Current thinking on how Covid-19 works (long read)

[patman post]

He has been a mate of mine for 20+ years. He was way over weight, and I'm talking 28 stone, he refused to ever eat any veg hence his type 2 diabetes. He had a triple heart bypass about 3 years ago and was generally the most unfit bloke you could imagine. He got taken into hospital with the virus a week ago and was put on oxygen where he started to respond, unfortunately he succumbed at 20:30 tonight I am told. He had several health issues but also many opportunities to address them which he ignored. A fool to him self, but as we spoke at least 3 times a week I will miss him.

It's unfortunate.  I have a brother who made himself very ill from drugs in the past - he is badly anaemic I think.

Instances like the above illustrate how the Nightingale Hospitals and the extraordinary efforts of the NHS have added to the total of available ICU beds so that decisions on who should be treated to get them well do not need to be based solely on a person's worth to society...

[Scott777]

He has been a mate of mine for 20+ years. He was way over weight, and I'm talking 28 stone, he refused to ever eat any veg hence his type 2 diabetes. He had a triple heart bypass about 3 years ago and was generally the most unfit bloke you could imagine. He got taken into hospital with the virus a week ago and was put on oxygen where he started to respond, unfortunately he succumbed at 20:30 tonight I am told. He had several health issues but also many opportunities to address them which he ignored. A fool to him self, but as we spoke at least 3 times a week I will miss him.

It's unfortunate.  I have a brother who made himself very ill from drugs in the past - he is badly anaemic I think.

[Nick]

Oh.  Did you know him well?  What happened?

He has been a mate of mine for 20+ years. He was way over weight, and I'm talking 28 stone, he refused to ever eat any veg hence his type 2 diabetes. He had a triple heart bypass about 3 years ago and was generally the most unfit bloke you could imagine. He got taken into hospital with the virus a week ago and was put on oxygen where he started to respond, unfortunately he succumbed at 20:30 tonight I am told. He had several health issues but also many opportunities to address them which he ignored. A fool to him self, but as we spoke at least 3 times a week I will miss him.

[Scott777]

Not so, I just found out he died about 2 hours ago.

Oh.  Did you know him well?  What happened?

[Nick]

::   A lucky sod then.

Not so, I just found out he died about 2 hours ago.

[patman post]

The content is about a study from Trinity College, Dublin - The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA).  What's the conspiracy?



https://tilda.tcd.ie/">https://tilda.tcd.ie/

Latitude ! Too many cod scientists are allowed free rein on social media before their thoughts are peer reviewed. May not be conspiracy but — like recommendations not to drink cold drinks at this time, or breath out and hold you breath for 20 seconds to check if you're Covid positive — probably not very useful.

Mind you, I've heard not having your head nearer than 1 metre to a power point when sleeping allows the immune system to replenish rather than fighting off rogue electromagnetic waves...

[Scott777]

A video from someone I've never heard of with 21 views?  



If people are already deficient in Vitamin D, then bringing it up to the correct level could be one small part of helping the immune system with any illness.  However, if they already have sufficient, taking more is not going to make the slightest difference - it will just be expensive fertiliser coming out the other end.



I don't doubt that it's a good idea to have the correct level of vitamin D, but this is very very far from concluding that taking Vitamin D prevents Covid-19 - that would be a dangerous conspiracy theory just like the 5G masts and all the rest.

The content is about a study from Trinity College, Dublin - The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA).  What's the conspiracy?



https://tilda.tcd.ie/">https://tilda.tcd.ie/

[Javert]

Very true.





I absolutely agree about the immune system, which is almost magical, which is why that is the most important thing, way above vaccines and other drugs.  But about vitamin D, did you watch my video on page 1?  Evidence is there.

A video from someone I've never heard of with 21 views?  



If people are already deficient in Vitamin D, then bringing it up to the correct level could be one small part of helping the immune system with any illness.  However, if they already have sufficient, taking more is not going to make the slightest difference - it will just be expensive fertiliser coming out the other end.



I don't doubt that it's a good idea to have the correct level of vitamin D, but this is very very far from concluding that taking Vitamin D prevents Covid-19 - that would be a dangerous conspiracy theory just like the 5G masts and all the rest.

