The Worldwide C0VlD-19 Coronavirus Pandemic Discussion Thread...

[Tommo]

Walking my dog today and came upon a black swan, which is what we likely have here.
I am getting more apprehensive daily as my wife works in a hospital and walks past the C0VlD-19 testing station a few times plus the train journey exposes her. The TV says I won't be treated due to my age if i get infected so here's hoping my plant based diet has improved my immune system enough to help out. Strange times. Has anyone else read Scott Adams God's Debris book? Sorry for rambling on a bit but the world feels weird at the moment.

 

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[Timmy C]

I have read of one person in isolation i believe in this thread.

Most of us i feel will be here soon enough...

Feel free to join my ''isolation cooking help'' facebook group - if you are struggling.

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

www.facebook.com

Just want to help people out if i can that are in distress.

Most of you will know i'm a chef by trade and i can help if you have any food related questions or issues.

Can do a skype call as well to help out if you need, i won't be available all the time but will jump on a call to whoever i can.

 

[Primeperiwinkle]

I have read of one person in isolation i believe in this thread.

Most of us i feel will be here soon enough...

Feel free to join my ''isolation cooking help'' facebook group - if you are struggling.

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

www.facebook.com

Just want to help people out if i can that are in distress.

Most of you will know i'm a chef by trade and i can help if you have any food related questions or issues.

Can do a skype call as well to help out if you need, i won't be available all the time but will jump on a call to whoever i can.

SQUEEE!
I’m suddenly ridiculously excited about mastering cooking beans and I have no idea why!!!

Teach me everything!!! I’m CLEARLY in need of help over here! lmfao... #butimserious #help #beansbeansbeans

ETA: I forgot to update everyone!!! @NateKruse I made the beans tonight the way you said and THEY CAME OUT GREAT! I made white bean chicken chili and the kids ate it all!

 

[Bearcorp]

I have read of one person in isolation i believe in this thread.

Most of us i feel will be here soon enough...

Feel free to join my ''isolation cooking help'' facebook group - if you are struggling.

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

www.facebook.com

Just want to help people out if i can that are in distress.

Most of you will know i'm a chef by trade and i can help if you have any food related questions or issues.

Can do a skype call as well to help out if you need, i won't be available all the time but will jump on a call to whoever i can.

This is a great idea! People do and will continue to need a lot of assistance with this, great stuff. Nutritional advice, ways to cook beans (@Primeperiwinkle ) great work mate, get stuck into this!

 

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[ChrisV]

Amazon seeks to hire 100,000 workers to keep up during outbreak

Employees in the US and Canada will also get an additional $2 an hour through April.

futurism.com

This is amazing. Many people displaced in their brick-and-morter jobs are potentially going to be hired by one of the biggest tech companies in the world.

It's really fascinating. We spend 25 years building this able-to-do-almost-anything-from-home ecosystem that we haven't used to it's full capacity, and now is it's time to shine and very likely evolve further.

I hope all you guys will be on the lookout for new markets popping up.

 

[MoneyDoc]

This is amazing. Many people displaced in their birck-and-morter jobs are potentially going to be hired by one of the biggest tech companies in the world.

Amazon seeks to hire 100,000 workers to keep up during outbreak

Employees in the US and Canada will also get an additional $2 an hour through April.

futurism.com

It's really fascinating. We spend 25 years building this able-to-do-almost-anything-from-home ecosystem, and now is it's time to shine and further evolve.

eCommerce sales will be increased drastically in the coming months as soon as people stop focusing on essentials and start buying what they normally would. Keep in mind, people still need to lose weight, people still need protein, people still need socks, people still need lamps, and so on.

 

[ChrisV]

eCommerce sales will be increased drastically in the coming months as soon as people stop focusing on essentials and start buying what they normally would. Keep in mind, people still need to lose weight, people still need protein, people still need socks, people still need lamps, and so on.

I wonder if they're going to start turning to Amazon for even the essentials.

 

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[MoneyDoc]

I wonder if they're going to start turning to Amazon for even the essentials.

