Just curious, anyone have a plan, or preps for global pandemic?

[Gordo]

52 minutes ago, Saul said:

too complicated a massive genetic change from known coronaviruses to have been brought about in any lab; it's way beyond current human abilities.

How do you know precisely how similar or dissimilar it is to all of the coronaviruses that have been collected at the Wuhan lab?  We don't even know what the Chinese have been doing in that lab in recent years.  But even if it wasn't genetically modified in the lab, it still could have been collected "as is" by the lab.  China has also been messing around with MERS which might be much worse than SARS: https://www.science.org/content/article/was-nih-funded-work-mers-virus-china-too-risky-science-examines-controversy 

[BrianA]

Glad to see some improved filters being developed.

 

New antimicrobial air filters tested on trains rapidly kill SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220309090712.htm

[mccoy]

Whatever anyone may say or write, objectively the Chinese government cannot be trusted, even as the Russian government cannot be trusted, as we are witnessing now.

There is a strong spatial association with SARSCOV2 and the Wuhan Lab (proximity) and very strong association between Chinese/Russian government and BullSh1T. 

If Dr. FAuci lied so shamelessly, then there is a strong association between SARSCOV2 and responsibilities within the US health agencies.

When associations are so strong, then causation becomes very likely. 

 

[BrianA]

China may finally be losing control. Place your bets as to whether they do major lockdowns, or just "give up". And pencil in your expected supply chain disruptions accordingly. Hong Kong at the moment is suffering double the death rate per capita of the highest points of any of the USA waves, due in part to the poor performance of the China-made vaccine.

 

China Shuts Shanghai Schools, Adds Hospitals on Covid Return

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-11/china-covid-infections-top-1-000-for-the-first-time-in-two-years

[corybroo]

Nice visual of the effectiveness of the Covid vaccines.  

[BrianA]

twitter thread discussing recent China research paper where they show a person was most likely infected via international mail. Apparently in some cases the virus can survive long enough on surfaces to still infect, perhaps particularly in winter/cold conditions. There also have been a few "unexplained" infections such as from New Zealand where workers in cold storage warehouses handling imported items were infected.

 

https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1502572604011466758

[BrianA]

Mentioned further down in that thread is this other thread about a recent preprint that shows Omicron appears to be much more stable on surfaces than older strain. Data shows survival up to 7+ days on some surfaces.

 

 

[BrianA]

Most European countries covid case counts now trending back upwards in an apparent "new wave". Meanwhile in the USA, cases may be bottoming out as underneath the total numbers we are shifting from decreasing original Omicron strain cases to increasing BA.2 cases. We generally seem to follow the trend from Europe throughout the pandemic.

 

 

[BrianA]

Some new research showing SARS-CoV-2 can infect and kill CD4 + T cells in the immune system via a previously unproven LFA-1 molecule, similar to I believe how HIV infects. If you recall way back in 2020 genomic analysis showed SARS-CoV-2 has a few bits in it identical or near-identical to HIV.

 

ACE2-independent infection of T lymphocytes by SARS-CoV-2

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41392-022-00919-x

[Gordo]

On 3/13/2022 at 5:13 PM, BrianA said:

Most European countries covid case counts now trending back upwards in an apparent "new wave"

Its a big surge in Germany right now, but by far the craziest is South Korea, once considered the model for the world with very effective contact tracing and masking... they have pretty much thrown in the towel on fighting it now. In the last day an incredible 5% of their entire population has tested positive! 

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/skorea-turns-self-treatment-omicron-fuels-soaring-covid-19-cases-2022-02-10/

 

[Matt]

On 3/14/2022 at 12:20 AM, BrianA said:

Some new research showing SARS-CoV-2 can infect and kill CD4 + T cells in the immune system via a previously unproven LFA-1 molecule, similar to I believe how HIV infects. If you recall way back in 2020 genomic analysis showed SARS-CoV-2 has a few bits in it identical or near-identical to HIV.

 

ACE2-independent infection of T lymphocytes by SARS-CoV-2

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41392-022-00919-x

Influenza virus also infects CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes. It's not unique to COVID or HIV.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC6115886

"Both CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes were susceptible to influenza virus infection, and the infected CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes served as infectious foci for other nonpermissive or even virus-permissive cells. These data show that monocytes-macrophages and both CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes can become infected during the course of an immune response to influenza virus challenge"

Edited March 15, 2022 by Matt

[BrianA]

Interesting, well one thing I can say is the pandemic has made me more aware of the flu and less dismissive of it the more I learn about it.

