Coronavirus

[TLS Guy]

I'm guessing a lot of people saw this already, but I'll post it anyway. It does not look like a silver bullet, but I guess it's better than nothing.

FDA Authorizes [on an emergency basis] Monoclonal Antibody for Treatment of COVID-19

>>>While the safety and effectiveness of this investigational therapy continues to be evaluated, bamlanivimab was shown in clinical trials to reduce COVID-19-related hospitalization or emergency room visits in patients at high risk for disease progression within 28 days after treatment when compared to placebo. . . . the most important evidence that bamlanivimab may be effective came from the predefined secondary endpoint of COVID-19-related hospitalizations or emergency room visits within 28 days after treatment. For patients at high risk for disease progression, hospitalizations and emergency room visits occurred in 3% of bamlanivimab-treated patients on average compared to 10% in placebo-treated patients. The effects on viral load and on reduction in hospitalizations and ER visits, and on safety, were similar in patients receiving any of the three bamlanivimab doses.<<<

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Authorizes Monoclonal Antibody for Treatment of COVID-19

Today, the FDA issued an EUA for an investigational monoclonal antibody therapy for treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adult and pediatric patients.

www.fda.gov

The problem is that it is hard to produce and is costly, $1,500 a dose. So far only 10 million doses have been produced. It has to be given to early cases and does prevent 70% of people needing hospital. The UK in hospital trials were stopped due to lack of benefit. This probably explains why the convalescent plasma trials have shown such poor results in the hospital.

 

[Trell]

Wow, it looks like I'm stuck between you and @highfigh. And, yes, there other physical actions in ours brains, but the post wasn't meant to be comprehensive.

Nah, you have me

 

[Trell]

Sweden is locking down (as of last week), but not anywhere close to the level of rest of Europe, along with some chest thumping how righteous they are.

 

[Swerd]

Could people please take the election and free will discussions to another thread? Yes, I have made political comments in this thread myself, but we're really getting off track right now.

I'd like to echo Mr._Clark. Please keep this thread on the topic of the Corona virus pandemic. There are other threads for political arguments.

 

[GO-NAD!]

Back on topic, during their weekly COVID-19 news conference yesterday, the Nova Scotia Premier and the Provincial Chief Medical Officer sounded like the school principal and vice-principal chastising the student body. They were polite, but the tone of their voices betrayed a degree of exasperation. Part of our recent outbreak* was due to some very stupid actions on the part of some very stupid individuals. A symptomatic individual decided that going out on the town was a great plan. And, others who were supposedly on their 2-week self-isolation period after travelling outside the province, did not take it seriously.

*We now have 16 active cases. I know, I know, that's laughable for most of you. But, as demonstrated in other jurisdictions, that's how widespread infections happen.

 

[Trell]

Back on topic, during their weekly COVID-19 news conference yesterday, the Nova Scotia Premier and the Provincial Chief Medical Officer sounded like the school principal and vice-principal chastising the student body. They were polite, but the tone of their voices betrayed a degree of exasperation. Part of our recent outbreak* was due to some very stupid actions on the part of some very stupid individuals. A symptomatic individual decided that going out on the town was a great plan. And, others who were supposedly on their 2-week self-isolation period after travelling outside the province, did not take it seriously.

*We now have 16 active cases. I know, I know, that's laughable for most of you. But, as demonstrated in other jurisdictions, that's how widespread infections happen.

Not laughable at all (but to admired). It does beggars the question of population densities and distributions as to have a comparable comparisons, so to speak?

 

[GO-NAD!]

The problem is that it is hard to produce and is costly, $1,500 a dose. So far only 10 million doses have been produced. It has to be given to early cases and does prevent 70% of people needing hospital. The UK in hospital trials were stopped due to lack of benefit. This probably explains why the convalescent plasma trials have shown such poor results in the hospital.

Hey Doc, what do you think about Pfizer's vaccine requiring storage at -70C. Is that going to be a logistical problem?

 

[Trell]

Hey Doc, what do you think about Pfizer's vaccine requiring storage at -70C. Is that going to be a logistical problem?

I seem to recall that in an earlier post he wrote about -80C in which a vaccine would be very difficult to distribute, along with 100 persons at a time taking the vaccine each time.

 

[highfigh]

but , i keep telling you.. mail in voting ISN'T new .. that's just a talking point..the variable here is trump and his insane accusations..

