Coronavirus Discussion Thread (See Staff Post) [UPDATE: WHO declares global emergency. See threadmarks]

[Redeye97]

welp, if this causes the cancellation of the Olympic games, this would be like patient zero

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The worst part is, he's not going to be the only one. God knows I can't even keep my own students from coming to class when they're sick during a typical flu season. Imagine all the office workers, hotel staff, taxi drivers who are already conditioned to work themselves through a fever catching this, and waiting until they literally can't work anymore like this surgeon.

Japan's unique challenge during this epidemic won't be governmental like China, or even institutional like the US potentially. It's going to be cultural.

 

[Garchia3.0]

Oh yeah, I don't live there, I live in Yangshuo. Had a flyer on my door offering $200 RMB if you reported a neighbor who had come from the Wuhan area.

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Wow. So there's "bounty hunting" taking place to control the spread of the virus. Don't even know what to say. Stay safe in Yangshuo!

 

[Deleted member 2802]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/who-china-coronavirus-feb-13-1.5462153

Japanese authorities might soon allow people quarantined aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship near Tokyo to disembark and finish out their isolation on land.

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That first group of people will be tested for the virus, and if they test negative, will be taken to a quarantine housing facility, the cruise line said in a press release. If they test positive, they'll be moved to a health facility.

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The shore-side quarantine centre will include individual rooms with private bathrooms, and while passengers will continue to receive their medical prescriptions, they will not have access to specialized or Western meals. They will be served Japanese bento boxes for the duration of the quarantine, according to the release.

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🍱

Good news for all aboard the ship, I heard people stopped going outside their rooms for exercise because people were taking off their masks to smoke. What if smoking is the hidden vector that nobody knows about? Could explain why there are more male patients.

 

[darkwing]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/who-china-coronavirus-feb-13-1.5462153

🍱

Good news for all aboard the ship, I heard people stopped going outside their rooms for exercise because people were taking off their masks to smoke. What if smoking is the hidden vector that nobody knows about? Could explain why there are more male patients.

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probably smoking causes poor health and makes you more susceptible to the virus

 

[Linkura]

The worst part is, he's not going to be the only one. God knows I can't even keep my own students from coming to class when they're sick during a typical flu season. Imagine all the office workers, hotel staff, taxi drivers who are already conditioned to work themselves through a fever catching this, and waiting until they literally can't work anymore like this surgeon.

Japan's unique challenge during this epidemic won't be governmental like China, or even institutional like the US potentially. It's going to be cultural.

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Do they at least wear fucking masks? Because they sure as hell don't here in the US. I know if I *HAVE* to come in sick to the point where I think I may be contagious, I wear an N95 mask and get the fuck out as soon as I'm done with what I need to do. People are like wtf but they appreciate the courtesy.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/who-china-coronavirus-feb-13-1.5462153

🍱

Good news for all aboard the ship, I heard people stopped going outside their rooms for exercise because people were taking off their masks to smoke. What if smoking is the hidden vector that nobody knows about? Could explain why there are more male patients.

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I dunno having bento boxes instead of Western meals sounds like a big ass plus to me.

Also fucking finally.

And smoking causes damage to your respiratory system, which makes you more susceptible to respiratory illness in general.

 

[Nlroh]

So there's not a single drug that's helping, I suppose not even remdesivir is working as hoped.

 

[EvilChameleon]

welp, if this causes the cancellation of the Olympic games, this would be like patient zero

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Japan isn't going to cancel the Olympics. Aside from the fact that they are months away, even if they were to start tomorrow, more people were infected with Zika in Brazil at the start of the 2016 Summer Olympics than people infected with Corona in Japan right now.

 

[HStallion]

So there's not a single drug that's helping, I suppose not even remdesivir is working as hoped.

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I feel like there are a dozen new articles everyday based on hearsay or just made up shit about this drug or that drug working. I'm waiting for the article about Flinstone's chewable vitamins somehow defeating the Coronavirus.

