COVID-19 / Coronavirus Discussion

[BricksBrotha]

13 hours ago, whoisbiggles said:

Guess where the test kits are manufactured.................... Northern Italy

The reagent chemicals for the test kits come from.................. China

Private enterprise and Government both outsource their manufacturing to where it is cheapest.

The reagents contain trace amount of the virus, either it be live or treated. That would be highly prohibited in the country by USDA & FDA guidelines.  A similar example would be the test kit for Mad cow disease or BSE-scrapie. That test kit needs to be finalized in the UK because we the US have strict policies(forbidden!)when it comes to handling live virus’ (prions in the case of BSE) required to manufacture the critical reagents.

13 hours ago, jeff_14 said:

Exactly. The private sector only moves where there is profit to be made.

You both touched on the point of outsourcing. Most people assume it’s because of cheap labor. Labor would only be one obvious example however,  the reasons maybe underlying rather than direct. Most countries do not operate under the same umberella of strict guidelines our private sector is forced to adhere to, especially companies that fall under the USDA or FDA.  Most company’s bring that part of their product development to a subsidiary or purchased entity outside the US to a country where there is less guidelines to follow to conclude a specific part of product validation or launch.  This cuts down on the amount of hurdles to jump, ie. federal requirements, safety protocols just to mention a few of the thousands that exist. 

What we DONT need are existing Pills(chloroquine) that only dampen the symptoms and line the pockets of Pharma.

What we NEED is to loosen the restrictions on the development of plasma treatments and work on optimizing the system, which I think $20Joe mentioned. This has the bigggest potential impact on the entire global community, not to mention our current scenario. Yet, the economics are unknown so most investors are more comfortable with the knowns. That’s reality. 

Here is a pretty decent read from a fellow who helped eradicate Small Pox. He has a very interesting perspective since this has all started. Great last name too, should work for Guinness!

https://www.wired.com/story/coronavirus-interview-larry-brilliant-smallpox-epidemiologist/

 

ps. I do apologize to those here for cheap laughs, just trying to keep this thread informative to fellow BP’rs since there is a lot of misinformation and ignorant people out there. It is a serious time tho most would not like to admit it.

if that’s what your looking for this thread maybe more appropriate.

 

 

Edited March 20, 2020 by BricksBrotha
Typo

[Pseudoty]

@BricksBrotha do you think people in the USA will buy into plasma donations once recovered?  Seeing a lot about Red Cross needing blood for regular non corona virus related issues but donations have basically halted. 

Also read a promising article about the development of an antibody test. It is available in EU but not FDA approved yet. One of the main advantages besides speed of results is it helps identify asymptomatic and recovered individuals that could become your plasm donors. 

[Mark Twain]

[mention=75733]BricksBrotha[/mention] do you think people in the USA will buy into plasma donations once recovered?  Seeing a lot about Red Cross needing blood for regular non corona virus related issues but donations have basically halted. 
Also read a promising article about the development of an antibody test. It is available in EU but not FDA approved yet. One of the main advantages besides speed of results is it helps identify asymptomatic and recovered individuals that could become your plasm donors. 

We’re seeing a lot of reports flying back and forth from one country to the next, without much vetting in between about drugs and vaccine tests. Example, The French health ministry suggested not giving ibuprofen to coronavirus patients because they found it worsened symptoms and the report was widely picked up internationally. The WHO does not recognize that and sees no such link. We’re going to have to carefully navigate the news reports and studies and really should only rely on the CDC and WHO in terms of what drugs are actually available and work.

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/stephaniemlee/coronavirus-ibuprofen-who

[Darth_Raichu]

Apparently Gamestop think they are essential business and their stores remain open. 

[gmpirate]

1 minute ago, Darth_Raichu said:

Apparently Gamestop think they are essential business and their stores remain open. 

Anyone with kids would consider Gamestop essential right now.  My wife and I were just talking about it last night.  If not for video games and chatting with all their friends they would be going batty right now -- or at least more batty.

[Ed Mack]

This is the nonsense that is floating around now...

And here is the truth...

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/03/19/fact-check-does-stafford-act-allow-trump-order-quarantine/2872743001/

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/white-house-quarantine-text/?utm_source=contact&utm_medium=airtable&utm_campaign=covid19

 

[Darth_Raichu]

1 minute ago, gmpirate said:

Anyone with kids would consider Gamestop essential right now.  My wife and I were just talking about it last night.  If not for video games and chatting with all their friends they would be going batty right now -- or at least more batty.

