COVID-19 — Coronavirus

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gordondaviesmoustache said:
The world is far more connected now than hitherto. Plenty of these mutations could have withered on the vine in enclosed communities previously.
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Hve you any idea about the sheer number of microorganisms living alongside each other in the biosphere? No one does. We can't even culture most microrganisms. Virus's don't just targets animals, they infect bacteria too.

The tree of life is enormous and vast and it's been on this planet for at least 3.5 BA.

Viruses are not part of that tree of life but they have influenced it's evolution. They link the branches horizontally in what is called horizontal gene transfer.

600px-A_Novel_Representation_Of_The_Tree_Of_Life.png
 
Marvin said:
A test for the virus's RNA. An antibody test is very useful but it's fundamentally different to a test for the virus.

What do you think the tests we've been doing that take days for labs to turn around do? That's PCR testing and it takes ages. Healthworkers can't even find out if they have got it. It's resource and time intensive.

If we had a fast reliable test for the virus it would make a massive difference
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That's what Whitty was talking about - the quick test is basically a flow assay on blood droplets. They should be quick to give an answer, but there is no reliable test as yet.

I'm unaware of any other quick test approach being planned.
 
cibaman said:
She’s 65, has rheumatoid arthritis and takes methotrexate, an immuno suppressant. She still hasnt received a letter and might not. Her arthritis is considered to be stable and she’s on a relative low dosage. But I’ve seen how badly she’s affected if she gets any bugs. We both had a cold last year. I recovered within a few days, she ended up having to make daily trips to her GP to be tested for pneumonia. So as far as I’m concerned she’s vulnerable.

I haven’t left the house since Monday so I’m assuming that after 14 days we can dispense with the separate bedrooms.
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I too have RA and am on methotrexate. I am over 70 and have not received a letter. I researched the subject yesterday and am happy to tell you that you are NOT at raised risk if:
1. You are not a new case and your condition is stable.
2. Methotrexate is the only immunosuppressant you are taking.
3. You are NOT taking a steroid such as Prednisolone.
So, if this applies, just take the normal precautions currently reccommended for the general pop.
Some of the websites are clear as mud, but I will post the most relevant here as an edit, so look out for it in a few minutes.
If you are worried, you can ask to get on the vulnerable list. Will post that site too.https://www.nras.org.uk/coronavirus
Sorry, the link to the vulnerable list does not work but the site is:
https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus-extremely-vulnerable
Or google virus vulnerable list.
 
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Blue Maverick said:
Fire service to deliver food, move bodies and drive ambulances, I’m up for that I’ve got 14 days off now and they won’t let me work as a firefighter so I’ll do this instead, better than been couped up.
On another note one of the lads finished work this morning queued up at Tesco for 20 mins got to front of the line and they said pensioners only for the next 30 mins, oh how I laughed ha ha
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If he takes his Firefighter ID with him, they’ll probably let him in too
 
gordondaviesmoustache said:
A significant number of homeless people don’t want to be housed, or at least deal with the associated restrictions that would be placed upon them. It’s not that straightforward an issue tbf mate.
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Accepted G but the govt do appear to have sprung into action all of a sudden whereas prior to covid they were pretty meh about the issue.
 
Spain has 650k rapid testing kits that they've just received. 6k proved faulty - supplied by an unauthorised manufacturer. If these work, then if the supply can be ramped up, it will change everything. Is this what lies behind Trump's plans to get the States back open?
 
gordondaviesmoustache said:
A significant number of homeless people don’t want to be housed, or at least deal with the associated restrictions that would be placed upon them. It’s not that straightforward an issue tbf mate.
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It’s a difficult issue as lots of mental health drink and drug issues
It’s great they are going this
I just hope labour get behind these things instead of using them for political gain post brexit
This is a war footing on a worldwide scale
desperate measures needed
 
MillionMilesAway said:
That's what Whitty was talking about - the quick test is basically a flow assay on blood droplets. They should be quick to give an answer, but there is no reliable test as yet.

I'm unaware of any other quick test approach being planned.
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There are antibody tests and there are tests for the virus. I am talking about tests for the virus. Up until the last week or so countries had to rely on very slow and time consuming tests which meant in practical terms testing was restricted to the sick and healthworkers, and not even healthworkers were getting checked properly. We check a few thousand each day. Nowhere near enough.

See this for example http://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2020-03-18-oxford-scientists-develop-rapid-testing-technology-covid-19, and from the guardian global feed (https://www.theguardian.com/world/l...ope-global-cases-number-500000-latest-updates) this:

Spanish government withdraws coronavirus testing kits
Sam Jones

The Spanish government has withdrawn 9,000 Chinese-made coronavirus testing kits from use after it emerged that they had an accurate detection rate of just 30%, reports Sam Jones in Madrid.

Like other countries struggling to diagnose and treat the virus, Spain has looked to China for rapid testing kits equipment and much-needed supplies, and announced this week that it would spend €432m on tests, masks, gloves and other personal protective equipment.

However, a batch of Chinese-made kits bought by Spanish health authorities a few weeks ago has been pulled after they were discovered to be unreliable and the Chinese government said that they had been made by a company that did not appear on its list of authorised manufacturers.

In a statement on Thursday, Spain’s health ministry said it would be returning the kits, but stressed that they had not be bought directly from the Chinese manufacturer but from a supply company in Spain that had purchased them in China and had provided the necessary accompanying paperwork.

“The first tests on the rapid testing kits were carried out simultaneously by a hospital in Madrid and by the Carlos III Health Institute, and as soon as their low sensitivity was discovered, they were withdrawn,” said the ministry. “The supplier has been contacted and replacement tests will be provided.”

Certificates shared by the ministry included an EC declaration of conformity for the products, which, according to the documentation, were made by the Shenzen Bioeasy Biotechnology Company Limited in Guandong province.

“Spain follows EU regulation, which mean that if a product is certified to conform to European standards, it can be bought and sold throughout the union area,” said the statement.

The ministry said the deficient kits were not part of the new, €432m Chinese order, and had been bought before the Chinese authorities has issued its list of approved manufacturers. In recent days, Spanish health authorities have been urgently distributing almost 650,000 rapid testing kits to frontline medial staff and residence homes for older people.

Spain, which is the European country most affected by the coronavirus after Italy, has so far recorded more than 56,000 cases of the disease and more than 4,000 deaths.

Health workers, who account for about 14% of the country’s coronavirus victims, have complained of a lack of basic protective equipment such as facemasks and gowns.
 
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