COVID-19

[Squiby]

 

[Madri-Gal]

Dogs may well be humanity's best friend....

The Nose Needed for This Coronavirus Test Isn’t Yours. It’s a Dog’s.
Several animals now working on a trial at Helsinki’s airport have been trained to detect the virus by scent on arriving passengers.

One of the dogs trained to detect the coronavirus with its trainer at the Helsinki airport.Credit...Lehtikuva, via Reuters

Travelers arriving at Helsinki’s airport are being offered a voluntary coronavirus test that takes 10 seconds with no uncomfortable nasal swab needed. And the test is done by a dog.
A couple of coronavirus-sniffing canines began work at the Finnish airport on Wednesday as part of a pilot program that aims to detect infections using the sweat collected on wipes from arriving passengers.
Over the past months, international airports have brought in various methods to detect the virus in travelers, including saliva screenings, temperature checks and nasal swabs. But researchers in Finland say that using dogs could prove cheaper, faster and more effective.
After passengers arriving from abroad have collected their luggage, they are invited to wipe their necks to collect sweat samples and leave the wipes in a box. Behind a wall, a dog trainer puts the box beside cans containing different scents, and a dog gets to work.

The dogs can detect a coronavirus-infected patient in 10 seconds, and the entire process takes a minute to complete, researchers say. If the dog signals a positive result, the passenger is directed to the airport’s health center for a free virus test.
Why dogs?
Dogs have a particularly sharp sense of smell and have long been used in airports to sniff out bombs, drugs and other contraband in luggage.

They have also been able to detect illnesses such as cancer and malaria. So in the middle of a pandemic, training dogs to detect Covid-19 became an obvious choice, said Anna Hielm-Bjorkman, a researcher at the University of Helsinki who is monitoring the trial.


And they seem to be doing the job, she said. In the first stage of the trial, the dogs could sniff out the virus in a person who is asymptomatic, or before the symptoms appear. They detected it at an earlier stage than a PCR test, the most widely used diagnostic tool for the new coronavirus.
In July, researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover in Germany also found that with a week of training, dogs were able to distinguish saliva samples of people infected with the coronavirus from noninfected samples with a 94% success rate.


Dogs seem to not be easily infected with the coronavirus, although they appear to have been in a few instances. Other animals like cats appear to be much more susceptible. There is no evidence that dogs develop any symptoms or that they can pass the virus on to people or other animals.
How do they do it?

The sniffer dogs, who are trained to recognize the virus’s scent, detect it by smelling urine or sweat samples, according to the University of Helsinki’s veterinary faculty.
Ms. Hielm-Bjorkman said she and her team had trained the dogs by making a specific sound as soon as the dogs indicate a positive sample — “and yes, a treat, too,” she said. When the dogs smell a negative sample, nothing happens, and they move on to the next.

Wise Nose, a Finnish organization that specializes in scent detection, partnered with the faculty to train 16 dogs, four of which are starting work at the airport this week. Six are still in training, and the others were unable to work in a noisy environment.
“All dogs can be trained to smell the coronavirus, but they are individuals and not all of them can work in an airport,” said Virpi Perala, a representative of Evidensia, a network of hospitals and veterinary clinics that funded the trial’s first stage.
Does this mean the coronavirus has a scent?
This is what researchers believe. But what exactly the dogs detect when they sniff out the virus is the million-dollar question, Ms. Hielm-Bjorkman said.


“We know how dogs detect it — by smell — but we have no clue what they detect yet,” she said. “If we find this out, we can train thousands of dogs across the world.”
Scientists in the United States are investigating whether an infected person secretes a chemical that dogs can smell. And a French study published in June found “very high evidence” that the odor of an infected person’s sweat was different in a way that dogs could sense.
Could this become a thing?

The Helsinki airport is the first to use the dog-sniffing program. Credit...Kimmo Brandt/EPA, via Shutterstock
The pilot program in Finland is the first to be used at an airport. Susanna Paavilainen, the managing director of Wise Nose, said she aimed to have 10 dogs working at the airport by the end of November, and Ms. Hielm-Bjorkman of the University of Helsinki said she would collect data until the end of the year.
More such programs could also be on the way. In recent months, trials conducted in Britain, France, Germany and the United States have assessed how dogs could detect the coronavirus.
In Finland, researchers say that if the pilot programs prove effective, dogs could be used in retirement homes to screen residents or in hospitals to avoid unnecessary quarantines for health care professionals.
But scaling up such programs could be tricky: Dogs need to be trained and then assisted by their trainers once they can work outside laboratories.

