# Any good news re: COVID-19? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [March 16, 2020, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-news-re-covid-19/849610 "2020-03-16T22:47:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2020, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-news-re-covid-19/849610/41 "2020-03-17T10:45:42Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Except that apparently they can pass it on even though they don’t have symptoms. ☹ Which is why we need a cheap and easy test for anyone with potential exposure, even those who are asymptomatic, and whose exposure was fleeting. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2020, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-news-re-covid-19/849610/42 "2020-03-17T11:00:07Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > Which is why we need a cheap and easy test for anyone with potential exposure, even those who are asymptomatic, and whose exposure was fleeting. Yup. And why, in the absence of this, we need to isolate ourselves as much as possible. I was addressing nelliebly’s\* comment: “But it’s good to know so many people will be asymptomatic.” \*Whom I love. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2020, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-news-re-covid-19/849610/43 "2020-03-17T13:33:05Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Except that apparently they can pass it on even though they don’t have symptoms. ☹ Which is true, but those rates of 2-3% dying, 10% needing to go to the hospital are hopefully among people who are not only symptomatic, but symptomatic enough to seek treatment. If the vast majority of patients either have no symptoms or have mild symptoms, then the total death rate and hospitalization rate may be much lower than was expected. A 3% death rate for 60% of humanity is about 144 million people. But the total death rate will hopefully be a lot lower, maybe even lower than South Korea’s 0.6% death rate. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2020, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-news-re-covid-19/849610/44 "2020-03-17T14:09:59Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > I’ve been worrying about an increasing move away from scientific belief… You mean [like this?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=891834) ---
**Author:** ![PoppaSan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/poppasan/32/189_2.png) [@PoppaSan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoppaSan)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2020, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-news-re-covid-19/849610/45 "2020-03-17T14:43:08Z")
I would expect influenza cases to plummet since schools are closed and most people are attempting the social distancing idea. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2020, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-news-re-covid-19/849610/46 "2020-03-17T15:17:45Z")
Could someone please provide a link to the [Economist.com](http://Economist.com) article “SARS-CoV-2 and the drugs that might lessen its power”? It’s a great read, much more detailed than much of the paper pap, and offers a considerable amount of hope and direction for current research. Many thanks. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2020, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-news-re-covid-19/849610/47 "2020-03-17T15:53:04Z")
The televangelist Kenneth Copeland has already [cured his followers through the television](https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2020/03/televangelist-kenneth-copeland-curing-people-coronavirus-television/). We can stop depending on those pesky scientists now, and just contribute to him directly. Seriously – why can’t we imprison people like this? ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2020, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-news-re-covid-19/849610/48 "2020-03-17T17:23:34Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > Could someone please provide a link to the [Economist.com](http://Economist.com) article “SARS-CoV-2 and the drugs that might lessen its power”? It’s a great read, much more detailed than much of the paper pap, and offers a considerable amount of hope and direction for current research. Many thanks. I don’t have a link to that, but one promising drug is [camostat mesilate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camostat) which inhibits the entry of the virus into lung cells in _in vitro_ experiments. Googling did not find anything significant about this other than the initial report that came out in early March. ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2020, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-news-re-covid-19/849610/49 "2020-03-17T21:57:33Z")
I have no statistics for this but it seems… As a result of AIDS there was more people practicing safe sex, which would help with other sexually transmitted diseases. And the abortion rate dropped, which should be a positive for a lot of people. We could continue practicing safe practices, such as washing hands. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2020, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-news-re-covid-19/849610/50 "2020-03-17T22:07:59Z")
On the lighter side of this epidemic, there’s [coronacoinages](https://nancyfriedman.typepad.com/away_with_words/2020/03/words-of-the-week-coronacoinages.html#more). All the new words (mostly portmanteaus) invented about it. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2020, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-news-re-covid-19/849610/51 "2020-03-17T22:09:18Z")
