[xyzcf]

I had understood  that the vaccine wasn’t showing complete immune protection but mitigated symptoms.

Some vaccines are not 100% protective but often will cause the severity of symptoms to be less than the full blown disease. Pertussis (whooping cough) and influenza come to mind as vaccines that offer some but not complete protection although I think with influenza it is due to the difficulty in determining what strain of the virus will be circulating each year.

Thanks nerissa for volunteering!

Thanks also marvin to keeping us up to date on things!

I am totally unable to comprehend how the leader of the US can suggest that people take hydroxychloroquine when there is no proof that it works and it is dangerous....how terribly unethical!

[xyzcf]

https://www.bbc.com/news/52760992

Very good article that explains the many different organ systems that are affected by this virus and how scientists are still finding out and are baffled by some of the effects of this virus.

The problem that I am seeing, people think this is a simple disease..it is not.

People are fed up with staying inside and so they do not seem to understand the severity of this illness and people think that science should have all the answers by now.....the information has been changing from the time we first heard of COVid and I am sure it will continue to change as more is learned.

[readytofixmyselffirst]

Hello,

I am totally unable to comprehend how the leader of the US can suggest that people take hydroxychloroquine when there is no proof that it works and it is dangerous....how terribly unethical!

It's just a few of the unethical things because when you are dealing with a crisis, we need a united front and a clear message even if that message is we don't know much about the virus and are working hard to understand and fight it. Instead, we have such a disjointed message that it has sparked conspiracy theories and distrust in everyone.

There is a lot we do not know about this virus. If it remains dormant in our systems to only come back years later. How long the immunity lasts after one recovers from the virus, will the vaccine be effective or at least reduce the fatalities. There is no current treatment and the one drug approved is in limited supply.

The one thing I am curious about is the us of other vaccine especially for TB that was reportedly used in Asian countries. Has that had an impact on the spread of Covid-19 as South Korea was vigilant in its attack with widespread testing and investigating cases while Japan was not as strong. Yet both countries have had both low counts and even lower fatalities. Or is it because of the two different strains?

However without being united towards a common goal of doing our best to defeat an enemy that has killed more Americans than the Vietnam War, both Gulf Wars, Afghanistan, and 9/11 we will remain confused, suspicious, and worse yet, afraid of all those around us.

((((Ready))))

[marvin4242]

RTFM: there is a lot of unity in research around the world, and there is a lot of coordination through the WHO. It is simply the US (or more accurately this administration) that is main outlier in a unified front. And it will have consequences as the US has been the traditional “honest broker” and leading voice of such efforts. But not now. In fact it appears everyone is quietly looking away from us not by choice but by necessity. For example a research grant that was already given before Covid to study bat viruses in China was pulled for political reasons, halting ongoing valuable research that preceded Covid about viruses jumping to humans.

The various strains of the virus have been extensively sequences and studied, which is how far we have some. To the point where we can even start to point to which variant started a spread in even an area of a country (for example the strain in NY is not the same as the one that was in Washington state). These variants all seem minor in that they are not more or less virulent. And so far all data points that catching the disease probably gives same kind of immunity as seasonal flu, once you have a strain you won’t have it again until a variant comes back that is sufficiently changed. The more interesting data will be in whether the variant one will be able to spread as strongly and effectively as this one as there will be some related immunity, the same way we have mild and worse flu seasons.

Keep in mind this virus is brand new to us. So by all indications the first infection should be the most virulent and strongest.

[xyzcf]

A great article of how this pandemic is affecting our mental health

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/corona-exhausted-moral-fatigue-974311/

[marvin4242]

Two new interesting things to note:

1) Another very high quality randomized study shows Hydroxychloroquine is NOT effective in treating Covid-19, and slightly increased death rates. Using your gut doesn’t work, science does.

Hydroxychloroquine does not cure Covid-19, say drug trial chiefs

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/05/hydroxychloroquine-does-not-cure-covid-19-say-drug-trial-chiefs

2) Although data is hard to come by the recommendations are definitely now shifting to wearing masks, and that masks do show a good amount of effectiveness. People at high risk should wear medical grade masks if they are in public and potentially exposed, and others should wear 3 layer masks. The first can help reduce chances of catching the virus, the second helps prevent spread. I really don’t understand people who refuse to simply wear a mask when out in public in stores. It is such a simple and minimal thing to do. Why would you refuse?

