COVID-19

[Thedev]

Unfortunately stupid people are the reason this situation is so out of control.

Idiocracy ( the movie) ...looks more and more like reality every day.


And please this is not about the current political climate of the country....I am talking about people IQs and mindset .

 

[Squiby]

Here's an interesting read on Social Distancing in history.

The 432-year-old manual on social distancing

In this spookily prescient booklet, people are advised to keep six feet apart, avoid shaking hands and only send one person per household out to do the shopping.

www.bbc.com

 

[Vitolo]

Pima County just announced a 29.5% positivity rate going into the weekend.
I am friends with a number of Bar Owners, Chefs and Restaurateurs that amaze me by stubbornly
staying open.
I went to a place to get food to go (they think they are a fine dining spot)
I looked at a table and then at the bar....
in spite of signs that profess "we sanitize every table between clients"
There was buttery smears on the bar, and solid matter crusted onto a table that was set up near the door.
The staff (5!!!) stood around in masks and gloves...
I explained why I did not stay for my food, and went home.

 

[treesaver]

Novel cannabis plant extracts could protect against COVID-19​

Novel cannabis plant extracts could protect against COVID-19

Researchers in Canada have conducted a study suggesting that novel Cannabis sativa extracts may decrease levels of the host cell receptor that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) uses to gain viral entry to target tissues.

www.news-medical.net

 

[CarolKing]

The life expectancy just went down by one year because of Covid. Covid is still raging in my area and they want to start schools Feb 1. I want my vaccine first. Online school is working fine for me, maybe not everyone.

 

[Kellya86]

Had no idea they were real people....
Guy that plays trevor is pretty famous...

On another note... if you ever board, go read the beggining of this this thread again...
Interesting to see how it played out to how people thought in the beginning....

 

[Disrupt]

On another note... if you ever board, go read the beggining of this this thread again...
Interesting to see how it played out to how people thought in the beginning....

Guilty! Thought COVID would unite us in defense of a common enemy. And that scientific expertise would be valued again. Such naivety!

Also - Keanu Reeves stars in Cyberpunk 2077. First time through wondered if it was legal to copy a celebrity so obviously. (Mr. Reeves caught COVID at a party in November, to stay on topic.) He's either a fan or whoring out himself with easy work.

 

[LesPlenty]

a fan or whoring out himself with easy work.

Needs to pay for all those bikes and he loves video games and will make a fortune off Cyberpunk...once they can stop refunding all the original purchasers due to so many bugs!

 

[Kellya86]

So uk has highest death rate now....

But...
The way it works is, if you test positive for corona, even if you fully recover, if you die from anything in nex 2 months, its goes down as a corona stat..
Even if its completely unrelated.. even if you get hit by a car....
What fucking bullshit is this....
Ask yourself why they want to massage these figures so badly...

Iv stayed pretty neutal up until now im this discussion... but come on people you must see...
We are all smart people here, i hope you can all see this is all very wrong...
Something doesnt add up..

 

[LesPlenty]

Behind the headlines: Counting COVID-19 deaths - Public health matters (blog.gov.uk)

 

[Kellya86]

Behind the headlines: Counting COVID-19 deaths - Public health matters (blog.gov.uk)

Have a go a finding some evidence against corono on the web...
You will find its quite clear some heavy censorship has happened...
Many articles on why the 'conspiracies' are false... and how these conspiracies be harmful...
But nothing about the countless lies we are being told..
We are being heavily censored to keep us from the truth..

Anyone who takes this vaccine is making a huge mistake that will likely impact your future health or future generations in your family...

I would go so far as to say, has anyone actually died from just corona...???

Again nothing on web for this..

Even elon must has said hospitals are empty..
Hospital staff confirm this..
There is now evidence to suggest that the vaccine isnt even effective now.
From Israel i think...

What kind of fuckery is this...
Its one big fucking shit show and we the nieve people know absolutely nothing about what this is really about...

One things for sure.. the rich got richer and the poor got poorer.... again....

 

[felvapes]

 

[Disrupt]

I would go so far as to say, has anyone actually died from just corona...???

Again nothing on web for this..

Even elon must has said hospitals are empty..
Hospital staff confirm this..
There is now evidence to suggest that the vaccine isnt even effective now.
From Israel i think...