> [@Author\_Balk](#): > > I have no statistics for this but it seems… > As a result of AIDS there was more people practicing safe sex, which would help with other sexually transmitted diseases. And the abortion rate dropped, which should be a positive for a lot of people. > We could continue practicing safe practices, such as washing hands. Yeah, all this hygiene should keep down regular flu, too. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2020, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-news-re-covid-19/849610/52 "2020-03-18T02:05:50Z")
We’ll be having great Cinco de Mayo parties with all that discounted Corona beer we were able to stock up on. ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2020, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-news-re-covid-19/849610/53 "2020-03-18T21:22:21Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Except that apparently they can pass it on even though they don’t have symptoms. ☹ Apparently in Singapore there is an anti-body test that can detect people that have gotten the virus and recovered. That would be awfully useful: > **[Tracking the Coronavirus: How Crowded Asian Cities Tackled an Epidemic...](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/17/world/asia/coronavirus-singapore-hong-kong-taiwan.html)** > > Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong offer successful strategies, at least so far, in battling a pandemic. But they use tactics that the U.S. and Europe may not be able to replicate. I know we can’t get away with everything they did in Singapore,but the US is also not a tiny city state. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2020, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-news-re-covid-19/849610/54 "2020-03-18T21:37:02Z")
And something promising from China: > **[Japanese flu drug ‘clearly effective’ in treating coronavirus, officials say](https://nypost.com/2020/03/18/japanese-flu-drug-clearly-effective-in-treating-coronavirus-officials-say/)** > > Medical authorities in China said they tested the antiviral drug favipiravir on 340 patients and found it reduces recovery time and improves lung condition of patients, according to the Guardian. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2020, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-news-re-covid-19/849610/55 "2020-03-18T21:41:45Z")
From the Whatcom Transit Authority: All WTA buses will be Fare Free until further notice. This applies to Fixed Route and Paratransit buses. By not collecting fares on board, and not selling passes, we’re able to increase Social Distancing on buses and at pass outlets. For everyone’s health, we ask that you please keep six feet between yourself and the driver, and between yourself and other passengers, whenever possible. ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2020, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-news-re-covid-19/849610/56 "2020-03-18T22:10:39Z")
A super computer to the rescue? > **[The World’s Most Powerful Supercomputer Has Entered the Fight Against...](https://onezero.medium.com/the-worlds-most-powerful-supercomputer-has-entered-the-fight-against-coronavirus-3e98c4d67459)** > > The IBM-built Summit has found a list of promising drugs for Covid-19 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2020, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-news-re-covid-19/849610/57 "2020-03-19T16:48:45Z")
Those who follow Jerry Coyne, blogger and biology professor at the University of Chicago, know that there’s a flock of ducks on campus that he routinely feeds and posts pictures of, including a special duck that he named Honey. The campus is likely to be completely shut down soon, with everyone other than essential staff banned. [But they’ve given him special permission to feed the ducks.](https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2020/03/19/i-have-my-ducks/) ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2020, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-news-re-covid-19/849610/58 "2020-03-19T17:10:43Z")
[This Wired article](https://www.wired.com/story/george-r-r-martin-social-distancing-writing/) (apparently not paywalled) says George R. R. Martin is finding the time and the isolation needed to sit down and continue to write _Winds of Winter_, the final book of _A Song of Ice and Fire_. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2020, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-news-re-covid-19/849610/59 "2020-03-19T17:17:25Z")
> [@Heracles](#): > > _Winds of Winter_, the final book of _A Song of Ice and Fire_. Sorry to dash a good news thread, but it’s the penultimate volume. The final book is _A Dream of Spring_, due out in true post-apocalyptic fashion in the year 20XX. ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2020, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-news-re-covid-19/849610/60 "2020-03-19T21:09:23Z")
IF true… > **[Zero new domestic coronavirus cases in China for first time since epidemic...](https://apple.news/Avy7bhYtnQEG-rxKmZC4i8w)** > > Mainland China has reported zero new domestic infections of coronavirus for the first time since the outbreak began. The National Health Commission said it was also the first time Hubei province – where the disease first emerged – recorded no new... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-news-re-covid-19/849610.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-news-re-covid-19/849610.md?page=4)