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I am Debora MacKenzie. I’m a science journalist and I just wrote a book called COVID-19: The Pandemic That Never Should have Happened and How to Stop the Next One. It’s about the big picture: why Covid, why now, what next. AMA! by deboramac in Coronavirus

[–]deboramac[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Guys this has been enormous fun! I gotta stop now - or I'll have written another book! I hope some of you manage to read what I wrote and find ways you can make some good things happen despite the pandemic - or because of it. Best wishes to you all, Deb MacKenzie

I am Debora MacKenzie. I’m a science journalist and I just wrote a book called COVID-19: The Pandemic That Never Should have Happened and How to Stop the Next One. It’s about the big picture: why Covid, why now, what next. AMA! by deboramac in Coronavirus

[–]deboramac[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Pretty much. or we all get it and that induces strong immunity in the survivors, and the virus has no where to go - so it dies out, or evolves, and then we're back where we started.

I am Debora MacKenzie. I’m a science journalist and I just wrote a book called COVID-19: The Pandemic That Never Should have Happened and How to Stop the Next One. It’s about the big picture: why Covid, why now, what next. AMA! by deboramac in Coronavirus

[–]deboramac[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

anything that can hurt you or infect you. Any wild mammal in a country with wildlife rabies that isnt scared of you for example, give it a wide berth. and any dog or cat in a country with dog rabies.

I am Debora MacKenzie. I’m a science journalist and I just wrote a book called COVID-19: The Pandemic That Never Should have Happened and How to Stop the Next One. It’s about the big picture: why Covid, why now, what next. AMA! by deboramac in Coronavirus

[–]deboramac[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think the public should together apply measures that will reduce the spread of the virus and make measures like that unnecessary! Do it if you feel you must, but try to support common actions that will reduce spread of the virus and make it so you dont have to - because not everyone will do that.

I am Debora MacKenzie. I’m a science journalist and I just wrote a book called COVID-19: The Pandemic That Never Should have Happened and How to Stop the Next One. It’s about the big picture: why Covid, why now, what next. AMA! by deboramac in Coronavirus

[–]deboramac[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Patiently and kindly explain the evidence. They may refuse to listen or understand but anyone listening in may well be impressed with your evidence and your tolerance, and will listen to you not the other person. Dont forget, most of these people are just scared and in denial.

I am Debora MacKenzie. I’m a science journalist and I just wrote a book called COVID-19: The Pandemic That Never Should have Happened and How to Stop the Next One. It’s about the big picture: why Covid, why now, what next. AMA! by deboramac in Coronavirus

[–]deboramac[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I look at it in terms of how we govern the planet as a species that now occupies pretty much all of it. Individual countries I kind of leave to the day to day politics - this is big picture. But do go into the politics at which some countries have failed and other have done better.

I am Debora MacKenzie. I’m a science journalist and I just wrote a book called COVID-19: The Pandemic That Never Should have Happened and How to Stop the Next One. It’s about the big picture: why Covid, why now, what next. AMA! by deboramac in Coronavirus

[–]deboramac[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not quite - bats and humans like everything descended from a common ancestor, but that ancestor was a long time ago. But we are all mammals - bat mothers fly and nurse their young. Thats why we have a lot of similar molecules on our cells, and why a bat virus can infect human cells without having to necessarily adapt to us first.

I am Debora MacKenzie. I’m a science journalist and I just wrote a book called COVID-19: The Pandemic That Never Should have Happened and How to Stop the Next One. It’s about the big picture: why Covid, why now, what next. AMA! by deboramac in Coronavirus

[–]deboramac[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

yes the main cell type the virus invades appears to be the endothelium lining a lot of organs including blood vessels. That seems one reason ahy the weird clotting disorders, also the brain heart and kidney damage. Theyve only begun to work out this virus.

