[Dr.Naren]

Kerala has tested more than 3000 people (general population ) to check community spread. Only 3 positives were found.

Quoting the exact lines from Government release.

In view of recent trend of COVID-19 positivity in Kerala following the existing advisories under the current strategy, it is decided to augment the testing among the general population by taking 3000 more samples randomly on 26th April 2020 with the objective of detecting any undetected COVID-19 positivity among general population in Kerala.

As part of augmented testing 3101samples taken from general population on 26.04.2020 and was processed in 14 accredited government labs. Out of this 2682 has turned negative. 3 results have been declared positive. Labs have recommended that 25 samples (8 rejected samples) need to be retested.

Sample size is not huge, but it is enough to give us an idea.

[Miyata]

In what appears to be some form of good news, Recovered virus patients retest positive due to 'dead' virus fragments

As of Tuesday, a total of 277 people who recovered from COVID-19 have retested positive here, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).

there was no live virus present in such cases, positively refuting theories like the virus being reactivated or reinfection.

apparent reinfection cases came because fragments of the virus remained in their bodies and showed up in test kits.

...

The COVID-19 virus does not invade inside of the cell nucleus and combine with a patient's DNA

It means that the virus does not create chronic infections

the COVID-19 virus is different from diseases such as HIV and hepatitis B in which the virus stays dormant inside of a cell nucleus and later causes chronic infection.

[splitsecond]

Originally Posted by Dr.Naren

Majority of the cases ( say 80 percent ) are very mild and recover on their own. India has 1000 + deaths till date, I would say it's not at all a big number for a country with more than 1.3 billion people.


To summarise about the virus:

"SARS-CoV-2 is super infectious but not really very deadly like it's hyped"

Thats because total cases is relatively low now around 30k, once the total number of cases increases considerably(lets hope not) like some 10 lakhs cases mortality rate will go through the roof!
Thats the problem with covid and thats why its deadly , it kills by overloading the health care system, once the hospitals are overloaded survival rate reduces even for moderately sick patients. Covids mortality rate is very low but it doesn't matter because if not controlled it can spread to 60% population who have no immunity and then that 1% mortality looks deadly. If india is hit with Ebola or Nipha (having 70% mortality) outbreak it will will kill far less than this covid is going to.

[Thad E Ginathom]

I'm still concerned that many arguments feature an excluded middle. The impression is that the disease is mild for most and only lethal for a very few. True! But there are also many sufferers who may not die but who are extremely ill, some even needing hospitalisation.

[akp]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

I'm still concerned that many arguments feature an excluded middle. The impression is that the disease is mild for most and only lethal for a very few. True! But there are also many sufferers who may not die but who are extremely ill, some even needing hospitalisation.

It is a very crucial piece of information in preparing a good strategy for fighting against the virus, keeping the healthcare system ready. Unfortunately, India is one of the very few countries who are either not keeping a record of or not disclosing the number of critical patients.

[Dr.Naren]

Originally Posted by akp

Unfortunately, India is one of the very few countries who are either not keeping a record of or not disclosing the number of critical patients.

Not true!!

Union Health Minister has announced the details.

"Only 0.33 per cent patients are on ventilators, 1.5 per cent patients are on oxygen support and 2.34 per cent patients are in ICU, which reflects the quality of care being provided across the country," Vardhan said.

https://m.timesofindia.com/india/onl...rom%20%251%24s

[akp]

Originally Posted by Dr.Naren

Not true!!

Union Health Minister has announced the details.

https://www.timesofindia.com/india/o...w/75453414.cms

Then perhaps they are keeping an eye, but not disclosing it. I don't see the data on the regular official bulletins on the mohfw website everyday, neither is it there on the worldometer website.

By the way, the TOI link in your post does not seem to be working when I tried just now.

[Dr.Naren]

Originally Posted by akp

Then perhaps they are keeping an eye, but not disclosing it. I don't see the data on the regular official bulletins on the mohfw website everyday, neither is it there on the worldometer website.

They do disclose. Total number of cases, recovered cases and deaths are updated daily.

