Coronavirus and Pandemics

Just a reminder that I'm not a moderator here, but this is a personal request to please behave responsibly and leave the quackery out of the thread. Someone has already died, which you apparently don't care about as long as it wasn't Trump's fault, but I didn't mention Trump, it was you who brought up that connection, but yes, we know it wasn't Trump's fault. Nothing is Trump's fault.--Percy

While the first cases were in Wuhan, China, the source of the novel coronavirus is unknown at this time, see https://www.sciencedaily.com/...ses/2020/03/200317175442.htm. It has an animal origin, possibly bats or pangolins, both of which can have wide ranges that cross national boundaries. Pangolins are often smuggled into China for their meat and scales.Scientists may eventually be able to ferret out where the novel coronavirus mutation evolved, but right now you are incorrect to state that it is a "known fact" that it originated in China. By the way, the first known case had no known connection to wet markets.--Percy

known for MALARIA, what dosage and safety testing has been done for COVID-19?

Netflix has a documentary series, Pandemic (2020).One of the sites covered over most episodes is a rural hospital. The local outbreak strained that hospital to its limits, but they just barely held on thanks to the extraordinary efforts of the medical staff. If it had been just slightly worse, that hospital would have been overwhelmed.Republican healthcare systems mismanagement on the state level (eg, refusing federal Medicaid expansion under the ACA) has resulted in the failure and closure of many rural hospitals. That leaves so many red states far less able to handle the surge of patients that's coming -- coincidentally, MSNBC right now (1111 PST) is reporting on how rural hospitals are already becoming overwhelmed. And when the virus moves through the countryside, those victims will flood into the city hospitals which are already being overwhelmed.The MSNBC report had hospital management saying that while they had been able to just barely hold on up to this point, this pandemic will destroy them and force them to close after it's over. That will leave far more areas of America without healthcare services.Removing mitigation measures even in the most "unaffected" areas is a guarantee for disaster.

Trump came the closest today, not that his 3 years as President really qualifies him as a member of the political class entirely or exactly. The 48 years of Biden is another topic.Trump did say today that he inherited a situation of severely inadequate stockpiles and preparation. He mentioned that the military's mouthpiece advisors alerted him to the short supplies of ammunition and he rectified the situation. The implication is apparently that he did not get the same level of warnings when it came to a pathogenic catastrophe.This is the closest thing we might have to live with when it comes to getting a mea culpa.Unless there is a, so far, unseen push for accountability by the people or the honest elements of the press. Edited by LamarkNewAge, : No reason given.

The study claiming that hydroxychloroquine is effective was badly flawed, and rushed out without real peer review.The RegisterEdited by Adminnemooseus, : Fix link code.

Here's the latest graph showing US infections rising above 140,000: Here's the latest log graph. It clearly indicates a decline in the rate of spread. Given reports of increasingly dire situations in New Orleans, Detroit and Chicago, and given that the news isn't picking up on the decline in exponential growth, the possibility exists that this is an artifact of decreased weekend reporting, but if this holds up it is very good news: Here are the actual numbers against my projected numbers. The actual numbers are falling even further behind my projections, more evidence of slowing growth (but still growth). Because the change in slope seems to still be changing I'll wait another day to update these projections: --Percy

Or news people don’t know how to use log graphs.Enjoy

Ive just read 11 to 100,000: What went wrong with coronavirus testing in the U.S. and believe it's possible we're getting an inaccurate count of conronavirus infections in the US.And while the article does not comment on deaths, I think it is possible we're getting an inaccurate count of deaths, too. A significant number of those who die may never get tested for the CV, or they are tested but their test results do not come back in time for the coroner to note CV as the cause of death.--Percy

The increase per day looks roughly constant, so it might be a bottleneck in testing. Which is plausible enough to be worrying.

There is also the issue of when testing started and what protocols are being used. For example testing down here in the Valley only began about a week ago and it is still only testing those people who show definite signs of covid-19. In Hidalgo County there have only been 381 people tested, 28 confirmed tests and over 100 awaiting result. So of the approximately 280 test returned 28 were positive for covid-19. Based on that it would be reasonable to expect about 10 additional cases will be found among those who have been tested.The first confirmed case in this county was on March 21st.

