SARS CoV-2 coronavirus / Covid-19 (No tin foil hat silliness please)

WI_Red

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The only conspiracy theory I have regarding the lableak is that it relates to optogenetics which is indeed about as conspiratorial as it gets but I don't see why else you'd be messing around with adenoviruses (or SARSs, which is not an adenovirus but in optogenetic terms, isn't a million miles away (kind of stuff they test on rats to then see if blue light/green light signals work)). It's all very cloak and dagger but I'd like to see a report on the state of Chinese optogenetics as of 2019. Could be complete nonsense but using an inhalation device rather than direct injection to the bloodstream (in rats) has been done, is being done, etc., and if you're talking about serious credibility of lableaks, then it's not out of range to consider what the feck biological warfare type labratories are doing the first place. Other than that, I've always, too, optogenetics aside, (niche enough), considered this was a human made virus that spilled into the public domain.

What's the wave situation like now? I was infected a year or so ago for the last time. A nasty bastard of an infection despite innoculation.
Adenovirus’s are the most commonly used vehicles for virus delivered gene therapy. We (scientists) have been “messing around” with these guys for decades. The rest of this post is better left unaddressed.
 

neverdie

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Adenovirus’s are the most commonly used vehicles for virus delivered gene therapy. We (scientists) have been “messing around” with these guys for decades. The rest of this post is better left unaddressed.
Yes, that's the point. It's a lableak post. Entirely speculative but then the entire issue is speculative. No one knows, is the short answer, as to how the virus was released. That's why we have lableak theories competing with bat to human (or whatever) transmission. It is within the remit of biological warfare labs, and so on, to "mess around" with such things for all sorts of reasons (as you'd know) and none of them might be for gene therapy (beneficient as in your field, which, I'm assuming now, is not biological warfare).

Anyway, I think lableak. As to how/when/why/who, it'll come to be known in time. Rest of the interchange is indeed best left unaddressed. As someone who's had the virus, like most, and innoculations, like most, I do not do conspiracies (but lableak seems less conspiratorial by the week).
 

WI_Red

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Yes, that's the point. It's a lableak post. Entirely speculative but then the entire issue is speculative. No one knows, is the short answer, as to how the virus was released. That's why we have lableak theories competing with bat to human (or whatever) transmission. It is within the remit of biological warfare labs, and so on, to "mess around" with such things for all sorts of reasons (as you'd know) and none of them might be for gene therapy (beneficient as in your field, which, I'm assuming now, is not biological warfare).

Anyway, I think lableak. As to how/when/why/who, it'll come to be known in time. Rest of the interchange is indeed best left unaddressed. As someone who's had the virus, like most, and innoculations, like most, I do not do conspiracies (but lableak seems less conspiratorial by the week).
But that’s the point, even if it was a lab leak that does not mean it was an engineered virus, much less a bio weapon. Infectious disease labs store, and analyze, hundreds of variants of any given pathogen for basic research. My lab in grad school did this with a respiratory pathogen, not from zoonotic specimens, but from patient and environmental samples. We’d receive them, culture them, and then sequence specific parts of their genome that we used for typing. We often would follow this up with genetic manipulation (insertion of an antibiotic resistance gene for example) to assist in further research. The point is that even if this was a lab leak, which I still am not convinced of, it is most likely that the virus was being studied or banked and the leak was accidental and not at all nefarious.
 

neverdie

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that the virus was being studied or banked and the leak was accidental and not at all nefarious.
Not saying it was meant to be leaked, I mean it was likely nefarious, if we use that term at all, insofar as they were experimenting with it. Does anyone know Chinese protocol regarding such things? I do not believe it was intentionally released, at all, and do believe it was - if leak is true - experimentation of the precise kind you're speaking about.

Infectious disease labs store, and analyze, hundreds of variants of any given pathogen for basic research. My lab in grad school did this with a respiratory pathogen, not from zoonotic specimens, but from patient and environmental samples.
But for whatever reason - it just leaked. Zoonotic experimentation in China, you'd know more, but I'm guessing it's relatively normal in bio-labs given the presence of Coronavirus (bat reservoires).

Anyway, not trying to get bogged down into conspiracy theories. Just do think it will be revealed as lableak in years to come very conclusively (no point speculating on it now, for my part, until it is confirmed or denied as such).

There are all kinds of reasons Chinese researchers would (were as it goes) be interested in studying strains of this virus. It's just not insane to think it leaked. I won't say it is a lableak, conclusively, becuase I cannot prove it, but it isn't impossible (and many scientists, mostly not Chinese it has to be said, think likely). Could just be news is not giving me the full scientific value, you, again, might know better (or Wibble here). I initially said it was a species barrier issue. Removal of bat habitats and then viral jump (wet-market or whatever).
 

