How are the forumers handling COVID-19

[MacAulay]

So with the whole world going crazy, I was wondering how all you are doing, and how you are using your time at home.

When the whole social distancing thing was announced here in the UK last week, I was actually volunteering in Cambodia as part of my gap year. I was supposed to spend 8 weeks there and 5 months away from home in Total (with Vietnam, Australia and New Zealand on my list) but after some discussions with my parents and information from government websites decided it was best I came home ASAP. And good thing I did, because two days later the country went on total lockdown. Some of the people I was travelling with are now stuck out in SEA.

Anyway, I’m using my time at home to work on things I’ve wanted to for some time:

• I’ve picked up my writing again, I’m working on a longer novel rather than just short stories, I’ll probably keep you all updated on that.

• I’m doing home workouts again, something I had given up mainly because I started going to the climbing gym more often, but can’t do that now

• I also try to go out for a run at 7 every morning, we’re recommended to not go out the house more than once a day, and avoid all contact. I’m lucky enough to have a large private area of land around my house which I can more or less run the perimeter of (difficult where it’s forested and steep.

• I’ve also started learning Norwegian on Duolingo, just doing a little every day, something I’ve wanted to do for some time.

• Other than that, in my free time I’ve been reading (currently the Dune series), drawing, trying to rank up in games like Vainglory and Splatoon (both of which aren’t particularly active games any more but y’know), and playing my saxophone when I get bored. Oh, and helping my younger siblings out with their schoolwork.

• Trying to arrange online English teaching, to earn some money while I’m stuck at home, as it’s one thing I’m qualified to do.

I find it helps to have a list of things to do like this otherwise I end up sitting around watching shit on Youtube all day. Other than what I’ve listed, I’ve been wanting to start teaching myself guitar again (something I gave up on a while ago) but haven’t got round to that yet.

I’d love to hear how all you are doing, and what you’ve been up to.

Edit: Welp this idiot didn’t realise there was already a topic for this… (I swear I even checked). Also added something I’d forgotten to the list of things I’m doing…

[hazeleyes]

Another update, about 10 days after my last one:

• Cases in my state (Tennessee) have increased exponentially, as they have in the US overall. In the area where I work, we appear to be about 1-2 weeks behind Nashville (1 hour northwest of my hospital) on the curve.

• We’ve had one death from COVID-19 and a large number of patients are now testing positive. Most of our patients are now in one of two areas: the ICU or the newly-opened COVID isolation unit. We have very few “regular” patients in the hospital on any given day.

• The governor FINALLY issued a “shelter in place” order this week, probably about 7-10 days too late to make much difference.

• Yesterday, I was given a placard and letter designating me as “essential personnel” to show the police if I get stopped on my way back and forth to work.

• We are chronically low on personal protective equipment (masks, gowns). We are reusing everything. I have worn the same 2 masks (1 for COVID patients, 1 for everyone else) all week.

• I am physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted.

[DragonClasher]

Melbourne Australia is in stage 3 lockdown rn lol, im used to being home all the time anyways nothing has really changed for me except that i have my Game Designing Course done online instead and its not really a hassle since everything is done on my laptop anyways.

[Skyefall]

A bit surprised nobody has done an information-type post on covid yet, guess I’ll do it.

Covid-19 is an rna corona virus genetically similar to sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome). It’s been exceptionally successful in transmission due to its ability to remain asymptomatic for nearly 2 weeks, while still being able to spread.

Why is there no vaccine?

Vaccines work tricking the immune system into developing antibodies for the virus without actually fighting it full on. Either a dead or weakened virus is used to trigger the immune system to respond. They are strain specific- a vaccine will only illicit a certain antibody response, and none currently target covid-19. RNA viruses are annoying to battle because they can mutate their spike proteins and bind to different cell receptors. To stop them from replicating, your body needs to make a specific antibody for every said protein. That’s why you need a flu shot every year, though there are some details we can skip for now.

Why are there no treatments/cures?

Most of our antivirals follow a philosophy of sorts, one that was very effective for dna based viruses but not so much for rna viruses. Antivirals typically block receptors viruses use to gain entry into cells, buying your body time to make antibodies to kill it. (Think tamiflu, which is effective against certain strains of influenza.) Because covid-19 uses a different receptor, no existing antiviral could really help with 2 exceptions. Remdesivir and Favipiravir are experimental “special” types of antivirals. This is because they don’t stop viruses from binding, rather they stop their enzymes from working after they infect a cell. It’s a key difference to how traditional antivirals work and has good implications for the future. All rna viruses require enzymes (specifically viral polyermases) to replicate, which these drugs block. Mutations will not be able to lower the efficacy of these drugs. Clinical trials are still ongoing to see how safe and effective these drugs can be. Remdesivir’s clinical trials were positive enough for the FDA to give emergency clearance for it. Favipiravir is a russian drug that’s still in its clinical trials. Tolerance, or how bad the side effects a drug causes, is important to document as well as long term effects. If everything checks out, humanity gains 2 powerful tools in its armory.

