This is part 2 of a 3-part series on the coronavirus pandemic currently sweeping the globe. Joining us again we have Ellie Duckworth – our epidemiologist – weighing in with educated opinions on the matter. This episode the Duck teaches the Hucks about the specifics of this novel coronavirus, SAR-CoV-2, and the resulting COVID-19 illness. We give a brief outline of how this thing has unfolded, and how it differs from the SARS and MERS situations discussed in the previous episode. We talk about the method of testing for COVID-19, how that works and why there is currently a shortage of tests. We discuss the Australian government’s response, specifically delving into the response regarding schools – are we doing the right thing by keeping them open? We then blast through some of the biology and virology of the disease. How does it bind and enter our body? What does it do once it gets in there? Then we address and explain the all-important buzz term of “flattening the curve”, why it matters, and how you can help. Finally, we clarify what is meant by the “incubation period” and what you can actually expect regarding symptom presentation.If you loved what Ellie had to say you can find her on twitter (https://twitter.com/elliedemiology), and as always, you can follow Curiosity Killed the Rat on twitter (https://twitter.com/CuriosityRat), Insta (https://www.instagram.com/curiosityrat/), and facebook (https://www.facebook.com/curiosityrat/), and email in your listener questions to curiosityrat@gmail.comRefences:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQsu3Kz9NYo (good visualisation of PCR)ACE-2 References:https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092867420302294https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms4594Reproductive number calculations:https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa2001316Genome Sequencing and Originshttps://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/03/200317175442.htmhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16195424https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4875465/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32007145https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2012-7Clinical features:https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30183-5/fulltextCOVID-19 vs. Flu:https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/coronavirus-disease-2019-vs-the-fluKids and COVID-19:https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/possible-biological-explanations-for-kids-escape-from-covid-19-67273Respiratory droplets:https://www.livescience.com/coronavirus-warm-weather-study.htmlhttps://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMc2004973SARS and MERS:https://virologyj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12985-015-0439-5https://www.researchgate.net/publication/8953389_The_Severe_Acute_Respiratory_SyndromeWHO Situation Reports:https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports/Other:https://www.technologynetworks.com/genomics/news/scientists-firmly-determine-that-sars-cov-2-was-not-engineered-332244?fbclid=IwAR1WIcJibcTaFw3C4aen5nzjihUO_jFVRIYOG7yHMii2MxRK98RZQDL6XLAhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uP9bcNkvTMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddlRvqhGdPkhttps://www.pharmacytimes.com/news/vitamin-d-helps-the-immune-system-during-cold-and-flu-seasonhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30675873https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/world/corona-simulator/
