Biology and Medicine

[Miss_Faucie_Fishtits]

I read somewhere that 87% of people infected regularly wore masks. That no filter masks are capable preventing coronavirus from getting through.

Masks don't trap the virus, but they do capture the atomised water droplet mist from your breath and the virus is imbedded in that. Not absolutely effective but far from useless...'>......

[noddy]

tongue down someones throat, risk quite high, the more you stand away and cover your face, the lower the risk - its a statistical probability game not an absolute one

if most people are wearing masks, then most people who catch it will have been wearing a mask - this is unrelated to how many would have caught it without the masks.

[kmich]

Face masks as an effective means to mitigate the spread of respiratory infections has been well established for over a century, and is standard medical practice.   As a current public health measure, mask usage  aims to implement source control by limiting people with a SARS-CoV-2 infection who are asymptomatic or presymptomatic from transmitting the virus.    Obviously, if you are symptomatic, you should not be going out. Pretty basic stuff.
 
Models are limited by their assumptions and by variables not accounted for, so they typically have a number of flaws.   Nevertheless, The IMHE modeling of the effectiveness of universal mask use  is quite reasonable considering extensive, historical experience with airborne and droplet respiratory pathogens.  Other, earlier SARS-CoV-2  models have estimated that a face covering  is 60% effective at blocking viral transmission and if worn by 60% of the population could reduce R0 to below 1.0.  

Mask usage will save lives, but is certainly not a panacea.   I still emphasize to people to maintain physical distancing of > 2 meters since everyone's application of proper mask selection and use can be variable and unpredictable. The spread of SARS-CoV-2 infections is currently out of control in the USA, so citizens seriously assuming their responsibilities to each other seems a no brainer to me. We are all in this together, and the next few months will be grim enough, even without so many not yet taking this seriously.

On the other hand, you never know, mask mandates may be part of the leftist, Antifa, deep state conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids.

[Doc]

Face masks as an effective means to mitigate the spread of respiratory infections has been well established for over a century, and is standard medical practice.   As a current public health measure, mask usage  aims to implement source control by limiting people with a SARS-CoV-2 infection who are asymptomatic or presymptomatic from transmitting the virus.    Obviously, if you are symptomatic, you should not be going out. Pretty basic stuff.
 
Models are limited by their assumptions and by variables not accounted for, so they typically have a number of flaws.   Nevertheless, The IMHE modeling of the effectiveness of universal mask use  is quite reasonable considering extensive, historical experience with airborne and droplet respiratory pathogens.  Other, earlier SARS-CoV-2  models have estimated that a face covering  is 60% effective at blocking viral transmission and if worn by 60% of the population could reduce R0 to below 1.0.  

Mask usage will save lives, but is certainly not a panacea.   I still emphasize to people to maintain physical distancing of > 2 meters since everyone's application of proper mask selection and use can be variable and unpredictable. The spread of SARS-CoV-2 infections is currently out of control in the USA, so citizens seriously assuming their responsibilities to each other seems a no brainer to me. We are all in this together, and the next few months will be grim enough, even without so many not yet taking this seriously.

On the other hand, you never know, mask mandates may be part of the leftist, Antifa, deep state conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids.

The generally accepted number for mask reducing is around 28% THey are not 100% effective immediately when put on because coronaviruses are smaller than what the mask in question are capable of filtering out. Once the masks are worn their ability to filter out coronavirus degrades due to moisture from breathing. So I suppose the 60% number could well be correct initially when put on but the average is closer to the 28% figure.

[Simple Minded]

Face masks as an effective means to mitigate the spread of respiratory infections has been well established for over a century, and is standard medical practice.   As a current public health measure, mask usage  aims to implement source control by limiting people with a SARS-CoV-2 infection who are asymptomatic or presymptomatic from transmitting the virus.    Obviously, if you are symptomatic, you should not be going out. Pretty basic stuff.
 
Models are limited by their assumptions and by variables not accounted for, so they typically have a number of flaws.   Nevertheless, The IMHE modeling of the effectiveness of universal mask use  is quite reasonable considering extensive, historical experience with airborne and droplet respiratory pathogens.  Other, earlier SARS-CoV-2  models have estimated that a face covering  is 60% effective at blocking viral transmission and if worn by 60% of the population could reduce R0 to below 1.0.  

Mask usage will save lives, but is certainly not a panacea.   I still emphasize to people to maintain physical distancing of > 2 meters since everyone's application of proper mask selection and use can be variable and unpredictable. The spread of SARS-CoV-2 infections is currently out of control in the USA, so citizens seriously assuming their responsibilities to each other seems a no brainer to me. We are all in this together, and the next few months will be grim enough, even without so many not yet taking this seriously.

