Coronavirus

[LHC]

Eyam is perhaps well known for imposing quarantine rules during a plague outbreak towards the end of the 17th Century - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyam

Whether it was effective is difficult to say - as a significant number of the villagers died, but perhaps the disease did not spread wider afield.

I would like to know, if anyone can find the details, how or why the SARs outbreaks earlier this centuray were contained. Were vaccines developed, or did the dieseas just die out, or did people develop natural immunity? I can find no mention of vaccines in connection with SARs - perhaps I haven't looked hard enough.

There is a graph on this page - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Severe...atory_syndrome - for 3003.

I understand that the current virus, which seems to be a form of RNA virus, has been sequenced, and that animal trials of vaccines may be about to take place.

That's correct. A team at Imperial College has developed a candidate vaccine, and was due to start animal trials on 10 February:

http://https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/195055/imperial-researchers-race-develop-coronavirus-vaccine/

[Bryn]

Boarders of a certain age may remember the fizzy drink Corona, which came in returnable bottles with a flip-ceramic-stopper. I wonder if I drank enough in my early years to have achieved some kind of immunisation.....

Only if you went on to regularly smoke Corona cigars.

[Pianorak]

I’ve had shingles and it is well worth taking every measure to avoid contracting it

ditto.

[Serial_Apologist]

Music by Verdi , Veracini, Viotti and Vivaldi is being specially recommended during these troubled times.

And Varèse a jolly good fellow too!

[Bryn]

And Varèse a jolly good fellow too!

Fauré's a jolly good fellow, too, and the Welsh might well pronounce his name "Vauré".

[Bryn]

I might be effectively self-isolating from next Monday. I've got five events at City University and Cafe OTO over the weekend, travelling by public transport, so the possibility of exposure will be somewhat, if only marginally, increased.

[Petrushka]

I don't normally link to the Lebrecht site but this appeared there this morning and is the best advice I've seen anywhere:

Subject: What I am doing for the upcoming COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

Dear Colleagues, as some of you may recall, when I was a professor of pathology at the University of California San Diego, I was one of the first molecular virologists in the world to work on coronaviruses (the 1970s). I was the first to demonstrate the number of genes the virus contained. Since then, I have kept up with the coronavirus field and its multiple clinical transfers into the human population (e.g., SARS, MERS), from different animal sources.

The current projections for its expansion in the US are only probable, due to continued insufficient worldwide data, but it is most likely to be widespread in the US by mid to late March and April.
Here is what I have done and the precautions that I take and will take. These are the same precautions I currently use during our influenza seasons, except for the mask and gloves.:

1) NO HANDSHAKING! Use a fist bump, slight bow, elbow bump, etc.
2) Use ONLY your knuckle to touch light switches. elevator buttons, etc.. Lift the gasoline dispenser with a paper towel or use a disposable glove.
3) Open doors with your closed fist or hip – do not grasp the handle with your hand, unless there is no other way to open the door. Especially important on bathroom and post office/commercial doors.
4) Use disinfectant wipes at the stores when they are available, including wiping the handle and child seat in grocery carts.
5) Wash your hands with soap for 10-20 seconds and/or use a greater than 60% alcohol-based hand sanitizer whenever you return home from ANY activity that involves locations where other people have been.
6) Keep a bottle of sanitizer available at each of your home’s entrances. AND in your car for use after getting gas or touching other contaminated objects when you can’t immediately wash your hands.
7) If possible, cough or sneeze into a disposable tissue and discard. Use your elbow only if you have to. The clothing on your elbow will contain infectious virus that can be passed on for up to a week or more!
What I have stocked in preparation for the pandemic spread to the US:
1) Latex or nitrile latex disposable gloves for use when going shopping, using the gasoline pump, and all other outside activity when you come in contact with contaminated areas.

