It keeps getting better: New coronavirus symptoms in China

[denem]

Sicker for longer: doctor warns of new symptoms for China's latest COVID-19 patients

Beijing: Chinese doctors are seeing the coronavirus manifest differently among patients in its new cluster of cases in the northeast region compared to the original outbreak in Wuhan, suggesting that the pathogen may be changing in unknown ways.

Patients found in the northern provinces of Jilin and Heilongjiang appear to carry the virus for a longer period of time and take longer to recover, as defined by a negative test, Qiu Haibo, one of China's top critical care doctors, told state television on Tuesday.

Cases in the northeast also appear to be taking longer than the one to two weeks observed in Wuhan to develop symptoms after infection, and this delayed onset is making it harder for authorities to catch cases before they spread, said Qiu, who is now in the northern region treating patients.

"The longer period during which infected patients show no symptoms has created clusters of family infections," said Qiu, who was earlier sent to Wuhan to help in the original outbreak. Some 46 cases have been reported over the past two weeks spread across three cities - Shulan, Jilin city and Shengyang - in two provinces, a resurgence that sparked renewed lockdown measures over a region of 100 million people.

Scientists still do not fully understand if the virus is changing in significant ways. The differences Chinese doctors are seeing could be due to the fact that they're able to observe patients more thoroughly and from an earlier stage than in Wuhan. When the outbreak first exploded in the central Chinese city, the local healthcare system was so overwhelmed that only the most serious cases were being treated. The northeast cluster is also far smaller than Hubei's outbreak, which ultimately sickened 68,000 people.

https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/sicker-for-longer-doctor-warns-of-new-symptoms-for-china-s-latest-covid-19-patients-20200520-p54uwl.html

A potential mutation that actually makes sense: A longer period while asymptomatic, and a longer period while the virus is in the body. Marvelous

[GeorgeGist]

1. The differences Chinese doctors are seeing could be due to the fact

that they're able to observe patients more thoroughly and from an earlier stage than in Wuhan.

[denem]

2. Gr. Qiu Haibo wei is quoted here

had earlier spent time in Wuhan.

[BannonsLiver]

12. Don't interfere with the doom porn

[Lochloosa]

3. Words to live by.

"People should not assume the peak has passed or let down their guard," Wu Anhua, a senior infectious disease doctor, said on state television on Tuesday. "It's totally possible that the epidemic will last for a long time."

[2naSalit]

4. +1

[Kitchari]

6. Unfortunately

This rings true

[Pacifist Patriot]

5. If viruses had intelligence...

this one would be a fucking genius.

[SergeStorms]

7. I take a lot of news from China...

with a grain of salt now. I'll wait until this has been verified by another, independent country.

[Aussie105]

8. That reminds me of a true story:

Rabbits were introduced into Australia as pets. Some escaped. As there were few natural predators, they bred.
Pastoralists didn't like the rabbits eating the food meant for sheep.
Scientists introduced a virus, myxomatosis.
Horribly virulent, led to quick death.

Except, after a while, the virus mutated.

There were three strains identified:

1. Virulent, killed rabbits rapidly. This strain became less common.
2. A less virulent strain, rabbits took longer to die. It became more common, as there was more time for a sick rabbit to pass it on.
3. A less harmful strain, rabbits got sick but survived.

Strain 2 became the most common strain. Simply because transmission was more effective.

Eventually only small pockets of rabbits were left. Some became immune to strain 2. They bred up the population.

Is the human race heading the same way?

Upshot to this is, you could catch one strain of the virus, survive it and have immunity to it, then along comes another strain and you catch it again.

Only hope is a vaccine. Periodically updated to include vaccine for any new strains found.

While we wait for that to happen, protect yourself. Be safe. See you on the other side, hopefully.

[roamer65]

11. As a biologist, this virus constantly reminds me of that myxoma virus in Australian rabbits.

[KewlKat]

9. This alone should make folks wear a mask whenever they are away from home.

We have to protect each other. No one knows just how soon in the disease process we are spreading the virus and for how long while being asymptomatic.

[AllaN01Bear]

10. waiting for the second wave, hasnt hit yet . put a mask on you idiots.

[roamer65]

14. THIS.

When people are out in public places, all need to be wearing them.

[Baclava]

13. Viruses that kill their hosts quickly don't last, see 1918, this one is learning as it mutates