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News Coronavirus Pandemic Information and Support Group

I think that I'd rather get medical advice from doctors and scientists, rather than the ramblings of politicians.

Since I am not a doctor or medical scientist, I am not qualified to offer an opinion on the use of the drug. But here's what a medicinal chemist thinks:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/could-chloroquine-treat-coronavirus/

If it does end up working, that's great. But the science does seem to be unproven at the moment. And yes, I read that the FDA did approve its use for COVID-19 treatment. Hopefully it does actually help people, and doesn't cause more harm than it helps.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/30/coronavirus-drugs-hydroxychloroquin-chloroquine/

Anecdotal evidence is pretty tremendous, but that's not exactly scientific. I am aware of two scientific studies both from China. One showed no effect from Chloroquine, but that was a pretty poorly designed study with smaller dosage given than in the anecdotal evidence. The other was a small sample size study, that showed an average decrease in symptoms of 1 day when applied, and a seemingly smaller chance of more severe complications. Again though, small sample size.
 
I am worried about my job now. The Singaporean government has stepped up and is now paying 70 % of all salaries of those affected Singaporeans in the aviation industry for the first three months.

The next three months, i am not sure. Maybe no pay leave or additional support from the government.
 
I think starting April. The Government announced the new measures in March. I am safe untill June. After that i am not sure.
I hope things work out okay.

I wanted to say that I really like your avatar. I noticed a funny thing about it. When I don't really focus on it, it makes me think of the character Pilot on Farscape.
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I hope things work out okay.

I wanted to say that I really like your avatar. I noticed a funny thing about it. When I don't really focus on it, it makes me think of the character Pilot on Farscape.
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Thanks. I actually worry about catching Covid-19 nowdays.

I work at the airport and there are still flights coming in even though the volume of flights have been reduced drastically from a daily peak of 300 to 400 flights seen previously to less than 10 flights nowdays.

Overseas based Singaporeans are returning back to Singapore to wait out the long pandemic.

Already there has been dozens of imported cases.
 
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Anybody got any idea how/where this "Ibuprofen makes it worse" bunk got started? It's been pretty well dispelled by anyone accredited, but it sure does linger on.
 
Anybody got any idea how/where this "Ibuprofen makes it worse" bunk got started? It's been pretty well dispelled by anyone accredited, but it sure does linger on.


Growing theories that ibuprofen worsens coronavirus symptoms seem founded in myth
Social media-stoked theories that ibuprofens such as Advil and Motrin can worsen symptoms of the coronavirushave been essentially dispelled by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Even though these agencies released statements debunking the false reports almost two weeks ago, misguided warnings continue to be circulated by people on Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms.

The following announcement was issued by the FDAon March 19.
 
^^ Thanks for the update on that. I was never sure, given that there's been a video circulating a person claiming to be a doctor stating many deaths had Ibuprofen in their system. Of course, that video is a capture from an audio podcast where anyone can pretty much say anything without being seen. Also, if that were really true, it would seem to be too much of a game changer not to talk about.
 
“the pharmacological activity of NSAIDs in reducing inflammation, and possibly fever, may diminish the utility of diagnostic signs in detecting infections.”
Hmmm, well this line, from that link, which is of course not scientific evidence that Ibuprofen will worsen or increase the likelihood of getting COVID-19, does somewhat suggest that the action of an NSAID, such as Ibuprofen, could obscure the detection of infections? Am I reading that right?

So maybe this is where the thing originated. People who thought they were healthy, or healthier, might not have been as much, and instead had been infected with COVID-19, but there was difficulty determining that, because Ibuprofen in their system "Diminished the utility of diagnostic signs in detecting the infection"?
Good. Because I take prescription-strength ibuprofen for joint and other pains. I kind of need it right now.
That's the thing. Everything I've heard from medical professionals, totally discourages people from avoiding their prescribed medications. Some people have to take Ibuprofen & shouldn't stop, just because of this, until otherwise directed by their own physician. That said, if I were in that position, given that stuff I wrote above, I'd definitely want to know what my doctor thinks.

And being that I don't need it for an existing condition, I honestly feel encouraged to avoid it for the duration of this, even though there's no data to say it's dangerous. I do keep Motrin around this house for an occasional headache
 
Hmmm, well this line, from that link, which is of course not scientific evidence that Ibuprofen will worsen or increase the likelihood of getting COVID-19, does somewhat suggest that the action of an NSAID, such as Ibuprofen, could obscure the detection of infections? Am I reading that right?

My interpretation is that taking a fever reducing med. could mask symptoms, making temperature taking less effective as a method of preemptive detection.
 
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there's been a video circulating a person claiming to be a doctor stating many deaths had Ibuprofen in their system.
Very odd that sick people would have ibuprofin in their system. How strange. I'm pretty sure that many of the people who died had blood in their system too. I think the combination of blood and ibuprofin is likely a major cause of death. In fact even people without COVID-19 have died with both blood and ibuprofin in their system, so this issue likely extends to many other medical problems. In addition, since many people die with blood in their system and no ibuprofin in their system, the presence of blood in their system is likely to be the major factor and ibuprofin has no effect at all. Of course my theory is complicated by the fact that some people are alive until they get injured and bleed too much, thus they die having too little blood in their system. ... Well, no theory is perfect.
 
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Anecdotal evidence is pretty tremendous.

As they say, the plural of "anecdote" is not "data". All this scrambling around such weak evidence has, rather predictably, just lead to a run on chloroquine which has left the people with a proven need for such drugs in the lurch. Also the occasional poisoning, because that class of drugs is very dose sensitive.

Also, anyone wondering what this disease is like first hand, I can confirm it isn't flu-like. A fever may not present itself, or if it does be significant (over 100). Even the coughing may not be too bad. Its distinctive feature is chest tightness, fatigue, and exhaustion even after the simplest of exertions. Even talking for extended periods may become difficult due to shortness of breath. You can easily see how dangerous it can be if someone wasn't entirely healthy to begin with, or if one was unlucky and it just hits them harder than average.

Thankfully, for the moment, I continue to be asymptomatic even though I am in close proximity to the individual described above.
 
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Also, anyone wondering what this disease is like first hand, I can confirm it isn't flu-like. A fever may not present itself, or if it does be significant (over 100). Even the coughing may not be too bad. Its distinctive feature is chest tightness, fatigue, and exhaustion even after the simplest of exertions. Even talking for extended periods may become difficult due to shortness of breath. You can easily see how dangerous it can be if someone wasn't entirely healthy to begin with, or if one was unlucky and it just hits them harder than average.

Sounds like exactly what Tom Hanks described. Idris Elba got away with 1 day of chills and fatigue followed by... nothing. Most of the infected NBA players were sick for 1 day, followed by normalcy. Others have 3-4 days of 103 fevers. Yet others sadly die.

This kind of thing just adds to the panic - every symptom from abdominal pain to pink eye to a toothache has been linked to covid, so everyone thinks they have it.
 
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