COVID-19 Thread

[Kinsm]

Chicago Tribune---

A new, different type of coronavirus test is coming that will help significantly in the fight to quell the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors and scientists say.

The first so-called serology test, which detects antibodies to the virus rather than the virus itself, was given emergency approval Thursday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. And several more are nearly ready, said Dr. Elizabeth McNally, director of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Center for Genetic Medicine.

...

Doctors and scientists will be able to use it to determine just how widespread the disease is, who can safely return to work and possibly how to develop new treatments for those who are ill.

The serology test involves taking a blood sample and determining if it contains the antibodies that fight the virus. A positive result indicates the person had the virus in the past and is currently immune.

[NachoMan]

CNBC---

I've been hearing this too. My theory -- just a theory -- is that higher obesity rates among young US people is driving their worse outcomes compared to China/Italy.

[Larkin Fan]

The antibody test will allow us to do what is called surveillance testing which is where we will finally be able to find out just how many people have been infected by the virus.

[Larkin Fan]

I've been hearing this too. My theory -- just a theory -- is that higher obesity rates among young US people is driving their worse outcomes compared to China/Italy.

I think we need to be careful about floating hypotheses when we really don't know. It gives some a false sense of security that of they don't match that criteria, they are safe. Some of the stories that have been published about younger victims have not been people that were obese.

[Kinsm]

The most up to date info on coronavirus in Ohio.

https://www.cleveland.com/coronaviru...nd-trends.html

3pm 4/4/20

The 3,739 confirmed coronavirus cases to date in Ohio are spread across 76 of the state’s 88 counties, with 102 deaths, the Ohio Department of Health reported Saturday.

Ohio Health Director Dr. Amy Acton has repeatedly cautioned that the totals are understated, often calling them the “tip of the iceberg," because of limited testing.

Testing is planned for a sample population to get a better understanding of the spread of the virus in Ohio. Currently, there has been a focus on testing healthcare workers and those with severe problems, with 38,375 tests completed so far.

The state reported 1,006 hospitalizations to date, with 326 in intensive care units. This is up from 895 and 288 on Friday, 802 and 260 on Thursday and 679 and 222 on Wednesday.8

The age range to date is from under 1 to 101, with a median age of 54; 20% are health care workers.

Ohio has processed only 14K tests over the past 6 days.

[BernieCarbo]

I've been hearing this too. My theory -- just a theory -- is that higher obesity rates among young US people is driving their worse outcomes compared to China/Italy.

Absolutely. Any respiratory illness will hit the obese extra hard, and man, we have a lot of them.

As an aside, the fact that you posted that matches your handle perfectly.

[BernieCarbo]

Chicago Tribune---

Question (and I know you are just the messenger, not a doctor, so this is a general question): If someone does not show antibodies, and they are strong and healthy with no obvious risks, how do the get the antibodies? Do they have to get coronavirus and recover from it?

[paintmered]

Question (and I know you are just the messenger, not a doctor, so this is a general question): If someone does not show antibodies, and they are strong and healthy with no obvious risks, how do the get the antibodies? Do they have to get coronavirus and recover from it?

Also not a doctor here.

Until there's a vaccine available, the only way to have antibodies present in one's system is to contract the virus and recover from it. It's a completely new virus (for humans), so there is no way to have any prior exposure or immunity against it otherwise.

[North]

Another oar in the water. Keep ’em coming.

Possible coronavirus drug identified by Australian scientists

https://www.prescouter.com/news/poss...an-scientists/

And the study paper:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc...66354220302011


These are in vitro studies. Important distinction. The compound, Ivermectin, has been used in vivo for some time:

https://www.drugs.com/mtm/ivermectin.html

[jup]

The most up to date info on coronavirus in Ohio.

https://www.cleveland.com/coronaviru...nd-trends.html

3pm 4/4/20



Ohio has processed only 14K tests over the past 6 days.

While the testing (or lack there of) leaves many things under reported. The hospitalizations do not. So in Ohio, even with lack of testing, the hospitalizations are the most sound number to work from. And those numbers say the 100K infections that they estimated on Mar 22nd are way off when the average time from infections to symptoms is 5 days.

[North]

Go away, troll.

[jup]

Go away, troll.

I think this is a public board if I am not mistaken

[mth123]

I've been hearing this too. My theory -- just a theory -- is that higher obesity rates among young US people is driving their worse outcomes compared to China/Italy.

I've though this too. I think the dynamic in the US is different. It's not just a disease that kills people "who are going to die "in a couple of years anyway" as one poster put it in one of these threads. A whole lot of the population is overweight and with high blood pressure. From some of the stuff I've read and heard, I have the impression that it's enough to make the disease serious for even younger people. There are a whole lot of people in the country with 30+ years to live (including some in their 60s).

[Kingspoint]

Think about it. What you are experiencing is a very small sample of what it's like for people living in care facilities every day of the year, except it"s even more isolating for them right now, and extremely deadly. This soon will pass for you. It won't for them. Remember how much they suffer on a daily basis when this is over for you.

[marcshoe]

This virus makes everything abnormal. My father in Florida is dying now, not of Covid but of a kidney infection that's been recurring for more than a year. They're finally letting his wife in to see him. There won't be a service. I'm hoping they do something later, when it's safe. Nothing's right right now.