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

globalhealthnow.org

161–170 of 207 posts

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

#161
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.

Exercise due caution with regard to CBD, megadose Vit C, “MMS” (aka industrial bleach), etc, etc. The people advancing these miracle claims are almost always either indulging, selling, or both. Ego and money corrupt even good science when we let them; imagine what they do in presence of unquestioning, evangelical Beliefs. And they are out in force right now, putting even the most venal pharma corp to shame. Panic is no reason to bypass robust replicated research, or even more will die.

Best thing is not to catch COVID-19 in the first place. Next best is not to catch it all at once. And if you do catch it, follow the latest treatment guidelines and do your best not to pass it to anyone else. Be safe.

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

#162
post #41

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. I don't feel like we've seen humanity at its best in several decades. Shame it always takes a catastrophe (and an immediate one at that; see climate change) to bring it out.

I think it is basically inevitable that a cure/vaccine will be found. That's not to downplay it, obviously the teams involved will deserve huge congratulations and will have done something great and it is badly needed. But the real test is how we handle it until that cure/vaccine becomes available, which is certainly something that a lot of places are struggling with, particularly here in the UK where we spent weeks spectating on our neighbours struggling with it and racking up deaths (particularly in Italy) before realising that exponential growth also works here.

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

#163

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…

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)

As others stated, you have the public and the private system. The latter is accessible after you earn above a certain threshold for a certain number of years (no idea about the specifics as I would have been eligible but never bothered to change). You also have niche solutions for certain free professionals (doctors, artists,...).

I would call the system pretty robust, as you cannot be uninsured. From personal experience: Having my kids insured under my name, under my wife's name when I earned less than her, being insured under my wife during a certain time of a sabbatical, insured through unemployment and now as an entrepreneur I never changed insurance provider. Only the status changed.

Interesting detail, even the public health insurance sector is run by commercial insurance companies. The minimum plans are defined by the state. Regardless of how many people are insured under your name, premiums don't change and stay at a certain percentage of your salary. Again, slight differences between providers but usually around 15 or so percent. Currently I pay much less, as there is no revenue yet.

Also nice, premiums don't change with previous sickness and preexisting conditions. Also 6 weeks of paid sick leave per sickness, resets for each sickness after a certain number of months (again, don't ask the exact number).

One important insurance to add is continued salary after the six weeks are over. Costs close to nothing when done early and can save you. Non serious things tend to be over well within 6 weeks. But serious ones can take considerably longer. And the last thing you want is money problems the. I spend 6 months on sick leave once, didn't have to worry about my job nor money. Was a nice thing.

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

#164
post #41

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. I don't feel like we've seen humanity at its best in several decades. Shame it always takes a catastrophe (and an immediate one at that; see climate change) to bring it out.

> 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,…

+1

I've become more pessimistic about the human race to work together to solve problems now. So much jingoism around me, and around in the news. I understand that's not everyone, but to be it seems like it's every country for themselves.

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

#165

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…

I too share a dim view of the world's ability to work together. Even now when faced with such a disease that is essentially everyone's problem, countries first and foremost chose to safeguard their own interests at the expense of others. It is a situation where if we survive, we did so because we worked together and if we die, it is because we only cared for ourselves and nobody else. If course this is oversimplifying a very complex interplay of things but my drift is that no country seems to be able to look beyond their borders and see that if we were to win this, we have to work together.

Even more dismaying is the refusal to lift sanctions on Iran. Even a narrowly crafted exception to the sanctions for supplies needed to combat the onslaught of the virus would be good but so far nothing. This is according to what I have read this far and if this is in error, I would be happy to be shown that.

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

#166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The EU did not have strategic reserves for a pandemic. This took us all by surprise and the speed with which this evolved into a clusterfuck was breathtaking. Everyone has been freaking out about their own situation. Nobody has enough masks, ventilators, hospital beds or trained staff. Consider that the first cases in Rome were confirmed on January 31 to my knowledge. We are less than 2 months in. Also this news abou…

Why do you say it's probably fake news? China's aid to Italy is well-documented and widely reported; do you know of other stories where the EU has provided a comparable amount of aid?

There is fine, but very important line between being unable to help and being unwilling to.

Which makes propaganda so much more powerful.

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

#167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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' bec…

Some parts of real life are non-negotiable. There will certainly be changes we can and should tolerate. But rules which forbid me from hosting a small dinner party, shopping for non-essentials, or driving down to give my mom a hug are below the minimum requirements of a healthy life and can’t be fully mitigated.

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

#168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

I doubt it, though I don't have any references. Do you have any peer reviewed papers on CBD and lung function?

I'm not on my laptop but the are a few studies on cannabinoids and lung tissue. I'll edit this later

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

#169
China sent 90 tons of plasma to Italy? I don't understand. A ton is 1000 liters. A single blood donation is usually 500ml , not sure how much plasma that would produce. But this means that they had at least 180K donations which seem implausible. Could someone please explain?

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

#170
post #86

"Yes. In fact, the Chinese sent 90 tons of plasma to Italy." That's impressive. I wonder how many individual donations that maps to. And how many people that could treat. Edit: Trying to answer my own question. Typical blood donation is 470ml. That weighs about 0.5 kilograms. Plasma is roughly half of what's in your blood, so half that again... 0.25 kilograms. So assuming they meant metric ton (1000Kg), 4000 individu…

There don't exist 360.000 recovered humans at the moment. At least officially.

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