Coronavirus

[Helvis2012]

I dig the vuvuzela

[trish]

Flu, pneumonia and other respiratory diseases kill 77,000 in UK and 370,000 in US each year. We expect it, therefore we don't have annual shutdowns.

For the sake of argument, let’s accept your 370,000 number for deaths per year in the U.S. due to flu, pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses. I assume this is a pre-covid-19 statistic. Divide by 365 and you get an average of 1013 deaths per day.

In the U.S. the first case of covid-19 was reported, I believe, on Feb 28. That’s 105 days ago. Since then there have been 115,000 deaths from covid-19. Dividing by 105 days one finds that the average is 1095 deaths per day.

During the last three months we’ve experienced a pandemic that killed at a rate greater than (but the same order of magnitude as) flu, pneumonia and other respiratory diseases combined. Moreover, it is still spreading and we are nowhere near herd immunity. Seems to me this is good reason to take reasonable precautions and make them mandatory.

[Stavros]

This appears to be the first major advance in the treatment of Covid-19 -my only concern is that Steroids are key to its effectiveness. I wonder what amount of steroids and the volume taken over time might impact the body? And I assume anyone transitioning from male to female who needs this treatment will also be concerned -?

"A cheap steroid has become the first life-saving treatment in the Covid-19 pandemic, described by scientists as “a major breakthrough” and raising hopes for the survival of thousands of the most seriously ill.
Dexamethasone is available from any pharmacy, and easily obtainable anywhere in the world. Investigators said the drug was responsible for the survival of one in eight of the sickest patients – those who were on ventilators – in the Recovery trial, the biggest randomised, controlled trial of coronavirus treatments in the world.
The government announced immediate approval for the use of the drug in Covid-19 patients. The UK was leading the way, said the health secretary, Matt Hancock. “This astounding breakthrough is testament to the incredible work being done by our scientists behind the scenes."
https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...virus-patients

[Ben]

Pandemics result from destruction of nature, say UN and WHO: https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...green-recovery

[MrFanti]

Pandemics result from destruction of nature, say UN and WHO: https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...green-recovery

And destruction of nature is directly related to overpopulation
Less people = less destruction of natural sources and habitat.
Lot's of land being destroyed/cleared for "urban development"....

[broncofan]

This appears to be the first major advance in the treatment of Covid-19 -my only concern is that Steroids are key to its effectiveness. I wonder what amount of steroids and the volume taken over time might impact the body? And I assume anyone transitioning from male to female who needs this treatment will also be concerned -?

Dexamethasone, like prednisone, is not really related to the sex hormones. It's most closely related to cortisol, a stress hormone your adrenal glands produce and as a result it can be used to treat addison's disease. It reduces the inflammatory response and is also used in auto-immune disorders and asthma. But it's not an androgen and doesn't promote male secondary sex characteristics.

Early on I think Chinese clinicians had tried prednisone, a related steroid, but they weren't sure it worked and there's a risk of using steroids when you have an infection. I have severe asthma and when I had pneumonia from the flu my doctor was afraid to give me prednisone because there is some evidence that it can reduce respiratory distress but also interfere with your immune system's ability to fight the virus.

Dexamethasone seems to have the greatest life-saving effect when people are on ventilators because it doesn't treat the virus but might keep one's inflammatory response/immune system from killing them. There are also clinical trials for rheumatoid arthritis drugs that, like dexamethasone, are intended to treat cytokine storm, the inflammatory response that can kill people with serious disease.

[Stavros]

Thanks for the clarification, Broncofan. Stay healthy!

[Stavros]

At the very moment when States are relaxing isolation policy to revive the economy, either because of a significant decline in infections (New Zealand, Australia, Europe) or regardess of them (USA), there have been worrying signs that the cruel efficiency of the infection is undermining the achievements, but aso the confidence people have that 'we' are near the end of this grim period in our lives.

New Zealand recorded a new outbreak due to two people from the UK visiting relatives; there have been spikes in the rate of infecton in the North-East of the UK while the rate is in decline in London, just as a decline in infections in New York has seen increases in Oklahoma, to take just one example in the US.

The R Rate is critical, as this remark on the German cases points out:

"The coronavirus reproduction rate, known as the R number, has jumped to 1.79 in Germany.
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for public health confirmed the rate was now far above what is needed to contain the outbreak over the longer term.
The R number equates to how many people, on average, will be infected by each person who has COVID-19.
If R is above 1, an outbreak can grow exponentially, but if it is below 1, the number of infections shrink and coronavirus can be brought under control.
An R of 1.79 means 100 people who get the virus will infect 179 others."
https://news.sky.com/story/coronavir...break-12011468

Note also that Abattoirs are the focus of much concern, in the UK, in Ausralia and the USA-

"From the Americas to Europe and Australia, abattoirs have become important vectors for infection, with plants around the world forced to close because of infection breakouts. In the US more than 20,000 meat-packing plant workers have fallen ill, according to the Food and Environment Reporting Network, while Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland, France and the UK have faced similar issues in their slaughterhouses. The problem has been exacerbated because meat-processing employees were designated essential in many countries. This meant they generally carried on working in close-confines, helping to spread the disease to the wider community."
https://www.ft.com/content/de2ca3f6-...7-069762ca4a2a

But I wonder if we are relaxing quarantine measures too soon, and if the anxiety about the economic impact is creating among some a decision to 'take a chance' on returning to 'normal' and just hoping for the best. I understand it, but cannot agree to it, and will continue to restrict my movements, but I fear the wider pattern of behaviour suggests Covid-19 will be with us for some time to come.

[Nikka]

the world is coming to an end

[daltx_m]

the world is coming to an end

Thank Goodness. It's about time.