Fear and Loathing, a Rat Flu Odyssey

[PB]

Nobody's perfect, but some are a shit ton less perfect than others. Newsom's a twat but never ever going to be nominated for Mt. Twatmore.

[The AD]

Newsom is a Democrat with a Donald Jr. haircut.

Well, Kimberly Guilfoyle used to be married to him, so I guess we know her type.

[old goat]

Oh shit; given my demography, Cdiff scares almost as much as the Cov.

Oh shit? I see what you did there. What is it about your demography that makes you especially fear Cdiff?

[LongShortLong]

Upthread a few pages, one of you fine folk mentioned a study showing correlation between MMR2 vaccination and less severe Covid reactions. This reminded me of a Russian virologist's proposal to use a disused polio vaccine to provide temporary Covid protection. The theory being that triggering the immune system against a specific pathogen also provides "non-specific" protection versus other pathogens, and the effect lasts a few weeks. (Also reminds me of once popular radium treatment, that also activates the immune system, but let's not go there). The poliovirus comes in 3 strains, one of which was exterminated decades ago, and removed from the shot. Reintroducing the removed strain would give most of us a known safe "new" vaccine that could be used to stimulate temporary Covid protection.

So I went searching again. The Russian's operating concept is "non-specific effects." Another example is discussed in the paper below, which would likely lead to more info via a literature search (beyond my paygrade).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5797773/

A quick look at the MMR paper suggests some other principle is working there, as the MMR vaccines were not recently administered.

Given the fast progress of the recent Covid vaccines, there is some chance this "non-specific" effect artificially inflates their high efficacy. While I haven't seen it mentioned, presumably the experts are on top of this.

[pureantigravity]

BC has had 358 COVID deaths this year.
BC has had 1,386 illicit drug overdose deaths this year.

[pureantigravity]

Upthread a few pages, one of you fine folk mentioned a study showing correlation between MMR2 vaccination and less severe Covid reactions. This reminded me of a Russian virologist's proposal to use a disused polio vaccine to provide temporary Covid protection. The theory being that triggering the immune system against a specific pathogen also provides "non-specific" protection versus other pathogens, and the effect lasts a few weeks. (Also reminds me of once popular radium treatment, that also activates the immune system, but let's not go there). The poliovirus comes in 3 strains, one of which was exterminated decades ago, and removed from the shot. Reintroducing the removed strain would give most of us a known safe "new" vaccine that could be used to stimulate temporary Covid protection.

So I went searching again. The Russian's operating concept is "non-specific effects." Another example is discussed in the paper below, which would likely lead to more info via a literature search (beyond my paygrade).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5797773/

A quick look at the MMR paper suggests some other principle is working there, as the MMR vaccines were not recently administered.

Given the fast progress of the recent Covid vaccines, there is some chance this "non-specific" effect artificially inflates their high efficacy. While I haven't seen it mentioned, presumably the experts are on top of this.

"Cold-adapted, live attenuated influenza vaccine (CAIV) induces local innate immune responses that provide a broad range of antiviral immunity."
Interesting.
Mom always said "If you get sick, get a cold at the start of the season and you won't catch a cold or flu for the rest of winter"
Does this mean that getting the seasonal flu vaccine might also protect against covid?

Re vaccine studies.
The efficacy is for symptoms. They didn't test non-symptomatic participants for covid.
20% to 80% have no symptoms. 40% of asymptomatic can spread covid.
They gave a Meningitis vaccine as the placebo in the trials. If they had given the MMR instead, it might have totally changed the outcome of the study.

[bennymac]

BC has had 358 COVID deaths this year.
BC has had 1,386 illicit drug overdose deaths this year.

Do cancer next!

[The AD]

BC has had 358 COVID deaths this year.
BC has had 1,386 illicit drug overdose deaths this year.

Lucky for us overdosing on drugs isn't contagious.

[bennymac]

The supply of heroin from overseas sources has been limited - so dealers adding more garbage like fentanyl and other meds.

What do you propose we do PG? Open up international heroin importation into North America? Give up on controlling covid and open all borders? “Do Sweden”? Spend 4 times what we’re spending on covid on the opiod crisis to get those numbers down?

[abraham]

Rudy: Not for shutting it all down

Mark Meadows: Not for shutting it all down

Kim Reynolds: Not for shutting it all down
Kristi Noem: Not for shutting it all down

Governor Newsom IS however for shutting it all down and [insert every single authoritarian public measure here]. See the difference, guys?

Oooo what about people casting mail in ballot while saying nobody should vote by mail? Or is this hypocrisy for thee but not for me?