Don't Kill Bill

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But that’s the point, even if it was a lab leak that does not mean it was an engineered virus, much less a bio weapon. Infectious disease labs store, and analyze, hundreds of variants of any given pathogen for basic research. My lab in grad school did this with a respiratory pathogen, not from zoonotic specimens, but from patient and environmental samples. We’d receive them, culture them, and then sequence specific parts of their genome that we used for typing. We often would follow this up with genetic manipulation (insertion of an antibiotic resistance gene for example) to assist in further research. The point is that even if this was a lab leak, which I still am not convinced of, it is most likely that the virus was being studied or banked and the leak was accidental and not at all nefarious.
I see a mistake being the most likely cause, in letting a natural virus which was studied get out. In that sense the risk is always there, as long as the studies are ongoing and loads of countries do that.

What I do see as nefarious and unconscionable is the direct lie by the Chinese Govt that they had no reason to believe it was human to human transmissible, when they had plenty of evidence that it was. Countless lives lost world wide because of that deliberate and very stupid decision.

From early January as events unfolded.
"

Chinese officials say there have been no cases of the virus spreading from one person to another.
Instead they say the virus has crossed the species barrier and come from infected animals at a seafood and wildlife market in Wuhan.
Prof Ferguson argues: "People should be considering the possibility of substantial human-to-human transmission more seriously than they have so far.
"It would be unlikely in my mind, given what we know about coronaviruses, to have animal exposure, be the principal cause of such a number of human infections."

"
 
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Port Vale Devil

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How did u feel? I have no headache just like a fever, hot and cold and ache all over. Also feel a few palpitations, and very hard to get to sleep.
Slight headache, tiredness and the chills for a couple of days. Knew I had it though before I did the test as I’m rarely poorly.
 

El Zoido

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I’ve got it again, feel absolutely horrendous. I saw there’s a new variant going around, and that cases are ramping up. I went out yesterday to get a couple of covid tests and the first two pharmacies I went to had sold out of tests, I was told by both that there had been a massive increase in people buying them this week. Wondering if I picked this up at the game on Monday night.
 

decorativeed

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I’ve got it again, feel absolutely horrendous. I saw there’s a new variant going around, and that cases are ramping up. I went out yesterday to get a couple of covid tests and the first two pharmacies I went to had sold out of tests, I was told by both that there had been a massive increase in people buying them this week. Wondering if I picked this up at the game on Monday night.
Imagine going watching that shite and it catching covid for your troubles on top of it all! Hope you feel better soon.
 

BeltUp

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I’ve got it again, feel absolutely horrendous. I saw there’s a new variant going around, and that cases are ramping up. I went out yesterday to get a couple of covid tests and the first two pharmacies I went to had sold out of tests, I was told by both that there had been a massive increase in people buying them this week. Wondering if I picked this up at the game on Monday night.
I seem to catch it late August every year. Just started feeling under the weather so suspecting it's the 'vid again.
 

golden_blunder

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I’ve got it again, feel absolutely horrendous. I saw there’s a new variant going around, and that cases are ramping up. I went out yesterday to get a couple of covid tests and the first two pharmacies I went to had sold out of tests, I was told by both that there had been a massive increase in people buying them this week. Wondering if I picked this up at the game on Monday night.
Ahh don’t tell me that, I picked up a cough in the last 2 days of my holiday and it’s just got chestier as time has gone on. I’m now on antibiotics. Didn’t take a covid test as we don’t have any left in the house
 

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My mother who has cancer and is going through chemo has caught COVID. She tested positive today and she does not have a stock of the antiviral tablets. They are still prescription only and the local chemists have to order them in so the earliest she can get them apparently is Monday. I believe the hospitals have a stockpile of them but we have no means of contacting the right people there who can get these to us tomorrow. I really don't know what to do in this situation - it seems that if you are vulnerable and contract the virus on a Friday you're just left stranded for a few days.
 

P-Ro

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I've just been told she has a temperature of 38.5. feck
 

Pogue Mahone

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I've just been told she has a temperature of 38.5. feck
I know this probably won’t make you feel much better but the benefits of those antivirals are pretty marginal. Make sure she’s taking regular paracetamol to take the edge off her temperature but don’t worry too much about the fever. Main thing is to keep an eye on her breathing. If she’s not too chesty (and most covid cases these days are just bad head colds) then there’s nothing to worry about. Even though she’ll feel like crap. Did her oncology team give you an out of hours contact number?
 

