COVID-19 — Coronavirus

[MillionMilesAway]

It’s based in Cambridge, just across the Charles River from Boston (where the vast majority of the biomedical and health research companies/organisations are situated in the area). I used to walk by it daily to get to my office when we were still based on Cambridge (before going to Boston, then full-time remote). If I recall correctly, based on a discussion I had with two of their managers at a function a few years ago, they’ve had long running backing from AstraZeneca and a few US government contracts, among other VC funding, as well as scalping some of the top biogeneticists and research scientists available, so I wouldn’t doubt they have the resources necessary to contribute substantially to the required research for a viable vaccine.

Ah, Cambridge was what I was thinking of. Absolute hotbed of genetic research.

Astra? Could have been any of them, but the rest is much in line with my thoughts.

 

[cleavers]

Rest of the academic year at Liverpool uni is going online which means I’ll be paying for an empty room in a rented house for my son while he’s back home eating his weight in food that I’ll be buying no doubt, whilst he’s pocketing his loan.

Beware he doesn't bring it home with him and infect you ;-)

 

[west didsblue]

Beware he doesn't bring it home with him and infect you ;-)

I’m not going to know till it’s too late anyway.

 

[kaz7]

Hope so, I’ve quite a few shares in them


On a more serious note you are wrong.
I remember when Shire Pharmaceuticals announced a new drug they had been testing called Ritalin.
At the time they were a small company run by a husband and wife team.

I bought it to their brilliance well before the drug became the standard for treating ADHD.

I think a vaccine for a pandemic will be made by one or more of the big boys,experience,facilities,money etc, i know how patents usually work but i have not read whether it will be a shared one in this instance to get it to market quicker,that side of things i find interesting as well as the medical side

 

[SebastianBlue]

@SebastianBlue just have read that your prime minister declared limited movement of people in Spain. Only to job and to buy food.

Yes, there’s more information here for those interested and/or impacted:

PM due to make statement after seven-hour debate on state of alert measures

Draft decree includes banning all journeys in Spain apart from travel to work or to buy food. The delay on Saturday was reportedly due to differences between the Socialists and their coalition partners, Unidas Podemos

https://english.elpais.com/society/...apart-from-travel-to-work-or-to-buy-food.html

————

As I said in an earlier post, it’s getting difficult to plan for the care of elder members of my family in both the UK and Spain, especially remotely from the US, with it’s own daily changes. But we’re all facing these challenges and most of what is being done is genuinely needed to protect everyone, so it’s just a matter of doing your best at this point.

 

[kaz7]

50% of those in Intensive Care in France are under 60. Scary shit this

Have you noticed that it started with over 80's with pre-exsisting conditions,then it went to 70's,today our deaths are over 60,it is creeping downwards,i wonder if we start to get healthy younger people it will still be said they had health probs or whether we will get the truth

 

[cleavers]

Just for some input from Europe, I live near Amsterdam and this week everything has changed. I haven't seen mass panic buying yet, I don't think Dutch people are prone to that as much as us English, but you can see people taking it upon themselves.

Most of those "panic buying" here aren't, they're buying to create a shortage, so they can profit, unfortunately some are driven by profit, from top to bottom feeders.

 

[i8rags]

I’m starting to turn all pro uk, think it’s about time we locked down borders in and out, defend ourselves and protect ourselves, fuck the rest of em they should have the same attitude, if the world concentrate on themselves without been horrible selfish twats, ie invest in cures help the needy etc, but simply declare war on it

 

[kaz7]

The big boys may just be funding it. The start-ups are focussed scientists, but almost certainly can't pay for all the testing - they are really productive in cutting edge stuff, with the big boys providing the scale and hardware.

Thanks,it is a bit irresponsable for one of them to be saying they might skip animal trials

 

[denislawsbackheel]

Just looking now: Germany 4100 cases 8 deaths. UK 1,100 cases 21 deaths.
I appreciate we aren’t doing a lot of testing here, but regardless of that, the difference in mortality looks significant.

perhaps Germany’s 23890 CCU beds compared to our 4114 might have something to do with it...

