Coronavirus

[broncofan]

I probably wasn't clear when I said day of the week effects. People are not more or less likely to die on certain days of the week but the reporting gets glutted and so certain days tend to have fewer reported deaths while others get allocated the backlog.

[broncofan]

https://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipelin...he-coronavirus

I follow this blog which is written by a scientist who used to work in Pharma. He describes what monoclonal antibodies are and how they're made for those who are interested. Both the Netherlands and Israel have announced that they've developed antibodies that are effective against this virus in vitro. That doesn't mean these treatments will be effective when given to people with the disease or that they will be easy to scale but it is a good first sign.

Here's an article in nature describing the Dutch effort.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-16256-y


And since the report in nature is above my level of scientific literacy, here is a news report for other non-scientists.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...ntibody-trials

[holzz]

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries

why the f is belgium so high?

[filghy2]

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries

why the f is belgium so high?

A big part of the answer may be that they are making an effort to include all deaths suspected as being caused by the virus, not just the ones that have been tested positive.
https://www.npr.org/sections/coronav...covid-19-cases

[KnightHawk 2.0]

I'm going to read the New Yorker articles in the morning. Thank you. I'm interested in the subject but don't have a science background so I apologize if I get this wrong. In February I read reports that Remdesivir inhibits viral replication in vitro for the coronaviruses SARS, MERS, as well as Sars-cov-2. This is why, despite the fact that it wasn't a successful Ebola treatment, doctors in China were using it experimentally for Covid-19. That experimental use continued in the United States and there have been promising open label studies, but until yesterday there was no evidence from a controlled trial demonstrating efficacy.

Yesterday the results from a controlled trial performed by NIH were released. The endpoint was statistically significant reduction in duration of disease in people with severe Covid. I think the use of Remdesivir resulted in a reduction in the duration of the disease from 15 days to 11 days (which was statistically significant). It also reduced the mortality rate for the treated cohort but the endpoint was days to recovery. This result means it will likely get approval and be the standard treatment for the time being in patients with advanced disease.

Anyhow, most of the virologists I follow say it looks more like a step forward than a game changer. They claim that anti-virals are often most effective early in the course of illness but that Remdesivir is provided by an iv so it is only used in moderate or serious disease.

The other drug I've read about is Favipiravir, which is a flu drug used in Japan. There are ongoing trials for it and clinicians reported some benefits. I understand it's administered in pill form as well, so if it's shown to be effective in trials there is the potential people can take it at the onset of symptoms rather than once hospitalized.

I know there's been at least one negative study for an HIV combo drug called Lopinavir/Ritonavir. I'm not sure if there are more trials ongoing or that dried up all interest.

There has also been some excitement about the use of monoclonal antibodies, with a company called Regeneron preparing to conduct trials this summer. My understanding is that even if this is safe and effective, these drugs tend to be expensive to produce enough of.

Speaking of vaccines, I would not be surprised if Donald Trump endorses the idea of human challenge studies. Most doctors believe Covid-19 is too dangerous and therefore it would be unethical to perform human challenge trials to speed up Phase III testing for a vaccine. There has been some discussion of this subject among academics recently. I can imagine Trump finding this kind of dangerous shortcut attractive.

Completely agree and also wouldn't be surprised if the Clueless Buffoon Donald Trump endorses the idea of human challenge studies, even though most doctors believe CO-VID 19 is too dangerous and would be unethical to perform human challenge trials to speed up phase 3 testing for a vaccine, he also was the same one pushing the anti-malaria drug hydroxchloroquine as a treatment for CO-VID 19,which turned out to have dangerous side effects, and suggested that people should inject themselves with disinfectant and uv lights, and he would find any dangerous shortcut that pops into head attractive in order to get the heat off of him for his failures.

[Stavros]

why the f is belgium so high?

One factor, possibly the most important, is population density, one of the highest in Europe.

[filghy2]

One factor, possibly the most important, is population density, one of the highest in Europe.

The Netherlands has an even higher population density, and the death rate there is 304 per million compared to 720 per million in Belgium. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Area_a...pean_countries It would be one explanator, but does not appear to the decisive factor.

[Stavros]

"U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday declared it is time to reopen the country's economy, even if it means more people will fall victim to the coronavirus. "The people of our country are warriors," the president told reporters in the state of Arizona. "Will some people be affected badly? Yes. But we have to get our country open."
https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pan...-amid-pandemic

"Chuck Raymond, a financial advisor in St Louis, said: "Without a doubt, he is the most pro-life, pro-family, pro-religious freedom president we've ever had."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-51239795


Something here does not make sense. Tell me what pro-life means, if it means anything.

[sukumvit boy]

Article in today's Guardian/Observer gives more details on how Covid 19 affects the body and why it is proving to be so difficult to deal with-
https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...ious-mechanism

More on how the Covid-19 virus rampages through the body attacking many different organs and systems.
https://science.sciencemag.org/content/368/6489/356

[KnightHawk 2.0]

"U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday declared it is time to reopen the country's economy, even if it means more people will fall victim to the coronavirus. "The people of our country are warriors," the president told reporters in the state of Arizona. "Will some people be affected badly? Yes. But we have to get our country open."
https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pan...-amid-pandemic

"Chuck Raymond, a financial advisor in St Louis, said: "Without a doubt, he is the most pro-life, pro-family, pro-religious freedom president we've ever had."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-51239795


Something here does not make sense. Tell me what pro-life means, if it means anything.

Another example of the Clueless Buffoon Donald Trump putting the economy ahead of the health and safety of the people of the country he's in charge of running,even if it means more people will fall victim to CO-VID 19, because he cares more about economics than science and facts. he's also the same one who rejected test kits from the WHO and called the pandemic a hoax. And agree something here doesn't make sense.