[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by proton

"May you live in interesting times" is an English expression that purports to be a translation of a traditional Chinese curse.

You are right, it is one of our fake sayings. But it has found a permanent place in the culture. But perhaps it should be called the English curse!

Anyway, Corona days make me think of it often.

[AirbusCapt]

Originally Posted by WindRide

Looks like BBMP has made covid tests mandatory for all in Bangalore apartments...

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...w/78525933.cms

It's been clarified by the commissioner. It's mandatory for primary, secondary contacts and highly recommended for comorbid and senior citizens. Rest of the people can choose to test if they wish. Testing is absolutely free

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Even I'm going out into the world, which I was not doing before. Don't know where it will all end or if I'll be around to see that. Interesting times, they say. Please, please, bring back the boring times!

I have had a couple of days of various symptoms, none particularly severe. The included slight tightness of the chest; once or twice (only) a slight "prickly" feeling when inhaling; and a something-like-sinusitis, except it felt like my sinuses were filled with some weird gas! A touch delirious almost. But no fever (in fact, low body temperature) and normal blood oxygen.

Although, ultimately, it may be the only source of peace of mind, I am not rushing into testing. I was isolating before I started limited going out. I am quarantining myself again... for a couple of weeks, I guess. I really don't want to be a spreader.

[saket77]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Although, ultimately, it may be the only source of peace of mind, I am not rushing into testing. I was isolating before I started limited going out. I am quarantining myself again... for a couple of weeks, I guess. I really don't want to be a spreader.

Hope it’s just one of days that one doesn’t ‘feel’ well, even if everything is ok. Just keep monitoring the oxygen levels as a precaution. Using a vaporiser/ taking steam might clear the sinuses and you will feel lot better.

Take care.
Regards.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by saket77

Using a vaporiser/ taking steam might clear the sinuses and you will feel lot better.

It helped the chest a lot

[DCEite]

Daily cases have reduced to August levels today, and daily deaths have reduced to 7xx mark. Test positivity rate is decreasing, so is CFR.

One might argue that there might be some number fudging, but the fact is (touch wood) on the ground the situation seems to be improving as well.

For instance, back in early September, there was a sudden increase in the number of cases reported in our society (of 2500 families). We have a society WhatsApp group and get instant update of any new corona case. On an average we used to get 7-8 cases per week.

Now there are next to zero new cases since past few weeks.

2500 families is a large enough sample size and from what i know the same is the case in other apartment complexes as well. The numbers have definitely declined.

Having said that, some may argue that festive season will see another wave. I partially agree with it. I think it won't be a second wave but a small spike, before the numbers start going down again. And i don't buy the argument that winter months will bring an increase in cases. It is not a seasonal virus and it didn't slow down in summers. No reason why it would accelerate in winters.

All in all, positive and hopeful signs for the country. However, precautions have to continue like before, there are no two ways about it.

[AZT]

J&J pauses COVID-19 vaccine trials due to unexplained illness in participant

(Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson JNJ.N said on Monday it had temporarily paused its COVID-19 vaccine candidate clinical trials due to an unexplained illness in a study participant, delaying one of the highest profile efforts to contain the global pandemic.

...

J&J, which reports quarterly financial results on Tuesday morning, said that such pauses are normal in big trials, which can include tens of thousands of people. It said the “study pause” in giving doses of the vaccine candidate was different from a “regulatory hold” required by health authorities. The current case is a pause.

However, J&J's move follows a similar one by AstraZeneca Plc. In September, AstraZeneca AZN.L paused late-stage trials of its experimental coronavirus vaccine, developed with the University of Oxford, due to an unexplained illness in a UK study participant.

...

Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, said by email that “Everybody is on the alert because of what happened with AstraZeneca,” adding that it could take a week to gather information.
“It would have to be a serious adverse event. If it was something like prostate cancer, uncontrolled diabetes or a heart attack - they wouldn’t stop it for any of those reasons. This is likely to be a neurological event,” he said.

Read More: https://in.reuters.com/article/speci.../idINKBN26Y03S

[WindRide]

Originally Posted by saket77

Using a vaporiser/ taking steam might clear the sinuses and you will feel lot better..

