By Lieba Nesis
President Trump was released from the Hospital last night after undergoing three days of intensive treatment for coronavirus at the Walter Reed Medical Center. With global infections on the rise there are more questions than answers as this seemingly manufactured virus continues its destructive course. A feeling of helplessness has washed across the United States as this supposed second wave wreaks havoc with few spared its devastating consequences. There are continued queries as to the level of lethality of the current virus and the most effective course of therapy. As the president gets bombarded with accusations of recklessness, it becomes readily apparent that even in times of sickness the media will berate him for such benign behavior as riding in a motorcade with Secret Service while wearing a mask, and standing alone for pictures on his terrace without a mask. Firstly, the Secret Service is required to protect the president during his illness while he will undoubtedly be getting in and out of buildings and cars. Did they not accompany him when he went to the hospital with coronavirus, or worked in his room?
These baseless accusations continue to highlight the media’s dangerous bias against our current leader. Stepping onto a terrace without a mask with nobody within six feet is safe, especially with mask-wearing agents located behind him assuring zero contact with his nose, eyes or mouth-primary modes of transmission. The barrage would be incomplete without mentioning this past week’s shameless Saturday Night Live (SNL) episode where the despicable Alec Baldwin mocked Trump’s debate performance, Chris Rock remarked, “President Trump’s in the hospital from COVID… my heart goes out to COVID”, and politically incorrect news host Michael Che wished Trump “a really lengthy recovery.” After watching the opening of SNL I became so disgusted by the cruel tone of the divisive program I immediately turned channels- ashamed to reside in a country that mocks a leader bedridden in a hospital.
The anesthetized media and public barely mentioned the outrageously cruel taunts broadcast by a major network-shame on Lorne Michaels, SNL, and Channel 4 for supporting this barbaric propaganda which debases the principles of humanity our country was founded upon. Sponsors should dump the astoundingly tasteless SNL which remains a dangerous platform for the unhinged left. Trump’s reaction to the virus was nothing short of extraordinary as he continued working during his diagnosis and repeatedly thanked the public for their blessings and goodwill-even venturing out of his room to greet cheering supporters. As the president and thousands of others continue to fight this dreaded disease here are some of today’s most pressing issues.
1. Can I get Covid twice? The answer appears to be yes. Researchers in Hong Kong confirmed in August that a 33-year-old man who caught Covid in March and was confirmed negative twice in April was reinfected in August although he had no symptoms. The doctors sequenced the genome of his virus both times and found the virus had mutated slightly within those four months. A senior health professional in Israel’s hospital recently remarked that in his small unit he had over 30 patients who were being treated for corona a second time, even in those who had serious first cases. Israel’s records contain great significance since it is one of the few countries that carried out organized data collection during the first Covid wave. With global cases reaching over 36 million the small amount of those reinfected still lead to the probable conclusion that reinfection rates are minuscule with an organism’s ability to recognize and fight a familiar pathogen being one of the hallmarks of the human body.
2. Is wearing a mask really that important-can’t virus particles seep through the side? Both the CDC and WHO originally said mask coverings were unnecessary and not recommended. They have recently changed their tune as empirical data and lab experiments have confirmed the foolproof efficacy of masks. A recent experiment found that hundreds of droplets ranging from 20 to 500 micrometers were released from the mouth when saying a simple phrase, but nearly all of these droplets were blocked when covered with a damp washcloth. Empirically the data remains unequivocal that mask wearing reduces transmission as one Covid infected man who flew from China to Toronto with a mask while suffering with a dry cough failed to infect any of the 25 people sitting close to him. Researchers recently surmised that if 80 percent of the population wore masks this would do more to reduce Covid spread than a total lockdown. The argument that virus particles can enter the mask through the sides of the mouth and nose is invalid as the viral load would be insufficient to result in coronavirus disease-never forget the three M’s-Mask, Mask, Mask.
3. I am scared that restaurant food can contain the virus maybe I won’t eat out? Coronavirus does not spread through food unlike norovirus and hepatitis A. Coronavirus is spread to the lungs mostly through respiratory droplets when someone coughs, sneezes or talks; not through the stomach upon which food enters. While you might catch the virus from touching an infected waiters hand or breathing the indoor air of a poorly ventilated restaurant, food itself is sufficiently heated to kill the virus since the virus becomes undetectable after a few minutes at 160 degrees fahrenheit. Viruses are not alive and therefore do not replicate on food-with no evidence Covid lives on food. Moreover, there is a strong likelihood stomach acid breaks down nasty particles making transmission to the lungs unlikely.
4. I recently took a rapid Covid test at a party which came back negative are guests at the party safe? As recently evidenced by the president’s contraction of coronavirus despite those next to him being rapidly tested, rapid antigen tests possess a high degree of variability with sensitivity ranging from 34% to 80%. Therefore, half or more than half of patient’s infections might be missed. The United States is spending $760 million on 150 million of these tests from Abbott Laboratories, which detect specific proteins known as antigens on the surface of the virus. However, these tests are most effective at spotting those at the peak of infection and may provide false assurances to those whose tests may not show up as positive but who may be capable of spreading the disease. These tests are faster and cheaper, yet because antigen tests need a sample to contain thousands of virus particles per microlitre to produce a positive result the possibility of false negatives remain high.
5. Is coronavirus mutating to a disease with decreased lethality? Coronavirus continues to kill close to 1,000 Americans a day with experts claiming the infection fatality rate remains the same. However, treatments such as steroids and blood thinners, monoclonal antibodies, the antiviral medicine remdesivir, and improved medical treatments have resulted in more successful outcomes. Andrew Badley, the head of Mayo Clinic’s COVID Task Force recently remarked, “Health-care preparedness today is much better than it was in February and March, We have better and more rapid access to diagnosis, more knowledge about what drugs to use and more experimental treatments available-all contributing to possible improvements in mortality.” President Trump has been taking an antibody treatment being developed by Regeneron, which reduces the level of virus in the body by attaching itself to the surface of the coronavirus protein and blocking it from infecting cells. These synthetically produced versions of proteins made by the immune system may work as treatments for those not yet seriously ill by mimicking the body’s natural antibodies. The treatment is still being studied in clinical trials with severe improvements manifested in those with mild to moderate illness. The decreased use of ventilators, along with the proficiency of doctors in treating the disease will undoubtedly lead to better results as winter imminently approaches.
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