Fear and Loathing, a Rat Flu Odyssey

[Benny Profane]

You can feel the nation's bones creak under the weight of these dense MFers. On one had, it's all a bit sad because clearly a few of these people are mentally ill - others, just poorly equipped for a normal life. But the 'both sides' and equal reporting / representation is stifling our progress. In the old days, you said some BS like this and your neighbor would turn to you and go " you know what? you sound like nut"... these days they get media time and forums that appear semi-legitimate and become part of the public debate. Madness. It degrades the entire conversation. One girl in the video did have massive cans tho.

In the old days, there was no internet and television.

[old goat]

Oh, and I'm gonna be a little pessimistic about remdesivir as a "game changer". Likely a useful tool, but from what we're seeing here (we're also part of the remdesivir clinical trial coalition) not the be- all end-all solution to the problem.

Yep. Positive data could mean it shortens hospital length of stay by a day or changes some other measure by a statistically significant but clinically insignificant amount. Nothing wrong with that (unless the drug costs more than a day in the hospital) but in order to allow us to stop our containment measures, inspire confidence in consumers, and prevent a depression it would probably have to reduce things like hospitalization rate, ICU rate, and death and serious complications rate by 90%. If it were doing that Gilead and the NIH would be shouting the numbers from the rooftop.

The way that the stock market reacts to each trivial bit of news reinforces what I already knew--that stock traders are idiots, and they definitely don't understand science any more than the president does.

The only disease that I can think of where a drug has been a game changer is chronic hepatitis C, where a short course can cure the infection. Even the retrovirals aren't game changers for AIDS, in that they don't give people the freedom to go back to sharing needles and having unprotected sex with multiple strangers. But that's the equivalent of what we're hoping for for Covid-19--no masks, crowded bars and restaurants and stadiums, kids back in school, etc.

[Benny Profane]

but.... but.... but......

U.S. coronavirus outbreak soon to be deadlier than any flu since 1967 as deaths top 60,000

(Reuters) - U.S. deaths from the novel coronavirus topped 60,000 on Wednesday and the outbreak will soon be deadlier than any flu season since 1967, according to a Reuters tally.

America's worst flu season in recent years was in 2017-2018 when more than 61,000 people died, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preventihere

The only deadlier flu seasons were in 1967 when about 100,000 Americans died, 1957 when 116,000 died and the Spanish flu of 1918 when 675,000 died, according to the CDC.

The United States has the world’s highest coronavirus death toll and a daily average of 2,000 people died in April of the highly contagious respiratory illness COVID-19, according to a Reuters tally. The first U.S. death was recorded on Feb. 29 but recent testing in California indicates the first death might have been on Feb. 6, with the virus circulating weeks earlier than previously thought.

On Tuesday, COVID-19 deaths in the United States eclipsed in a few months the 58,220 Americans killed during 16 years of U.S. military involvement during the Vietnam War. Cases topped 1 million.

The actual number of cases is thought to be higher, with state public health officials cautioning that shortages of trained workers and materials have limited testing capacity.

The outbreak could take nearly 73,000 U.S. lives by Aug. 4, compared with an April 22 forecast of over 67,600, according to the University of Washington's predictive model here often cited by White House officials.

In early March, the prospect that the coronavirus would kill more Americans than the flu was unthinkable to many politicians who played down the risk of the new virus.

Republican President Donald Trump tweeted on March 9: “So last year 37,000 Americans died from the common Flu. It averages between 27,000 and 70,000 per year. Nothing is shut down, life & the economy go on. At this moment there are 546 confirmed cases of CoronaVirus, with 22 deaths. Think about that!”

On March 11, Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio told New Yorkers during a radio interview to eat out at restaurants if they were not sick.

That same day, top U.S. infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci warned Congress that the coronavirus was at least 10 times more lethal than the seasonal flu.

There is as yet no treatment or vaccine for coronavirus while flu vaccines are widely available along with treatments.

At this point, the only number to trust is the death toll, and that's obscured by death at home and even senior housing. It doesn't look good from that perspective.

Florida already fudging death numbers. Hiding or blatantly changing them. Expect more of this.

[Benny Profane]

I read somewhere that the President of Live Nation gave an interview where he said he's anticipating no large concerts for 12-18 months......minimum. 2020 and Covfefe can eat a giant bag of dicks.

Maybe, finally, this will put a spike in the heart of classic rock concerts and tribute shit. New world of music.

[old goat]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/healt...b7a_story.html
80% of Georgians hospitalized for COVID19 have been black. No wonder Kemp is opening things up. Stacey Abrams put a scare in him. He's not going to let that happen again. And no, I'm not being sarcastic. I mean it.

[Benny Profane]

Trump announces that testing isn't really necessary. He doesn't want numbers, never wanted them. He's obviously determined to block testing for that reason. He wants zero.

[Benny Profane]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/healt...b7a_story.html
80% of Georgians hospitalized for COVID19 have been black. No wonder Kemp is opening things up. Stacey Abrams put a scare in him. He's not going to let that happen again. And no, I'm not being sarcastic. I mean it.

How did the Spanish kill the Aztecs? With virus.

[Tri-Ungulate]

How did the Spanish kill the Aztecs? With virus.

