A Ray Of Hope!?!

Our sadly under-employed Department of Good News is please to pass this along: a common anti-malarial drug combined with azithromycin, aka Zitromax, seems to have been effective in treating the coronavirus. Derek Lowe has commentary (starting about half-way down, with a mix of hope and caveats); here is the paper and coverage of the concept in Forbes.

Trump was asked about this at today's press conference so it is all very topical.

Comments

[Threadkiller]

We will soon find out that seasonal flu and common colds could have been treated with the readily available malaria drug and Big Pharma paid off the Feds to keep it hush-hush.

[JimNorCal]

Whew!

[JimNorCal]

I was getting worried that new-thread velocity was slipping ...

Meanwhile

[Melinda]

Jim that looks like art you could hang on a wall....

[JimNorCal]

We'll need a higher level of desperation before this crew starts drinking PBR but the concept is cute

[matt - deplore me if you must]

I have some zithromax in my emergency stash.My doc is pretty good in accommodating me when I travel. The anti-malarial would seem a bit more difficult to obtain.

[Melinda]

Andy Grewal
@AndyGrewal
During the press conference itself, it was made quite clear that the drug was being subject to clinical trials and was available under a compassionate use exception.

These sorts of headlines are why Trump goes on unhinged rants about the media.

Bloomberg @business
Replying to @business
The FDA says it has not approved Chloroquine for Covid-19 use, contradicting the president's statement trib.al/5IiFM9G

https://twitter.com/AndyGrewal/status/1240689396367544320

BBerg showing the Power of the Blue Pencil.

[JimNorCal]

Heh, Melinda

[lyle]

Willowed:

Coming to the big screen this fall: Wuhan Luke.

The film, set in early 2020, Luke does not question his physical isolation and initially has no thought of escape. But his spirit is not, like that of his fellow countrymen, quarantined. This free thinking is, from the outset, noticed by the institution, its functionaries (the MFM) and especially its leaders. Their response is a mixture of both fear and loathing. So they retaliate against Luke through both physical and psychological punishment by forcing him to watch CNN 24 hours a day.

When the film ends, Luke never succumbs to the virus and looks directly into the camera stating, “What we've got here is failure to communicate.”

FIN.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Willowed;
--Um, I think that's a parody -- NBA games were all cancelled a week ago...--

It was a riff on the ghastly Chunk whining about his little chunks, who he had with his Taiwanese wife, being called names at school when the school they attend was apparently not even open.
[at the risk of offending some, I looked up to see that I had originally misspelled little chunks, little chinks :/ And of course I denounce myself.]

[lyle]

https://www.frontpagemag.com/point/2020/03/new-york-islamist-wants-weaponize-coronavirus-daniel-greenfield/

Can you imagine the uproar if a non-progtard proposed something like this?

[Dave (in MA)]

Must be toilet paper resupply flights.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--We will soon find out that seasonal flu and common colds could have been treated with the readily available malaria drug and Big Pharma paid off the Feds to keep it hush-hush.--

Pretty unlikely. Those drugs act on certain receptors the coronavirus doesn't share with the influenza bug.
Whether they share them with coronaviruses that cause common colds I don't know but it's unlikely they're going to prescribe a potent antimalarial for a common cold and most common colds are caused by rhinoviruses not coronaviruses.

[Stephanie Nene Not Your Normal Granma]

Willowed:

Changes again to the tax filing sitch: Probably will change still again.

The White House announced that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, tax payments could be delayed until July 15, but you still gave to file your taxes by April 15.

The delay in payment will be penalty- and interest-free and you can defer payments up to a million dollars.

[Dave (in MA)]

I wouldn't mind PBR if they put caffeine in it.

[Threadkiller]

I don’t think it was anything different than that, Steph. I believe fake news got it wrong several times.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

China’s Coronavirus Plan: Create a ‘Silk Road’ of Health Care Leading Towards World Dominance

[MissMarple2]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUtsx8EzwN0

President and VP live at FEMA National Response Center.

[Dave (in MA)]

If memory serves, the common cold is a catch-all term for a number of viral diseases, one of which is a coronavirus that causes around 15% of colds.

[Extraneus]

We'll need a higher level of desperation before this crew starts drinking PBR

Clean, refreshing, unpretentious. It's good!

