T-cell immunity - is this potentially significant,
by Tex Francisco (2020-08-07 11:08:09)

or is it just confirming what we anecdotally already know? Does this mean we could potentially reach herd immunity, whether it be through vaccine or virus spread, much faster than anticipated?




Its just been revoked!
by Shifty  (2020-08-07 13:33:13)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


Theoretically, would teachers be potentially at less risk
by wrathofsorin  (2020-08-07 13:10:26)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

compared to the average bear given these findings?

That is, given their constant exposure to illness and various viruses (including various coronaviruses) over the years from their students, would they be expected to be more likely to be within that 20-50% subset who already have T cells which recognize COVID-19?


I posted about this around a month ago
by OrangeJubilee  (2020-08-07 13:04:37)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

when it was in pre print I believe.

I do think it likely has legs and is how one explains NYC drop off (it's gone through most who can get it), and that antibody testing ends up kind of useless.


I saw a related study and commentary earlier this week
by 96_ND  (2020-08-07 11:48:13)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

There was a study released earlier this week that the article may be referring to. I read some commentary that had a few take aways.

First, this isn't necessarily positive or negative. All this means, with what we currently know, is that the virus many not be novel for some people. So while they may have had exposure to a similar virus at this point it isn't definitive as to whether this will help those people fight off infection.

Second, if this is true this could actually make it more difficult to develop and test a vaccine. To be honest some of the reasoning for this is above my expertise. Simply passing along what I read.

Related study is linked.


Definitely significant if true. Not new though
by bengalbout  (2020-08-07 11:34:32)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

That has been a theory for a while now. But no study has proven the cross reactivity of T-cells between different strains of the coronavirus.

Personally, I think this is a better explanation than things like blood type to explain why some people get it and others don't.


If this is the explanation for why younger children seem
by Tex Francisco  (2020-08-07 11:45:43)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

to fight off the virus relatively easily, wouldn't it likely follow that parents of small children and teachers of small children would also be well positioned, given that parents and teachers are also more likely to be exposed to other corona viruses through the kids?


Doesn't really matter. It is now vaccine or bust for a good
by Steelhop  (2020-08-07 11:51:18)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Segment of the population. That segment is large enough that they are the ones driving how decisions are being made.


Maybe if the rest of the population would wear masks and
by No Right Turn on Red  (2020-08-07 12:31:14)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

practice proper social distancing instead of pursuing selfish actions, we wouldn't need to wait for a vaccine. You know, sort of like how the rest of the world is managing re-opening right now even without a vaccine.


True story.
by mocopdx  (2020-08-07 12:45:18)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Oregon, since Gov Brown instituted the mask rule statewide, has seen our graph level off and our new cases are the same as they were in the two weeks prior to the mask rule. To be clear, "the same" is a good thing, not an indictment. With reopening you should expect an exponential rise, not a level off. We didn't close anything the last two weeks, we just required masks everywhere.


Going east of 82nd is rough though
by ravenium  (2020-08-07 13:03:26)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

There was an interesting article on housing density, economic hardship, and covid the other day. I tend to forget that Portland still continues for nearly another 100 blocks.


I read that, interesting indeed.
by mocopdx  (2020-08-07 13:34:30)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

I actually make it out past 82nd quite a bit- lots of good road biking out there. It's pretty crazy how quickly it shifts to looking poor, for lack of a better term. There is a decent amount of good food out there. Really good carts in spots.


tEacHeRs UniOnS!!!1! *
by ewillND  (2020-08-07 12:01:38)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


I don't mean to imply a vaccine or bust is solely a teacher
by Steelhop  (2020-08-07 13:44:22)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

issue. I've seen just as many parents comments (not here but elsewhere) say that they wouldn't send their kids to school or do anything without a vaccine. I guess you could infer my comment was about teachers but I wasn't even thinking about schools just everything when I wrote it. My comment that fear (which I am not arguing per se against) has driven a portion of the population to hysterics beyond some level of common sense.

Not to be nudge about it but the Canadian health minister stated the other day that even with a vaccine they would likely require masks and social distancing for years after the vaccine is implemented. That type of comment tends to be really counter productive in my view.


I actually think continuing to promote mask wearing
by No Right Turn on Red  (2020-08-07 14:14:50)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

beyond the pandemic is a good thing. Maybe not en masse, but in certain situations (high flu/cold season), when you're sick, visiting people in the hospital, airports, etc., where it will make sense to continue to wear masks.

That coupled with comprehensive sick leave policies would be helpful.


I'd imagine you will see more mask wearing in cold and
by Steelhop  (2020-08-07 14:33:15)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

flu season and in hospitals and the like. I think a blanket edict seems a bit too much.


eACherown *
by fourputtmd  (2020-08-07 12:04:41)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


I've always assumed this is why we do worse than Asia
by DakotaDomer  (2020-08-07 11:33:27)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

I also thought this was why California started off so much better than New York.


It might partially explain what's happened in Sweden
by combodraw  (2020-08-07 11:28:50)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

They've had no lock down, or widespread use of masks, yet cases have sharply dropped over the past month or so. Either there's been some type of behavior change there in the past 4-6 weeks, or the virus is having trouble finding enough hosts to spread itself (or I've missed something else entirely!).


NDHouston’s Post deserves attention.
by ewillND  (2020-08-07 15:41:38)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

School year ended on June 10th, and from the summer solstice on, Swedes social distance at their summer cottages through the end of August. Compare that with the infection curve.


Sweden largely shuts down between 21 June and 1 August
by ndhouston  (2020-08-07 12:58:26)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

They mostly go to their lake cottages for all of July.


Except, why would one expect Swedes
by ufl  (2020-08-07 11:42:02)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

to have had more exposure to previous viruses than other folks?


Sweden's cases per million is one of the higher in the world
by Father Nieuwland  (2020-08-07 11:58:40)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

#15 if we exclude countries with fewer than 1,000,000 residents

Though an accurate count of cases is probably difficult to determine for most countries, due to timing and availability of tests and requirements and willingness of residents to get tests. Plus asymptomatic cases might exclude many cases from being tested as well.

EDIT - though I think we can safely assume the number of cases by any measure is short of 70% of the population which is the number I have seen for estimated "herd" immunity via infection


Yes, I agree, but
by combodraw  (2020-08-07 11:45:40)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

My point isn't that Sweden has had more exposure to previous viruses than elsewhere. It's that there's maybe a strong "herd immunity" affect going on in Sweden through a combination of exposure to previous viruses and exposure to COVID itself.


and less obesity leading to fewer severe cases. *
by Tex Francisco  (2020-08-07 11:47:07)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


Couldn't it explain NY/NJ as well?
by Tex Francisco  (2020-08-07 11:41:39)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Given the lack of testing in March/April and some of the subsequent antibody studies, it seems like the virus reached a far greater percentage of the population than testing alone would lead you to believe. If a large percentage of the population has already had the virus and a large percentage of the remaining population has some natural immunity, then that area of the country may have something starting to resemble herd immunity, such that they're unlikely to get a repeat of the March/April spike.


One difference is that NYC
by combodraw  (2020-08-07 11:44:17)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

locked down pretty hard when the virus peaked. We don't know if their drop in cases is due to the lockdown, or because some type of herd immunity factor took place, or a combo of both.

Sweden is a different situation (and stronger case for a herd immunity type affect) because they hit a sharp peak and declined without any change in behavior that I can pin point.


See my post and NDHs.
by ewillND  (2020-08-07 15:42:52)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

There was a very obvious change in behavior.