Thread: CoronaVirus ==> Empty Shelves

This might be useful to someone.
Warning.jpg

A friend of a friend works as a teacher in China. He was ordered to leave three or four weeks ago when all this hit the fan. Three days ago he was asked to return. He reports business as usual, all the shops are open and people are just carrying on as per normal. He is back in his old teaching position.

I thought that was worth passing on as it came directly from him, not a "news agency".

China is going to be very interesting to watch. They've restricted spread to around 80K case, out of a population of 1.4 billion. That's an awful lot of uninfected, non-immune people. What happens next will inform the rest of the world as to what happens when you start allowing your population to move again. The risk is a 2nd wave of infection.

It'll give us an idea of just how long we will have to deal with the effects of the virus. If China gets another rush as people move about, it'll indicate much longer lock downs across the world, and even more economic disruption. If they can control it though, there's a glimmer of hope (although non-totalitarian governments aren't quite as able to tell people what to do for prolonged periods of time).

I could be lucky!

I found out today that one of the drugs being tested as an antiviral for COVID19 is hydroxychloroquine and I've been on this stuff for nearly 12 months. It's normally sold as "Plaquenil" for use by arthritis sufferers, but I'm taking it for Sarcoidosis and Hypercalcemia.

It has a number of potential side effects including;

• headache, dizziness, ringing in your ears;
• nausea, vomiting, stomach pain;
• loss of appetite, weight loss;
  
• mood changes, feeling nervous or irritable;
  
• skin rash or itching; or.
  
• hair loss
  
• sensitivity to sunlight and colourblindness.
  

To assess these side effects I was started off at a low dose and had to get eye tests and then the dose was built up. Fortunately I don't appear to have any significant effects so am currently taking half the max permissible daily dose and could take more if needed.
BUT
Please don't go out and get your doctor to prescribe it as it's still unproven in treating COVID19 and I need it for my existing conditions. It also really dangerous for anyone like me taking this drug to suddenly stop taking it, so please don't put me through this.

The Trumpwit has been on about that for the last 3-4 days and Dr Anthony Fauci has been gently pushing back against it. Melatonia says he has "a good feeling about it" based on the wind direction at the time, but Fauci says trials are still some way off for results. Apparently the Chinese doctors have been having what they think may some success.

I must watch too much Trumpwit (which all came out of the more peachy circumstances)

Originally Posted by BobL

It's normally sold as "Plaquenil" for use by arthritis sufferers.

Apparently for Rheumatoid Arthuritis, not Osteo. I take meloxicam for OA which is an anti-inflammatory, and which unfortunately would be useless agin Covfefe 19.

Originally Posted by BobL

BUT
Please don't go out and get your doctor to prescribe it as it's still unproven in treating COVID19 and I need it for my existing conditions. It also really dangerous for anyone taking this drug to suddenly stop taking it, so please don't put me through this.

Well sheeyit, this just popped up in the news, so no need to worry Bob:
Malaria and arthritis drugs touted as potential coronavirus 'cure', triggering pharmacy rush - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

I haven't read it yet but how can doctors prescribe it for people who don't have RA or any of Bob's Comorbid 19s?

Bern?


Btw, this has all come from the Trumpwit's completely ill-educated remarks over the last few days. What a Trumpwit the man is.

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

The Trumpwit has been on about that for the last 3-4 days and Dr Anthony Fauci has been gently pushing back against it. Melatonia says he has "a good feeling about it" based on the wind direction at the time, but Fauci says trials are still some way off for results. Apparently the Chinese doctors have been having what they think may some success.

Fauci has to push back on anything in this space, if he gives anything a shred of credence it will sell out faster than toilet paper.

The hydroxychloroquine info is based on a non-randomised study with 9 people. There's no RCT evidence, and no info on dose or timing. It does hurt the virus in a petri dish. Current use/dose is purely sucking of the thumb.

There are a number of clinical trials of various drugs that have been effective against other viruses rapidly getting underway, but at the moment all the drugs we're using are based on anecdotal evidence.

So leave the stuff for people that we know need it - like Bob. Then, if it proves effective, you'll get it if you need it.

Chloroquine is a very old anti-malarial drug which has been found to be effective for arthritics. I remember working on Chloroquine and Pyramethamine for a UNICEF contract in 1967. It has been found to be effective against COVID 19 but in vitro only. By the time full clinical trials are complete, this pandemic may only be a memory. It may cause arrhythmia if prescribed with incompatible medications. It always worries me that doctors only do a short course in pharmacology leaving pharmacists to raise the alarm.

I hope it works for you, Bob.

mick

It looks like there are 6 trials being set up for Hydroxychloroquine
3 trails are are recruiting; Korea (Mild COVID19), China (pneumonia/COVO19) and USA; and 3 are not even at the recruiting stage

Search of: Hydroxychloroquine | SARS-CoV-2 - List Results - ClinicalTrials.gov

Originally Posted by Glider

It may cause arrhythmia if prescribed with incompatible medications.

And arrhythmia is no fun at all. From age 16 to early 40s I had Wolf Parkinson White Syndrome which is an extra nerve channel down the back of the heart - would short circuit every now and then starting off with Ventricular tachycardia that morphed into Atrial fibrillation for up to 18 hours or so (it might be AF to VT...it's a distant memory now). Completely debilitating when it happens. (I had it radio ablated in three sessions).

Even now I get very regular ectopic heartbeats, although I suspect everyone does but are just not as finely attuned to it as I became (through paranoia .

Originally Posted by Glider

I remember working on Chloroquine and Pyramethamine for a UNICEF contract in 1967.

It's funny how these old drugs pop up in the news. Pyramethamine (Daraprim) was the drug which American fund manager Martin Shrekli controlled and then jacked up the price by >1000% leaving a lot of people unable to afford their medication. He was subsequently jailed after becoming the most hated man in the U.S.

mick

Originally Posted by BobL

It looks like there are 6 trials being set up for Hydroxychloroquine
3 trails are are recruiting; Korea (Mild COVID19), China (pneumonia/COVO19) and USA; and 3 are not even at the recruiting stage

Search of: Hydroxychloroquine | SARS-CoV-2 - List Results - ClinicalTrials.gov

It's great to see a .gov link being quoted. Elder daughter's specialty in education is teaching teachers how to instruct pupils on how to search the internet effectively. For years students have been supplied with laptops having no idea on how to use them properly.

Apart from apprising me about Google Scholar, the best hint she gave me was to add .gov .edu to any serious question I wanted answered on the internet. It filters all the crap, wikis etc, and generally provides valid information.

mick