If you are looking for number of critical patients, follow the press conference done by health ministry every day and also the detailed reports published by the states daily. It's not at all right to simply complain that data is not disclosed without doing basic fact checks. I gave the data you wanted (no of critical patients), just check the link again..edited it

Most of the states publish detailed reports. Maharashtra is the worst affected state and I am posting a screenshot from their today's report.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by akp

Then perhaps they are keeping an eye, but not disclosing it. I don't see the data on the regular official bulletins on the mohfw website everyday, neither is it there on the worldometer website.

By the way, the TOI link in your post does not seem to be working when I tried just now.

If you follow the daily bulletin from Karnataka Govt. you will notice how detailed the info is. They regularly update the list of cases, whether they are in ICU or ventilator and also when they are discharged. Full marks to this. Not sure about the other states but Dr. Naren has shared some statistics from Maharashtra.

[akp]

Originally Posted by Dr.Naren

If you are looking for number of critical patients, follow the press conference done by health ministry every day and also the detailed reports published by the states daily. It's not at all right to simply complain that data is not disclosed without doing basic fact checks. I gave the data you wanted (no of critical patients), just check the link again..edited it

Most of the states publish detailed reports. Maharashtra is the worst affected state and I am posting a screenshot from their today's report.

Are you sure that most of the States are doing it? I have struggled to find a decent webpage for many of the States. Some of them may be publishing it, some not. In any case, I was not talking about State level data - I was talking about all India data. It would be good if you could point me to a source where the daily data of number of critical patients is available. For the data to be useful, the raw data should be easily accessible to experts so that they can analyse it.

[vivek95]

Originally Posted by msdivy

What breaking news, it was being used pushed even before the epidemic broke out. Gilead is pushing Ebola drug for Covid-19, for reasons best known to them. [/url]

It is indeed a breaking news because its the first robust trial on Remdesivir with a very good sample size (1000+ patients enrolled) and the results are promising as endorsed by Dr.Anthony Fauci himself. Though it was developed for Ebola, they were justified in pushing it for Sars-Cov2 as both are single stranded RNA viruses. Let's be optimistic in these gloomy times, this is a good news indeed

-Dr. Vivek

[itwasntme]

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news...anced-covid-19

More encouraging news for Remdesivir!

However, as a neurologist put it, these medications are like throwing a stone at hornet's nest (immune system).. some get bitten some escape. Mind you, it will be better than injection of lizol or go-muthra. :-)

[m8002?]

Originally Posted by splitsecond

it can spread to 60% population who have no immunity and then that 1% mortality looks deadly.

Isnt this contrary to the information available in public domain( including from doctors in this very same forum ) that 80% of the people are asymptotic and wouldnt even know that they are infected. That means their immune system can easily combat the virus. Even among those infected, there is a large % of people who show mild symptoms and can be cured soon. Its a very small fraction who need intensive care.

We cannot just hide indoors wishing the virus away. Please note I am not advocating that we should go back to the earlier ways. The restrictions should be reasonable and proportionate to the impact of the problem.

Remaining within the medical domain, I still dont understand why the govt. has closed down the OPD of other hospitals and private clinics. We have been reading in papers about people dying without medical care for other easily treatable diseases. That some hospitals turn away patients is a totally different case altogether.

[civic-sense]

Originally Posted by m8002?

... 80% of the people are asymptotic and wouldnt even know that they are infected.

There is no proof for that. It is some number thrown at us by somebody and people quote it because it fits their narrative.

[roy_libran]

Originally Posted by m8002?

- that 80% of the people are asymptotic and wouldnt even know that they are infected.
- Even among those infected, there is a large % of people who show mild symptoms and can be cured soon.
- Its a very small fraction who need intensive care.

We cannot just hide indoors wishing the virus away. Please note I am not advocating that we should go back to the earlier ways. The restrictions should be reasonable and proportionate to the impact of the problem.

Totally agree with this.

As a species we need to accept there will be losses and there is nothing we can do but move forward accepting those losses.
Remaining locked down will mean even greater losses, caused due to other diseases, social problems, economic problems etc. We need to look at the total picture rather than just Corona in isolation.