# Pandemics and epidemics



## mreynolds (Jan 1, 2015)

Coronavirus is getting close to the epidemic status according to WHO. 

It's not there yet though.


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

It is getting a bit worrisome. The state department decided to keep infected passengers on planes to the US against the advice of the CDC.


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## Micheal (Jan 28, 2009)

It may depend on what country you are living in on how bad it is or what it's called?


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## robin416 (Dec 29, 2019)

What I really want to know is what have they found out about this virus? Talk is going around that those shedding virus after recovery might be contagious. The article mentioned growing that shed virus in a petri dish to see if it's live or dead. Are they doing that? Or just saying "maybe?"


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

I found new information on "regular" flu shedding that seems to indicate shedding continues longer than originally thought in some individuals. 

"Viral shedding occurs at the onset of symptoms or just before the onset of illness (0-24 hours). Shedding continues for 5-10 days. Young children may shed virus longer, placing others at risk for contracting infection. In highly immunocompromised persons, shedding may persist for weeks to months. [16]"

https://www.medscape.com/answers/219557-3455/when-does-viral-shedding-occur-in-influenza


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

robin416 said:


> The article mentioned growing that shed virus in a petri dish to see if it's live or dead. Are they doing that? Or just saying "maybe?"


They're doing lots of things all around the world.


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## robin416 (Dec 29, 2019)

Irish Pixie said:


> I found new information on "regular" flu shedding that seems to indicate shedding continues longer than originally thought in some individuals.
> 
> "Viral shedding occurs at the onset of symptoms or just before the onset of illness (0-24 hours). Shedding continues for 5-10 days. Young children may shed virus longer, placing others at risk for contracting infection. In highly immunocompromised persons, shedding may persist for weeks to months. [16]"
> 
> https://www.medscape.com/answers/219557-3455/when-does-viral-shedding-occur-in-influenza


Why does anyone need to do an internet search to find this information. Does the medical community think we wouldn't understand having that information?

So, we could very well be in deep trouble. They tested that first patient before this discharged him until he was shedding zero virus. Is that what needs to be done to arrest this thing?


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

robin416 said:


> Why does anyone need to do an internet search to find this information. Does the medical community think we wouldn't understand having that information?
> 
> So, we could very well be in deep trouble. They tested that first patient before this discharged him until he was shedding zero virus. Is that what needs to be done to arrest this thing?


I don't think the medical community has figured out much about this virus, and the article is in regard to regular flu, not the corona virus. Viral infections mutate wildly, and individual people can react differently to them.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

robin416 said:


> Why does anyone need to do an internet search to find this information. Does the medical community think we wouldn't understand having that information?


What real difference does it make if you have that information?
People know alcohol kills brain cells, but they still drink.


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

Bearfootfarm said:


> What real difference does it make if you have that information?
> People know alcohol kills brain cells, but they still drink.


Anyone can be infected by a virus as long as they come into contact with shedded virus. The same is not true for drinking alcohol, a person can choose not to drink. Information is a good thing.


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## robin416 (Dec 29, 2019)

Irish Pixie said:


> I don't think the medical community has figured out much about this virus, and the article is in regard to regular flu, not the corona virus. Viral infections mutate wildly, and individual people can react differently to them.


You're right. They found very wide mutations within one family group.


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## robin416 (Dec 29, 2019)

Bearfootfarm said:


> What real difference does it make if you have that information?
> People know alcohol kills brain cells, but they still drink.


Having the information allows for intelligent decisions on how to react. It removes the need for knee jerk reactions or the blase' feeling of it's not here nothing to be concerned about.

Not everyone understands that information but those that do can translate it so that it makes sense.

And what Pixie said.


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## SLADE (Feb 20, 2004)

Some cults don't want to disseminate information.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

robin416 said:


> Having the information allows for intelligent decisions on how to react. It removes the need for knee jerk reactions or the blase' feeling of it's not here nothing to be concerned about.


There's never any need for knee jerk reactions, and the vast majority of folks won't change their behavior based on that tiny bit of uncertainty.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

Irish Pixie said:


> *Anyone can be infected* by a virus as long as they come into contact with shedded virus. The same is not true for drinking alcohol, a *person can choose not to drink*. Information is a good thing.


It's long been known viruses can infect people.

The knowledge of the harmful effects don't stop most people from doing something that is easily preventable. It's not logical to think some discrepancy in the length of time certain individuals are contagious will make any practical differences at all.



> Information is a good thing.


It can be "good" and still be of no *practical* value.

What you "found" wasn't even new information. It was simply an answer to a direct question.


> *Viral shedding*
> Viral shedding occurs at the onset of symptoms or just before the onset of illness (0-24 hours). Shedding continues for 5-10 days. Young children may shed virus longer, placing others at risk for contracting infection. In highly immunocompromised persons, shedding may persist for weeks to months. [16]


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

Bearfootfarm said:


> It's long been known viruses can infect people.
> 
> For over a century, and very common knowledge. Why even bring it up?
> 
> The knowledge of the harmful effects don't stop most people from doing something that is easily preventable. It's not logical to think some discrepancy in the length of time certain individuals are contagious will make any practical differences at all.


