Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) (SARS-CoV-2) [2020]

Supposedly, data tracking severity of illness in confirmed reinfections in South Africa should be available quite soon. Thanks to their genomic surveillance they have thousands of cases which is a good chunk of data. If serious illness is greatly reduced (as you'd hope and even perhaps expect), then the vaccines should do the same, even if they don't stop disease altogether.
 
EvonZkwWQAYxALK
 
name, address, phone, email, GP practice, have you ever had a bad reaction to a vaccine, are you on blood pressure meds (i think) consent, do you have any covid symptoms (they didnt test but took my temp) could you be pregnant, have you had a previous dose, have you received any other vaccine in the past 7 days, are you taking any immunosuppressants, do you have a disorder that makes you prone to bleeding, do you have a bmi over 40 ect
 
Last edited:
BRiT said:
Yup, never underestimate American Stupidity driven by Greed.
Click to expand...
I think it's more driven by an ingrained mentality over generations that as an American you have a god given right to do whatever you want, 'cause freedoms 'n shit. Combined with intense pressure from constituents to the local government who want to keep their jobs over the welfare of their populace.
 
As a carer, just had my first vaccine shot. All my dog walks going forward are going to trace out rude words in case Bill Gates is tracking me. If I run out of rude words I'll move onto mildly salacious ones. Like flange.
 
Last edited:
Article on intranasal vaccines, which may play a greater role if we need periodic boosters. There are intransala covid vaccines in development but they are in early trials and the funding is low, relative to the money that's been invested in standard vaccines.

Although injected vaccines do reduce symptomatic COVID cases, and prevent a lot of severe illness, they may still allow for asymptomatic infection. A person might feel fine, but actually harbor the virus and be able to pass it on to others. The reason is that the coronavirus can temporarily take up residence in the mucosa—the moist, mucus-secreting surfaces of the nose and throat that serve as our first line of defense against inhaled viruses. Research with laboratory animals suggests that a coronavirus infection can linger in the nose even after it has been vanquished in the lungs. That means it might be possible to spread the coronavirus after vaccination.

Enter the intranasal vaccine, which abandons the needle and syringe for a spray container that looks more like a nasal decongestant. With a quick spritz up the nose, intranasal vaccines are designed to bolster immune defenses in the mucosa, triggering production of an antibody known as immunoglobulin A, which can block infection. This overwhelming response, called sterilizing immunity, reduces the chance that people will pass on the virus.
Click to expand...

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/to-beat-covid-we-may-need-a-good-shot-in-the-nose/

We''ve seen examples where vaccines delivered to the site of infection are more effective. For instance, the Salk polio vaccine reduced illness but not necessarily infection. So Sabin's vaccine was ingested instead of injected:

Poliovirus is spread through food or water contaminated with human excrement. The virus enters the body through the mucosa of the gut, then infects the nervous system, where it can cause paralysis. In 1960, Albert Sabin introduced a new polio vaccine, which contained a weakened form of poliovirus, rather than the completely inactivated virus in the Salk vaccine. But the most striking difference was that Sabin’s vaccine was swallowed, in the form of a sugar cube or a liquid. In this way, it could come into direct contact with the gut mucosa. This made it more effective than the Salk vaccine in blocking poliovirus infection.
Click to expand...

The intranasal vaccines for covid are in nascent stages and in need of more funding:

Yet among the hundreds of coronavirus vaccine candidates that are in various stages of development around the world, only a small fraction are intranasal. So far, they have not received large-scale government support. But the early research and development efforts focused on the mucosal route do appear to be promising.

In a study using laboratory animals, an experimental intranasal vaccine created by scientists at the Washington University School of Medicine induced a powerful immune response in both the mucosa and the rest of the body, almost entirely preventing infection. Another animal studyfurther demonstrated the important role of the mucosa in preventing infection. The researchers developed an intranasal spray that made it difficult for the coronavirus to attach to human cells. Used daily, it was able to entirely block transmission of the virus. At least four intranasal vaccines have progressed to the first phase of clinical testing with people, in China, India, the U.K., and the U.S.
Click to expand...

The other advantages are that intranasal vaccines can be self-administered and distributed through mail. Some of them do not have cold storage requirements. They may also overcome vaccine resistance in some people who may fear needles.

But the big advantage may be that if we require periodic booster shots, intranasal vaccines may be easier to deploy. No need to set up vaccination sites or have federal, state and local governments trying to coordinate mass vaccinations again and again.

However, perhaps intranasal vaccines wouldn't scale up in volume as easily as the intramuscular vaccines? Maybe there isn't as much capacity for producing these? The article does mention that there are effective intranasal flu vaccines but they're only manufactured in US and India.
 