They already are! Which is why my sales are cut 50-60% currently. Look at the top sellers in Beauty & Health and Personal Care - all toilet paper, hand sanitizers, masks, detergent, soap, gloves, etc. Daily essentials and PPE. Supplements from corporate brands that would rank 10-15 in Health and Personal Care, are ranking 60, 100, 200! That is a HUGE drop in sales when you look at volume in that category. Sales are picking up for us again, but it's still not where it was 2 months ago.

 

[msufan]

I wonder if they're going to start turning to Amazon for even the essentials.

I tried using Prime Pantry to buy some groceries and they couldn't be delivered until March 31st, so yeah, I think more than a few other people have started using Amazon for basic essentials.

 

[lowtek]

I tried using Prime Pantry to buy some groceries and they couldn't be delivered until March 31st, so yeah, I think more than a few other people have started using Amazon for basic essentials.

Amazon outright cancelled my orders. We're getting food pickup from the local Frys so I don't have to deal with the infected hordes in the store.

 

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[JordanK]

I’m social isolating which is what its called here in Ireland for all the people who are staying in their homes without being affected by virus or presumed to be infected.

150k people or about 5% of Irelands total workforce lost their jobs today. The government is sending them all emergency payments. Talks of a temporary UBI for all citizens as the entire country is staying at home.

A few of my tenants have lost their jobs so it’ll be interesting to see if they get welfare to pay their rent.

Lucky for me my Dad nearly went bankrupt in 08’ so I always kept reserves in place and didn’t expand my business as aggressively as some others had tried pushing me. So I have enough cash to sustain myself for a few months before Id have to make difficult choices. Also, three weeks ago I stopped all non-essential business expenses which has extended my financial runway.

I hope you all heed my advice and do the same as literally the entirely economy has ground to a halt.

My business partner is trying to get home from New York to Ireland as I speak. From what he describes is still going on, ye all don’t know how big a shit storm is coming. Him included, he’s in for a shock when he arrives home. As some of the business decisions he has been trying to make from New York make no sense on the ground here in Ireland so there have been some tough conversations!

*Edit: Some other news from today is that by the end of the week all flights in Europe look like they’ll be grounded. A few of my friends on holidays got repatriated by the government paying airliner to go get them in the Canary Islands, Spain. Government have announced if you aren’t home in Ireland by the 19th of March they can’t help you anymore.

 

[GIlman]

I don't regard myself as big conspiracist but something about this just doesn't sit right with me.

It just seems odd that there are all of these small countries all over the world with small populations that have maybe one confirmed case. I understand that possibly traveling in and out could cause some of this to occur, but it just makes me wonder if this virus wasn't somehow "planted". It just doesn't seem quite right..

Check out all the countries on Worldometer that only has one case.
Coronavirus Update (Live): 182,442 Cases and 7,158 Deaths from C0VlD-19 Virus Outbreak - Worldometer

I kinda doubt the numbers are entirely accurate, actually I’m certain they aren’t. Look at the US, right now there are 12 serious/critical, yesterday there were 10. But we had 18 deaths. One would expect the serious and critical to be significantly greater than that.

there are so many points of input, I think some corners are just left out or not really reporting to begin with.

I look at all these numbers a simply minimums. This is the minimum number everywhere, the true number is unknown but certainly higher. Some places minimums are closer to actual numbers than others.

heck, as of today in Arizona they have conducted 200 tests, 18 infected.

AZDHS | Epidemiology & Disease Control - Highlighted Infectious Disease for Arizona

Working to monitor, prevent and control diseases in Arizona through education, immunization and research.

azdhs.gov

In washington state they have tested 12,500.

https://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/Coronavirus

there is so much sampling bias right now it’s impossible to really have an accurate picture of what’s going on.

all these countries listing 1 case, how many tests have actually been done. If AZ in a highly industrialized country has only mustered up doing 200 test, there are certainly lots of countries whose total testing response is even less than that.