I know it isn't new, but the sheer numbers of this election are. The new inspector general didn't help, though. Kind of like "We're gonna try something new- I want you to run a marathon and if you do these, it will go better". Or not.

USPS has a lo ton its plate with Amazon- why screw that up by trying to make it handle ballots, too?

 

[highfigh]

Wow, it looks like I'm stuck between you and @highfigh.

Lucky you.....

 

[GO-NAD!]

Not laughable at all (but to admired). It does beggars the question of population densities and distributions as to have a comparable comparisons, so to speak?

I'm sure population density affects spread, but it's just one factor. By way of comparison:
Alaska
Population: 730,000
Density: 2/km^2
COVID cases: 20,185 since start of pandemic, currently adding 400-500/day.

Nova Scotia
Population: 924,000
Density: 17.4/km^2
COVID cases: 1129 since start of pandemic, currently adding 2/day*.

*Compared to the previous several weeks' average of <0.5/day.

 

[Swerd]

Hey Doc, what do you think about Pfizer's vaccine requiring storage at -70C. Is that going to be a logistical problem?

It will add to overall cost, and will limit the places where the vaccine vials can be kept and vaccinations given. If the Pfizer vaccine gets temporary approval, as it looks like it will, we'll have to deal with getting enough deep freezers.

There is no practical difference between -70°C and -80°C freezers. These so-called deep freezers must have 2-stage compressors to achieve those temperatures, and they do fluctuate up & down as they cycle on & off. Freezers with single-stage compressors work in the range of -30°C.

 

[GO-NAD!]

Lucky you.....

I should re-phrase that...

 

[highfigh]

I should re-phrase that...

I thought about wording mine differently, but it would have looked bad.

 

[Trell]

I'm sure population density affects spread, but it's just one factor. By way of comparison:
Alaska
Population: 730,000
Density: 2/km^2
COVID cases: 20,185 since start of pandemic, currently adding 400-500/day.

Nova Scotia
Population: 924,000
Density: 17.4/km^2
COVID cases: 1129 since start of pandemic, currently adding 2/day*.

*Compared to the previous several weeks' average of <0.5/day.

That is more than a little difference, to put it very mildly!

 

[GO-NAD!]

That is more than a little difference, to put it very mildly!

Yup. The point being population density is a factor, but just one factor.

 

[Dude#1279435]

Per Drudge: "Ben Carson positive after attending Trump party... "

 

[KEW]

This is pretty interesting project! It looks like Georgia Tech has taken on the task of modeling the risk of gatherings in a peer reviewed interactive map!

COVID-19 Event Risk Assessment Planning Tool

covid19risk.biosci.gatech.edu

Here is link to LA times with a description.

Now you can see the COVID-19 risk anywhere in the country, in real time

Can you have Thanksgiving during the COVID-19 pandemic? Researchers have created an interactive map that estimates the risk you’ll face in any county.

www.latimes.com

 

[highfigh]

Yup. The point being population density is a factor, but just one factor.

How much do Alaskans travel and who travels to a larger number of people- I think those are two factors that need exploring. If many of them stay put and don't see anyone over the Winter, they shouldn't be at risk but if they were around people during Summer, I don't know how they could avoid it, although it would be interesting to know how many people entered the state since Jan 1, 2020.

 

[GO-NAD!]

How much do Alaskans travel and who travels to a larger number of people- I think those are two factors that need exploring. If many of them stay put and don't see anyone over the Winter, they shouldn't be at risk but if they were around people during Summer, I don't know how they could avoid it, although it would be interesting to know how many people entered the state since Jan 1, 2020.

I don't know how many in total, but too many are getting caught loitering in Canada when they were supposed to drive straight through.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/canada-u-s-border-closure-alaska-drive-americans-banff-fines-rcmp-1.5748611

The way it's looking right now, I'm not sure it makes any difference if Americans take their sweet time driving through. In August, Canada was averaging <500 cases per day. On Nov 1st, we had 3,244 cases. Yesterday we hit 5,500.

I don't know if the Atlantic Province Bubble will be able to withstand that kind of pressure. Yesterday, Nova Scotia reported no new cases after several days of worry over a mini-outbreak, when we accumulated about 20 new cases within a week. It'll be a few more days before we will know if we dodged another bullet. The advantage of having so few cases is that it enables rapid contact tracing and isolating where necessary.