P-Ro

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I know this probably won’t make you feel much better but the benefits of those antivirals are pretty marginal. Make sure she’s taking regular paracetamol to take the edge off her temperature but don’t worry too much about the fever. Main thing is to keep an eye on her breathing. If she’s not too chesty (and most covid cases these days are just bad head colds) then there’s nothing to worry about. Even though she’ll feel like crap. Did her oncology team give you an out of hours contact number?
Okay thanks for the info. I believe we do have a contact for the Marsden and my Dad's trying to get through as we speak. She sounded wheezy when I spoke to her earlier. She's in bed and not answering her phone so I can't speak to her at the moment about her symptoms until my dad finishes his call.
 

owlo

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Well wishes to your mum @P-Ro

I tested negative the other day from one of my old lateral flow tests but feel like I've been rolled over by a train. Constant exploding migraines which barely abate with tramadol+paracetamol, and a nose that runs faster than McTominay away from the ball. Can barely stand. Bought some benacort from Amazon fresh despite the ridiculous fee, which seems to have worked for a few hours but now I've woken and am a mess again. Headache less now but weird sneezing and coughing from one size of the body which obviously doesn't help the sore through. Pain in the ass whether its flu or covid or whatever.
 

Wibble

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New Omicron sub-variants spreading fast in Australia.

Time for me to get a booster methinks.
 

Walrus

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Tested positive last night :( feeling pretty rough from whatever this variant is.
 

Solius

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I caught it late November, tested negative on Dec 5th but didn't really feel properly back to normal until about 21st/22nd December. Piece of shit illness.
 

Bastian

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What do more informed people on here make of this? Doctors or other health care professionals, or people who have witnessed these things in their environment?
 

WI_Red

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What do more informed people on here make of this? Doctors or other health care professionals, or people who have witnessed these things in their environment?
Witnessed what? People treating randoms on the internet, like I don't know... a funeral director, as experts in areas they have no training?

The fringe antivax lunatics were always a dangerous nuisance, but the cover they were given by politicians who used the COVID vaccine as an election issue has spurred them, and their new conspiratorial conscripts, to wildly dangerous heights.

The damage done to people's faith in medical science is abominable and I fear that revolutionary strides in therapeutic and prophylactic mRNA based treatments may be stunted, if not killed.
 

Pogue Mahone

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What do more informed people on here make of this? Doctors or other health care professionals, or people who have witnessed these things in their environment?
That guy in the video is a total crank. An interesting case study of someone who started off well intentioned and had some relevant training but the lure of the YouTube grift took him more and more out of his depth. To the point where he was consistently talking ill informed conspiratorial bollox on topics he knew nothing about. I’ll watch this video later but it’s a safe bet it’s more of the same.
 

Bastian

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Witnessed what? People treating randoms on the internet, like I don't know... a funeral director, as experts in areas they have no training?

The fringe antivax lunatics were always a dangerous nuisance, but the cover they were given by politicians who used the COVID vaccine as an election issue has spurred them, and their new conspiratorial conscripts, to wildly dangerous heights.

The damage done to people's faith in medical science is abominable and I fear that revolutionary strides in therapeutic and prophylactic mRNA based treatments may be stunted, if not killed.
That guy in the video is a total crank. An interesting case study of someone who started off well intentioned and had some relevant training but the lure of the YouTube grift took him more and more out of his depth. To the point where he was consistently talking ill informed conspiratorial bollox on topics he knew nothing about. I’ll watch this video later but it’s a safe bet it’s more of the same.
OK, I get your default position. But can you speak to the actual information. Why is there a rise in excess mortality, especially young people. Why are huge blood clots being found that weren't before? I'm just interested in people's take on that, not the messengers really.
 

Pogue Mahone

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OK, I get your default position. But can you speak to the actual information. Why is there a rise in excess mortality, especially young people. Why are huge blood clots being found that weren't before? I'm just interested in people's take on that, not the messengers really.
If you’re interested in learning about disease epidemiology and public health there’s a load of medical journals you can wade through. Here’s one, for starters. These are where you find legitimate research on any meaningful new morbidity or mortality trends.

What I definitely would not recommend is watching a YouTube video hosted by a known crank, in which the “expert” he’s asking about this supposed public health crisis is a fecking funeral director!
 

Murder on Zidane's Floor

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If you’re interested in learning about disease epidemiology and public health there’s a load of medical journals you can wade through. Here’s one, for starters. These are where you find legitimate research on any meaningful new morbidity or mortality trends.