 

[biggeemac]

SQUEEE!
I’m suddenly ridiculously excited about mastering cooking beans and I have no idea why!!!

Teach me everything!!! I’m CLEARLY in need of help over here! lmfao... #butimserious #help #beansbeansbeans

ETA: I forgot to update everyone!!! @NateKruse I made the beans tonight the way you said and THEY CAME OUT GREAT! I made white bean chicken chili and the kids ate it all!

An amazing silver lining in all this......Americas obesity/junk food problem, solved by C0VlD-19 forced quarantines and social distancing.

 

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[EVMaso]

Our stupid government is so wishy-washy. They are "urging" citizens to stay inside. Of course that won't do jack shit, people are still out there mingling. I saw a bunch of people running around playing in the park on my way home. Some of my co-workers are pulling the "it's just the flu" line. In my head I'm strangling them, slowly.

Canada has a much smaller population than the US, and it's more spread out, though clustered in a few areas. Stricter quarantine/distancing measures (fines for disobeying etc.) and earlier action would probably have gone a long way to stopping this thing dead in its tracks. But now it's spreading out there just beyond control, and we'll have to wait weeks/months to see any resolution.

 

[traction2]

A cure has been found.....

Researchers want to trial drug ‘cure’ for coronavirus on patients

A team of Australian researchers say they’ve found a cure for the novel coronavirus and hope to have patients enrolled in a nationwide trial by the end of the month.

www.news.com.au

https://docs.google.com/document/d/e...VjIL-7deJ7/pub

 

[biggeemac]

My daughter went to the clinic today, coughing a lung up and nausea for almost two weeks now. She didn't get select for Covid testing because she didn't meet the fever criteria......insane. She even told them that she works as a caregiver at a care facility. She was treated as though she has pneumonia and sent home. The US healthcare system is a complete embarrassment through all this.

 

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[Timmy C]

My mate in australia and me where chatting. I had know idea how smart he was, he just sent me this.

''Well I will talk to you about that a bit. I think it won’t come to that but like you I prepared earlier. I have food, fuel, no generator but an inverter that runs off 12 volts. I also have been training stick and knife fighting. I have chickens and have downloaded videos on how to prep wild game. I have a rabbit trap and am getting a map of my local area to identify food sources. I have a .22 with around 500 rounds and a pissy little air rifle. A bit over the top and I haven’t told anyone the extent to which I have gone except for you. So I see where you are coming from. I don’t think it will be that bad but call it insurance. Also have 8000 litres of water, chlorine, Wood for the indoor fire. ''

F*ck ME and i think i prepared well.

 

[GIlman]

This is a bit of a technical discussion, but I thought some people might find it interesting.

COVID appears to bind to something called the ACE2 receptor. A virus has to bind to something to infect a cell. ACE means angiotensin converting enzyme, and is part of your bodies regulatory system for blood pressure. If anyone is on blood pressure drugs called "ACE inhibitors", that's what these drugs are doing is inhibiting this enzyme.

Very simplistically, this enzyme converts a substance (Angiotensin 1) to another substance (Angiotensin 2). Angiotensin 1 is "produced" by the kidneys in different amounts overtime in response to keep blood pressure within a specific range.

ACE2 is found in large quantities in the Lungs, kidneys, heart, and intestines but is present to some degree in a lot of tissues. It is interesting that initial symptoms are in the lungs and intestines, both routes of entry.

As I have said in other posts, there have been some reports of kidney and heart as well as liver damage from COVID. There can be lots of reasons for this. In severely ill people, they can develop multi system organ failure because everything in the body is so messed up. But I'm wondering if the liver, kidney, and heart damage is related to the virus directly infecting these tissues.

Another thing I have been interested in is if ACE inhibitors drugs used for high blood pressure could compete with the virus and provide some sort of protection. Also since the virus binds to ACE2 which remember is related to your body maintaining a stable good blood pressure, does it prevent this enzyme from working normally, and what the direct impact the virus has on maintaining a stable blood pressure.

