Coronavirus: Discussion and Information

[stormwyrm]

If there's anyone out there who still doubts that COVID-19 is real, well, here's a mortician from Los Angeles.
https://youtu.be/QdpSgEQKVNE

[TheGlyphstone]

[nutjoblogic]Clearly a deep state crisis actor being paid to perpetuate the hoax [/nutjoblogic]

Anyone who still disbelieves by now isn't reachable by any means.

[Dhi]

The Sputnik V vaccine, which I was interested in keeping an eye on, has published peer-reviewed results at over 91% efficacy. That's very good.

Novavax's subunit vaccine for the immunocompromised is now up to 89% and is being tailored to put its efficacy over the 90% mark. That's happening much more rapidly than I thought, so we may have the first vaccines for immunocompromised individuals in April rather than mid-summer. I'm hopeful because this reduces the danger to immunocompromised populations that will come as mRNA vaccines become widely available over the summer and states inevitably try to return to normalcy. Again.

[stormwyrm]

Looks like some people still don't get it. Gov. Kim Reynolds of Iowa has inadvisedly relaxed the already lenient mask and gathering restrictions in her state, earning her the trending hashtag #CovidKim.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2021/02/06/covidkim-trends-after-iowa-governor-reynolds-lifts-covid-19-coronavirus-precautions/?sh=55e1a1055336

This in a state that has reported 5000+ deaths 60% of which were in the past three months and whose vaccination rate is 46th out of the 50 states. No scientific rationale given for this relaxation. Maybe she just wants to host a super bowl party. More like a superspreader party.

[Azuresun]

[nutjoblogic]Clearly a deep state crisis actor being paid to perpetuate the hoax [/nutjoblogic]

Anyone who still disbelieves by now isn't reachable by any means.

Here's a good example. Remember the nurse who fainted when she had the vaccine and was rumoured to have died? Well, she didn't actually die or suffer any effects on her health, she insists every chance she gets that she's still alive, but the anti-vaxxers aren't letting little inconveniences like that stop them.

It's almost literally a Monty Python sketch come to life.

[Aiden]

I don't feel bad when covid denying idiots get their due.

[Haibane]

"If it's safe enough to shop at Walmart and Target..."

The problem was, it wasn't. And it isn't.

[Lain]

So, I am no one to debate online (I come here to write and escape the world), however this is something I heard about late summer of 2020 and I wanted to see if anyone else has information on.

First off not everyone can have the vaccine, myself included, as I have 5 doctors and a clinical transplant team who advises against any C-19 vaccines at this point in time. In fact they advise against most vaccines as their transplant recipient patients are on immune suppressants and can not fight off even severely weakened viruses in some vaccines.  I do not know of a transplant team who advises their patients to receive the vaccine, I can not verify so I wont say there is not one, my team is one that does not.

I have read up on Convalescent Plasma Therapy on several different sicknesses, including West Nile virus, Spanish flu, and Ebola (All listed in peer review article provided). There is so much controversy out there about this virus, and apparent misunderstanding of it, and I tend to get overly excited about possible hope for the high risk like myself.

Has anyone else heard anything about this therapy? It certainly would be safer than a vaccine, from my admittedly limited understanding of plasma treatments. I have had to have plasma treatments when I was first diagnosed with ESRD, I trust this method for my weak immunity over vaccinations. I am not anti-vaccine by any means, if it helps people and the choice to receive it is your own then I am glad it is an option that is now available.

I am simply hoping for information and thoughts of others here for options for immunocompromised patients. Please post peer reviewed articles if you have them! I would love to read them, and I am sure others would as well, so please, share away!

Convalescent Plasma Therapy

[stormwyrm]

Here's an article I've found about convalescent plasma:

https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/does-convalescent-plasma-work-against-covid-19-who-knows/

There seems to be an RCT for it done since that article:

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2031304

Sadly, it doesn't seem to work.

Novavax's subunit vaccine seems like a better option for immunocompromised people.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/health/novavax-covid-19-vaccine.html

Failing that, all you can really do is hope for herd immunity. Given the difficulty in distribution of the vaccines, uncertainty as to whether the vaccines can provide sterilising immunity, and the resistance against receiving the vaccines by some members of the public, that may take a while.

Mods: maybe this thread should be merged with the main coronavirus thread?

[Oniya]

Your doctor is absolutely going to be the best source of information, although I have seen the same encouraging information that Stormwyrm linked to, cited by immunologists.

