Thread by @drmusanordin

The talk about #COVID has been so morbid
News aplenty
More than often the exception about COVID has become the rule :(
Even world agencies r trapped in this eg back-tracking by WHO
I am gonna take a more optimistic view of this invisible enemy @DrDzul time.com/5827450/who-co…

Immunology tells us infxn generate protective antibodies (ab)
In #COVID 50% dev ab by day 7 of infxn
Good protection dep on levels of neutralising ab
IgM & IgG ab rapid test will pick up guys who r ready for the job market to jumpstart the economy- they are immune inshallah!

Research shows #COVID is dead on culture after 8days
This has implications for a positive test when the patient is clinically well
PCR is highly sensitive & has picked up viral fragments & thus positive.
This is actually a false positive result @DrDzul scmp.com/week-asia/heal…

The dead virus have little or no infectivity.
It is not a reinfection as many feared (including world agencies)
Nor is it reactivation like chicken pox (varicella) or HIV since the virus does not hide within  the nucleus @DrDzul @boosulyn @malaysiakini news.sky.com/story/coronavi…

Not sure for how long the ab r protective, mayb 1-2 years.
The majority if not all of the covid mild/asymptomatic survivors were well and are now immune and will contribute to the population immunity.
These make up 80% of the covid positive cases. And 40% are asymptomatic.

Those much sicker/nursed in the ICU, we will have to await their long term outcome.
Prof Nichols, co-founder of SARS-CoV-1 postulates that SARS-CoV-2 will drown into the background, become endemic as like the other 4 mild Human Coronaviruses (HCoV)

These 4 mild HCoV isolated since 1960s, inc:
a.     OC43
b.     HKU1
c.      229E
d.      NL63
They cause mild disease eg 15% of common colds, bronchitis, pneumonia, acute bronchiolitis

COVID-19 obviously more nastier and we may have to contend with winter surges as like influenza (though more infectious and more virulent).
Sentinel testing like we do for influenza would be able to tell us the positive rate in the community...TBC

I need to digress a bit to address an even more imp & urgent issue-Protection & Safety of our HCW #Frontliners
Triggered by this inspiring piece by #SuperHero Dr Siow.
Not many can articulate their covid experience as moving as superhero-Dr Siow does.

facebook.com/531765672/post…

But you bet there are many thousands out there at the frontline living this very experience and not complaining one bit.
My heart sank when the young tabligh man (RIP) spluttered in his face.
I feared for superhero-Dr Siow’s wellbeing, his life really.

And that is why we guys remote & distant from the battle lines must not fail them.
We must ctd to fight for their personal protection& safety
Clapping & cheering from the verandah & blaring our car horns helps to boost our HCW morale
Go the extra mile like they did for our safety

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