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The Covid-19 Pandemic (When posting new information, please cite sources)

(@moonbeam)
Famed Member
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 458
 

In in Sweden, where they tried this, it's a failed experiment. Unlike the rest of Europe they didn't lock down, but the casualties were much higher. Their 'expert' tries to defend the decision by saying that they have herd immunity now, which isn't true. Especially now there are signs you can get it again after a couple of months.

 

https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200813/swedens-no-lockdown-policy-didnt-achieve-herd-immunity



   
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(@saibh)
Noble Member
Joined: 9 years ago
Posts: 211
 

@lovendures Iowa is currently surging with covid, thanks in part to University of Iowa and Iowa State returning to school. Iowa has done nothing to mitigate covid. My son's best friend and a number of other friends are at ISU ... one is now positive, as are three of his roommates. Another was just told by his parents to come home, as he has underlying health issues.

My husband's business partner's daughter tested positive at her school in Wisconsin, her three roommates got mad that she had it so they went home ... and now all three of them are also sick, as are family members. My son's college town went from less than three cases a day to 70 positive cases on Friday, two weeks after school started. I'm very concerned about fall.

 



   
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(@lovendures)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 8 years ago
Posts: 4130
 

@saibh

Honestly, I am right there with you.

It has been discussed here in AZ that if students are sent home, they will infect their family members as you mentioned happening in Iowa. .  This is not ok. 

I am pretty upset with ASU.  They were not being transparent and what they are doing is because they are being pushed by the community.   They stated their positivity rate is 1.04% but it was more like 1.98%. They were calculating the entire student body, not the amount of people tested.  Huge difference.  

The University has entered mode three regarding housing, which allows the University to "de-densify higher risk living configurations" on-campus, increase security, restrict external visitors and only allow "one guest per room from within the same residence hall at any given time." 

Repeat offenders of violations will be subject to housing removal.

Housing mode four would be the next potential phase if and when needed. It would only allow students with no other living options to request an exemption to live in residence halls. 

Housing mode five would close residence halls completely. Thresholds for mode changes were not published with the update.

Apparently, as ASU began to de-densify their on-campus situation last night, they told some students with little notice they needed to re-locate.  Sometimes nearly a mile away and with no help to get to their new location.  

TA's are being required to be there to assist for in-person classes unless under quarantine while  the professor works remotely. TA's and students are not being told if they have been exposed to another student who has tested positive.  I don't mean the person is identified, just that there was an exposure to someone. So lab partners will not know they have been exposed unless the Covid positive student lets them know themselves.  

Few students must go to an only in-person class. The majority are held online with  some classes having the option of showing up in person if desired but still held online as well, hence the TA needing to be available for the in-person few that show up.  If things get worse. they will move to mostly online, the last option is only online for every class on campus. .   

My daughter must use the music practice rooms in-person, so she needs to be on campus often, but all her actual classes are held online. She still doesn't know how her ensembles will play out this semester only that they are not in person for now.  

I know someone from CA who dropped their freshmen off at the dorms, helped him get settled and got a call the next day to pick him up because their child was terrified about conditions and all his classes were switched to online.  This was before the parents had even arrived back home and this recent chaos happened.  

 



   
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 shan
(@shanrip)
Estimable Member
Joined: 8 years ago
Posts: 17
 

Llama nanoantibody engineered to block coronavirus

“Animals produce antibodies much like those made by the human immune system. But some animals, such as llamas, also produce another type of antibody that’s only about a quarter of the size of a typical human antibody. Such “single-domain” antibodies, or nanobodies, have several features that make them of interest as potential therapeutics.“

  • “Nanobodies are very stable, so they could potentially be stored for a long time after production. They can also be delivered by an inhaler directly to the lungs, which makes them particularly promising for respiratory infections such as COVID-19.“
  • Based on antibodies isolated from llamas, researchers engineered an antibody that prevented SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, from entering cells in laboratory experiments.
  • Follow-up work is being planned to test the antibody in animal models of the disease.”

Link to NIH paper: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/llama-antibody-engineered-block-coronavirus



   
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(@michele-b)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 9 years ago
Posts: 2053
 

Right after reports were coming out about serious concerns of the politicalization of the CDC and calls that it needs an overhaul or removal, the CDC tells states to prepare for a vaccine by early November.  Just in time for the election, and pushed by Trump.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/02/health/covid-19-vaccine-cdc-plans.html



   
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(@tgraf66)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 822
 

*IF* such a vaccine were to be made available (and that's a big IF, because if the Orange One said it, it's a lie and it ain't gonna happen), i wouldn't trust it to protect the worms in my garden.



   
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(@lowtide)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 671
 

@tgraf66

I agree. I’m a health care worker and I’ll probably lose my job because I’m not taking that vaccine. I don’t trust it; due diligence hasn’t been done.



   
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(@lovendures)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 8 years ago
Posts: 4130
 

There is now a $@^#%  Covid Tracker now on my phone!! 

Seriously!   

Better check you phones.  Looks like it may have arrived in stealth like fashion during recent updates.

If you have an android phone, go under settings, then look for Google settings and see if it's there.
 
If you are using an IPhone, go under settings, privacy, then health- it's there, but not yet functional.
 
The app can notify you if you've been near someone who has reported having COVID-19 I guess.
 
Mine was in off mode and I don't wish to turn it on. But I am not sure if it will become live at some point regardless.  
 
BIG BROTHER HAS ARRIVED!!!
(Which is ironic given I have an IPhone, made by Apple, who created that famous 1984 Macintosh Super Bowl commercial where the female athlete threw the hammer shattering the  Big Brother screen....  )
 


   
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(@moonbeam)
Famed Member
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 458
 

@lovendures, we have an app like that in Europe, but it is our choice if we want to download it. They cannot just put it on our phones. Is it legal in the US to do that?



   
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(@lovendures)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 8 years ago
Posts: 4130
 

@moonbeam

A friend said her husband noticed it in the fine print of the latest update.  Does anyone read the whole terms for each update?  I can barely make out the fine print.  

It isn't active yet.

I realize people are being tracked for many things...but wow.  I don't think many people knew it was there.  Not every phone has it either.  My husband had it too.



   
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