One of the conditions listed as increasing the risk of death is hypertension (high blood pressure). Which is kind of a little bit odd of a risk factor for an infection. However, given that the virus attacks these ACE2 receptors related to blood pressure regulation....hmmm...makes me wonder.

 

[Tommo]

I’m social isolating which is what its called here in Ireland for all the people who are staying in their homes without being affected by virus or presumed to be infected.

150k people or about 5% of Irelands total workforce lost their jobs today. The government is sending them all emergency payments. Talks of a temporary UBI for all citizens as the entire country is staying at home.

A few of my tenants have lost their jobs so it’ll be interesting to see if they get welfare to pay their rent.

Lucky for me my Dad nearly went bankrupt in 08’ so I always kept reserves in place and didn’t expand my business as aggressively as some others had tried pushing me. So I have enough cash to sustain myself for a few months before Id have to make difficult choices. Also, three weeks ago I stopped all non-essential business expenses which has extended my financial runway.

I hope you all heed my advice and do the same as literally the entirely economy has ground to a halt.

My business partner is trying to get home from New York to Ireland as I speak. From what he describes is still going on, ye all don’t know how big a shit storm is coming. Him included, he’s in for a shock when he arrives home. As some of the business decisions he has been trying to make from New York make no sense on the ground here in Ireland so there have been some tough conversations!

*Edit: Some other news from today is that by the end of the week all flights in Europe look like they’ll be grounded. A few of my friends on holidays got repatriated by the government paying airliner to go get them in the Canary Islands, Spain. Government have announced if you aren’t home in Ireland by the 19th of March they can’t help you anymore.

This is not the Paddy's Day you were expecting eh. Stay safe and drink Kilkennys.

 

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[biggeemac]

This is a bit of a technical discussion, but I thought some people might find it interesting.

COVID appears to bind to something called the ACE2 receptor. A virus has to bind to something to infect a cell. ACE means angiotensin converting enzyme, and is part of your bodies regulatory system for blood pressure. If anyone is on blood pressure drugs called "ACE inhibitors", that's what these drugs are doing is inhibiting this enzyme.

Very simplistically, this enzyme converts a substance (Angiotensin 1) to another substance (Angiotensin 2). Angiotensin 1 is "produced" by the kidneys in different amounts overtime in response to keep blood pressure within a specific range.

ACE2 is found in large quantities in the Lungs, kidneys, heart, and intestines but is present to some degree in a lot of tissues. It is interesting that initial symptoms are in the lungs and intestines, both routes of entry.

As I have said in other posts, there have been some reports of kidney and heart as well as liver damage from COVID. There can be lots of reasons for this. In severely ill people, they can develop multi system organ failure because everything in the body is so messed up. But I'm wondering if the liver, kidney, and heart damage is related to the virus directly infecting these tissues.

Another thing I have been interested in is if ACE inhibitors drugs used for high blood pressure could compete with the virus and provide some sort of protection. Also since the virus binds to ACE2 which remember is related to your body maintaining a stable good blood pressure, does it prevent this enzyme from working normally, and what the direct impact the virus has on maintaining a stable blood pressure.

One of the conditions listed as increasing the risk of death is hypertension (high blood pressure). Which is kind of a little bit odd of a risk factor for an infection. However, given that the virus attacks these ACE2 receptors related to blood pressure regulation....hmmm...makes me wonder.

So, since your mind is thinking about this, perhaps you can answer another question. I have two houses with several bedrooms.....probably 16 bedrooms in total between the two houses. If it ever became necessary, what would it take to convert my rooms into quarantine units with oxygen suppliment? Would this even be feasible, or would it prohibitively expensive?

 

[ChrisV]

One would expect the serious and critical to be significantly greater than that.

I think the way they define "serious" and "critical" are different than how we define them colloquially. I remember reading that those designations have to do with if oxygen has to be administered or not but I'm fuzzy on the exact definitions.

A cure has been found.....

