Coronavirus
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I'm glad Dave shared more of what Grant did at the risk of losing his job. Hearing how Dave's personal life suffered was also an eye-opener. We Kings fans are incredibly lucky to have had guys like Dave willing to put everything on the line for the cause. I think this version (with Dave's commentary) does a lot to fill in some gaps in the original story.
With the pipe dream of holding the Olympics finally vanquished, it appears the most populous city in the world is about to go into lockdown.
A lot of the prevention measures can seem like a real pain in the butt but remember that lives depend on you doing your best to follow them. Now isn't the time to be an iconoclast.
Also my studio apartment works great when I'm out and about working all day but as a place to bunker down it is downright miserable.
A lot of the prevention measures can seem like a real pain in the butt but remember that lives depend on you doing your best to follow them. Now isn't the time to be an iconoclast.
Also my studio apartment works great when I'm out and about working all day but as a place to bunker down it is downright miserable.
This is a challenging time, but, like others in this thread, I'm hoping that all members of the KF.com family are taking the shelter-in-place order seriously.
Though being trapped inside for days, weeks, and likely months on end is a deeply unappealing proposition, there are many ways to mitigate boredom and malaise. Maybe you've got projects at home to focus on. Maybe there are dozens of shows and movies you've wanted to watch, but haven't had the time until now. Maybe you've been thinking about writing. Maybe you've got a big reading list you've been dying to whittle down. Maybe you've never been much of a reader. Well, this seems like a good opportunity to start!
And if you'd like to support local business during this time rather than, say, a corporate behemoth like Amazon, Capital Books on K Street makes it easy to order books online! You can pick up curbside or they can ship directly to you.
Though being trapped inside for days, weeks, and likely months on end is a deeply unappealing proposition, there are many ways to mitigate boredom and malaise. Maybe you've got projects at home to focus on. Maybe there are dozens of shows and movies you've wanted to watch, but haven't had the time until now. Maybe you've been thinking about writing. Maybe you've got a big reading list you've been dying to whittle down. Maybe you've never been much of a reader. Well, this seems like a good opportunity to start!
And if you'd like to support local business during this time rather than, say, a corporate behemoth like Amazon, Capital Books on K Street makes it easy to order books online! You can pick up curbside or they can ship directly to you.
This is a challenging time, but, like others in this thread, I'm hoping that all members of the KF.com family are taking the shelter-in-place order seriously.
Though being trapped inside for days, weeks, and likely months on end is a deeply unappealing proposition, there are many ways to mitigate boredom and malaise. Maybe you've got projects at home to focus on. Maybe there are dozens of shows and movies you've wanted to watch, but haven't had the time until now. Maybe you've been thinking about writing. Maybe you've got a big reading list you've been dying to whittle down. Maybe you've never been much of a reader. Well, this seems like a good opportunity to start!
And if you'd like to support local business during this time rather than, say, a corporate behemoth like Amazon, Capital Books on K Street makes it easy to order books online! You can pick up curbside or they can ship directly to you.
Though being trapped inside for days, weeks, and likely months on end is a deeply unappealing proposition, there are many ways to mitigate boredom and malaise. Maybe you've got projects at home to focus on. Maybe there are dozens of shows and movies you've wanted to watch, but haven't had the time until now. Maybe you've been thinking about writing. Maybe you've got a big reading list you've been dying to whittle down. Maybe you've never been much of a reader. Well, this seems like a good opportunity to start!
And if you'd like to support local business during this time rather than, say, a corporate behemoth like Amazon, Capital Books on K Street makes it easy to order books online! You can pick up curbside or they can ship directly to you.
Just in case there was any confusion about my post, I do not in any way represent Capital Books. They're just a local business I like and they make it easy to order books online. Figured it might be helpful to those who want to buy local but are unsure of how to do so since most businesses have closed down their brick and mortar operations.
Trying to weather this out and it’s the first day I do have a very good reason to venture out. The gas prices are at a price point I thought I would never see again in my life time. Paid $1.59 the other day and seeing some areas less than a hour from me in the $1.30 to $1.50 range. But that’s here in Ohio.
I went to Costco last week and still paid like 2.75 for premium. Get me in on this cheap gas (though I never drive and will likely get 2 months + out of this tank)
I've been working a lot at home this week. Grateful for that but definitely introducing new stresses and breaking up my personal life balance. Still, I count myself in the lucky ones.
I've been working a lot at home this week. Grateful for that but definitely introducing new stresses and breaking up my personal life balance. Still, I count myself in the lucky ones.