You need look no further than this thread - at first, @voyciz posted similar doubts but then someone close died, and they quickly (and commendably, IMO) changed their tune.

Personally, Dad needs hip replaced, but a close friend and hospital worker said they've seen many patients come in for elective surgery and go out in a body bag after catching COVID in the hospital. (Both parents were vaccinated last week, so they should be in the home stretch - fingers crossed.)

Curious what you've read about efficacy. Believe the current thinking is that this first group of genetic variants are likely not different enough to significantly affect it (posted recently about more concern over the South Africa variant). But at some point soon, the virus will likely evade both natural and acquired immunity against the original version, necessitating updated vaccines. This was always expected. Taking one of the vaccines (and regular updates when they become available,) is still the single most important thing we can do to avoid infection. And reducing the number of infections in the population will also reduce the virus' opportunities to mutate and evade immunity.

 

[Kellya86]

You need look no further than this thread - at first, @voyciz posted similar doubts but then someone close died, and they quickly (and commendably, IMO) changed their tune.

Any loss is sad, @voyciz has my sympathy..

Iv known no one to die from JUST corona...
It all seems to be other underlying issue being labled as a corona death...

many patients come in for elective surgery and go out in a body bag after catching COVID in the hospital.

I find this highly suspicious too..

Curious what you've read about efficacy.

Think it was a daily mail article stating the vaccine could be as little as 35% effective...

Taking one of the vaccines (and regular updates when they become available,) is still the single most important thing we can do to avoid infection.

I believe (and for good reason as there is much scientific evidence) that the best way to avoid whatever this is, or any virus or illness, is diet and exercise and making your body uninhabitable for virus'...
Corona highlights this perfectly... it preys on the weak...
We are what we eat quite literally..
So much illness can be cured or reversed through diet, diabetes if not too far gone for instance.. yet docs jus wanna hand out pills instead of telling you diet can fix it...
This world is far to tailored to pharmaceuticals... our dependence weakens the race and strengthens virus' with our overuse of antibiotics and such...

Obviously no one usually is willing to open their mind and see the world for what it is, so i stay quiet in the corner with my foil hat...
But i really am getting sick of bending over and taking this shit...

If you wanna live a long healthy life, do the opposite of what your government tell you..
Eat only whole foods...
No bread, processed sugar, or diary....
Strenuous exercise daily..
Get high......

 

[Disrupt]

Think it was a daily mail article stating the vaccine could be as little as 35% effective...

Was it an article about Brazil's evaluation of the Chinese vaccine? Brazil found that it wasn't very effective, but China's approval process may not be as rigorous as those of the UK, EU and US, nor its results as transparent. Haven't seen anything to suggest the approved vaccines are less than 95% (which is pretty remarkable, IMO).

Corona highlights this perfectly... it preys on the weak...
We are what we eat quite literally..

That's a little clearer - it's been known from the beginning that those with comorbidities are much more likely to suffer COVID's worse effects.

You'll get no argument here on the benefits of diet - eat nothing but raw vegetables and tofu due to gout. "Let your food be your medicine." (But still need a low dose of allopurinol to keep it at bay.)

 

[Vitolo]

Have a go a finding some evidence against corono on the web...
You will find its quite clear some heavy censorship has happened...

I have found a large amount of evidence... but have had direct input as well.
My work with patients gives me access to many people with underlying health complications and risks.
Since March 2020, I have lost 6 of the patients that I have worked with to Covid.

I would go so far as to say, has anyone actually died from just corona...???

The 6 deaths were not listed as "complications arising from Covid19."
All deaths were listed as "COVID-19".
I have a friend I have known longer... not one of those 6.
A friend of 20+ years....
Disabled guy.... contracted Covid 2 weeks ago.
Coughing, and fever. He was hospitalized 11 days ago.
He died on Sunday.
His service was Tuesday.

Again nothing on web for this..

I'm not sure where you are looking.
I am finding a great deal... more daily.
I believe that there is plentiful evidence on the web.
Note: No offense to anyone here is intended by my post.
My comment.... just as all that has been posted by others = personal opinion of facts as interpreted by different minds.