[Threadkiller]

The FDA guy at the press conference said they are working on the dosage to adjust the potency for best results without overdosage. I will stick with my theory that this drug will accomplish far more than anyone was ever told.

[Dave (in MA)]

I heard a talk show caller explaining last week that covid-19 means the Chinese had already tried this 18 times. I facepalmed.

[Extraneus]

I don't have any, but I'm tempted to crack open a Rolling Rock. Maybe later.

[MissMarple2]

Why did it end so quickly? That was strange.

[Melinda]

Wanna see what happens when your carefully structured Crude Oil Contango Product goes against you on margining?

You get your pet monkey to write things like this:
John Kemp
@JKempEnergy
SAUDI ARABIA should call truce in oil price war because it's the responsible course of action: uk.reuters.com/article/uk-oil…

https://twitter.com/JKempEnergy/status/1240635564312997889

[Tom R]

A local joint sells PBR draft for $1. I will stick to my $4 Yeungling draft.

[Jane]

The hydra-whatever is a common remedy for very bad arthritis, so I assume it is very available. I just hope it's not made in China.

[Dave (in MA)]

You have to fast forward to about 8 minutes from the end to get to the actual FEMA meeting.

[Extraneus]

I think I now know what you were talking about the other day, Mel.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/margin-call-you-were-warned-risk

[GUS]

I always thought Yeunglingus was a Chinese sex act.

[Threadkiller]

This fox link is working for the FEMA get together:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3gjPFelN1vY

[Stephanie Nene Not Your Normal Granma]

Herman Talmadge has been posting a lot of good stuff on the margin issue and the dollar's value on the world market on FB.

[lyle]

Heh, GUS.

[Stephanie Nene Not Your Normal Granma]

I believe I heard somewhere today that many of the drugs they are discussing are generics and could theoretically be ramped up in multiple facilities at once if needed as there would be no patent issues.

[MissMarple2]

https://twitter.com/ChanelRion/status/1240707605514903555

Boy, Chanel got an anonymous FAX plus a bunch of butt-hurt tweets. (Also, regular folks liked her question!)

[Buckeye]

Rolling Rock was the beer of choice my Freshman year in the dorm.

The Korean grocer across the street was happy to not notice that we grabbed the “6%” cases instead of the “3.2%” cases:)

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

So was that Ilhan Omar quote toadying up to Trump last thread legit?
If so I can only assume she's a-skeered of an ICE case, revocation of citizenship and deportation.

[Stephanie Nene Not Your Normal Granma]

Doubtful iggy, what she cited as good was the socialist aspects of the rescue provisions. Still true to her stripes.

[MissMarple2]

Volume on the Fox link isn't loud enough for me. I will look for the replay on YouTube after it's over. Sometimes the volume is then increased.

[Buckeye]

She probably is afraid she would “accidentally” get sent to Iran.

[Dave (in MA)]

3.2% isn't beer, it's beer seltzer.

[lyle]

I think muzzie skeez is more worried about getting re-elected.

[Jane]

HOLY CRAP, THAT WAS FAST: The FDA has approved hydroxychloroquine to be prescribed to help treat Coronavirus. “The drug is generic and available.”

[MissMarple2]

Charlie Kirk
@charliekirk11
·
9m
Just to review the Democrats' plan to confront the China Virus:

—Let criminals out of prison

—Ban private citizens from buying guns

—Open our borders

—Obsess over the name of the virus instead of a cure

—Increase abortion funding

Yet they attack Trump's response?

[GUS]

Scheming Schmuck Schumer is bragging about the PORK coming to his constituents.

[Pinandpuller]

If the Trump Checks don’t go out till Zhu Lie there’s gonna be a Bonus Army II: Electric Boogaloo.

[Neo]

ABC:Trump touts chloroquine, old malaria drug that doctors say may help treat coronavirus

AJC:Trump announces 'immediately available' drug to treat virus

Bloomberg:Trump Touts Drug That FDA Says Isn't Yet Approved for Virus

Notice a pattern ?

[lyle]

In what sane world is Chrissy Teigen considered attractive? Even at 2am...

[Melinda]

Patrick Chovanec
@prchovanec
China, you are digging a hole so deep with this, you have no idea.

