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1500 questions
8
votes
1 answer
How is Lopinavir + Ritonavir expected to stop COVID-19?
There are four drugs being tested for effectiveness against COVID-19 in the SOLIDARITY trial. Three of them have obvious potential mechanisms of action:
Remdesivir is an RNA polymerase inhibitor. It might stop the virus from multiplying once it…
Mark
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8
votes
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Outcomes and risks of LASIK surgery
If an individual with poor eyesight undergoes LASIK surgery, will it return the sight exactly to normal? What are the risks of the procedure? Are there any side effects or complications to be concerned about?
Akshay Vasu
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8
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Why is a (simple) mask not recommended for asymptomatic COVID-19 patients?
Information about (simple) mask wearing (concerning covid19) is a complete mystery to me. On several official places it is not recommended for a person without symptoms to wear a mask. For example:
https://youtu.be/Ded_AxFfJoQ
(time 0:20)
or…
F. Jatpil
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8
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3 answers
ultimately, 60-70 percent of the population will have been infected - where does that number come from
As the German chancellor said today, by the end of the year 60-70% of the population will have been through a COVID-19 infection. Where does that number come from?
The basic mechanism is clear, and the magnitude is plausible: Let n be the average…
Gruber Hans
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8
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1 answer
Does viral load of the initial COVID-19 infection affect its severity?
If someone gets infected by a droplet containing a high load of the SARS-CoV-2 virus would he be more likely to develop more severe symptoms compared to someone who gets infected by a droplet containing a very low viral load?
Intuitively, it seems…
I M
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8
votes
1 answer
How hazardous is a cellular base station-antenna to our health?
A telephone company is installing a cell tower (cellular base station-antenna) 40 meters from my house (right in front of my house). The first thing I am concerning about is its effect to our health. My neighbors are worried as well. So I'd like to…
DotNet Developer
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8
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2 answers
Preemptive treatment for alcohol
It's commonly accepted that most treatments for enteral poisons aren't very useful for alcohol, because it is absorbed so rapidly. For example, by the time a hospital could administer activated charcoal, most likely nearly all of the alcohol would…
TheEnvironmentalist
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8
votes
1 answer
Why aren't other vaccines combined (like the MMR)?
From Public Health England:
With single vaccines, children would need 6 separate injections:
3 primary doses - 1 measles, 1 mumps, 1 rubella
3 pre-school boosters
Each injection can be uncomfortable and the act of immunisation is sometimes…
Barry Harrison
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8
votes
4 answers
Right wrist pain from using computer mouse
I'm Shimmy, almost 30ish, Male, 6', 158 lbs.
I'm a heavy computer user and sit in front of my homedesk for long intervals (5-18h daily).
I use the computer mostly for working with text (software development), selecting text, accessing menus,…
Shimmy Weitzhandler
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8
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3 answers
What's the difference between etiology, pathogenesis, pathology, pathophysiology and epidemiology?
Most of my searches either end up explaining any of the above words in terms of the other four, or explaining the concept in simple words in such a way that makes it difficult to see the difference between them.
EDIT 1
A simple google search took me…
Yuganka Sharan
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8
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1 answer
What are plasma donations used for?
While a lot of blood donor websites online tell you what plasma is composed of, they don't seem to go into what it's used for.
What are some potential applications of plasma donations, and is there anything you do with them that you can't/wouldn't…
jimsug
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8
votes
2 answers
Which conditions are associated with (multiple) food allergies?
Most people with food allergies are allergic to one or few foods, but allergies to more than three foods are relatively rare (PubMed, 2010). In some people who are allergic to several foods, an underlying condition is discovered, for…
Jan
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8
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Ultrasound sniff test: why does lowering intrathoracic pressure collapse the subclavian vein?
Because the subclavian is guarded by the clavicle, you can't compress it with the transducer, and to see the vessel walls come together it is common practice to tell the patient to "sniff" or inhale quickly. This rapid inhalation obviously reduces…
user15038
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8
votes
1 answer
What is the significance of 1 second in calculations of PFTs
During PFTs (Pulmonary Function Testing), we take FEV1 (Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 second) and the divide it by FVC (Forced Vital Capacity).
What is so special about FEV in one second, as opposed to a different quantity of time? Why don’t we…
TapasX
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8
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1 answer
Do medical laboratories determine accuracies for their blood tests?
Do medical laboratories determine accuracies for their blood tests that have numerical results (as opposed to specificities and sensitivities for tests with binary results)? If so, where can I find these accuracies? If not, why not?
zylstra
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