Knowledge about the virus is still limited. It could suddenly disappear or force us to live together for years.

We probably cannot get rid of this virus without a vaccine (cf smallpox), as not everyone in the world will get it, there may always be some carriers, there are storage of samples all over the world, etc.

Your boat story, I suspect is explained like this. One of the sailors had the virus, probably residing in his bowels. He shed the virus into the bathroom, and others contacted it that way. He may have been an asymptomatic carrier, and had no nasal virus to show up as a positive test. I don't know the case, but I doubt that they tested everyone's stools for virus.

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Gary Joseph Ordog

Great !

Very nicely explained with a great scientific view !!

Yes. Asymptomatic carriers are the big problem, that is why pandemic is still going on.

Could sewage surveillance system be implemented to check the SARS CoV-2. Presence of SARS CoV-2 in sewage.

https://lnkd.in/fahdeDz

A significant proportion of cases shed SARS CoV-2 in faeces. The sewage samples, from 7 cities in Netherland, were tested using RT-PCR against the three fragments of nucleocapsid protein gene(N1-3) and one fragment from envelop protein(E). No virus was detected in the samples of 6 February, the three weeks before the first case was reported in Netherland on 27 February. However, on March 5, the N1 fragment was detected in 5 sites, and on March 15-16 N1 fragment from 6 sites and N1 fragment & E fragments were detected at 5 and 4 sites respectively.

Detection of virus in sewage at the time of low incidences indicates that the sewage surveillance could be a sensitive tool to monitor the circulation of virus in population. This research has yet to be evaluated further. #

It is difficult to do so. Spontaneous regression like other pandemic or effective vaccines is the only solution.

Are we absolutely sure that the tests have been done according to the prescribed protocols? What is the test failure rate? The reliability of the tests is certainly not 100%. It is therefore possible that the test carried out on any of the crew members has trivially failed. In fact, whenever possible the test should be repeated after a few days, and in any case a blood test must be done to diagnose with certainty the presence of the virus or its absence. In other words, if the swab test shows positivity to the virus, it is certain that you have been infected with COVID 19 with or without symptoms; vice versa, if the swab test shows negativity to the virus, there is no certainty that we are not carriers of COVID 19. The viruses found in the stool or in the wastewater do not seem capable of infecting anyone, as Anju Kaushal has already explained.

Leonardo Cannizzaro

Thanks !!

I agreed with you that tests could be faulty!

It is not known yet that virus is transmitted through wastewater or stool. One can only suspect. Link is below:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-wastewater-could-help-track-spread-new-coronavirus-180974858/

Dear Leonardo, I think perfection is a very strong perspective for a very vulnerable situation in which we are all involved. We cannot claim perfection when we are destroying the natural environment and forging limits of a thiny equillibrium. I do not believe vaccines will be a solution, as we already have many mutations of the virus, so it would be necessary as much vaccines types as much as mutations the virus unfolds. I think we can prevent viruses outbreaks improving our innate immunity rather than to force such immunity with vaccines. In my country, a child needs to take (according to the Public Health System) 25 different types of vaccines before to finish his/her first year of life, I do not think this is a healthy agenda. Furthermore, some physicians are warning us about vaccines, as https://youtu.be/5xz0iOCM7RI.

I think effective vaccines in general are certainly a healthy agenda to maintain the herd immunity around, however there are exceptions that we can leave those children with complications.

As long as SARS CoV-2 is concerned, it mutates faster causing problems.Or may be interfering with tests/ vaccine ( I am not sure of that). There are so many means by which we can build innate immunity !! However, at the time of exposure we can't make sure that which patient is going die with complications.

So the vaccines will provide the answer, however it requires sometime to look at the situation and how virus is evolving or is it really at the significant level where it interferes with vaccines?

No, it's quite impossible in current context and based on available data we cannot trust herd immunity protection against COVID-19 too. Even problems in vaccine development too when immunity is not sufficient and not long lasting to. Continuous mutation is another major problem.

I realize this discussion has been dormant, but my 2 pence:

Ideas on perfectibility are inconsistent with safety management theories. Among these, a key model (Reason's Swiss Cheese model) highlights that every type of protective measure has its limits.