This pandemic may be short

[cornishdreams1]

I wanted to share with you the article published today in the Times. Professor Levit a Nobel prize winner no less, and a mathematical genius has estimated after looking at the numbers that this pandemic will be short, and can be controlled. If we observe the restrictions now we can expect it to be over quickly.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/pandemic-can-be-controlled-says-scientist-michael-levitt-bp7qd39lv

The whole world of medicine is working on an antidote, there have been some very encouraging progress, the vaccine is being tested now (after skipping other stages because it is so urgent)

nypost.com/2020/03/18/japanese-flu-drug-clearly-effective-in-treating-coronavirus-officials-say/

There is every reason to believe that this is not going to be the new normal, but a short blip until we are able to get find a solution. The world economy is banking on a quick fix, so lets hope it will be with us soon.
WE may change in the process, the country may change in many ways after this, but this is not going to be our lives forever.

We should prepare mentally for a long lockdown, but for those that need at least a flicker of hope that we will be peaking soon, and back on the downward trajectory and back to some sort of normal, there is science behind that as well. Look at HK, China and S.Korea.

Pandemics may become regular, or this may never happen again, but the sun is shining this morning and we are all well enough to post on here.

Most common coronavirus is the common cold and they haven’t found a cure for that yet

Because there's not a huge amount of money in it. A small fraction of colds (something like 20%?) are caused by coronaviruses, so if you made a vaccine it would maybe at best stop 20% of common colds. There's not a huge amount of money for pharma companies in vaccines anyway, they aren't going to invest in that.

There are vaccines for some animal coronaviruses, have been for years.

Lovely words op, I think there will be a new normal after all this is over hopefully where people appreciate each other and public services like the NHS more and the government’s take care of them because they understand the impact on the economy if there is a new medical emergency.

I speak to people in China for my job and spoke to a chap last week and this week who told me that they were going back to work in the office instead of from home and some cafes were opening. He had been WFH for 8 weeks. Small rays of positivity.

Op is also right about the brightest, smartest minds in the world working around the clock on treatments and a vaccine and that WILL happen one day in the future. Someone’s son or daughter is working on it now- Imagine what a day that will be!

I do think we've all had a sharp reminder about what is actually important in life and what isn't, so in that sense, things won't be the same again. I hope that we do remember to value the people who are currently working around the clock to try and keep us safe, sane and fed. Certainly, I won't take things for granted ever again.

It's frankly a relief to have a positive thread so another thank you to cornishdreams1.

Cronishdreams1

Yes a lot of devlopment work is being done behind the scenes but vaccines arent made operational overnight they need testing and in humans mainly, tho someone has bred a mouse that works very closely to a human body can you believe!

I suspect that the vacc will work but the real issue is one of safety in that they will be OK to use causing no other damage to the body thats why the long time scales. They used to be several years but they can short circuit that a bit nowadays.

In the meatime i suspect one or more of the antivirals will be making some progress and the Hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin combination treatment wil be adopted further.

I am complying with the guidelines and doing everything I should be...but the German doctor on the YouTube clip has provided evidence for what my gut has been telling me.

The anxiety on this site is unbearable

hamstersarse

What clip?

Johns Hopkins University has also published some data about the virus remaining detectable on surfaces. What’s actually left after 72hrs is less than 0.1% of the virus structure as it degrades over time. So the longer it’s there the less likely it is to infect you,m

Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t wipe surfaces down etc but for those worrying about the virus on surfaces this might be of comfort to know.

Link to what I posted above.

hub.jhu.edu/2020/03/20/sars-cov-2-survive-on-surfaces/

I'm bumping this thread... everybody needs the chance to read it. It's a breath of fresh air. :)

That really is a comfort, @FeelingCrap54.

I'm going to follow this in case I misguidedly pop onto mumsnet when I know I shouldn't for my sanity!

We're following all the rules of course, I'm very realistic about the situation, but it's nice to have some hope and also to find a thread where posters aren't being deeply unpleasant.

The anxiety on this site is unbearable

It really is. I need to stop looking for the sake of my mental health, but am struggling not to! Having said that, reading this particular thread got my day off to a much more positive start than yesterday, so it’s not all bad.

Thank you so much for a positive thread, marking my place to pop back as and when.

Yes it would be nice to keep it going, with more positive news if there is any.

There is always light at the end of the tunnel.
We need more positive posts and hope 🙏

May I add to the positive news. This article in the FT features an Oxford study which advances the theory that half of the population have already had CV19 and have the antibodies. They want to urgently begin antibody testing. Whilst I can see issues with this proposition in that it isn't then clear whilst we have seen a delay in seriously ill hospital admissions, it does tie in with there being so many mystery coughing illnesses at the beginning of the year. I know these things are quite nebulous and anecdotal but it was widely commented on (and I had a walrus of a dry cough for three weeks with largely no other cold or flu like symptoms).
www.ft.com/content/5ff6469a-6dd8-11ea-89df-41bea055720b

Yes, I read that story about the Oxford study too. More positive possibilities in that if it proves accurate, many people will have already had it, probably in a very mild form, and will now be immune even though we don't know it. Still makes sense to isolate to be sure, but it would also mean far fewer people should be seriously ill with it than has been feared, and we should hopefully be out of lockdown sooner.

It’d feel pretty good to know you’d had it without knowing. I don’t think I have though.

Just realised what I said doesn’t quite stack up
But anyway...

Marsha, I know exact what you mean.

You might have seen this I posed here and there well this is the drug that Pres Trump has been on about and now it seems a man in the NY Times says yep!, it does work and very well too!"

Mind you he only had the anti malarial add in the antibotic and much much better s results and sooner!

techcrunch.com/2020/03/19/french-study-finds-anti-malarial-and-antibiotic-combo-could-reduce-covid-19-duration/

nypost.com/2020/03/22/florida-man-with-coronavirus-says-drug-touted-by-trump-saved-his-life/

Here in Germany as well, loads of people had a bad cough/flu type thing in January. No doubt a lot of it was just normal flu but it doesn't seem far-fetched to think the virus has been around longer than we think and a lot of people have already had it without knowing it.

We simply don't know a lot right now, it's ok to hope that as we find out more, the overall picture will look a little less dire.

Thank you! I'm so sick of reading ones about who has seen who breaking the rules. I mean, I know it's important that everyone follows the restrictions but we get it now, not everyone is so let's stop having the exact same threads about it and start some positivity like this.

now it's happening I'm all keep calm and carry on

I'm like that during the day.

When I wake up in the early hours of the morning, and can't get back to sleep I'm more Corporal Jones than Ray Mears. . . . .

Great thread, thanks OP.