6 ms·

It's really not hard to grasp why it would spread quickly. This virus harbors in the respiratory system of an infected patient. The viral infection invades ce

by gzu 7y ago

It's really not hard to grasp why it would spread quickly. This virus harbors in the respiratory system of an infected patient. The viral infection invades cells and releases more of the virus. This is so contagious because: 1. Everyone breaths in nearly 8000 liters of air each day 2. Virus are so small that they stay suspended in air for a while, some estimates are 30min (think how smoke stays afloat) 3. We have no innate immunity to this novel virus

tlb 7y ago
Your points suggest that every respiratory virus should be highly contagious, but don't explain why this one is more contagious than other similar viruses.
- guscost 7y ago
  This one is more contagious than a common cold?
  - whatshisface 7y ago
    It's more contagious than its close relative, SARS.
- gzu 7y ago
  see point 3
kingkawn 7y ago
Yes, all good conjecture that is likely accurate, but wildly important to not only proceed based on these assumptions and to get definitive proof of the mechanisms
- gzu 7y ago
  I'd bet by the time we get definite scientific proof of the mechanisms, the every city in the country will have outbreaks.
  - kingkawn 7y ago
    taking prudent measures and stating definitive truths are two entirely separate endeavors
hanniabu 7y ago
4. Temperatures are ideal in the regions where it's spreading
- jpxw 7y ago
  It’s unclear how much this matters
- gzu 7y ago
  So are temperatures in the human respiratory system. It’s foolish to just assume warmer temperatures will stop it.
  - ed312 7y ago
    Why is there so much general confidence warmer temps will reduce spread? Is it really warm temps = more daylight = more UV bouncing around breaking up virus particles in the air? Does it make any difference at all for the majority of folks who spend almost all waking hours inside?
    - autokad 7y ago
      I believe its something along the lines that when there is more moister in the air, the water droplets grab the floating particles and fall to the ground. Thus higher humidity often slows the impact of airborne virus, hence we have a flu season.
    - rsynnott 7y ago
      I think there's probably an aspect of wishful thinking, and I certainly wouldn't say that there's anything like general confidence in the idea. Actually, I've only heard this stated as fact by politicians and similar; experts are mostly WAY more cautious about it.
    - officialjunk 7y ago
      it is because the warmer weather is what stopped SARS-COV in 2002 from spreading this far. the western world was lucky in that ignoring it the first time was an okay strategy. SARS-COV-2 is making its way around the globe right now and hopefully has the same limitations or this may get out of control. ignoring is the most dangerous option at this point. please watch this video by 3blue1brown https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kas0tIxDvrg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kas0tIxDvrg a math professor in the US about the situation.
ksk 7y ago
What they're trying to figure out is how it spreads so quickly when other viruses of the same family do not. Also this is an RNA virus (like most viruses), and RNA is not a stable molecule, especially compared to DNA. The ability of the virus to attach to and invade cells is also not an absolute. Our adaptive immune system can and does recognize the virus as a threat. What you flippantly described as "not hard to understand" is actually very hard to understand for the domain experts actually working in this field..
blowski 7y ago
Article lists multiple leading experts working round the clock on this, all saying they're not sure why the virus is so contagious. But some random person of uncertain credentials says "It's really not hard to grasp why it would spread quickly". If you have some kind of expert credentials with serious evidence, then it would be great to hear it. Otherwise your opinions are just unhelpful, potentially dangerous noise - and the internet has no shortage of those already.
- zzzcpan 7y ago
  You are dismissing his analysis because it's not authoritative enough for you, that's an awful attitude to have. Authoritative expert opinions that require belief are worse and more dangerous than a random person's honest analysis, based on facts that doesn't require any belief nor gives them any power because of that. The lack of immunity alone could explain why it "spreads so easily", the title is just sensational.
  - blowski 7y ago
    > Authoritative expert opinions that require belief are worse and more dangerous than a random person's honest analysis Really? Believing multiple named doctors' opinions from a well-known journalistic source on a technical issue is more dangerous than believing a random stranger who I know nothing about other than their username? On the balance of risks, I'll take the doctors, thanks.
- gzu 7y ago
  These experts are looking for the biochemical proof of why it's so contagious. That's not needed to make judgements on why this virus could be spread easily.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
LifeLiverTransp 7y ago
So disinfect the air? UV-Light or ozone addage? Add static charged objects to ac to collect the viruses from air?
KindOne 7y ago
I think 8,000 liters is a bit off? 2,113 gallons / 8,000 liters 1,849 gallons / 7,000 liters - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3357553/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3357553/ 2,642 gallons / 10,000 liters - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4398662/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4398662/ 2,642 gallons / 10,000 liters - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4448375/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4448375/ 3,000 gallons / 11,356 liters - https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cloudsat/news/air-water.html https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cloudsat/news/air-water.h... 3,963 gallons / 15,000 litres - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4398662/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4398662/ https://www.google.com/search?q=site:ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+liters+of+air+per+day https://www.google.com/search?q=site:ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+liters...

