COVID-19 Records

Private channel session 164

18 messages over 1h 0m, 2020-06-12 – 2020-06-12.

A “conversation” here is an activity session — a run of messages with under 60 minutes of silence inside it. The channel had no native conversation boundaries.

  1. 2020-06-12 15:05 Edward C. Holmes open PDF p.75
    Yes, looks good. Doubtless the Korber paper will be in Cell soon. I hear there may be more pangolin viruses. We'll see. I really want to what George Gao has up his sleeve.
  2. 2020-06-12 15:08 Kristian G. Andersen open PDF p.75
    Would be so friggin' awesome if George could pull this one off... Would make my life a lot easier :wink:. The US isgetting spanked by China so badly these days, so this would be the ultimate slap!This is a pretty big slap too... https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31278-2/fulltext(the US abstract version would be "it'll be fine, let's just wait and see".
  3. 2020-06-12 15:14 Edward C. Holmes open PDF p.75
    And the NAS continues to tarnish itself by allowing shitty papers to get published...
  4. 2020-06-12 15:15 Kristian G. Andersen open PDF p.75
    Oh no, what now?
  5. 2020-06-12 15:17 Edward C. Holmes open PDF p.75
    https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2020/06/10/2009637117
  6. 2020-06-12 15:20 Kristian G. Andersen open PDF p.75
    I think they must mean 'droplet'...
  7. 2020-06-12 15:21 Kristian G. Andersen open PDF p.75
    It should be clear though - airborne transmission is definitely a risk with SC2, but I highly doubt it's dominant.
  8. 2020-06-12 15:42 Edward C. Holmes open PDF p.75
    I was worried about conclusion being made on whether people use/don't use face masks. Australia and NZ have had 2 of the most successful control policies globally. Hardly anyone where's a mask here.
  9. 2020-06-12 15:46 Kristian G. Andersen open PDF p.75
    I think the data is shifting pretty strongly towards mask wearing being (potentially highly) beneficial. But it's definitely not the only way - Denmark is the same. One concern I have about the success Down Under - what's the effect ofweather? I hope NZ and Australia won't sleep on their laurels as winter approaches.
  10. 2020-06-12 15:52 Edward C. Holmes open PDF p.75
    Oh, I don't disagree with the conclusion at all (I completely agree that face masks are hugely important), but the analysis is dire. There's no weather effect in any of this: climatic conditions play a secondary role when the population is completely susceptible - that's the key factor. Look at Brazil and Chile is kicking off. Seasonality may well evolve as immunity kicks in, but it's not there yet.
  11. 2020-06-12 15:53 Edward C. Holmes open PDF p.75
    Africa is also kicking off.
  12. 2020-06-12 15:59 Kristian G. Andersen open PDF p.76
    > climatic conditions play a secondary role when the population is completely susceptible Maybe. This has been my thinking as well, but I'm not convinced. *Clearly* seasonality is incapable of halting transmission, but that's not the same as having no effect. What my concern for e.g., the US is that the question isn't whether "summer will slow down (or stop) transmission", but rather whether "we should expect the fall to be even worse". It's subtle - but I think it's critical that we don't assume that weather has no effect because it didn't stop (oreven slow down - although I'm not convinced it hasn't) the virus. Since Australia and NZ will head into winter with extremely limited transmission and seemingly good programs inplace, I'm less concerned. However, in a place like the US, the situation could turn from severe to catastrophic.
  13. 2020-06-12 16:03 Edward C. Holmes open PDF p.76
    It would be much better if the virus were seasonal...that would make planning much easier. I think that it will likely become a seasonal endemic virus but thay may take a little time. Obviously, the public health authorities need to bevigilant throughout.
  14. 2020-06-12 16:04 Edward C. Holmes open PDF p.76
    P.S. I didn't say it has no effect, but rather the huge number of susceptible hosts is more important at the moment.
  15. 2020-06-12 16:05 Kristian G. Andersen open PDF p.76
    Yup, agreed - 1% immunity and there's a pretty long way to go...
  16. 2020-06-12 16:05 Kristian G. Andersen open PDF p.76
    (to herd immunity - but also to when we might actually see seasonal forcing)
  17. 2020-06-12 16:05 Edward C. Holmes open PDF p.76
    And globally the pandemic is getting worse.
  18. 2020-06-12 16:06 Kristian G. Andersen open PDF p.76
    Absolutely.