[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by srishiva

Reading news about people already having antibodies to fight Covid, are these antibodies specific to Covid ? I have been having this doubt and wanted to ask for some time now.

I think that is T-cells that they have, and T cells are not as specific as antibodies.

The implications are not yet known.

[BLACKRiVAL]

Another drug out of the covid race. The study was done by Roche, parent company of the drug. Failed to show any improvement over placebo group. Earlier italian study on the same drug also indicated the same.

https://www.docwirenews.com/docwire-...ted-pneumonia/

[Zen2001]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

I think that is T-cells that they have, and T cells are not as specific as antibodies.

The implications are not yet known.

No, they are not specific. Cross reacting antibodies resulting from previous (& current) infections with any other corona virus (there's a whole family of them with similar protein structure) could be labelled as "anti Covid19 antibodies", which is not the whole truth. Secondly, neither are they effective in the long term.
T cell mediated immunity is just a proposed hypothesis - currently unproven and impossible to test (in vivo) as it involves identification by immunologically assays of helper T cells (Th) and then further searching if any exhibit a "memory" for identification of the presenting antigen of Covid19 - which itself has been shown to undergo mutations (D614G mutation).

[proton]

Blackrival wrote:

Another drug out of the covid race. The study was done by Roche, parent company of the drug.

Apparently TCZ works when ferritin level is within the acceptable range. Out of range, nothing stops CTS, cytokine storm

Originally Posted by srishiva

Now this article mentions that T-cells could act on them since there are similarities with other virus. That could be why there are so many Asymptomatic people.

https://www.smh.com.au/national/scie...18-p55mw2.html

The problem with T-cells is that they are responsible for over reaction of the immune system. Vaccines that are being developed have tried to stimulate antibody and T-cell activity, but they are trying to also suppress the cytokine storm that often occurs, making the requirements very sophisticated, and probably unreachable. Hoping for T-cell activation while recovering, without vaccine, probably has the same implications. This is what I understood after reading up. Also taking into account nothing has been peer reviewed yet.

[vivek95]

Karnataka abolishes mandatory 14 day quarantine rule for people travelling interstate including Maharashtra. I think it's the first state to do so in the country. With interstate travel passes also now being scrapped as part of unlock 3.0, NH4 Mumbai--Pune--Bangalore is sure to bounce back to life. I am looking forward for a Mumbai--Belgaum drive soon after 6.5 months.

[JMaruru]

Originally Posted by vivek95

Karnataka abolishes mandatory 14 day quarantine rule for people travelling interstate including Maharashtra. I think it's the first state to do so in the country.

What's the rules for international passengers arriving in 'Mumbai' and then traveling down to Karnataka? Would we have to undergo any quarantine time in MH, before we travel out of MH?

[BoneCollector]

Originally Posted by vivek95

Karnataka , it's the first state to do so in the country.

Well, Bihar never had any quarantine for train and air passengers as well as those coming by road. Only people coming by Shramik specials were put to mandatory institutional quarantine. But if you had to travel to another district or out of state, an epass was required but that too till 4th May. Basically free for all.

From today onwards, all private and public buses have been allowed to ply with basic rules to follow.

I think we are planning for herd immunity.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by vivek95

Karnataka abolishes mandatory 14 day quarantine rule for people travelling interstate including Maharashtra. I think it's the first state to do so in the country.

Originally Posted by BoneCollector

Well, Bihar never had any quarantine for train and air passengers as well as those coming by road.

I remember Madhya Pradesh as well that didn't have any Quarantine protocols since many months before.

There was no point to spend efforts for enforcing and tracking those in HQ when you were doing away with screening at entry points.

At one point even if a state said they will continue to screen at entry points and still not have any passes or permissions to enter, it would still be seen as an authorization at the entry point (almost like a pass). After all, you are stopped, checked and then stamped.

With the center getting strict on states now, we are seeing such developments where not only permission or epass but even quarantine rules are no longer applicable for many states.

