Corona - what does help you? Your fears, thoughts, everything

[CellarDweller]

Last night we had all TV programs interrupted for an emergency announcement by the Prime Minister and the Director of Health. A family of 4 have developed Covid with as yet no known source. The city of Auckland (over 1 million people) has gone back to level 3 (all non-essential services, schools, restaurants etc closed, no unnecessary travel) from midday today until at least Friday. The rest of the country is going to level 2 so back to social distancing, recording movement etc. I had put off my visit to the supermarket (I go either Tuesday or Wednesday) to today as I was tired after hiking yesterday. So I have to go this morning, not sure if I will go for coffee after as usual, it will be before midday. I think I will cancel my coffee group for tomorrow.  As I said, it is like we live on a different planet

I heard about this yesterday, I'm sorry to hear it.  Have they been able to determine the contact/cause?

[Front-Ranger]

What I heard was that the father works for a "cold store" selling food and they think the virus hitchhiked in on some imported frozen food. 

[serious crayons]

What I heard was that the father works for a "cold store" selling food and they think the virus hitchhiked in on some imported frozen food. 

That's scary! I've stopped worrying very much about touching products in stores -- even those that aren't frozen, which you'd think might kill the virus. Here, it wouldn't have to hitchhike in on imported food.

[Front-Ranger]

Yes, that could have some ramifications for processing plants, grocery workers, and any of us who eat (hey, that's all of us!)

I vaguely remember reading that the virus isn't killed by cold...yet another superpower of it!! 

[serious crayons]

I vaguely remember reading that the virus isn't killed by cold...yet another superpower of it!! 

That makes sense, because apparently it's not even a living thing, like bacteria. I read an article about it in the New Yorker, and came away with a little more understanding of the challenges of treating it. But I still don't really get it. If it's not alive, what is it? Why does it jump from host to host?

[Jeff Wrangler]

That makes sense, because apparently it's not even a living thing, like bacteria. I read an article about it in the New Yorker, and came away with a little more understanding of the challenges of treating it. But I still don't really get it. If it's not alive, what is it? Why does it jump from host to host?

You could ask the same questions about the flu. 

[serious crayons]

You could ask the same questions about the flu. 

I knew that doctors tend to overprescribe antibiotics, giving them to patients who have the kind of sickness that antibiotics don't help, often just to placate a demanding patient, and that as a result the antibodies are becoming increasingly immune to them, leaving many antibiotics useless and leaving us with the prospect of another big disaster.

But I never could remember which was which -- viral vs. bacterial --  and didn't know the explanation at the microscopic level. I guess it's because viruses aren't antibodies or even bodies; they're just things.

I don't know where I first heard this explanation from Dr. Fauci, whether here on BetterMost or where, but he noted that HIV and herpes are also viruses, which is why they haven't been definitively "cured." Chicken pox, a virus, remains in your system and can pounce back years later as shingles.

There was one exception he said. Polio, I think?

[Jeff Wrangler]

I knew that doctors tend to overprescribe antibiotics, giving them to patients who have the kind of sickness that antibiotics don't help, often just to placate a demanding patient, and that as a result the antibodies are becoming increasingly immune to them, leaving many antibiotics useless and leaving us with the prospect of another big disaster.

But I never could remember which was which -- viral vs. bacterial --  and didn't know the explanation at the microscopic level. I guess it's because viruses aren't antibodies or even bodies; they're just things.

I don't know where I first heard this explanation from Dr. Fauci, whether here on BetterMost or where, but he noted that HIV and herpes are also viruses, which is why they haven't been definitively "cured." Chicken pox, a virus, remains in your system and can pounce back years later as shingles.

There was one exception he said. Polio, I think?

That's become a real problem, bacteria become resistant because of overuse of antibiotics.

I'm not clear on what you mean by polio as an exception. It can't come back, but I have read about some people who survived it getting some sort of syndrome related to it decades after they had polio.

Measle, mumps, rubella, and smallpox are all viruses, and once you're vaccinated against them you're in the clear, I think.

[brianr]

Smallpox virus has been officially eradicated from the world. I was vaccinated before my first trip to Asia and Europe in 1974. It was an unpleasant vaccination because you were given live cowpox virus so usually developed a small fever. Vaccination is no longer needed
Polio does still exist in a very few countries but since vaccines were developed it is now almost negligible. They estimated more than 350 000 cases in 1988  but there were 22 reported cases in 2017.  If vaccination stopped, it could quickly develop again.
Measles is a virus. Many of us older folk had it as children so are now immune. It can cause severe problems in populations that are not vaccinated as happened in Samoa and Tonga last year. It is a worry in NZ among Pacifica populations who are influenced by anitvaxxers. My opinion of antivaxxers could not be repeated in public.
You can read about the most deadly viruses here, makes my skin crawl
https://www.livescience.com/56598-deadliest-viruses-on-earth.html

[southendmd]

Viruses are nasty.  There’s some debate as to whether they are “alive”. They carry genetic material and can reproduce, but they can’t really live on their own or very long, without a host. So, they’re kind of parasites.

Even creepier are prions, which are mutant proteins that also want to replicate and cause trouble. Prions are responsible for mad cow disease and many other scary neuro-degenerative diseases.