[Lain]

I was speaking to my doctor today, he has heard about very promising studies about this form of therapy. I have hope that scientists will be able to figure out how to do this for people who can not have the vaccine. I will have to dig further in the thread for studies that I have missed! Thank you, stormwyrm, for the links too! These are very informative. I will trust the NYT when I see more peer reviewed studies, I trust we will see how this Novavax is when there are more studies. My physicians are giving all vaccines to-date a firm 'No.' Or as my one nephrologist slipped with  H-E double -L No, if you knew him you would have chuckled at the way he said it as I did. I will certainly be watching that Novavax for updates!

On a personal request, please, please do not be angry when you see people with no mask Many of us have explicit orders from our medical physicians about not wearing them as breathing in the body's waste is very hazardous for us especially. Not everyone who does not wear one is being thoughtless or spread this any further. I have not been out much but when I have, I have been terrorized when I do go out about not having one on. No one knows anyone else's circumstances is all. I so appreciate those who are understanding to those with medical complications , a little bit of compassion goes such a long way in this world <3

Also! Thank you for merging my thread! I am sorry for any trouble it may have caused to merge

[Dhi]

You're spreading misinformation, and the politeness with which you do it does not make it better. Wearing a mask is not harmful. If you have a psychosomatic reaction to wearing a mask, wear a face shield instead. A doctor who is providing exemptions for wearing masks on the basis of incidental co2 is a bad doctor. A doctor who blanket dismisses vaccines as dangerous is a bad doctor. What you're doing is harmful and I do not appreciate it in the least.

https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=328814.0

[Lain]

I am so sorry, I did not wish to offend, I am merely stating what the specialists I deal with have said. I literally trust them with my life. I have read research that does raise cause for concern rebreathing CO2, I will post a link of the peer reviewed study, I should have sooner. I doubt that this is a concern for healthy individuals, but my transplant team believe there is enough evidence to advise against continuous face covering for the immunosuppressed and I am speaking for those like me in my last post. Thank you for reminding me to post my peer reviewed source reading.

Carbon dioxide rebreathing in respiratory protective devices, 2013
Face Mask E ace Mask Effects of CO2, 2021

[Dhi]

I am so sorry, I did not wish to offend, I am merely stating what the specialists I deal with have said. I literally trust them with my life. I have read research that does raise cause for concern rebreathing CO2, I will post a link of the peer reviewed study, I should have sooner. I doubt that this is a concern for healthy individuals, but my transplant team believe there is enough evidence to advise against continuous face covering for the immunosuppressed and I am speaking for those like me in my last post. Thank you for reminding me to post my peer reviewed source reading.

Carbon dioxide rebreathing in respiratory protective devices, 2013
Face Mask E ace Mask Effects of CO2, 2021

Did you read your cited sources?

The RPD donned was a large full face S.E.A Pty Ltd Respirator with side-mounted
filter (SEA Full Face Mask-SMF-L

The type of mask worn during an average 90-minute flight-training mission does not
appear to increase the amount of CO2 retained by the body. Additionally, face masks do not
appear to hinder the body’s ability to attain oxygen.

I am not intimidated by peer reviewed papers. These are digested on a regular basis in the normal course of my work.

[stormwyrm]

On a personal request, please, please do not be angry when you see people with no mask Many of us have explicit orders from our medical physicians about not wearing them as breathing in the body's waste is very hazardous for us especially.

If your doctor really told you that, find another doctor. That is such a totally preposterous, bogus reason, such that I have doubts that whoever told you that is a real doctor with a medical license.

[Beguile's Mistress]

On a personal request, please, please do not be angry when you see people with no mask Many of us have explicit orders from our medical physicians about not wearing them as breathing in the body's waste is very hazardous for us especially.

I would like to make a personal request as well.  If wearing a mask is against your principles please stay home.  Have others run your errands and do your shopping so you do not become a danger to the rest of us who do what is necessary, though maybe distasteful, in order to protect ourselves and our community.  I hate it when I have to use my cane to keep a maskless person those few feet away from me.

[Envious]

Wearing a mask is not harmful.

I want to suggest for people who feel like the mask is causing them harm to switch to a different style of mask. The mask might be aggravating some other issue.

I was wearing the blue disposable masks which caused me to become lightheaded, dizzy, experience vertigo, and faint. Medical details aside and put exceptionally simply: my ear area is ultra sensitive and causes me issues. I switched to a mask that secured differently and it solved my problems.