My 5 year old son had an intranasal flu vaccine at school before Christmas. He told us that something horrible had happened at school that day, though he didn't seem overly traumatised! Obviously easier to use than an injection in such cases, however.

I've read that it may be that an intranasal Covid vaccine would produce a mucosal response which could be more effective in protecting against infection than injected vaccines. Would be helpful if this particular type of vaccine worked as so many of the others have also been effective.
 
Not good news. A study (which looks pretty comprehensive) seems to indicate that the B117 "Kent" variant which is currently spreading across the globe at a fast rate isn't just much more infectious, it's also between 30 and 100% more deadly:

https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n579

With the increased transmissibility, this will lead to a lot, lot more deaths unless the vaccines and distancing measures are effective enough.

Speaking of which, I'm getting my first dose of the AZ vaccine on Saturday. The appointment for the second dose was booked in exactly 12 weeks later - to the minute! I think there is a small chance I had a mild case of Covid due to some strange symptoms back in March/April 2020 so it will be interesting to see if I have much of a reaction to the first dose. My brother in law (who showed some symptoms such as a cough and fever for a week or two back in March 2020) felt pretty rough after his first dose of the AZ vaccine. Probably a 20% chance I had Covid and an 80% chance he had it, I'd guess.
 
Which country are you in Mariner?

I know the UK isn't planning 2 dose of the AZ, at least not until late spring or early summer.

Oh 12 weeks so you must be in the UK.
 
Yup. I'm in my late 40s with (very) mild asthma, so I'd imagine this is why I've been offered the vaccine already. Wasn't expecting it until the middle of next month, really. I was surprised they booked me for in the second dose at the same time as the first but can't complain about the organisation. I'd imagine they must be pretty confident about the supply chain given this up front scheduling.
 
Drug test in Amazon (Manaus city).

This company is conducting a drug test in Amazon (Manaus city): https://appliedbiology.com/

Very good results.

Portuguese Language link.
https://portalhospitaisbrasil.com.b...icam-reducao-de-mortes-e-tempo-de-internacao/

Google translation:
RESULTS

For the first phase of the study, 42 patients were chosen in the first 72 hours of hospitalization. All of them were using oxygen, 35 were on non-invasive ventilation (NIV) and 24 were indicated for intubation.
At this stage, in the first 24 hours, 8 to 12 intubations would be expected, no patient using NIV with saturation greater than 94% in room air and less than 10% (2 to 3 patients) without using NIV.

With the use of proxalutamide, after 24 hours there were seven patients using oxygen with saturation greater than 94% in room air; 15 patients (40%) in NIV with saturation greater than 94% in room air; 20 patients (67%) without using NIV; and 24 patients with no further indication for intubation.
Upon reaching 48 hours of hospitalization, one to two deaths would be expected; from 12 to 18 intubations; one to two NIV patients with saturation greater than 94% in room air; and four to five patients without use of NIV.

Instead, the group had 80% of patients (30) without using NIV with saturation greater than 94% in room air; 35 patients without use of NIV and no intubation.
At 72 hours, four to five deaths would be expected; from 15 to 22 intubations; three to four NIV patients with saturation greater than 94% in room air; six to seven patients without further use of NIV; no hospital discharge and average progression from 50% to 60% of compromised lungs to 75% to 80%.

With the use of the drug, the study showed 35 patients without using NIV with a saturation greater than 94% in room air, with no intubation; eight patients discharged; and 50% to 60% reduction of affected lungs to 5% to 15%.

The study also points out that the expected for this group would be an average length of stay of 21 days, with about 20 intubations, five deaths and no evolution to ambient air. With the use of the medication, the group of patients tested had an average hospital stay of six days (reduction of 70%), no intubation, no death and 100% evolution to room air.
In addition to the group of 42 hospitalized patients, proxalutamide was also used in ten patients who were in the ICU. In the conditions in which they were expected, in 72 hours, seven deaths (70%), no extubation and an evolution to the withdrawal of Nodradrenaline (10%). With the use of medication, no deaths were recorded, three patients (30%) evolved to extubation and seven of them (70%) evolved to withdraw Nodradrenaline. The group also recorded an 82% drop in D-Dimer.

Reinforcing the good results presented so far, the technical director of Samel hospitals, Daniel Fonseca, stressed that proxalutamide proved to be a very safe medication, with few side effects. “It has actions to cut the effect of pulmonary inflammation, diffuse thromboembolism and secondary bacterial infections. These are extremely positive data that we have not seen with any other type of medication. None has shown such effectiveness, ”he says.
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top