Starship Asterisk*

orin stepanek wrote: ↑Sat Nov 07, 2020 4:04 pm
Bummer: Hospital called and Rehab has been postponed indefinitely because of spike in covid cases! Seems a shame[ the place is practically empty anyway! I am glad they are looking out for the wellbeing of those of us who go there! ! wish we could put the pandemic behind us already!

Haven't you HERD, Orin

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_Shrugged wrote:

Click to play embedded YouTube video.

<<Atlas Shrugged is a 1957 novel by Ayn Rand. The title is a reference to Atlas, a Titan in Greek mythology, who is described in the novel as "the giant who holds the world on his shoulders". The significance of this reference appears in a conversation between the characters Francisco d'Anconia and Hank Rearden, in which d'Anconia asks Rearden what advice he would give Atlas upon seeing "the greater [the Titan's] effort, the heavier the world bore down on his shoulders". With Rearden unable to answer, d'Anconia gives his own advice: "To shrug".

The book depicts a dystopian United States in which private businesses suffer under increasingly burdensome laws and regulations. Railroad executive Dagny Taggart and her lover, steel magnate Hank Rearden, struggle against "looters" who want to exploit their productivity. Dagny and Hank discover that a mysterious figure called John Galt is persuading other business leaders to abandon their companies and disappear as a strike of productive individuals against the looters.>>

orin stepanek wrote: ↑Sat Nov 07, 2020 9:22 pm https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/13/the-dea ... he-us.html

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/14/health/u ... index.html

Who Knows?

BDanielMayfield wrote: ↑Mon Nov 09, 2020 4:30 pm

orin stepanek wrote: ↑Sat Nov 07, 2020 9:22 pm https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/13/the-dea ... he-us.html

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/14/health/u ... index.html

Who Knows?

Dr. Fauci has factual, solid, historical data about exactly how diseases spread and the effects of this pandemic. So to your question Orin, I'd answer Fauci knows.

Thanks for sharing those news stories quoting his dire predictions re what would happen if people throw caution to the wind and just "Let it fly", hoping that herd immunity will quickly get us passed this mess. The death toll would be much more horrific than it already is.

orin stepanek wrote: ↑Mon Nov 09, 2020 9:49 pm

BDanielMayfield wrote: ↑Mon Nov 09, 2020 4:30 pm

orin stepanek wrote: ↑Sat Nov 07, 2020 9:22 pm https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/13/the-dea ... he-us.html

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/14/health/u ... index.html

Who Knows?

Dr. Fauci has factual, solid, historical data about exactly how diseases spread and the effects of this pandemic. So to your question Orin, I'd answer Fauci knows.

Thanks for sharing those news stories quoting his dire predictions re what would happen if people throw caution to the wind and just "Let it fly", hoping that herd immunity will quickly get us passed this mess. The death toll would be much more horrific than it already is.

Thanks: wasn't a ? though; more or less just passing along of waiting for the herd :shock:

Chris Peterson wrote: ↑Mon Nov 09, 2020 9:51 pm

orin stepanek wrote: ↑Mon Nov 09, 2020 9:49 pm

BDanielMayfield wrote: ↑Mon Nov 09, 2020 4:30 pm

Dr. Fauci has factual, solid, historical data about exactly how diseases spread and the effects of this pandemic. So to your question Orin, I'd answer Fauci knows.

Thanks for sharing those news stories quoting his dire predictions re what would happen if people throw caution to the wind and just "Let it fly", hoping that herd immunity will quickly get us passed this mess. The death toll would be much more horrific than it already is.

Thanks: wasn't a ? though; more or less just passing along of waiting for the herd

This disease does not appear to confer any lasting immunity on those who get it. So our hope for herd immunity hangs on the right kind of vaccine. Otherwise, we'd better develop effective treatments.

Chris Peterson wrote: ↑Mon Nov 09, 2020 9:51 pm This disease does not appear to confer any lasting immunity on those who get it. So our hope for herd immunity hangs on the right kind of vaccine. Otherwise, we'd better develop effective treatments.

BDanielMayfield wrote: ↑Thu Nov 12, 2020 2:47 am

Chris Peterson wrote: ↑Mon Nov 09, 2020 9:51 pm This disease does not appear to confer any lasting immunity on those who get it. So our hope for herd immunity hangs on the right kind of vaccine. Otherwise, we'd better develop effective treatments.

That's not at all reassuring. If catching this damn contagion doesn't even confer lasting immunity, wouldn't making "the right kind of vaccine", (one that works long term) be quite difficult?

Chris Peterson wrote: ↑Thu Nov 12, 2020 4:18 am

BDanielMayfield wrote: ↑Thu Nov 12, 2020 2:47 am

Chris Peterson wrote: ↑Mon Nov 09, 2020 9:51 pm This disease does not appear to confer any lasting immunity on those who get it. So our hope for herd immunity hangs on the right kind of vaccine. Otherwise, we'd better develop effective treatments.