黃子茵 霧亭 全民大契約 @wutingzy
Central China TV
“Expert” : “The US pushed out the vaccine so quickly, that only means they have been working on it way before the pandemic.”
Host: “So we can conclude that the US had this virus in their possession long ago”

CCP nonstop smear campaign

pic.twitter.com/56YcQr4cbP

https://twitter.com/prchovanec/status/1240687924108091393

[GUS]

The SPANISH FLU was a term offensive to MOST MEXICANS.

Or some "reports" say.

[Melinda]

dpa news agency
@dpa_intl
#BREAKING State Department orders US citizens to return home now or stay put

https://twitter.com/dpa_intl/status/1240722038106488834

[Melinda]

John Kass
@John_Kass
My latest column: What we'll learn about our deconstructed American culture as #WuhanCoronavirus spreads. And in desperate Italy, it's "pan di grano."
chicagotribune.com/columns/john-k…

https://twitter.com/John_Kass/status/1240611916621533189

Fresh Kass!

[Old Lurker]

"The FDA says it has not approved Chloroquine for Covid-19 use, contradicting the president's statement trib.al/5IiFM9G"

What was I saying yesterday about overrated undeserving of their pedestal government agencies?

"Waiting until the FDA can decree the correct dosage" are they? Let thousands of doctors do what they think best and post their results so everybody can follow what works and ignore what doesn't. In 72 hours the answer will be known.

Next?

[lyle]

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2020/03/the_wuhan_virus__what_if_hillary_had_won_in_2016.html

The Wuhan Virus: What if Hillary had won in 2016?

Shudder.

[Melinda]

OL-

That quote was edited for deception. It's available for trial and Compassionate use, NOW. BBerg Opinion at your service.

[lyle]

https://www.politico.eu/article/coronavirus-china-winning-propaganda-war/

Thoughts?

[Threadkiller]

Allow me to clear this up. The FDA has NOT approved the drug as a treatment for Covid. The FDA did approve the drug as a “compassionate” treatment that an MD may prescribe if they think it will help a patient regardless of what ailments the FDA previously approved it the drug for.

[jimmyk]

If Chloroquine seems even 75% effective we should immediately undo all these restrictions and let the economy get started again. Assuming it can be produced in copious quantities.

[jimmyk]

TK, not disputing what you say, but I thought doctors can prescribe drugs that have approved for one use to treat something else. In fact if I Google "off label prescription" I get this:

Off-label prescribing is when a physician gives you a drug that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved to treat a condition different than your condition. This practice is legal and common. In fact, one in five prescriptions written today are for off-label use.

So why would the FDA even need to do that?

[Threadkiller]

Governor from Illinois called the FEMA show and thanked except Trump. He then complained that the CDC drive through test tent only has 5000 tests/kits. The Admiral, after explaining how ready the administration actually is with tests and kits, told the governor that the States got their individual quantities of kits based off of the numbers the States provided CDC and FEMA. “If you need more contact your FEMA supervisor and give him the correct request.”

[cathyf]

Does anybody know whether quinine water (Canada Dry or generic) still has quinine in it?

(For those of you who don't know the history, the Brits invented the gin 'n' tonic as an afternoon cocktail to take their daily quinine dose.)

[Melinda]

TK-

If that cast Iron run goes to the street, not septic, get this:

https://www.acehardware.com/departments/plumbing/drain-openers/drain-cleaners/44810

Pros around here actually use it, and recommend it.

[Threadkiller]

I don’t know if there are different classes of drugs that can go the route of off label and others that can’t, Jimmy.

How far out of the intended use of a narcotic would a Dr’s discretion reach?

[Melinda]

Here's DJT's successor, on this move alone:

Greg Abbott
@GregAbbott_TX
Restaurants in Texas can now deliver alcoholic beverages with food purchases to customers.

In response to #coronavirus I waived some regulations that hindered that.

These next few weeks it’s important to support our restaurants. They’re a great source of food for Texans.

https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1240456865986891779

From last night!

[Threadkiller]

Septic, Mel. The problem is a collapse in the wall of the pipe. :-(

[Pinandpuller]

There were 18 pallets of ramen at the Asian Market but it was quiet.

Too quiet.

[Threadkiller]

MM, it is over now and the replay has better volume control, IMO.

[Pinandpuller]

February 2020: The last retail employee lies about cleaning the bathrooms.