Researchers want to trial drug ‘cure’ for coronavirus on patients

A team of Australian researchers say they’ve found a cure for the novel coronavirus and hope to have patients enrolled in a nationwide trial by the end of the month.

www.news.com.au

https://docs.google.com/document/d/e...VjIL-7deJ7/pub

I'd be cautious reading anything using the word 'cure' especially if it hasn't undergone trials. Maybe it's a potential treatment, and it may turn out to be a very effective potential treatment. But news media throws around the word 'cure' without even knowing what that word means, and it makes scientists' skin crawl. But from reading the article (and not doing any further reading, so take that with a grain of salt) that does sound promising. Cool find.

Another thing I have been interested in is if ACE inhibitors drugs used for high blood pressure could compete with the virus and provide some sort of protection. Also since the virus binds to ACE2 which remember is related to your body maintaining a stable good blood pressure, does it prevent this enzyme from working normally, and what the direct impact the virus has on maintaining a stable blood pressure.

As I was reading your post, I was thinking the same thing. If you could get an agonist or antagonist to bind to those receptors maybe it could slow or prevent COVID from affecting them.

Do we know what it's doing at the receptor? Is it activating the receptor or is it blocking the body natural enzymes from activating it (agonizing/antagonizing)

It does appear that the virus has a relationship with blood pressure. What that relationship is, I'm not qualified to say, but here are a couple articles:

https://www.cardiovascularbusiness....ertension-key-dangerous-factor-C0VlD-19-death

He said that of a group of 170 patients who died of C0VlD-19 in January in Wuhan, nearly half had hypertension. “That’s a very high ratio,” he told Bloomberg over the phone from Wuhan. “From what I was told by other doctors and the data I can see myself, among all the underlying diseases, hypertension is a key dangerous factor.”

"people with hypertension have worse outcomes than those with any other underlying condition." (quote source)

As I have said in other posts, there have been some reports of kidney and heart as well as liver damage from COVID. There can be lots of reasons for this. In severely ill people, they can develop multi system organ failure because everything in the body is so messed up. But I'm wondering if the liver, kidney, and heart damage is related to the virus directly infecting these tissues.

Here's another reason I'd be curious to see if it's activating or blocking activation.

Low blood pressure seems to be a symptom of COVID, so perhaps it's wrecking havoc and inhibiting the ACE receptor and not allowing Angiotensin-converting enzyme from doing it's job. In other words, acting like an ACE inhibitor medication in wildly high doses.If that's the case maybe an ACE2 receptor agonist could be used as a temporary life-support measure

But if that's true then ACE inhibitor medications could actually harm the person even more as you've have 2 substances inhibiting it. But then that doesn't explain why people with high blood pressure are at such high risk, unless it's because those patients are on inhibitors.

I'm just spitballing here as I'm certainly not an expert on the cardiovascular system, but it is an interesting hypothesis. Fill me in if you have any answers.

 

[GIlman]

There are several drugs that are being investigated right now.

Chloroquine, an antimalarial drug.

Favipiravir, a flu drug

Remdesivir, an experimental antiviral drug not yet approved by the FDA, and unfortunately I’ve been hearing early rumors that it’s causing liver enzymes to bump up, meaning it’s causing liver damage. And that will totally kill a drug from getting approval.

Lopinavir and ritonavir combined, these are both HIV drugs but are often combined to treat HIV.

I have seen recommendations coming out of South Korea to combine the two HIV drugs with chloroquine.

It’s important to understand though with an illness like this where most people recover on their own, you need sizable populations and double blind controlled trial to prove that these are effective.

that said, if I had a severe infection with respiratory problems, would I take these drugs (SK recommendation). most likely

 

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[Thoelt53]

This is a bit of a technical discussion, but I thought some people might find it interesting.

COVID appears to bind to something called the ACE2 receptor. A virus has to bind to something to infect a cell. ACE means angiotensin converting enzyme, and is part of your bodies regulatory system for blood pressure. If anyone is on blood pressure drugs called "ACE inhibitors", that's what these drugs are doing is inhibiting this enzyme.

