Maybe the Tigers got it from eating people in China?
Tiger Attacks Woman in China
(WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEO)
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I see that “The Beast” has wound it’s way deep within the cranial chambers. Truly, the “Pose-Truth Age”. 300 Million years in the making, the master epigenome executes its ineluctable substratic dance, silent in its indifference to our vanities and peeves. No neuron will be spared as Vlad’s radio-labeled tinctures slowly infuse into the deep dish, while the intrepid thin crusts reclaim the galaxy once again for farces of truth and justice, restored once again to its old glorious pizza prime. I am sure you might readily agree that conspirathism presents what seems likely the one and only way by which to mount a sufficiently anthropomorphic narrative so as to duly flatter and cater to our collective ontological incompetences.
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Attack of the Killer Kittens cross-infected with Bat Scratch Fever seems to precisely explain everything:
Source: https://www.psi-mobile.com/hubfs/blog-files/Tiger-in-the-tank.png
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(The Washington Post, May 10, 2020):
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(USA Today, May 11, 2020):
“COVID-19 expert: Coronavirus will rage ‘until it infects everybody it possibly can’”
Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, said the initial wave of outbreaks in cities such as New York City, where one in five people have been infected, represent a fraction of the illness and death yet to come. “This damn virus is going to keep going until it infects everybody it possibly can,” Osterholm said Monday during a meeting with the USA TODAY Editorial Board. “It surely won’t slow down until it hits 60 to 70%” of the population, the number that would create herd immunity and halt the spread of the virus. Even if new cases begin to fade this summer, it might be an indicator that the new coronavirus is following a seasonal pattern similar to the flu. …
… If COVID-19 retreats only to return in the fall, the number of cases could peak and overwhelm hospitals that must deal with cases of flu and respiratory viruses. Furthermore, Asian nations such as South Korea and Singapore, lauded for strict controls and rapid testing to avoid damage during the first wave, might be vulnerable to a second wave of infections, he said. “It’s the big peak that’s really going to do us in,” he said. “As much pain, suffering, death and economic disruption we’ve had, there’s been 5 to 20% of the people infected, … That’s a long ways to get to 60 to 70%.” …
… Osterholm said only an effective vaccine can slow the virus before a large enough segment of the population becomes infected and develops some level of immunity. Even if a vaccine works, Osterholm said, it’s unknown whether it would be durable enough to confer long-lasting protection from SARS CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. …
… Osterholm acknowledges that the nation “can’t lock down for 18 months” and said political and business leaders need to find a way to resume activities while adapting to a virus that won’t soon disappear. He doesn’t believe there has been enough of a frank assessment on the economic harm the virus will cause over coming months and its disruption to international supply chains. “We all have to confront the fact there’s not a magic bullet, short of a vaccine, that’s going to make this go away,” he said. “We’re going to be living with it. And we’re not having that discussion at all.”
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Osterholm is the author of more than 315 papers and abstracts, including 21 book chapters. …
He has received honorary doctorates from Luther College[19] and Des Moines University,[20] and is a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences.[6] His other honors are the Pumphandle Award from the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists; the Charles C. Shepard Science Award from the CDC; the Harvey W. Wiley Medal from the Food and Drug Administration; the Squibb Award from the Infectious Diseases Society of America; Distinguished University Teaching Professor, Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota; and the Wade Hampton Frost Leadership Award, American Public Health Association. He also has been the recipient of six major research awards from the National Institutes of Health and the CDC.
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(The Conversation, May 11, 2020):
“Coronavirus: research reveals way to predict infection - without a test”
The problem is that most countries lack the resources to test and contact-trace enough people. But our app, which is called the COVID Symptom Study and is based on some 3.4 million users in the UK, US and Sweden logging symptoms daily, could help. In a new study, published in Nature Medicine, we show that this app can estimate whether someone has COVID-19 purely based on their symptoms - with a high degree of accuracy. …
… For our new study, which has been peer reviewed, we analysed data gathered from just under 2.5m people in the UK who had been regularly logging their health status in the app. Around a third had logged multiple symptoms associated with COVID-19. More than 15,000 people reported having had a test for coronavirus, with nearly 6,500 testing positive. …
… We investigated which symptoms known to be associated with COVID-19 were most likely to predict a positive test. Loss of taste and smell were particularly striking, with two thirds of users testing positive for coronavirus infection reporting them compared with just over a fifth of the participants who tested negative. … we created a mathematical model that can predict with nearly 80% accuracy whether an individual is likely to have COVID-19 based on their age, sex and a combination of four key symptoms: loss of smell or taste, severe or persistent cough, fatigue and skipping meals. …
… our results suggest that loss of taste or smell is a key early warning sign of COVID-19 infection. A loss of appetite and severe fatigue also outperformed the classical symptoms like cough and fever. … multiple symptoms occurring rapidly have a better prognosis than those coming on more slowly involving fatigue and chest symptoms. We are also finding many people with symptoms waxing and waning for over a month. …
… The COVID Symptom Study app is available to download from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store in the UK and USA as well as Sweden. Daily research updates and data which is shared with the NHS can be found here.
