And,
@jmyrlefuller --as I have so frequently been reminded by a couple of folks here--this isn't the flu. Which is right, of course, there are some 144 possible combinations of Hemagglutinin and Neuraminidase (The 'H' and 'N') in the Flu, some of which don't affect us, some of which are deadly. (Then there are subclades from there). The annual shots are based on an H and an N, and spin the wheel to see if either is in this year's strain...(usually from China).
We don't know if there will be a second wave of SARS-CoV-2, but the early onset treatments, H/A/Z (Hydroxychloroquine/Azithromycin/Zinc Sulfate) or Remdesivir seem to be the best bet at keeping the SARS-CoV-2 at bay.
Most tests of Hydroxychloroquine and even hydroxychloroquine and Azithromycin that have been heavily reported in the MSM (notably the VA study), left out the Zinc, which is essential to stopping viral replication, and the zinc ionophore effect of the hydroxychloroquine is the reason to use the hydroxychloroquine in the first place: to get the zinc into the Type 1 pneumocytes, the lung cells the virus targets, the ones which do the oxygen/CO2 exchange with the blood. Kill enough of those and a few nasty things happen, kill too many and the patient likely won't make it.
As a contraindication, Hydroxychloroquine lengthens the Q-T interval on an ecg, the time between contraction and full relaxation for the next contraction in the ventricles. Too long, and there is a high probability of ventricular fibrillation, and if not treated promptly, that can lead to full cardiac arrest and death. Folks with some types of heart problems might not want to use it because of that risk.
These regimens are not as effective in advanced presentations because the virus has already replicated to the point where the patient is more critical, suffering severe pulmonary problems, and HAPE protocols (For High Altitude Pulmonary Edema) in concert with one of the above (to stop the virus from doing even more damage) may be more effective in advanced cases.
There may be other zinc ionophores and sources, like Quercentin and Zinc Gluconate, commonly available supplements that may provide some resistance to the virus as well, although no testing of off the shelf supplements has been made. The trend seems to be toward more complex and expensive solutions. Not being a doctor nor a biochemist, I can't and won't make any medical claims for those, but I take them.
Strategies include: Stopping the virus from reproducing (thus limiting (lung) cell damage and cell death), and dealing with any lung damage it has been able to effect. If it is stopped early, the latter is not such a problem.
If=>
We have an effective early treatment regimen (or better yet, more than one)
We know what symptoms to watch for
We have the means to get fairly rapid test results
Then the disease can be dealt with in otherwise healthy people on a case by case basis as it happens.
If necessary, out breaks can be contained, much as any other outbreak of infectious diseases.
and the rest of the country can go back to work and life, wearing whatever PPE they find appropriate.
Once again, I'm not a doctor, nor a pharmacologist, nor do I claim any knowledge other than what I have acquired through research on the web of peer reviewed articles and other sources. I would caution anyone to do their due diligence if they think they are at risk of catching this bug, and even if they aren't. (you never know)
This thing could bounce around through hotspots globally, and even within the country, for a while.
We learned to live with the threat of absolute nuclear annihilation, I think we can live around the bug, too.