On the other hand, you never know, mask mandates may be part of the leftist, Antifa, deep state conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids.

kmich,

You should share this information with all the hypocrite Mayors, Governors, celebrities, and Talking Heads who don't follow the mandates they impose and/or proselytize to "ze liddle people."

Unless of course, the mayors and governors don't actually believe what they are preaching. I wonder....

All the hypocrites are making it more difficult for the sane voices such as yours (and my doctor's) to be heard.

Their behavior has not changed much from the era of Climate Change, Global Warming, Y2K, acid rain, over population, or any of the other End of the World scenarios of the last 30 years.

Not much to do with left-right, Antifa, or deep state. A lot to do with people who have lost credibility due to their own behavior.

[Typhoon]

rat_using_tool_3467_02.gif (1.54 MiB) Viewed 5598 times

[Typhoon]

Science Mag | Another COVID-19 vaccine success? Candidate may prevent further coronavirus transmission

Whereas the apparently powerful COVID-19 vaccines recently announced by Moderna and the Pfizer/BioNTech collaboration rely on a snippet of messenger RNA coding for the spike surface protein of SARS-CoV-2, the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine stimulates immunity by using a crippled chimpanzee adenovirus as a “vector” to deliver the gene for spike.

[Doc]

Science Mag | Another COVID-19 vaccine success? Candidate may prevent further coronavirus transmission

Whereas the apparently powerful COVID-19 vaccines recently announced by Moderna and the Pfizer/BioNTech collaboration rely on a snippet of messenger RNA coding for the spike surface protein of SARS-CoV-2, the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine stimulates immunity by using a crippled chimpanzee adenovirus as a “vector” to deliver the gene for spike.

Hmmm - question is how different is the RNA sequence from that of the ACE-2 protein, whose ACE-2 receptor the Spike Surface protein of COVID-19 bonds to?

[Doc]

Science Mag | Another COVID-19 vaccine success? Candidate may prevent further coronavirus transmission

Whereas the apparently powerful COVID-19 vaccines recently announced by Moderna and the Pfizer/BioNTech collaboration rely on a snippet of messenger RNA coding for the spike surface protein of SARS-CoV-2, the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine stimulates immunity by using a crippled chimpanzee adenovirus as a “vector” to deliver the gene for spike.

Hmmm - question is how different is the RNA sequence from that of the ACE-2 protein, whose ACE-2 receptor the Spike Surface protein of COVID-19 bonds to?

https://www.jpost.com/health-science/co ... erm-649253

Could mRNA COVID-19 vaccines be dangerous in the long-term?

[Typhoon]

Apparently we will know soon enough.

[Typhoon]

Nature Rev | SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in development

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first reported in late 2019 in China and is the causative agent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. To mitigate the effects of the virus on public health, the economy and society, a vaccine is urgently needed. Here I review the development of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. Development was initiated when the genetic sequence of the virus became available in early January 2020, and has moved at an unprecedented speed: a phase I trial started in March 2020 and there are currently more than 180 vaccines at various stages of development. Data from phase I and phase II trials are already available for several vaccine candidates, and many have moved into phase III trials. The data available so far suggest that effective and safe vaccines might become available within months, rather than years

[kmich]

AI system bests radiologists in spotting COVID-19 in lungs

[kmich]

A Randomized Trial of Convalescent Plasma in Covid-19 Severe Pneumonia

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Convalescent plasma is frequently administered to patients with Covid-19 and has been reported, largely on the basis of observational data, to improve clinical outcomes. Minimal data are available from adequately powered randomized, controlled trials.

METHODS
We randomly assigned hospitalized adult patients with severe Covid-19 pneumonia in a 2:1 ratio to receive convalescent plasma or placebo. The primary outcome was the patient’s clinical status 30 days after the intervention, as measured on a six-point ordinal scale ranging from total recovery to death.

RESULTS
A total of 228 patients were assigned to receive convalescent plasma and 105 to receive placebo. The median time from the onset of symptoms to enrollment in the trial was 8 days (interquartile range, 5 to 10), and hypoxemia was the most frequent severity criterion for enrollment. The infused convalescent plasma had a median titer of 1:3200 of total SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (interquartile range, 1:800 to 1:3200]. No patients were lost to follow-up. At day 30 day, no significant difference was noted between the convalescent plasma group and the placebo group in the distribution of clinical outcomes according to the ordinal scale (odds ratio, 0.83 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.52 to 1.35; P=0.46). Overall mortality was 10.96% in the convalescent plasma group and 11.43% in the placebo group, for a risk difference of −0.46 percentage points (95% CI, −7.8 to 6.8). Total SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers tended to be higher in the convalescent plasma group at day 2 after the intervention. Adverse events and serious adverse events were similar in the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS
No significant differences were observed in clinical status or overall mortality between patients treated with convalescent plasma and those who received placebo.

