What makes the Novel Coronavirus unique compared to the flu?

[Sal Collaziano]

One important factor that makes the Novel Coronavirus unique is its ease of spread. Scientists are finding that simply breathing next to someone - who is also simply breathing - can spread the virus from person to person. Making things even more complicated is that we're learning the virus stays floating in the air for a long time. When I get better information on just HOW LONG, I'll update this message. In any event, this is more dangerous than your average flu because it's easier to catch.

Infected people can be asymptomatic for a couple of weeks, though most people seem to be without symptoms for 5-10 days. Very young children seem to have the least symptoms. People sixty and over seem to have the most difficulty dealing with the virus. Everyone in between - it's kind of a toss-up, because some have bad symptoms and some don't. I guess it all depends on how healthy the infected person is.

All that being said, this can - and probably will mean - that a much larger portion of people will be sick simultaneously than with "the flu".

What I'm doing to avoid getting sick, if at all possible, is staying away from crowded places - and washing my hands whenever I touch something that COULD potentially have the virus on it. I've bought a good amount of food that should last me a few weeks - this way I can avoid shopping several times per month. When I do go shopping, it'll either be first thing in the morning - or late at night.

I'm not a conspiracy theorist - I'm just doing my best to avoid getting sick. And I will share any information that I feel can/will help others. I hope you'll do the same...

 

[Gwyn]

We have zero evidence that the virus will stay in the air for a long time. The CDC and the WHO have never found a sample in air filters in containment units. We do have evidence that it is directly droplet airborne, as in you are directly hit by airborne particles by a person that is activity coughing or sneezing. Viruses like the measles and chickenpox can remain suspended in the air and are considered fully airborne. The Coronavirus particles do not float or remain in the air, you have to directly hit by the particles that are expelled from the person that is infected. If you must be in public places and someone is coughing and sneezing, move 3 feet away from the person and continue on with your own business. 3 feet is enough to protect you. The coronavirus can not travel more then 3 feet by air and has to be expelled by a actively coughing and sneezing.

Remember, that you can only be infected if you have direct contact between alive virus IN your mouth, noise, or eyes. Do not wear masks unless you are sick. Masks are for keeping the virus in not out. Wearing a mask will collect active virus from you putting on, taking off, and touching the mask. Any airborne particles will be caught by the mask and concentration around your mouth and noise, increasing your chances of getting the virus.

Stop touching your mouth, noise, and eyes. Wash your hands often.

Now with any virus, this one has mutated at least 3 times now, things can and will change. What is not airborne now can become airborne, but given the current understanding of this virus, it will never become fully airborne, it seems that the virus is too heavy to spread by air.

The one reason we are spreading this virus soo easily is that our body never had contact with it before. Your body does not know it is infected and does not mount a strong response in most cases early enough. When you get the flu, most of what you are feeling is your body fighting the flu. When you are the most contagious is when your feel the worst. Your body does not know something is wrong with this little bugger. So it multiplies quickly in your body, then it starts to spread, you feel a little off but nothing major. You are 100% contagious and if it was the flu you would feel horrible.

This is also why it is kill older people. The virus builds up its numbers until the body starts to get overwhelmed and can not function. Then the body mounts a massive assault on the virus. In younger people, this is 100% possible, but with older people the immune system can not mount a direct assault.

What can be done?

1.) Do not go into large groups unless you have at least 3 feet between you and front of another person.
2.) Wash your hands.
3.) Do not put anything on your mouth or noise unless you are sick. Doing so will only make it more likely to get sick.
4.) Wash your hands.
5.) If you don't feel good, stay home.
6.) Wash your hands.
7.) If you think you have to go to the emergency room for treatment. CALL AHEAD. Do not just show up in the waiting room. Call the hospital, tell them you think you are infected and you wish to get treatment. They will then instruct you how to come in. All hospitals will have different policies on this, my local hospitals will take you directly to containment from a side door.
8.) Wash your hands. You wash your hands and you should be fine.

 

[BellyTelly]

Get your food and water everyone. Medical martial law is coming. I am hearing 4 week lockdown.

 

[Sal Collaziano]

We have zero evidence that the virus will stay in the air for a long time.

There's a lot of back and forth about this but I hope we have conclusive evidence soon...

Federally funded tests conducted by scientists from several major institutions indicated that the novel form of coronavirus behind a worldwide outbreak can survive in the air for several hours.

A study awaiting peer review from scientists at Princeton University, the University of California-Los Angeles and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) posted online Wednesday indicated that the COVID-19 virus could remain viable in the air "up to 3 hours post aerosolization," while remaining alive on plastic and other surfaces for up to three days.

"Our results indicate that aerosol and fomite transmission of HCoV-19 is plausible, as the virus can remain viable in aerosols for multiple hours and on surfaces up to days," reads the study's abstract.

______________________________

 

[Gwyn]

There's a lot of back and forth about this but I hope we have conclusive evidence soon...

Ok. So lets look at the facts. The CDC and the WHO have not detected it to be airborne. Does not mean it is not possible, just have not detected it. There are three parts to infections. 1.) Delivery method. 2.) Bio load. 3.) Infection sites.

