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Covid-19’s stop-gap solution until vaccines and antivirals are ready

globalhealthnow.org

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Re: Covid-19’s stop-gap solution until vaccines and antivirals are ready

#121

Post by maigret »

lnsru wrote: post #116
funcDropShadow wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To make it short, 20 years ago most hospitals were privatized, before they were run by universities, cities, and states and some other public actors. There were already some private hospitals, but not too much. Since, then most hospitals were sold to companies or in the better case transformed into companies, partly owned by their previous owner. Companies optimize for revenue, so they don't spend money on stocks of…

I have public health insurance, but if you need some better treatment you can always pay for it by yourself. Some minor surgery for 300€ isn’t big deal. Or one can get additional insurance packages to mandatory insurance for all the special needs. My all older colleagues tell me, that private insurance is kind of scam. You pay almost nothing when you are young, but with age it costs more and more. You pay for kids on…

An insurance lawyer (friend of mine) also advised me to stay on a public plan and add up private addons where needed - those can be canceled very easily. I’ve not regretted that decision since.

Re: Covid-19’s stop-gap solution until vaccines and antivirals are ready

#122

Post by [deleted] »

agumonkey wrote: post #68
tcbawo wrote: post #43

Some emerging theories of pathology suggest that lung function can be increased by reinflating collapsed alveoli with constant pressure: https://emcrit.org/pulmcrit/cpap-covid/ . It describes cases where oxygen supplementation could be reduced or eliminated. This development ( https://www.isinnova.it/easy-covid19-eng/ ) looks very promising for 'sub-intensive' cases -- adapting decathlon mask/snorkel with a 3D printe…

I don't know where to ask.. is vaporized cbd helpful ? it's said to be a potent anti inflammatory compounds and also help cleansing cells through apoptosis.

[deleted]

Re: Covid-19’s stop-gap solution until vaccines and antivirals are ready

#123

Post by SpicyLemonZest »

samsonradu wrote: post #76

My knowledge about industrial manufacturing is slim to none so can someone explain please why is it not possible to (globally) ramp up production of face masks and ventilators to a virtually unlimited quantity? What exactly is the bottleneck? Are we lacking materials, labour or the technical know-how? Are the factories currently producing them so advanced and hard to reproduce?

It's possible and it's happening. The bottleneck for face masks is largely getting the right supply chains in place; for ventilators, I'd guess (but don't know for sure) that setting up the actual manufacturing takes more time.

Note that another bottleneck for facemasks is shipping volume from China, which is largely drowning in facemasks at this point. There are a lot just waiting in line to be shipped.

Re: Covid-19’s stop-gap solution until vaccines and antivirals are ready

#124

Post by GekkePrutser »

tcbawo wrote: post #43

Some emerging theories of pathology suggest that lung function can be increased by reinflating collapsed alveoli with constant pressure: https://emcrit.org/pulmcrit/cpap-covid/ . It describes cases where oxygen supplementation could be reduced or eliminated. This development ( https://www.isinnova.it/easy-covid19-eng/ ) looks very promising for 'sub-intensive' cases -- adapting decathlon mask/snorkel with a 3D printe…

Just wondering, I use a CPAP machine... If I were to get this, could I use that to keep going at home? (Perhaps with a higher setting).

It sounds like the same thing. CPAP masks do leak air but contamination doesn't really matter as I live alone.

Re: Covid-19’s stop-gap solution until vaccines and antivirals are ready

#125

Post by samsonradu »

rurban wrote: post #110
fulafel wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same as many other problems (eg global warming) - the market economy can't deliver a solution because it's not short teem profitable for the relevant actors.

We are expecting a global economy crisis, much bigger than the last wallstreet crash. There needs to be a solution in the next 6 weeks, not 6 months. Because by then we'll have a bankrun and global shutdown of social behavior. Profitability needs to look into the next 6 months, not just 2 weeks. And btw, we don't do market economy here anymore. The UK tried and gave up 2 days ago. They are all in centralized crisis m…

I don't agree here. There's the economy as we know it, which might crash/malfunction but then there is the Real Life™. It might seem that the two are very interconnected and society cannot function without a healthy banking system. Reality however proves different.

Let's take a look at Iran, a country under heavy financial and commercial sanctions (for quite a few years), partially at war, with widespread riots brewing up until just one month ago and with little control over the virus's spread. Life goes on, people still eat, speak to each other and most continue their day to day activities. Same goes for Venezuela or Lebanon.

Sure, some people will need to adjust from selling derivatives to more 'core' activities, but the world will not end. The social system is more resilient than it looks.

EDIT

From a longer-term/big picture point of view, I think it would be healthy to debunk this 'myth' that somehow the world cannot survive a big bank going bust. Let's not mistake preserving status quo for a functioning society as a way going forward.

