COVID-19

[Troy Loney]

I still don't understand the argument. Any treatment would not stop the spread. Doesn't the flu vaccine immunize people so that they can't spread it? I think you're conflating the effect of the flu vaccine with potential treatment for Covid.

[slappybrown]

How long does this matter though? We've avoided peak for now, but sending everyone back out into the workforce in say May, only delays the peak right? I would bet there's no way they have this contained enough to make sure we don't spike again?

I think it matters in the sense that it answers a lot of the unknowns and allows a shift in resources from gearing up for the apocalypse to figuring out how to keep it down longer term so we can have an economy again.

we are going to need to figure out how to exist in a covid world. im not sure anyone knows what this looks like yet, but this is our next milestone. until a vaccine is fully operational, we will need to understand how our business can operate while allowing social distancing to occur and utilizing ppe. the data around potential vaccines seems very positive for a high degree of efficacy since the genetic mutations of COVID-19 have been very small. we need to identify our new normal. speaking specifically to healthcare, the advent of a rapid accurate covid/antibody test will help to get the healthcare system started back up. this, coupled with reprocessing of N95 masks, should allow healthcare to get back to normal.

How long until we have testing on demand in PGH metro?

[grunthy]

It would be funny if we had a high vaccination rate, except most don't care.

[grunthy]

I still don't understand the argument. Any treatment would not stop the spread. Doesn't the flu vaccine immunize people so that they can't spread it? I think you're conflating the effect of the flu vaccine with potential treatment for Covid.

You can still get the flu with a vaccine. And no I'm not conflating the two. 60% of the country doesn't even get the flu vaccine. The flu vaccine itself is only 20-60% effective.

[Troy Loney]

I still don't understand the argument. Any treatment would not stop the spread. Doesn't the flu vaccine immunize people so that they can't spread it? I think you're conflating the effect of the flu vaccine with potential treatment for Covid.

You can still get the flu with a vaccine. And no I'm not conflating the two. 60% of the country doesn't even get the flu vaccine. The flu vaccine itself is only 20-60% effective.

Then your argument is that the flu is far less threatening than Covid-19?

[Troy Loney]

Or that if they develop a treatment that would heal people of Covid-19, then we could go back to life as usual.

Which, obviously, is true.

[grunthy]

I still don't understand the argument. Any treatment would not stop the spread. Doesn't the flu vaccine immunize people so that they can't spread it? I think you're conflating the effect of the flu vaccine with potential treatment for Covid.

You can still get the flu with a vaccine. And no I'm not conflating the two. 60% of the country doesn't even get the flu vaccine. The flu vaccine itself is only 20-60% effective.

Then your argument is that the flu is far less threatening than Covid-19?

No my argument is if we can get the case fatality rate to more in line with the flu with treatments, then there would essentially be no difference between the two diseases from a mortality/severity sense. If we can do that then there would be zero reason to not reopen everything.

And there are definitely treatment trials that are showing that is possible even by May.

[Trip McNeely]

I’m still not sure what the idea of a medicinal cure for a virus is. The two drugs that have shown some promise are plaquenil and remdesvir. Clinical trials are just starting which will take what, a minimum of 1-2 months to really be able to parse out any of the data. And if they “work”, a) how effective will they actually be and b) how will we prescribe it? Because right now the testing accuracy is still not good enough. We can’t just write everyone citizen in the US an open ended script for plaquenil until December.

[dodint]

I’m just saying, it’s gonna be hard to find this magic cure for a virus over 2 months when we haven’t been able to put a dent into the virus kingdom over 3 decades

Polio, tho.

I kid, but I have seen an increase of people (Twitter/Reddit) holding out for a cure with that kind of impact and immediacy.

[Trip McNeely]

Honestly the best case scenario is COVID is way more contagious than we even think and lots of people already have been infected without knowing and herd immunity is already a thing.

But we can’t really know the answer to that until there is antibody testing that is accurate and ample in numbers

[LITT]

How long does this matter though? We've avoided peak for now, but sending everyone back out into the workforce in say May, only delays the peak right? I would bet there's no way they have this contained enough to make sure we don't spike again?

I think it matters in the sense that it answers a lot of the unknowns and allows a shift in resources from gearing up for the apocalypse to figuring out how to keep it down longer term so we can have an economy again.

we are going to need to figure out how to exist in a covid world. im not sure anyone knows what this looks like yet, but this is our next milestone. until a vaccine is fully operational, we will need to understand how our business can operate while allowing social distancing to occur and utilizing ppe. the data around potential vaccines seems very positive for a high degree of efficacy since the genetic mutations of COVID-19 have been very small. we need to identify our new normal. speaking specifically to healthcare, the advent of a rapid accurate covid/antibody test will help to get the healthcare system started back up. this, coupled with reprocessing of N95 masks, should allow healthcare to get back to normal.

How long until we have testing on demand in PGH metro?

What do you mean by “on demand” - anyone who gets a test can get a test? And what is the expectation of result timeframe?

[Trip McNeely]

I’m just saying, it’s gonna be hard to find this magic cure for a virus over 2 months when we haven’t been able to put a dent into the virus kingdom over 3 decades

Polio, tho.

I kid, but I have seen an increase of people (Twitter/Reddit) holding out for a cure with that kind of impact and immediacy.

Hahah. I forget about polio because I’m not some ole geezer

[NTP66]

Coronavirus vaccine backed by Bill Gates enters human testing on Penn volunteers

A coronavirus vaccine sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is being tested on volunteers at the University of Pennsylvania.

The vaccine is the second potential COVID-19 vaccine to enter human testing, since the FDA accepted its application Monday. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, as well as other nonprofits, have sped up testing of the vaccine with donations to the company developing it, reported TechCrunch.

