This may be a breakthrough

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-05-blood-filter-calm-cytokine-storm.html

Koreans identify 2 already approved existing drugs that may be antivirals against COVID-19

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-05-drugs-covid-.html

Sample quote

An anti-helminthic drug called niclosamide
demonstrated "very potent" antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2, according to coauthors Sangeun Jeon, Meehyun Ko, and their collaborators, of the Zoonotic Virus Laboratory, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam, Korea. "Not surprisingly, its broad-spectrum antiviral effect has been well documented in the literature, including antiviral properties against SARS- and MERS-CoV," they write.

A downside of niclosamide is low absorption, which undercuts the drug's power by reducing the dose that reaches the target tissue. However, "Further development or drug formulation could enable an effective delivery of this drug to the target tissue," according to the report.

Despite substantially lower antiviral potency, ciclesonide, an inhaled corticosteroid used to treat asthma
and allergic rhinitis, also showed promise against SARS-CoV-2. Intriguingly, the investigators note that a study published earlier this year ( by Matsuyama et al.) a treatment report of 3 patients infected by SARS-CoV-2, demonstrated antiviral activity and revealed the drug's molecular target to be a viral protein called Nsp15.

"With its proven anti-inflammatory activity, ciclesonide may represent as a potent drug which can manifest [the] dual roles [of antiviral and anti-inflammatory] for the control of SARS-CoV-2 infection,"
the investigators conclude.

The anti-inflammatory activity might play a critical role in dampening or preventing the cytokine storms, an immune inflammatory overreaction that can kill COVID-19 patients.
End quote

A potential issue with the increasing number of patients with covid is the potential for mutations.
Sars family of virus (includes Covid) are typically slow to mutate because it's hosts (animals and people) have no ability to fight it. It does experience a mutation rate of 21/20,000 (.00105%) to 63/50,000 (.00126%) from this article Covid Mutations. Not much research has been done on the Sars virus family since it was contained in 2004. Covid (SARS-CoV-2 virus) is a betacoronavirus, like MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV. All three of these viruses have their origins in bats. With the chance of containment long gone and it's aggressive infection rate the virus is poised to be spreading at an accelerated rate as social restrictions are relaxed. There will be a race to get a viable vaccine before variants emerge and get a foothold. One report I read cited contact tracing is very important now to quarantine contacts so that anyone harboring a covid 19 variant does not spread.
There is a multi prong approach relax restrictions/see increase in infections/treat ill quarantine ultimately find vaccine (if can be developed).
Lets hope the asymptomativ infected do not unwittingly speard the virus and or mutant strain(s). Regardless, older or infirm people should still maintain prevention (distancing) and everyone else should strive to minimize interaction and everyone should still be washing hand and things brought into homes and even wear masks.

Colored coded map of USA showing where patients already have two underlying conditions

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-05-dartmouth-atlas-covid-.html

Explains why Utah has less than 1% confirmed case fatality ratio while KY has 4.98%

Your genes and COVID

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-05-genes-coronavirus-hospital.html

Sample quote

The part of the alarm system that we tested is called the human leukocyte antigen system, or HLA. Each person has multiple alleles of the genes that make up their HLA type. Each allele codes for a different HLA protein. These proteins are the sensors of the alarm system and find intruders by binding to various peptides—chains of amino acids that make up parts of the coronavirus—that are foreign to the body.

Once an HLA protein binds to a virus or piece of a virus, it transports the intruder to the cell surface. This "marks" the cell as infected and from there the immune system will kill the cell.

In general, the more peptides of a virus that a person's HLAs can detect, the stronger the immune response. Think of it like a more sensitive sensor of the alarm system.

The results of our modeling predict that some HLA types bind to a large number of the SARS-CoV-2 peptides while others bind to very few. That is to say, some sensors may be better tailored to SARS-CoV-2 than others. If true, the specific HLA alleles a person has would likely be a factor in how effective their immune response is to COVID-19.

End quote

Adaptable vaccine

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-05-advancing-experimental-gene-based-covid-vaccine.html

Sample quote

Dr. Vandenberghe and his laboratory began work on the vaccine in mid-January following the Wuhan outbreak and the first publication of genetic sequences of the new coronavirus. Using a specific AAV with desirable vaccine properties, the program seeks to induce immunity to prevent infection and or disease in healthy populations.