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Referenced Article (Frontiers in Microbiology, April 11, 2018):
“Bats, Coronaviruses, and Deforestation:
Toward the Emergence of Novel Infectious Diseases?”
Coronaviruses (CoV) were for a long time associated with several major veterinary diseases such as avian infectious coronavirus, calf diarrhea, winter dysentery, respiratory infections (BRD-BCoV) in cattle, SDCV, PEDV, SECD in swine and dog, intestinal disease or Feline Infectious Peritonitis (Saif, 2014), and the human mild and common cold. However, SARS emerged in 2002 in China and spread across 29 other countries with a 10% death rate. More recently, the MERS-CoV outbreak in Saudi Arabia in 2012 displayed a death rate of 38%. The emergence of these two events of highly pathogenic CoVs shed light on the threat posed by coronaviruses to humans. Bats are hosting many viruses (Calisher et al., 2006) and in particular coronaviruses, which represent 31% of their virome (Chen et al., 2014). Furthermore, bats display a remarkable resistance to viruses (Omatsu et al., 2007; Storm et al., 2018). The risk of emergence of a novel bat-CoV disease can therefore be envisioned. …
… The biological problem of viral emergence has not fundamentally changed, however the probability of occurrence of the risk is increasing owing to environmental change and higher environmental pressure. … the emergence of a disease is impossible to predict. It is an accidental process, i.e., the occurrence of an extremely low probability event resulting from a stochastic combination of low probability independent events. If the exact time and nature of the emergence of a disease cannot be predicted, the increased probability of encounter and occurrence of an emergence-leading chain of events yielded by anthropized environments must be considered seriously. …
… Major human infections by bat-borne viruses have been documented quite recently, although they might have occurred earlier in history. CoVs were mostly associated with veterinary diseases, with livestock and pets acting as intermediate carriers for transfer to humans. … the emergence of a novel pathogen within the immune-naive human population. In such a case, the risk of large epidemics is very high along with high mortality. Once adapted to humans, CoVs may evolve to develop a more efficient intra-species mode of transmission. During SARS outbreaks in Toronto and Taiwan, certain persons were very efficient at transmitting SARS-CoV and were named “Superspreaders” (McDonald et al., 2004). A total of 83.2% of the transmission events were epidemiologically linked to five “superspreaders,” all of whom had pneumonia diagnosed at the first medical consultation. …
… the problem of bat-borne viruses is not restricted to CoVs. Among the 60 viral species reported to be associated with bats, 59 are RNA viruses which might possibly be responsible for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases in humans (Brook and Dobson, 2015). However, bats are not necessarily involved in primary infection of humans. The main risk for emergence of diseases is directly linked to the development of anthropized environments and their attractiveness for different bat species. …
… A recent phylogenetic study has provided strong evidence that viruses isolated from bats in China are clustering by geographical location rather than by bat species, suggesting that high contact rates among specific bat species favor the spread of CoVs (Lin et al., 2017). It is believed that most CoVs, if not all, are also circulating in different mammal species originating from ancestral bat CoVs. Notably, only a small minority of the estimated 1,240 bat species has been tested for CoVs. It is likely that many more CoVs could be discovered in bats. Although 31% of bat-borne viruses are CoVs (Calisher et al., 2006), only 6% of all CoV sequences in GenBank are from bat CoVs.
Even though the direct transmission of bat CoVs to humans has not been evidenced yet, the creation of conditions for more frequent encounters between bat CoVs, domestic animals and humans poses a significant threat for the future (Chan et al., 2013). … The emergence of a disease is an accidental process and it is therefore impossible to predict the scenarios and dynamics of emerging infectious disease events. The attractive effect on bats of anthropized environments is a major risk factor in the emergence of novel bat-borne diseases in both humans and animals.