That's not at all reassuring. If catching this damn contagion doesn't even confer lasting immunity, wouldn't making "the right kind of vaccine", (one that works long term) be quite difficult?

Most viruses, and especially coronaviruses, don't confer long lasting immunity. The ones that do are the exceptions. But that doesn't mean vaccines can't, because there are a variety of components of our immune system that can be involved, as well as our ability in vaccines to use techniques that enhance immune response, or tailor the antigenic component. And, of course, there's also the possibility that it will require updates every year or two, like with influenza (although hopefully not because of new mutations).

So the prospects for a vaccine are quite bit better than for natural immunity.

BDanielMayfield wrote: ↑Thu Nov 12, 2020 5:24 am

Chris Peterson wrote: ↑Thu Nov 12, 2020 4:18 am

BDanielMayfield wrote: ↑Thu Nov 12, 2020 2:47 am

That's not at all reassuring. If catching this damn contagion doesn't even confer lasting immunity, wouldn't making "the right kind of vaccine", (one that works long term) be quite difficult?

Most viruses, and especially coronaviruses, don't confer long lasting immunity. The ones that do are the exceptions. But that doesn't mean vaccines can't, because there are a variety of components of our immune system that can be involved, as well as our ability in vaccines to use techniques that enhance immune response, or tailor the antigenic component. And, of course, there's also the possibility that it will require updates every year or two, like with influenza (although hopefully not because of new mutations).

So the prospects for a vaccine are quite bit better than for natural immunity.

Thanks. That’s much more hopeful.

KayBur wrote: ↑Fri Nov 27, 2020 4:41 pm

BDanielMayfield wrote: ↑Thu Nov 12, 2020 5:24 am

Chris Peterson wrote: ↑Thu Nov 12, 2020 4:18 am

Most viruses, and especially coronaviruses, don't confer long lasting immunity. The ones that do are the exceptions. But that doesn't mean vaccines can't, because there are a variety of components of our immune system that can be involved, as well as our ability in vaccines to use techniques that enhance immune response, or tailor the antigenic component. And, of course, there's also the possibility that it will require updates every year or two, like with influenza (although hopefully not because of new mutations).

So the prospects for a vaccine are quite bit better than for natural immunity.

Thanks. That’s much more hopeful.

Only there is this difficulty: those vaccines that are almost ready for mass production require special storage conditions. And many countries will not be able to create these conditions in order to maximize the coverage of the population. Of course, we may think that our question will be solved exactly. But the virus walks around the world and there is no guarantee that if some country will not be the source of the mutated virus due to the fact that it was unable to provide vaccination of the population. There are still enough not so developed and prosperous countries in the world that they pose a threat to everyone else.

orin stepanek wrote: ↑Fri Apr 09, 2021 12:24 pm :shock: Are the variants worse than the original Covid 19; will this ever go away?

orin stepanek wrote: ↑Fri Apr 09, 2021 12:24 pm Are the variants worse than the original Covid 19; will this ever go away?

skyimagelab wrote: ↑Sat May 08, 2021 6:26 pm

orin stepanek wrote: ↑Fri Apr 09, 2021 12:24 pm Are the variants worse than the original Covid 19; will this ever go away?

It sounds like they are certainly more infectious than before.

Chris Peterson wrote: ↑Tue Apr 28, 2020 4:48 pm
… [re Covid] It is worth keeping in mind, however, that it is only the leading cause of death when categorized and viewed on a daily basis. On any given day, you're still more likely to die of something other than COVID-19. And this is a short term situation (unlike most of the other common causes of death). In any case, COVID-19 has an extremely low death rate, and you're unlikely to die of it even if you're in a risk group. This will pass, and few will die.

rstevenson wrote: ↑Tue May 11, 2021 4:45 pm

Chris Peterson wrote: ↑Tue Apr 28, 2020 4:48 pm
… [re Covid] It is worth keeping in mind, however, that it is only the leading cause of death when categorized and viewed on a daily basis. On any given day, you're still more likely to die of something other than COVID-19. And this is a short term situation (unlike most of the other common causes of death). In any case, COVID-19 has an extremely low death rate, and you're unlikely to die of it even if you're in a risk group. This will pass, and few will die.

In scanning through this thread, I was struck by your certainty in saying that, Chris. With a year more data, would you still express your assessment of the risk of Covid-19 that way?

rstevenson wrote: ↑Tue May 11, 2021 6:17 pm Thanks for the quick response, Chris.

I needed to hear from sensible people here simply because I'm spending way too much time reading and being upset by the never ending stream of ill-informed argument in other forums. The Asterisk is a refreshing change of pace. I hope all who inhabit this quiet corner of the web are doing well.

Rob