 

[Tincandtoke]

I wrote this a dozen times trying not to be angry or political
Please, please do not give into misinformation
Take the time spent on the internet and instead reach out to a health care professional that works in a fully functioning hospital
Mask up and speak to them in person
If you want to split hairs on cause of death, go ahead, death does not care
Talk to your local undertaker or morgue services, stop screwing around in fantasy land on the internet and go to the sources
You will get a bucket of ice water wake up
Wave 4 coming in 3-4 weeks after the capital insurrection
Apologies to those offended, but misinformation is causing innocent people to die!
I await my ban ( newbie anyway)

 

[Vitolo]

I wrote this a dozen times trying not to be angry or political
Please, please do not give into misinformation
Take the time spent on the internet and instead reach out to a health care professional that works in a fully functioning hospital
Mask up and speak to them in person
If you want to split hairs on cause of death, go ahead, death does not care
Talk to your local undertaker or morgue services, stop screwing around in fantasy land on the internet and go to the sources
You will get a bucket of ice water wake up
Wave 4 coming in 3-4 weeks after the capital insurrection
Apologies to those offended, but misinformation is causing innocent people to die!
I await my ban ( newbie anyway)

I have taken time to talk to medical professionals and Doctors.
I am involved with Hospitals and have been to them a few times monthly.
Many of the patients I serve live in Hospitals and Long Term Care Facilities.
I agree about not giving into misinformation.
"Don't give into the misinformation" that Covid is not all that bad.. or that it is a conspiracy!
It is a fucking virus.
The world has seen dangerous viruses before, and there will be others.
Due to my condition I see my MD weekly.
We always discuss Covid.
My tests are delayed because of Covid.
They needed a room for me overnight, and they could not find a Hospital under the plan that had room.
My procedure wound up done 2 weeks ago... it took 4 weeks to get me a room.
There were patients lining the halls and waiting room.
I see 4 specialists throughout the month, and I am in the hospital for various tests, and procedures every 90 days at minimum.
I did by the way talk to local Undertaking services.

A friend of 20+ years....
Disabled guy.... contracted Covid 2 weeks ago.
Coughing, and fever. He was hospitalized 11 days ago.
He died on Sunday.
His service was Tuesday.

I talked to them while setting up his funeral. I was his last friend and his power of Attorney. He was mine also.
The Funeral Director saw me at 10:00 p.m. On a Sunday night.
He explained their having to see me at night, as there have been so many recent deaths that they were
having scheduling difficulties.
This was at just one of a few dozen Undertaking Businesses here, and this is not a small town by any means.

NEXT thought:
I have a friend named Sammy.
He lives 1/4 mile from me at a Long Term Care Facility named Devon Gables.
I am listed as his "next of kin".
Due to this relationship, I get a letter from them (email) daily that discusses the facility, the patients, the staff, and Covid's impact
on all of the aforementioned.
Attached to this daily is the daily CDC update.
I have visited Sammy monthly for the past 15 years... and have seen the changes at this facility since Covid began.
On an aside note, they called me yesterday to advise me that Sammy just tested Positive.
He called me and said he feels OK, except he feels feverish, and he's having trouble catching his breath.

DISCLAIMER:
This is my opinion, derived from what I have experienced first hand, and using the information that the "Conspirators"
want me to believe.

 

[CarolKing]

If a person has an underlying illness and they get corona virus and they
die, the person dies of corona virus. Just wear a fucking mask!! Think about others! A damn year with this!

In the U.S it’s the leading cause of death. It’s costing the world so many lives and so much money. Money that could be spent for medical insurance and food.

 

[Disrupt]

The guide we've all been waiting for! From The Scientist:

A Guide to Emerging SARS-CoV-2 Variants​

Scientists across the world are closely tracking the spread of mutations in the coronavirus and investigating whether they could render current vaccines less eective.

Katarina Zimmer
Jan 26, 2021

SARS-CoV-2 is no Ferrari among viruses when it comes to mutations. Scientists reckon that its 30,000-base RNA genome acquires around two single-letter mutations a month, a rate around half as fast as influenza and one-quarter the rate of HIV. But allowed to multiply and jump from body to body for more than a year, SARS-CoV-2 has inevitably flourished into a genetically diverse tree branching into countless different variants.

Many variants—defined by a specific assortment of mutations—are relatively unremarkable. But scientists have b keeping a close watch on three rapidly spreading variants—first identified in the UK, South Africa, and Brazil— which harbor an unusual constellation of mutations. They all share a mutation called N501Y that affects the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein, which the virus uses to clasp onto human cells’ receptors and enter them.

