So much for herd immunity?

[lunar]

Somewhere I read that a virus runs its course in two to four years - eventually, it weakens and dies out. Anyone has hard information on this?

HIV was discovered back in 1984. It is still around. No vaccine yet.

 

[Wade K.]

HIV was discovered back in 1984. It is still around. No vaccine yet.

But it was supposed to spread all through the population and kill millions. Managed with drugs if you have it, behavior if you don't.

 

[lunar]

But it was supposed to spread all through the population and kill millions.

I am not sure what it was supposed to do, but it did kill millions of people.

Malaria testing and diagnosis

<p><p></p></p>

www.who.int

Since the beginning of the epidemic ... about 33 million people have died of HIV/AIDS.

 

[Neil]

In an effort to keep its crew safe from the novel coronavirus, a Seattle fishing expedition may have inadvertently proven the power of COVID-19 antibodies after the virus swept through the ship.
Text here

 

[Wade K.]

I am not sure what it was supposed to do, but it did kill millions of people.

Malaria testing and diagnosis

<p><p></p></p>

www.who.int

True, I was speaking of the U.S., sorry. Heard constantly it was going to kill millions there but hasn't been the case. These deadly viruses need to be taken seriously, but aren't the end of civilization. Unless we panic and make them even worse.

 

[Alby]

Out of curiosity did the 1918 flu pandemic go away from using a vaccine, or did it just go away? Even the Black Death, the Plague, went away eventually in the Middle Ages. Viruses are known to mutate into something milder. I wouldn't give up hope just yet.

From what I have read, there are two competing theories about the end (by late 1920) of the 1918 flu: it mutated into a less menacing strain (one that is still present to this day); doctors worked out how to treat the pneumonia that the virus caused and that killed most of the victims.

Whilst some experts are saying coronavirus COULD mutate into something milder, I haven't read anyone who says that is inevitable (i.e., it is what virus' always do) and is a solution we should bank on.

There were less than 2 billion people in the entire world in 1918; so to the extent that herd immunity may also have contributed to the end of the pandemic it was much more quickly reached I imagine.

Although the cases are few and rarely result in death (because today's doctors know how to treat it), the bubonic plague is still with us, particularly in the south west of the United States:

5 people in the U.S. have gotten the plague this year. Here's what you should know about the disease.

“Bubonic plague in the U.S. is not the same scenario as the historical Black Death," one expert said.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[semigoodlookin]

Spanish Flu also killed 30% of people it infected, tens of millions died.

 

[Wade K.]

From what I have read, there are two competing theories about the end (by late 1920) of the 1918 flu: it mutated into a less menacing strain (one that is still present to this day); doctors worked out how to treat the pneumonia that the virus caused and that killed most of the victims.

Whilst some experts are saying coronavirus COULD mutate into something milder, I haven't read anyone who says that is inevitable (i.e., it is what virus' always do) and is a solution we should bank on.

There were less than 2 billion people in the entire world in 1918; so to the extent that herd immunity may also have contributed to the end of the pandemic it was much more quickly reached I imagine.

Although the cases are few and rarely result in death (because today's doctors know how to treat it), the bubonic plague is still with us, particularly in the south west of the United States:

5 people in the U.S. have gotten the plague this year. Here's what you should know about the disease.

“Bubonic plague in the U.S. is not the same scenario as the historical Black Death," one expert said.

www.nbcnews.com

You also have to consider that in 1918 not only was the population smaller but transportation between places was much more limited and slower. There weren't commercial flights between continents. It spread in the U.S. from returning WWII soldiers. It was also a much more virulent virus. Killed all ages and death was often very quick. That was just the most glaring example but the world is full of viruses. What we should truly hope is a virus comparable to African Swine Fever doesn't cross over into humans. Pigs who get it are dead within 2-3 weeks. China had a 500 million pig herd. Now they have about 250 million. That has happened since 2018. And we should hope that when a new virus flares up in a particular nation they immediately shut their country down and tell the world what they're dealing with, not try to act like it's no big deal while scrambling behind the scenes to stop it.

 

[Renzi]

What we should truly hope is a virus comparable to African Swine Fever doesn't cross over into humans. Pigs who get it are dead within 2-3 weeks. China had a 500 million pig herd. Now they have about 250 million. That has happened since 2018. And we should hope that when a new virus flares up in a particular nation they immediately shut their country down and tell the world what they're dealing with, not try to act like it's no big deal while scrambling behind the scenes to stop it.

This is probably a good time to reiterate that China is about to build a bunch of pig farms in Argentina.

 

[sts7049]