01-30-2020, 10:54 AM
I'm reading statistics about this plague. One of the biggest problems in getting straight info is the long lead time between exposure and symptoms -- roughly 3-4 weeks. There is also a big disparity between symptoms and positive identification of the cause.
That said, a few things stand out. (1) It appears to hit Chinese folks harder due to genetic factors having to do with ACE2 receptors in the lungs, which is the attack route the virus uses. Euro descendants seldom have many of those receptors. It is predicted to hit American Natives hard for historical reasons of correlation with Asian genetic predisposition. (2) Some reports have said it's hitting Wuhan hardest out the rest of China, and not just because that's where it began, but for similar genetic clustering factors. (3) Most of the folks dying so far are elderly men with significant health compromises before exposure. A major statistical factor is deficiency in Vitamin D (and sun exposure), as well as selenium, both of which are well established as problems in the Wuhan area.
Virtually none of this is widely published, but despite being mere correlations (not causes), it is more solid than what is being reported.
That said, a few things stand out. (1) It appears to hit Chinese folks harder due to genetic factors having to do with ACE2 receptors in the lungs, which is the attack route the virus uses. Euro descendants seldom have many of those receptors. It is predicted to hit American Natives hard for historical reasons of correlation with Asian genetic predisposition. (2) Some reports have said it's hitting Wuhan hardest out the rest of China, and not just because that's where it began, but for similar genetic clustering factors. (3) Most of the folks dying so far are elderly men with significant health compromises before exposure. A major statistical factor is deficiency in Vitamin D (and sun exposure), as well as selenium, both of which are well established as problems in the Wuhan area.
Virtually none of this is widely published, but despite being mere correlations (not causes), it is more solid than what is being reported.