AAV is also a rapidly adaptable technology. If a new strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus emerges, the genetic code inside the AAVCOVID vaccine can be exchanged for an updated genetic code and processed into an updated vaccine in weeks, according to the researchers.

End quote

The “Dark Web” makes money from pandemic

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-05-darknet-wild-west-fake-coronavirus.html

Are the measures taken during smallpox and COVID-19 epidemic constitutional, according to past Supreme Court decisions?

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-05-smallpox-defeated-wasnt-easy-relevant.html

Sample quote

What role did the U.S. Supreme Court play?

Willrich: In 1905 the Court ruled on the constitutionality of compulsory vaccination measures in Jacobson vs. Massachusetts. In upholding the legitimacy of compulsory vaccination, the Supreme Court compared the right to enact public health measures during an epidemic to the right of a government, any government, to defend its people from a military invasion. And they compared the right to compel individuals to be vaccinated, whether they wanted to or not, to the power to conscript the people in order to raise an army. These are very strong statements of public health authority.

However, the Court emphasized that these measures must not be arbitrary and unreasonable, that they must address legitimate public health concerns, and that in some extreme cases public health regulations might be "so arbitrary and oppressive" as to justify judicial review. That is an important standard, and Jacobson remains the major case today in public health law, more than a century later.

End quote

So lock 'em down. I'm locked down. Businesses are locked down. Hospitals are locked down. A person can't even get in to see a dying relative. Don't release them for me and the rest of the public to have to deal with on top of everything else.

If there wasn't so much self-serving BS and money grabbing associated with this, I might be a little more sympathetic and agreeable to this foolishness.

In China, they just disappear. In Russia, they throw them out of 6th floor windows.

My little county is dark red. We have 2 cases. 1 guy just went home and quarantined himself since he didn't feel that bad.

You spend any time on FB? Nothing but scams and ads for crap related to this. 90% of it China based. They get us going and coming.

Here's Virginia's tentative plan to reopen:
CN: Duck and shelter in place for the next 10 years, and let everything fail.

just kidding, it looks pretty reasonable.
https://twitter.com/HenryGraff/status/1257372362615541766

Oregon's Governor also has what looks like a pretty good plan to move forward.
https://www.heraldandnews.com/coron...d933ef7-1e2e-5a6a-9804-d97374e6f03e.html

Probably the best as unsettling as it is. Near here a fireman/paramedic was just dx with acute leukemia, went from dr office to a nearby hospital for transfusions and flown to ucsf for treatment. That was close to two weeks ago. Last time his wife saw him was at the dr office before his first hospitalization.

Anyone see/listen to Faucis interview last night? Saddening for him to be in his shoes. He's giving his all for us it appears.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsixLetpQ3w

Heating best way to disinfect and reuse N95 masks

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-05-disinfect-n95-masks-reuse.html

Sample quote

The team found that spraying the fabric with an ethanol or chlorine bleach solution drastically reduced the filtration efficiency after only one treatment, from about 96% to 56% (ethanol) or 73% (bleach).

A single steam treatment maintained filtration, but five steam treatments led to a sharp decline in efficiency. UV radiation allowed up to 20 cycles of disinfection; however, administering the exact dose of UV that kills the virus without damaging mask materials could be problematic, the researchers note. The best disinfection method appeared to be heating. For example, heating at 185 F for 20 minutes allowed the fabric to be treated 50 times without loss of filtration efficiency. But frequently donning and removing N95 masks could affect fit, which also impacts performance, the researchers point out.

End quote

Mutated version identified - it's more contagious than the Wuhan parent. Vaccines based on fighting the original might not work. https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/A-mutant-coronavirus-has-emerged-even-more-15247656.php

Fighting a new highly contagious deadly makes virus "arbitrary" an elusive label here from a legal standpoint IMO. The "better be safe then sorry" thinking itself is arbitrary. A work around could be, a day by day declaration of medical restrictions or requirements. Hard to believe a 24 hr declared requirement, would be arbitrary or unreasonable. A 24hr constantly repeating cycle would be rather cumbersome for business and others, when trying to make any future plans, but the SC did not rule on the need to not be cumbersome from what I read above.