At the Helsinki airport, two dogs worked simultaneously on Wednesday while two others rested.
Ms. Hielm-Bjorkman acknowledged that the resources were modest — at least for now. The program will try to assess how long dogs can work in a day and whether the same animals can be used to detect substances like drugs.
Ms. Perala, of the Evidensia network, said that Finland would need 700 to 1,000 coronavirus-sniffing dogs to cover schools, malls and retirement homes, but that more trained animals — and trainers — would be required for even broader coverage.
“We could keep our country open if we had enough dogs,” she said.

The Nose Needed for This Coronavirus Test Isn’t Yours. It’s a Dog’s. (Published 2020)

Several animals now working on a trial at Helsinki’s airport have been trained to detect the virus by scent on arriving passengers.

www.nytimes.com

I have no doubt that these dogs can do this, but became concerned when they want them to do double duty and test for drugs as well. You'd think checking for COVID would be enough.
When I had COVID, my dog was frequently smelling my breath. I thought he was checking my breathing, but he doesn't smell for that usually.

 

[Squiby]

 

[CarolKing]

We were going to start to open schools (hybrid) up next month in our county in WA state but the virus rate has gone up. Watched the school board meeting on zoom and we won’t even think about opening until after the first of the year. They don’t have enough of the right PPE, custodians or substitute teachers. No extra money coming in for these things either. They will have to dig deep to find the money. Zoom classes for the next foreseeable future.

Sad to say my 90 year old uncle who’s in an Alzheimer’s facility has gotten COVID. These precious old people are dieing off in groves. A friend of mine her parents and brother have it and are doing fine so far. Another friend she found out her granddaughter has it. The whole family was tested. Nobody else in the family has it thankfully.
Our extended family won’t be having Thanksgiving dinner this year. It seems like everyone’s life has been upended.
Our economy can’t get back on track without lowering the pandemic rate. Some scientist say we could be dealing with this virus for years. 760+ died just yesterday. They expect it to only go up more every day. It’s going to be a long fall and winter.
Some people aren’t isolating when they test positive - like teenagers and college students.

Why is it so damn hard to wear a mask and stay 6 ft apart - it will save lives according to science. The disinformation coming out is a crime. I congratulate the people in places like Canada and Australia for doing the right thing.

 

[Disrupt]

In the U.S., another record broken.

 

[deep_meditation]

Why is it so damn hard to wear a mask and stay 6 ft apart - it will save lives according to science. The disinformation coming out is a crime. I congratulate the people in places like Canada and Australia for doing the right thing.

It’s really sad. Years ago people would have viewed it as their patriotic duty to wear a mask and minimize contact with others.

 

[Bcbud]

Wow the US just hit 101000 new cases today

 

[Marlon Rando]

 

[Disrupt]

Wow the US just hit 101000 new cases today

Stay tuned, we're just hitting our stride - Excelsior!

 

[voyciz]

I recently learned that a large part of the initial problem in the U.S. was the use of CPAP machines as ventilator replacements due to short stock. Turns out, the CPAP machine takes the virus and spreads it throughout the air...which is why everyone at the nursing homes were getting sick all at once. Damnit!

Good to see that some shows are opening back up in Vegas (Copperfield and some others)

Sad to say my 90 year old uncle who’s in an Alzheimer’s facility has gotten COVID. These precious old people are dieing off in groves. A friend of mine her parents and brother have it and are doing fine so far. Another friend she found out her granddaughter has it. The whole family was tested. Nobody else in the family has it thankfully.
Our extended family won’t be having Thanksgiving dinner this year. It seems like everyone’s life has been upended.

My prayers go out to your dear uncle. My grandmother recently died from this disease, it was very hard (and still is) on the entire family. It's hard when family traditions get broken up...last year we didn't have our annual get togethers due to the loss...we had one and although it was nice, sure wasn't the same without my Grandma.
I think 2020 sucked for everyone. May God bless us all in 2021, should we get to see it.

 

[Disrupt]

A first - good COVID news.

Pfizer’s Early Data Shows Vaccine Is More Than 90% Effective​

Pfizer announced stunning early results from its coronavirus vaccine trial, cementing the lead in a frenzied global race that has unfolded at record-breaking speed.

By Katie Thomas, David Gelles and Carl Zimmer
Nov. 9, 2020, 6:45 a.m. ET

The drug maker Pfizer announced on Monday that an early analysis of its coronavirus vaccine trial suggested the vaccine was robustly effective in preventing Covid-19, a promising development as the world has waited anxiously for any positive news about a pandemic that has killed more than 1.2 million people...

The company said that the analysis found that the vaccine was more than 90 percent effective in preventing the disease among trial volunteers who had no evidence of prior coronavirus infection. If the results hold up, that level of protection would put it on par with highly effective childhood vaccines for diseases such as measles. No serious safety concerns have been observed, the company said.

 

[Riverrat]

Wow ! Watch Ill spelling backward Wow!

