COVID-19 updates and discussion

Melissa Sanchez8 said:Three hours.
https://thehill.com/changing-america...-air-for-hours

The biggest danger is definitely enclosed spaces...

I read that too, but I just don't see the logic. All it takes is one infected person sneezing or coughing in a store, and within three hours, dozens of people are breathing in those particles. Think about how crowded those shops were when everyone rushed out to go shopping—there’s no way there weren't people coughing or sneezing in those aisles. We should be seeing thousands of cases by now.🤷

melloworca6 said:I read that too, but I just don't see the logic. All it takes is one infected person sneezing or coughing in a store, and within three hours, dozens of people are breathing in those particles. Think about how crowded those shops were when everyone rushed out to go shopping—there’s no way there weren't people coughing or sneezing in those aisles. We should be seeing thousands of cases by now.🤷

There are probably way more cases being covered up than we'll ever actually know about, but then again, it’s not like everyone is just going to catch it... you still need a certain amount of viral load to actually inhale it...

Rachel Allen55 said:I didn't even say it had filters.

From what I gathered, you mentioned surgical masks filter 95%, which isn't actually true, so I was just pointing that out...

Rachel Allen55 said:Right after he bounced back quickly, they decided to stop counting recoveries altogether. It’s a purely political move, not a medical one.

Deciding who gets tested and who doesn't is also just straight-up politics.

I have some really close friends over in Norway; both him and her were showing crazy symptoms, but the authorities refused to test them—again, just a political call. And they've got a kid at home with asthma. They went into self-isolation, she felt totally fine after about 6 days, and it took him maybe 8 or 9 days to recover.

Both of them ended up in the stats as "infected" because that's how they're registered. Her doctor even told her she wasn't contagious anymore, while he's still waiting on word from his.

They’re actually laughing about it themselves, asking, "Is this really it?"

So they live with a kid, and the kid didn't catch it?

melloworca6 said:I read that too, but I just don't see the logic. All it takes is one infected person sneezing or coughing in a store, and within three hours, dozens of people are breathing in those particles. Think about how crowded those shops were when everyone rushed out to go shopping—there’s no way there weren't people coughing or sneezing in those aisles. We should be seeing thousands of cases by now.🤷

Dana Brooks3 said:There are probably way more cases being covered up than we'll ever actually know about, but then again, it’s not like everyone is just going to catch it... you still need a certain amount of viral load to actually inhale it...

If stores had stayed packed, we’d likely have a massive spike in cases right now.
Fine, but then explain the hospital situations. Doctors infect patients and nurses, but how does that happen if they are wearing masks? Aside from the rare instances where a patient is asymptomatic, there are still plenty of people who don't get sick despite exposure.
If a single sneeze or cough is truly enough to spread it, does that mean anyone living with an infected person is guaranteed to catch it, even if they follow every protocol—coughing into elbows, using tissues, washing hands, not touching their face, and avoiding close contact?
Bottom line: if this isn't airborne, how likely is it that everyone catches it from one person if they are actually following the rules?

Nobody said it doesn't spread through the air; I just think claiming it takes three hours sounds like a bit of an exaggeration.

The equipment situation at certain hospitals and specific departments isn't exactly great either—some places have absolutely nothing, or what they have is extremely limited. And those surgical masks? They’re mostly protecting the people around you rather than the wearer, and they weren't even effective against COVID.

Plus, when people talk, they spray micro-droplets everywhere. You don't even need someone to cough or sneeze to get infected; someone just talking close to you is enough.

Does condensation form when I exhale?

Does staying in isolation actually lead to self-healing?

Look, when you actually step back and look at the whole picture, the idea that this virus stays airborne for up to three hours isn't some wild conspiracy theory. On one hand, plenty of experts are sounding the alarm that its main characteristic is just how incredibly fast and easy it spreads. On the other hand—and here’s the thing—it's not like everyone who catches it is suddenly bedridden and hacking up a lung everywhere they go, spreading germs left and right. Most people are aware of the situation and are doing their part to follow the rules, yet the virus still seems to be popping up everywhere at lightning speed. So, honestly? This whole "airborne" theory actually makes a lot of sense.

What kind of air are we talking about here?
Is this happening out in the open, or is it indoors?