Just in case there was any confusion about my post, I do not in any way represent Capital Books. They're just a local business I like and they make it easy to order books online. Figured it might be helpful to those who want to buy local but are unsure of how to do so since most businesses have closed down their brick and mortar operations.
Hey Kingfans - stay safe and sane. From my Wife - hope it helps.
Hi everyone! First, although I am a scientist, my area of expertise is brain development, not virology or infectious disease. But a lot of my friends with no science background have been calling me with questions about COVID-19. Upon their request, I put together the following information based on what the scientific community currently knows about SARS-CoV2. I hope you find this helpful.
COVID-19 Basics
SARS-CoV-2 is the name of the virus, COVID-19 is the name of the disease caused by the virus. SARS-CoV-2 is in a family of viruses termed coronaviruses. The acronym “SARS” stands for severe acute respiratory syndrome. “CoV” is short for coronavirus.
COVID-19 is very different from the flu. The flu is caused by influenza A or B, and is a type of orthomyxovirus, not coronavirus.
In addition to SARS-CoV2, there are six other coronaviruses that commonly infect people. Four of them cause common colds, the other two—SARS and MERS—have more serious symptoms.
SARS-CoV2 is most genetically similar to SARS (also called SARS-CoV1). Unfortunately for us, SARS-CoV2 sticks to our cells MUCH more efficiently than the original SARS. SARS-CoV2 also enters our cells much more easily.
Similar to the original SARS, SARS-CoV2 binds to receptors called ACE2 receptors on cells within our airway.
Why are public health officials so concerned?
SARS-CoV2 infects cells in BOTH our upper and lower airways, which is unusual for respiratory viruses—usually they stick to upper or lower, but not both. This is a potent combination.
The fact that SARS-CoV2 can infect the lower respiratory tract (i.e., the lungs) is what makes the symptoms so severe. The fact that it infects our upper respiratory tract (i.e., the trachea) makes it easier to transmit—when we cough, sneeze, sing, yell…even talk, the virus can enter the airspace in microscopic droplets in front of us and linger in the air. The virus is also stable on hard surfaces for hours to days.
How long can SARS-CoV2 survive in the air and on surfaces?
From a summary of a recent study: “The virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is stable for several hours to days in aerosols and on surfaces, according to a new study from National Institutes of Health, CDC, UCLA and Princeton University scientists in The New England Journal of Medicine. The scientists found that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was detectable in aerosols for up to three hours, up to four hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel.”
Transmission & symptoms
Another feature that is causing the shelter-in-place orders is that it appears SARS-CoV2 can be transmitted before symptoms appear—potentially for many days before symptoms appear. Data indicates the average onset of symptoms is 4-5 days following exposure, with 95-98% of individuals exhibiting symptoms by day 11. I saw one report indicating outliers as far out as 24 days post-exposure.
The fact that SARS-CoV2 causes a range of symptoms from “no symptoms” to “death” is really alarming. If a person has no symptoms or mild symptoms, that person serves as a very efficient vector, unknowingly spreading the virus throughout their community.
The common symptoms are fever, dry cough, tiredness, and (in severe cases) difficulty breathing.
Why does viral load matter & why are smokers thought to be at higher risk of experiencing more severe COVID-19 symptoms?
Ok, a mini-biology lesson on our upper airway. The trachea is the tube that leads to our lungs. It is lined with a few important cell types that work together.
First, goblet cells secrete a protective lining of mucus all along the trachea, which traps particles that we breath in. Second, there are tightly connected “ciliated” cells that have finger-like projections (cilia) that are constantly beating. The beating motion pushes the mucus up to our mouth, we then swallow it into our stomach where respiratory pathogens either die in the acidic pH or just don’t have any cells to infect (most viruses can only infect specific cell types). This design is intended to remove particulates before they have a chance to reach our lungs.
Smoking can destroy the cilia, preventing efficient removal of pathogens and thereby making the lungs more susceptible to infection.
Viral load (the number of viral particles you are exposed to) matters because if you are exposed to a low amount, your ciliated tracheal cells have an increased likelihood of removing the virus. But if you are exposed to a higher amount, your tracheal cells have to work a lot harder to remove the virus….giving the virus a chance to move through the mucus, attach to your airway cells in your trachea and lungs, and infect those tissues.
When will there be a SARS-CoV2 vaccine?
Due to the time required for clinical trials—which are critical for establishing safety and effectiveness—it will likely be 12-18 months before a vaccine is released. I read one report suggesting the absolute fastest release would be by this December, but I am skeptical of that timeline.
Will COVID-19 be seasonal?
It is not known if SARS-CoV2 will be “seasonal,” like the flu. Influenza is impacted by temperature and humidity. It is currently unknown if that will hold true for SARS-CoV2.