 

[CelestialAtom]

So there's not a single drug that's helping, I suppose not even remdesivir is working as hoped.

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Still, this is positive news since it is SOMETHING that appears to be helping.

 

[Redeye97]

Do they at least wear fucking masks? Because they sure as hell don't here in the US. I know if I *HAVE* to come in sick to the point where I think I may be contagious, I wear an N95 mask and get the fuck out as soon as I'm done with what I need to do. People are like wtf but they appreciate the courtesy.

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They wear masks, but that isn't always the perfect stopgap, especially if you wear it all day (which they do, especially with the shortage) and to the point to where it gets damp. Many here also don't cover their mouths when they cough, nor wash their hands after using the restroom. (and many public bathrooms like stations don't provide soap)

But even with that it won't matter. If you are changing sheets, preparing food, handing back papers to children , or opening people the fuck up, you are going to be spreading harmful bacteria and viruses if you are sick.

 

[Dark Cloud]

So there's not a single drug that's helping, I suppose not even remdesivir is working as hoped.

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There's still positive news there...

 

[Linkura]

They wear masks, but that isn't always the perfect stopgap, especially if you wear it all day (which they do, especially with the shortage) and to the point to where it gets damp. Many here also don't cover their mouths when they cough, nor wash their hands after using the restroom. (and many public bathrooms like stations don't provide soap)

But even with that it won't matter. If you are changing sheets, preparing food, handing back papers to children , or opening people the fuck up, you are going to be spreading harmful bacteria if you are sick.

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Absolutely agree with that. I'm a desk jockey and can easily stay away from others and surfaces others would handle. People doing the things you listed shouldn't be going to work at all when sick.

 

[Rogue Kiwi]

The most fucked up thing about the surgeon was he began to feel feverish on January 31st, yet continued working until February 6th.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200214_02/
God damn the mother fucking work culture here will be the death of this country. You'd think having a fever would be enough to have a motherfucking surgeon abstain from work. But no, gotta keep trucking.

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If this turns out to be bad enough then hopefully this is what changes working culture to encouraging people to take time off if they are sick.

 

[Wubby]

Dang I may avoid going to Tokyo next weekend like I was planning then. One benefit of living out in the boonies is I don't have to worry about it as much. But yeah Tokyo if someone got it from that Taxi driver then takes a crowded train and starts coughing all over the place...

 

[SRG01]

I feel like there are a dozen new articles everyday based on hearsay or just made up shit about this drug or that drug working. I'm waiting for the article about Flinstone's chewable vitamins somehow defeating the Coronavirus.

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It's not exactly hearsay to consider blood plasma to be a somewhat effective treatment, especially when it contains the right antibodies.

 

[feline fury]

Would be interesting to know how many kits their labs can process per day. Wouldn't surprise if they are maxed out. Like using a thermometer that only covers so many degrees.

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Or a dosimeter. /Chernobyl

 

[GillianSeed79]

So with 15 cases confirmed in the U.S., is there any reason to worry that there might be an epidemic in the states? I'm not expecting there to be, but then again everybody seems so dismissive of the virus here that it's a little worrisome. All anyone ever says is that you have a better chance of dying of the normal flu than coronavirus, but the virus seems infectious as all fuck. I have this anxious feeling we are going to wake up one day and the infections are going to be rampant. Am I being too pessimistic/cynical?

 

[Linkura]

So with 15 cases confirmed in the U.S., is there any reason to worry that there might be an epidemic in the states? I'm not expecting there to be, but then again everybody seems so dismissive of the virus here that it's a little worrisome. All anyone ever says is that you have a better chance of dying of the normal flu than coronavirus, but the virus seems infectious as all fuck. I have this anxious feeling we are going to wake up one day and the infections are going to be rampant. Am I being too pessimistic/cynical?

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Doesn't seem like it at this point. Seems like the cases here have been well contained. It could change, but for now, I wouldn't worry.