Anywhoo can't say I agree with the sentiment that some have. But that's all right. Being there appears to be a good bit of people from all over.

Outside of the odd / unique cases it has been known for some time who exactly is at greatest risk. Outside of this its my belief the worry of death if caught has been blown out of proportion & stands in stark contrast to the actual facts among healthy individuals who catch it.

While the cases here in the U.S. have spiked drastically the death toll has flat lined.
The WHO's top doctors have stated lock downs are not a tactic to use against this virus. Instead lock downs are meant to be very temporary to give nations & smaller localities time to group to gather rescources & information.

Because of my age I think I'm right where they say concern should start.
However being healthier than most teens with a strong immune system I'm not sweating this virus & I've been traveling all over the globe since its arrival.
"BUT" I will remain respectful of those who's thoughts differ. All have reason to think their thoughts. Keeping in mind that for some these are troubling times .
Sometimes its better to help than be right. Even if its just me thinking I'm right.

While I hate the masks, having what I think are legit questions about them... However they just ain't no hill I wanna die on... so I wear them

Ultimately it doesn't matter what I think when it comes to this virus.
I'm glad to be back home
( I Think ) just killing time before starting a movie with friend.

Sincerely sorry for any here who have lost any one to this damn thing... Jeff.

OH!!
Not meant for any one here. Can't explain except to say I have acquired some silent, annoying followers. Oh & I'm crazy.

That's Jeff no Jeff D. There a place for you Pencil Dicked Busy Bodies

 

[LesPlenty]

I wonder if I could get away with this with a F2 in it next time I go shopping,

https://www.dhgate.com/product/gas-mask-bong-new-arrivel-water-shisha-acrylic/416361003.html?d1_page_num=1&dspm=pcen.sp.list.14.mDi2v5VWv7eE0ghOI8dC&resource_id=416361003&scm_id=search.LIST...NDBADF|0|0.#s1-10-1;searl|2369222157:14

 

[Disrupt]

While the cases here in the U.S. have spiked drastically the death toll has flat lined.

Flat-lined at 1,000 deaths per day? Nothing to get excited about, IMO. Still, the proportion of cases that end in death is clearly lower than it was earlier in the year. But even if you feel good about your chances of survival, this virus also causes lasting damage in some cases, and we don't yet know the extent of these effects. Reason enough to want to avoid catching it, IMO.

 

[Riverrat]

Yes those that catch it can have lasting issues. In no way am I telling any one to do as I do. Just what I've come to do for myself

I dont believe all need to have the same level of cncern

 

[Bcbud]

This trend was forecast 4 months ago , if we all had followed the suggestions and recommendations I believe the situation would be much different. In hindsight ignoring a pandemic may not be the best course of action.

 

[Disrupt]

In hindsight ignoring a pandemic may not be the best course of action.

Especially true with the new promise of very effective vaccines. We could have waited out the virus with far less loss of life, but we're too impatient even for that.

 

[CarolKing]

At a thousand deaths a day we should be at 400,000 by January. That’s a lot of lives. Yes it is a huge deal! I’m not going to be satisfied with saying we flatlined. Yes people’s heart rates have flatlined and they aren’t coming back. America has done a shitty job with this from the very beginning. First denial, then lies, then we have rounded the corner. WTF! Just because someone is over a certain age, their lives matter too.

 

[Riverrat]

My personal response to this virus once again is based on knowing who is at greatest risk . With this I go forth , while taking precautions with out worry. While also being armed with knowledge from my doctors.

My mom & dad are in their 80's. I worry about them. When I go for a visit I stay the whole weekend so I'm not coming & going.

My street clothes come off in the garage & are bagged. I sanitize my hands, arms & face prior to entering their home once in I head straight for the shower.
So there are some things that did have to change

With that I think it best that I cordially back away from this thread. Jeff

 

[felvapes]

My personal response to this virus once again is based on knowing who is at greatest risk . With this I go forth , while taking precautions with out worry. While also being armed with knowledge from my doctors.

My mom & dad are in their 80's. I worry about them. When I go for a visit I stay the whole weekend so I'm not coming & going.

My street clothes come off in the garage & are bagged. I sanitize my hands, arms & face prior to entering their home once in I head straight for the shower.
So there are some things that did have to change

With that I think it best that I cordially back away from this thread. Jeff

Shower that virus out of your lungs
You can carry and pass on with out knowledge for at least two weeks

This is why you should take precautions

Not for your safety but others and to stop the spread
Not travel the world without care for others

Anyway

I've stayed out of this on purpose and will go back to doing so

Just larfed at that comment as you did nothing to protect your parents at all


*Can I get one of your vape masks @LesPlenty ?
We can be safe and stoned together, apart....
Lucky you living on the island nice and isolated
They did a good job closing your borders down and keeping us dirty mainlanders out