[Typhoon]

AIP | Simulations confirm face masks suppress the spread of COVID-19

Fluid dynamics simulations of unprecedented resolution and realism support recommendations to wear face masks indoors, and suggest outside wear may be beneficial as well.

10.0002919.figures.online.f1.jpeg (99.8 KiB) Viewed 5487 times

[kmich]

A bit technical, but anyone who has had exposure to molecular biology would appreciate this contribution:

A blood transcriptome-based analysis of disease progression, immune regulation, and symptoms in coronavirus-infected patients

[Typhoon]

JAMA Int Med | Evaluation of Cloth Masks and Modified Procedure Masks as Personal Protective Equipment for the Public During the COVID-19 Pandemic

[Simple Minded]

AIP | Simulations confirm face masks suppress the spread of COVID-19

Fluid dynamics simulations of unprecedented resolution and realism support recommendations to wear face masks indoors, and suggest outside wear may be beneficial as well.

10.0002919.figures.online.f1.jpeg

On its face, this seems obvious to anyone who has ever plunged a toilet, pumped out a septic tank (for Napster), or cleaned out a carburetor.

Shirley, you're aware that using Physics to solve problems is typical of White Privileged Elitists, rite?

Retraction is not necessary, but apologizing for your abilities to all of America would display sympathy......

[Typhoon]

AIP | Simulations confirm face masks suppress the spread of COVID-19

Fluid dynamics simulations of unprecedented resolution and realism support recommendations to wear face masks indoors, and suggest outside wear may be beneficial as well.

10.0002919.figures.online.f1.jpeg

. . .

Shirley, you're aware that using Physics to solve problems is typical of White Privileged Elitists, rite?

. . .

That's what newsletters and emails from the APS - American Physical Society - keep telling me.

Which I find to be a bit odd, to say the least.

Just deleted the most recent email letter from the APS President. Pity, as it was too dumb for words.

However, here's a sample.

These bloviated exercises in virtue signalling studiously ignore the elephant in the room problem.

To paraphrase Chris Rock, education, literacy, and thinking are to a significant demographic of the US black community as kryptonite is to Superman.

Individuals such as Condaleeza Rice and Wilfrid Gangbo are unfortunately still outliers.

[Typhoon]

All about mRNA vaccines.

Of which there are now two against COVID-19.

Nature Rev Drug Discov| mRNA vaccines — a new era in vaccinology (2018)

Key Points

Recent improvements in mRNA vaccines act to increase protein translation, modulate innate and adaptive immunogenicity and improve delivery.

mRNA vaccines have elicited potent immunity against infectious disease targets in animal models of influenza virus, Zika virus, rabies virus and others, especially in recent years, using lipid-encapsulated or naked forms of sequence-optimized mRNA.

Diverse approaches to mRNA cancer vaccines, including dendritic cell vaccines and various types of directly injectable mRNA, have been employed in numerous cancer clinical trials, with some promising results showing antigen-specific T cell responses and prolonged disease-free survival in some cases.

Therapeutic considerations and challenges include scaling up good manufacturing practice (GMP) production, establishing regulations, further documenting safety and increasing efficacy.

Important future directions of research will be to compare and elucidate the immune pathways activated by various mRNA vaccine platforms, to improve current approaches based on these mechanisms and to initiate new clinical trials against additional disease targets.

[kmich]

Efficacy and Safety of the mRNA-1273 SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine

[Simple Minded]

. . .

Shirley, you're aware that using Physics to solve problems is typical of White Privileged Elitists, rite?

. . .

That's what newsletters and emails from the APS - American Physical Society - keep telling me.

Which I find to be a bit odd, to say the least.

Just deleted the most recent email letter from the APS President. Pity, as it was too dumb for words.

However, here's a sample.

These bloviated exercises in virtue signalling studiously ignore the elephant in the room problem.

To paraphrase Chris Rock, education, literacy, and thinking are to a significant demographic of the US black community as kryptonite is to Superman.

Individuals such as Condaleeza Rice and Wilfrid Gangbo are unfortunately still outliers.

Wow! Bizarre as Hell! Politics just might be the virus that destroys science. At least in the woke organizations.

Strange food chain. Organization wants funding. Govt or Institution has funds. Govt or Institution wants to perform social engineering. Organization makes social engineering one of their "Core Competencies." Organization gets funding from govt or Institution.

