DUers: join the fight against coronavirus

I propose we create a thread ( let's try this one, unless it gets derailed quickly by too much meta) wherein we propose and discuss concrete measures that we can take daily in our lives, to mitigate the reach and effect of our new sworn enemy, the coronavirus ( formally known as SARS-CoV-2).

Beyond just personal protection, I'm talking about active (practical) measures that each of us can take to destroy as many virus particles as possible.

Obviously, the first line of defense is your own body. Since the virus needs our body in order to replicate and spread, deny it that by preventing infection of your body. Failing that, deny it the ability to transmit itself beyond your body. Those are two steps that YOU (yes, I'm looking right at YOU) very likely have some level of control over.

The opposite of what I'm proposing is thinking that "oh well, it's inevitable, I'll just take my chances".

Next level is those immediately around you, usually family. Same principle.

Keep widening the circle, and let's come up with steps we can take to do our part.

I'd like to start with the concept of us, those of us that still interact with the environment outside our house, but it still applies inside your house, and that is: destroying the virus.

Not just running away from it or hiding from it, because those are viable strategies to prevent #1 above (denying it use if your body as host), but DESTROYING it where it may lurk waiting to hitch a ride onto another host.

Take every opportunity you have to destroy the virus where it most likely lingers.

The big question is how to practically do this. Of course, it may prove meaningless due to the scope, but why not try?

The goal is to buy time. Time for a vaccine to be developed.

Here's an example of the sort of measures I'm thinking about: instead of just avoiding touching that doorknob that you think may be covered in virus, how about spraying it with 70% alcohol, or 3% hydrogen peroxide, or wiping it off with an alcohol wipe (not just a wet wipe, but something that will destroy the virus).

Get my drift? What ideas do you have for guerilla warfare in your neighborhood against SARS-CoV-2?

Talk to me when you have a working vaccine deployed widely

Until then, we are approaching a severely disrupted world. All bets are off, the usual no longer applies. An era of a new paradigm.

We may disagree on the details, but there is no going back, until an effective vaccine comes on the scene.

Please try to convince me otherwise, using sound logic and facts.

I predict Trump will resign before October

Could be sooner, much sooner. He will walk away and leave this mess in Pence's lap.

Bookmark it.

ETA: It's disheartening to see so many in this thread who are assuming a "business-as-usual" backdrop to this prediction and our near-term future. I foresee massive disruption to our country from covid19, exacerbated by the critical delay in response, which has pivoted us from potential containment to merely mitigation. Disruption is a huge key factor.

Trump's answer for why he shut down the Directorate for Global Health Security and Biodefense

established at the National Security Council in 2016 by President Barack Obama after the 2014 Ebola outbreak:

My hunch on what's happening with COVID-19 test kits in the U.S.

I listened carefully (ugh) to Pence the other day where he was discussing the testkits.

Did you notice that he said Trump had met with pharma companies to facilitate and streamline rapid deployment of their test kits to market? It was very clear that there was huge profit motive involved. When Trump kept saying that anyone who wanted to could be tested? He meant, anyone who *is willing to pay whatever they charge* can be tested.

So here's what I think is happening: the delay in testing so far due to limited supply (because we didn't take any from the WHO) is to cause a buildup of demand, so the companies that Trump met with could be assured of massive profits when they roll their product out.

(Trump gets the added benefit of artificially getting to report low infection numbers in the meantime, while demand is building.)

Wish a whistleblower who sat in on those meetings would confirm that Trump made this type of promise.

That the government isn't subsidizing this fully as a public health measure is beyond shameful.

Capitalism at its finest.

It's amazing what a little testing reveals, no?

Too bad we weren't doing it weeks ago!

Think it's all hype? Read this

This is the best summation of why this coronavirus outbreak will be so serious, and why comparing it to the flu is nonsense.

Very worthwhile read.

Now *that's* what I call a retriever!

Chloroquine phosphate has shown apparent efficacy in treatment of COVID-19

Has there been a run on chloroquine yet? Forewarned is forearmed........... ??

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/32074550/

Breakthrough: Chloroquine phosphate has shown apparent efficacy in treatment of COVID-19 associated pneumonia in clinical studies.

Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) virus is spreading rapidly, and scientists are endeavoring to discover drugs for its efficacious treatment in China. Chloroquine phosphate, an old drug for treatment of malaria, is shown to have apparent efficacy and acceptable safety against COVID-19 associated pneumonia in multicenter clinical trials conducted in China. The drug is recommended to be included in the next version of the Guidelines for the Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Pneumonia Caused by COVID-19 issued by the National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China for treatment of COVID-19 infection in larger populations in the future.

ETA: There are recent posts that question the above. Please see https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213042640

So some additional links:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166354220301145

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41587-020-00003-1