[Beguile's Mistress]

You can also by extender straps that hook onto the over-the-ear loops to secure the mask behind your head.

[Beguile's Mistress]

You can also buy extender straps that hook onto the over-the-ear loops to secure the mask behind your head.

[Azuresun]

On a personal request, please, please do not be angry when you see people with no mask Many of us have explicit orders from our medical physicians about not wearing them as breathing in the body's waste is very hazardous for us especially. Not everyone who does not wear one is being thoughtless or spread this any further. I have not been out much but when I have, I have been terrorized when I do go out about not having one on. No one knows anyone else's circumstances is all. I so appreciate those who are understanding to those with medical complications , a little bit of compassion goes such a long way in this world <3

Have you maybe tried wearing a face shield instead?

[Oniya]

Seriously, if your medical issues are such that wearing a mask is injurious, you should be doing everything possible to avoid exposure yourself.  This includes 'curbside pickup', delivery services, or even asking a friend who can wear a mask to get things for you.  My mother-in-law has had several bouts with chemo.  I had a good friend die as a result of AIDS many years ago.  Being immunocompromised means that you are more susceptible to getting the diseases, and so you should avoid being around situations that make it easier to transmit it.

[Mechelle]

I am with Lain.  Writing from my UK perspective, we are asked to respect, although some organisations do forget, that some people are exempt from wearing masks.
I certainly appreciate that people ignore these rules without reason, but we do need to recognise that some people are exempt for genuine, medical reasons.

[Beguile's Mistress]

And those reasons make the maskless more susceptible to catching the infection.  That doesn't lessen the danger - and I do mean danger - they cause the rest of us.  I feel badly for those who have a genuine problem with masks but I don't feel that should excuse them from all forms of social distancing.  As soon as I see a maskless person when I am out shopping I brace my cane between us and push my shopping car into that space as well.  I wear a mask because even though I am sure I am not infected I don't know that for sure.

[CopperLily]

So, I am no one to debate online (I come here to write and escape the world), however this is something I heard about late summer of 2020 and I wanted to see if anyone else has information on.

First off not everyone can have the vaccine, myself included, as I have 5 doctors and a clinical transplant team who advises against any C-19 vaccines at this point in time. In fact they advise against most vaccines as their transplant recipient patients are on immune suppressants and can not fight off even severely weakened viruses in some vaccines.  I do not know of a transplant team who advises their patients to receive the vaccine, I can not verify so I wont say there is not one, my team is one that does not.

I have read up on Convalescent Plasma Therapy on several different sicknesses, including West Nile virus, Spanish flu, and Ebola (All listed in peer review article provided). There is so much controversy out there about this virus, and apparent misunderstanding of it, and I tend to get overly excited about possible hope for the high risk like myself.

Has anyone else heard anything about this therapy? It certainly would be safer than a vaccine, from my admittedly limited understanding of plasma treatments. I have had to have plasma treatments when I was first diagnosed with ESRD, I trust this method for my weak immunity over vaccinations. I am not anti-vaccine by any means, if it helps people and the choice to receive it is your own then I am glad it is an option that is now available.

I am simply hoping for information and thoughts of others here for options for immunocompromised patients. Please post peer reviewed articles if you have them! I would love to read them, and I am sure others would as well, so please, share away!

Convalescent Plasma Therapy

Convalescent therapy is a last-ditch therapy to treat severe cases in the absence of other treatments. You are, in essence, borrowing the antibodies of someone else. It's rarely used on a mass scale, or for prophylaxis.

In the case of the immune compromised, you are, in essence, relying on herd immunity, and for those of us who can get the vaccine to do so in order to protect you.

[Oniya]

There's another concern, specifically involving immunocompromised individuals:  mutation.

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2021/02/05/964447070/where-did-the-coronavirus-variants-come-from

Short version: Immunocompromised individuals have a harder time fighting off the virus.  If they get it, the virus has a chance to adjust to the challenges posed by the already weakened immune system, and evolve more resilient strains.  It's almost like the virus is getting immunized against people.  A similar mechanism is what leads to the evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, when people don't continue with the medication for the entire dosage schedule.  The weaker strains are killed off, leaving the resistant strains to multiply.

Take-away:  If you are immunocompromised, do literally everything possible to avoid getting this crap.