by gzu 7y ago

tlb 7y ago

Your points suggest that every respiratory virus should be highly contagious, but don't explain why this one is more contagious than other similar viruses.

guscost 7y ago
This one is more contagious than a common cold?
- whatshisface 7y ago
  It's more contagious than its close relative, SARS.
gzu 7y ago
see point 3

kingkawn 7y ago

Yes, all good conjecture that is likely accurate, but wildly important to not only proceed based on these assumptions and to get definitive proof of the mechanisms

gzu 7y ago
I'd bet by the time we get definite scientific proof of the mechanisms, the every city in the country will have outbreaks.
- kingkawn 7y ago
  taking prudent measures and stating definitive truths are two entirely separate endeavors

hanniabu 7y ago

4. Temperatures are ideal in the regions where it's spreading

jpxw 7y ago
It’s unclear how much this matters
gzu 7y ago
So are temperatures in the human respiratory system. It’s foolish to just assume warmer temperatures will stop it.
- ed312 7y ago
  Why is there so much general confidence warmer temps will reduce spread? Is it really warm temps = more daylight = more UV bouncing around breaking up virus particles in the air? Does it make any difference at all for the majority of folks who spend almost all waking hours inside?
  - autokad 7y ago
    I believe its something along the lines that when there is more moister in the air, the water droplets grab the floating particles and fall to the ground. Thus higher humidity often slows the impact of airborne virus, hence we have a flu season.
  - rsynnott 7y ago
    I think there's probably an aspect of wishful thinking, and I certainly wouldn't say that there's anything like general confidence in the idea. Actually, I've only heard this stated as fact by politicians and similar; experts are mostly WAY more cautious about it.
  - officialjunk 7y ago
    it is because the warmer weather is what stopped SARS-COV in 2002 from spreading this far. the western world was lucky in that ignoring it the first time was an okay strategy. SARS-COV-2 is making its way around the globe right now and hopefully has the same limitations or this may get out of control. ignoring is the most dangerous option at this point. please watch this video by 3blue1brown https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kas0tIxDvrg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kas0tIxDvrg a math professor in the US about the situation.

ksk 7y ago

What they're trying to figure out is how it spreads so quickly when other viruses of the same family do not. Also this is an RNA virus (like most viruses), and RNA is not a stable molecule, especially compared to DNA. The ability of the virus to attach to and invade cells is also not an absolute. Our adaptive immune system can and does recognize the virus as a threat. What you flippantly described as "not hard to understand" is actually very hard to understand for the domain experts actually working in this field..

blowski 7y ago

Article lists multiple leading experts working round the clock on this, all saying they're not sure why the virus is so contagious. But some random person of uncertain credentials says "It's really not hard to grasp why it would spread quickly". If you have some kind of expert credentials with serious evidence, then it would be great to hear it. Otherwise your opinions are just unhelpful, potentially dangerous noise - and the internet has no shortage of those already.

zzzcpan 7y ago
You are dismissing his analysis because it's not authoritative enough for you, that's an awful attitude to have. Authoritative expert opinions that require belief are worse and more dangerous than a random person's honest analysis, based on facts that doesn't require any belief nor gives them any power because of that. The lack of immunity alone could explain why it "spreads so easily", the title is just sensational.
- blowski 7y ago
  > Authoritative expert opinions that require belief are worse and more dangerous than a random person's honest analysis Really? Believing multiple named doctors' opinions from a well-known journalistic source on a technical issue is more dangerous than believing a random stranger who I know nothing about other than their username? On the balance of risks, I'll take the doctors, thanks.
gzu 7y ago
These experts are looking for the biochemical proof of why it's so contagious. That's not needed to make judgements on why this virus could be spread easily.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]

LifeLiverTransp 7y ago

So disinfect the air? UV-Light or ozone addage? Add static charged objects to ac to collect the viruses from air?

KindOne 7y ago

I think 8,000 liters is a bit off? 2,113 gallons / 8,000 liters 1,849 gallons / 7,000 liters - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3357553/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3357553/ 2,642 gallons / 10,000 liters - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4398662/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4398662/ 2,642 gallons / 10,000 liters - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4448375/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4448375/ 3,000 gallons / 11,356 liters - https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cloudsat/news/air-water.html https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cloudsat/news/air-water.h... 3,963 gallons / 15,000 litres - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4398662/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4398662/ https://www.google.com/search?q=site:ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+liters+of+air+per+day https://www.google.com/search?q=site:ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+liters...