Daily review 18/03/2020

Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, March 18th, 2020 - 40 comments
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Daily review is also your post.

This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day.

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40 comments on “Daily review 18/03/2020 ”

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  1. joe90 1
    18 March 2020 at 6:07 pm

    Promising, but bastard side-effects.

    https://twitter.com/Le_Figaro/status/1240051898947944449

    (FLASH – Sanofi offers anti-malaria Plaquenil to treat 300,000 patients.)

    A renowned research professor in France has reported successful results from a new treatment for Covid-19, with early tests suggesting it can stop the virus from being contagious in just six days.

    Professor Didier Raoult from infection hospital l'Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire (IHU) Méditerranée Infection in Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur), published a video explaining the trials on Monday March 16.

    https://www.connexionfrance.com/French-news/French-researcher-in-Marseille-posts-successful-Covid-19-coronavirus-drug-trial-results

    • Andre 1.1
      18 March 2020 at 6:16 pm

      Looks like another quinine analog closely related to chloroquine that also may be a useful treatment.

      Yet more reason to go back to self-medicating with gin and tonics. Lots of them. I wonder how high a blood alcohol concentration is needed for anti-viral effects?

      • Stunned Mullet 1.1.1
        18 March 2020 at 6:29 pm

        Chloroquine (or hydroxychloroquine) plus an old HIV cocktail liponavir+ritonavir is looking very promising judging from information out of China and Queensland.

        As they're all out of patent reasonably cheap as well – I wonder if the prices are set to go through the roof ?

        • Andre 1.1.1.1
          18 March 2020 at 6:39 pm

          I'll guess the quinine analogs would be easy and cheap to make – they've been used for malaria treatment for ages and poor countries would not be thrilled about paying profiteering western pharmaceutical prices for them. ISTR thinking I might have needed a top-up in Africa and checked out what was I could get locally and they were available for pennies in the dollar of what I paid in the US.

          I've got no reckons for the anti-HIV drugs tho.

      • McFlock 1.1.2
        18 March 2020 at 9:27 pm

        ISTR reading somewhere on the internets (so 100% totally true lol) that the required dose of quinine to be anti-malarial was something like 300 G&Ts. Per day.

        But hell, worth a try.

      • A 1.1.3
        19 March 2020 at 5:05 am

        Weren't there a bunch of people in Iran who self medicated with high amounts of alcohol and died?

  2. Cinny 2
    18 March 2020 at 6:27 pm

    Talking with some local business people today, by crikey simon has done some damage and it's only Wednesday.

    True blue business people are saying that simon is an idiot and that they are happy with the governments Covid-19 plan.

    P.S… that photo is awesome.

  3. joe90 3
    18 March 2020 at 6:44 pm

    Belated St Paddy's day concert for any Dropkick fans.

    (starts @ 13.00)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j06g0TE_Ao&feature=youtu.be

    • weka 4.1
      18 March 2020 at 10:13 pm

      didn't read the report, but reading the twitter thread, one thing not mentioned is that flattening the curve in the last scenario allows time to build more hospital gear and train people.

      • weka 4.1.1
        18 March 2020 at 10:14 pm

        The flaw in that of course is the fuckwits in charge of the federal government. That the states have the ability to act autonomously may mitigate some of the damage.

  5. greywarshark 5
    18 March 2020 at 7:00 pm

    People finding a suitable place to self-isolate. Government could help by getting this sorted. If they can get home.

    And minister of foreign affairs, Winston Peters, says at least 80,000 New Zealanders are overseas and not all of them will get home before flights grind to a halt.

    and

    A New Zealander returning from Australia because of Covid-19 says she's struggling to find a suitable place to self-isolate for 14 days. Holly Girven Russell is set to fly home on Monday, after she quit her job and booked flights late last week.

    The Government has since urged all New Zealanders traveling overseas to return.

    Girven Russell says she'll be looking for work when she arrives, but her biggest concern is finding a safe place to go into quarantine.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/covid-19/412008/coronavirus-live-covid-19-updates-in-new-zealand-and-around-the-world

    • ScottGN 5.1
      18 March 2020 at 7:28 pm

      She did say though that she could self isolate at her parents’ house but didn’t want to do that as her grandparents visited often. Perhaps they could be persuaded to stay away for the quarantine period?

    • weka 5.2
      18 March 2020 at 10:00 pm

      NZ isn't short of empty houses and there will be lots of empty motels/hotels soon too. Looks more like a logistical issue to me, that will get sorted out better as we adapt.

  6. greywarshark 6
    18 March 2020 at 7:20 pm

    Covid-19 and flu in NZ.

    What you can do to help
    While the Ministry of Health looks at other strategies for early detection of Covid-19, there is one we can all help with right now. We need every household in New Zealand to sign up to the FluTracking project. Each week you’ll be sent an email asking if anyone in your house has had a fever or cough. This information is being used as an early warning system for Covid-19.

    So, in summary. If all you know about testing for infectious diseases is stuff you’ve been reading on the internet, then stop tweeting your reckons and firing off your hot takes. Sign up to FluTracking. Wash your hands. Stay at home if you start to develop any symptoms. If you’re unsure what those symptoms are, we’ve got you covered. Check out Spinoff cartoonist Toby Morris’s handy guide.