Inovio Pharmaceuticals developed the drug, now called INO-4800, in Plymouth Meeting, Pa., and is testing the drug on two volunteer groups. Individuals at the Center for Pharmaceutical Research in Kansas City, Missouri, as well as Penn's Perelman School of Medicine will receive testing.

Around 40 volunteers at Penn will be injected with a skin-deep shot instead of the usually deeper jab, according to the New York Post, then given a tiny zap with an electrical device. The DNA vaccine will be tested in two phases.

Since the vaccine is not made using the actual virus, there isn't a chance of getting infected from being injected with vaccine INO-4800.

[dodint]

I’m just saying, it’s gonna be hard to find this magic cure for a virus over 2 months when we haven’t been able to put a dent into the virus kingdom over 3 decades

Polio, tho.

I kid, but I have seen an increase of people (Twitter/Reddit) holding out for a cure with that kind of impact and immediacy.

Hahah. I forget about polio because I’m not some ole geezer

It also took ~14 years to develop.

[slappybrown]

What do you mean by “on demand” - anyone who gets a test can get a test? And what is the expectation of result timeframe?

Yes. Drive thru testing for those who want it like I've seen reported in SK and other Asian countries. For results timeframe, I've read that there are tests that can produce results same day (and I think read about some provisional test that hasn't been rolled out yet that offers results in 10-15 mins) and others that still take days. For purposes of this question, assume results within 2-3 business days or better (and no LITT, I will not debate with you the meaning of business days ).

[meow]

Coronavirus vaccine backed by Bill Gates enters human testing on Penn volunteers

A coronavirus vaccine sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is being tested on volunteers at the University of Pennsylvania.

The vaccine is the second potential COVID-19 vaccine to enter human testing, since the FDA accepted its application Monday. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, as well as other nonprofits, have sped up testing of the vaccine with donations to the company developing it, reported TechCrunch.

Inovio Pharmaceuticals developed the drug, now called INO-4800, in Plymouth Meeting, Pa., and is testing the drug on two volunteer groups. Individuals at the Center for Pharmaceutical Research in Kansas City, Missouri, as well as Penn's Perelman School of Medicine will receive testing.

Around 40 volunteers at Penn will be injected with a skin-deep shot instead of the usually deeper jab, according to the New York Post, then given a tiny zap with an electrical device. The DNA vaccine will be tested in two phases.

Since the vaccine is not made using the actual virus, there isn't a chance of getting infected from being injected with vaccine INO-4800.

How much cheddar are these folks making to get injected with this voodoo juice?

[nocera]

Coronavirus vaccine backed by Bill Gates enters human testing on Penn volunteers

A coronavirus vaccine sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is being tested on volunteers at the University of Pennsylvania.

The vaccine is the second potential COVID-19 vaccine to enter human testing, since the FDA accepted its application Monday. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, as well as other nonprofits, have sped up testing of the vaccine with donations to the company developing it, reported TechCrunch.

Inovio Pharmaceuticals developed the drug, now called INO-4800, in Plymouth Meeting, Pa., and is testing the drug on two volunteer groups. Individuals at the Center for Pharmaceutical Research in Kansas City, Missouri, as well as Penn's Perelman School of Medicine will receive testing.

Around 40 volunteers at Penn will be injected with a skin-deep shot instead of the usually deeper jab, according to the New York Post, then given a tiny zap with an electrical device. The DNA vaccine will be tested in two phases.

Since the vaccine is not made using the actual virus, there isn't a chance of getting infected from being injected with vaccine INO-4800.

How much cheddar are these folks making to get injected with this voodoo juice?

Given the bolded section, I'd give it a go.

[MalkinIsMyHomeboy]

Also is the Bill Gates microchip in those vaccines?

[NTP66]

Coronavirus vaccine backed by Bill Gates enters human testing on Penn volunteers

A coronavirus vaccine sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is being tested on volunteers at the University of Pennsylvania.

The vaccine is the second potential COVID-19 vaccine to enter human testing, since the FDA accepted its application Monday. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, as well as other nonprofits, have sped up testing of the vaccine with donations to the company developing it, reported TechCrunch.

Inovio Pharmaceuticals developed the drug, now called INO-4800, in Plymouth Meeting, Pa., and is testing the drug on two volunteer groups. Individuals at the Center for Pharmaceutical Research in Kansas City, Missouri, as well as Penn's Perelman School of Medicine will receive testing.

Around 40 volunteers at Penn will be injected with a skin-deep shot instead of the usually deeper jab, according to the New York Post, then given a tiny zap with an electrical device. The DNA vaccine will be tested in two phases.

Since the vaccine is not made using the actual virus, there isn't a chance of getting infected from being injected with vaccine INO-4800.

How much cheddar are these folks making to get injected with this voodoo juice?

No idea. I should try and pull a few strings to get in on the action.

[mikey]

Doesn't the flu vaccine immunize people so that they can't spread it?

Roughly: No. Unless they actually nailed it that last year's flu is this year's again...which rarely happens. That's why they're not super effective. Vaccinating against a virus isn't the same as vaccinating against a bacteria. The former is less pursued as it has less appeal in a number of ways...

[count2infinity]

First day back in the office for my 2 week rotation of being on site... we're required to wear masks, so my wife whipped something up for me:

[willeyeam]

My favorite part of this whole shebang is the amount of people that have become medical experts since January

[NTP66]

My favorite part of this whole shebang is the amount of people that have become medical experts since January

[count2infinity]

But... I'm actually a doctor.

[meow]

First day back in the office for my 2 week rotation of being on site... we're required to wear masks, so my wife whipped something up for me:

My six year old has that same print on his underwear