[2006alum]

Hi folks,

Since a number of you have commented on the twitter images/posts I've shared and that you've found useful, I created a twitter account that is 100% retweets of those useful posts: https://twitter.com/COVIDResponse. Feel free to follow it or look at it from time to time. No commentary, no tweets, just 100% retweets of useful information with the bare minimal amount of political/partisan inflection. Almost everything I retweet has been folks in the field in Asia and Europe or else public health/epidemiologists in the US and UK. 

Here's a thread from this morning that really terrifies me:
[tweet]https://twitter.com/ASlavitt/status/1238817274590629888?s=20[/tweet]
His thread preceded NY Governor Cuomo's call for Trump to bring in the military, but it clearly presages the fact that many mayors and governors are apparently bracing for a need beyond what the civilian medical infrastructure alone can provide.

The other concerning thing is that, at least in France, it does not appear to be only the elderly that have been hit hard:
[tweet]https://twitter.com/mikiebarb/status/1238929011050496001?s=20[/tweet]

As I say, feel free to follow my account if you'd like more information along these lines. I will occasionally post them here as well when I think they inject new information into the ongoing conversation.

---

Here's a brief (and reference-less) counterpoint on the ACE2 inhibitor thing: https://www.escardio.org/Councils/Counci...ame=iossmf

My 2 cents is this: doctors, like the authors of the above piece, are inherently conservative ("first do no harm").  That is an excellent guiding precept in normal times, but it should go out the window in a crisis.  Now is this time to experiment, take risks, etc.  I don't think anyone is saying that people should go off their blood-pressure meds and let their BP skyrocket.  But if there are equally effective alternatives that don't pose a theoretical danger, why not?  Also, if the piece I linked to is correct, then someone still needs to explain why high blood pressure is a predisposing factor for greater mortality with covid19.

I retweeted this on my feed but worth bringing to your attention on this point:

[tweet]https://twitter.com/davidasinclair/status/1238972082756648960?s=20[/tweet]
Author indicates that SARS-COV-2 (you can think of this like the disease HIV, and COVID-19 as the AIDS illness someone gets from it) not only destroys pneumocytes in the lungs but also the blood vessels, which means that your lungs are less able to uptake oxygen, and your body is less able to carry it. This is probably why those with heart disease, diabetes, and HPB may be more susceptible:

[tweet]https://twitter.com/davidasinclair/status/1238972090889449472?s=20[/tweet] 

[2006alum]

Hi folks,

Since a number of you have commented on the twitter images/posts I've shared and that you've found useful, I created a twitter account that is 100% retweets of those useful posts: https://twitter.com/COVIDResponse. Feel free to follow it or look at it from time to time. No commentary, no tweets, just 100% retweets of useful information with the bare minimal amount of political/partisan inflection. Almost everything I retweet has been folks in the field in Asia and Europe or else public health/epidemiologists in the US and UK. 

Here's a thread from this morning that really terrifies me:
[tweet]https://twitter.com/ASlavitt/status/1238817274590629888?s=20[/tweet]
His thread preceded NY Governor Cuomo's call for Trump to bring in the military, but it clearly presages the fact that many mayors and governors are apparently bracing for a need beyond what the civilian medical infrastructure alone can provide.

The other concerning thing is that, at least in France, it does not appear to be only the elderly that have been hit hard:
[tweet]https://twitter.com/mikiebarb/status/1238929011050496001?s=20[/tweet]

As I say, feel free to follow my account if you'd like more information along these lines. I will occasionally post them here as well when I think they inject new information into the ongoing conversation.

---

Here's a brief (and reference-less) counterpoint on the ACE2 inhibitor thing: https://www.escardio.org/Councils/Counci...ame=iossmf

My 2 cents is this: doctors, like the authors of the above piece, are inherently conservative ("first do no harm").  That is an excellent guiding precept in normal times, but it should go out the window in a crisis.  Now is this time to experiment, take risks, etc.  I don't think anyone is saying that people should go off their blood-pressure meds and let their BP skyrocket.  But if there are equally effective alternatives that don't pose a theoretical danger, why not?  Also, if the piece I linked to is correct, then someone still needs to explain why high blood pressure is a predisposing factor for greater mortality with covid19.

I retweeted this on my feed but worth bringing to your attention on this point:

[tweet]https://twitter.com/davidasinclair/status/1238972082756648960?s=20[/tweet]
Author indicates that SARS-COV-2 (you can think of this like the disease HIV, and COVID-19 as the AIDS illness someone gets from it) not only destroys pneumocytes in the lungs but also the blood vessels, which means that your lungs are less able to uptake oxygen, and your body is less able to carry it. This is probably why those with heart disease, diabetes, and HPB may be more susceptible:

[tweet]https://twitter.com/davidasinclair/status/1238972090889449472?s=20[/tweet]