SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus (COVID-19)

In principal what you have described for the "antibody test" is the technic of using an antibody to detect the presence of antigen (a substance that binds antibody). But to my knowledge, most of the "antibody test" we have been talking about is a serological test on the human population to detect the presence of antibody (IgG subclass but may include IgM subclass for the early phase of the immune response) against SARS-CoV-2. A distinction needs to be made for those two different antibody tests.

As for the PCR test, I am pretty sure that none of currently in use RT-PCR for the diagnosis of COVID-19 uses "gel electrophoresis" for the detection of amplified DNA. They now use a platform that is "real-time" so that amplified DNA can be detected in situ in the plate on a PCR machine, mostly using fluorescent dye incorporation.

Plasmapheresis and using tainted plasma for other human treatment is one sure way to spread the virus. AIDS epidemic in many countries was accelerated precisely by that mode of transmission.
The AIDS epidemic and commercial plasmapheresis. - PubMed - NCBI

 

We agree but I we're getting pleas for blood donation and their only COVID-19 claim is 'you won't catch it.' But I throughly agree with your analysis that blood donations from COVID-19 recovered or asymptomatic individuals has a significant risk. Just I don't think they are screening the donors expect from the lame, 20 questions survey.

Now I suspect that plasma could be treated to kill any virus while preserving the antibodies. My thinking is low or elevated temperature might denature the virus. Going after the plasmid coating might also work without risking the antibodies. But these are my personal speculations.

Bob Wilson

 

The one that comes to mind is to avoid those that could have metal or plastic directly supporting the filter media just to have easier time cutting.

Thanks. My description came from what I worked with in the lab years ago.

 

The temperature that would denature virus would effectively denature antibody or immunoglobulin which are made of mostly protein moiety. There are other effective means of isolating and purifying immunoglobulin from plasma. But I just can not see FDA would ever approve the use of such antibody collected even purified from actively infected patients to be used for therapy for others.

I am not an expert on the subject of immunotherapy, but the standard method of producing therapeutic antibodies are using animal, mostly lab or farm animals such as rabbit, chicken, cow, goat, for polyclonal antibodies, or in hybridoma cell culture originating from mice for monoclonal antibodies.

Note of caution is that even such antibodies can be mass-produced, it's therapeutic use may still be difficult in light of the fact that there exist many challenges and hindrances for the development of effective immunotherapy reagents for other known infectious disease.
Therapeutic antibodies for infectious diseases

 

The plasma that is being collected used is coming from recovered patients. There is still risk of live virus still being present in their blood, but presumably, the plasma is being given to those already with a high virus load; the sick.

 

Regarding Covid-19 research. For those of you that may not fully understand what's being done with all the thousands of people contributing their spare computer time to Folding@Home and the Rosetta@home projects, here is an April 3rd article that shows and explains some of the progress made recently. There is hope.

Capturing the Covid-19 Demogorgon (aka Spike) in action

 

It's the potential I am guessing. At the moment its just a bad flu season.

This thing was designed to be nasty fast from what I gather.

 

Hospital-wise, it is much worse than a normal bad flu season, with patients needing substantially longer support. Flu shouldn't be stacking patients head-to-toe on the hallway floors.

Deathrate-wise, a bad flu season should average 500-ish deaths per day in the U.S., less in the smaller countries. A good season, maybe one-third that rate. For Covid-19, not just the U.S., but also smaller Spain, Italy, France, and UK all higher than that now.

 

especially in a few key cities.

some things we never hear about the flu:

lack of personal protection equipment

hospital staff being infected at a high rate

lack of ventilators and icu space

closing hospitals to all non essential medical services due to high infection rate

deaths sweeping through senior residences

deaths sweeping through families

 

Here it is.
Estimates of Influenza Vaccination Coverage among Adults—United States, 2017–18 Flu Season | FluVaxView | Seasonal Influenza (Flu) | CDC

For the 2017-18 season, flu vaccination coverage increased with age, from 26.9% among adults 18-49 years to 59.6% among adults ≥65 years (Figure 2).
​

Flu Vaccination Coverage, United States, 2018–19 Influenza Season | FluVaxView | Seasonal Influenza (Flu) | CDC

Coverage for 2018–19 was higher for every age group compared with the 2017–18 season. As observed each flu season, flu vaccination coverage among adults increased with increasing age.

​

 

Our epicentric nursing home had 1/3rd of its residents die from this disease, in 3 weeks. Bad flus don't do that.

 

I hope people here in the US is not going to start taking Heartworm med for dogs.

Ivermectin drug discovery was the basis of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Medicine.

 

Nothing to see here...

 

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