This thread was created on 3/8/2020, or approximately one million years ago in virus time. It’s getting pretty bloated now, and a lot of things that were high value at the time have been eclipsed by events, making karma not a very useful sorting tool. So I’m declaring this thread finished, and asking everyone to move over to the April Coronavirus Open Thread.
Interested in what happened in this thread? Here’s the timeless or not-yet-eclipsed highlights:
- Scott Alexander comes up with Hammer and Dance 6 days before Tomas Pueyo
- Spiracular on why SARS-Cov-2 is unlikely to be lab-created.
- Two documents collating estimates of basic epidemiological parameters, in response to this thread
- Discussion on whether the tuberculosis vaccine provides protection against COVID-19.
- Suggestive evidence that COVID-19 removes sense of taste and smell.
- Could copper tape be net harmful?
Interesting comment on a (maybe) new symptom, i.e., loss of smell and taste for several days, of a COVID-19 infection in an interview of a MD with focus on Virology in Germany:
Google translation of the interesting part:
"Almost all infected people we interviewed, and this applies to a good two thirds, described a loss of smell and taste lasting several days. It goes so far that a mother could not smell the full diaper of her child. Others could no longer smell their shampoo, and food began to taste bland. We cannot yet tell exactly when these symptoms will appear, but we believe a little later in the infection." (emphasize mine)
Sample size: approx. 100 patients, not very severe cases, i.e., no hospitalization (stated in the interview).
German newspaper source: https://www.faz.net/aktuell/gesellschaft/gesundheit/coronavirus/virologe-hendrik-streeck-ueber-corona-neue-symptome-entdeckt-16681450.html
Google translate link to English: https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/gesellschaft/gesundheit/coronavirus/virologe-hendrik-streeck-ueber-corona-neue-symptome-entdeckt-16681450.html
However, I am not sure what the base rate of smell and taste loss is during an influenza or common cold infection?