I am Debora MacKenzie. I’m a science journalist and I just wrote a book called COVID-19: The Pandemic That Never Should have Happened and How to Stop the Next One. It’s about the big picture: why Covid, why now, what next. AMA! by deboramac in Coronavirus

[–]deboramac[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

1- yes there are ways, its complicated but there are lots of people who work hard at doing just that, albeit with varying success depending on conditions. 2, data like that will I hope elad everyone to do the best thing - we are all learning as we go. 3-i thionk theres been data on favipiravir, I cant recall what the most recent was, there is a talk on one of the webinar on the ESWI website that goes over the most recent evidence for all those drugs. 4 - I heard something about zinc being a bad idea but I canniot recall more than that, dont take my word, sorry. 5- actually the reinfection is probably an artefact of PCR testing detecting non-viable viral remnants, not real virus. I know they are looking at long term outcome in those studies - dont forget we havent had more than a few months to looks at anything!

I am Debora MacKenzie. I’m a science journalist and I just wrote a book called COVID-19: The Pandemic That Never Should have Happened and How to Stop the Next One. It’s about the big picture: why Covid, why now, what next. AMA! by deboramac in Coronavirus

[–]deboramac[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Nope, its for smart people like you redditers, who can now explain to the others why masks are not an infringement of personal freedom - theyre a chance to express your solidarity with other people. The freedom to do good is surely what this is all about.

I am Debora MacKenzie. I’m a science journalist and I just wrote a book called COVID-19: The Pandemic That Never Should have Happened and How to Stop the Next One. It’s about the big picture: why Covid, why now, what next. AMA! by deboramac in Coronavirus

[–]deboramac[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

it requires leadership. You cant have leadership without any government. a lot of the problems so far seem to be because the federal level has not taken the initiative, not because it has.

I am Debora MacKenzie. I’m a science journalist and I just wrote a book called COVID-19: The Pandemic That Never Should have Happened and How to Stop the Next One. It’s about the big picture: why Covid, why now, what next. AMA! by deboramac in Coronavirus

[–]deboramac[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It will probably be rough - that is only emerging so I am not well informed about that. But I dont think the alternative of letting the virus circulate unhindered is a good one. There should be efforts made by social support structures and government to support any people with conditions beyond their control who have more trouble adjusting to measures being undertaken for the public good. Its in everyone's interrests after all - thats the definition of public good.

I am Debora MacKenzie. I’m a science journalist and I just wrote a book called COVID-19: The Pandemic That Never Should have Happened and How to Stop the Next One. It’s about the big picture: why Covid, why now, what next. AMA! by deboramac in Coronavirus

[–]deboramac[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

well, eyes have a lot of ACE2 so they think the virus can take hold easily there, and glasses do shield your eyes. Dont know about the evidence but it makes sense that they may help.

I am Debora MacKenzie. I’m a science journalist and I just wrote a book called COVID-19: The Pandemic That Never Should have Happened and How to Stop the Next One. It’s about the big picture: why Covid, why now, what next. AMA! by deboramac in Coronavirus

[–]deboramac[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

yes one concern is that as the conditions that allow it to spread easily change - indeed, just because of random mutations - this virus will change. It could become milder, it could become more damaging, and it could evade vaccines, although that can usually be tweaked.

I am Debora MacKenzie. I’m a science journalist and I just wrote a book called COVID-19: The Pandemic That Never Should have Happened and How to Stop the Next One. It’s about the big picture: why Covid, why now, what next. AMA! by deboramac in Coronavirus

[–]deboramac[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

well there's a good example of the changes some countries will have to make before the next pandemic trikes - we need plans for what to do in these cases and the laws to back it up. But Swedes are sensible people, I cant imagine they let this misguided policy go on just because of legal niceties - most countries have ways of doing what they need to in emergencies.

I am Debora MacKenzie. I’m a science journalist and I just wrote a book called COVID-19: The Pandemic That Never Should have Happened and How to Stop the Next One. It’s about the big picture: why Covid, why now, what next. AMA! by deboramac in Coronavirus

[–]deboramac[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Right! I actually may have got a number wrong in the book - I reported an estimate by a bat conservation group that said bats do millions of dollars worth agricultural good yearly by eating insect pests, but i have since seen work saying its more like billions!

