I don't foresee any real improvement until a reliable vaccine is developed.

[LuckyCharms]

I think we will go on almost complete lockdown soon.

The curve will then flatten at some point, unless too many people ignore the lockdown.

The powers that be will be itchy to get the economy rolling again, so the lockdown will be relaxed or eliminated...and the curve will start spiking up again.

It's going to be a roller coaster, and the world is/will be permanently altered.

I worry about vastly increased mental health problems and corresponding increased suicide rates.

I worry for people with illnesses other than the corona virus. Their treatment may be non-existent or substandard.

I worry for the people who are triaged to palliative care due to the virus.

I worry about the actual virus.

I worry about people being able to get their medicine, and food.

I worry for our heroes...our health care workers and other essential personnel.

I think it's too late to abate this in a meaningful way, especially when looking at who is at the helm. A lockdown would be a good start, and perhaps some kind of formalized think tank to help solve this. Some guy on Brian Williams right now is touting the innovation that will come out of this. Better hurry up, pal.

[Loki Liesmith]

1. So why wouldn't antivirals be effective?

Or drugs that treat lung inflammation?

[LuckyCharms]

5. I don't know.

It's quite possible that there is something already out there that will treat this. The problem, particularly in the US, is that approval for any treatments seems to move very slowly. I guess slow movement is a necessary evil in this case...valid scientific studies have to be performed before existing drugs are approved to use for treatments for ailments other than those they were designed for.

As far as drugs that treat lung inflammation, I'm pretty sure they are being used on Corona patients. But there's also the problem of limited hospital capacity, limited health care workers, etc.

[LizBeth]

2. Wuhan China has no more new infections. I do not know where it goes from there, but 3 months out

and no new infection.

[dalton99a]

6. Wuhan is still under lockdown, but they have closed all field hospitals

and allowed essential industries to resume operations

[LizBeth]

12. Yes. They say two months but was at least three months. Thanks for the spelling.

[dweller]

3. get some rest, Lucky Charms

it's only wednesday 🙏🏻

✌🏼

[Hoyt]

4. Or treatment for serious cases, or enough people get it and have immunity.

Immunity or some resistance is likely, but not proven yet.

Still, it appears that 80% of those contracting virus don’t have dangerous symptoms or illness. They just spread this crud.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. It's hard not to worry, especially when you're sitting alone

without any company except for three oblivious cats and the Internet. So I worry about all of the above, plus:

Will there continue to be trash collection? Mail delivery? Will grocery and other delivery services be available for people who can't get out? If something breaks in your house - appliances, plumbing, electrical, etc. - will you be able to get it fixed? If your pets get sick can you get them treated at the vet?

How the fuck long is this going to last?

[LuckyCharms]

9. +1

There is not a single thing that won't be affected.

[smirkymonkey]

15. Those are the things I worry about.

I already tried to order more groceries/household supplies and the services I use either stopped delivering or are booked out a week or longer. A friend is going to pick me up on Friday to bring me to Wegmans, but I am still a little worried about being out among other people. Not more worried than I am about starving, however.

There are delivery services that will deliver take out food, but I can't afford to do that more than once or twice per week. We have maintenance people in the building who are still working, so if anything breaks down that can be taken care of. I guess I mostly worry about the breakdown of the fabric of society. I think many people can tolerate a few weeks of this, but a few months? People are going to be freaking out and wearing down.

I'm just trying to take it a day at a time and hope for the best. I just wish we had a competent leader at the helm who surrounded him/herself with other experienced, capable professionals. I have ZERO confidence in the federal government.

At least I live in Boston and I do have some faith in the state and local government here, as well as the healthcare system. They have weathered other crises before with efficiency and resourcefulness, so I am hoping we can count on them once again.

[unblock]

8. It's probably not necessary to wait that long to ease restrictions

The primary goal is to keep critical cases within hospital capacity.

Before we develop a vaccine (estimated 18 months), we will have produced many more ventilators, converted many more hospital and hotel rooms to intensive care units, and trained more personnel and otherwise increased hospital capacity.

Meanwhile, we will find ways to reduce critical cases with medicines that keep mild and moderate cases from becoming severe.

And presumably, once you get it, you're much less likely to get it again.

All thus means we should reach a point where we can slowly get back to normal while staying within the greater hospital capacity.


Hopefully that's more like 20 weeks out instead of 18 months out.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

11. I sure hope you're right.

[Phoenix61]

10. Absolute worst case is 18 months and it will

be pretty much over. By then it will have done what ever damage it is going to do.

[zak247]

13. WHO to launch multinational trial to jumpstart search for coronavirus drugs

This link daily has articles updating the most recent developments in treatments

https://www.statnews.com/2020/03/18/who-to-launch-multinational-trial-to-jumpstart-search-for-coronavirus-drugs/

WHO to launch multinational trial to jumpstart search for coronavirus drugs
www.statnews.com...

The World Health Organization said Wednesday that it would launch a multiarm, multicountry clinical trial for potential coronavirus therapies, part of an aggressive effort to jumpstart the global search for drugs to treat Covid-19.

The four drugs or combinations will be compared to what is called standard of care — the regular support hospitals treating these patients use now, such as supplementary oxygen when needed.
The drugs to be tested are the antiviral drug remdesivir; a combination of two HIV drugs, lopinavir and ritonavir; lopinavir and ritonavir plus interferon beta; and the antimalarial drug chloroquine. All show some evidence of effectiveness against the SARS-CoV 2 virus, which causes Covid-19, either in vitro and/or animal studies.

This is an effort to “to jumpstart the global search for drugs to treat Covid-19”

Hopefully, they'll move swiftly. I know they have to do trials but they ought to give the patients the drugs now while the trial is going on. I hope they're doing that.

[traladeda]

14. vaccine and new leadership

I have zero hope that anything will stabilize until we have a new president and admin.