Covid-19

Most experts think a vaccine is likely to become widely available by mid-2021, about 12-18 months after the new virus, known officially as Sars-CoV-2, first emerged.

Four coronaviruses already circulate in human beings. They cause common cold symptoms and we don't have vaccines for any of them.

America's top infectious diseases expert, Dr Anthony Fauci, has said that "we could start talking about real normality again" in 2021. Although a coronavirus vaccine could be determined "safe and effective" by the end of the year, he doesn't expect it to be widely available in the US until "several months" into 2021.

"I think we will likely know whether a vaccine is safe and effective given the number of phase three trials that are starting literally next week - and there are some in other countries that are already ongoing - that we should know by the end of December of this year, the beginning of next year," he told the Washington Post.

"I think as we get into 2021, several months in, that you would have a vaccine that would be widely available to people in the United States."

Can we develop a herd immunity to Covid-19?

Experts say at least 50%-60% of exposure is required for herd immunity, where prevalence of exposure, and/or a vaccine, drastically reduces transmission of the virus. The CDC is careful to point out, however, that it doesn't know if the presence of antibodies prevents reinfection by the coronavirus. It appears that infection only gives a limited-time resistance, and a relatively weak resistance at that, so herd immunity may not be possible with Covid-19

Coronavirus infections in the United States are far higher than what has been confirmed, although the number of Americans who have been exposed is far below what is required for widespread immunity, according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC estimated the number of infections is about 10 times higher than the confirmed cases, based on blood samples analyzed for antibodies in 10 regions. Those regions included the New York City metropolitan area, parts of Washington state, Utah, south Florida and Missouri. Samples were taken from more than 16,000 people through the spring. Researchers relied on samples taken for routine tests, such as cholesterol tests, with more than a third coming from those aged 65 or older. Results for two rounds of sampling for eight of the 10 regions were released by the CDC. All the regions surveyed showed differences in estimates arrived at through the survey and confirmed cases. In Missouri, for example, that difference was 24 times in April. Though by the second round of sampling, in late May, that dropped to 13 times.

Whether or not to wear a face covering is an important decision when Covid-19 is active in your area. Better safe than sorry is a good guide here. Many countries and states and cities are requiring them in some situations. 

To understand why face masks might work, it is important to look at how the virus that causes Covid-19 spreads in the first place.

Once it has infected someone, the Sars-CoV-2 virus responsible for the disease hijacks their cells to replicate itself. As it multiplies, these new virus particles then burst out of the cells and become suspended in the bodily fluids in our lungs, mouth and nose. When an infected person coughs, they can send showers of tiny droplets – known as aerosols – filled with the virus into the air.

A single cough can produce up to 3,000 droplets. There are fears the virus can also be spread simply through speaking. One recent study showed that we spray thousands of droplets invisible to the naked eye into the air just by uttering the words “stay healthy”.

SLOW the spread of the coronavirus, STOP the spread of the coronavirus, and try to SLAY (Eradicate) the virus completely, until such time that we have found an effective vaccine, or developed another way to gain a real immunity to the coronavirus.

Basically we don't know yet whether or not infection with Covid-19 provides us with a resistance or an immunity to re-infection. It appears from the limited testing done so far that only a short-lived relatively weak resistance is obtained from infection; a resistance that is rather like the resistance obtained from catching the flu. First, scientists discovered patients who had recovered from infection with Covid-19, but mysteriously didn’t have any antibodies against it. Next it emerged that this might be the case for a significant number of people. Then came the finding that many of those who do develop antibodies seem to lose them again after just a few months.

This means that once infected with the coronavirus, after you recover, you can probably become infected again, or re-infected. This makes it even more critical that we SLOW the spread of the coronavirus, STOP the spread of the coronavirus, and try to SLAY (Eradicate) the virus completely, until such time that we have found an effective vaccine, or developed another way to gain a real immunity to the coronavirus. SSS - Slow, Stop & Slay!

In more scientific terms:

Antibody (Ab) responses to SARS-CoV-2 can be detected in most infected individuals 10-15 days following the onset of COVID-19 symptoms. However, due to the recent emergence of this virus in the human population it is not yet known how long these Ab responses will be maintained or whether they will provide protection from re-infection.

Studies show that a transient (temporary) neutralizing antibody response (nAb) is a feature shared by both a SARS-CoV-2 infection that causes low disease severity and the circulating seasonal coronaviruses that are associated with common colds. Stronger resistance is usually obtained from having a more severe form of Covid-19 (SARS-CoV-2), and lower levels of resistance are usually obtained from suffering milder forms of infection.

In this section we give scientific advice for governments to follow to reduce and halt transmission of Covid-19 also known as Coronavirus, and known by scientists as SARS-CoV-2.

It is critical that governments follow scientifically sound policy and procedures, rather than do what is politically expedient. Perhaps most important of all, science, logic, reason and the scientific method MUST be followed, and any faith-based approaches must not be followed or even considered, as they are likely to worsen the problem and the pandemic. The separation of Church and State has never been more important to our health, our lives, our freedom and our future.

We believe that the information presented on this site is higher quality and more accurate information than that given by the WHO. We are scientists, and we are not politicized. That is to say - we will present the truth here, and the best advice we can, rather than what is politically correct, politically expedient or useful; and we will do it without regards to objections by specific countries, organizations, ideologies and religions. That is why you should find higher quality information on this site then elsewhere.

Please click on the links in this menu column (GOV) for details on how and why to best implement the below-mentioned suggestions.

In brief, all nations must :

Covid-19 presents specific challenges for the workplace. In general, indoor areas with lots of people and no air flow are very high-risk areas for the spread of the virus. Here are some general guidelines for working in an age of airbone coronavirus:

1) Try to work from home, if possible. There are lots of ways to work on the computer, with the telephone, and there are lots of free and low cost video-conferencing solutions like Conference-Rooms.US that allow groups meetings, presentations and more with interactive whiteboards, and meeting recording, etc.

2) If you have to work from an office, try to work outside! If you must work inside at a desk, make sure that all the windows are open and use fans to increase air flow indoors. Best yet is to use fans to direct air so that air is sucked up to the ceiling and then blown outside, if possible. This is what airplanes try to do - to direct air vertically - and it can be done in offices.

3) Wear masks or respirators if possible, (we reciommend 3M N95 original and genuine respirators) and practice social distancing at the workplace. Try to touch things as little as possible, and make sure to wash your hands thoroughly often, after touching anything. Do NOT touch your face, mouth, eyes or nose, and do not touch your mask or respirator. If you wear a mask or respirator, leave it on until you are done with it for the day. The outside of your mask could be a particularly dangerous thing to touch as it could harbor the virus.

4) Don't share  cups, glasses, plates or utensils. Don't use office gyms or fitness classes - exercise outside! Take the stairs rather than the elevator, unless the climb is too strenuous. Move desks around to maximise the space between them. Stay positive and get enough sleep and exercise. Be healthy and stay alert and safe.