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Referenced Article (JAMA, May 11, 2020):
What has been the early experience of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs)? In this cross-sectional study of 46 North American PICUs, between March 14 and April 3, 2020, 48 children were admitted to 14 PICUs in the US and none in Canada. A total of 40 children (83%) had preexisting underlying medical conditions, 35 (73%) presented with respiratory symptoms, and 18 (38%) required invasive ventilation, and the hospital mortality rate was 4.2%. This early study shows that COVID-19 can result in a significant disease burden in children but confirms that severe illness is less frequent, and early hospital outcomes in children are better than in adults. …
… To the best of our knowledge, this early multicenter cross-sectional study is the first of its kind from the US and adds to the emerging data of infants and children infected with COVID-19. We found the severity of illness in infants and children with COVID-19 to be far less than that documented in adults, with most PICUs across North America reporting no children admitted with this disease during the study period. Of the critically ill children with COVID-19, more than 80% had significant long-term underlying medical conditions. Overall survival and outcomes from critical illness in infants and children with COVID-19 in this series was far better than reported for adult patients. At the present time, our data indicate that children are at far greater risk of critical illness from influenza than from COVID-19.
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I said someplace else that we could be facing this viruses “adult self” or big brother in the fall. 1/2 mask respirators anyone?
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OMG, I don’t want to have to wear one of those. I still have a dual filter one from my painting business back in the day and they’re brutal.
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yep… 2 of those. I chose them over the full face-shield ones. I might revisit that idea though. It’s either that or deal with a virus that’s grown up and has a 15-20% mortality rate at it’s peak. It’s only a guess because I’m basing it on a disease that didn’t have the cold weather to help it out.
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@Caped_Conspirathist well if that is true, then that DOES beg the question. The BIG question.
If and when the “adult” virus returns, what about all the people who sheltered in place, isolated, distanced, and were NOT exposed, have NO antibodies ?? Have we wrecked their chances by NOT exposing them ?
@SessionDrummer
If the articles I’ve been reading are true, when it comes back everyone’s at risk again. It will probably be a mutated form and they won’t have the damn thing mapped enough from the original pass to make a vaccine. It could get nasty. and it’s gong to keep swinging around until 60-70% of the world’s population’s built up some antibodies.
The upper middle class are probably going to see a lot of bankruptcies this year into next. $2400 a month is 1/4 to 1/3rd of what they see. Let’s pray that all the loan deferment’s work. Trade may be a bust for the US because of this globally when we start back up.
The US has a few things in it’s favor. We haven’t made a whole lot of product here for a while. As soon as this shelter in place is lifted, all companies should get smart and make their whole buildings negative pressurized. The president should tell GM to start building the machines to make N95 masks.
Vietnam outproduces 3M’s American plant by almost 1/2? They aren’t selling right now… They are planning on selling at ridiculous prices this fall.
The masks are made from blown polypropylene. the machinery isn’t easy or cheap to make. Caterpillar and Toyota US should be ordered to start making that machinery.They US is going to need masks, sanitizers… basically all sorts of PPE.
Other than 3M no one else is making it. 3M is selling all the masks they make to the Gov right now.I’ve tried to order them from the supply companies I have accounts with and they tell me there is no idea when consumer masks will be shipping again.
Trading with China (other than PPE stuff) is still happening. That’s going to peter out if the US doesn’t perform well this summer. It’s 1/2 way through May and the state of VA is still totally shelter in place. Other states are on the steps plan so they aren’t running full tilt yet.
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It would be faster to make respirators with P100 filters. Those can be made from cellulose. The filters can be thicker because they’ll have the room in the respirator cartridges to do it. Vacuum cleaner bags can be modified to do the same thing also. the US has to get creative. It’s prep for winter time. The fed can buy up the extra if doesn’t sell well. Then it sells it at a loss to other countries.
There’s a lot of things that have to happen between now and fall. The CDC may have it wrong about this bug. If it does, people in the US are up shit’s creek. There won’t be any options for civilians. It doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive. It hust has to work and for enough people to be able to wear it in the winter.
I think the fed is stockpiling PPE for the hospitals and first responders in the fall. If we can cut the infection rate however, It saves the hospitals from being overloaded as much. The US should prep for the worst. The stuff will get used in the fall regardless so it’s time to start making alterative and functional masks out of different materials. It’s totally doable.
We just have to keep the infection rate down.
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ON 19 MARCH, I SUDDENLY HAD A HIGH FEVER and a stabbing headache. My skull and hair felt very painful, which was bizarre. I didn’t have a cough at the time, but still, my first reflex was: I have it. I kept working—I’m a workaholic—but from home.
