hamster abuse

Hydroxychloroquine does NOT counter SARS-CoV-2 in Hamsters, High Dose of Favipiravir DOES

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GREAT NEWS for hamsters!

A high dose of favipiravir, however, had a potent effect. A few days after the infection, the virologists detected hardly any infectious virus particles in the hamsters that received this dose and that had been infected intranasally. Moreover, hamsters that were in a cage with an infected hamster and had been given the drug did not develop an obvious infection. Those that had not received the drug all became infected after having shared a cage with an infected hamster.

KU Leuven. “Hydroxychloroquine does not counter SARS-CoV-2 in hamsters, high dose of favipiravir does: study.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 9 October 2020. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201009162432.htm.

Hopefully good news for humans.

Favipiravir: A new and emerging antiviral option in COVID-19

Favipiravir was first used against SARS-CoV-2 in Wuhan at the very epicenter of the pandemic. Then, as the pandemic spread to Europe, this drug received approval for emergency use in Italy, and currently has been in use in Japan, Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Moldova, and Kazakhstan. Approval has also recently been granted in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Thereafter, Turkey, Bangladesh, and most recently Egypt have also seen recent commercial launches. In June 2020, favipiravir received the DCGI approval in India for mild and moderate COVID-19 infections. As of the 23rd of July, 2020; there are 32 studies registered on clinicaltrials.gov to assess the utility of this drug in the management of COVID-19 (3 completed, 12 recruiting).1

Favipiravir: A new and emerging antiviral option in COVID-19 — http://Med J Armed Forces India. 2020 Sep 2 doi: 10.1016/j.mjafi.2020.08.004 [Epub ahead of print]

Russia’s coronavirus vaccine elicits immune responses in Phase-1/2 trials — Science Chronicle

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Russia’s Sputnik V vaccines for novel coronavirus have been found to be safe for a period of 42 days and capable of inducing antibody responses in all the 42 participants within 21 days. But the Phase-1/2 trials were open, not randomised, did not have a control group, and included totally 76 participants.

According to the authors, the unpublished data of animal studies show “robust humoral and cellular immune responses were elicited in non-human primates, providing protection from SARS-CoV-2 infection”. They also write that the vaccine showed “100% protectivity in a lethal model of SARS-CoV-2 challenge in immunosuppressed hamsters”. No antibody-dependent enhancement of infection was seen in vaccinated animals.

Russia’s coronavirus vaccine is safe, elicits immune responses in Phase-1/2 trials — Science Chronicle

Safe? 76 humans and an undisclosed number of hamsters.

Why am I not impressed?

Coronavirus: Hamster Research shows Effectiveness of Masks

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Coronavirus: hamster research shows effectiveness of masks ‘huge’

Hamsters placed in adjoining cages with infected subjects were infected at a 66.7 per cent rate; the introduction of a barrier saw the percentage drop to 16.7%.

The study, which the team called the first of its kind, found the rate of non-contact transmission – in which the virus was transmitted via respiratory droplets or airborne particles – dropped by as much as 75 per cent when masks were present.

“I know wearing masks will be difficult during the summer time. My advice is especially when you are in an indoor or closed environment where there’s no free air exchange, in crowded places or on public transport, you must wear a mask.”

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