Locked down. Outdoors, it’ll probably just drift off into space. 😁

The reason this virus spreads so fast is because, unlike the flu or whatever else, it has a massive incubation period. People can be carriers without showing a single symptom. I think I read somewhere—not saying it's gospel, but still—that people become contagious two or three days before they actually feel sick. So, you feel fine, you have zero symptoms, and yet you're already out there spreading it. That’s what makes this thing so nasty, rather than it just hanging in the air.

In the States, most people infected don't even know who they were around or where they picked it up. If this stuff really stayed airborne for three hours straight, we’d see way more people getting hit without having any clue how. Not to mention, if it worked like that, entire office buildings would be outbreaks waiting to happen since everyone uses the same stairwells and elevators. We'd all be catching it eventually. I do believe it can linger in certain rooms for longer under specific conditions, though.

Just think about those poor retail workers dealing with constant crowds. They're breathing in coughs and spit all day long, and plenty of them are definitely getting infected without even knowing it yet. If it were true that the virus just floats around the air for that long, half the clerks in every grocery store would already be sick.

And what about these initial cases? So, this kid from Erie just infected his girlfriend and his brother? His parents aren't even sick. If this thing actually spreads through the air that easily, we’d be looking at massive outbreaks across all of Erie and Exelon already.

He took a bus ride back from Italy, so what? You're telling me he would've infected the entire bus with some kind of floating virus for three hours straight?

We’re looking at nearly 800 infections out of fewer than 10,000 tests—honestly, if they actually tested all 4 million of us, we'd likely see tens of thousands of cases... The virus isn't harmless, obviously, but about 85% of healthy people will walk right through this with little to no symptoms. Despite that, there's an unnecessary amount of hysteria being manufactured when there just isn't a real need for it.

Jeremy Bishop35 said:We’re looking at nearly 800 infections out of fewer than 10,000 tests—honestly, if they actually tested all 4 million of us, we'd likely see tens of thousands of cases... The virus isn't harmless, obviously, but about 85% of healthy people will walk right through this with little to no symptoms. Despite that, there's an unnecessary amount of hysteria being manufactured when there just isn't a real need for it.

And I'm sure they're making a mountain out of nothing in Italy too, regardless of the fact that their hospitals are completely overwhelmed and they're losing 600 people a day.

Could someone with medical expertise weigh in on this video?

A German internist argues that the treatment protocols used for COVID patients have been way too aggressive, suggesting they might be partly responsible for the high death tolls seen in Italy.
He’s specifically pointing to heavy doses of cortisol, Maximiliano, Lopinarvir, Ritonavir, and interferon. I'm also curious if these same types of treatments are being applied to the severe cases we're seeing here in the States.

Melissa Phillips4 said:And what about these initial cases? So, this kid from Erie just infected his girlfriend and his brother? His parents aren't even sick. If this thing actually spreads through the air that easily, we’d be looking at massive outbreaks across all of Erie and Exelon already.

The infection only hit the people he accidentally spat on while talking. 😁

Jamie Green5 said:And I'm sure they're making a mountain out of nothing in Italy too, regardless of the fact that their hospitals are completely overwhelmed and they're losing 600 people a day.

The reality is that most of those passing away are elderly folks who already had serious medical histories and chronic conditions—attributing everything to COVID these days is just lazy logic... it’s like saying a 92-year-old woman in the final stages of cancer died from COVID, rather than the cancer itself.

Jamie Green5 said:And I'm sure they're making a mountain out of nothing in Italy too, regardless of the fact that their hospitals are completely overwhelmed and they're losing 600 people a day.

Italy has a population of 60 million. Thousands die every day there, too. It's just that their morgues aren't being broadcast on the news, so nobody notices.

Since face masks are either impossible to find right now or are being sold at outrageous prices, I was wondering if there's a way to reuse them. Could we potentially disinfect used masks by spraying them with rubbing alcohol from a local drugstore? Or, if alcohol isn't available, would putting a used mask in an oven at about 212 degrees Fahrenheit for half an hour work? I actually heard an epidemiologist on the news mention that this virus dies off at around 140 degrees. If this is true, it could be a lifesaver for a lot of people—especially those struggling financially—to be able to cheaply sanitize the masks they already have.