Question about Viruses

[rero360]

Aren't those the things that can't be killed?

Yeah, I remember from the outbreak of mad cow disease in England, they would kill the cattle and burn the piles of corpses and like years later they would go back and find the prions still just chilling there in the ground.

[Arik]

Yeah, I remember from the outbreak of mad cow disease in England, they would kill the cattle and burn the piles of corpses and like years later they would go back and find the prions still just chilling there in the ground.

I remember hearing about this recently just can't remember where. They tried everything and those things were just like...eh whatever!

[ABNAK]

I remember hearing about this recently just can't remember where. They tried everything and those things were just like...eh whatever!

Forget where I read it but those damn things can live on surfaces for decades.

[thopkins22]

Forget where I read it but those damn things can live on surfaces for decades.

Yes. And they don't actually do anything but make other proteins fold differently. TCE started here in America, likely in a research facility in Colorado, is now in deer species worldwide, and will in all likelihood jump to humans at some point. It is fatal in 100% of cases, we don't know how to even treat it. And the damn things live exposed to sunlight, freezing temperatures, hot temperatures, and pretty much everything else for decades.

Iceland found it in a herd, and killed everything for like ten square miles and fenced it off hoping to stop the spread. It will be interesting to see how long it's present in the soil there.

[ABNAK]

Since the big thread is closed for now, I'd like to know EXACTLY what treatment Boris Johnson received. Drugs and other interventions would be nice to know. He circled the drain enough to be sent to the ICU but was kept off a vent. I wanna know the what and how of it.

[thopkins22]

Since the big thread is closed for now, I'd like to know EXACTLY what treatment Boris Johnson received. Drugs and other interventions would be nice to know. He circled the drain enough to be sent to the ICU but was kept off a vent. I wanna know the what and how of it.

It's not helpful at all...but I think we are safe in assuming that the conditions required for normal folks to be sent to the ICU and the conditions required for the prime minister are two different things. Could very well be that they were simply keeping him hydrated and giving him Tylenol or some NSAID for fever.

So...I guess I'm interested as well. I don't think there is anyone offering that information at the moment though.

[ramairthree]

Okay, I gotta ask: does what insurance they have and it's subsequent reimbursement carry weight in the equation?

Not as a primary consideration and as often as not in a trauma or medical code arriving via EMS the initial ER physician does not know who they are.

In my opinion it should be a secondary consideration.

Do you let a fit, healthy, 30 year old mother of two with no medical problems emergency medicine physician who got a massive viral load at work die and not get a vent because there are none available but:
A) A non citizen, non English speaking, here illegally, illiterate in their own language, unskilled manual laborer is on a vent?
B) An 88 year old with pneumonia, septic 85 year old with COPD, CHF, CAD, hypertension, and prostate cancer is on a vent?
C) A 48 year old morbidly obese diabetic bed ridden hemiplegic from a stroke, end stage renal disease dialysis patient is on a vent?
D) A 26 year old homeless schizophrenic, non compliant alcoholic is on a vent?
E) A 46 year old LEO that’s a little overweight with high cholesterol and hypertension is on a vent?
F) A 52 year old retired Force Recon Marine that owns a gun store and a gym that had really bad family history and despite excellent diet and exercise had a massive heart attack and heart failure is on a vent?
G) A 40 year old felon in prison for life with high blood pressure, heart disease, and sickle cell is on a vent?
H) A 27 year old with an autoimmune disorder that needs a lung transplant is on a vent?

How much are productive citizens supposed to give up to support non contributing citizens or non citizens?
What right does one individual have to demand to be supported by others?

Medical care is not a basic right, philosophical concept that costs nothing.
You have freedom of religion, I don’t have to build you a church.
You have freedom of speech, I don’t have to buy you a printing press, book run, fund your website, etc.
You have the right to keep and bear arms. I don’t have to buy you a gun or pay for you to go to a trigger time or VTAC class.

Medical care has serious costs in equipment, man hours, medications, maintenance, etc.

Let’s say someone is a good man and always worked, etc.
His kid is wired wrong and becomes some stripper head skanky junkie.
They have four different looking kids. Multiple ambulance rides, ER overdose visits, abscess surgeries, an ICU admission for bacterial endocarditis. An ICU admission and surgery for epidural abscess. Multiple leaves against medical advice. A couple of sepsis admissions. They need a heart valve replaced. They have failed rehab stints.

I feel bad for that guy. I think it sucks he raised four kids that turned out great but got stuck with how this one turned out. But I don’t feel obligated to pay for raising his grandkids he and his wife now have custody off. I don’t feel obligated nor think he should demand other citizens pay for his adult child’s medical care. A functioning society has absolutely zero use for that individual from a practical perspective. Nor several variants or situations that basically involve someone with self inflicted severe medical problems and non compliance issues. What right do they have to demand that society pay for their stuff? What right does someone that weighs 500 pounds have to injure ambulance personnel or nurses get insured having to move them around, or needle sticks from the millions of tries to get an IV in them, or people to pay for their medical problems?