SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19

[Vegas Halo Fan]

7 hours ago, Redondo said:

This drug is showing early promise in coronavirus fight, research says

The experimental COVID-19 treatment remdesivir is showing early promise in the battle against the coronavirus outbreak, according to a small research study.

The study, which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, was supported by remdesivir developer Gilead Sciences.

The truly encouraging thing about this study, small as it is, is that these were people with advanced cases. Hydroxychloroquine works in some cases, but it has to be given within the first 48 hours or so of infection - during a time when many people are asymptomatic and don't know that they are infected - in order to work.

[Redondo]

Trump has declared major disaster in all 50 states, first time in history

President Trump issued a major disaster declaration for Wyoming on Saturday, meaning that there is now such a declaration within all 50 states due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is the first time a president has ever declared a major disaster in all 50 states at once, according to Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere.

Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon formally sought the declaration on Thursday in a letter to the president. The state had seen more than 200 cases of the coronavirus at that time.

“Though Wyoming has not reached the dire situations of some states, this declaration will help us to prepare and mobilize resources when we need them,” Gordon said.

The declarations make federal funding available for state and local governments, as well as some nonprofit organizations, according to the White House. They can also help state governments coordinate with federal resources like the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Army Corps of Engineers.

[gotbeer]

4 hours ago, Redondo said:

This drug is showing early promise in coronavirus fight, research says

The experimental COVID-19 treatment remdesivir is showing early promise in the battle against the coronavirus outbreak, according to a small research study.

The study, which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, was supported by remdesivir developer Gilead Sciences.

“These are patients who received treatment through the compassionate use program for remdesivir, which is for critically ill patients who are unable to take part in a clinical trial,” said Gilead CEO Daniel O’Day in an open letter released Friday. “The results, which cover 53 of the first patients to have been treated in the program, show that the majority demonstrated clinical improvement after taking remedesivir.”

However, O’Day acknowledged the small scale of the research, which was not the result of a clinical trial.

“We recognize the limitations of these compassionate use data from a purely investigational perspective, while knowing they are of the greatest significance for the patients whose symptoms improved,” he said, in the letter. “These early data from 53 patients have not been generated in a clinical trial and cover only a small portion of the critically ill patients who have been treated with remdesivir.”

The antiviral was previously used to treat Ebola patients and has been garnering massive attention as the world scrambles to contain the coronavirus pandemic. Experts, however, have warned that people should not take drugs unless prescribed by a doctor.

Remdesivir is still awaiting regulatory approval as a coronavirus treatment.

“Of the 53 patients whose data were analyzed, 22 were in the United States, 22 in Europe or Canada, and 9 in Japan,” explains an abstract of the study in the New England Journal of Medicine. “In this cohort of patients hospitalized for severe Covid-19 who were treated with compassionate-use remdesivir, clinical improvement was observed in 36 of 53 patients (68%).”

The research is based on data from patients who received remdesivir during the period from Jan. 25, 2020, through March 7, 2020, and have clinical data for at least one subsequent day, according to the abstract.

“At baseline, 30 patients (57%) were receiving mechanical ventilation and 4 (8%) were receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation,” the abstract explains. “During a median follow-up of 18 days, 36 patients (68%) had an improvement in oxygen-support class, including 17 of 30 patients (57%) receiving mechanical ventilation who were extubated. A total of 25 patients (47%) were discharged, and 7 patients (13%) died; mortality was 18% (6 of 34) among patients receiving invasive ventilation and 5% (1 of 19) among those not receiving invasive ventilation.”

REMDESIVIR: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT POTENTIAL CORONAVIRUS TREATMENT

 

Fox news on top of current events.  

 

On 3/17/2020 at 12:10 PM, gotbeer said:

Remdesivir maker.

 

Market Summary > Gilead Sciences, Inc.

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[red321]

if I read correctly Remdesivir also has to be given intravenously, which makes it more of a challenge as most people can’t wouldn’t be able to do it without a medical professional to help administer. 
 

doesn’t mean it would be be great if it worked, just means it would be a lot less efficient than a drug in pill form, or something that can be taken outside of a medical office. 
 

 

[tdawg87]

2 minutes ago, red321 said:

if I read correctly Remdesivir also has to be given intravenously, which makes it more of a challenge as most people can’t wouldn’t be able to do it without a medical professional to help administer. 
 

doesn’t mean it would be be great if it worked, just means it would be a lot less efficient than a drug in pill form, or something that can be taken outside of a medical office. 
 