    By Siouxsie Wiles • 18/03/2020

    https://sciblogs.co.nz/infectious-thoughts/2020/03/18/how-testing-for-covid-19-works/

    • RedBaronCV 6.1
      18 March 2020 at 11:09 pm

      Unfortunately the privacy policy suggests that data sent to the site is governed by australian law

      • weka 6.1.1
        18 March 2020 at 11:51 pm

        Yep. If they want to get most people signed up they're going to have to do better than hey go sign up.

  7. David Mac 7
    18 March 2020 at 7:38 pm

    We are approaching an election that is flavoured with many to and fro forces.

    If I vote Green am I turning NZ into an Amsterdam cafe? If I vote Winston, will I be one of 4% and wasting my vote? We've got lots of forces playing on our decision this next election and I think we should be approaching it with the Convid thing pretty much put to bed.

    Every other bloody thing has been put on ice, I think we should push a tiny bit of legislation through the house, shelve the election and get on with the major priority. I think such a bold move is a vote winner and just plain sensible. Lets address the elephant in the room before we decide who's the next boss.

    • weka 7.1
      18 March 2020 at 10:06 pm

      hard to tell what's going to happen but I'd be surprised if covid is over for NZ before the election.

      If National was in government would you want an election postponed?

      • lprent 7.1.1
        19 March 2020 at 9:19 am

        ..but I'd be surprised if covid is over for NZ before the election.

        So would I. If you look at the history of epidemics and pandemics, you'll usually see waves of the disease passing through with weeks or months between.

        The most obvious one was the 1918/19 pandemics which had about 4-5 waves in NZ. The pauses between the waves are from the infection transmission time and time to symptoms becoming apparent. Auckland got hit hard in terms of cases on the second wave. Wellington and much of the rest of the country on the 3rd wave after spread from Auckland.

        In the case of C-19, the long non-symptomatic period (at least 7 days compared to the 2 days of 1918) will effectively spread the waves out.

        Of course the comms and plans are somewhat more sophisticated this time around.

        BTW: This was a pretty good read on it
        https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/120354661/pathetically-understaffed-and-hopelessly-complacent-lessons-from-black-november

    • RedBaronCV 7.2
      18 March 2020 at 11:11 pm

      Any attempt to do that is likely to get NAct pushback for forming a government of "national unity" in other words including NAct politicians in the cabinet.

    • RedBaronCV 7.3
      18 March 2020 at 11:21 pm

      I don't think voting green ( or for decrimalising weed) is going to give us too much Amsterdam. I hate to think how much money has been spent by the cops, courts & prisons on this over the years.

      If we had given just a fraction of the funds to the health system we would all by now have been advised many times that it (what follows is not strictly accurate) "makes you fat, gives you wrinkles, teeth and eyeballs turn yellow and fall out all the fun things in life don't work etc etc". until we had all submitted. Nobody would be touching the stuff.

    • greywarshark 7.4
      19 March 2020 at 9:59 am

      David that is a good thought for sensible action. I second it and I bet a lot would multiple tick it. How do we get that over to the PTB? Could you write direct to the PM and suggest it. She will be surrounded by thoughts and ideas from the incumbents and might welcome some fresh ideas like a breeze from an open window. ' j.ardern @ parliament.govt.nz' corrected, will register a confirmation it has been received. After that, who knows.

  8. pat 8
    18 March 2020 at 8:14 pm

    All those demanding total testing (including that dickhead leading the National Party) may wish to consider the following…NZ has the capacity to undertake (at best) 1000 covid tests per day (multiple tests are often required to confirm)…at that rate for every NZer (not including tourists) it would take over 13 years to process

    • McFlock 9.1
      18 March 2020 at 9:58 pm

      With bells on. Shitsake.

      • weka 9.1.1
        18 March 2020 at 10:08 pm

        what's going on with people being sick for a few days before they do anything. Are we still assuming it's just a cold until it's not? I guess he might of self-isolated for that time, but probably not.

        • McFlock 9.1.1.1
          18 March 2020 at 10:20 pm

          Maybe they're not big media consumers.

          I'm intrigued that the Aussies are processing the test in "10-20 days" when the aussie who came to wellington got his results in like a day. Seems odd, but maybe the testing shit has hit the fan over the ditch.

    • joe90 9.2
      19 March 2020 at 3:23 am

      The Faroe Islands have tested 933 people, around 2% of island's population, with 58 testing positive. None of the 58 are in serious condition.

      https://corona.fo/?_l=en

  11. RedBaronCV 11
    18 March 2020 at 11:25 pm

    BTW I saw somewhere earlier that the first flu vaccinations are likely to be available this week. First tranche to healthworkers, compromised and over 65's?

    Perhaps anybody here who might be eligible could follow up – and get vaccinated if applicable.

    • mac1 11.1
      19 March 2020 at 1:33 pm

      Already been rung by our doctor's office and invited to the first vaccination. Their initiative!

  13. A 13
    19 March 2020 at 5:08 am

    What is wrong with the guy? ScoMo on schools stating that the virus affects young differently (maybe that was an earlier mutation?…not true now). Even if that were true it assumes young people won't spread it to their family when they get home.

    https://www.news.com.au/national/scott-morrison-schools-should-remain-open/news-story/98825afacacafcd126aca1f0d8c0760b

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