A lot of games nowadays can be purchased online or even downloaded for free.  This is why Gamestop is flirting with bankruptcy every other quarters

[Ed Mack]

Gamestop is essential to many parents.  I have several backup controllers and even an XBOX ready to go.

[Alpinemaps]

Italy's population is the second-oldest in the world, after Japan's, and the country has suffered the worst outbreak in Europe by far.

 

So what is Japan doing that's right?

Italians (I am one), tend to be very touchy-feely. Lots of hugging and kissing of friends and family. Japanese don’t usually go around doing that.

 

So if I had guess, I’d say the social distancing that a lot of Japanese typically practice has worked in their favor.

 

On another note - my school district sent out a note this morning that a parent tested presumptive positive. The parent has two kids, one at the elementary and one at the middle school.

 

So, we’ll see how it goes. It’s a long chain to get from there to here, but we’ll have to see what happens.

[BricksBrotha]

@Pseudoty,  good question though its hard to determine how the public will react. Since serology/plasma treatment is still not really being explored by most and considered in the experimental phase, its hard to predict the acceptance.  Anyone could imagine though, a treatment that would offer full recovery will little to minimum side effects would be hard to dismiss.

 

Also, interesting point about blood donations declining, which makes sense since all things that relied on normal daily life will be disrupted. But this will be a serious downside that people who need blood transfusions for other heath reasons may run short.  However, I don't think that would effect what we are talking about in this instance.

 

Based on the limited i know about the process, my understanding is the plasma/serum transfusion wouldn't be from the normal population of people donating blood.  It would have to be from either someone known to be infected or vaccinated(tooearly) so they have developed an genetic response on the immune level and encoded in their white blood response. We have also still yet to determine how some of the population can have natural immunity to these such virus' or bacteria or caner or what have you. So potentially, it wouldnt event have to get that far. But until we understand our own genome and the antigen's genome further, this will be a gap. I feel we are close though, and a global event like this will only motivate the community.

 

Do you happen to remember where you read that article about these new tests being developed? The tests I work with daily are Ab(antibody) and Ag(Antigen) based diagnostics(tests) and I would be very interested on the mechanics of their detection chains.

 

All of the ideas for kids education/entertainment are a great discussion! Times like these are when we need to rally and support each other.  Music playlists, Movies, DIYs, anything to help get through the down time.  Personally, I am about to adventure into a project of my own.  Mud, Tape and Sand the walls and ceilings of our 800 sqft walk out basement🙃

Edited March 20, 2020 by BricksBrotha
Typo

[Jeffrey_Dollars]

Does anybody know, are they still operating postal services in, for instance California? I know you're not supposed to go anywhere non essential, i would assume that could include the post office? But if you cant travel to the post office, can you still schedule a pickup from your residence with the post office? I know this is very early on still, but if anybody gets any info on how postal operations will proceed in states (specifically for me Illinois) that are shut down, please let me know.

[Pseudoty]

@BricksBrotha here is the link and thanks for the response

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/03/new-blood-tests-antibodies-could-show-true-scale-coronavirus-pandemic

[$20 on joe vs dan]

41 minutes ago, Jeffrey_Dollars said:

Does anybody know, are they still operating postal services in, for instance California? I know you're not supposed to go anywhere non essential, i would assume that could include the post office? But if you cant travel to the post office, can you still schedule a pickup from your residence with the post office? I know this is very early on still, but if anybody gets any info on how postal operations will proceed in states (specifically for me Illinois) that are shut down, please let me know.

In SF Bay Area (Yes post office is normal) the only notable difference is less traffic, takeout/delivery only for restaurants, some empty shelves in stores. Entertainment venues are closed including parks (which is lame). 

Trying to work from home and closed schools are everyone so not noting that

Edited March 20, 2020 by $20 on joe vs dan

[SLL]

43 minutes ago, Jeffrey_Dollars said:

Does anybody know, are they still operating postal services in, for instance California? I know you're not supposed to go anywhere non essential, i would assume that could include the post office? But if you cant travel to the post office, can you still schedule a pickup from your residence with the post office? I know this is very early on still, but if anybody gets any info on how postal operations will proceed in states (specifically for me Illinois) that are shut down, please let me know.

https://about.usps.com/newsroom/statements/usps-statement-on-coronavirus.htm

Hightlight from the above link

"In addition, the Postal Service is an essential service for purposes of its compliance with state or municipality shelter-in-place orders or other social distancing restrictions."