 

Well said

[Lhalo]

@Taylor give that video a chance. I know the intro is cheesy as hell but there  are a ton of interesting facts afterward. 

[red321]

2 minutes ago, tdawg87 said:

Well said

Holy shit that was brutal. Went full anti English cop on that one. 

[gotbeer]

11 minutes ago, red321 said:

if I read correctly Remdesivir also has to be given intravenously, which makes it more of a challenge as most people can’t wouldn’t be able to do it without a medical professional to help administer. 
 

doesn’t mean it would be be great if it worked, just means it would be a lot less efficient than a drug in pill form, or something that can be taken outside of a medical office. 
 

 

I think Remdesivir has been used mainly in the ER.  So most of those people have IV drips going that they just add to.  At least that's what I remember them saying a few weeks ago.

Edit:  I don't think it is for preventative measures.  More for those that need to be admitted.

Edited April 12, 2020 by gotbeer

[RallyMo]

36 minutes ago, red321 said:

if I read correctly Remdesivir also has to be given intravenously, which makes it more of a challenge as most people can’t wouldn’t be able to do it without a medical professional to help administer. 
 

doesn’t mean it would be be great if it worked, just means it would be a lot less efficient than a drug in pill form, or something that can be taken outside of a medical office. 
 

 

 

25 minutes ago, gotbeer said:

I think Remdesivir has been used mainly in the ER.  So most of those people have IV drips going that they just add to.  At least that's what I remember them saying a few weeks ago.

Edit:  I don't think it is for preventative measures.  More for those that need to be admitted.

@gotbeer is spot on here. It is IV only, but that's perfectly acceptable. There are a decent amount of medications that are IV only of course, including antibiotics and antifungals. Even for antibiotics that do have both IV and oral forms, the IV form is the more effective of the two unless the site of infection is within the colon (like CDIFF). If it's of use, it will be for more advanced cases where the risk of side effects are worth it (GI upset and possible liver issues). COVID-19, obviously gets super nasty when it advances beyond a certain point.

We need to test the beejeepers out of people, and we're not doing that yet. 

We've started using the Abbot ID Now tests in the last few days here, so that's good. That should expedite diagnosis and increase capacity. I'm hopeful that we get this thing beat sooner than later.

I sure would like a rapid antibody test. It would allow for us to care for patients better and get people out and about that may have immunity. 

[gotbeer]

13 minutes ago, RallyMo said:

 

We need to test the beejeepers out of people, and we're not doing that yet. 

I sure would like a rapid antibody test. It would allow for us to care for patients better and get people out and about that may have immunity. 

I think that's one thing that people have to realize.  And the media really isn't helping.  That these things take time.

It's been one month since the Rona has been declared a Pandemic.  Feb 26 was the first community transmission in CA.  Jan 30 was when the Who declared an emergency.  As far as medicine goes, that's not much time.  With some medicines, we've been fortunate and it has gone through a lot of testing processes in the past already, clearing a lot of hurdles.  For instance, we already know that the malaria drug has been around for decades.  It's already been tested, and has been cleared safe.  So while we are using for a different purpose, it doesn't have to go through everything like a new drug or cure would have to.  

Also found this interesting tidbit.  My dad was talking about how Japan might have found a drug.  Turns out, it has been silently been in testing for the Rona for a few weeks in Japan and Europe and is now in the US being tested.  It's not a cure, but it sure does sound like it might be something like Tamiflu.  Which would be huge.

Japanese flu drug 'clearly effective' in treating coronavirus, says China  

US trial of Japanese flu drug to treat coronavirus gets approval

[RallyMo]

9 minutes ago, gotbeer said:

I think that's one thing that people have to realize.  And the media really isn't helping.  That these things take time.

It's been one month since the Rona has been declared a Pandemic.  Feb 26 was the first community transmission in CA.  Jan 30 was when the Who declared an emergency.  As far as medicine goes, that's not much time.  With some medicines, we've been fortunate and it has gone through a lot of testing processes in the past already, clearing a lot of hurdles.  For instance, we already know that the malaria drug has been around for decades.  It's already been tested, and has been cleared safe.  So while we are using for a different purpose, it doesn't have to go through everything like a new drug or cure would have to.  

Also found this interesting tidbit.  My dad was talking about how Japan might have found a drug.  Turns out, it has been silently been in testing for the Rona for a few weeks in Japan and Europe and is now in the US being tested.  It's not a cure, but it sure does sound like it might be something like Tamiflu.  Which would be huge.