Note: This virus is spread in large droplets by coughing and sneezing. This means that the air will not infect you! BUT all the surfaces where these droplets land are infectious for about a week on average – everything that is associated with infected people will be contaminated and potentially infectious. The virus is on surfaces and you will not be infected unless your unprotected face is directly coughed or sneezed upon. This virus only has cell receptors for lung cells (it only infects your lungs) The only way for the virus to infect you is through your nose or mouth via your hands or an infected cough or sneeze onto or into your nose or mouth.
2) Stock up now with disposable surgical masks and use them to prevent you from touching your nose and/or mouth (We touch our nose/mouth 90X/day without knowing it!). This is the only way this virus can infect you – it is lung-specific. The mask will not prevent the virus in a direct sneeze from getting into your nose or mouth – it is only to keep you from touching your nose or mouth.
3) Stock up now with hand sanitizers and latex/nitrile gloves (get the appropriate sizes for your family). The hand sanitizers must be alcohol-based and greater than 60% alcohol to be effective.
4) Stock up now with zinc lozenges. These lozenges have been proven to be effective in blocking coronavirus (and most other viruses) from multiplying in your throat and nasopharynx. Use as directed several times each day when you begin to feel ANY “cold-like” symptoms beginning. It is best to lie down and let the lozenge dissolve in the back of your throat and nasopharynx. Cold-Eeze lozenges is one brand available, but there are other brands available.

I, as many others do, hope that this pandemic will be reasonably contained, BUT I personally do not think it will be. Humans have never seen this snake-associated virus before and have no internal defense against it. Tremendous worldwide efforts are being made to understand the molecular and clinical virology of this virus. Unbelievable molecular knowledge about the genomics, structure, and virulence of this virus has already been achieved. BUT, there will be NO drugs or vaccines available this year to protect us or limit the infection within us. Only symptomatic support is available.

I hope these personal thoughts will be helpful during this potentially catastrophic pandemic. You are welcome to share this email. Good luck to all of us! Jim
James Robb, MD FCAP

Dr. Robb is a recognized expert in biospecimen science with over 50 years of experience in molecular pathology, virology, and genetics. He is board certified in anatomic pathology, clinical pathology, cytopathology, and dermatopathology. Dr. Robb is a consulting pathologist to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Office of Biorepositories and Biospecimen Research (OBBR).

[Nick Armstrong]

I am considering a break in my usual routine of a weekly swim at one of two public swimming pools near where I live in central London. I always go at times where there are minimum numbers of other people... but both are used at other times by e.g. school classes etc, and I don’t fancy the idea of what’s been left around changing areas etc.

Paranoid or sensible?

[Bryn]

I am considering a break in my usual routine of a weekly swim at one of two public swimming pools near where I live in central London. I always go at times where there are minimum numbers of other people... but both are used at other times by e.g. school classes etc, and I don’t fancy the idea of what’s been left around changing areas etc.

Paranoid or sensible?

With a few cases apparently unconnected with known sources turning up, seems more like sensible to me.

[Serial_Apologist]

I don't normally link to the Lebrecht site but this appeared there this morning and is the best advice I've seen anywhere:

Subject: What I am doing for the upcoming COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

Dear Colleagues, as some of you may recall, when I was a professor of pathology at the University of California San Diego, I was one of the first molecular virologists in the world to work on coronaviruses (the 1970s). I was the first to demonstrate the number of genes the virus contained. Since then, I have kept up with the coronavirus field and its multiple clinical transfers into the human population (e.g., SARS, MERS), from different animal sources.

The current projections for its expansion in the US are only probable, due to continued insufficient worldwide data, but it is most likely to be widespread in the US by mid to late March and April.
Here is what I have done and the precautions that I take and will take. These are the same precautions I currently use during our influenza seasons, except for the mask and gloves.:

1) NO HANDSHAKING! Use a fist bump, slight bow, elbow bump, etc.
2) Use ONLY your knuckle to touch light switches. elevator buttons, etc.. Lift the gasoline dispenser with a paper towel or use a disposable glove.
3) Open doors with your closed fist or hip – do not grasp the handle with your hand, unless there is no other way to open the door. Especially important on bathroom and post office/commercial doors.
4) Use disinfectant wipes at the stores when they are available, including wiping the handle and child seat in grocery carts.
5) Wash your hands with soap for 10-20 seconds and/or use a greater than 60% alcohol-based hand sanitizer whenever you return home from ANY activity that involves locations where other people have been.
6) Keep a bottle of sanitizer available at each of your home’s entrances. AND in your car for use after getting gas or touching other contaminated objects when you can’t immediately wash your hands.
7) If possible, cough or sneeze into a disposable tissue and discard. Use your elbow only if you have to. The clothing on your elbow will contain infectious virus that can be passed on for up to a week or more!
What I have stocked in preparation for the pandemic spread to the US:
1) Latex or nitrile latex disposable gloves for use when going shopping, using the gasoline pump, and all other outside activity when you come in contact with contaminated areas.

