Medical Discussion of Coronavirus

[Tim]

I don't know about most people, but uncertainty lead to anxiety for myself. I just discovered that our state department of public health has really really upped its game.
I am sure there will be reporting glitches, but the plan and logistics seems to be laid out. The big surprise is that process is transparent now.

https://www.dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/

*The newest addition is the "Vaccine Data" button. 26,007 vaccinated with 224,250 delivered, week 1.

https://www.dshs.texas.gov/news/updates/COVIDVaccineAllocation-Week1.pdf

*Week 2 is targeted differently.
460,500 doses of the vaccine manufactured by Moderna and 159,900 doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

https://www.dshs.texas.gov/news/updates/COVIDVaccineAllocation-Week2.pdf

I would expect the ability to ramp up the "shot in the arm" efficiency to vastly improve (or at least that is my hope).

The NY Times has for me a nice tracker. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...e-tracker.html
J&J expects results in January. Probably the largest immediately available supply boost.

There is more than hope, there is a plan. ""Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." The beauty is that plans B, C, and D look good too.

[Hatton]

wait so you dont know yet?
im trying to remember, did you have negative antibodies?

I had negative antibodies but I had lots of local reaction and a fever. I think I am going to call where I got the vaccine on Monday and tell them that I am technically still a healthcare worker since I remain available to work until 12/31 when I start Cobra. I still think I got the real vaccine.

[HikingDO]

Update on the family covid, daughter and I went in today for testing, both positive! I’m asymptomatic, and hopefully will stay that way, daughter has some congestion but nothing else. Wife very fatigued, having some uri symptoms and low grade fevers, so hope it just runs it’s course. Gotta quarantine for 10 days from work, and have really no idea where we got it from, but I’d assume a patient at work. Gonna stay positive about it, not much else I can do!

[CordMcNally]

Update on the family covid, daughter and I went in today for testing, both positive! I’m asymptomatic, and hopefully will stay that way, daughter has some congestion but nothing else. Wife very fatigued, having some uri symptoms and low grade fevers, so hope it just runs it’s course. Gotta quarantine for 10 days from work, and have really no idea where we got it from, but I’d assume a patient at work. Gonna stay positive about it, not much else I can do!

*thumbs down*

I hope it runs an uneventful course and you guys get back to normal soon!

[Kamban]

Update on the family covid, daughter and I went in today for testing, both positive! I’m asymptomatic, and hopefully will stay that way, daughter has some congestion but nothing else. Wife very fatigued, having some uri symptoms and low grade fevers, so hope it just runs it’s course. Gotta quarantine for 10 days from work, and have really no idea where we got it from, but I’d assume a patient at work. Gonna stay positive about it, not much else I can do!

Wishing all of your family a speedy recovery.

[snowcanyon]

Update on the family covid, daughter and I went in today for testing, both positive! I’m asymptomatic, and hopefully will stay that way, daughter has some congestion but nothing else. Wife very fatigued, having some uri symptoms and low grade fevers, so hope it just runs it’s course. Gotta quarantine for 10 days from work, and have really no idea where we got it from, but I’d assume a patient at work. Gonna stay positive about it, not much else I can do!

Hope you all have an uneventful course. Such a bummer to get it right before the vaccine.
I'm sorry to hear PPE failed you, any suggestions as to how to mask up better are welcome.

[Hatton]

Sorry Hiking DO. Hopefully uneventful.

[Jaqen Haghar MD]

Update on the family covid, daughter and I went in today for testing, both positive! I’m asymptomatic, and hopefully will stay that way, daughter has some congestion but nothing else. Wife very fatigued, having some uri symptoms and low grade fevers, so hope it just runs it’s course. Gotta quarantine for 10 days from work, and have really no idea where we got it from, but I’d assume a patient at work. Gonna stay positive about it, not much else I can do!

Not sure of your personal risk details, but take solace that you likely have a 99.XX% chance of having minimal symptoms.

I can’t tell you how many nurses, techs, and doctors have had it where I am, but it’s been many. None have needed hospitalization so far.

The other day, one of the docs sitting next to me had just returned from his 14 day quarantine and he described a now liberating sense of relief that he finally got it over with. He said it was like a weight being lifted off of him.

Keep us posted on your progress. Good luck to you and your family, and get well soon.

[artemis]

Great. A new strain of SARS-CoV-2 has popped up in the UK, and it appears to be 70% more infectious than the stain that is currently the most widely circulating. What a wonderful holiday gift from Santa!

[CordMcNally]

Great. A new strain of SARS-CoV-2 has popped up in the UK, and it appears to be 70% more infectious than the stain that is currently the most widely circulating. What a wonderful holiday gift from Santa!

Isn't increased infectivity typically associated with decreased virulence? Either way, whatever. I suspect people will be going about their usual lives this summer regardless of what strains are out there.

[artemis]

Isn't increased infectivity typically associated with decreased virulence? Either way, whatever. I suspect people will be going about their usual lives this summer regardless of what strains are out there.

So far virulence seems to be the same. (Which is certainly preferred to increased virulence!) The big unknown at this point is how well the current vaccines will work on this strain, as some of the mutations involve the spike protein. At least the mRNA vaccines can be retooled pretty quickly to incorporate the new spike protein sequence, if necessary. But this is still a setback we didn't need.

[Bellescamp]

So far virulence seems to be the same. (Which is certainly preferred to increased virulence!) The big unknown at this point is how well the current vaccines will work on this strain, as some of the mutations involve the spike protein. At least the mRNA vaccines can be retooled pretty quickly to incorporate the new spike protein sequence, if necessary. But this is still a setback we didn't need.

So far what I’ve seen is that the mutations have thus far NOT altered the spike protein. Can you point me toward where you saw this?

[artemis]

So far what I’ve seen is that the mutations have thus far NOT altered the spike protein. Can you point me toward where you saw this?

Here you go: https://www.washingtonpost.com/healt...781_story.html

Loman also said the number of mutations was striking. The new variant showed 17 mutations, most in a segment of the virus’s genome that encodes for the spike protein

(I saw another article that mentioned the specific mutations, but can't seem to find it at the moment.)

[Hatton]

I read the thinking is that the vaccine will still work. I found out today that I got the real vaccine in the Pfizer trial.

[artemis]

I found out today that I got the real vaccine in the Pfizer trial.

That's great news!