Japanese flu drug 'clearly effective' in treating coronavirus, says China  

US trial of Japanese flu drug to treat coronavirus gets approval

The testing issue was a giant f up. They should have granted EUAs for the development of tests in January. This would have ensured alternatives to the ine that ultimately was screwed up and would have increased capacity.

[Lhalo]

China gonna China.
 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/11/china-clamping-down-on-coronavirus-research-deleted-pages-suggest?CMP=share_btn_tw

[RallyMo]

2 hours ago, Vladdylonglegs said:

The libs have a lot of work to do in their smear campaigns against promising treatments. 

Oh boy.

[the dude abides]

2 hours ago, Vladdylonglegs said:

The libs have a lot of work to do in their smear campaigns against promising treatments. 

Treatments?  Does this mean the infowars brigade no longer considers this a hoax?

[tdawg87]

2 hours ago, Vladdylonglegs said:

The libs have a lot of work to do in their smear campaigns against promising treatments. 

[Redondo]

Nearly 1M sign petition for health org leader’s resignation

An online petition calling for the resignation of the embattled leader of the World Health Organization neared 1 million signatures early Sunday.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Ethiopian politician who has led the United Nations-backed health body as director-general since July 2017, has been under fire over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 100,000 people worldwide and sickened more than 1.7 million.

Specifically, Tedros has been accused of allowing China to underreport the impact of the virus in Wuhan, the city believed to have been the point of origin for the deadly outbreak. The allegedly lowballed numbers from China have affected other nations’ ability to adequately respond to the outbreak, critics have asserted.

“We strongly think Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is not fit for his role as WHO Director General,” the petition with 853,000 signatures, posted on the Change.org website, states, calling for the official’s immediate resignation.

“A lot of us are really disappointed,” the petition continues. “We believe WHO is supposed to be politically neutral. Without any investigation, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus solely believes on [sic] the death and infected numbers that the Chinese government provided with them.”

U.S. lawmakers have been among Tedros’ harshest critics. On Thursday, a group of Republicans from the House Oversight Committee wrote to Tedros, demanding that he disclose the precise nature of his relationship with Chinese officials.

“Throughout the crisis, the WHO has shied away from placing any blame on the Chinese government, which is in essence the Communist Party of China,” the Republicans wrote. “You, as leader of the WHO, even went so far as to praise the Chinese government’s ‘transparency’ during the crisis, when, in fact, the regime has consistently lied to the world by underreporting their actual infection and death statistics.”

The GOP letter cited a January message on Twitter in which the WHO said Chinese authorities found "no clear evidence" of human-to-human transmission of the virus, also known as COVID-19.

On Wednesday, during an appearance on Fox News’ “The Story” with Martha MacCallum, White House economic adviser Peter Navarro referred to Tedros as one of the Chinese government’s “proxies” as Beijing looks to gain influence over various U.N.-run agencies.

Navarro told MacCallum that President Trump was seriously considering cutting funding to the WHO after the president accused the agency of botching the handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

"It all tracks to China's view of the world and how they want to control different types of international organizations, even as they don't play by the international rules," he said. "So it's going to be up to the president to look at this."

[Redondo]

Thunderbirds honor coronavirus workers in Vegas flyover

High in the skies over Las Vegas, the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron -- also known as the “Thunderbirds" -- showed its support on Saturday for those on the frontlines responding to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Thunderbirds said the flyover was to show appreciation and support for health care workers, first responders and other essential personnel in Sin City and around the nation working in the battle against COVID-19.

“It is an honor to fly for the Americans at the forefront of our nation’s fight against the coronavirus,” Lt. Col. John Caldwell, Thunderbirds commander and leader, said in a news release. “They are true heroes and we look forward to demonstrating the support of the 685,000 total force Airmen of the U.S. Air Force for health care workers, first responders and COVID-19 essential personnel in Las Vegas and across the nation.”

The flyover on Saturday featured eight F-16 Fighting Falcons, which soared throughout Las Vegas starting at 2:30 p.m. and lasted about 25 minutes.

 

 

 

 

[Redondo]

Driving team sets record on freeways empty due to COVID-19 lockdown

A team of scofflaws has apparently taken advantage of the dramatic reduction in traffic across America due to the coronavirus pandemic to set a new coast-to-coast driving record.

