Corona Virus Updates Part 6

originally posted by: myss427
And nobody really panics that 1.35 million worldwide die each year in car accidents, never shut down travel for that? Interesting to see this years figures when the virus is over.

The ocean has water.
A pool has water.
I can put a submarine in the ocean so I must be able to put a submarine in a pool.

What is the difference between what I said and what you said?

The only similarity is that both of your scenarios involve people dying in the end.

Endothelial cell infection and endotheliitis in Covid-19

Looks like a promising explanation for how the virus attacks multiple organs, and how blood circulation gets affected.

Here is an article explaining it in more layman's terms: www.scmp.com...

The coronavirus attacks the lining of blood vessels all over the body, which can ultimately lead to multiple organ failure, according to a new study published in The Lancet.

originally posted by: Byrd
Right. And that's with the infection rate and death rate still rising.

Indeed. It's also without the luxury of years of data to draw upon, and known vaccines.

a reply to: Arbitrageur

Pennsylvania stay at home order has been extended to May 9th... for now.

originally posted by: myss427
And nobody really panics that 1.35 million worldwide die each year in car accidents, never shut down travel for that? Interesting to see this years figures when the virus is over.

With that logic 9/11 was a big fat nothing burger. In fact you could trivialise just about any atrocities/disasters with that stat of global car accidents.

We have some stats on total deaths. Men and Women and Age group. This chart is up to April 10th, so a little off for today's tally.

Almost 90 per cent of people who die from coronavirus in England and Wales are over the age of 65, the report revealed today. Separate figures compiled by the ONS showed 10,808 of the 12,380 COVID-19 deaths that occurred up until April 10 were among over-65s. It is unclear why the overall number of deaths figure is slightly different to the overall number given in the main report by the ONS. The data also revealed 23 people under the age of 29 had died after testing positive for the killer virus up until April 10, compared to 334 people in their fifties. And men made up the largest proportion of COVID-19 deaths, representing 60 per cent (7,524) of the total.

originally posted by: MonkeyBalls2
a reply to: Arbitrageur

Here's a Filterable List from Finddx.org, of all of the the Covid-19 test kits available, or in development, worldwide.

What I wondered is "how much will it cost us" and "how long does it take to get results". I think that they are NOT like home pregnancy tests, where you get an instant result -- looks like most have to be administered by a doctor. Could be wrong, though.

originally posted by: Willtell
Does anyone know why the US just seems to not be able to get enough tests?


I know about the early blunders, the US not taking the WHO test, that the CDC's first test didn't work.

I can't get anything not even from googling it since it shows you only early March info.

Are they too expensive, hard to make, hard to produce, what?

I'll answer my own question now. Cuomo answered it all today. The test kits are difficult to manufacture and come from all over the world and the US doesn't have the capacity to get all the materials they need.

US OKs 1st coronavirus test that allows self-swab at home

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health regulators on Tuesday OK’d the first coronavirus test that allows people to collect their own sample at home, a new approach that could help expand testing options in most states. The test from LabCorp will initially only be available to health care workers and first responders under a doctor’s orders. The sample will still have to be shipped for processing back to LabCorp, which operates diagnostic labs throughout the U.S. Allowing people to self-swab at home would help reduce infection risks for front-line health care workers and help conserve protective gear.

apnews.com...

SOUTH AFRICA UPDATE

An interesting breakdown of our figures by age and gender:
1. Females 55% Males 45% (rounded up)
2. 31-40 age group is the most affected: 24.3% of total
3. 3300 total infected
4. 58 deaths

Then the Department of Health totally ruins their breakdown of the figures by showing this:
91-100 years 1839% of total infected. I guess they mean 18.39%

So in summary we have a low rate of infection and death.
Against the global trend, more females than males, and the older people are not the worst affected.

Source

originally posted by: Byrd

originally posted by: MonkeyBalls2
a reply to: Arbitrageur

Here's a Filterable List from Finddx.org, of all of the the Covid-19 test kits available, or in development, worldwide.

What I wondered is "how much will it cost us" and "how long does it take to get results". I think that they are NOT like home pregnancy tests, where you get an instant result -- looks like most have to be administered by a doctor. Could be wrong, though.

It's a big list to check, yes.

I found this one BioCan Diagnostics from the list.
It is an Antibody test, so to see if you have already had it, and it is like a Pregnancy test.
Some Huge caveats though :

The test result should be read between 10 and 15 minutes.
Note: Do not interpret the result after 20 minutes

This one by BioLidics Limited is also an Antibody test, also akin to a pregnancy test.