Please explain your statement to the researchers that authored (and coauthored) the paper (linked) who discovered that *viral shedding is longer (in some cases much longer) than previously thought.* 

Here they are:

Hien H Nguyen, MD, MS Chief of Infectious Diseases, VA Northern California Health Care System; Clinical Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases and Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine, Infectious Diseases Consultant and Hospitalist, University of California, Davis, Health System; Medical Director, Acute Infections Management Service, Antimicrobial Infusion Service

Hien H Nguyen, MD, MS is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Physicians, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Society of Critical Care Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)
Robert W Derlet, MD Professor of Emergency Medicine, University of California at Davis School of Medicine; Chief Emeritus, Emergency Department, University of California at Davis Health System

Robert W Derlet, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, Wilderness Medical Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Christian E Sandrock, MD, MPH, FCCP Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, Division of Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis Medical Center

Christian E Sandrock, MD, MPH, FCCP is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Chest Physicians, American Thoracic Society, Infectious Diseases Society of America

Disclosure: Received honoraria from Pfizer for speaking and teaching; Received honoraria from Pfizer for consulting; Received honoraria from therevance for consulting; Received honoraria from GSK for speaking and teaching.

Specialty Editor Board
Mary L Windle, PharmD Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor
Michael Stuart Bronze, MD David Ross Boyd Professor and Chairman, Department of Medicine, Stewart G Wolf Endowed Chair in Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center; Master of the American College of Physicians; Fellow, Infectious Diseases Society of America; Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, London

Michael Stuart Bronze, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American College of Physicians, American Medical Association, Association of Professors of Medicine, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Oklahoma State Medical Association, Southern Society for Clinical Investigation

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Acknowledgements
Nicholas John Bennett, MB, BCh, PhD, Assistant Professor in Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Connecticut Children's Medical Center

Nicholas John Bennett, MB, BCh, PhD, is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha and American Academy of Pediatrics

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Ethan E Bodle, MD, MPH Associate Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, Kaiser Permanente East Bay Medical Center

Ethan E Bodle, MD, MPH is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians and American Public Health Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Joseph Domachowske, MD Professor of Pediatrics, Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, State University of New York Upstate Medical University

Joseph Domachowske, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Society for Microbiology, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, and Phi Beta Kappa

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Jon Mark Hirshon, MD, MPH Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine

Jon Mark Hirshon, MD, MPH is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Public Health Association, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Edmond A Hooker II, MD, DrPH, FAAEM Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine; Associate Professor, Department of Health Services Administration, Xavier University

Edmond A Hooker II, MD, DrPH, FAAEM is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American Public Health Association, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, and Southern Medical Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Joseph F John Jr, MD, FACP, FIDSA, FSHEA Clinical Professor of Medicine, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine; Associate Chief of Staff for Education, Ralph H Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Ruth Lawrence, MD Chief, Division of Infectious and Immunologic Diseases, Director of Medical Student Education, Department of Internal Medicine, UC Davis Health System

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Klaus-Dieter Lessnau, MD, FCCP Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine; Medical Director, Pulmonary Physiology Laboratory; Director of Research in Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine, Section of Pulmonary Medicine, Lenox Hill Hospital

Klaus-Dieter Lessnau, MD, FCCP is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Physicians, American Medical Association, American Thoracic Society, and Society of Critical Care Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Frederick Burton Rose, MD, FACP Professor, Department of Medicine, University Hospital Epidemiologist, State University of New York Upstate Medical University

Frederick Burton Rose, MD, FACP is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Physicians and Infectious Diseases Society of America

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Charles V Sanders, MD Edgar Hull Professor and Chairman, Department of Internal Medicine, Professor of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Louisiana State University School of Medicine at New Orleans; Medical Director, Medicine Hospital Center, Charity Hospital and Medical Center of Louisiana at New Orleans; Consulting Staff, Ochsner Medical Center

Charles V Sanders, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics, Alpha Omega Alpha, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Association of University Professors, American Clinical and Climatological Association, American College of Physician Executives, American College of Physicians, American Federation for Medical Research, American Foundation for AIDS Research, AmericanGeriatricsSociety, American Lung Association, American Medical Association, American Society for Microbiology, American Thoracic Society, American Venereal Disease Association, Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Association of American Medical Colleges, Association of American Physicians, Association of Professors of Medicine, Infectious Disease Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology, InfectiousDiseases Societyof America, Louisiana State Medical Society, Orleans Parish Medical Society, Royal Society of Medicine, Sigma Xi, Society of General Internal Medicine, Southeastern Clinical Club, Southern Medical Association, Southern Society for Clinical Investigation, and Southwestern Association of Clinical Microbiology

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: Medscape Salary Employment

David Yew, MD Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Hawaii, John A Burns School of Medicine; Medical Director and Flight Physician, Hawaii Life Flight, AirMed International

David Yew, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Air Medical Physician Association and American College of Emergency Physicians

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

First cleanup


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## RibbyR (Mar 15, 2020)

Since pandemic has started, I noticed most people are getting significantly more exercise. Everyone is outside biking, hiking, running, paddling, fishing, etc. They may not be doing a Pilates class or on a treadmill, but are exercising none the less. And with no endless stream of school events and kids sports, I can go hiking every day after work if I want. I've never spent this much time outside since I was probably 12 years old. Most of my friends are learning new skills, I'm also practising translation (hope one day will become as professional as guys from https://isaccurate.com/healthcare-translation-services ). Nevertheless, I’ve been pretty strict about physical distancing, mask wearing, and all of the other things necessary to help combat the spread of the virus.

We spread virus.
Let's keep safe


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