[BrianA]

Remember, if you catch covid, there are now drug treatments. You need to ask for them within the first few days of getting sick, and you may have to apply some pressure to your doctor because for some reason plenty of them still seem to have not gotten the message on these.

 

Lifesaving COVID-19 Drugs Are Sitting Unused On Pharmacy Shelves

https://laist.com/news/health/lifesaving-covid-drugs-are-sitting-unused-on-pharmacy-shelves-hhs-data-shows

[corybroo]

Oral drug prevents death from COVID-19 in old mice by reversing immune aging

A study published today in Nature shows that an oral drug that reverses multiple aspects of immune aging effectively prevents death in a mouse model of COVID-19, suggesting that the medication could be used to protect the elderly patients who are at greatest risk in the pandemic.

In the study, daily doses of BGE-175 (asapiprant) protected aged mice from a lethal dose of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Ninety percent of mice that received the drug survived, whereas all untreated control mice died.

BGE-175 is currently in a Phase 2 clinical trial to test whether it can prevent disease progression and mortality in older patients hospitalized with COVID-19. 

As we age, a biochemical pathway involving the signaling molecule PGD2 becomes more active, impairing immunity in two major ways: First, antigen-presenting cells called dendritic cells migrate less efficiently, slowing the adaptive T-cell and antibody responses. Second, white blood cells called neutrophils infiltrate infected tissues more aggressively, leading to damaging inflammation. Thus, the aged immune system is both slower to respond to new infections and more likely to overreact once it does mount a response.

Because BGE-175 targets the host immune system rather than the invading virus, it has the potential to retain its efficacy against emerging strains that can resist antiviral drugs or evade vaccine-based immunity. Similarly, because its mechanism of action is not specific to COVID-19, the drug could help older patients fight off other viruses. 

[Ron Put]

Planet Lockdown: A Documentary

https://tube.source.news/w/v8VntcKH2eMkDG5KLEx3Fd?start=0s

[BrianA]

Senator Kaine later mentioned in passing that apparently several colleagues are experiencing similar symptoms, but don't want to admit it publicly.

 

COVID-19 infection linked to higher risk of neuropathy

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220325122658.htm

 

On 3/3/2022 at 1:38 PM, BrianA said:

"Nearly two years after testing positive for the coronavirus, Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia said he still experiences mild symptoms of long Covid.

In an interview with The Washington Post, Mr. Kaine, a Democrat, described feeling as if his nerves have been jolted with five cups of coffee."

 

Virginia senator reveals he has long Covid and unveils a bill devoted to the illness.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/02/us/tim-kaine-long-covid.html?unlocked_article_code=AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACEIPuomT1JKd6J17Vw1cRCfTTMQmqxCdw_PIxfs4h2Hza3LNE2wFl79SW9LH5EDXYaYkbNwt3jjeHY4ELLI0WOc3xeZEMlcoVQCjqZqCldMbIj86qISyVyYt0pTEQbcitCXncGSwLPw6xLD6vxuddTy3B_LAgytlfFt68cwzaR32niBTm-3aQvolgowgwap2QcY8EWofIX-V-qi_F0UgZYLRLFvM-35dPoc-OkHbjonXrrEdbl0STAKXES9i4Ts6v98PPIgIO67_fwonecD9ne4XWm13L9z6A8VgFIPfk-huoqeN_ULXsLe-x_s8EapQvLzOozz6YA5pEOXKSQ23Cj8JtzFK-VdeuSqmXKw4gT40RCJn7acjPh0AnfnsaJsIFtmz9Np1cELrkO92FnX-lxG73ahK3H5Ynk5SHhE1I2z1ehWVcUBHMGc0TqOJbA

[Sibiriak]

A Round-Up of Anti-Covid Nasal Spray Vaccine and Treatment Research

[Saul]

A new Pfizer phase 3 study, including a variation of the Pfizer covid vaccine that is modified to (hopefully) be more effective in protecting against the Omicron variants, targeting the highly modified Omicron spike structure.   The study is only open to adults 55 or older, who have been vaccinated and boosted with the Pfizer vaccine. There will be only a few thousand people admitted to the study.

