[locusjag]

Originally Posted by karan0009

China to test ENTIRE POPULATION of Wuhan for Covid-19 after disease reemerges.

11 million tests in 10 days .Is it practically possible ?

Vietnam had vaccinated every single farm-bred bird (chicken, ducks, turkeys...) in 2 months back when the Swine Flu hit them badly. That's how they broke the back of that virus. The head-count of farm-bred birds in the country should be a mind-boggling one. So vaccinating a mind-boggling number of birds in 2 months versus a region's human residents - and we're talking about China here. Why not?

Originally Posted by msdivy

Why is Covid-19 being treated like a terrorist bomb situation and Covid-19 positive cases are handled like a nuclear accident?

Why can't they disinfect the common area, lifts, doors & other contact points for an hour and get on with their work?

An observation from my side - I was watching the "Pandemic" series on Netflix last night and I saw how Ebola cases were handled exactly like nuclear accidents are handled. Now, I do not know if anyone fully knows how infectious this new virus is when compared to the Ebola virus.

[msdivy]

Originally Posted by locusjag

Now, I do not know if anyone fully knows how infectious this new virus is when compared to the Ebola virus.

Ebola is contracted typically from a very severely ebola infected person. Somebody has to be very ill to spread ebola. So the transmission is very low. But it is a more dangerous disease. The risk of death is higher. Hence ebola cases are handled with utmost care.

Originally Posted by Jeroen

As it is, there are probably more unknowns than knowns.

Originally Posted by srishiva

People not knowing much about the behaviour of he virus might be the reason.

By now, the virus must have been well-known & understood. If there is any unknown, please post it here. We can find the answer.

Originally Posted by srishiva

I am not sure if disinfecting can be totally fool proof, how do you guarantee 100% coverage of the areas ? We wouldn't be doing any of this for a normal flu virus. But this is different.

Covid-19 is a virus. It exihits all characters of a virus and can be killed by any virus killing method. Though it induces different symptoms in humans, biologically it is not different from any virus.

This is paper quoted for study - Air, Surface Environmental, and Personal Protective Equipment Contamination by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) From a Symptomatic Patient

There was extensive environmental contamination by 1 SARS-CoV-2 patient with mild upper respiratory tract involvement. Toilet bowl and sink samples were positive, suggesting that viral shedding in stool5 could be a potential route of transmission. Postcleaning samples were negative, suggesting that current decontamination measures are sufficient.

Twice-daily cleaning of high-touch areas was done using 5000 ppm of sodium dichloroisocyanurate. The floor was cleaned daily using 1000 ppm of sodium dichloroisocyanurate.

As per Table 2 in the paper, before cleaning, the samples tested +ve. After cleaning, the samples tested -ve. So cleaning is sufficient.

BTW, the samples were taken from a highly contaminated patient's room who was exhibiting greater viral shedding. This cannot be generalized for public places, where the risk is much lower.

Also, no airborne transmission was found as per that paper. Technically,

Droplet transmission occurs when a person is in in close contact (within 1 m) with someone who has respiratory symptoms (e.g., coughing or sneezing) and is therefore at risk of having his/her mucosae (mouth and nose) or conjunctiva (eyes) exposed to potentially infective respiratory droplets. Transmission may also occur through fomites in the immediate environment around the infected person.8 Therefore, transmission of the COVID-19 virus can occur by direct contact with infected people and indirect contact with surfaces in the immediate environment or with objects used on the infected person (e.g., stethoscope or thermometer).

So the primary mode of contracting covid-19 is if respiratory droplets fall on the face when the infected person is sneezing (high chance), coughing (medium), or speaking (low chance) in close proximity for a considerable amount of time. Some of these situations are doctor examining patient, eating in restaurants, classrooms, office meeting room, travel by public transport. Wearing a mask will reduce the transmission in these situations. But while dealing with someone exhibiting symptoms, PPE is a must to be safe.

Other mechanisms of transmission are very less.

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by msdivy

By now, the virus must have been well-known & understood. If there is any unknown, please post it here. We can find the answer.
.

I am watching Dr. Fauci giving evidence in the US senate. He says and I quote

there is still much that is not known about the virus,

He also said:

warned not to be "cavalier" about the threat to children, given new evidence that they may not be "completely immune to the deleterious effects" of the virus.