[$20 on joe vs dan]

4 hours ago, Mark Twain said:

We’re seeing a lot of reports flying back and forth from one country to the next, without much vetting in between about drugs and vaccine tests. Example, The French health ministry suggested not giving ibuprofen to coronavirus patients because they found it worsened symptoms and the report was widely picked up internationally. The WHO does not recognize that and sees no such link. We’re going to have to carefully navigate the news reports and studies and really should only rely on the CDC and WHO in terms of what drugs are actually available and work.

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/stephaniemlee/coronavirus-ibuprofen-who

there's still a lot of uncertainty and unfortunately the conservative nature of these mega agencies (CDC and WHO) limits them in what they can say "officially".

remember the WHO only officially determined it was a Pandemic about a week ago...anyone waiting on that declaration would have been too late.

Individual doctors who have treated CV patients have noted correlations (but no definitive causation) that steroidal and NSAIDs seems to make symptoms worse...are you going to wait for the "Official word" which may come next year or simply go w/ Tylenol instead of Advil?  (I know This is not a minor choice for those w/ Liver problems).

Anyone expecting definitive AND TIMELY information to be on a billboard (ie WHO/CDC website) is not being realistic.   

[Bold-Arrow]

Politicians/media need to chill on Plaquenil and be more responsible with their reporting . The only person with dignity at the moment on tv is Dr. Fauci... I am unable to order it for existing patients for conditions that have nothing to do with Corona .. 

[MarleyMoose]

2 hours ago, Jeffrey_Dollars said:

Does anybody know, are they still operating postal services in, for instance California? I know you're not supposed to go anywhere non essential, i would assume that could include the post office? But if you cant travel to the post office, can you still schedule a pickup from your residence with the post office? I know this is very early on still, but if anybody gets any info on how postal operations will proceed in states (specifically for me Illinois) that are shut down, please let me know.

My wife works for the USPS. They are still open in Massachusetts. Every day she comes home in disbelief because a majority of her customers still come in everyday to get their 1 or 2 pieces of 3rd class mail. Or to mail out "important" stuff.  Most of her customers are 65+ as well and don't seem to care. I won't get in to how inept her superiors are. They aren't even talking about closing down.

[Legojona]

3 hours ago, Alpinemaps said:

Italians (I am one), tend to be very touchy-feely. Lots of hugging and kissing of friends and family. Japanese don’t usually go around doing that.

 

So if I had guess, I’d say the social distancing that a lot of Japanese typically practice has worked in their favor.

 

On another note - my school district sent out a note this morning that a parent tested presumptive positive. The parent has two kids, one at the elementary and one at the middle school.

 

So, we’ll see how it goes. It’s a long chain to get from there to here, but we’ll have to see what happens.

Japanese public transportation cannot be ideal for social distancing, though. 

[Foreman Porgy]

I get the idea of social distancing. It’s something I’ve practiced my whole life. The problem is, that we need someone who will literally shut down the whole USA for 2 weeks or more, instead of leaving it up to each state. It’s wasting too much time. That is the only way we will ever get past this. There are so many unoccupied college dorms right now. Turn those into hospital rooms. 

[spener90]

24 minutes ago, Foreman Porgy said:

I get the idea of social distancing. It’s something I’ve practiced my whole life.

This feels so real. I feel like I'm dating my high school girlfriend again.

Seriously though, as an introvert I feel no struggles with this at all. I'm sure many here can relate to this.

[Darth_Raichu]

33 minutes ago, Foreman Porgy said:

There are so many unoccupied college dorms right now. Turn those into hospital rooms. 

They have to thoroughly bleach those rooms 3 times before putting anyone sick in them.  I lived in the dorms, I know what's going on in those

[Foreman Porgy]

9 minutes ago, Darth_Raichu said:

They have to thoroughly bleach those rooms 3 times before putting anyone sick in them.  I lived in the dorms, I know what's going on in those

So many different fun activities go on in dorm rooms! Highly unsanitary ones though lol 

[NIevo]

38 minutes ago, Foreman Porgy said:

So many different fun activities go on in dorm rooms! Highly unsanitary ones though lol 

If you've lived in a dorm room I'm pretty sure your immune.

 

 

[NIevo]

[NIevo]