[Captain Hate]

cathyf,

Yes but a very small amount

https://www.healthline.com/health/quinine-in-tonic-water

[henry]

so much for Rallies.

schwartzbCNBC's avatar
Brian Schwartz @schwartzbCNBC
14m
BREAKING The Trump campaign and RNC are suspending in-person fundraising events as the coronavirus continues to impact the 2020 election. They are going all digital, including virtual fundraising events. They are also doing direct mail outreach to donors.
cnbc.com/2020/03/19/cor…

[Melinda]

Suxxxxxxx!!!

But in the meanwhile, do not get lost in the stacks, here:

http://www.universitytimes.ie/2020/03/jstor-makes-database-accessible-to-the-public/

(That's a really big deal, btw)

[GUS]

Ahhhhh, that yee olde term QUININE ELIXER.

Reminds me of YEUNGLINGUS.

Heh. ELIXER.

[Captain Hate]

Btw, Mrs. H received a positive report (I was gonna say thumbs up but that might have been uncomfortably graphic) on her healing from the surgeon. She'll start walking with me when I take Teddy out while not taking the leash of that muscular beast.

[Melinda]

WOW!

Scott Adams
@ScottAdamsSays
Thank you!

Bayer US @BayerUS
Bayer today announced it is joining the U.S. Government’s fight against #COVID19 with a donation of 3 million tablets of the drug #Resochin (#chloroquine phosphate). New data, while limited, shows potential for the use of Resochin in treating patients with #COVID19 infection.

https://twitter.com/ScottAdamsSays/status/1240726922373390336

[jimmyk]

Great news, CH.

[Extraneus]

Like Surber wrote the other day, Trump doesn't need rallies. Biden does.

[Extraneus]

Great, Captain.

[Stephanie Nene Not Your Normal Granma]

For KK:

San Francisco residents quarantined at home...only allowed outside to take a shit.

ASOFB

[henry]

Positive indeed, CH

[Captain Hate]

Thanks, guys.

Like Surber wrote the other day, Trump doesn't need rallies. Biden does.

Exactly. I'm ready to crawl over glass to vote for DJT in a meaningless primary once Nanny DeRINO lets us.

[jimmyk]

Like Surber wrote the other day, Trump doesn't need rallies. Biden does.

Biden rallies won't violate any 50 person limits. But they don't want to make that obvious.

[Threadkiller]

After some quick scrolling of the net, Jimmy, I can’t find anything that would restrict the MD’s from doing exactly what you argue. Maybe the FDA was doing a wink, wink, nudge, nudge to motivate the doctors without actually violating the laws that govern the FDA?

At the FEMA show it was stated exactly as I wrote at 3:47.

[Stephanie Nene Not Your Normal Granma]

BREAKING: Russell E. Travers, a longtime intelligence professional, has been abruptly fired from his position as acting director of the National Counterterrorism Center, a move reportedly encouraged by acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell, who President Trump recently named to the role in a controversial shakeup allegedly sparked by a briefing to lawmakers about Russian election meddling.

[Stephanie Nene Not Your Normal Granma]

Travers assumed the acting director position last August and has reportedly resisted White House pressure to cut personnel at the NCTC. Travers’s acting deputy Peter W. Hall, who is reported to be returning to the National Security Agency, has also reportedly been fired.

[Threadkiller]

Great news, CH!

[MissMarple2]

Peter Navarro on need for 'Made in USA' medical supplies https://t.co/wlB8jhpJeE @FoxNews #AAG #AAG2020

— All American Girl (@AIIAmericanGirI) March 19, 2020

Video at link.

[Old Lurker]

TK "The FDA did approve the drug as a “compassionate” treatment that an MD may prescribe if they think it will help a patient regardless of what ailments the FDA previously approved it the drug for."

And that right there pi**es me off, TK. Declare the drug safe for use on humans (which they did decades ago) and let the doctors and their patients decide what to try for what.

The LAST thing I ever want the government to do is something they do for Compassion.

If my MD wants to prescribe Tanqueray & Fever Tree Tonic to ward of COVID, that is all I need to know.

I am SO sick of big government.

[Extraneus]

Close Up Photo of Trump’s Notes Shows He Crossed Out “Corona” and Replaced it with “Chinese” Virus

Heh.

[Threadkiller]

It is possible that I am spreading ignorance, OL. Please don’t let that stop you from hating on the Feds. :-)

When then transcript is out I will verify what I heard.

[Buckeye]

I'm ready to crawl over glass to vote for DJT in a meaningless primary once Nanny DeRINO lets us.