What I definitely would not recommend is watching a YouTube video hosted by a known crank, in which the “expert” he’s asking about this supposed public health crisis is a fecking funeral director!
Amen. Cheers for the link, interesting reading.
 

Herman Toothrot

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OK, I get your default position. But can you speak to the actual information. Why is there a rise in excess mortality, especially young people. Why are huge blood clots being found that weren't before? I'm just interested in people's take on that, not the messengers really.
Maybe it's something to do with the funeral director? He's got skin in the game.
 

Murder on Zidane's Floor

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Witnessed what? People treating randoms on the internet, like I don't know... a funeral director, as experts in areas they have no training?

The fringe antivax lunatics were always a dangerous nuisance, but the cover they were given by politicians who used the COVID vaccine as an election issue has spurred them, and their new conspiratorial conscripts, to wildly dangerous heights.

The damage done to people's faith in medical science is abominable and I fear that revolutionary strides in therapeutic and prophylactic mRNA based treatments may be stunted, if not killed.
It's horrific and they always seem to forget that COVID, in of itself is damaging to the heart etc. Brutal illness.
 

Bastian

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If you’re interested in learning about disease epidemiology and public health there’s a load of medical journals you can wade through. Here’s one, for starters. These are where you find legitimate research on any meaningful new morbidity or mortality trends.

What I definitely would not recommend is watching a YouTube video hosted by a known crank, in which the “expert” he’s asking about this supposed public health crisis is a fecking funeral director!
I appreciate the link. I was a bit hesitant to go into this thread with anything counter to accepted opinion as I wasn't keen on the condescension, but I will read through what you linked here. Cheers.
 

Mickeza

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Deepthroating information to Howard Nurse.
That guy in the video is a total crank. An interesting case study of someone who started off well intentioned and had some relevant training but the lure of the YouTube grift took him more and more out of his depth. To the point where he was consistently talking ill informed conspiratorial bollox on topics he knew nothing about. I’ll watch this video later but it’s a safe bet it’s more of the same.
I remember really liking his videos at the start - they were very simple and informative at an hysterical time. Around 6 months after the vaccines he went totally mad - you could always sense he an undertone from him - very anti-EU etc but it was well hidden for a while.
 

Pogue Mahone

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@Bastian

Here's some specific information re excess deaths in the EU, pre and post covid.

Excess mortality in the EU during COVID-19 pandemic
During the month of March 2020, the number of deaths rose rapidly in some European countries when compared with the average number of deaths in the period from 2016 to 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic affected every part of the EU; however, its impact was not evenly spread. The highest peaks of a higher-than-average number of deaths during the first recording of COVID-19 cases in March-April 2020 were initially recorded in Italy and Spain, followed by France, Belgium and the Netherlands. During the period between March 2020 and February 2021, the EU experienced two waves of excess mortality: the first between March and May 2020 (reaching a 25.2 % excess rate in April) and a second between August 2020 and the end of the year (reaching a 40.0 % excess rate in November, the highest rate for the whole year). In this second wave, excess mortality rose in all EU Member States, this time with a geographical prevalence in the eastern part of Europe (Poland, Bulgaria and Slovenia reached an excess of more than 90.0 % in November 2020). Excess mortality reached a third peak in April 2021 (20.9 %) then decreased to a low of 5.7 % in July 2021, with some countries reaching a total number of deaths close to - or even below - the 2016-2019 baseline. During summer 2021, the downward trend reversed again and the EU rate increased in September to reach 12.8 % over the baseline period. Finally, in autumn-winter 2021, there was a fourth wave of excess mortality, this time with the EU rate reaching 26.6 % in November and 23.7 % in December 2021.

In 2022, excess mortality in the EU generally stayed at lower levels, at around 10 % except for July-August and December 2022. In July and August, when heatwaves affected parts of Europe, there were respectively 58 145 and 52 479 additional deaths. The excess mortality for these two months was exceptionally high (17.1 % of the average number for the same period in 2016-2019 for July and 13.9 % for August). In December 2022, excess mortality was the highest of the year and stood at 20.3 %. In 2023, excess mortality saw major decreases. In January 2023, it was 4.2 % of the average number for the same period in 2016-2019. In February 2023, for the first time since February 2020 (pre-COVID-19 pandemic period), there were no excess deaths and the indicator fell below the baseline to -1.1 %. In March and April 2023, excess mortality rose slightly to 1.3 % and 4.2 % respectively. In May 2023, when the World Health Organization declared an end to the COVID-19 public-health emergency, the excess mortality in the EU was 3.6 %.
Worth a read if you're curious about this topic. From a legitimate source and more digestible than public health journals!