DON'T PANIC.... well, maybe a little bit.

The RTs in our area have been directed by the Lurah to set up portable hand washing stations in the poorest kampungs. So far so good and people seem to be using them by what I have been told. Of course like so many things set up like that, hard to say how long they last until they start disappearing. Hopefully people will police them.
 
The RTs in our area have been directed by the Lurah to set up portable hand washing stations in the poorest kampungs. So far so good and people seem to be using them by what I have been told. Of course like so many things set up like that, hard to say how long they last until they start disappearing. Hopefully people will police them.

The immediate problem is not "disappearing" but who will refill the water and the soap.
 
Predictive model for when Covid-19 Pandemic will end around the world. Indonesia around June 6.

https://ddi.sutd.edu.sg/

Caveats: End here defined as realizing 97% of expected cases. Relies on sparse Indonesian testing data. Over optimism based on some predicted end dates might be dangerous.

1450
 
If I'm not mistaken, I believe nicotine is produced by the tobacco plant as a defense mechanism against pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, and pests. Much like THC is produced for the same reasons plus for UV protection of the plant and flowers.

Although the origin animal or plant has not been identified, its not impossible for there to be a plant to human jump.
 
Some good news on the vaccination front:

These antibodies potently neutralized 10 representative SARS-CoV-2 strains, indicative of a possible broader neutralizing ability against SARS-CoV-2 strains circulating worldwide. Immunization with two different doses (3μg or 6 μg per dose) provided partial or complete protection in macaques against SARS-CoV-2 challenge, respectively, without any antibody-dependent enhancement of infection.


Here we show that immunization with the SARS-CoV-2 RBD elicits a robust neutralizing antibody response in rodents, comparable to 100 µg/ml of ACE2-Ig, a potent SARS-CoV-2 entry inhibitor. Importantly, anti-sera from immunized animals did not mediate antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) of S-protein-mediated entry under conditions in which Zika virus ADE was readily observed.


All usual disclaimers apply, among others: not yet peer reviewed, works on animals doesn't always mean works on humans, still a long time to prove safety, etc, etc.
 
Any medicine/vaccine that is rushed through should be held at a distance of a very long barge pole.
Does no one remember Thalidomide?
Any new drug takes time, tests cannot be rushed as we have to see what the effect of the drug is over time.
https://helix.northwestern.edu/article/thalidomide-tragedy-lessons-drug-safety-and-regulation

This thing about vaccine is just giving false hope to people, there could never be a vaccine for COVID-19 according to Isaiah (Shy) Arkin, a professor of Structural Biochemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

 
This thing about vaccine is just giving false hope to people, there could never be a vaccine for COVID-19 according to Isaiah (Shy) Arkin, a professor of Structural Biochemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

I have to agree as many of the viruses out there have no vaccine.
Herd immunity will be the main protector, yet very sadly the sacrifices are high.
 
I have to agree as many of the viruses out there have no vaccine.
Herd immunity will be the main protector, yet very sadly the sacrifices are high.
Herd immunity like that of the influenza?
 
It seems much of the world is attaching itself to the notion that a miraculous vaccine will be produced and everything can return to normal. Of course, it will be miraculous for the manufacturers of the vaccine.... how many millions will be required? But even if the vaccine were effective in tests the reality, it seems, is that all virus are constantly mutating and by the time the vaccine reaches populations it may not be effective and perhaps be unlikely to be effective for the next season.

Meanwhile President Trump had latched on to an unfortunate phrase "there is light at the end of the tunnel." A catchy phrase infamously used by General Westmoreland as he kept calling for just another 100,000 men and then another 100,000.... to find light at the end of the tunnel in Vietnam ... only to lose the war anyway.

I don't think I have heard President Trump use that phrase more recently. It would have been a brave aide who sidled up and said, "Umm Mr President, I don't think you should say that."
 
Last edited by a moderator:
But even if the vaccine were effective in tests the reality, it seems, is that all virus are constantly mutating and by the time the vaccine reaches populations it may not be effective and perhaps be unlikely to be effective for the next season.

All viruses are indeed mutating, but not at the same rate, and a mutation may not affect a vaccine's efficacy. We have very effective vaccine for many virus borne diseases, such as measles. We even have one that was so effective it eradicated the disease: small pox. SARS-COV-2 mutates, but less so than the flu virus.

If a vaccine ultimately proves to be unsuccessful because it mutates so much, then herd immunity will never be attained, for the same reason.That would mean that this pandemic doesn't end.
 
All viruses are indeed mutating, but not at the same rate, and a mutation may not affect a vaccine's efficacy. We have very effective vaccine for many virus borne diseases, such as measles. We even have one that was so effective it eradicated the disease: small pox. SARS-COV-2 mutates, but less so than the flu virus.

If a vaccine ultimately proves to be unsuccessful because it mutates so much, then herd immunity will never be attained, for the same reason.That would mean that this pandemic doesn't end.
I don't think anyone actually knows that yet.
 
I don't think anyone actually knows that yet.

In a philosophical way, can anything be really known at all? But there is strong evidence for this.

RNA viruses — HIV, influenza and coronaviruses, for example — tend to mutate faster than DNA ones.
But unlike other RNA viruses, coronaviruses have proof-reading capabilities that allow them to catch errors that arise as the virus copies itself.

Relevant links to scientific papers linked in the article.

https://www.axios.com/coronavirus-virus-mutation-3c02a0ce-89c0-4866-a869-bad0e538c390.html

Even if it does mutate as fast as flu, creating vaccinations for the next batch should be faster than the first time around.

Strains of the virus that caused the Spanish flu are still around (H1N1), but they have not caused a pandemic of equal force since, in part due to vaccination efforts.
 
I listened to Dr Fauci say that the coronavirus-19 has not been mutating or if it is it is very slow and that is why they feel a vaccine can be successfully found. Mutations often cause the original vaccine to be ineffective and a new one needs to be researched and produced if possible.

Just keep in mind that people that have had the virus are being reinfected. That would mean the antibodies are not lasting long afterwords or they don't fight the disease well enough. A vaccine could end up only protecting one for a week, two, a month, more or, not at all. Where will you draw the line that says you should get vaccinated or it's not worth the bother. For me, I would say 6 months or longer.

Since it could take one to two years before a vaccine is actually available, I have a feeling this virus will infect everyone globally before a vaccine is available.
 

Users who viewed this discussion (Total:0)

Follow Us

Latest Expat Indo Articles

Latest Tweets by Expat Indo

Latest Activity

New posts Latest threads

Online Now

No members online now.

Forum Statistics

Threads
6,651
Messages
112,217
Members
3,938
Latest member
venkatmishra65
Back
Top Bottom