 

[feline fury]

So with 15 cases confirmed in the U.S., is there any reason to worry that there might be an epidemic in the states? I'm not expecting there to be, but then again everybody seems so dismissive of the virus here that it's a little worrisome. All anyone ever says is that you have a better chance of dying of the normal flu than coronavirus, but the virus seems infectious as all fuck. I have this anxious feeling we are going to wake up one day and the infections are going to be rampant. Am I being too pessimistic/cynical?

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Until there is a community acquired transmission or a healthcare acquired transmission, there's no need to panic. So far only people traveling from Wuhan have it in the US and those people have been quarantined. Should still practice good hygiene habits regardless.

 

[Chikor]

So with 15 cases confirmed in the U.S., is there any reason to worry that there might be an epidemic in the states? I'm not expecting there to be, but then again everybody seems so dismissive of the virus here that it's a little worrisome. All anyone ever says is that you have a better chance of dying of the normal flu than coronavirus, but the virus seems infectious as all fuck. I have this anxious feeling we are going to wake up one day and the infections are going to be rampant. Am I being too pessimistic/cynical?

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The CDC is the best source for this -

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/summary.html#risk-assessment

The potential public health threat posed by COVID-19 virus is high, both globally and to the United States. The fact that this virus has caused illness, including illness resulting in death, and sustained person-to-person spread in China is concerning. These factors meet two of the criteria of a pandemic. It's unclear how the situation will unfold, but risk is dependent on exposure. At this time, some people will have an increased risk of infection, for example healthcare workers caring for patients with COVID-19 and other close contacts of patients with COVID-19. For the general American public, who are unlikely to be exposed to this virus, the immediate health risk from COVID-19 is considered low at this time.

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I'm not saying they're infallible, and if a different health organization or an epidemiologist have a different opinion I will listen, but if it's some theory some internet people are guessing by squinting at cellphone videos from Wuhan, I generally take a pass.

 

[Halbrand]

So there's not a single drug that's helping, I suppose not even remdesivir is working as hoped.

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Khan's blood

 

[LOCK]

I'm more worried now about Indonesia and India's numbers. I suspect there is a lot we don't know.

 

[Arex]

I'm more worried now about Indonesia and India's numbers. I suspect there is a lot we don't know.

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Lol yeah there are probably already undetected cases in Indonesia, considering how huge we are and how lacking the medical facilities are outside the big cities.

Also the 14 days quarantine for the 238 Indonesian citizens repatriated from Wuhan will end this Saturday. The authorities say no infection so far from them so far, but I'm not sure if they even did full test on them or just visually checking for symptoms. Hopefully they're all clear.

 

[rhindle]

China national update. New case count continues to decline:

China's National Health Commission reports 267 new cases and 5 new deaths on the mainland, excluding Hubei province. Hubei Province deducted 108 prior deaths from the death toll due to double counting.

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[endlessflood]

Herald reporting on it now. The Australian had to amend their story; I find it's best to assume that everything printed in a Rupert Murdoch newspaper is a load of shit until proven otherwise.

All passengers were allowed off, but one was tested for COVID-19 with results to be confirmed this afternoon. Passenger had no contact with China and wasn't feeling ill, so I'm assuming they had a cough or were found to be running a temperature.

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oipic The tested passenger came back negative for COVID-19.

In other good news, all four of the cases in Victoria have now recovered :)

 

[Garchia3.0]

 

[Troll]

There's a lab down here in San Diego that's confident they've created a viable vaccine. Pretty great stuff happening at Inovio. This place has also created Zika, MERS, and Ebola vaccines. What they'll do is plug a viral DNA sequence into an algorithm and somehow a few days later the vaccine has a formula (Corona Virus took 3 days). Absolutely incredible. The vaccine has already been successful in mice and guinea pigs with trials on humans next.

I love science. Maybe some of the apocalypse boners going around can start to soften up.