[DigitalOne]

Thyrocare diagnostics MD puts up pincodes/city/state wise antibody test data of around 257,000 antibody tests done at their centers.



Source : [Pin Codes] [Cities] [States]

[bj96]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

... no point to spend efforts for enforcing and tracking ... With the center getting strict on states now...

Centre should just say, stop this nonsense or else "covid care" funds will stop doling out. All erring state(s) like MH, TN, WB etc. will fall in line.

It is general grapevine on the ground, emergencies like pandemic, disasters (floods, draughts etc) create opportunities for mismanagement and pilferage of funds, grains and other resources by unscrupulous administrators and politicians, who just want the status quo as long as they can! It doesn't help anyone barring a few influential or those close to them, in the chain

Originally Posted by DigitalOne

Thyrocare diagnostics MD puts up pincodes/city/state wise antibody test data...

Pune (4110xx) seems to be hovering around 20% overall. Needs few percentages more to get to a "herd immunity" point?

-BJ

[am1m]

Originally Posted by bj96

Needs few percentages more to get to a "herd immunity" point?

There is no conclusive proof or study yet that says 20% or whatever is what is required for herd immunity.

I too have been against the irrational fear and panic surrounding this pandemic and I too think the news of antibody prevalence is a very positive thing. But at the same time, I think we shouldn't swing to the other extreme and reach over-optimistic conclusions either, till proven.

The virus is still going around, people are still dying. Let us take whatever precautions we can (without getting paranoid of course), till the case load really starts going down.

[srishiva]

What was and is needed is good hospital care. We didnt have it and doesnt look like we are interested in it. New centres in districs could have been established that could have become permanent. Lot of money is being wasted renting stuff when you could buy it for one day rent.

Looking at people in power and influence who got the tests done and care at the right time, we could have saved a lot of lives.

My brother and his wife (both doctors) got infected since they were both working on frontline. I hear that people are running away scared from tests. The quarantine centres are really bad and people are thrown food and bad tasting supplements on their plates.

Skeptical about the antibodies. Not sure if they are looking for specific antibodies since some kind of infection or allergy could be prevalent.

[msdivy]

Originally Posted by BoneCollector

I think we are planning for herd immunity.

For herd immunity, we need to have 70% or even 90% of the population infected & recovered (either via direct contact or via vaccine) and the percentage depends on how contagious the disease is. Right now we not have a mathematical model nor the computing power to calculate these. Might be when we have better supercomputers & right model, these numbers can be churned on the fly.

70% of our country is 90 Crore. The current infected count is 31 Lakh. Reaching herd immunity is a long way off.

BTW, at the current rate, we will overtake Brazil & be No 2 by Sep 10. In retrospect, I can pity laugh on our fellow folks' effort to scare the virus -

[DigitalOne]

Originally Posted by bj96

Pune (4110xx) seems to be hovering around 20% overall. Needs few percentages more to get to a "herd immunity" point?

-BJ

Originally Posted by am1m

There is no conclusive proof or study yet that says 20% or whatever is what is required for herd immunity.

I too have been against the irrational fear and panic surrounding this pandemic and I too think the news of antibody prevalence is a very positive thing. But at the same time, I think we shouldn't swing to the other extreme and reach over-optimistic conclusions either, till proven.

There are two inherent biases in the antibody tests' data:

1. These are voluntary tests, taken mainly by people who suspect (because of contact with patients) that they had Covid already and recovered. So possible high positives than general population.

2. Since these are paid voluntary tests, poor sections of people may not get it done. Prevalence may be much higher in poorer neighbourhoods (e.g. Dharavi) than what figures show for these areas.

So antibody tests data are indicative at best of how prevalent the disease is.

[himarg]

Maybe herd immunity is not a feasible option, as re-infections are happening. Only silver lining is that this patient got infected by different strains each time. But then, who knows how many mutations are already in circulation currently?

https://theprint.in/health/hong-kong...ection/488437/