Capitol Hill Blue Forums Science and Technology Health, Medicine & the healing Sciences Coronavirus: The Plague of The 21st Century?

I just heard, on the radio, about the development of the coronavirus vaccine. Somebody asked one of the developers if it will be affordable. They said it was out of their hands and dependent on what it costs to develop and manufacture. Then the question became "are you developing this or are our universities" and, apparently, the interview kinda went away. What that was all about was that our tax dollars support and create a lot of our drugs and vaccines. Then the drug companies get to claim it as theirs, for a minimal amount, price it and sell it and get richer so they can afford their lobbyists to keep it going.

Here is a link that kinda explains how our taxes pay for it and don't get a lot back for the money spent.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomasp...ate-on-medical-innovations/#50e0b07b687a

Just another example of why we should not trust our own government!

You're acting as if this is playing in the government's favor?
I vigorously suggest that you might be 180 degrees out of phase with that assertion, and I am arguing that the lobby groups and special interests are forcing the government's hand in the process and getting one over on Uncle Sam repeatedly instead.

They've been getting away with it for so long that they now not only feel entitled, they have an army of Grover Norquists drowning the government in the bathtub specifically so that nothing will be done in the way of pushback. If these agencies want their funding messed with, just piss off the wrong congress critter who is beholden to Big Pharma.

For something like this quick vaccine development, a university lab may figure out how to make it but they have no idea how to produce it en masse, deliver it, etc. We are talking about several BILLION doses! Big pharma are the only people who have the equipment and expertise.

But if you want fairer prices, they could award the manufacturing rights to several companies. If you can prevent price fixing, that could keep the price down.

Part of the Corona bill was $800M allocated for research and development of vaccine. I would think, based on reports on costing vaccine development, that is a huge part of the costs of finding a viable vaccine ... so I would also think pricing should be reduced to manufacturing, distribution, plus a small margin.

Here is an update on the California plan to have its own drug label. I also wonder. What would happen if states, like California, decided to add drugs discovered in their own universities to their own, non profit, label?

https://opmed.doximity.com/articles/a-public-option-for-generic-drugs?_csrf_attempted=yes

Brilliant idea from CNBC analyst:

Infect Everybody With Corona Virus



Just 11 million people dead, but he's thinking of the beneficial effect on the stock markets. This is what happens when you let libertarians have air time on TV.

If we just made fertilizer out of all the old, non-productive people...

My wife has an interesting theory: Why do less developed countries like China, Korea, and Italy have virus test kits galore, and we don't? She's convinced that is purposeful. The Trump administration wants test kits slow walked to give the appearance we don't have many cases here in the US. This actually fits with Trump's many tweets about the virus being just like flu, how people should just go to work with corona virus, etc.

I think we may find out some in the administration think this is a serendipitous way to kill off a lot of the elderly. See my previous post. That was from the guy who sparked formulation of the Tea Party. Maybe he's just getting administration talking points out there.

"Soylent Green is people!"

The COVID-19 pandemic is a slow rolling "Chernobyl", in that it has the ability to lay waste to the global economy from a distance, and from close by.

And the Trump administration's response seems eerily reminiscent of the Soviet response to the Chernobyl accident.

We don't have test kits because OUR president, the jackass, " in 2018, the Trump administration fired the government’s entire pandemic response chain of command, including the White House management infrastructure. ". After that he reduced the funding of our healthcare agencies like HSS and CSS. Then he decided that we should not use the tests that the rest of the world has tested and been using. Then he refused any thought that other countries might send us test kits even though they offered. Then he lied about it all and gaslighted the whole thing (he is REALLY expert in that which is, basically, so confusing an issue that nobody has a clue as to the truth).

One would think, if the Dems really want to beat Trump they might run a couple of ads about the above paragraph. Obviously I am wrong as nobody has said much other than suggest so as not to offend the Republicans. Hopefully Bloomberg will come through with some ads since the Dems themselves just can't seem to bring themselves to upset the other side?

The above has now been going on for over 3 weeks. We still don't have the tests we need so any suggestions as to how many people have contracted corona virus, how many people have died of the carona virus (covid 19), etc. is simply bullshit and speculation - no matter where that info is coming from.

The last I heard, this morning, was that, depending who is saying what, gov was delivering millions of tests, millions of test will soon be delivered, we have had tests for a long time, etc, etc., etc. The basic fact is, however, WE DO NOT HAVE ANY TESTS FOR COVID-19. That is the simple truth. Oh, we did have some tests but they turned out to be completely useless although, I am sure, tax dollars were wasted on it.

On the good side there are now several places that are trying to develop a vaccine and have put up notices for those who would sign up to test their efforts. My daughter's health care provider is offering 1,100.00 for anybody willing to test, for instance (forget the name). Some are saying that they are using the latest technology and may get it done in 6 months or less. Since this is coming from the companies involved, and not the government or lying president I tend to believe them.

Anyway, as far as I can tell, that is about it.

Its also of interest that there are things getting shut down all over the nation. Texas shut down their music thing that they made over 350 million on every year. Seattle has shut down the ComicCom, etc. This, I suspect, when all over will certainly effect the economy. The next unemployment report is going to be a doozy!