The PCR tests look mostly (if not all) to be lab based though so far (have to look at each available test one by one...)

RE the at risk groups- obviously it seems age plays a higher role than anything, even comorbidities.

A new finished Study shows no increased risk due to taking ACEi or ARB blood pressure meds.

In fact it improved outcomes:

WUHAN, April 19 (Xinhua) — A new study suggested that the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) among hospitalized COVID-19 patients with hypertension was associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to nonusers.

www.china.org.cn...

Hydroxychloroquine trials for veterans shows dismal results

Correct title: Outcomes of hydroxychloroquine usage in United States veterans hospitalized with Covid-19

This is a preprint, so hasn't been reviewed by peers.

Hydroxychloroquine, alone or in combination with azithromycin, is being widely used in Covid-19 therapy based on anecdotal and limited observational evidence.

That's pretty self-explanatory. We've seen lots of people insisting (based on some cases) that certain treatments are absolutely the best way to treat Covid-19.

METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of data from patients hospitalized with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in all United States Veterans Health Administration medical centers until April 11, 2020. Patients were categorized based on their exposure to hydroxychloroquine alone (HC) or with azithromycin (HC+AZ) as treatments in addition to standard supportive management for Covid-19. The two primary outcomes were death and the need for mechanical ventilation.

You may have seen me talk about similar things - that after a patient is discharged, researchers review the case and use it to compile statistics. The good thing about this data is that VA hospitals give a pretty uniform standard of care.

RESULTS: A total of 368 patients were evaluated (HC, n=97; HC+AZ, n=113; no HC, n=158). Rates of death in the HC, HC+AZ, and no HC groups were 27.8%, 22.1%, 11.4%, respectively.

Bottom line: If you're in the hospital with Covid-19, your best chance of surviving is if you do NOT get Hydroxychloroquine... even in conjunction with other drugs.

originally posted by: MonkeyBalls2

originally posted by: Byrd

originally posted by: MonkeyBalls2
a reply to: Arbitrageur

Here's a Filterable List from Finddx.org, of all of the the Covid-19 test kits available, or in development, worldwide.

What I wondered is "how much will it cost us" and "how long does it take to get results". I think that they are NOT like home pregnancy tests, where you get an instant result -- looks like most have to be administered by a doctor. Could be wrong, though.

It's a big list to check, yes.

I found this one BioCan Diagnostics from the list.
It is an Antibody test, so to see if you have already had it, and it is like a Pregnancy test.
Some Huge caveats though :

The test result should be read between 10 and 15 minutes.
Note: Do not interpret the result after 20 minutes

This one by BioLidics Limited is also an Antibody test, also akin to a pregnancy test.

The PCR tests look mostly (if not all) to be lab based though so far (have to look at each available test one by one...)

The instructions said " Pipette 10μL of serum, plasma or whole blood into the sample well of the test device." and I don't see anyone doing that at home. You have to draw the blood first (possibly with finger stick) but I don't see a pipette there.

a reply to: Byrd

I hate to immediately punch a hole in that article, but this retrospective study did not have a handle on the decisions made as to which patients got the hydroxychloroquine + / - azithromycin, versus those to whom these drugs were not offered.

For this reason, it is possible that only the worst / most severe patients were even offered these therapies; thus, of course there would be increased morbidity and mortality in that cohort. Just saying.

I don't think you can conclude much about effectiveness at all from this study, other than to say that the hydroxychloroquine +/- azithromycin isn't a miracle cure, but we already knew that regardless.

Retrospective studies like this are good, but only good for so much....

originally posted by: deltaalphanovember
Against the global trend, more females than males, and the older people are not the worst affected.

Source

I looked at your source and I think you don't understand the global problem with older people. It's not that they have a higher infection rate, rather, they have a higher death rate. Your source says nothing about the death rate versus age. The older people in South Africa could have the highest death rates like the rest of the world, but I don't see where your source shows the death rates by age.

originally posted by: Arbitrageur

originally posted by: deltaalphanovember
Against the global trend, more females than males, and the older people are not the worst affected.

Source

I looked at your source and I think you don't understand the global problem with older people. It's not that they have a higher infection rate, rather, they have a higher death rate. Your source says nothing about the death rate versus age. The older people in South Africa could have the highest death rates like the rest of the world, but I don't see where your source shows the death rates by age.

In retrospect, you are correct. I will try find the age/gender stats for deaths.

Thank you.

Edit - I have searched all government sources and cannot find a breakdown for the 58 deaths. If anyone can find this, please post. Thanks.