By itself, that mutation isn’t unusual, but the variants possess an exceptionally large number of other mutations, some also on the spike protein. Substantive changes to a virus’ behavior, such as heightened transmissibility, are likely the result of multiple mutations rather than individual ones, molecular epidemiologist Emma Hodcroft of University of Bern tells The Atlantic...

Our immune system—and, in particular, antibodies—is a powerful evolutionary force on viruses. Some pathogens such as influenza, and maybe also common cold-causing coronaviruses, mutate their proteins toward new shapes to avoid being targeted by antibodies that would normally prevent them from infecting cells, a process known as antigenic drift. A study recently posted as a preprint to bioRxiv by Hatziioannou and her colleagues suggests that the RBD mutations present in the B.1.351 variant are due to antigenic drift. The team passaged a model virus bearing the dominant SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in the presence of individual neutralizing antibodies extracted from people who had received either the Moderna or Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. Depending on which antibody they were cultured with, the viruses would gradually adopt a single mutation—either E484K, K417N, and N501Y—which are present in B.1.351. That suggests that “the virus is mutating in these positions to avoid antibodies,” Hatziioannou says...

In a yet-to-be-peer-reviewed study, scientists in South Africa investigated that possibility by testing the potency of antibodies from 44 COVID-19 survivors against the B.1.351 variant. Remarkably, serum samples from 21 patients were not capable of neutralizing the virus in vitro. Antibodies from hospitalized patients with more severe disease were more effective against the virus compared to those who had only mild symptoms. “These data highlight the prospect of reinfection with antigenically distinct variants,” the authors reported.

Such escape mutations in the RBD—a site most vaccines are targeting—don’t bode well for vaccinated individuals, who could theoretically be vulnerable to infection by a new variant. While mRNA vaccines, such as the ones developed by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, are relatively straightforward to update, the processes of seeking regulatory approvals and producing a new vaccine aren’t trivial, Moore notes...

Researchers are still investigating the effect of the P.1 variant’s vulnerability to vaccines in Brazil, Resende says. As for the B.1.351 variant, a second experiment in Hatziioannou’s study provides some insights. She and her colleagues examined antibody-containing plasma from 20 people who had either received the Moderna or the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. The team tested the plasma against the dominant SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and pseudoviruses engineered to have the variant’s RBD mutations, either individually or in combination. The antibodies proved significantly less effective in neutralizing the pseudoviruses compared to pseudoviruses with the original spike protein, with a one- to threefold decrease in antibody potency. “It’s a really small difference,” she says, adding that it’s not entirely clear why the South African team—testing antibodies from survivors of natural infections against the actual RBD protein—observed a more dramatic drop in antibody potency.

This week, Moderna reported preliminary results from a separate in vitro examination of sera from eight people who had received two doses of the company’s vaccine. According to a press release, company scientists observed a reduction in antibody potency with the B.1.351 variant compared to prior variants, but the level of neutralizing antibodies “remain above levels that are expected to be protective.” The B.1.1.7 variant had no impact on antibody potency.

“There are grounds for concern [with vaccines], but the sky isn’t falling,” Moore says. Some researchers have pointed out that in addition to antibodies, there are other components of immune memory, which could prevent severe reinfections with novel variants. And because the vaccines—at least the ones examined in the study—are so effective, “even if antibody effectiveness were reduced tenfold, the vaccines would still be quite effective against the virus,” evolutionary biologist Jesse Bloom of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle tells The New York Times.

Hatziioannou anticipates that if variants are left to spread for longer and accumulate many more mutations, vaccine manufacturers may have to update their vaccines at some point, as is done with annual flu shots. For now, “I think the vaccine will still work,” she says. “But this is the first step: it’s a little bit of resistance, and then [with] the next set of mutations a little bit more, and the next set of mutations a little bit more, until eventually we get to something that’s significantly more resistant.”

Meanwhile, new variants are on the horizon. This month, Jones and his colleagues discovered a novel variant in Columbus, Ohio, that lacks the complexity of mutations of the major three variants, but possesses the N501Y sequence. “It’s really this November, December timeframe, where we’ve seen all of these alternate viruses with the N501Y mutation go from low levels in the population to a very significant percentage,” he says. The COH.20G/501Y variant from Ohio has since also been found elsewhere in the US, but its rate of spread is hard to determine.