covid-19 details

Despite being an RNA virus with some ridiculously high infection indexes, it is pretty stable for an rna virus. We think it has a replication error checking mechanic that prevents mutations. This is really good for us. So far there are 10 lineages of covid-19. With a genetic code of 30 000 nucleotides, there are 10 versions of it worldwide with only 10 nucleotides of difference. One theory is principle of least effort is helping us here. Covid is so successful, there isn’t any environmental pressure for it to mutate. A spike receptor mutation is already an unlikely one, and with how stable covid-19 is, a vaccine is likely to be extremely effective. It’s unlikely a new strain of covid will emerge.

Hydroxychloroquine controversies

You may be wondering where hydroxychloroquine fits in all of this. It doesn’t help that our leadership didn’t quite give a clear explanation, so I’ll clear it up. Hydroxychloroquine can help some covid-19 patients who exhibit a certain reaction. It’s used to treat various autoimmune disorders, malaria, and arthritis. You’re probably thinking how does it treat so many conditions, and why covid? Hydroxychlorquine is a unique molecule because once it enters cells, it can’t escape easily. It helps break down antigens that alert the immune system to infection and leads to inflammation. In autoimmune disorders, this calms down the immune system and protects damage to the body. As an antimalarial, it accumulates inside the parasite and seems to poison it. For arthritis, it reduces inflammation. It also raises the ph of a cell, while viruses typically like an acidic environment.

Some covid-19 patients experience a cytokine storm. This is when the immune system reacts overly aggressive and mass amounts of cytokines that produce inflammation continue in a positive feedback loop. This typically leads to death due to the mass amount of friendly fire in the process. Hydroxychloroquine can help prevent a cytokine storm by calming the immune system, giving patients time for their body to make a proper immune response.

Conclusion

Social distancing is working, and from the genetic side covid is looking vulnerable. It’s just a waiting game for the vaccine to drop and a matter of immunizing a majority of the global population. (I heard it would need to be about 70%) Logistics will be the next major headache once a vaccine is made. It may feel like no progress is being made, but we’re doing a good job of braving this storm.

Stay safe, stay home.

[hazeleyes]

@Skyefall

A bit surprised nobody has done an information-type post on covid yet

The reason is likely that there are still a LOT of unknowns about the virus. No short forum post here is going to be more useful than the information available at the CDC’s web site (that I linked to at the beginning of this thread) or at sites like Brigham & Women’s COVID Protocols, UpToDate, &c. – which are updated daily by experts.

@Skyefall

Hydroxychloroquine controversies

There isn’t much controversy, actually. There’s no indication to use Plaquenil in COVID-19. I personally have seen the adverse effect (prolongation of the QT interval) that is associated with sudden cardiac arrest and is the likely cause of the increased mortality seen in the studies to date.

WRT cytokine overproduction in some COVID patients – drugs like Actemra are much better at reducing cytokine production than Plaquenil. However, the clinical benefit of reducing cytokine production has yet to be demonstrated in controlled trials.

@Skyefall

Social distancing is working

Social distancing DOES work but is being abandoned far too soon in the West, as the economic costs of the pandemic become too painful for governments to tolerate. We are in the unfortunate situation of governments allowing political and economic considerations to overrule the recommendations of public health authorities, and the result is more infections and more deaths than would occur if social distancing were maintained.

[Xhaos]

Meanwhile where I’m from, they’re planning to stop testing asymptomatic patients altogether because it is, and I quote, “a waste of resources.” It’s frustrating, but I guess at the same time we don’t have much of a choice (for a 3rd world country).

Social distancing is still implemented, but some non-essential businesses are starting to open despite active cases still rising.

ALSO it’s annoying how our Department of Heath has been CLOWNING around for the past few weeks, literally releasing statements like, “asymptomatic patients are not at risk of transmitting the virus.” And only recently they release a statement saying that there is “new evidence that supports asymptomatic transmission.” Like, uHHH??? is this new??? A public figure with a relatively big following (DJ Loonyo) also got into a controversy for posting 3 videos containing really dangerous misinformation (discouraging vaccines, saying that using face masks are just like breathing in your own farts, and that if you’re experiencing poverty in the pandemic just ‘try harder and do more’).

[Skyefall]

@Xhaos

really dangerous misinformation (discouraging vaccines, saying that using face masks are just like breathing in your own farts

Over here in land of dumb, it shatters my faith in humanity over and over when people I see during work think masks cause you to breath in carbon monoxide. masks. Cloth masks. Unless you’re a car, you don’t breath out carbon monoxide. i guess they’ll join the toilet paper clowns and 5g radiation survivors.

Honestly if someone on social media said “ban dihydrogen monoxide, it causes covid” people would believe it easily.