The COVID-19 Science and Medicine Question Thread

From an epidemiological perspective, here's an active case MESA (flat curve). Maine only has 360 ICU beds, but currently 162 of them are available, as well as 218 available ventilators out of a state-wide number of 218 so this rate of active cases is well below the number our medical infrastructure can handle.

During the past week most of Maine's iconic summer and fall fairs and events have been cancelled for 2020, truly Draconian Measures. It goes without saying that the economic impact of these cancellations in a state hugely dependent upon tourism will be brutal.

it’s going to be brutal everywhere

There's a technology around, CRISPR, that could replace the expensive instruments needed to prepare the Naso-pharyngeal swabs used for the diagnostic COVID-19 tests. This raises the possibility of a test on the order of complexity like a home pregnancy test. NY Times recently described this:

A team of scientists has developed an experimental prototype for a fairly quick, cheap test to diagnose the coronavirus that gives results as simply as a pregnancy test does.
***
The test is based on a gene-editing technology known as Crispr, and the researchers estimated that the materials for each test would cost about $6.

“We’re excited that this could be a solution that people won’t have to rely on a sophisticated and expensive laboratory to run,” said Feng Zhang, a researcher at the Broad Institute in Cambridge, Mass., and one of the pioneers of Crispr technology.
***
On Tuesday, Dr. Zhang and his colleagues posted [a description]('https://www.stopcovid.science/') of their device on a website dedicated to their project, but their method has not yet been tested by other scientists, nor have their findings been published by a scientific journal that subjected them to scrutiny by independent experts.

If you want to jack up your Molecular Biology Knowledge up to the 201 level, I've attached the entire article which explains the technology.

Nova on PBS has a show next Wednesday at 9pm that I'm looking forward to.

[URL unfurl="true"]https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/decoding-covid-19/[/URL]

I understand covering with a mask over your nose and mouth to prevent transmission BUT can we still not get this thru our eyes since we cannot cover them. After all if you get a germ on your hand and touch your eyes you can get infected, so if this stuff is floating in the air how does it not get in our eyes?

I understand covering with a mask over your nose and mouth to prevent transmission BUT can we still not get this thru our eyes since we cannot cover them. After all if you get a germ on your hand and touch your eyes you can get infected, so if this stuff is floating in the air how does it not get in our eyes?

Interesting question. Here's something I found in a non-peer reviewed article...

Conclusions
[LIST]
[*]The evidence so far is that conjunctival secretions and tears from patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection can contain virus RNA.
[*]Under 1% of patients with the infection will have conjunctivitis. They may pose a greater risk than those without ocular symptoms.
[*]Healthcare workers should assume that ocular fluids from all patients are potentially infective.
[*]Healthcare workers should wear eye protection when dealing with patients who have or may have COVID-19.
[/LIST]

looks like goggles are next .....

looks like goggles are next .....

Well I wouldn't offer do anything to console anyone who's sobbing or has conjunctivitis back right about now. Other than that, the 6 ft rule seems to be fine for ocular liquid spread...

I was wondering about that 6' number. Was that determined indoors with no air movement? I would guess that number might be a lot bigger outside with a bit of a breeze?

I was wondering about that 6' number. Was that determined indoors with no air movement? I would guess that number might be a lot bigger outside with a bit of a breeze?

It's a "general" number. A very explosive sneeze is good for better than 10 ft, more if you have a tail wind...

I wear safety glasses in Costco and the supermarket and a lot of times just put them on over the rim of my hat. If I need them I put them on. Been doing this since early March. I work every day, rarely wear at work. If I see someone without a mask I will flip them on.

My wife was taking her eyeglasses off at the store since they were fogging up due to the mask.

I knew she should leave them on and had her adjust her mask and her breathing, it worked out and she left glasses on,

Wash your glasses with soap and water let air dry. Mask needs better seal.

I wear safety glasses in Costco and the supermarket and a lot of times just put them on over the rim of my hat. If I need them I put them on. Been doing this since early March. I work every day, rarely wear at work. If I see someone without a mask I will flip them on.

Don’t go into the Sunoco station off exit 57 on the lie
You’ll take a stroke

And be carefull who you flip on
Some of us flip back
With a vengeance

wear your mask
Wear your gloves
but I’d be care full opening your pie hole about what others are doing
Not everyone takes it well

Don’t go into the Sunoco station off exit 57 on the lie
You’ll take a stroke

Why would anyone do that.......?

Well if your flipping out because ppl don’t have on a madk

that place was crawling with them
In the store
At the pumps
Eating their donuts and drinking their coffee as the walked from the store to the car at the pump

if ppl not wearing masks is a trigger for you

going in that place will give you a stroke

flip all you want fishing aint the only thing I’ve done in the last 30 years

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There’s always a bigger flipper around

feel free to get triggered just don’t get made when you get kicked in the teeth for flipping on the wrong person

sometimes it’s best to seeth in silence than sip your hamburger thorough a straw between your wired teeth

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Its simple