Re: Covid-19’s stop-gap solution until vaccines and antivirals are ready

#126

Post by maigret »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #87
kevingadd wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This crisis has mostly been a massive demonstration of how capitalism undermines society's ability to prevent and cope with disasters. We're seeing individual people show their best while profit motive leads to people sabotaging others' hope of success. A few examples: * A particular politician prioritizing low numbers (to look good) over actual infection reduction * A particular government not issuing orders for nee…

It will be also a big blow for individual freedoms worldwide. When those of us who survive will look back at it, they won't be able to ignore the fact that sending police to beat up people at a few mass gathering on beaches and streets, and then putting military out to enforce quarantine measures, would result in exponentially less loss of life and damage to the economy.

I don’t think so. People are all agreeing on that based on good judgment. As someone who accepts the current restrictions, there’s no way I’ll accept some random other abuse afterwards.

I reckon our society will be in for majors discussion in who takes the rewards and who is critically important.

Re: Covid-19’s stop-gap solution until vaccines and antivirals are ready

#127

Post by photonios »

funcDropShadow wrote: post #98
gingerlime wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know it’s OT but would love to understand more about the health insurance situation in Germany and what’s happened in the last 20 years. Ideally in English which is a big ask I guess. Moved to Germany in 2011 and still can’t work out the whole insurance thing (and don’t understand German enough to read and figure those nuances)

To make it short, 20 years ago most hospitals were privatized, before they were run by universities, cities, and states and some other public actors. There were already some private hospitals, but not too much. Since, then most hospitals were sold to companies or in the better case transformed into companies, partly owned by their previous owner. Companies optimize for revenue, so they don't spend money on stocks of…

I think the Dutch system gives you the best of both worlds. Everyone is required to have at least basic health insurance. Every year, there's a new definition of what "basic insurance" entails and all insurance providers are required provide a "basic insurance" package at a specific cost. Of course, there are all sorts of addons to increase your coverage.

If you are unemployed or earn below a certain treshold, you get a monthly stipend to pay for basic insurance.

In the end, I can choose where to get my insurance from, but "basic insurance" is the same price everywhere and if I lose my job or I have very little income, I am guarenteed to get that stipend to help pay for it.

Basic insurance is roughly ~100 euros/month.

Re: Covid-19’s stop-gap solution until vaccines and antivirals are ready

#128

Post by sokoloff »

thrav wrote: post #118
funcDropShadow wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you are focused on the U.S., then I understand your sentiment. But if you look beyond, it is really promising. Medical science and biology are producing new scientific knowledge about CoViD-19 and SARS-Cov2 at break neck speed. That alone is amazing to see. On the other hand, you really see that people get it and that they have to do social distancing to help them and everybody else. On top of that you see, e.g. C…

Unemployment in the United States is not like unemployment anywhere else in the world. This situation is exposing all of the gaping holes in the American system. Mass layoffs already, leading to mass loss of health insurance, and bills for COVID treatment already surfacing in the many thousands of dollars. If people start to have trouble putting food on the table, shit could get ugly real fast.

Though the employer-tied insurance issue is a problem generally, it’s somewhat less dire for the situation you describe above because of COBRA. (Especially less dire for the first 60 days, because you can retroactively opt-in for some period.)

https://www.healthcare.gov/unemployed/cobra-coverage/

Re: Covid-19’s stop-gap solution until vaccines and antivirals are ready

#129

Post by cossray »

funcDropShadow wrote: post #77
nikofeyn wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This crisis is the first event in my lifetime that's given me any optimism about our ability, as a global civilization, to solve problems and get things done. would you mind elaborating? because i find it extremely difficult how one could hold such an optimistic and apparent naive opinion. from where i sit, this crisis is showing the exact opposite. there is very little international communication and cooperation,…

If you are focused on the U.S., then I understand your sentiment. But if you look beyond, it is really promising. Medical science and biology are producing new scientific knowledge about CoViD-19 and SARS-Cov2 at break neck speed. That alone is amazing to see. On the other hand, you really see that people get it and that they have to do social distancing to help them and everybody else. On top of that you see, e.g. C…

As someone outside of the US, news about people of the City of Corona queuing to buy guns was quite shocking. Things are difficult everywhere but a rush to buy guns, not least in the most powerful country, is probably one of the most shocking of all the responses I have read and seen so far. I hope none of those guns will need to be used. The virus is already enough of an enemy

Re: Covid-19’s stop-gap solution until vaccines and antivirals are ready

#130

Post by lucian1900 »

fallingknife wrote: post #115
kevingadd wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This crisis has mostly been a massive demonstration of how capitalism undermines society's ability to prevent and cope with disasters. We're seeing individual people show their best while profit motive leads to people sabotaging others' hope of success. A few examples: * A particular politician prioritizing low numbers (to look good) over actual infection reduction * A particular government not issuing orders for nee…

Which non-capitalist countries have handled it better?

China, Vietnam, Cuba.
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