Fantastic podcast on coronavirus #COVID - here are my notes, if helpful to anyone
Comparisons to other diseases:
Compared to SARS, MERS, coronavirus is "more transmissible... really unforgiving".
Compared to the flu - "I hear a lot of this, 'it's just like the flu' - it's 20x more deadly, from what we know right now"
Compared to SARS, MERS, coronavirus is "more transmissible... really unforgiving".
Compared to the flu - "I hear a lot of this, 'it's just like the flu' - it's 20x more deadly, from what we know right now"
The flu is, comparatively, "not that transmissible"... "for the flu you need close contact", which is defined as being within 6 feet for 10-15 mins.
Compared to ebola - ebola doesn't spread by the respiratory route, "it's simple to control [Ebola], you just have to not touch people. not touching people is far easier than staying 6 feet away from all other people and not touching any surfaces they may have breathed/coughed on"
Course of coronavirus:
"People tend to develop fever, cough, chills, body aches, about 5-6 days, maybe 4-6 days after infection... the troubling part is they probably are contagious from 48hours before they develop sx, maybe earlier than that". Replicates in deep lung tissue
"People tend to develop fever, cough, chills, body aches, about 5-6 days, maybe 4-6 days after infection... the troubling part is they probably are contagious from 48hours before they develop sx, maybe earlier than that". Replicates in deep lung tissue
the virus is transmitted by respiratory droplets - on surfaces and in the air - and unlike the flu they are suspended longer in the air, so travel further.
Those flu-like symptoms go on for about 1 week, then most people get better - about 80%. About 20%, "maybe around day 11, 12, 13, ... start to have ore severe symptoms - they begin to need more supportive care - oxygen, IV fluids"
"This is accompanied by the beginning of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.... flooding of the alveoli, inability to clear all that fluid out"
"Of the people in the hospital (about 20% of total cases), maybe 60% will go on to need critical care", e.g. ventilation, "a lot of people need ECMO... it requires really close monitoring and they stay sick for a while". 95% of those people, with the right support, will survive.
Most at risk = older people, men, and people with comorbidities including HTN, DM
On whether it will go away as the weather warms up:
Dr Landon is not sure - the flu is seasonal but this might not be to do with the weather so much as it burning itself out annually amongst the minority who are susceptable. H5N1 travelled during the summer.
Dr Landon is not sure - the flu is seasonal but this might not be to do with the weather so much as it burning itself out annually amongst the minority who are susceptable. H5N1 travelled during the summer.
It's a pandemic.
"I don't understand why [WHO] hasn't called this a pandemic, it's a pandemic. Epidemiologists the world over are like, 'what are they doing?'"
"I don't understand why [WHO] hasn't called this a pandemic, it's a pandemic. Epidemiologists the world over are like, 'what are they doing?'"
"This is... this is not good. Ill be honest with you. Ive been very concerned since the early days. I don't think that we will escape widespread transmission in the US. Our main goal should be to slow the spread, because then we can keep the draw on our medical system manageable"
Things to do to slow the spread:
"Social distance. Six feet is the magic number you want to stay [away] when you have transmission in your community area or if you're near people who are sick, take a step away. Step away... it reduces your risk tremendously."
"Social distance. Six feet is the magic number you want to stay [away] when you have transmission in your community area or if you're near people who are sick, take a step away. Step away... it reduces your risk tremendously."
"Keep your hands clean... in between your hand washes, you should use an alcohol based hand sanitizer"
On masks:
"those surgical masks are amazingly good at keeping your respiratory droplets in the mask", i.e. best when you put them on the person who is sick. "People who are sick at work should wear a mask".
"those surgical masks are amazingly good at keeping your respiratory droplets in the mask", i.e. best when you put them on the person who is sick. "People who are sick at work should wear a mask".
If you aren't sick, then because you are taking it on and off and adjusting it often, masks might make things worse. People get trained to use them properly.
Points out that the mass mask wearing in Asia is a form of social signalling, it says "I'm taking this seriously".
"In your workplace set up a plan with your colleagues and your friends to clean all of the high touch surfaces... I know it sounds kind of insane, but it's totally helpful. These are things that have been proven to make a difference"
Dr Landon not worried about her own health per se or about 'everybody' dying - "The biggest thing I'm concerned about is the draw on the healthcare system"
"The real problem is that people die because they can't get care, that they could have survived if we were able to meet the need... we want this to take as long as it can to work its way through our communities"
thanks @chadinabhan @emilymicheleL