According to Ed Bolian, who set a record in 2013 when highway congestion was normal, the Audi A8 completed the “Cannonball Run” from New York to L.A. in 26 hours and 38 minutes, beating the 27 hours 25 minutes mark set last November by Arne Toman and Doug Tabutt.

Traffic analytics company Inrix has reported that congestion is down nearly 50 percent on average in the U.S. due to stay-at-home policies.

Bolian did not reveal the identity of the drivers, but said in a YouTube video that he monitored a live track of the April 4-6 trip online and has seen timing data confirming the time.

The news comes as police across the country report seeing an increase in speeding due to empty roads. On Tuesday morning, a driver was caught on camera wrecking his $750,000 supercar while speeding on a New York City street, then running red lights as he attempted to flee the scene before being arrested and charged with driving under the influence of drugs.

The people involved in the coast-to-coast stunt have not publicly come forward, but a photo of the car that was briefly posted to Facebook by another acquaintance shows that the Audi was fitted with two marine fuel tanks in its trunk to extend its range between fill-ups and tape to obscure its signature taillight design.

The exact route taken by the Audi from New York City’s Red Ball Garage to the Portofino Inn in Redondo Beach has not been revealed, and it is not known if any law enforcement agencies are aware of or investigating the incident. The average speed over the shortest route possible between the two points would be approximately 103 mph.

 

 

 

[the dude abides]

“Scofflaw” is a tragically underutilized word.

 

[tdawg87]

Scofflaws!

[tdawg87]

Just now, the dude abides said:

“Scofflaw” is a tragically underutilized word.

 

Screw you, jerk!

[Redondo]

This is what will happen to South Koreans who break quarantine rules

People in South Korea who don't stay home are going to be tracked.

Responding to a new surge in coronavirus cases, South Korean officials said Saturday that electronic wristbands will be strapped on citizens who disobey self-quarantine rules.

As of Saturday, South Korea had 10,480 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 211 deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said the decision to start tracking came after the number of people breaching self-quarantine in recent weeks raised alarm.

Under the country’s recently strengthened laws on infectious diseases, foreign nationals may be deported if they violate self-quarantine rules.

South Korean citizens who violate the rules may face fines up to $8,100 and up to a year in jail, according to Reuters.

Lee said Saturday those who agree to wear the wristbands could be possibly considered for a lighter punishment.

51 RECOVERED CORONAVIRUS PATIENTS IN SOUTH KOREA TEST POSITIVE AGAIN AFTER RELEASE FROM QUARANTINE

 

[Redondo]

4 minutes ago, the dude abides said:

“Scofflaw” is a tragically underutilized word.

 

 

3 minutes ago, tdawg87 said:

Scofflaws!

I thought the same thing. Don't see it used very often.

[Redondo]

Trump vows to rebuild US economy to honor coronavirus victims, sees 'tremendous surge' ahead

President Trump vowed to rebuild the U.S. economy to honor those who have died as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

"We're going to rebuild it again in honor of all those who perished today," Trump said Saturday night on Fox News' "Justice with Judge Jeanine."

Trump told host Jeanine Pirro he expects the economy to rebound like a "rocket ship" -- because of the American public's desire to get back to work and $2 trillion in coronavirus economic relief from the federal government.

"And I think the stimulus, coupled with this pent-up demand and everybody wanting to get out and go back to work," Trump said. "I think we're going to have a just a tremendous surge."

The president said Americans have combated the coronavirus the "right way," and that if the country didn't follow the safety guidelines, such as social distancing, the nation likely would have experienced far greater numbers of fatalities.

"We did it the right way. We took care of social distancing and all of the things, words that nobody ever heard before, frankly, and phrases. But if we didn't do that, we would have pulled through it," Trump said. "There were estimates, 2.2 million people. Well, if you cut that in more than half and you said a million and cut that in half. You say 500,000, it just would have been unacceptable."

Trump also looked ahead to when he will eventually reopen the economy, saying the timing of the order will represent the biggest decision of his presidency. But he assured the public that many "smart people" will advise him on the call.

"A lot of very smart people, a lot of professionals, doctors and business leaders are a lot of things that go into a decision like that," he said. "And it's going to be based on a lot of facts and a lot of instinct also. Whether we like it or not, there is a certain instinct to it.

"We're setting up a council now of some of the most distinguished leaders in virtually every field, including politics and business and medical. And we'll be making that decision fairly soon."

[tdawg87]

9 minutes ago, Redondo said:

We took care of social distancing and all of the things, words that nobody ever heard before, frankly, and phrases.