Even though its not advised, my go-to method to clear sinuses is to boil a pot of water, mix a little vicks vaporub to it and spend long minutes under the tent. Works wonders.



By the way - I remember back in feb when all this began, govt warnings said wear mask, maintain social distance, do not touch eyes frequently and wash hands often.
Now i see almost no mention of not touching eyes. Nor any requirement to wear protective eye wear (very few ppl actually use face shield when out and about).

Strange, considering viruses, including covid, can infect eyes and thru eyes.

[PearlJam]

Originally Posted by DCEite

And i don't buy the argument that winter months will bring an increase in cases. It is not a seasonal virus and it didn't slow down in summers. No reason why it would accelerate in winters.

I guess in south India, which doesn't have a real winter to speak of, this might be true. But we still have to see how the numbers increase in north India, though. For India in general, I guess the monsoons are what brings a spike in deaths due to water borne diseases.

The cold/European countries always see a spike in flu cases in the winter. Given that Covid-19 exhibits a lot of similarities with the flu, they are bracing themselves for the winter, in terms of a spike in Covid-19 numbers again.

But on the other hand, Covid-19 has probably caused a few excess deaths, even after accounting for the fact that the previous 2 flu seasons across the world haven't been as bad (hence resulting in those same vulnerable people who survived, and then died this year due to Covid).

Having said this, I maintain my view that the total count has now become meaningless at this stage.

[Gsynch]

Prof Shamika Ravi has compiled some useful data in this twitter thread https://twitter.com/ShamikaRavi/stat...14864410288130

Some useful datapoints are here, not conclusive as such but "trending" optimistically.

Active cases falling in India - peak becoming clearer.

Active cases falling, at a growth rate = -1.3%

Overall picture:
Total cases = 71,72, 933
Recovered = 62,24,764 (86.78%)
Active = 8,38,862 (11.69%)
Deaths = 1,09,307 (1.52%)

Daily cases: ~67,000 & falling steadily.
Daily testing: stabilising ~11L.

Thanks

[mayankk]

This is disconcerting

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-54512034

In the worst case, could this be indicative of this getting worse before it gets worse?

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by WindRide

Even though its not advised, my go-to method to clear sinuses is to boil a pot of water, mix a little vicks vaporub to it and spend long minutes under the tent. Works wonders...

Vicks is, I think, largely camphor. Camphor is a major ingredient in a lot of these things that give the feeling of opening up the breathing. Thing is, camphor is not actually all that good for us!

However, it is also an ingredient in what we use with the steam inhalation: the small capsules called Karvol.

[DCEite]

Originally Posted by mayankk

This is disconcerting

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-54512034

In the worst case, could this be indicative of this getting worse before it gets worse?

A related tweet by Dr. Faheem Youus.

[catkins]

Originally Posted by AZT

J&J pauses COVID-19 vaccine trials due to unexplained illness in participant

“It would have to be a serious adverse event. If it was something like prostate cancer, uncontrolled diabetes or a heart attack - they wouldn’t stop it for any of those reasons.

That has to be out of context or Dr. William Schaffner does not share my understanding of serious

[am1m]

The good doc clarifies:

https://twitter.com/FaheemYounus/sta...29104627331072

"COVID’s infected >38,000,000 people globally. Expect at least a few dozen: Reinfections Wierd complications Young, healthy, dying Frail, elderly, surviving I’ve seen such rare exceptions in almost ALL diseases; nothing unique to COVID. Live by rules, not by exceptions."

This reminds me of what my mom always says, she's a surgeon and she always gets ticked off if we ask her if 'the surgery was a success'. She would ask us not to speak like laymen! What she meant was after more than 50 years of OT experience, she's seen things go wrong with even the simplest procedures and cases that seemed to have almost no chance pull through. But that doesn't mean they don't continue to perform needed surgery. So like the doc tweets, there are always going to be exceptions with any illness, that doesn't mean that should cause panic. Those cases certainly should be studied and researched, but the problem is that they end up becoming alarmist headlines.