So he just doesn’t know and he is very upfront about not knowing all the answers to what this virus is and or does.

I hear the same from the experts advising the Dutch, the German, the UK, just about every government in the world.

If there is one thing they all agree to, is that they are still discovering and learning new aspects of this virus.

Some of the scientist have different views on these matters too, that in itself is further evidence that the exact workings of this virus is still not understood.

In some of the decisions a lot of interpretation and political consideration is mixed with science. There are big differences in how countries are dealing with schools. Even the need or when / if there is a need for wearing a face mask, in public is highly disputed. The Netherlands has begun lifting restrictions slowly, but no general need to wear mask. Very different in Germany.

To date we still don’t fully understand to what extend immunity happens (or not) post infection.

The fact that various countries are slowly starting to lift some of the restriction is not a measure of our understanding of the virus.


Jeroen

Originally Posted by msdivy

By now, the virus must have been well-known & understood. If there is any unknown, please post it here. We can find the answer.

Please google “what we don’t know about corona” You will find references to dozens of articles, many from reputable sources highlighting endless stuff we still don’t know and or fully understand

Jeroen

[Miyata]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

Please google “what we don’t know about corona” You will find references to dozens of articles

I guess one thing that might have helped a lot of folks working on addressing the covid (and also the general public alike) -

The way JHU and many other portals/dashboards are keeping a tab on various statistics related to the infection, testing, deaths, recoveries, etc; they could have come up with a list of questions that are basically the "essential things to know" about the nCov that'd clear the path towards potential drug/vaccine development.

With appropriate links (or/and summary) going with each list above as they keep getting checked out.

That way, I presume, more people will be able to contribute to the resolution while also double-checking or cross-checking the results getting published/collated.

We do such a thing on a smaller scale in corporate research centers where we chart out such landscapes defined by a pre-determined (but also evolving) list of "knows", "unknowns", and "critical thing that we ought to know"...along those lines.

[mvadg]

Originally Posted by msdivy

...

Wow! That's an army ops style, confident set of assertions!
I doubt the world of science and research operates that way.
I am expecting a research paper any day now, suggesting transoceanic transport of the virus via air currents, given the right conditions, with enough viable virus transferred to infect organisms at the end of their journey!
[but the truth is this has been observed with bacteria, I thought I was imagining something outlandish, but here it is https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5544686/

]
We know next to nothing about this virus and for that matter anything. The best we can do is make some observations and revise them as new information comes along. I remember one line from the interview with the South Korean researcher Professor Kim Woo-joo saying "We must be humble"

[Thad E Ginathom]

One vital thing we don't know about this virus is whether or not it leaves us immune to another attack.

It's effects on the body are still being discovered as they go. I guess the clue is the word is "novel." And I guess some new viruses are more novel than others. This one seems to be a champ.

[locusjag]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

One vital thing we don't know about this virus is whether or not it leaves us immune to another attack.

Yes! Plus, there is also the other risk of cancers developing in one's body after the virus has done its part. From my undergrad days spent studying Biotechnology, I faintly remember those links in the cellular biological & immunological world where viruses and cancerous cells have some kind of kinship.

Hepatitis comes first, liver cancer comes later for instance. Hell, even non-viral Helicobacter pylori infections lead to stomach cancer later! We know but the tip of the iceberg in this macabre world to start with. Maybe we know only a pin-sized tip of the iceberg's tip in the novel Coronavirus' case.

[mvadg]

Here's another interview with the South Korean researcher Professor Kim Joo Woo. (frankly, I don't think there is anything new in what he is saying, so I rate it a 3/5 compared to his previous interview)

https://youtu.be/0k84gE7ObuQ

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by locusjag

... Hepatitis comes first, liver cancer comes later for instance. Hell, even non-viral Helicobacter pylori infections lead to stomach cancer later! We know but the tip of the iceberg in this macabre world to start with. Maybe we know only a pin-sized tip of the iceberg's tip in the novel Coronavirus' case.

Well, there's a happy thought for bedtime!

But yes... I'm just an ordinary guy reading non-speciality media, and it seems that finding out what all places this virus can stick its fingers has absolutely only just begun.

Another sad story I read a few hours a go was the death of a 6-month baby, a few days after that of its mother. Point from the story: another unknown is how it enters the foetus/child from the mother.

