Thread:
If you were designing the perfect virus what characteristics would it have?
1. Spread frequently by people who look healthy
2. Long latent period for pre-asymptomatic spread
3. It’s Airborne including potential aerosolized spread, & viable in air for hours
1/n
If you were designing the perfect virus what characteristics would it have?
1. Spread frequently by people who look healthy
2. Long latent period for pre-asymptomatic spread
3. It’s Airborne including potential aerosolized spread, & viable in air for hours
1/n
4. Causes cytokine storm that attacks human tissue and is unpredictable with respect to identifying who is vulnerable to this
5. Infects people of all ages, including higher rates in the young (albeit with a poorer prognosis in the elderly/ high risk)
2 / n
5. Infects people of all ages, including higher rates in the young (albeit with a poorer prognosis in the elderly/ high risk)
2 / n
6. Elicits widely variable antibody response including low titer levels in some
7. Immune response may not be sufficient to confer immunity, if it does, it is for a limited time like a year
8. Infects brain including brain stem causing sudden cessation of breathing & death
3/n
7. Immune response may not be sufficient to confer immunity, if it does, it is for a limited time like a year
8. Infects brain including brain stem causing sudden cessation of breathing & death
3/n
9. Infects heart leading to myocarditis and heart failure in some creating the “walking wounded” and arrhythmias, heart block and sudden death
10. Like other #coronaviruses is seasonal
5/n
10. Like other #coronaviruses is seasonal
5/n
11. Could be worse if it rapidly mutates
12. Could be worse if causes immune enhancement with worse outcomes with reinfection
13. Could be worse if reactivates later like zoster
What are your Additional characteristics for the perfect virus?
12. Could be worse if causes immune enhancement with worse outcomes with reinfection
13. Could be worse if reactivates later like zoster
What are your Additional characteristics for the perfect virus?
If you were designing the most imperfect response to the perfect virus it would include:
12. Inadequate protective gear
13. Inadequate supply of N95 masks
14. Not wearing masks with asymptomatic people
15. Not wearing masks in public
6/n
12. Inadequate protective gear
13. Inadequate supply of N95 masks
14. Not wearing masks with asymptomatic people
15. Not wearing masks in public
6/n
16. Refusal to social distance
17. Failure to segregate #coronavirus patients from healthy patients
18. Lack of ventilators
19. Lack of testing for active or past infection
20. Lack of protection for healthcare care professionals
7 / n
17. Failure to segregate #coronavirus patients from healthy patients
18. Lack of ventilators
19. Lack of testing for active or past infection
20. Lack of protection for healthcare care professionals
7 / n
21. Failure to separate sick family members from healthy ones
22. Poor hand washing
23. Poor ability to social distance in vulnerable populations
24. Failure to provide protective gear to transit workers and grocery workers & other essential employees
8/n
22. Poor hand washing
23. Poor ability to social distance in vulnerable populations
24. Failure to provide protective gear to transit workers and grocery workers & other essential employees
8/n
25. No existing antivirals to treat or vaccines to prevent
Any other ideas for the perfect imperfect response to the perfect virus?
Any other ideas for the perfect imperfect response to the perfect virus?
I’m NOT saying someone designed the virus. I AM saying the virus is extraordinarily efficient and exploits all the vulnerabilities of its individual hosts and the population in general.
