Recent comments in /f/askscience

jayhillcpa t1_j7jtuap wrote

Reply to comment by gengengis in (Virology) Has SARS-CoV-2 outcompeted all the other coronaviruses which have been called the ‘common cold’? by jsgui

So if I drive through one of the mobile testing sites, sequencing and editing occurs all within minutes whilst I’m waiting in my car? Wouldn’t it behoove the individuals by specifying the variant they tested positive for? How does the (what sounds like splicing) categorization occur with the home testing kits - the testing kits that clearly state it cannot and does not differentiate between SARS-COV-1 and COV-2?

As far as predictions go, the “science” apparently isn’t that advanced. It’s as if I were to propose the following, because I can count to 100, I can predict the winning power ball numbers.

By the way thank you for the response.

−4

cynric42 t1_j7jsxu1 wrote

Reply to comment by Asterose in (Virology) Has SARS-CoV-2 outcompeted all the other coronaviruses which have been called the ‘common cold’? by jsgui

Also represented in how scientists talk when asked about how something is going to play out in the future. There are often qualifiers involved or limitations like "if it behaves like similar viruses, we can expect", or "from what we've seen so far, it is likely ..." etc. Sadly those often get left out for headlines or in short excerpts from media about what someone said.

7

GaitAtaxia t1_j7jso9t wrote

Reply to comment by NotAnotherEmpire in (Virology) Has SARS-CoV-2 outcompeted all the other coronaviruses which have been called the ‘common cold’? by jsgui

It was actually always known to halve a relatively high point mutation rate, giving it a higher rate of genetic drift. It does NOT have the same mechanism as influenza for allowing genetic SHIFT.

We focussed on talking about its low rate of genetic shift and ignored the high rate of genetic drift when making claims of low mutability, but it was really only a half truth at best.

3

GreggAlan t1_j7jqhpf wrote

Reply to comment by zeiandren in (Virology) Has SARS-CoV-2 outcompeted all the other coronaviruses which have been called the ‘common cold’? by jsgui

That's why making a universal vaccine for influenza, or for all the rhinoviruses and coronaviruses hasn't been figured out. There's so many variants that play hokey-pokey-mixmaster with their components that a vaccine for one may only work on it and a few closely related mutations.

2

xoriatis71 t1_j7jpiha wrote

Reply to comment by Gisschace in (Virology) Has SARS-CoV-2 outcompeted all the other coronaviruses which have been called the ‘common cold’? by jsgui

It's not just about the severity of COVID when it comes to pets. Like a previous commenter stated, COVID can jump ship, infecting animals as well as humans. While infected, animals can help COVID mutate, and due to the fact that it can then jump back to humans, we risk contracting a completely new COVID variant at worst.

Edit: A reply right below this one said that due to a mutation in their ACE2, dogs are resistant to COVID, as that mutation doesn't allow COVID to multiply efficiently, thus reducing transmissibility between humans and other dogs. As a result, my reply doesn't really apply to dogs.

1

notchoosingone t1_j7jn8du wrote

Reply to comment by NotAnotherEmpire in (Virology) Has SARS-CoV-2 outcompeted all the other coronaviruses which have been called the ‘common cold’? by jsgui

I was picking up a prescription in August 2020, the middle of some very strict lockdowns in Australia, and I asked the lady at the pharmacy about the cold and flu season. She said it basically hadn't happened that year; she had drug company reps calling her like "do you need supplies? ...please?".

5

SolasHealth t1_j7jmlej wrote

Reply to comment by Majoishere in When does the body store fat? by fappie6

>Aren't glycerides from sugars?

Triglycerides are fats derived from food that circulate in the blood. The majority of the fat we consume is in the form of triglycerides. Extra calories, alcohol, and sugar in the body are converted into triglycerides, which are then stored in fat cells all over the body. As a result, when you consume a high-sugar diet, your liver produces more bad cholesterol, known as LDL, while decreasing your good cholesterol, HDL. Because there is excess energy in the form of sugar, the liver is forced to convert that sugar into fat, which it does by producing more triglycerides.

2