[bodywhomper]

Isn’t newsome and his whole family in quarantine due to exposure?

[Rideski]

Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?

[The AD]

Boneheaded, hypocritical and entitled move by Newsom, but I don't see how it compares to others who have wantonly caused more deaths in their states by opposing simple preventive measures that would have lessened the spread of the virus. It's just not even in the same ballpark.

[bennymac]

Isn’t newsome and his whole family in quarantine due to exposure?

That quarantine started after the laundry dinner. His and his family’s subsequent tests were all negative.

[Catfish]

Boneheaded, hypocritical and entitled move by Newsom, but I don't see how it compares to others who have wantonly caused more deaths in their states by opposing simple preventive measures that would have lessened the spread of the virus. It's just not even in the same ballpark.

Out of everything I have read or heard over the last year, this is certainly the dumbest, most asinine, most infuriating and leading to no hope in the human race statement that I have encountered.

[The AD]

Out of everything I have read or heard over the last year, this is certainly the dumbest, most asinine, most infuriating and leading to no hope in the human race statement that I have encountered.

Thanks. I'll take that as a badge of honor coming from you.

[rideit]

Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?

“Do you like Piña coladas?”

[bodywhomper]

That quarantine started after the laundry dinner. His and his family’s subsequent tests were all negative.

This seems to indicate that they’ll be in quarantine for 14 days. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/24/u...ne-update.html

[bennymac]

This seems to indicate that they’ll be in quarantine for 14 days. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/24/u...ne-update.html

Yes - I didn’t intend to imply their quarantine was over.

[pureantigravity]

The supply of heroin from overseas sources has been limited - so dealers adding more garbage like fentanyl and other meds.

What do you propose we do PG? Open up international heroin importation into North America? Give up on controlling covid and open all borders? “Do Sweden”? Spend 4 times what we’re spending on covid on the opiod crisis to get those numbers down?

Get into the business of course! Primo growth and repeat business if done right!

[bennymac]

Get into the business of course! Primo growth and repeat business if done right!

So you pass around those opioid death numbers not to make any particular point.

[pureantigravity]

So you pass around those opioid death numbers not to make any particular point.

I don't feel it is fair to not mention a wambo opportunity!

[Rideski]

.

[scrublover]

Mrs. scrub and myself tested + on 11/6. I started with mild upper resp symptoms around the 2nd, she a couple days later. No temps, no sat drops, no N/V/D, no SOB. Went to get tested after she was unable to smell the pot of coffee I had just brewed...

Stayed out of work for ten days. Employee health let me come back after, as I'd been asymptomatic a few days by then. We both now have just a slight leftover upper chest cough. Highest temp in the house the entire time was 98.7F Temp scanning wouldn't have found us, but IMO it's still a worthwhile effort.

The conversation with the CT state health department worker drone was entertaining. "So where do you think you got it?" I responded with something to the effect of "did you miss the part where I mentioned I'm an ICU nurse who has been dealing with C19 off and on for most of the last year??????" I don't know how/where I slipped up, but most likely at work. Wife has barely left the house in the last 8 months, so for sure it was my dumb ass that brought it home. We are/were lucky. I've dealt with enough cases now to know being young/healthy/fit is no guarantee of how you'll do.

Haven't noticed a bump in c-diff here, maybe a bit more MRSA. Caveat: I'm only in a mid-size level 2 facility, in a 20 bed ICU.

[bennymac]

Mrs. scrub and myself tested + on 11/6. I started with mild upper resp symptoms around the 2nd, she a couple days later. No temps, no sat drops, no N/V/D, no SOB. Went to get tested after she was unable to smell the pot of coffee I had just brewed...

Stayed out of work for ten days. Employee health let me come back after, as I'd been asymptomatic a few days by then. We both now have just a slight leftover upper chest cough. Highest temp in the house the entire time was 98.7F Temp scanning wouldn't have found us, but IMO it's still a worthwhile effort.

The conversation with the CT state health department worker drone was entertaining. "So where do you think you got it?" I responded with something to the effect of "did you miss the part where I mentioned I'm an ICU nurse who has been dealing with C19 off and on for most of the last year??????" I don't know how/where I slipped up, but most likely at work. Wife has barely left the house in the last 8 months, so for sure it was my dumb ass that brought it home. We are/were lucky. I've dealt with enough cases now to know being young/healthy/fit is no guarantee of how you'll do.

Haven't noticed a bump in c-diff here, maybe a bit more MRSA. Caveat: I'm only in a mid-size level 2 facility, in a 20 bed ICU.

glad you are coming through unscathed! Thanks for sharing your experience.