Replies

I not sure we can make a vaccine for this virus.

I’m not comparing it to the common cold in its effects, but like the common cold, which has no vaccine, we could be in the same place regarding a vaccine.

Even the flu vaccine, which I get every year, needs to be changed to the latest mutation and sometimes the scientists get it wrong and this year’s anticipated flu does not appear so their formula is ineffective. The vaccine is still effective for the flu they made it for, just not the one that winds up making the rounds.

That is why I think it is a mistake to keep places closed and let the economy continue to spiral downward while we wait for a vaccine that might never come.

It’s not ideal for sure. Many may die, but we cannot stop the world without further damage and many deaths from another issue, namely starvation, homelessness, despair and social unrest, that occur in horrible economic times.

You are correct and probably incorrect.

There is no “common cold”. Rather there are I believe numerous rino viruses that produce the symptoms. Thus although perhaps several vaccines against specific rino viruses could be cooked up, there would still be others .

The Covid 19 virus is specific.

There are already vaccines against Covid 19 created in very recent time. The vaccines must be tested before being released. That process is tie consuming.

There was a thread describing work by a San Diego lab that made a vaccine in three days after receiving the Covid 19 genome. There are reports her of 14 different vaccines apparently now existing.

So based on what I have read here, the problem is testing and approval and then manufacturing

Ultimately you are correct. The real downside of continual shutdown includes illness and deaths for a multitude of reasons. That herd immunity will have to develop and it will be painful to watch.
Still much is still not known about COVID-19 susceptibility. For instance did the fact that some folks received yearly “flu vaccines” for the past fifteen years do them some good. Might with all the antigen variations in these vaccines might there be some cross immunity to COVID-19? Unknown but being evaluated. What is the role of ACE inhibitors and ARBs. They may be protective or they may make individuals more vulnerable. Unknown and being studied.Also what is the true genetic susceptibility of any given individual to this pathogen . Some get exposed and become infected, other exposed individuals go their merry ,healthy way. The answer lies in the human genome and eventually that gene and those who possess or lack it will be identified and identifiable. Finally the answer may lie in China , the source of this virus. No doubt Wusan , the epicenter was hard hit. But why and just how have other Chinese urban areas and large population centers been largely spared. That is a question scientists would love to know.