Live data from Hacker News

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

globalhealthnow.org

151–160 of 207 posts

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

#151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think everyone agrees (govs included) that this situation is temporary. As soon as the balance inclines the other way as in less damaging overall to actually let the virus spread than current lockdown, the restrictions would be lifted. Why would people not resume life? We need to get the timing right, how much we can bend the curve without causing more harm. A matter of choosing the lesser evil.

I broadly agree with what you're saying, but I also agree with the original comment that the right timing is necessarily within the next six weeks. So when Cuomo goes up and says "two, three, four months", or when governments impose indefinite stay-at-home orders that need to be specifically revoked, that worries me.

Indeed, I've also seen some scary declarations. I was thinking if it wouldn't have been better to be more upfront about the planning fe.:

Guys, we either let things run as usual and wait for the virus to spread - and it will spread and damage the economy + the health system to an unknown degree - or we do our best for a while to delay things until we get better prepared to handle the ills.

Emphasise on 'our best' because if we don't then the lockdown will be both bad and useless.

We got your back through fiscal stimulus during this time. As soon as we see that the lockdown causes more harm than it solves we will obviously lift it and try other measures.

EDIT

What I meant with Real Life™ is that I believe it cannot be shut down, it can only be changed. Sure, as we speak, people can't have 3$ Starbucks drinks but will still go to the park (groups of 2 max) and have a chat while walking/running.

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

#152

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,…

I think you're paying too much attention to Trump and politics. The people actually getting work done are cooperating and moving at a pace that has really never been done. The articles I've read and podcasts I've heard with scientist all echo the same sentiment. Ignore Trump and the politics, the science is happening at a pace unseen before. > the while thing has just been wave after wave of delayed and reactive acti…

Parent means that everyone should sit still whether they have symptoms or not.

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

#153
post #36
post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Plasma is very safe. It is screened for bloodborne pathogens For those we know. In some countries with centralized organizations handling transfusions, both HIV and hepatis were spread before they knew to test them -- then even after they learned. People sued for willful poisoning in Europe, as there was documented evidence the persons taking the decision were told about the risks yet decided to ignore them against…

That was a huge failure on [1] the Canadian Red Cross. They knew the blood was tainted but wanted to use up existing supply. They were buying blood from prisoner populations, didn't bother to do testing that would have detected most of the Hepatitis C cases, and infected more then 2000 Canadians with HIV. This was a giant screw up I have heard many times because back just before it went public the doctors wanted to g…

Or maybe it was Canada, I can't say for sure. I just wouldn't call that a screw up, but deliberate risk taking by managers ignoring experts.

Tell us, what was the doctor reply? That your dad was lucky?

But luck favors the prepared mind - or something like that.

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

#154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you can ramp production of those but it will still require people to work them and the most severe cases are still fatal even with the ventilators.

AKA there's no 100% guarantee for anything. Your point being what?

My point is that you don't need to scale production of ventilators beyond the capacity of the medical system of deploying them.

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

#155

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…

"It seems pretty obvious that medicine as a business is not the right setup to tackle a pandemic" . . Hospitals have already put a virtual "lock" on the supply chain of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to make sure they get the bulk of it and you have to come to them to get the drugs . . they are sharpening their teeth and their billing offices are humming. I bought my chloroquine before all the independent pharmacies got raided, with medicare and suppl. insurance it cost me 70 cents for the entire prescription - - what do you think hospitals will be billing for that same 'script ? From what billing gouging examples that are posted on the 'net likely $700.00

"I find it deeply worrying that people started to buy guns" . . . Look at history, what do you expect when you have 20% or more of the lowest tier of the working population laid off for months or more (60 million people) . . . crime will definitely increase and there won't be adequate police to control it. It could get real bad - - real fast. Only liberal Dems want to take away all our guns and then risk our families to be raped, robbed and plundered . . . buying guns and ammo and 99% a defensive, preparatory, and protective reaction - - not offensive. It is completely within the rights of Americans to protect their families and their property from criminals.

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

#156
post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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/

Have you seen COBRA prices? You could easily go from $400/month (group rate + employer subsidized) to $2k+ for a good plan that covers a family.

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

#157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Regular masks it is possible to ramp up production. N95 masks, it is not easily possible to ramp up production in a short time frame. This article explains it well: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/03/16/8149292...

N95 just means anything that can filter out 95% of nacl in a specific test, the implementation is not constrained to this type of fabric. There are other ways of doing it.

Yeah... Lets not forget that you actually need to get fitted for those masks.

Simply producing a mass market variant that allows for gaps in the masks' coverage, air seepage? Defeats the purpose.

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

#159
post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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/

No.

If I were laid-off, I would receive a maximum of $1600/mo from unemployment in my state for 6 months.

So, the trade-off is either COBRA or mortgage payment.

I doubt the US medical system will get better in the short term.

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

#160
post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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/

[deleted]
Post reply on HN