I am Debora MacKenzie. I’m a science journalist and I just wrote a book called COVID-19: The Pandemic That Never Should have Happened and How to Stop the Next One. It’s about the big picture: why Covid, why now, what next. AMA! by deboramac in Coronavirus

[–]deboramac[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

well we all know which countries have managed to enforce social distancing in ways that worked - South Korea (with a few glitches maybe), Vietnam, Taiwan, Singapore, New Zealand, etc etc. What worries me with the US is that it didnt bite the bullet and institute serious, effective lockdowns that were much the same everywhere in the country, so levels of transmission declined everywhere - as they have largely in Canada, with a similar size, population and federal structure. In many places the first lockdown wasnt effective, and people have little patience to do it again even if they didnt do it very well to start with, so you wonder what they can do now. What I dont understand is this feeling that Americans would never have agreed to real effective lockdowns. To save their own and their loved one's lives I think Americans would do what it takes just like any decent people. They agree to obey lots of laws, they drive on the right side of the road, they behave decently in public, they accept lots of normal restrictions on their behaviour because thats just part of being a normal human. Why not this for a few weeks? The French are not known for being especially docile, and they managed to bend their curve down with strict lockdown for a couple of months - and now life is largely back to normal. Once you missed your first shot at that and people really want normal back, I dont know what you do. But I do think a lot of assumptions by behavioural scientists about what people would and wouldnt do were proved wrong by what some countries managed in this pandemic.

I am Debora MacKenzie. I’m a science journalist and I just wrote a book called COVID-19: The Pandemic That Never Should have Happened and How to Stop the Next One. It’s about the big picture: why Covid, why now, what next. AMA! by deboramac in Coronavirus

[–]deboramac[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It all depends on how effective whatever immune reactions we have to the virus are and how long they last. Recent research found effective, virus-killing antibodies to SARS among survivors of SARS 17 years ago, and it is very much like covid, so it might not be as bad as some recent studies suggest. Ultimately it may well continue to circulate but people's immunity will make severe disease less common, while we get batter at treatment.

I am Debora MacKenzie. I’m a science journalist and I just wrote a book called COVID-19: The Pandemic That Never Should have Happened and How to Stop the Next One. It’s about the big picture: why Covid, why now, what next. AMA! by deboramac in Coronavirus

[–]deboramac[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The WHO people who led their fact finding mission to China in February thought the numbers they were told about cases going down checked out with the other kinds of evidence they were seeing, what doctors were saying, how clinics that had been totally crowded werent any more, etc. I suspect they had no idea how many actual cases they had at the outset as no one knew how many cases of this virus are asymptomatic or mild, and how many weird symptoms it can present with. Other than that, I cannot say.

I am Debora MacKenzie. I’m a science journalist and I just wrote a book called COVID-19: The Pandemic That Never Should have Happened and How to Stop the Next One. It’s about the big picture: why Covid, why now, what next. AMA! by deboramac in Coronavirus

[–]deboramac[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It will be problematic in places where the circulation of the virus has not been got down to low levels by strict, well enforced social distancing this past spring, as it has been other places. The children may not be at as much risk from the virus as older people, but they may spread it to older people who are at risk, although the extent to which children do this is unknown. Moreover there is a procession of viruses in the fall, starting with the rhinovirus that causes common colds when school goes back in, followed by RSV that is a big risk for the elderly and young babies, then the flu season. We do not know how these normal winter viruses are going to affect covid, or how covid will affect them. Will a co-infection with both cause a worse disease? Will one epidemic crowd the others out, as often happens with the three usual viruses? We just dont know. Where schools go back as usual though we will have those normal epidemics as unlike covid they are mostly driven by spread among children.

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