Very simplistically, this enzyme converts a substance (Angiotensin 1) to another substance (Angiotensin 2). Angiotensin 1 is "produced" by the kidneys in different amounts overtime in response to keep blood pressure within a specific range.

ACE2 is found in large quantities in the Lungs, kidneys, heart, and intestines but is present to some degree in a lot of tissues. It is interesting that initial symptoms are in the lungs and intestines, both routes of entry.

As I have said in other posts, there have been some reports of kidney and heart as well as liver damage from COVID. There can be lots of reasons for this. In severely ill people, they can develop multi system organ failure because everything in the body is so messed up. But I'm wondering if the liver, kidney, and heart damage is related to the virus directly infecting these tissues.

Another thing I have been interested in is if ACE inhibitors drugs used for high blood pressure could compete with the virus and provide some sort of protection. Also since the virus binds to ACE2 which remember is related to your body maintaining a stable good blood pressure, does it prevent this enzyme from working normally, and what the direct impact the virus has on maintaining a stable blood pressure.

One of the conditions listed as increasing the risk of death is hypertension (high blood pressure). Which is kind of a little bit odd of a risk factor for an infection. However, given that the virus attacks these ACE2 receptors related to blood pressure regulation....hmmm...makes me wonder.

I’ve been wondering the same. Other articles I have read suggest that ACE2 inhibitors as well as ARBs ultimately lead to increased production of ACE2 receptors.

I don’t know enough about the subject to say, but it seems to be a chicken or the egg came first type thing.

I do know that doctors say if you are taking an ACE2 inhibitor or an ARB drug, continue to do so as there isn’t enough evidence to say one way or another.

However I do have hypertension, and I am prescribed a calcium channel blocker. I don’t know if I should be grateful or to wish I was taking an ACE2 inhibitor.

 

[Thoelt53]

I think the way they define "serious" and "critical" are different than how we define them colloquially. I remember reading that those designations have to do with if oxygen has to be administered or not but I'm fuzzy on the exact definitions.



I'd be cautious reading anything using the word 'cure' especially if it hasn't undergone trials. Maybe it's a potential treatment, and it may turn out to be a very effective potential treatment. But news media throws around the word 'cure' without even knowing what that word means, and it makes scientists' skin crawl. But from reading the article (and not doing any further reading, so take that with a grain of salt) that does sound promising. Cool find.




As I was reading your post, I was thinking the same thing. If you could get an agonist or antagonist to bind to those receptors maybe it could slow or prevent COVID from affecting them.

Do we know what it's doing at the receptor? Is it activating the receptor or is it blocking the body natural enzymes from activating it (agonizing/antagonizing)

It does appear that the virus has a relationship with blood pressure. What that relationship is, I'm not qualified to say, but here are a couple articles:

https://www.cardiovascularbusiness....ertension-key-dangerous-factor-C0VlD-19-death

He said that of a group of 170 patients who died of C0VlD-19 in January in Wuhan, nearly half had hypertension. “That’s a very high ratio,” he told Bloomberg over the phone from Wuhan. “From what I was told by other doctors and the data I can see myself, among all the underlying diseases, hypertension is a key dangerous factor.”

"people with hypertension have worse outcomes than those with any other underlying condition." (quote source)



Here's another reason I'd be curious to see if it's activating or blocking activation.

Low blood pressure seems to be a symptom of COVID, so perhaps it's wrecking havoc and inhibiting the ACE receptor and not allowing Angiotensin-converting enzyme from doing it's job. In other words, acting like an ACE inhibitor medication in wildly high doses.If that's the case maybe an ACE2 receptor agonist could be used as a temporary life-support measure

But if that's true then ACE inhibitor medications could actually harm the person even more as you've have 2 substances inhibiting it. But then that doesn't explain why people with high blood pressure are at such high risk, unless it's because those patients are on inhibitors.

I'm just spitballing here as I'm certainly not an expert on the cardiovascular system, but it is an interesting hypothesis. Fill me in if you have any answers.

Very interesting thoughts. I too have read about C0VlD-19 patients having very low blood pressure.

