invasive-feces

Anyone know of deliberate (controlled) experiments to simulate some kind of infectious epidemic/pandemic in animals? Say, a whole building full of 1000s of lab rats or mice .... deliberately infected by some sort of virus. Speaking of animals and epidemics or pandemics, anyone know of any important ones that took place in the natural or man-made world? Say, among house cats, livestock, etc.? Certainly, important-to-human animals are routinely vaccinated ... but is it with good, statistical reason? About epidemics / pandemics of animals in the Natural world ... Yes, it would be hard to uncover / track that ... but has anything been formally recorded or documented?

What are the RT-PCR test results ("standards) with respect to Ct in various countries? (E.g., USA such "high" cases but China, India not so) And does the Ct variation among different nations reflect what we see on the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 site?

Please discuss (list) non-antibody protection against pathogens like coronavirus. The protection thru which tradit. AB testing may be ineffective or erroneous in CONCLUSION. In other words, COVID-19 may have gone thru an indiv. asymptomatically ... been "dealt with" by the indiv's robust protection/immune system. But when it comes to tradit AB test, the indiv. would be categorized as "never exposed" to Sars Cov-2. How common might this be? Some this and other issues were raised on this recently-posted video. For example, immunity gained from NON-COVID-19 coronaviruses, etc:

About that COVID-19 scenario in 1347 AD (noted earlier) ... I maintain "not such a big deal" for addit factors such as: reduced population density no smokers (Tobacco) better nutrition (compared to std. American diet, processed foods, etc) far less obesity les polluted air sick people usually isolated to homes (not hospitals, with lots of potential vectoring); also, sick were shunned and discriminated against, evolutionary psychology's "bio-hazard" response BTW: About antibiotics and pneumonia ... I agree that that is a huge factor for bacterial pneumonia, but I've heard conflicting reports on whether COVID-19 causes more serious VIRAL pneumonia. Correct? New Scientist also reported need for extensive mental rehab, and possible permanent cognitive impairment due to the drugs/gasses they use to keep you either anesthetized and/or anticonvulsive while ventilated. (muscles and limbs can act up and cause you to do nasty stuff to yourself, like fall out of bed, pull out IV, etc).

I don't understand this remark as pertaining to COVID-19. Let's say, all else being equal, COVID-19 happened in 1347 AD. Over 60 age group were a far smaller fraction of total population than today. So COVID-19 would not be a "huge deal". A modern analog may be occurring today in 3rd world countries. Not only fewer older folks there, but other diseases and ailments (as well as lack of medical care and nutrition) kill off the genetically weak in all age groups. Rich, "modernized" nations care for the old and genetically challenged: Fresh meat for novel and opportunistic pathogens.

Said another way, via cliche, "whats wrong with this picture?"

The following infographics were featured in the latest (June 2020) issue of Discover Magazine: https://www.discovermagazine.com/health/historys-most-deadly-pandemics-from-the-antonine-plague-to-covid-19 Large sized image of:above: https://images.ctfassets.net/cnu0m8re1exe/5Wcz9RvRq3yfnV6qWKvuZX/82d60cc1a74648e8c4b9819e2c112dff/Pandemic_history_copy.jpg Concentrating on the second graphic (Death Toll; note COVID-19 data up to Apr 6, 2020), please list all the reasons why this presentations like this -- so common in pop sci -- may be inaccurate, irrelevant, sensationalistic, etc. E.g., (1) COVID-19 deaths age group typically over >60yo (compared to Black Plague, when most people didn't live that long) (2) Improvements in science, nutrition, communication (even compared to 1918 Spanish flu, when there were no ventilators, or antibiotics) (3) etc. (add your own thoughts !)

About shedding and its temporality .... this Nature Medicine paper, about a month old now, seems to indicate Wuhan median = 20 days (max 37) Temporal dynamics in viral shedding and transmissibility of COVID-19 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-0869-5 Introduce the word "sex" and it's like ringing the dinner for the media! But the added sensational spotlight may not be such bad thing it prompts more research $$$ into medical SCIENCE

I just heard a report on Science Friday (??) that COVID-19 was found in semen. So it may be (or have become) sexually communicable. https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200507/virus-found-in-semen-of-covid-19-survivors

I'm not sure much definitive info exits on COVID-19's "endemicness" in the open population. That is, how long does this virus remain remain transmissible in any given individual (whether or not they became symptomatic)? Can this virus "hide out" in an individual's system ... even for life (as in the case for herpes)?

Hmmm ... so both (influenza and corona), being RNA viruses, don't share too much wrt "recombination" ??? Let's say the current human-volunteer vaccine trials of COVID-19 do produce some positive results. Antibodies are isolated and a vaccine is developed. Are you suggesting this might be a treatment with, say, >40% efficacy (which is about the avg for seasonal flu vacc).

Are there any reasons to more or less hopeful of current expedited/heavily-funded/heavily-fast-tracked COVID-19 vaccine projects (being efficacious) when the CDC reveals the following stats re: myriad flu vaccine efficacy in prev season/years: US Flu VE Data for 2018-2019 (note relatively poor %total effectiveness, esp in +50 yo) https://www.cdc.gov/flu/vaccines-work/2018-2019.html https://www.cdc.gov/flu/vaccines-work/past-seasons-estimates.html

I going to guess -- prove otherwise-- that most of the cases reported (recorded) are more from "dragnetting" operations as opposed to emergency-room walk-ins. In other words, some one on a cruise ship, nursing home, etc. gets sick and is confirmed positive for COVID-19. And that leads to testing of that person's contacts and community. And many of those will test +, but be/remain asymp.

Anyone know how many of the positive (tested) CONFIRMED cases were/are asymptomatic? E.g., as of today, according to https://ncov2019.live/ ...in the U.S.A, there are: 1,384,033 How many are just " confirmed asymptomatic"? According to.. https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/case-definition-and-european-surveillance-human-infection-novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control--An agency of the European Union Confirmed case A person with laboratory confirmation of virus causing COVID-19 infection, irrespective of clinical signs and symptoms Not sure how many countries follow THAT definition.

Anyone know of COVID-19 stats for hospitalization (critical / intensive care, as in on life support)?