Official OSA COVID-19/Corona Virus Thread

[tRidiot]

It's a virus. A prion is also not an organism. It is very dangerous, also, though.

 

[CHenry]

I drove a Prion once...felt gay
Oh wait, that was Prius

 

[Aries]

I had some grilled prions at a seafood restaurant once. They were delicious!
Oh, wait, those were grilled prawns.

 

[dennishoddy]

Viruses are NOT living molecules. They use host cells for replication. They do not qualify as a living organism.

Here's an analogy - they're like the .gov coming in and telling GM they are taking over their factories and converting them into making ventilators. Eh? lol

In general, the notations above sound fairly accurate, about washing, using sanitizer, etc.

One of the latest things being looked at is UVC. Ultraviolet light in this spectrum appears to kill the Covid-19 but it can't be used on humans. More in the link.

UVC. This relatively obscure part of the spectrum consists of a shorter, more energetic wavelength of light. It is particularly good at destroying genetic material – whether in humans or viral particles. Luckily, most of us are unlikely to have ever encountered any. That’s because it’s filtered out by ozone in the atmosphere long before it reaches our fragile skin.

Or that was the case, at least, until scientists discovered that they could harness UVC to kill microorganisms. Since the finding in 1878, artificially produced UVC has become a staple method of sterilisation – one used in hospitals, airplanes, offices, and factories every day. Crucially, it’s also fundamental to the process of sanitising drinking water; some parasites are resistant to chemical disinfectants such as chlorine, so it provides a failsafe.

Though there hasn’t been any research looking at how UVC affects Covid-19 specifically, studies have shown that it can be used against other coronaviruses, such as Sars. The radiation warps the structure of their genetic material and prevents the viral particles from making more copies of themselves.

As a result, a concentrated form of UVC is now on the front line in the fight against Covid-19. In China, whole buses are being lit up by the ghostly blue light each night, while squat, UVC-emitting robots have been cleaning floors in hospitals. Banks have even been using the light to disinfect their money.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200327-can-you-kill-coronavirus-with-uv-light

 

[CHenry]

The death toll from the coronavirus is predicted to rise to 2,271 on April 15 alone, the model analysis by the University of Washington School of Medicine shows

 

[MacFromOK]

The death toll from the coronavirus is predicted to rise to 2,271 on April 15 alone, the model analysis by the University of Washington School of Medicine shows

"1 hour ago · Italy and Spain accounted for half the deaths, while the U.S. had around 3,550 by midday, eclipsing China's official toll of about 3,300."
https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/us-death-toll-from-covid-19-eclipses-chinas-official-count

 

[Okie4570]

The death toll from the coronavirus is predicted to rise to 2,271 on April 15 alone, the model analysis by the University of Washington School of Medicine shows

What location is that predicted for? I'm hearing end of April, first of May could be the peak time for KS/TX/OK

 

[Shadowrider]

Viruses are NOT living molecules. They use host cells for replication. They do not qualify as a living organism.

Here's an analogy - they're like the .gov coming in and telling GM they are taking over their factories and converting them into making ventilators. Eh? lol

In general, the notations above sound fairly accurate, about washing, using sanitizer, etc.

So what you are saying is that they are like plant seeds in a manner of speaking. They just can't do anything and are inert (for a limited time) until they find themselves in the right nutrient/temp/humidity/light environment then they grow into a plant, where this virus just starts replicating when it lands in the right environment.

 

[tRidiot]

So what you are saying is that they are like plant seeds in a manner of speaking. They just can't do anything and are inert (for a limited time) until they find themselves in the right nutrient/temp/humidity/light environment then they grow into a plant, where this virus just starts replicating when it lands in the right environment.

The virus can't replicate itself. It inserts itself into a cell, and takes over the machinery of the cell to produce more viral particles.

 

[MacFromOK]

The virus can't replicate itself. It inserts itself into a cell, and takes over the machinery of the cell to produce more viral particles.

Ah... so it's basically a cell hacker (or celljacker)?

When you say "inserts itself," is that a chemical reaction that happens when it comes in physical contact with a cell? Or some other mechanism?