Why testing is so critical—for our health and economy.
In my opinion, what we need more than anything is wide-scale testing—as has been done in Singapore and South Korea. We need people who have already recovered from COVID-19 who are on the other side of the disease, to be able to re-enter their communities and lift up our local businesses. If a large percentage of us will exhibit mild or no symptoms, there is no way to tell if we have been infected without a test.
What happens after shelter-in-place is no more?
Once the shelter-in-place order is lifted and schools and businesses resume, the virus will likely start spreading again. The hope of public health officials is that this brief lull in community activity has allowed companies to produce more personal protective equipment (PPE) for our medical providers and, hopefully, our government leaders to come up with plans to secure more hospital bed space and ventilators. And time for scientists trying to identify COVID-19 treatments among FDA-approved medicines originally intended to treat other illnesses.
Shelter-in-place mandates are one of the most effective public health measures for controlling the spread of infectious pathogens. These measures help to “flatten the curve,” which refers to spreading out the number of infected individuals over time rather than a majority of individuals being infected all at once.
Don’t panic!
Finally, there is no need for panic. I don’t think panic ever serves us well. The most you can do is be prepared, as best you can be. Visit the CDC’s COVID-19 preparation guide, order the goods you need in case you or a loved one does get sick. Buy only what you need, not more, not less.
No, it’s not manmade….
Oh, and finally, finally—because I have gotten this question—no, SARS-CoV2 is not manmade. A recent paper examining the genetic sequence of SARS-CoV2 elegantly debunked that claim using bioinformatics. In fact, there was a paper a few years back in which the authors essentially predicted mutations in SARS-CoV1 that would give rise to new coronaviruses with increased ability to bind ACE2 receptors (exactly what we see with SARS-CoV2). The genetic material of coronaviruses is RNA rather than DNA, which has a more error-prone replication process—meaning mutations occur more frequently. Virologists with expertise in viral molecular genetics can make predictions about how the RNA sequences might change. Changes that increase the viruses’ ability to infect cells are more likely to persist because they increase the viruses ability to infect hosts and replicate.
I hope this is helpful!
Hi everyone! First, although I am a scientist, my area of expertise is brain development, not virology or infectious disease. But a lot of my friends with no science background have been calling me with questions about COVID-19. Upon their request, I put together the following information based on what the scientific community currently knows about SARS-CoV2. I hope you find this helpful.
COVID-19 Basics
SARS-CoV-2 is the name of the virus, COVID-19 is the name of the disease caused by the virus. SARS-CoV-2 is in a family of viruses termed coronaviruses. The acronym “SARS” stands for severe acute respiratory syndrome. “CoV” is short for coronavirus.
COVID-19 is very different from the flu. The flu is caused by influenza A or B, and is a type of orthomyxovirus, not coronavirus.
In addition to SARS-CoV2, there are six other coronaviruses that commonly infect people. Four of them cause common colds, the other two—SARS and MERS—have more serious symptoms.
SARS-CoV2 is most genetically similar to SARS (also called SARS-CoV1). Unfortunately for us, SARS-CoV2 sticks to our cells MUCH more efficiently than the original SARS. SARS-CoV2 also enters our cells much more easily.
Similar to the original SARS, SARS-CoV2 binds to receptors called ACE2 receptors on cells within our airway.
Why are public health officials so concerned?
SARS-CoV2 infects cells in BOTH our upper and lower airways, which is unusual for respiratory viruses—usually they stick to upper or lower, but not both. This is a potent combination.
The fact that SARS-CoV2 can infect the lower respiratory tract (i.e., the lungs) is what makes the symptoms so severe. The fact that it infects our upper respiratory tract (i.e., the trachea) makes it easier to transmit—when we cough, sneeze, sing, yell…even talk, the virus can enter the airspace in microscopic droplets in front of us and linger in the air. The virus is also stable on hard surfaces for hours to days.
How long can SARS-CoV2 survive in the air and on surfaces?
From a summary of a recent study: “The virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is stable for several hours to days in aerosols and on surfaces, according to a new study from National Institutes of Health, CDC, UCLA and Princeton University scientists in The New England Journal of Medicine. The scientists found that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was detectable in aerosols for up to three hours, up to four hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel.”
Transmission & symptoms
Another feature that is causing the shelter-in-place orders is that it appears SARS-CoV2 can be transmitted before symptoms appear—potentially for many days before symptoms appear. Data indicates the average onset of symptoms is 4-5 days following exposure, with 95-98% of individuals exhibiting symptoms by day 11. I saw one report indicating outliers as far out as 24 days post-exposure.