[gururajrv]

Why social distancing should be strictly followed until vaccination / cure is out and is effective to full extent is clearly shown in this video. Lockdown will be relaxed but the restrictions are to be strictly followed by us for the sake of keeping our loved ones safe. This video demonstration is very much clear as to how Virus spreads:

https://youtu.be/kGQEuuv9R6E

[mvadg]

One takeaway from the Professor Kim Joo Woo interview - the next big wave is expected to start in September, when temperatures start falling in the Northern Hemisphere.

[INJAXN]

Originally Posted by INJAXN

Now the authorities ( no idea who they were) told my cousin and others who were watching from their houses, that every one in the lane will now be tested. They will also give some immunity booster medicine ( some sort of churan).

Within half an hour, they also locked the whole lane. attaching pics of one end.

This news is from Indore.

Update on testing of every one in the lane:
- 50+ samples were taken on 11th.
- Out of 50, reports of 28 have come this morning, and all are -ve.

[srini1785]

" A single death is a tragedy: A million is a statistic" - Joseph Stalin.

Those prophetic words are proving to be correct. We seem to be debating on the economics, tax rates, bailouts, lockdown versions and countless paraphernalia while accountability has gone right out of the window.

Fact is indeed stranger than fiction.

[rohan_iitr]

Note to mods : Creating a new thread to discuss the precautions / guidelines to be followed by average joe's for fight against Covid virus. Please merge if you feel this does not call for a dedicated thread.

Hi all,

Now that the lockdown is getting lifted and people would be required to visit their workplace, it would be a good idea to list down the precautions / guidelines to be followed for an average office goer.

Guidelines may already be in place for Corona warriers like medical professionals, police staff, delivery personnel and staff in shops/supermarkets, but these may be more stringent because of the higher level of exposure to potentially infected people. Does an average guy who is going to his office also need to follow such stringent guidelines ?

I am observing the behaviour of people around me and I am seeing people behaving in all kind of ways.

Some people are over-confident, not even wearing mask at all times, or wearing mask improperly. Still gathering in large groups during coffee breaks and chatting for prolonged periods with the mask removed. They still continue to take breakfast and lunch from office cafeteria (being provided as take-away to be eaten alone at your cubicle), instead of carrying home cooked meals.

On the other hand, I also see some of my colleagues who are absolutely panic striken in the office. They will empty half a bottle of hand sanitizer in a day and would change their path if they see anybody nearby. Some people are afraid to touch food even after washing hands with soap, hence prefer to bring rice based items which can be consumed with spoon.

I tend to follow middle ground and follow the following:
- When I am in office, the only precautions I follow are using mask at all times (except while having lunch/tea), avoiding touching the face, washing hands before eating and avoid getting too close to other people
- I have breakfast at home and carry home cooked lunch to office
- I am using a different office bag (compared to my usual one) in which I carry the bare essentials. After reaching home, I keep this bag near the main door and put my wallet, keys etc in it. I do not bother cleaning it because I have to again take it out the next day.
- After reaching home, I take off my clothes at the main door and put them directly in the washing machine.
- After that, I wash my hands with liquid soap (dispensed by my wife) without touching anything else in the house.
- After washing my hands, I clean my mobile phone with concentrated dettol liquid and dip my washable mask in diluted (in warm water) dettol liquid
- Then I take a bath under a shower, applying soap all over the body including the head.

Other than this, I follow basic hygeine precautions while sneezing and coughing.

Also, I try to avoid going out unnecessarily. I am buying fruits and vegetables for the entire week in one quick visit to the store. Using BigBasket for dry groceries, once in a month.

At the moment, I am not thinking about disinfecting my car and 2-wheeler. I just assume them to be infected. I am also providing lift to a junior colleage who stays near to me. He doesn't have a vehicle and is finding it difficult to commute to office in the absence of public transport.

My wife and kid have not left the house since the lockdown started.

Is this modus operandi sufficient for an average joe, considering that these things will have to be followed for the next few months ?

Please add to this.

Rohan

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by srini1785

" A single death is a tragedy: A million is a statistic" - Joseph Stalin.

He probably told himself this, so that he could get to sleep at night. No prophecy, but very much about himself. Ask google how many he killed. It was quite a few "statistics!"