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Originally posted by Janice Glesser
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Thank you very much, Janice! -
Well that was a surprise this morning when my GP phoned me up to see how I was getting on. As the medical centers are all closed for waiting room visits. He asked me if there was anything I need. We had a quick chat about things in general, and that he thought the country shutdown was going to last more than the 4 weeks. I asked him about the rate its spreading, compared to the usual yearly flu and he told me that one person with it, can effect more people at a faster rate than the usual flu....his exact words were "its a scary time". A very down to earth guy to deal with, that I have been going to for over 30 years. I am full of praise for all the medical people involved and sure that we all are, who are on the front line world wide dealing with this virus. His advice "stay home".Comment
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Well after WWI we had what was called Spanish 'flu, though I think it was later proved to have started elsewhere, and later Asian 'flu. So that fits.
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I heard that is was called "Spanish flu" because Spain was the only country to publish figures of infected and dead people.Comment
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Full article here: https://www.sciencefriday.com/articl...e-spanish-flu/Spain remained neutral in the war, and, as a result, wasn’t subject to wartime precautions and censorship rules. The Spaniards had no reason to keep mum, and ABC, one of the national Spanish newspapers, was one of the first, if not the first, to report on the illness snaking through the country. The pandemic didn’t originate in Spain—in fact, it wasn't nearly as bad there as it was for other countries. Even today, experts aren’t certain where the outbreak originated. Some say China, some say the American Midwest, and others suggest France. But one thing’s for certain—it wasn’t Spain.
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Well to change and inject some humor into this whole thing - I compare this situation to NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD but the only thing is we haven't started to EAT each other - yet .Comment
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I'm closing this thread temporarily to deal with comments that violate a number of Forum rules.
Doug
Edit: I declare this topic open.......Comment
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Shutting down the economy and staying home would be worth the pain if it would solve the problem. Unfortunately, unless the whole world also goes into lockdown, or the whole country does it with 100% closing the borders during the lockdown, it will not work. As soon as the lockdown is lifted, people will start traveling to/from areas where the virus is still spreading and bring it back.
One ray of hope is that devices that can quickly test for infections in minutes on site, are maybe a few months away. A vaccine is probably a few years away.Comment
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An analogy might help us all understand the predicament we are currently in. Covid-19 is like a growing volume of water in a large dam. The water in the dam can be released all at once, which will cause the most damage possible, or the water can be released slowly which will cause the least damage. However, the slower the water is released, the longer the problem will persist. The trick is to find a balance.
As noted in "Economic Effects of the 1918 Influenza Pandemic Implications for a Modern-day Pandemic":
"Health care is irrelevant unless there are systems in place to ensure that an influenza pandemic will not knock out health-care provision .... If medical staff succumbs to the influenza and facilities are overwhelmed, the duration and severity of the pandemic will be increased."
This graphic sums it up pretty well:
Sources:
https://www.stlouisfed.org/~/media/f...port.pdf?la=en
https://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-w...why-it-mattersComment
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Here's something that's sounding like a possibility in the near future...Originally posted by Mitchell Dvoskin View Post
You arrive at your airport in some country or another, for a flight to some other country - like maybe the USA. You are tested for Covid-19 as part of the security process. The results take a few minutes to appear. If you've got it - no trip for you!
Hopefully those super-fast tests become a reality sooner rather than later.
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These quick virus DNA testing machines already exist for non-human viruses. Several companies that already manufacture them have modified them to check for Corona-19, and are in testing to determine if they are accurate enough to use for this purpose. If they are, then all that is left is to ramp up manufacturing for what was previously a niche product. The problem with vaccines, is that it would need to be tested not only for effectiveness across all age and ethnic groups, but will also need to be tested for long term unexpected issues. Injecting something into your body has the potential to cause more problems in the future, and the regulators need to know what, if anything, may happen.
In the 1950's there was a drug called Thalidomide, a sleeping aid that you could not OD on. It was approved by regulators in Europe, but fortunately the USA held off until long term effects were known. Unfortunately, the drug when taken by pregnant women cause thousands of hideous birth defects, and decades later there is some evidence that children of children who's mother took it also have had children with birth defects. We don't want the cure to be worse than the disease.
Unrelated, the first documented occurance of airborne Corona contamination has been reported. Although the circumstances are unique, it is just one more thing to worry about.
LA Times Link
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A local pharmaceutical company is now testing a blood test for antibodies that can be completed on-site in about 15 minutes. Assuming people that have recovered aren't contagious anymore, this could allow people to come back out into real life again. I heard today that roughly half the people that get infected never have any symptoms: that's a lot of people avoiding an infection they actually had weeks ago.Comment
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Here is a really interesting and informative video to show what researchers are doing now that the virus has been isolated at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont, where I live!
https://globalnews.ca/video/6689284/...ne-on-the-way/
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