The fact that SARS-CoV2 causes a range of symptoms from “no symptoms” to “death” is really alarming. If a person has no symptoms or mild symptoms, that person serves as a very efficient vector, unknowingly spreading the virus throughout their community.
The common symptoms are fever, dry cough, tiredness, and (in severe cases) difficulty breathing.
Why does viral load matter & why are smokers thought to be at higher risk of experiencing more severe COVID-19 symptoms?
Ok, a mini-biology lesson on our upper airway. The trachea is the tube that leads to our lungs. It is lined with a few important cell types that work together.
First, goblet cells secrete a protective lining of mucus all along the trachea, which traps particles that we breath in. Second, there are tightly connected “ciliated” cells that have finger-like projections (cilia) that are constantly beating. The beating motion pushes the mucus up to our mouth, we then swallow it into our stomach where respiratory pathogens either die in the acidic pH or just don’t have any cells to infect (most viruses can only infect specific cell types). This design is intended to remove particulates before they have a chance to reach our lungs.
Smoking can destroy the cilia, preventing efficient removal of pathogens and thereby making the lungs more susceptible to infection.
Viral load (the number of viral particles you are exposed to) matters because if you are exposed to a low amount, your ciliated tracheal cells have an increased likelihood of removing the virus. But if you are exposed to a higher amount, your tracheal cells have to work a lot harder to remove the virus….giving the virus a chance to move through the mucus, attach to your airway cells in your trachea and lungs, and infect those tissues.
When will there be a SARS-CoV2 vaccine?
Due to the time required for clinical trials—which are critical for establishing safety and effectiveness—it will likely be 12-18 months before a vaccine is released. I read one report suggesting the absolute fastest release would be by this December, but I am skeptical of that timeline.
Will COVID-19 be seasonal?
It is not known if SARS-CoV2 will be “seasonal,” like the flu. Influenza is impacted by temperature and humidity. It is currently unknown if that will hold true for SARS-CoV2.
Why testing is so critical—for our health and economy.
In my opinion, what we need more than anything is wide-scale testing—as has been done in Singapore and South Korea. We need people who have already recovered from COVID-19 who are on the other side of the disease, to be able to re-enter their communities and lift up our local businesses. If a large percentage of us will exhibit mild or no symptoms, there is no way to tell if we have been infected without a test.
What happens after shelter-in-place is no more?
Once the shelter-in-place order is lifted and schools and businesses resume, the virus will likely start spreading again. The hope of public health officials is that this brief lull in community activity has allowed companies to produce more personal protective equipment (PPE) for our medical providers and, hopefully, our government leaders to come up with plans to secure more hospital bed space and ventilators. And time for scientists trying to identify COVID-19 treatments among FDA-approved medicines originally intended to treat other illnesses.
Shelter-in-place mandates are one of the most effective public health measures for controlling the spread of infectious pathogens. These measures help to “flatten the curve,” which refers to spreading out the number of infected individuals over time rather than a majority of individuals being infected all at once.
Don’t panic!
Finally, there is no need for panic. I don’t think panic ever serves us well. The most you can do is be prepared, as best you can be. Visit the CDC’s COVID-19 preparation guide, order the goods you need in case you or a loved one does get sick. Buy only what you need, not more, not less.
No, it’s not manmade….
Oh, and finally, finally—because I have gotten this question—no, SARS-CoV2 is not manmade. A recent paper examining the genetic sequence of SARS-CoV2 elegantly debunked that claim using bioinformatics. In fact, there was a paper a few years back in which the authors essentially predicted mutations in SARS-CoV1 that would give rise to new coronaviruses with increased ability to bind ACE2 receptors (exactly what we see with SARS-CoV2). The genetic material of coronaviruses is RNA rather than DNA, which has a more error-prone replication process—meaning mutations occur more frequently. Virologists with expertise in viral molecular genetics can make predictions about how the RNA sequences might change. Changes that increase the viruses’ ability to infect cells are more likely to persist because they increase the viruses ability to infect hosts and replicate.
I hope this is helpful!
Thanks for the info. Just to clarify, Singapore hasn't had widescale public testing like Korea did with drive through a and whatnot. If you display symptoms like shortness of breath along with other typical symptoms of Covid, you're sent to the hospital to be tested. Where we have stepped up a lot of testing is for residents returning from overseas (particularly the US and UK) - these are largely students who attend universities overseas. They are tested at the airport and sent home pending test results; if they test positive then an ambulance is sent to bring them to the hospitals for further examination and treatment. Even if they don't test positive, they're required to essentially self-isolate at home for 14 days (or in the case of those returning from US and UK, the government has actually made arrangements for the returning residents to be isolated in some pretty nice hotels that are otherwise empty now). For the general public, life is still going on though increasingly there are measures to enforce social distancing.