Note: This virus is spread in large droplets by coughing and sneezing. This means that the air will not infect you! BUT all the surfaces where these droplets land are infectious for about a week on average – everything that is associated with infected people will be contaminated and potentially infectious. The virus is on surfaces and you will not be infected unless your unprotected face is directly coughed or sneezed upon. This virus only has cell receptors for lung cells (it only infects your lungs) The only way for the virus to infect you is through your nose or mouth via your hands or an infected cough or sneeze onto or into your nose or mouth.
2) Stock up now with disposable surgical masks and use them to prevent you from touching your nose and/or mouth (We touch our nose/mouth 90X/day without knowing it!). This is the only way this virus can infect you – it is lung-specific. The mask will not prevent the virus in a direct sneeze from getting into your nose or mouth – it is only to keep you from touching your nose or mouth.
3) Stock up now with hand sanitizers and latex/nitrile gloves (get the appropriate sizes for your family). The hand sanitizers must be alcohol-based and greater than 60% alcohol to be effective.
4) Stock up now with zinc lozenges. These lozenges have been proven to be effective in blocking coronavirus (and most other viruses) from multiplying in your throat and nasopharynx. Use as directed several times each day when you begin to feel ANY “cold-like” symptoms beginning. It is best to lie down and let the lozenge dissolve in the back of your throat and nasopharynx. Cold-Eeze lozenges is one brand available, but there are other brands available.

I, as many others do, hope that this pandemic will be reasonably contained, BUT I personally do not think it will be. Humans have never seen this snake-associated virus before and have no internal defense against it. Tremendous worldwide efforts are being made to understand the molecular and clinical virology of this virus. Unbelievable molecular knowledge about the genomics, structure, and virulence of this virus has already been achieved. BUT, there will be NO drugs or vaccines available this year to protect us or limit the infection within us. Only symptomatic support is available.

I hope these personal thoughts will be helpful during this potentially catastrophic pandemic. You are welcome to share this email. Good luck to all of us! Jim
James Robb, MD FCAP

Dr. Robb is a recognized expert in biospecimen science with over 50 years of experience in molecular pathology, virology, and genetics. He is board certified in anatomic pathology, clinical pathology, cytopathology, and dermatopathology. Dr. Robb is a consulting pathologist to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Office of Biorepositories and Biospecimen Research (OBBR).

Many thanks for this, Pet.

As it happens I'm off now to my local pharmacist to re-new my regular heart-related drugs regime; I'll enquire about those zinc tablets in particular, and maybe get some.

[Bryn]

Many thanks for this, Pet.

As it happens I'm off now to my local pharmacist to re-new my regular heart-related drugs regime; I'll enquire about those zinc tablets in particular, and maybe get some.

I have a stock of zinc tablets (Best before 2001) in the bathroom cabinet. Can't see them having lost their zinc content to any great extent over the two decades since I bought them.

[oddoneout]

I have a stock of zinc tablets (Best before 2001) in the bathroom cabinet. Can't see them having lost their zinc content to any great extent over the two decades since I bought them.

No, but what's happened to the stuff it's contained in? All those fillers, flavours, colours etc.

[Serial_Apologist]

No, but what's happened to the stuff it's contained in? All those fillers, flavours, colours etc.

The ones I've bought are just the basic ones, not flavoured - £7.95 for 90 tabs, the smallest packet. I explained to the pharmacist what I wanted them for, and she didn't express any doubts as regards compatibility with my other drugs - asprin, statin and Ramipril. I probably won't be needing them again after this scare is over, as Bryn implied.

[oddoneout]

The ones I've bought are just the basic ones, not flavoured - £7.95 for 90 tabs, the smallest packet. I explained to the pharmacist what I wanted them for, and she didn't express any doubts as regards compatibility with my other drugs - asprin, statin and Ramipril. I probably won't be needing them again after this scare is over, as Bryn implied.

Sound expensive, but as you say, you have to check compatibility and pharmacies aren't the cheapest places to buy. The important thing to remember is to suck, not swallow whole as per #37. I seem to remember that observation came many years ago from child cancer patients who were taking zinc supplements( for mouth ulcers I think) and some wouldn't/couldn't swallow them and sucked instead - the effects were very much greater than in those who swallowed whole.

[eighthobstruction]

....apparently it has reached Ilkley....well if you must go there without hat, what do you expect....[ Italy connection it seems]

....we are ceasing all kissing and hugging....being a potter i am washing my hands every b five minutes anyway....