You and Mrs. Buckeye. She is still pissed off at the little tyrant.

[Extraneus]

What I read somewhere is that the "compassionate" use designation allows doctors to prescribe it off-label, but in return they have to provide data to the FDA on its effectiveness, any side effects, etc. Seems like a good thing.

[jimmyk]

And that right there pi**es me off, TK. Declare the drug safe for use on humans (which they did decades ago) and let the doctors and their patients decide what to try for what.

OL, if you saw the discussion about off label prescriptions, that's already the case. As soon as a drug is approved for one use, doctors can prescribe it for something else. It's not out of the goodness of the FDA, though. It's a loophole that the FDA cannot regulate the *practice* of medicine. So the reality is exactly as you say. The doctors and their patients are allowed to decide.

[Melinda]

OL-

"Compassion" removes the liability part of the medico game. They're jamming tort reform in all sorts of places on these bills.

[MissMarple2]

What is the word on tonic water? Does it still have quinine in it? I happen to LIKE it (even without gin) but I want to know if it is effective, plus whether diet tonic water is ok or I have to get the original.

[cathyf]

Off-label prescribing is when a physician gives you a drug that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved to treat a condition different than your condition. This practice is legal and common. In fact, one in five prescriptions written today are for off-label use.

Yep, I'm on sulfasalazine for psoriatic arthritis, which is off-label. If you go to drugs.com and look at the professionals section for a drug, there will often be multiple discussions of off-label uses with dosing info, side-effects, interactions, etc.

One of the things which is characteristic of US healthcare regulation is the way in which regulatory regimes for different classes of treatments which are substitutes for each other has perverse effects on risk vs return choices. And similarly the legal liabilities related to different classes of treatments. So new drugs are very very hard to bring to market, and can easily get yanked from the market if they have serious side effects. But available drugs can very easily get used off label, and there is very little organized research into either safety or efficacy let alone appropriate trade-offs. With generic drugs the laws and regulations are predicated on the idea that the generics work identically to the name-brand, and identically to each other, so there is no mechanism to watch out if they aren't. And surgery is basically unregulated -- if a surgeon gets an idea and patients to go along then not only is there no testing on the front end, but there's no organized testing on the back end to establish best practices. An example is fen-fen, which got taken off the market and made a bunch of ambulance chasers rich even though it is clearly safer than bariatric surgery which continues on. And there are drugs where the different generics work differently from the brand-name and from each other, and the only "allowed" reason is a particular patient might have an allergy to an inert ingredient. There have been cases where time-release mechanisms seem to change the efficacy of drugs, and those are generally different from manufacturer to manufacturer. But if the FDA were to admit that this was possible, then generic drugs would be eliminated and we would lose this incredibly valuable asset of cheap generics. (In other words, the law has this very narrow focus on a particular kind of risk, while being utterly cavalier about other kinds of risk. You could say "we're all guinea pigs" but it's not even that good. In order for it to be an experiment somebody would have to be collecting and paying attention to the data.)

But, anyway, the presstitutes' whinging about Trump vs the FDA which ignore that he's the FDA's boss are pretty laughable. (It's not like Obama didn't explain "pen and phone" incredibly well...)

[Melinda]

Israel goes into lockdown:

Breaking911
@Breaking911
ISRAEL ON FULL LOCKDOWN: Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu has just given an order placing every Israeli into a mandatory 7 day quarantine. People may only go out for food, medical treatment or medicine. The order will be police enforced.

https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1240727116397805570

[lyle]

So is this this whateverquinine used as treating or prophylactic against getting it?

[Captain Hate]

Rule of Holes

http://acecomments.mu.nu/?post=386417

[Buckeye]

lyle

I have heard it does both.

[Old Lurker]

You all know my point.

A legitimate need gets identified (is Thalidomide a safe drug?) and so a do gooder politician seeking votes and cash proposes a limited office in the government to look after that closely defined need. Every goes home happy.

Until much later one discovers that that office now requires five office buildings and that every last aspect of life even X degrees related to the original charter now requires either their direct consent in their own sweet time, or perhaps, if the stars line up and you voted right, some clerk will grant you "Compassionate" permission to do what any human with an IQ of 100 would have done in the first place.

Femall.

We would be healthier, happier and richer if 75% of all government F,S & L ceased to exist so we could all take care of ourselves and those we care about.