 

[TCIB]

Moderna are up near Boston, I think, and there are several thriving genetics companies there. I'd expect their work to be in association with MIT, across the river. They are part of a larger umbrella group of biotech companies - I doubt they are trying any manipulation, they're not that new.

Much of the research is done in small outfits focussing on a very small number of targets.

In relative terms they are new due to even their most developed vaccines only being in the early stages of clinical trials. In other industries 10 years can be considered established certainly. That is not a slur on them, the market they operate in demands a long term aproach, mRNA is still heavily developmental. They can possibly be the ones who get a working vaccine out first. My position is it is simply not a done deal and caution should be the word of the day with them and all pharma company claims at the moment. There are many steps that will need to be taken where issues could arise.

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

Have you noticed that it started with over 80's with pre-exsisting conditions,then it went to 70's,today our deaths are over 60,it is creeping downwards,i wonder if we start to get healthy younger people it will still be said they had health probs or whether we will get the truth

Yes I have. They have been very keen to emphasise this, particularly the pre existing conditions. Macron didn’t even confirm that those under 60 have existing health conditions. We are not getting the full story and we are probably 2 weeks away from having no intensive care beds left.

 

[MillionMilesAway]

Thanks,it is a bit irresponsable for one of them to be saying they might skip animal trials

It's very unusual, but other than time, it may be that they shortcut the trials into 'does it kill them'. I expect they'll still do mouse trials at that level at least.

Off the top of my head, if COVID19 isn't carried by animals (I don't know whether it is), it may be difficult to test on them.

The trouble is getting something to manufacture and administration otherwise could be years, and there just isn't time for that.

 

[kaz7]

For those who do online grocery shopping like i do then tesco's are doing the following

They will deliver it to your kitchen still,if you don't want them to come in they will have bags that they can put your shopping in at the door and you can take it in yourself

Once you have checked it's all there you don't need to scribble your signature on their ipad thingy as usual,they will sign it for you

I don't know what will come tomorrow of what i ordered, think i will let him in as usual,he has more to worry about from me,i am assuming i can't catch it again

 

[bluemcr]

Have you noticed that it started with over 80's with pre-exsisting conditions,then it went to 70's,today our deaths are over 60,it is creeping downwards,i wonder if we start to get healthy younger people it will still be said they had health probs or whether we will get the truth

Hmmm I've seen Italians posting online saying it's all bullshit older people getting it. They're saying younger people are getting it and kids. They are dying young and it's being covered up. Whether that's true or not I'm not sure but who knows.

 

[True_Blue69]

Have you noticed that it started with over 80's with pre-exsisting conditions,then it went to 70's,today our deaths are over 60,it is creeping downwards,i wonder if we start to get healthy younger people it will still be said they had health probs or whether we will get the truth

Probably because a healthier 60 year old would live longer with it than a seriously ill 80 year old. The figures were always that over 60 the % that die starts going up.

There is no doubt that a younger person can get it and become very ill (I don't want to say it but the same with other similar illnesses), the chance of a 30 year old recovering from pneumonia is higher than a 70 year old.

 

[west didsblue]

I’m starting to turn all pro uk, think it’s about time we locked down borders in and out, defend ourselves and protect ourselves, fuck the rest of em they should have the same attitude, if the world concentrate on themselves without been horrible selfish twats, ie invest in cures help the needy etc, but simply declare war on it

What does that actually mean in practice? Other than the locking borders bit.

 

[MillionMilesAway]

The signature thing also applies at post offices - they'll sign for you.

I think I saw earlier that Ocado were struggling to deal with demand, and new customers were being put down the list.

 

[True_Blue69]

Hmmm I've seen Italians posting online saying it's all bullshit older people getting it. They're saying younger people are getting it and kids. They are dying young and it's being covered up. Whether that's true or not I'm not sure but who knows.

Where have you read this please?

 

[cleavers]

For those who do online grocery shopping like i do then tesco's are doing the following

Are you "online panic buying" ?

More seriously have they got most things online ?