Somebody died of taking fish tank cleaner, not this treatment.Today in the Wall Street Journal an opinion piece supporting the use of hydroxychloroquine in the treatment of COVID-19: Since I don't subscribe to the WSJ this is all of the piece I'm able to quote.Edited by Faith, : No reason given.Edited by Faith, : No reason given.Edited by Faith, : No reason given.Edited by Faith, : No reason given.

An opinion piece is not evidence of anything but opinion.

My daughter comes out of isolation tomorrow. She still has no smell or taste but for the first time reckons tooth paste tastes of something. She had this loss of smell without a cold - a weird thing. It's not being officially called a symptom that's definitive, but it's becoming clear that it may very well be one.

quote:

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By now you will probably be well aware that a cough, shortness of breath or high temperature are warning signs of Covid-19, and anyone who gets them needs to self-isolate for seven days. But another odd symptom seems to be a calling card: a sudden loss of smell, which is not caused by a blocked nose.

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The symptom appears to be incredibly common even though it is not yet widely discussed in the UK. More than two-thirds of those with coronavirus in Germany have lost their sense of smell, and 30 per cent of sufferers in South Korea have had anosmia as their main symptom, according to a report from ENT UK, an organisation which represents ear, nose and throat surgeons.

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The smell loss associated with coronavirus is different to that which you might get with a normal cold, says Professor Claire Hopkins, president of the British Rhinological Society. Typically when you have a cold your nose is congested, and therefore no-one is surprised you can’t smell, she says. But what’s happening here is there is no nasal obstruction so people are really surprised.

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The best guess of experts so far seems to be that Covid-19 is affecting the smell nerves in the nose. We have seen evidence showing how the virus has the ability to affect the nerves, and the smell nerves are the only bits that are exposed in a way that no other nerves are, says Professor Carl Philpott, professor of rhinology at the University of East Anglia. He believes that the virus causes neuronitis, or inflammation of the nerves in the nose, which stops them from performing as they should.

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Professor Hopkins adds that the virus could even enter into the brain and cause further effects on the sense of smell, although this is not necessarily something to worry about: Viral invasion is common but it sounds worse than it is. She says that many rhinoviruses and coronaviruses which cause the common cold do this.

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But no-one is yet completely sure for the reasons for the smell loss. Doing further research at present is difficult, says Professor Philpott: We would need to examine the noses, and that’s what we’re telling people not to do as it puts the doctor at massive risk.

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Some patients who are reporting smell loss are also saying that they have lost their ability to taste. The likelihood is they are mistaking smell for taste, says Professor Philpott. When you’re eating 80 per cent of what you appreciate of flavour is the smell, so people think they can’t taste even though they can still get salty, sweet, bitter and sour.

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Some patients are even experiencing dysgeusia: things tasting different to normal. Most people suffering this are describing a metallic taste, says Professor Hopkins. That does suggest other neurological manifestations as you should retain sweet, salty and so on. It suggests there is something going on in your brain potentially.

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The good news is that the coronavirus-induced anosmia looks like it will be temporary; most patients who have reported it so far describe their sense of smell returning within a fortnight says Professor Hopkins.

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It could be that smell loss is not the only symptom of coronavirus that the UK is not yet picking up on. Many other countries are not focusing as narrowly on cough and temperature as we are: France’s diagnostic test asks 23 questions which cover sore throat, tiredness and aches, as well as loss of smell and taste. Professor Hopkins has seen some more unusual symptoms herself: I’ve had a couple of colleagues say they had hearing loss or a burning sensation in their nose.

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The most important thing is to take smell loss seriously as a potential symptom of coronavirus. If you have suddenly lost your sense of smell, you should follow the recommendations for those with a new cough or temperature, says Professor Kumar, and isolate yourself for at least seven days. For social distancing to work we need to make sure people are not spreading it around, he says.

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Fantastic news. Hope all remain well.