australia with help from EU and not coming from the US. I do think we need some investigation and clarity.... but it appears that such inquiry is going to come with a cost...

 

[Trino]

I agree that rural communities are vulnerable, and I also believe they are rejecting the idea the virus will come to them. Had reason to recently be in a rural area of my state. No masks anywhere. When I donned one, you would have thought I was from outer space.

 

[tresir2012]

Deleted

 

[anneg]

We know this is true, and the scientists do keep telling us this. And this has been the truth time after time after time.

That is why I am kindof more hopeful of/will trust more the studies going on in other countries. I believe the US is creating a much greater "slippery slope" than other countries.

This famous cartoon came out years and years ago...but I find it quite relevant to the current thinking in the US.....

That's a great cartoon! My scientist hubby used to have a t-shirt with that cartoon on it. I should look to see if I can find him another one.

 

[tresir2012]

I just think it is "leading the pack" right now. I think I only watch Remdesivir more closely, because it is not as biased a research and development effort. China has been working with remdesivir since early on, before we got non-medical promotion of other antivirals. So, for the time being, I think it is the leading antiviral treatment to be trying and trialing.


But since my very non-medical opinion right now is that this is an "immune system killer".... I want to really see more R&D on various immune system therapies and medications.

There are generally 3 different categories of treatments to test as a potential therapeutic for COVID-19—antivirals, immunotherapies and anti-cytokine storm treatment, and vaccines. Immunotherapies may actually have a protective effect for patients, bringing them to the front of the line of potential treatments.

And, trying to keep up on what they are learning about the Kawasaki-like cases in children, is just taking us into new and unknown places. Remdesivir is not used, in these cases because of the lack of particular symptoms in children...

So we are still shooting in the dark, moo, imo.......

Remdesivir for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 causing COVID-19: An evaluation of the evidence

Immunotherapies at the Forefront of COVID-19 Treatment Research

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanrhe/article/PIIS2665-9913(20)30137-5/fulltext

Shooting in the dark while peeing in the wind it seems to me, sometimes IMO.

 

[tresir2012]

I agree that rural communities are vulnerable, and I also believe they are rejecting the idea the virus will come to them. Had reason to recently be in a rural area of my state. No masks anywhere. When I donned one, you would have thought I was from outer space.

Yeah - we don't like strangers out here in the wilds.

 

[dixiegirl1035]

New York State presser today.

ETA: Interesting on their state website, region by region. it says if the metrics have been met or not and what date they were met to reopen to phases. Gives feedback to constituents, which is a good thing MOO

 

[tresir2012]

An Old TB Vaccine Finds New Life in Coronavirus Trials

 

[firebird]

Colorado changes how coronavirus deaths are reported as COVID-19 fatalities become political flashpoint

From the link:

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is now clarifying that its death tally includes the total number of fatalities among people who had COVID-19, including those deaths in which the respiratory disease was not the cause of death listed on the death certificate.

By the agency’s count, there were 1,150 people who had died with COVID-19 in their systems as of Thursday.

 

[tresir2012]

Update from my diary notes of our weekly UK deaths to watch if the percentage increases fall.

*lockdown began

Date- total deaths- weekly inc %
13Mar 13 -
20Mar 177 394%
27Mar * 759 321%
3Apr 3605 374%
10Apr 8931 150%
17Apr 14576 63%
24Apr 19506 34%
1May 27500 40%
8May 31241 14%
15May 33998 9%

I am encouraged and hope we can keep reducing that %.

 

[10ofRods]

I just think it is "leading the pack" right now. I think I only watch Remdesivir more closely, because it is not as biased a research and development effort. China has been working with remdesivir since early on, before we got non-medical promotion of other antivirals. So, for the time being, I think it is the leading antiviral treatment to be trying and trialing.


But since my very non-medical opinion right now is that this is an "immune system killer".... I want to really see more R&D on various immune system therapies and medications.

There are generally 3 different categories of treatments to test as a potential therapeutic for COVID-19—antivirals, immunotherapies and anti-cytokine storm treatment, and vaccines. Immunotherapies may actually have a protective effect for patients, bringing them to the front of the line of potential treatments.

And, trying to keep up on what they are learning about the Kawasaki-like cases in children, is just taking us into new and unknown places. Remdesivir is not used, in these cases because of the lack of particular symptoms in children...

So we are still shooting in the dark, moo, imo.......

Remdesivir for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 causing COVID-19: An evaluation of the evidence

Immunotherapies at the Forefront of COVID-19 Treatment Research

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanrhe/article/PIIS2665-9913(20)30137-5/fulltext

Even now, remdesivir + interferon is an early treatment of choice in Wuhan, after their experience with CoVid in 2002-2003. It seems to control the cytokine storm/oxidative stress. Most of us know about oxidants and anti-oxidants (oxidation is not good for cells, cells have to produce anti-oxidants, when they don't do that, they are subject to damage; CV's main goal is to get inside cells and damage/hijack them).