[Treasur]

Oh my goodness.....a few snippets from Mr Trump's Tulsa rally plus other stuff going on is enough to make your head spin. Or is it just me?

He's told people to slow down testing bc that is how you have more cases? Like a ten year old boy with the sniffles? How do people believe that? Whether you test or not, if someone has the virus they have the virus, test or not....logically...what testing 'the boy with sniffles' does is limit the chance of spreading it to others who might end up dying surely? To be fair, Mr Trump is not alone in this kind of 'testing makes it real' belief....I suspect some bits of the UK government might think the same as we are not covering ourselves in glory on testing either 

And 'there are lots of different names for Covid 19'? Like 'Kung flu' ffs? Well no actually....in Mr Trump's head there may be....but factually the virus is called a coronavirus and the illness is called Covid19. And it isn't even a flu virus factually speaking. It's like watching some kind of horrific Gaslighting Master Class where someone just says things loudly and often enough until people believe them....and most LBS know what that feels like 

And is it just me or is America starting to look like an autocracy checklist? If you just removed the concept that this was happening in America, bc of how we all think about America emotionally....does it not look like the things that autocratic dictators do to control a country? Threatening to send in the military, hunkering in bunkers, a coup at the Voice of America to create a centralised controlled media, a cult of personality with rallys, ousting members of the legal system, giving control over important things to inexperienced lackies, family members and business associates, big speeches saying x is actually y.....is it just me or does this look like pretty scary dictator type stuff? I have lived in autocratic states at earlier times in my life and some of this stuff looks pretty textbook to me. And what on earth is the Senate and Congress doing to protect the normal constitutional constraints on power?

Even from over here, I feel like I'm being BD'd again..... .....or is it just me with a bit of PTSD/LBS residual anxiety or hypervigilance?

And to be clear, I'm not being politically partisan or claiming that there isn't some weird stuff going on in my own country too as this recent article suggests https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jun/19/boris-johnson-midlife-crisis-plane-respray-royal-yachts But the world feels very weird to me right now....and I suppose I see HS as one of the few places I can come and say 'hmmm, is it me or is this weird?'

Making risk- based decisions for ourselves right now is a moving target and information is not always cut and dried. I went to my first socially distanced BBQ with neighbours last night....which was lovely....but my shielded chum and me were taking the social distance thing a bit more seriously than her h wanted to do. And bc where I live is a little holiday spot, and the weather is good, and hotels etc are supposed to be reopening on July 4th....my friend and me were discussing if we think we will need to wear masks more when there start to be more people around. In a small seaside town with only the normal 'winter' residents around who mostly know each other, polite social distancing has been pretty easy and finding outside space easy, so not much mask wearing here.....but should that change? And how do you feel if you are the only one walking down a street in a mask? It is a strange time and not always so easy to know what you should do isn't it? Tbh it reminded me a bit of trying to make decisions post BD when I knew my h was far from normal but it seemed like some others in RL thought I was nuts, in denial or over-reacting......

Reading that there are some significant recent increases in covid cases in some states, my thoughts and prayers are with any of you who are living in those states or who work in healthcare. Please focus on the facts as best as you are able and take good care of yourselves and your loved ones x

[Treasur]

Ha ha...I took a walk and decided that a) some of these things are real and weird AND b) some of my response was probably a bit of PTSD residue lol.

So in a more constructive spirit....this https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/blog/how-we-can-nurture-our-mental-health-during-the-covid-19-pandemic?passkey=fcGhjzqjXfyr and this https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/18/health/resilience-relationships-trauma.html 

[Thunder]

Nope!  I agreed with every word you said.

what on earth is the Senate and Congress doing to protect the normal constitutional constraints on power?

Very good question!   

[Nas]

The president of the United States used the racist term “Kung flu.” In a speech that had been planned for weeks. I am mortified and embarrassed and disgusted.