A second mutation that has popped up frequently in Jones’s recent samples and in other Midwestern states is located outside the spike (S) RBD. “It’s in a conserved area that regulates the cleavage of the S protein, [which] has also raised the possibility that this could be a functional change in the virus.”

L452R, a different mutation that appears to be spreading, was recently associated with large outbreaks in California, but experts say it’s not clear if it’s more infectious.

Side-by-Side Comparisons of Important SARS-CoV-2 Variants​ A range of SARS-CoV-2 variants has emerged across the world since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Most attention has been on fast-spreading variants recently identified in the UK, South Africa, and Brazil. Scientists suspect that the variants’ particular patterns of mutations have the potential to affect their transmissibility, virulence, and/or ability to evade parts of the immune system. The latter could make people with vaccine-induced or natural immunity to SARS-CoV-2 vulnerable to becoming reinfected with novel variants, and these possible effects remain under investigation. There are a handful of other variants—typically with fewer eye-catching mutations—that researchers are also keeping a close watch on, notes molecular epidemiologist Emma Hodcroft of the University of Bern in Switzerland. Making matters confusing, scientists can’t agree on a standardized naming system for new variants, causing what one researcher has called a “bloody mess” of nomenclature. Here The Scientist compiles a summary of some noteworthy variants recently associated with rapid spread that US researchers are currently monitoring.

Name(s) Distribution Notable mutations Potential effects on transmissibility, virulence, and immune escape B.1.1.7, 20I/501Y.V1, VOC202012/01 First identified in late December in the UK, it has spread to 62 countries in Europe, Asia, the US, and elsewhere. 17 recent mutations, including N501Y, P681H, HV 69–70 deletion, and four more on the spike protein; the ORF8 Q27stop mutation outside the spike protein • Thought to have greater than 40 percent increased transmissibility • Increased virulence suggested but remains unresolved • Little concern around current vaccine efficacy B.1.351, 20C/501Y.V2 Identified in late December in South Africa and now spotted in Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia 21 mutations, including N501Y, E484K, and K417N on the spike protein, and ORF1b deletion outside the spike protein • Suggested to have heightened transmissibility • No evidence of increased virulence • In vitro studies suggest a potential for immune escape following natural infections and a small effect on the potency of vaccine-induced antibodies P.1, 20J/501Y.V3 Discovered in travelers from Brazil during screening at a Japanese airport in January; now known to widely circulate in Brazil’s Amazonas state and also observed in the Faroe Islands, South Korea, and the US 17 amino acid changes, including N501Y, E484K, and K417N on the spike protein; ORF1b deletion outside the spike protein • Effect on transmissibility and/or virulence unknown • Anecdotes of reinfections reported, but potential for immune evasion remains unresolved COH.20G/501Y Two cases of the N501Y mutation have been detected in Columbus, Ohio, since late December, and in other US states since N501Y, located in the virus’ spike protein. It lacks most other mutations present in the B.1.1.7 variant identified in the UK. • No evidence yet of altered transmissibility, virulence, and/or immune evasion S Q677H, sometimes called “Midwest” variant Viruses containing the S Q677H mutation have recently become frequent in samples analyzed during December and January in Ohio, and have also been found in multiple Midwest states Q677H mutation on the spike protein, A85S on the M protein, and D377Y on the nucleocapsid protein • So far, no evidence of altered transmissibility, virulence, and/or immune evasion L452R, B1429 The L452R mutation itself was observed in the US and Europe last year. In January 2021, it rose rapidly in frequency in multiple California counties. L452R mutation, located on the spike protein • Associated with several large outbreaks in California, but it remains unclear if the surges are driven by the variant itself • Effects on vaccine efficacy under investigation

Also, it occurred that @Kellya86 may be looking for death as a direct result of infection - for example, if the cells that the virus kills are needed for the essential function of a particular organ. The closest this virus comes to that might be the cytokine cascade observed in some patients, particularly those who are younger. But even this is the result of the body's response to the virus, albeit a pathological one. As @CarolKing suggests, the distinction is not as meaningful as you might think. Responses to the virus obviously wouldn't occur in the absence of infection, so it's reasonable to view issues with the body's response as caused by the virus.