Unfortunately, as I understand it, nearly the entire US supply of remdesivir is now in the hands of the Federal government, who is doling it out to states as it sees fit. One Midwestern state got 400 doses (it was in MSM last week). I don't know how many doses a severely ill person might need. Surely the company that manufactures it (I believe it's in California) will have more. I hope that it gets distributed properly. I also can't imagine that some larger hospitals didn't have some on hand - but how much? China is a major manufacturer of it (of course).

 

[firebird]

Coding that led to lockdown was 'totally unreliable' and a 'buggy mess', say experts

From the link:

The Covid-19 modelling that sent Britain into lockdown, shutting the economy and leaving millions unemployed, has been slammed by a series of experts.

Professor Neil Ferguson's computer coding was derided as “totally unreliable” by leading figures, who warned it was “something you wouldn’t stake your life on".

The model, credited with forcing the Government to make a U-turn and introduce a nationwide lockdown, is a “buggy mess that looks more like a bowl of angel hair pasta than a finely tuned piece of programming”, says David Richards, co-founder of British data technology company WANdisco.

“In our commercial reality, we would fire anyone for developing code like this and any business that relied on it to produce software for sale would likely go bust.”.

 

[tresir2012]

5G phone mast set alight in suspected arson attack

• 1 hour ago

• Coronavirus pandemic

Image captionThe mast was very badly damaged in the fire


"A 5G phone mast has been badly damaged in a suspected arson attack.

Police were notified of a fire at the mast on the High Street in Wibsey, Bradford, at about 04:00 BST.

Officers said they were working with fire investigators to determine the cause, however, it is believed to be deliberate.

A number of phone masts around England have been set on fire amid claims, debunked by scientists, of a link between 5G and coronavirus.

West Yorkshire Police said a number of residents in the area had been evacuated and road closure remained in place."

 

[jjenny]

An Old TB Vaccine Finds New Life in Coronavirus Trials

This vaccine doesn't even work that well against TB. It also doesn't work very well in adults against TB. How do they expect it to work against covid, especially considering most victims are older?
"BCG vaccination is rarely given to anyone over the age of 16 because it does not work very well in adults."
BCG tuberculosis (TB) vaccine overview

 

[astheworldfallsdown]

Coronavirus: National park visitors surge despite plea to stay away from beauty spots

For the first time in eight weeks, people in England have been able to enjoy a little extra freedom after lockdown measures were eased - but they were told to stay away from some beauty spots.

The Peak District National Park was among a number of attractions urging the public not to visit on Saturday because overcrowding was making social distancing harder.

Officials said the Langsett area at the north-eastern edge of the park was "extremely busy" on Saturday morning.

On Twitter, park bosses said: "This area is reported to be extremely busy with car parks currently full and social distancing difficult.

"Please don't travel to the area or park outside of designated bays."

The Yorkshire Dales, meanwhile, introduced a traffic light system to inform visitors how busy its car parks were.

By Saturday afternoon, Malham car park, near the popular attraction Malham Cove, was marked red to indicate it was full, while other locations were marked amber to show they were filling up fast.

 

[KALI]

Very hopeful news. Thank you.

Tennessee, one of the first states to reopen restaurants and retail stores, has seen the biggest drop in new cases in the nation, down nearly 49%.
Where U.S. coronavirus cases are on the rise

 

[Inthedetails]

Here's some good buzz (sorry):

https://nypost.com/2020/05/16/worldwide-bee-population-buzzing-back-thanks-to-coronavirus-lockdown/

"Dwindling bee populations have threatened global food security and nutrition, but now they’re buzzing back thanks to the cleaner air caused by humans going into confinement."

 

[katydid23]

COPD CAN be very serious...... but it can also be very mild. there is an elaborate scale that has been established for very mild to very severe cases. A wide range of pulmonology tests establish these classifications. Wide scale and wide symptoms. The above is more like the "severe" definition of COPD.

I know it can be mild. But are the Covid19 deaths happening with those with mild underlying conditions, or those with more severe conditions?

 

[Sundog]

Drug promoted by Trump as coronavirus ‘game changer’ increasingly linked to deaths

Drug promoted by Trump as coronavirus ‘game changer’ increasingly linked to deaths

Toluse Olorunnipa,, Ariana Eunjung Cha,, and Laurie McGinley
3 hrs ago
For two months, President Trump repeatedly pitched hydroxychloroquine as a safe and effective treatment for coronavirus, asking would-be patients “What the hell do you have to lose?”

Growing evidence shows that, for many, the answer is their lives.

Clinical trials, academic research and scientific analysis indicate that the danger of the Trump-backed drug is a significantly increased risk of death for certain patients. Evidence showing the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine in treating covid-19 has been scant. Those two developments pushed the Food and Drug Administration to warn against the use of hydroxychloroquine outside of a hospital setting last month, just weeks after it approved an emergency use authorization for the drug.
Alarmed by a growing cache of data linking the anti-malaria drug to serious cardiac problems, some drug safety experts are now calling for even more forceful action by the government to discourage its use. Several have called for the FDA to revoke its emergency use authorization, given hydroxychloroquine’s documented risks.

Testimony this week from a former top vaccine official removed from his post last month further highlighted allegations that Trump’s White House pressured government scientists to quickly sign off on the untested drug in March, at the same time the president was pitching it as a “game changer.”