Is the coronavirus becoming less potent [MERGED]

["Roger"]

An Italian doctor thinks so. I should note that it is not unusual for viruses to become less potent as they mutate so this is not a total pipedream. We can only hope ...

New coronavirus losing potency, top Italian doctor says

The new coronavirus is losing its potency and has become much less lethal, a senior Italian doctor said on Sunday. "In reality, the virus clinically no longer exists in Italy," said Alberto Zangrillo, the head of the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan in the northern region of Lombardy, which has...

news.yahoo.com

 

[billymach4]

An Italian doctor thinks so. I should note that it is not unusual for viruses to become less potent as they mutate so this is not a total pipedream. We can only hope ...

New coronavirus losing potency, top Italian doctor says

The new coronavirus is losing its potency and has become much less lethal, a senior Italian doctor said on Sunday. "In reality, the virus clinically no longer exists in Italy," said Alberto Zangrillo, the head of the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan in the northern region of Lombardy, which has...

news.yahoo.com

OK maybe this guy in the article is a doctor.
There does not appear to be any documentation or peer review of his opinion?

You know what they say... Opinions are like A$$H____ everyone has one.

 

[Panina]

New coronavirus losing potency, top Italian doctor says

New coronavirus losing potency, top Italian doctor says

The new coronavirus is losing its potency and has become much less lethal, a senior Italian doctor said on Sunday.

www.reuters.com

 

[silentg]

I will believe when numbers go to 0 . Stay safe and healthy and be kind!

 

[Brett]

OK maybe this guy in the article is a doctor.
There does not appear to be any documentation or peer review of his opinion?

You know what they say... Opinions are like A$$H____ everyone has one.

yep, plenty of coronavirus opinions

 

[davidvel]

The two prior deadly coronavirus did this as well.

 

[DrQ]

I hope that the vaccine effort will continue this time, even if the lethality decreases.

There was an effort to develop a vaccine during the SARS outbreak, but lost stream when the infection was brought under control.

 

[davidvel]

OK maybe this guy in the article is a doctor.
There does not appear to be any documentation or peer review of his opinion?

You know what they say... Opinions are like A$$H____ everyone has one.

... And no one wants to hear anyone else's!

 

[geekette]

He's a top doctor, he's a senior doctor ... Neither of these descriptions are substantiated with any kind of credits or notoriety.

I will go ahead and assume that he's a doctor. I will assume that he is honestly reporting what he is seeing. It's not clear what his patient population is, where they are located. We know that the US got different strains, landing in different parts of the country. I don't know which is more deadly.

While it is possible that the virus is getting less potent, I'll wait on some back up to that opinion. I am also seeing articles about the damage to the body this thing does. I would welcome its weakening but I wonder if that is "second go-round" patients, the ones that had it before and got it again.

I have more questions than answers after reading that.

 

[Yellowfin]

He is "only" the head of a large hospital in Northern Italy so we should not listen to what he has to say
I am not sure what peer review we need for a statement. A lot of people, including medical doctors are not in the position to see what he has seen as the head of a facility that has seen a lot of C19. They can call him a liar if they want but what would be their basis for that?

I hope this is going to prove true not only in Italy but also in the US and that the virus will burn itself out like SARS. At best only half of the population wants to be vaccinated, a vaccine is not 100% effective (it can be even just 50% effective), and knowing that we will not have the vaccine available soon enough I believe that the virus mutating to something less lethal is really our best hope. I know it is just hope but this was the case with many other viruses so it is not far fetched at all.

 

[Old Hickory]

Less potent than what, the early projection models from the CDC? HAHAHA!

No kidding. The doctor is using post data so yea, the reality is not matching the worst-case prediction models overly-hyped by politicians and the media. But that doesn't sell advertising or grab power from the powerless, does it?

 

["Roger"]

Less potent than what, ...

How about less serious than the virus that has killed over 33,000 people in Italy. (I don't think that many Italians died to sell advertising for their country.)

 

[Old Hickory]

How about less serious than the virus that has killed over 33,000 people in Italy. (I don't think that many Italians died to sell advertising for their country.)

The article is about "less potent" not "less serious." Words matter.

 

[Ralph Sir Edward]

In this context, less potent means causes less serious symptoms. Live virus vaccines are much, much less potent versions of the disease they are protecting against.

 

[1Kflyerguy]

Seems like good news!

 

[billymach4]

... And no one wants to hear anyone else's!

Hoofarted

 

[Brett]

Experts dispute reports that coronavirus is becoming less lethal

https://www.washingtonpost.com/heal...8ace7c-a432-11ea-b619-3f9133bbb482_story.html

"we need to be exceptionally careful not to create a sense that all of a sudden the virus by its own volition has now decided to be less pathogenic. That is not the case at all.”

more likely a reflection of the fact that with the peak of the outbreak long past, there is less virus in circulation, and people may be less likely to be exposed to high doses of it. In addition, only severely sick people were likely to be tested early on, compared with the situation now when even those with mild symptoms are more likely to get swabbed, experts said."

 

[Monykalyn]

Experts dispute reports that coronavirus is becoming less lethal

https://www.washingtonpost.com/heal...8ace7c-a432-11ea-b619-3f9133bbb482_story.html

"we need to be exceptionally careful not to create a sense that all of a sudden the virus by its own volition has now decided to be less pathogenic. That is not the case at all.”

more likely a reflection of the fact that with the peak of the outbreak long past, there is less virus in circulation, and people may be less likely to be exposed to high doses of it. In addition, only severely sick people were likely to be tested early on, compared with the situation now when even those with mild symptoms are more likely to get swabbed, experts said."

Which is why watching hospitalizations and fatality rates are still important-although with increased testing, and still finding about same number of cases (although now 15k test may show 500 cases where early it only too 2000 tests to show 500 cases) hospitalization rates seem to be declining-per CDC and https://gis.cdc.gov/grasp/covidnet/COVID19_3.html
Although that sight isn't comprehensive, just a sampling it is still hopefully a good sign!

 

[Yellowfin]

actually experts are starting to see the same in the United States as in Italy. A lot of interesting statements including the risk of catching the virus from an asymptomatic person.

Pa. doctor says coronavirus has become ‘less prevalent’ and isn’t making people as sick

Dr. Yealy said there's less chance of getting it from someone who's asymptomatic than of having an accident on the turnpike.

www.syracuse.com

 

[silentg]

From what I’ve heard, the Virus is still potent, but now they have the space and means to treat people because the hospitals are not overwhelmed with cases. Now allowing non emergency procedures and proper sanitary conditions. The use of facemasks and social distancing in order to reopen USA. Baby steps back to a less restrictive society. Hopefully, as we get through the next few months, the future will look brighter for all of us. I’m optimistic.