[Scott777]

But that is what happens now for the flu jab every year, and perhaps Covid-19 "derivatives" in the future, if we're lucky, and all goes according to what I suspect is the plan. There again, perhaps nothing will ever be completely the same again...

I don't think CV19 and it's derivatives will be going anywhere.   :-?

[Scott777]

Well maybe, but, in the end we need to know how many people died earlier than they otherwise would have done because of Covid-19.  If they had other health conditions, that's important to know, but if their life was shortened by contracting Covid-19 we need to know that.

Very true.

The human immune system is the most complex and incredible scientific research machine in the known universe.  In all of human history, nobody has been able to come up with a cure for any virus once you already have that virus, but the human immune system consistently does this within a few days.  Sometimes the virus overcomes you in one way or another before it is overcome itself, but "fixing" the human immune system is not just a matter of taking vitamin D or whatever.

I absolutely agree about the immune system, which is almost magical, which is why that is the most important thing, way above vaccines and other drugs.  But about vitamin D, did you watch my video on page 1?  Evidence is there.

[papasmurf]

I guess it will be the same for Covid-19, although I have heard that Coronaviruses like Covid-19 don't tend to mutate quite as much as flu, and usually when they do it's to a much less dangerous version.

Food for thought:-



https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-has-mutated-into-more-than-30-strains-say-scientists-in-china-11976380">https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus- ... a-11976380">https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-has-mutated-into-more-than-30-strains-say-scientists-in-china-11976380

Coronavirus has mutated into more than 30 strains, say scientists in China

Researchers warn vaccine developers need to consider the impact of these "accumulating mutations... to avoid potential pitfalls".

[Javert]

But that is what happens now for the flu jab every year, and perhaps Covid-19 "derivatives" in the future, if we're lucky, and all goes according to what I suspect is the plan. There again, perhaps nothing will ever be completely the same again...

That's correct, but by my admittedly rudimentary understanding, the flu jab each year covers you for the strains of flu that they believe are most likely to be going around that year.  Sometimes they get it wrong and the flu variant that actually is most common that year isn't the one they vaccinated against.



I guess it will be the same for Covid-19, although I have heard that Coronaviruses like Covid-19 don't tend to mutate quite as much as flu, and usually when they do it's to a much less dangerous version.

[patman post]

Indeed, and add that to the possibility of simply more vitamin D and less junk food.  In fact, there's evidence that vitamin C helps if you are ill with CV19.  But vaccines can't be a long term solution.  Every new strain would need a new vaccine, and perhaps a lockdown while it's developed.

But that is what happens now for the flu jab every year, and perhaps Covid-19 "derivatives" in the future, if we're lucky, and all goes according to what I suspect is the plan. There again, perhaps nothing will ever be completely the same again...

[Javert]

There is a simple answer to this problem about what the cause of illness is.  What matters most is how you avoid getting really ill.  The article clearly says that it's the immune system attacking healthy cells that makes you ill.  So one solution is to fix your immune system.  But if CV19 is what you call the problem, then the solution is either to wipe it off the face of the earth, or have every human being take mandatory vaccine every year (or even more often), and hope that will protect you, and not make you more ill.  We don't need to find something to "blame", we just need to remove the cause.  Or can you think of another solution?

Well maybe, but, in the end we need to know how many people died earlier than they otherwise would have done because of Covid-19.  If they had other health conditions, that's important to know, but if their life was shortened by contracting Covid-19 we need to know that.



The human immune system is the most complex and incredible scientific research machine in the known universe.  In all of human history, nobody has been able to come up with a cure for any virus once you already have that virus, but the human immune system consistently does this within a few days.  Sometimes the virus overcomes you in one way or another before it is overcome itself, but "fixing" the human immune system is not just a matter of taking vitamin D or whatever.

[Scott777]

There's a third possibility - that being the discovery of an effective treatment or cure.  Various trials are going on, some of which have been claimed to reduce the severity of symptoms to the extent of saving lives or preventing people from becoming seriously ill. If people showing early signs of covid-19 could routinely be given a medication that's almost certain to cure them, then lockdown could be eased and we wouldn't have to wait for a vaccine.

Indeed, and add that to the possibility of simply more vitamin D and less junk food.  In fact, there's evidence that vitamin C helps if you are ill with CV19.  But vaccines can't be a long term solution.  Every new strain would need a new vaccine, and perhaps a lockdown while it's developed.