Participants are randomly divided into 6 groups of equal size.  Each participant receives a single shot.

Group 1:  Get a standard dose of the standard Pfizer vaccine (30mg)

Group 2:  Get a double dose of the same (60mg)

Group 3:  Get a dose of the Phase 3 Pfizer Covid-OMI (30mg)

Group 4:  Get a double dose of the above (60mg).

Group 5:  Get a half dose (15mcg) of standard Pfizer and a half dose (15mcg) of Phase 3 Pfizer Covid-OMI (30mg total)

Group 6: Get a double dose of the Group 5 jab (60mg).

The (several purposes) of the study:

Is a fourth jab useful for older adults?

Is a fourth double jab useful for older adults?

Is the Phase 3 Pfizer Covid-OMI effective against Omicron?

Is a double dose of Covid-OMI better?

I had my jab last week; my wife (age 65) gets hers next Monday.

Note:  As usual, I had no reaction to the vaccine.  But, the day after, I felt pain in my right arm (which got the jab); while teaching my classes, the arm hurt while writing on the blackboard; never happened before with a Pfizer shot.  So, I suspect that I either had a double dose, or at least some Pfizer-OMI.  (But maybe not.)

  --  Saul

 

 

[BrianA]

Eat your broccoli and other sulforaphane-containing veggies

 

Sulforaphane exhibits antiviral activity against pandemic SARS-CoV-2 and seasonal HCoV-OC43 coronaviruses in vitro and in mice

https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-022-03189-z

[AlanPater]

Second Booster Vaccine and Covid-19 Mortality in
Adults 60 to 100 Years Old
Ronen Arbel
Ruslan Sergienko
Michael Friger
Alon Peretz
Tanya Beckenstein
Shlomit Yaron
Doron Netzer
Ariel Hammerman
Posted Date: March 24th, 2022
https://assets.researchsquare.com/files/rs-1478439/v1/24514bba-2c9d-4add-9d8f-321f610ed199.pdf?c=1648141784
Abstract
The rapid emergence of the B.1.1.529 (omicron) variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome
coronavirus-2 led to a global resurgence of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). Israeli authorities
approved a 4th Covid-19 vaccine dose (second-booster) for individuals aged 60 and above who received
a first booster dose four or more months earlier. Evidence regarding the effectiveness of a second-booster
dose in reducing mortality due to Covid-19 is warranted.
This retrospective cohort study included all members of Clalit Health Services, aged 60 to 100, eligible for
the second-booster. Mortality due to Covid-19 among participants who received the second-booster was
compared with participants who received one booster dose. A Cox proportional-hazards regression model
with time-dependent covariates was used to estimate the association between the second-booster and
death due to Covid-19 while adjusting for demographic factors and coexisting illnesses. A total of
563,465 participants met the eligibility criteria. Of those, 328,597 (58%) received a second-booster dose
during the 40-day study period. Death due to Covid-19 occurred in 92 second-booster recipients and in
232 participants who received one booster dose (adjusted hazard ratio 0.22; 95% confidence interval 0.17
to 0.28). This study demonstrates a substantial reduction in Covid-19 mortality by the second-booster in
eligible subjects.

[Gordo]

Myocarditis risk higher after Covid infection than Pfizer or Moderna vaccination, CDC finds

No surprise to me, but maybe to the antivaxer...

[Gordo]

China doubling down on bizzare lockdown strategy?? Unbelievable... 

 

[Gordo]

UK hits record COVID-19 levels; nearly 5 million infected

[mccoy]

I read the article, but it goes on with the old, wrong attitude on infection. The same fear of infection is not applied to other viruses like flu, common cold, and so on. It is not realistic to adopt infection as a public health parameter and Boris Johnson has finally understood that. The parameter which should govern political decision-making is the prevalence of serious illness and hospitalization, prevalence correctly counted as the number of people hospitalized as a direct consequence of an infection, not for other reasons.

Edited April 3, 2022 by mccoy

[AlanPater]

7 hours ago, mccoy said:

The parameter which should govern political decision-making is the prevalence of serious illness and hospitalization, prevalence correctly counted as the number of people hospitalized as a direct consequence of an infection, not for other reasons.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19#Complications include many "other reasons".  Hospitalizations and deaths above the seasonally-adjusted norms may be a better indication.