 

[endlessflood]

There's a lab down here in San Diego that's confident they've created a viable vaccine. Pretty great stuff happening at Inovio. This place has also created Zika, MERS, and Ebola vaccines. What they'll do is plug a viral DNA sequence into an algorithm and somehow a few days later the vaccine has a formula (Corona Virus took 3 days). Absolutely incredible. The vaccine has already been successful in mice and guinea pigs with trials on humans next.

I love science. Maybe some of the apocalypse boners going around can start to soften up.

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This was discussed earlier, I believe it was bullshit :(

Speaking of bullshit, the only source I can see for the four Victorian cases all recovering is the Johns Hopkins dashboard. There haven't been any Australian media reports on it, AFAICS, which seems bizarre. Maybe the Johns Hopkins people confused Victoria with New South Wales.

 

[Troll]

This was discussed earlier, I believe it was bullshit.

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This was discussed earlier, I believe it was bullshit.

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can you link me? I'm local to the company and it sounds pretty legitimate. don't bother if it's some conspiratorial conjecture, im only interested in a serious rebuttal of their efforts

 

[JeTmAn]

There's a lab down here in San Diego that's confident they've created a viable vaccine. Pretty great stuff happening at Inovio. This place has also created Zika, MERS, and Ebola vaccines. What they'll do is plug a viral DNA sequence into an algorithm and somehow a few days later the vaccine has a formula (Corona Virus took 3 days). Absolutely incredible. The vaccine has already been successful in mice and guinea pigs with trials on humans next.

I love science. Maybe some of the apocalypse boners going around can start to soften up.

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Yup, that sounds like some machine learning there...plug in enough training data from the creation of other vaccines and let the algorithm work on a new problem...a magical solution pops out the other end.

 

[endlessflood]

can you link me? I'm local to the company and it sounds pretty legitimate. don't bother if it's some conspiratorial conjecture, im only interested in a serious rebuttal of their efforts

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Just do what I'd do, which is start going back through the thread.

EDIT: the post was at 5:33pm yesterday, my time.

 

[Typhon]

.

 

[Nlroh]

Still, this is positive news since it is SOMETHING that appears to be helping.

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I know, but are those antibodies something that can be synthesized? I don't know if relying on blood donation from recovered patients is going to be that helpful.

 

[Deleted member 48991]

A cab driver in Okinawa prefecture (an island of Japan) has been infected, most likely via contact with a traveler on the Diamond Princess cruise ship when they docked there (source).

 

[Lishi]

I know, but are those antibodies something that can be synthesized? I don't know if relying on blood donation from recovered patients is going to be that helpful.

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Well, there is hope they will dwarf the one ill eventually.

 

[dhlt25]

Yup, that sounds like some machine learning there...plug in enough training data from the creation of other vaccines and let the algorithm work on a new problem...a magical solution pops out the other end.

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just a quick glance at their financials, this company has been around for more than a decade, they still have no products on market, has lost over $700 mil over the lifetime of the company and is ready for another round of $100mil dilution. I'd take anything they have with a grain of salt

 

[texhnolyze]

just a quick glance at their financials, this company has been around for more than a decade, they still have no products on market, has lost over $700 mil over the lifetime of the company and is ready for another round of $100mil dilution. I'd take anything they have with a grain of salt

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How is it possible that they are still around?

 

[dhlt25]

How is it possible that they are still around?

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no clue, prob real good at scamming investors. They also get some grants to do drug research

Edit: They have actually been around for 30 years under various names with 0 products lol, yea I wouldn't put any hope on them developing any cure

 

[Midramble]

How is it possible that they are still around?

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Startup overvaluation bubble. Lots of useless companies around soaking up endless venture capital to eventually be flipped into the public market before inspection makes them implode.

 

[Neo C.]

Just received the message that I got my money for the flight back (minus a small fee). Now I'll wait how things turn out in the next two weeks.