Things that become airborne needs to meet all three requirements. It has to be airborne, have a low bioload threshold, and reach the infection site with that bioload. Given that the current cornovirus seems to infect the lower bronchial tubes and upper lungs, it is unlikely to be airborne. It is however showing to take very little bioload and the sites are mucus membranes.

For example TB is spread Airborne, requires very little bio load, but the site is deep in the lungs and is unlikely to get there unless you are massively exposed.

The common flu, which infections from being airborne is very limited, is 24 hours in the same test. Unless you are literally face to face with someone and breathing their air directly, infection is not likely. The delievery method is can be airborne, but the bioload is large for an infection. The reason we don't see it becoming airborne is that it really does require a large dose to get sick. Larger then can be suspended in the air.

Mononucleosis will be airborne in the same test and viable for up to 10 hours. Once again, we don't see any infections from airborne transmission. Another one that requires a large dose, larger then can be suspended.

We know that both the flu and mononucleosis most common path of infection is hand to mouth. We don't see that virus becoming airborne and infecting people.

Now it is possible for the cornovirus to be different then the others, but unlikely. Until we get real world accurate tests, we will not know.

Just to point out, we never figured out if SARS or MARS was airborne. There was zero conclusive evidence that they where.

Remember wash your hands and avoid large groups of people unless you can get a minimal of 3 feet distance between you and the other people. 3 feet is recommended because if it was something as airborne as measles, chickenpox, or TB, that distance would be safe enough for you with those infections.

 

[critrider]

This includes China

 

[DRK]

We have zero evidence that the virus will stay in the air for a long time.

A research shows the virus can stay in the air up to 3 hours.

They found that viable virus could be detected up to three hours later in the air, up to four hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel.

The tests were done at the National Institutes of Health’s Rocky Mountain Lab in Hamilton, Mont., by scientists from the NIH, Princeton University and UCLA, with funding from the U.S. government and the National Science Foundation.

Tests show coronavirus can live up to 3 days on some surfaces

The new coronavirus can live in the air for several hours and on some surfaces for as long as two to three days, scientific tests have found.

www.latimes.com

Stay healthy!

 

[Gwyn]

A research shows the virus can stay in the air up to 3 hours.

They found that viable virus could be detected up to three hours later in the air, up to four hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel.

The tests were done at the National Institutes of Health’s Rocky Mountain Lab in Hamilton, Mont., by scientists from the NIH, Princeton University and UCLA, with funding from the U.S. government and the National Science Foundation.

Tests show coronavirus can live up to 3 days on some surfaces

The new coronavirus can live in the air for several hours and on some surfaces for as long as two to three days, scientific tests have found.

www.latimes.com

Stay healthy!

Aerosolization does not mean spread by airborne.

If you take your logic an apply it the flu, then everyone should get sick from the flu by airborne means. In the real world, no one really gets the flu from airborne transmission. The coronavirus can stay in the air up to 4 hours. But the Flu can stay in the air for 24 hours. Mono can be in the air for 10 hours.

Just because it can be aerosolized in a lab does not mean it can transmit through the air to infect you.

______________________________

 

[Gwyn]

So I was doing some reading on this.

The latest studies show that this bug has an R0 of 1.5-4. With the average being 3.

R0 is how many people will be infected from a single source. Now lets put it into some prospective. So with the flu, you will on average infect 1.5 to 3 people when you are infected.

Seasonal flu is 1.5-3.
Small pox is 5 to 7.
Measles is 12-18.

Such a low spread rate once again points at a non airborne source.

R0: How Scientists Quantify the Intensity of an Outbreak Like Coronavirus and Its Pandemic Potential | The Pursuit | University of Michigan School of Public Health | Coronavirus | Pandemic

R0 is the number of cases, on average, an infected person will cause during their infectious period. Michigan Public Health professor of Epidemiology, Joe Eisenberg, explains how scientists quantify the intensity of outbreaks like the coronavirus.

sph.umich.edu

Quick read.

 

[KalTelly]

So I was doing some reading on this.

The latest studies show that this bug has an R0 of 1.5-4. With the average being 3.

R0 is how many people will be infected from a single source. Now lets put it into some prospective. So with the flu, you will on average infect 1.5 to 3 people when you are infected.

Seasonal flu is 1.5-3.
Small pox is 5 to 7.
Measles is 12-18.

Such a low spread rate once again points at a non airborne source.

R0: How Scientists Quantify the Intensity of an Outbreak Like Coronavirus and Its Pandemic Potential | The Pursuit | University of Michigan School of Public Health | Coronavirus | Pandemic

R0 is the number of cases, on average, an infected person will cause during their infectious period. Michigan Public Health professor of Epidemiology, Joe Eisenberg, explains how scientists quantify the intensity of outbreaks like the coronavirus.

sph.umich.edu

Quick read.

Thank you for sharing the science here and putting it into perspective based in the science instead of hysteria. We will eventually see more facts come out after this virus subsides and many more points of input /data on positive and negative tests. Plus the stats on number of people who test positive for fully recover. IMO this virus has been in our population for a few months already. People who got sick assumed it was seasonal flu. Large percentage recovered fine. Number of cases incr asking because we are testing for it. You seem to have a solid handle on the science. What is your background. Again appreciated.