corona virus comment

I think they might be out faster than some think. Bayer said they had 3 million tablets ready to go, so it's just a matter of distribution and so on. CDC and some of the others are playing politics with it because they didn't make the discovery that malaria medication works on it

Slight clarification, the hydroxychloroquineplus plus zpack treatment Bayer is talking about is still a tentative (but very hopeful) treatment not a vaccine. Hydroxychloroquineplus used to treat malaria, lupus, and a few other diseases and has a lot of interesting properties (I've learned way more about zinc ionophores in the last week than I ever wanted to want to know). The zpack (azithromycin) being used alongside it is nominally an antibiotic so probably treats co-infections but may have some weird beneficial side effects which are still unclear, it's a weird drug with a lot of plausibly beneficial side effects in some of these cases. If we can use this to suppress the critical cases to non-critical at least that would take a lot of strain off of the system (and it's something that there is widespread capacity for production and deployment). The really hopeful part about this treatment is that it appears to reduce viral shedding (how infectious the person is) so it could help reduce the spread dramatically if we can also improve early detection and testing and then isolate and treat those cases. Early trials show it cutting both the severity of and also the duration of most cases (appears to be especially effective on early/mild cases).

There is some really interesting work being done on re-using existing vaccines though - a wide scale test was just done with some healthcare workers in the Netherlands with Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BCG_vaccine) which is used as a tuberculosis vaccine (and bladder cancer treatment!) in much of the world (but not Italy or the US) but apparently has widespread effects on other diseases as an immune system booster - https://www.radboudumc.nl/en/news/2...lthcare-workers-against-coronavirus-infection There is some tentative evidence that some of the more severe problems maybe due to co-infections with other diseases but I haven't seen anything definitive yet. Note that this is NOT an vaccine against SCV2 but may provide some protection and reduce the seriousness of infections.

The medical system is indeed moving at light speed but an actual vaccine in widespread deployment of a real vaccine is extremely unlikely for at least a year. Hopefully we can improve the containment and treatment in the meantime though which will make the interim a lot less costly and painful.

Watching the data come out has been really interesting, but I'm mostly wishing this was a less statistically interesting time!!!
 
Good to see that you tested negative, Dave. Hope whatever it is that does have you leaves you alone and goes away quickly.
We have one positive case in our small town. It does appear that social distancing is keeping things pretty quiet in these parts. We're taking turns going home early at work because though we're an essential business, car repair shops are slow so we are selling a lot fewer parts.
I'm concerned for the elderly too, which includes my inlaws in PR, and those with pre-existing lung issues, like my wife. She's in PR taking care of her parents right now so I'm a little more nervous for her than I would be if she were here.
 
Just about everything that's not essential has been closed or cancelled here in the Rochester area, and most of NY state. There's a strange peacefulness to all this downtime tho.
 
This thing finally hit our little burg. Here's a post from our local hospital:

"Two people currently hospitalized at Archbold Memorial Hospital tested positive for COVID-19, according to a news release from the medical center.

The hospital isn’t revealing any other details about the patients, but they are the first confirmed cases in Thomas County. Archbold recently set up drive-thru testing capabilities."

We're spending less time going out anywhere and have enough supplies to last us along time.
 
We're up to about 20 confirmed cases in our county I think. It would be nice if they could get a handle on how these people got it. I get the patient privacy thing but it would be nice to know if there are places we have to avoid. Places that we have to go like the grocery store for food.
 
I guess we could make lemonade from lemons and let our spouses know there is a tool and wood shortage. Run out and buy all you can. ;)

Funny you should say that. I am caught between shops and have noticed an uptick in my purchasing. Things I would have waited to get till the shell was up seem to be appearing on my door step???
 
Keep in mind that even though the numbers are low, those are "confirmed" numbers where the person actually got tested. The virus is making its way around and some folks show very minor symptoms and never get tested to "confirm" it. ;)
 
we are till the 13th i think.. been good knowing yuall..
Hmmm. Should of bought more lumber. Only enough work in the shop to keep me busy till the end of the month. I wonder if a trip to the lumber mill is considered 'essential travel'. :rofl: If they are even open!

Well, plenty of stuff on the honey-do list that won't need additional supplies. :doh:
 
we're not on lock down in Tennessee YET, but Dianne and I are self quarantining ourselves anyway... just to be safe....'course, we rarely go anywhere anyway, so it's not any hardship.
And I have plenty of wood in the shop and stacked in front of it to keep me busy until this is over, and probably long after that too.
 
Sucky timing? The current issue of Southern Living magazine has an article on the Top 20 Southern towns to visit.

Here's an excerpt:
8. Thomasville, Georgia
The charming cobblestone Main Street, lined with one-of-a-kind boutiques and eateries, is Thomasville’s calling card. Its downtown is filled with historic homes and oak-canopied streets. At Elizabeth Ireland Poe Park, see “The Big Oak,” a Southern live oak with a 165-foot limb span. While you’re there, have your picture made at the Big Oak Cam.
Learn more about Thomasville, Georgia."

Here's the full article on Thomasville. Haven't noticed an uptick in travelers, yet! :)

As to the COVID-19 cases, Thomas County has a population of 44,779; City of Thomasville is 18,515 of those. So, two cases in our population.
 
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