SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus (COVID-19)

However, I can’t honestly say this change was strongly evidence-based because when I get to work (in a Covid hospital), I start by obsessively wiping everything down before I take my coat off and sit! It is simply my non-scientific perception of relative risks between those two environments! Below is a story of one early superspreader event that took place in a church in Singapore, that was attributed to fomites. One person who contracted it was not at the original service but came to a different service later that day and sat on seats at or close to where the index case had sat. It’s presumably still a guess as to whether the transmission was through surface contact or something still hanging in the air. [url="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52840763"]Coronavirus: The mystery of asymptomatic 'silent spreaders' - BBC News[/url] As with many things in science, especially medical science which is often a blend of art & science than pure science, the story continues to evolve....">

I am not an allergy expert but we do work with them. By my understanding of skin prick tests, these are only good at picking up reactions in a particular domain of allergic sensitivity called ‘IgE mediated’ conditions.

Our immune system has different domains and you may be aware of one which is mediated through something called T-cells. It has been in the Covid news recently as another way in which our immune systems can develop a ‘memory’ for a previous infection (or some other kind of ‘enemy’). So for example, a condition called cow’s milk protein enteropathy is one where this type of allergic reaction to cow’s milk would not be expected to show up on skin prick testing because it is not mediated through IgE antibodies but through our T-cells.

The other thing about skin prick tests is that the range of antigens they test for is usually limited in some way; so not ‘everything’ will show up. It is possible to miss some rarer allergies simply because they weren’t included.

The above is a just very basic understanding of skin tests. Others here may know much more than me.


The issue of transmission via fomites (contacting via surfaces) vs aerosols is a very interesting one. I remember earlier papers in April/May quoting around 10% of transmissions were through fomites! These days, I definitely think there is more medical talk about aerosols (and prevention with good indoor ventilation) to explain some infections.

It is still possible that fomites play a part, but less so. In the first wave, SWMBO and I were decontaminating all our incoming mail and shopping. We have not continued to do so in this second wave.

However, I can’t honestly say this change was strongly evidence-based because when I get to work (in a Covid hospital), I start by obsessively wiping everything down before I take my coat off and sit! It is simply my non-scientific perception of relative risks between those two environments!

Below is a story of one early superspreader event that took place in a church in Singapore, that was attributed to fomites. One person who contracted it was not at the original service but came to a different service later that day and sat on seats at or close to where the index case had sat. It’s presumably still a guess as to whether the transmission was through surface contact or something still hanging in the air.

Coronavirus: The mystery of asymptomatic 'silent spreaders' - BBC News

As with many things in science, especially medical science which is often a blend of art & science than pure science, the story continues to evolve....

 

Pfizer's Covid Vaccine and Allergies: How Concerned Should You Be? - The New York Times

 

feds purchase another 100 million doses of moderna

 

Many things are trade-offs between risks and benefits. Being aware of the risks, we can make plans to mitigate any potential problems. For example, I have a needle phobia. I'll take a shot but aways take a seat for 5-10 minutes until the symptoms abate.

Bob Wilson

 

I forgot about it on the cardio wing where I was instrumented. An instructor and student nurse came in to move an IV and after several failed attempts, three concerned nurses from the station joined us. So I apologized as I'd forgotten about it. Yes, it is psychological but the physiological effects are objectively measurable.

Bob Wilson

 

... some of that strongly reinforced by certain experiences in childhood. I remember several admonishments of "this won't hurt a bit", when the real goal was solely to make me hold still for a moment, them knowing full well that it would hurt. Memories of such convenient fibs long outlive the offenders.

I do. Originally from other sources of pain or nausea. But needles were pulled into this by an attempted needle aspiration biopsy of a suspected swollen lymph node. It failed, I nearly went out in the chair, then actually did moments after. A surgical biopsy followed shortly thereafter, and the first IV needle attempt collided with a vein valve. Aargh! Nerves immediately clamped down on all peripheral circulation, withdrawing other targets. It then took lots of hot moist towels and heated blankets before getting a successful IV needle on the 10th attempt. Yes, I was counting.

Final answer: that swelling wasn't a lymph node, it was a nerve sheath tumor. No wonder the probing and twisting, put me down.

I hope merely reading this doesn't put anyone else down ...

 

MUST ?? What exactly makes you think that ??
I don't think that is a given at all.......absent a good saturation of vaccine usage.

 

Did he mean 'must' in a predictive or a hortatory sense?

 

Ironic and tragic at the same time

Biogen's Boston medical conference linked to as many as 300,000 COVID-19 cases in U.S. - CBS News

 

a lot of our local cases started there, amazed at the contact tracing job they have done. i suppose if it wasn't that event, it would have been another.

 

are the downward trends post surge from thanksgiving? we seemed to have leveled out, but Christmas is coming

 

that's not what i'm seeing on the 7 day average at mdph

hospitalizations are increasing though

i don't follow florida closely, because i'm not allowed there this year. but on worldometers, it looks fairly flat.
(and they have no mountains to speak of)

 

in all honesty, i don't trust mdph. they are constantly moving the goal posts. for what reason? i cannot say. but it sure makes it confusing without continuity.
they claim that they keep coming up with new and better ways to report data, but then, you can't compare it historically, unless you have the availability to restructure the old data. which is not reported publicly, if it is available at all.
the only thing i can see, is that the 7 day average is the start of the downward trend.