General Discussion/Q&A on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

[drron]

And it's amazing how new technology is going ahead in leaps and bounds with some of it stimulated by the pandemic.Researchers can now grow mini lungs to study the effects of covid on them.

Mini-Lungs in a Lab Dish Mimic Early COVID-19 Infection

Researchers have become skilled in recent years at growing an array of miniature human organs in the lab. Such lab-grown “organoids” have been put to work to better understand diabetes, fatty liver…

directorsblog.nih.gov

 

[drron]

Some more Covid news.
First according to the WHO remdesivir is now not to be used in treatment.

Welcome to Precision Vaccinations News

Precision Vaccinations News publishes vaccine news patients can trust to make informed immunization decisions in partnership with doctors, nurses, and pharmacists.

www.coronavirustoday.com

Second something that will interest @Pushka severe covid can have the antiphospholipid antibody syndrome.

Can Autoimmune Antibodies Explain Blood Clots in COVID-19?

For people with severe COVID-19, one of the most troubling complications is abnormal blood clotting that puts them at risk of having a debilitating stroke or heart attack.

directorsblog.nih.gov

And an Emergency authorisation for a rapid home covid test.

FDA grants first emergency use authorization for at-home rapid coronavirus test

The test will require a prescription, likely limiting its initial use.

www.cbsnews.com

Another drug used in rheumatoid arthritis has some evidence for use in covid.

Baricitinib linked to reduced mortality in COVID-19 patients: Study

A study published in Science Advances reports on the ability of baricitinib, a JAK/STAT pathway inhibitor, to inhibit viral entry and reduce inflammatory markers in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, reducing mortality risk by 71% among patients with moderate-severe COVID-19...

dgalerts.docguide.com

 

[Pushka]

Second something that will interest @Pushka severe covid can have the antiphospholipid antibody syndrome.

Can Autoimmune Antibodies Explain Blood Clots in COVID-19?

For people with severe COVID-19, one of the most troubling complications is abnormal blood clotting that puts them at risk of having a debilitating stroke or heart attack.

directorsblog.nih.gov

Thats really interesting. I did read way back before confirmation of mine that antibodies for APl can be transient in nature which is why a repeat test in 12 weeks is required before diagnosis of the syndrome then an actual clot before APl gets treated. This seems to have ramped up that process. I'm guessing this impact is transitory too?

Havent heard of dipyridamole? Does it have another name?

And kind of off topic. I was chatting to our new neighbour in 2021. He had a stroke five years ago. A massive one. Died but came back and you'd never know now he'd had one. He was 59. Blood tests showed he had Lupus and a blood clotting disorder. Seems incredible that we were both diagnosed with the same thing at the same age with no inkling beforehand. And now neighbours. Eventually.

 

[blackcat20]

So much for 12 hour turnaround for a Covid test....

 

[Pushka]

So much for 12 hour turnaround for a Covid test....

Ah. Best wishes then. Fingers crossed for a good result this morning.

 

[blackcat20]

Ah. Best wishes then. Fingers crossed for a good result this morning.

Darn daycare germs. I feel fine, just had a sore throat.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Darn daycare germs. I feel fine, just had a sore throat.

Still excellent that you got tested. Elephant Stamp for you

 

[Pushka]

Darn daycare germs. I feel fine, just had a sore throat.

The current strain in SA is very symptomless it seems. Even the older people were only put into Royal Adelaide because of age (80+) and the one who was the first to test positive just had a cough. No fever.

 

[blackcat20]

Negative as expected.

 

[Pushka]

Negative as expected.

You’ve just got to take the test though. Excellent news.

 

[drron]

Thats really interesting. I did read way back before confirmation of mine that antibodies for APl can be transient in nature which is why a repeat test in 12 weeks is required before diagnosis of the syndrome then an actual clot before APl gets treated. This seems to have ramped up that process. I'm guessing this impact is transitory too?

Havent heard of dipyridamole? Does it have another name?

And kind of off topic. I was chatting to our new neighbour in 2021. He had a stroke five years ago. A massive one. Died but came back and you'd never know now he'd had one. He was 59. Blood tests showed he had Lupus and a blood clotting disorder. Seems incredible that we were both diagnosed with the same thing at the same age with no inkling beforehand. And now neighbours. Eventually.

It's common trade name is Persantin.It was used a lot in the early 70s for renal and cardiac diseases.Went out of favour as many stopped it as it caused headaches.
Came back in combination with aspirin as asasantin to prevent strokes.Again high incidence of headaches.
But I have also worked as a nuclear physician and if people can't exercise often used persantin in a myocardial perfusion study.At the end of the test would stop the headache either with a strong cup of coffee or injection of aminophylline.The headache is caused by dilated blood vessels.So I have got my patients to take their asasantin with a cup of coffee and very few get a headache.It prevents stroke because of it's action on platelets so still effective.

Interestingly it has been shown to inhibit a few viruses.
As well it is being trialled as a topical eye treatment for pterygium.

 

[Pushka]

Interestingly it has been shown to inhibit a few viruses.
As well it is being trialled as a topical eye treatment for pterygium.

That’s another thing I had removed. Two pterygiums in my twenties.

 

[PLANT]

So need to get on a plane/planes to get to QLD...... so you bring or get a mask?
Are people double/triple masking?
Other than border check, the airport procedure and boarding checks ie. temperature????, mask on???

Suppose the airline has contact info to call if a positive contact trace appears?
Anyone been followed up with same???

 

[nutwood]

Could it be that COVID will gradually get more infectious but also less severe until the point that it's more like a common cold? Thinking that from the point of view of a virus, that would be a successful evolution.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

So need to get on a plane/planes to get to QLD...... so you bring or get a mask?
Are people double/triple masking?
Other than border check, the airport procedure and boarding checks ie. temperature????, mask on???

Suppose the airline has contact info to call if a positive contact trace appears?
Anyone been followed up with same???

Bring your own mask. Even if supposed to be supplied by the airline, you never know... may need a back up.

Wear the mask at all times when you are indoors, and outdoors if you cannot physically distance.

No need to double or triple mask that I am aware of.

 

[Pushka]

Bring your own mask. Even if supposed to be supplied by the airline, you never know... may need a back up.

Wear the mask at all times when you are indoors, and outdoors if you cannot physically distance.

No need to double or triple mask that I am aware of.

I’m wearing a mask these days in SA in supermarkets, and places like Ikea and Bunnings. Many fewer masks today than yesterday.

 

[tgh]

I live in qld , what is a mask ?

 

[dajop]

My favorite (not) mask story yesterday, guy was doing the right thing (as required by law here), had the mask on. Right until he decided he wanted to sneeze, so he remove the mask for the couple of seconds he took to sneeze.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I live in qld , what is a mask ?

Have you never been snorkelling?

 

[OZDUCK]

Interesting report on the "Oxford" vaccine. It seems counterintuitive, to an unqualified person, that 1 1/2 doses is more effective than 2 doses. The advantage of this vaccine is that it seems that it can be manufactured fairly soon in Australia and does not require the 'special' transportation conditions of some other vaccines. So good news all round - at this stage anyway.

AstraZeneca says COVID-19 vaccine developed with Oxford can be up to 90 per cent effective

Extensive testing has found the University of Oxford coronavirus vaccine can be up to 90 per cent effective at stopping people developing COVID-19 symptoms, if the right doses are administered.

www.abc.net.au