Excellent Post! I'm a physician on the frontline and I agree with everything. A few other tidbit regarding for symptoms to look out for: diarrhea, dry cough, fever, body aches. I also notice that the symptoms tends to last alot longer before things gets worse. Some of the symptoms can last 7-10 days and start out mild. Once they're in the hospital though, they tend to get worse fairly quickly. Most hospitals in the region has adopted their own internal testing instead of using the CDC test so we get the result usually within 24 hours rather than 2-4 days before. In term of treatment, regardless of what you hear on the news, there's no magic cure. We basically try throwing everything at it even if it has marginal or limited data at this point since we just don't know enough
With regards to social distancing, I don't have any scientific data, but from my own observation, while we are still getting more and more admissions everyday to the hospital for Covid-19, the doubling rate isn't as fast as I expected when this was three weeks ago. We are probably not at the peak point yet but hopefully it will never turn into another NYC situation. These days I try to find whatever I can to help distract me when I am not working. My wife is pregnant and we are expecting our first child in 4 weeks so I just hope these measure will work and keep her and the baby safe. I also hope I don't catch it and have to be quarantine away from them. Anyhow, I hope everyone here is staying safe and well fed! Maybe in 1-2 months we can go back to pleasant topic of discussion like Bagley vs Doncic and whether Vlade will stay as GM.
With regards to social distancing, I don't have any scientific data, but from my own observation, while we are still getting more and more admissions everyday to the hospital for Covid-19, the doubling rate isn't as fast as I expected when this was three weeks ago. We are probably not at the peak point yet but hopefully it will never turn into another NYC situation. These days I try to find whatever I can to help distract me when I am not working. My wife is pregnant and we are expecting our first child in 4 weeks so I just hope these measure will work and keep her and the baby safe. I also hope I don't catch it and have to be quarantine away from them. Anyhow, I hope everyone here is staying safe and well fed! Maybe in 1-2 months we can go back to pleasant topic of discussion like Bagley vs Doncic and whether Vlade will stay as GM.
To all old-timers here, I wish you all guys the best of health amid this pandemic. Go hide under the bunkers or keep yourselves isolated in the woods.
Being a Kingsfans I know you old folks won't probably go by heart attack. But this COVID19 is different and not what Kingsfans are prepared for. So guys please be safe and little bit sane. OK?
See you all when the season resumes.
Being a Kingsfans I know you old folks won't probably go by heart attack. But this COVID19 is different and not what Kingsfans are prepared for. So guys please be safe and little bit sane. OK?
See you all when the season resumes.
Certainly interesting times. Here in Australia much has ground to a halt, the country and now individual states are closing their borders or face 2 weeks self isolation if you do travel out of state. I feel mostly for all the youth, including my own, who have lost hospitality jobs.
I was an intensive care nurse until about 3 years ago when I got diagnosed with cutaneous non hodgkin lymphoma. I often wish I could be more useful in such times but recon I gave when I could and my immune system is now stuffed. Oh well, I now have the needed experience to stay home and do little.
Be well Kings fans. Heres hoping that when things settle we will have a more compassionate world and a team to be proud of to look forward to.
I was an intensive care nurse until about 3 years ago when I got diagnosed with cutaneous non hodgkin lymphoma. I often wish I could be more useful in such times but recon I gave when I could and my immune system is now stuffed. Oh well, I now have the needed experience to stay home and do little.
Be well Kings fans. Heres hoping that when things settle we will have a more compassionate world and a team to be proud of to look forward to.
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Hope all of you and your loved ones are doing ok. I'm just over here in CA staying inside with my GF. We're bored, but fine. Her parents are fine.
My family lives in NY which is concerning though. It's an absolute war zone over there. I told my mom not to even look at her front door let alone consider walking out of it...lol.
Stay safe all.
P.S. I'm so desperate for sports I've been recording X Games snowboarding and reruns of college swimming and diving competitions.
My family lives in NY which is concerning though. It's an absolute war zone over there. I told my mom not to even look at her front door let alone consider walking out of it...lol.
Stay safe all.
P.S. I'm so desperate for sports I've been recording X Games snowboarding and reruns of college swimming and diving competitions.
consider visiting the NBA Youtube channel. Every day they post a full game, one day it can be a recent game from the last year or two or they've been going back to 2006 and 2000 era as well.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlVlyGVtvuVlhFfuSePtKSySrXW78mWXB
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlVlyGVtvuVlhFfuSePtKSySrXW78mWXB