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It turned out I had severe oxygen deficiency, although I still wasn’t short of breath. Lung images showed I had severe pneumonia, typical of COVID-19, as well as bacterial pneumonia. I constantly felt exhausted, while normally I’m always buzzing with energy. It wasn’t just fatigue, but complete exhaustion; I’ll never forget that feeling. I had to be hospitalized, although I tested negative for the virus in the meantime. This is also typical for COVID-19: The virus disappears, but its consequences linger for weeks.
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One week after I was discharged, I became increasingly short of breath. I had to go to the hospital again, but fortunately, I could be treated on an outpatient basis. I turned out to have an organizing pneumonia-induced lung disease, caused by a so-called cytokine storm. It’s a result of your immune defense going into overdrive. Many people do not die from the tissue damage caused by the virus, but from the exaggerated response of their immune system, which doesn’t know what to do with the virus.
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Many people think COVID-19 kills 1% of patients, and the rest get away with some flulike symptoms. But the story gets more complicated. Many people will be left with chronic kidney and heart problems. Even their neural system is disrupted.
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Today, after 7 weeks, I feel more or less in shape for the first time.
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Today there’s also the paradox that some people who owe their lives to vaccines no longer want their children to be vaccinated. That could become a problem if we want to roll out a vaccine against the coronavirus, because if too many people refuse to join, we will never get the pandemic under control.
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I hope that the World Health Organization [WHO], which is doing a great job in the fight against COVID-19, can be reformed to make it less bureaucratic and less dependent on advisory committees in which individual countries primarily defend their own interests. WHO too often becomes a political playground.
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The Risks - Know Them - Avoid Them
Please read this link to learn about the author and background to these posts.
It seems many people are breathing some relief, and I’m not sure why. An epidemic curve has a relatively predictable upslope and once the peak is reached, the back slope can also be predicted. We have robust data from the outbreaks in China and Italy, that shows the backside of the mortality curve declines slowly, with deaths persisting for months. Assuming we have just crested in deaths at 70k, it is possible that we lose another 70,000 people over the next 6 weeks as we come off that peak. That’s what’s going to happen with a lockdown.
As states reopen, and we give the virus more fuel, all bets are off. I understand the reasons for reopening the economy, but I’ve said before, if you don’t solve the biology, the economy won’t recover.
The whole article goes much more in depth; read it and be well educated about Covid-19. 
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Good article there. One recent study (referenced and quoted in a previous post on this thread) found the antigen present in 1-4 Micron sized droplets. This may be a good thing - as N95 masks (ideally fitted) claim to block (95%) down to ~0.3 Micron (if one does not mind barely being able to breath, especially upon any amount of exertion). The microbes themselves are thought to be 0.075 - 0.15 Micron size. The (3M brand) “surgical” masks claim to block droplets larger than ~100 Microns size.
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We do have protective equipment to protect ourselves. Will we use it though? Will we bite the bullet and not shun people who do? Upgrade your PPE.
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Referenced Article (NEJM, May 13, 2020):
“Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Domestic Cats”
Reports of human-to-feline transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) 1 and of limited airborne transmission among cats 2 prompted us to evaluate nasal shedding of SARS-CoV-2 from inoculated cats and the subsequent transmission of the virus by direct contact between virus-inoculated cats and cats with no previous infection with the virus. …
… On day 1, we detected virus from two of the inoculated cats. By day 3, virus was detectable in all three inoculated cats, with continued detection of virus until day 5 in all cats and until day 6 in two of the three cats …
… With reports of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from humans to domestic cats 1 and to tigers and lions at the Bronx Zoo, 4 coupled with our data showing the ease of transmission between domestic cats, there is a public health need to recognize and further investigate the potential chain of human–cat–human transmission. This is of particular importance given the potential for SARS-CoV-2 transmission between family members in households with cats while living under “shelter-in-place” orders. …
… cats may be a silent intermediate host of SARS-CoV-2, because infected cats may not show any appreciable symptoms that might be recognized by their owners.
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The referenced article (Nicotine & Tobacco Research, May 13, 2020):
“Smoking is Associated with COVID-19 Progression: A Meta-Analysis”
Our analysis confirms that smoking is a risk factor for progression of COVID-19, with smokers having 1.91-times the odds of progression in COVID-19 severity than never smokers. … Some have argued that the fact that reported smoking prevalence in COVID patients is lower than has been reported in the general population as evidence for a protective effect of smoking. As noted above, the low prevalence reported among COVID patients may be due to under-assessment of smoking, especially in the difficult conditions present when caring for people in overwhelmed health systems. … our analysis shows that among those people assessed as smokers risk of disease progression is significantly increased.
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