 

[Miss Piggy]

For the Japanese surgeon, I do understand that medical staff all over the work wouldn't want to cancel surgeries for patients who have been waiting for months or make his colleagues see extra patients, so they won't take sick days unless absolutely necessary. It's not the same as office staff whose absence doesn't affect other people as much. He probably also didn't think it was the corona virus as the chances are so low.

 

[utricularEwe001]

Vietnam quarantines an entire village of 10,000 people, making it the biggest quarantine area outside of China.

The rural commune of Son Loi, in the northern Vietnamese province of Vinh Phuc, 44 km (27 miles) from Hanoi, is home to11 of the 16 coronavirus cases in the Southeast Asian country,including a three-month-old baby.

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"Over 10,000 residents of the commune will not be permitted to leave for the next 20 days, starting from today," the second of the two the officials told Reuters on Thursday.

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"As of this evening, we will still allow those who wish to return home to enter but, in the next few days, this place will be totally be sealed," the official told Reuters by phone.

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Vietnam quarantines rural community of 10,000 because of coronavirus

Vietnam has quarantined a community of 10,000 people near the capital, Hanoi, for 20 days because of fears the coronavirus could spread there, two local officials told Reuters on Thursday.

www.reuters.com

 

[Prax]

RIP my aunt and uncle who need meds but took a vacation to Vietnam lol.

I think they are closer to Saigon though, not the Hanoi area.. but who knows if they'll be able to make it out by then.

 

[Arex]

RIP my aunt and uncle who need meds but took a vacation to Vietnam lol.

I think they are closer to Saigon though, not the Hanoi area.. but who knows if they'll be able to make it out by then.

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Well Ho Chi Minh city is more than 1000 km away from Hanoi, so it's probably safe... for now :p

 

[Deleted member 24097]

So it's done, the virus is here.

新型ウイルス 沖縄でも クルーズ船の客を乗せたタクシー運転手 | NHKニュース

沖縄県内に住む60代のタクシー運転手の女性が新型コロナウイルスに感染していることが確認されました。この運転手は、集団感染…

www3.nhk.or.jp

First case reported this afternoon in my city (Naha, Okinawa). It was only a question of time.
A taxi driver, again!
Wish me luck, I guess?

Edit: and 2 more taxi drivers infected in Tokyo.

404 Not Found

Hopefully the damage will remain contained, but this is getting more and more concerning.
Both are connected to the taxi driver case reported yesterday.

 

[Prax]

Well Ho Chi Minh city is more than 1000 km away from Hanoi, so it's probably safe... for now :p

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I feel like their lives are a Series of Unfortunate Events lol. But maybe their vacation is almost done by now.

 

[darkwing]

uh i just read 1,700 medics have been infected in China on CNN

 

[Redeye97]

For the Japanese surgeon, I do understand that medical staff all over the work wouldn't want to cancel surgeries for patients who have been waiting for months or make his colleagues see extra patients, so they won't take sick days unless absolutely necessary. It's not the same as office staff whose absence doesn't affect other people as much. He probably also didn't think it was the corona virus as the chances are so low.

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Still dangerous as fuck, even if it was just a regular flu, and I sure as fuck wouldn't want someone with a fever operating on me. There comes a point where your presence can be detrimental to your co-workers and your patients. IDAF if someone insists on working to the detriment of their own health, but if it puts the lives of others in danger, then that is criminally negligent.

 

[harry the spy]

How is it possible that they are still around?

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While that sounds a bit extreme, it's not uncommon in the pharmaceutical startup industry. You burn tons of cash until you miraculously make the one product that makes it all back. It's risky for big pharma so they externalize it to startup + VC money.

 

[Deleted member 28474]

I think another awful industry that more or less expects people to work sick is food service/cheffing. I spent a few years working restaurant kitchens and it was absolutely expected you work when sick, regardless if you cook or are on dish. That industry and what it expects/demands of people working in it is ridiculous and disgusting both for the people working in it and the people they are serving.