Does an extreme low blood pressure carry the same risks as heart disease where the heart can’t clear fluid from the lungs?

 

[GIlman]

So, since your mind is thinking about this, perhaps you can answer another question. I have two houses with several bedrooms.....probably 16 bedrooms in total between the two houses. If it ever became necessary, what would it take to convert my rooms into quarantine units with oxygen suppliment? Would this even be feasible, or would it prohibitively expensive?

What do you mean by oxygen supplementation. First off you need either a license to have installed oxygen (like at a hospital) or a prescription to get an oxygen concentrators. You can also get oxygen concentrators without a prescription if your an appropriately licensed facility.

Probably one of the most important things if you are having a quarentine type setup is independent AC/heat without shared ductwork. I don’t remember which state, but one of them bought one of those dingy travel lodge or similar hotels with separate doors to outside with independent AC/heat units. The goal is no shared air space.

 

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[Xeon]

Damn boy. I think China is the safest place in the world to be right now.

 

[GIlman]

I’ve been wondering the same. Other articles I have read suggest that ACE2 inhibitors as well as ARBs ultimately lead to increased production of ACE2 receptors.

I don’t know enough about the subject to say, but it seems to be a chicken or the egg came first type thing.

I do know that doctors say if you are taking an ACE2 inhibitor or an ARB drug, continue to do so as there isn’t enough evidence to say one way or another.

However I do have hypertension, and I am prescribed a calcium channel blocker. I don’t know if I should be grateful or to wish I was taking an ACE2 inhibitor.

Wow, interesting idea. I’ll do some more research, but it would not be surprising at all if ACE inhibitors unregulated the ACE2 receptor.

Here is an interesting thought. If ACE inhibitors unregulated ACE2 receptors (unregulated means increase number per cell), then there are more targets on each cell for the virus to attach and attack that cell. Maybe there is a significant risk related to that. It makes the degree of infection worse. It could also explain why some younger people have such bad disease, maybe it’s related to underlying high blood pressure and ACE inhibitors treatment. This is pure speculation on my part, don’t take it as anything proven.

@ChrisV when we say receptor, it’s only a receptor as far as the virus is concerned, I.e. the virus can attach to it. ACE2 is actually a protein enzyme that facilitates the chemical conversion of angiotensin 1 to angiotensin 2. In that regard I would expect that the virus may be able to prevent this chemical conversion. But it’s not a chemical signaling receptor, so the virus could not function as a receptor agonist per se (an agonist of a chemical signaling receptor activates that receptor), like you see with chemical signaling in cells.

 

[ChrisV]

I’ve been wondering the same. Other articles I have read suggest that ACE2 inhibitors as well as ARBs ultimately lead to increased production of ACE2 receptors.

Yea that's really common... generally when you block a receptor the body responds by producing more and when you activate a receptor it responds by producing less.

That's actually how drug addiction (dependence rather) develops.

Someone takes X drug, and the brain makes less of the corresponding receptors so now the person needs the drug in order to feel the way they did before taking the drug. Slight oversimplification, but yea.

Does an extreme low blood pressure carry the same risks as heart disease where the heart can’t clear fluid from the lungs?

Good question. I honestly don't know. The CDC does say that heart disease is definitely a risk factor:

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Coronavirus disease 2019 (C0VlD-19) is a virus (more specifically, a coronavirus) identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China.

www.cdc.gov

And we know that pneumonia is one of the big problems with COVID. So it's a solid hypothesis.

Breathing is one of the biggest concerns which is why everyone is talking about Oxygen machines.

Maybe COVID inhibits ACE which lowers blood pressure, which causes the lungs to fill up. COPD (poor lung function is also a big risk factor)

Again mostly spitballing and hypothesizing here but it's interesting to think about.

 

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[Rivoli]

‪ITALY DROP IN NEW CASES! March 14: 3,590, March 15: 3.233!!!!‬

 

[Bekit]

Ran across this video today. It explains the ACE2 receptors (and the implications) really clearly.

View: https://youtu.be/1vZDVbqRhyM