Coronavirus:

[healey36]

I worked for Pfizer for a few years back in the late 1970s and early 1980s. They have a long history of innovation and an ability to move products to market. They got their start back in the late 19th century developing a breakthrough process for making citric acid. It's no surprise to me they pulled this off.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I worked for Pfizer for a few years back in the late 1970s and early 1980s. They have a long history of innovation and an ability to move products to market. They got their start back in the late 19th century developing a breakthrough process for making citric acid. It's no surprise to me they pulled this off.

I'm a little surprised that they did it so fast. That might open pharma up questions as to why other things just take so long. If anything this begins to open up the complexities of clinical research, and the steps, stages, and processes that are required.

Then again, 9 months is a little too short to have the chronic tox data studies completed.

Curious to see where the Moderna and the AstraZeneca vaccines go from here, as well as the Lilly therapeutics.

[healey36]

The vaccine(s) may well be a looming reality, but the distribution process, especially the requirement for extreme refrigeration, looks daunting.

Do most vaccines require refrigeration, or is this a peculiarity?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

The vaccine(s) may well be a looming reality, but the distribution process, especially the requirement for extreme refrigeration, looks daunting.

I think this is being overblown to create some space for time and possible errors to be absorbed. There are lots of freezers in just about every major city hospital that can handle a lot of vials. It's the more rural areas that may pose problems and

Do most vaccines require refrigeration, or is this a peculiarity?

Refrigeration, yes. But this is -80 or lower freezer. It's a consequence of this and the Moderna vaccines being mod-mRNA and not the usual viral platform.

[healey36]

Got it...thanks for the explanation.

[chuck]

The Pfizer vaccine will require some processing of the vaccine to actually make the injectable doses. I would expect to see it used in settings where a large number of doses can be administered fairly quickly. The sites with that capability are also likely to have -80 freezer capacity to store the undiluted vaccine. The Moderna drug is less concentrated and does not require -80 storage. May be more suitable for areas with lower population densities.

[chuck]

Local library just announced it's closing it's doors for in-person browsing (which was limited to the ground floor). Still has "take out", reserve on line and pick up at an outside table, and you can converse with the research librarians via chat or phone. Pre-emptive decision as the number of cases continues to rise.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

The Pfizer vaccine will require some processing of the vaccine to actually make the injectable doses. I would expect to see it used in settings where a large number of doses can be administered fairly quickly. The sites with that capability are also likely to have -80 freezer capacity to store the undiluted vaccine. The Moderna drug is less concentrated and does not require -80 storage. May be more suitable for areas with lower population densities.

Moderna claims that but I'm not sure how they got a mod-mRNA drug to be that tolerant. Good if really true!

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Local library just announced it's closing it's doors for in-person browsing (which was limited to the ground floor). Still has "take out", reserve on line and pick up at an outside table, and you can converse with the research librarians via chat or phone. Pre-emptive decision as the number of cases continues to rise.

That's what ours did for a while and it worked well; have not heard that we are going backwards to that yet.

Do what it takes and make the best of things working together.

[rogruth]

I don't think I have heard much describing the symptoms of the virus.
Head ache, coughing, breathing problems, fever. These can be for flue
and many other illnesses. Is there anything more specific?
We have some grand children who have had it supposedly but they must
have been rather mild cases. They are several hundred miles away and
are not a direct problem to us.
We are 85 and 86 and we do use masks and try not to go anywhere
unnecessary. We do NOT have grocery stores or restaurants in our town
that deliver.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:
Fever or chills
Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
New loss of taste or smell
Sore throat
Congestion or runny nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea

Look for emergency warning signs for COVID-19. If someone is showing any of these signs, seek emergency medical care immediately:
Trouble breathing
Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
New confusion
Inability to wake or stay awake
Bluish lips or face

[rogruth]

That no-no again. Many thanks.

[gregj410]

Maybe the masks really don’t work

Next time you have surgery, ask the team to not wear masks and we'll see if they work or not.

Now tell us about the proper procedure for putting on the masks before surgery

The silence is deafening

[E7]

It intrigues me that (unless I missed it) nobody mentions the BIG C in these discussions. The origin of this whole effing mess would seem to rate an occasional nod from the stink tank. What are they doing about it over there? Do they have a vaccine? If so would it be shared with the rest of the planet? There's something rotten in Denmark!

What's the latest from that sage, Greta Thunberg?

[rogruth]

Why should the "BIG C" help anybody? They can lose several million people and still be bigger than any other country.
As long as the pandemic continues they can continue to pursue world domination with all other economies messed up.
What's in it for them? If we or anybody developes a true cure it will probably given to the world free so the "BIG C"
still comes out ahead. I don't think they let the virus "go" on purpose but I do think they are taking some advantages
from it.