He came dancing across the water
With his galleons and guns
Looking for the new world
In that palace in the sun.


Kemp knows this. He's a modern-day Lord Jeffrey Amherst.

[old goat]

He came dancing across the water
With his galleons and guns
Looking for the new world
In that palace in the sun.


Kemp knows this. He's a modern-day Lord Jeffrey Amherst.

Had to look up Lord Amherst. Smallpox blankets to the Indians. Which should strike a note of caution--be careful who you take the gift of a face mask from.

[Benny Profane]

I'm trying to compare this either to Godzilla, or War of the Worlds. The second has a virus as an element.

[Benny Profane]

At this point, the only number to trust is the death toll, and that's obscured by death at home and even senior housing. It doesn't look good from that perspective.

Florida already fudging death numbers. Hiding or blatantly changing them. Expect more of this.

U.S. Coronavirus Death Toll Is Far Higher Than Reported, C.D.C. Data Suggests https://nyti.ms/2ybWxtp

[mcski]

Sweden’s per capita death toll is about 6-10x higher than similar countries that locked down.

Ex: 2200+ deaths in Sweden (10M pop.) vs. ~220 in Norway.

Some may say that’s acceptable. . Some would not.

]

Not disagreeing, but I can’t find a source for those number multiples. Anyone have a link?

[The AD]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/healt...b7a_story.html
80% of Georgians hospitalized for COVID19 have been black. No wonder Kemp is opening things up. Stacey Abrams put a scare in him. He's not going to let that happen again. And no, I'm not being sarcastic. I mean it.

It's certainly a little suspicious when the kind of things you open up are barber shops, hair salons, bowling alleys. Exactly the types of places where African-Americans socialize.

[old goat]

Fauci likes remdesivir. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/29/u...#link-3046ea96
Other scientists are skeptical.

"The trial enrolled 1,063 patients who were given remdesivir or a placebo, according to N.I.A.I.D. The time to recovery averaged 11 days among those who received the drug, compared with 15 days for those who received the placebo." Not game changing numbers. Let's see what the rest of the numbers are.

[GimpToo]

He came dancing across the water
With his galleons and guns
Looking for the new world
In that palace in the sun.


Kemp knows this. He's a modern-day Lord Jeffrey Amherst.

.... and he was a sick MFer!

[hutash]

Just saw the governor of Iowa saying that, if your employer orders you back, no unemployment. This is pretty disgusting. A revolution is in order.

FIFY

Fixed your FIFY

[hutash]

Fauci likes remdesivir. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/29/u...#link-3046ea96
Other scientists are skeptical.

"The trial enrolled 1,063 patients who were given remdesivir or a placebo, according to N.I.A.I.D. The time to recovery averaged 11 days among those who received the drug, compared with 15 days for those who received the placebo." Not game changing numbers. Let's see what the rest of the numbers are.

Somebody just said "this is not a home run". Yeah, base hit at best, but more like a walk.

[The SnowShow]

Fauci likes remdesivir. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/29/u...#link-3046ea96
Other scientists are skeptical.

"The trial enrolled 1,063 patients who were given remdesivir or a placebo, according to N.I.A.I.D. The time to recovery averaged 11 days among those who received the drug, compared with 15 days for those who received the placebo." Not game changing numbers. Let's see what the rest of the numbers are.

http://www.niaid.nih.gov/news-events...anced-covid-19

[old goat]

Somebody just said "this is not a home run". Yeah, base hit at best, but more like a walk.

Sac fly.

[Benny Profane]

Sure jacked the stock market.

[seano732]

Sure jacked the stock market.

How bad.

[Ted Striker]

I'm trying to compare this either to Godzilla, or War of the Worlds. The second has a virus as an element.

The Walking Dead to Omega Man Continuum.

[Tri-Ungulate]

I'm actually thinking the most useful role for remdesivir might be earlier in the infectious course, before lung symptoms develop, which is when they actually used it in the trial. This might end up overtreating a proportion of the affected population, in that more people would get the drug than actually needed it, but I think it's relatively safe, though side effects are still being determined.

And I'm sure Gilead doesn't mind if patients are overtreated.

Along those lines, it's entirely possible that hydroxychloroquine could be used earlier in the course than as tested in the studies available, for better utility, but risks of overtreatment with this agent are more significant and well known in re: QT prolongation and subsequent cardiac arrhythmias.

[hutash]

but.... but.... but......

U.S. coronavirus outbreak soon to be deadlier than any flu since 1967 as deaths top 60,000

(Reuters) - U.S. deaths from the novel coronavirus topped 60,000 on Wednesday and the outbreak will soon be deadlier than any flu season since 1967, according to a Reuters tally.

America's worst flu season in recent years was in 2017-2018 when more than 61,000 people died, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preventihere

The only deadlier flu seasons were in 1967 when about 100,000 Americans died, 1957 when 116,000 died and the Spanish flu of 1918 when 675,000 died, according to the CDC.

.

I am all too familiar with that '67-'68 flu. I had it in elementary school and was sick as a dog. Missed a bunch of school and then could not do anything physical for weeks after.

A friend gave me a Superball (the new, cool toy at the time) as a get well present, so there is that.

[Benny Profane]

How bad.

No, good.