Demand creates supply.

[Doc]

. . .

Shirley, you're aware that using Physics to solve problems is typical of White Privileged Elitists, rite?

. . .

That's what newsletters and emails from the APS - American Physical Society - keep telling me.

Which I find to be a bit odd, to say the least.

Just deleted the most recent email letter from the APS President. Pity, as it was too dumb for words.

However, here's a sample.

These bloviated exercises in virtue signalling studiously ignore the elephant in the room problem.

To paraphrase Chris Rock, education, literacy, and thinking are to a significant demographic of the US black community as kryptonite is to Superman.

Individuals such as Condaleeza Rice and Wilfrid Gangbo are unfortunately still outliers.

Wow! Bizarre as Hell! Politics just might be the virus that destroys science. At least in the woke organizations.

Strange food chain. Organization wants funding. Govt or Institution has funds. Govt or Institution wants to perform social engineering. Organization makes social engineering one of their "Core Competencies." Organization gets funding from govt or Institution.

Demand creates supply.

If only Obama were still POTUS He knew the exact Uncle Tom Foolery needed to deal with a public health crises!!

Not only can Obama walk on water he can turn lead tainted water into wine !!! IT WAS A MIRACLE !!!
And when the people were ungrateful just because filters DO NOT REMOVE HEAVY METALS FROM WATER. Obama sent in the army !!

GVv3n18_TGs

[Zack Morris]

That's what newsletters and emails from the APS - American Physical Society - keep telling me.

Which I find to be a bit odd, to say the least.

Just deleted the most recent email letter from the APS President. Pity, as it was too dumb for words.

However, here's a sample.

These bloviated exercises in virtue signalling studiously ignore the elephant in the room problem.

To paraphrase Chris Rock, education, literacy, and thinking are to a significant demographic of the US black community as kryptonite is to Superman.

Individuals such as Condaleeza Rice and Wilfrid Gangbo are unfortunately still outliers.

A little empathy would go a long way. Do you really want to be a right-wing grouch? Education is not the primary issue here. Black people of all education levels live feel under siege. Go listen to their stories and you'll see. I'm constantly amazed at what I hear. Not from the news but from real people I know.

American intellectual institutions -- academic and corporate -- are once again leading the way here. It should be clear by now this is not some fad. People are sick and tired. Change is coming.

[Simple Minded]

That's what newsletters and emails from the APS - American Physical Society - keep telling me.

Which I find to be a bit odd, to say the least.

Just deleted the most recent email letter from the APS President. Pity, as it was too dumb for words.

However, here's a sample.

These bloviated exercises in virtue signalling studiously ignore the elephant in the room problem.

To paraphrase Chris Rock, education, literacy, and thinking are to a significant demographic of the US black community as kryptonite is to Superman.

Individuals such as Condaleeza Rice and Wilfrid Gangbo are unfortunately still outliers.

A little empathy would go a long way. Do you really want to be a right-wing grouch?

The Borg have spoken. Conform Colonel Sun or "we" will call you a "right wing grouch!"

Science can't compete with grievance!!!!! Surrender your puny God of Science to the Gods of Social Media!

The Gods of Social Media have created CHAZ, CHOP, and destroyed statues of Elk!!!! What has your puny God of Science ever created?


30lGrarz3MQ

[Typhoon]

That's what newsletters and emails from the APS - American Physical Society - keep telling me.

Which I find to be a bit odd, to say the least.

Just deleted the most recent email letter from the APS President. Pity, as it was too dumb for words.

However, here's a sample.

These bloviated exercises in virtue signalling studiously ignore the elephant in the room problem.

To paraphrase Chris Rock, education, literacy, and thinking are to a significant demographic of the US black community as kryptonite is to Superman.

Individuals such as Condaleeza Rice and Wilfrid Gangbo are unfortunately still outliers.

A little empathy would go a long way. Do you really want to be a right-wing grouch? Education is not the primary issue here. Black people of all education levels live feel under siege. Go listen to their stories and you'll see. I'm constantly amazed at what I hear. Not from the news but from real people I know.

Sure. Anecdotal "lived experience" always trumps data and evidence. Straight outta grievance studies.

American intellectual institutions -- academic and corporate -- are once again leading the way here. It should be clear by now this is not some fad. People are sick and tired. Change is coming.

"Change is coming." Probably. Accompanied, as always, by the Law of Unintended Consequences. So just not the "change" that you expect.

"Leading the way". To where exactly?

"People are sick and tired." Of what exactly? Besides such double-speak banalities?