34
votes
Father gets chickenpox, but doesn't infect his two children. How is this possible?
If there was close contact, if the 90% rate is accurate, and if occurrence is independent in related individuals, then you would expect 0.10 * 0.10 = 1% of contacts with 2 potentially vulnerable ...
- 13.3k
34
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Accepted
Would the human seasonal coronaviruses be just as deadly as COVID-19 in a population with no prior immunity?
The seasonal coronaviruses attach exclusively to cells with a ciliated epithelium.
Coronaviruses invade the respiratory tract via the nose. After an incubation period of about 3 days, they cause the ...
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14
votes
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Father gets chickenpox, but doesn't infect his two children. How is this possible?
To add to @BryanKrause's answer re: rare events happen all the time, the children are not out of the woods yet. The mean incubation time for a primary VZV infection (the clinical syndrome known as ...
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14
votes
Accepted
If a SARS-CoV-2 asymptomatic infected individual is exposed to a high viral load, could they develop COVID-19 disease?
What your government is proposing is a lot less than what was actually done in China. There, and perhaps that is still the case, large numbers of asymptomatic infected people were housed together in ...
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12
votes
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What is the main way COVID-19 spreads?
The confusion exists because there are conflicting pronouncements from various authoritative sources but also conflicting pronouncements from the same authority.
Covid-19 is a respiratory infection ...
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9
votes
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Medical relevance of tetanus vaccination
Clostridium tetani is the causative organism in tetanus. It requires an anaerobic environment to grow so is found in soil and in the gut of animals. Person to person transmission is not possible. ...
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8
votes
In a viral infection, which symptoms are caused by the virus itself, and which symptoms are caused by the body fighting the virus?
To provide a brief answer, as I think a sufficient answer would be far beyond the scope of this site, the symptoms that are "generic" to the common colds are all caused by the body's response to a ...
- 1,846
8
votes
How does a MRSA test work?
MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is suspected in the face of any acute staph infection that does not respond to normal antibiotics. Even staph that is more resistant to other ...
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8
votes
Father gets chickenpox, but doesn't infect his two children. How is this possible?
Apart from not getting infected due to pure chance (as mentioned already) there is one highly probable explanation (explanation, not overall chance).
People get, but don't show it:
asymptomatic ...
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7
votes
Why are antibiotics and ear tubes the primary treatment for chronic ear infections rather than improving normal drainage through the Eustachian tube?
I think you are having difficulty finding the answer because you are perhaps not asking the right question(s).
...why are more efforts not made to improve their function?
How would you support the ...
- 9,384
7
votes
Accepted
How does a breeze cause irritated nose and throat?
It does so by drying out your mucous membranes. Air moving over your face as you sleep is going to have more of a drying effect on your nose, sinuses, and throat than still air. This is especially ...
- 9,694
7
votes
Accepted
Is Myocarditis infectious?
Myocarditis itself is not a virus nor is it contagious - the term refers an inflammation of the myocardium (a.k.a. the heart muscle). A viral infection is probably the most common cause of myocarditis ...
- 1,272
7
votes
Are there diseases for which infection does not grant lasting immunity but a vaccine does?
Rabies is almost 100% fatal so there is no chance to develop immunity. So, post-exposure vaccination is used if the person has not been vaccinated prior to exposure.
Rabies is a vaccine-...
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7
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Are there diseases for which infection does not grant lasting immunity but a vaccine does?
Varicella zoster - you can get infected and then develop shingles recurrences which are preventable using vaccination eg Shingrix
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/shingles/public/shingrix/index.html
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7
votes
How Long Must a Window Remain Open to Decrease the Risk of COVID?
The premise of the question, that viral particles leaving through an open window is the dominant way risk decreases, is flawed.
As bob1 notes in the comments, decrease due to loss through the window ...
- 2,991
6
votes
Does a fungal infection transmit in swimming pools?
There are many factors that influence the transmission of infectious agents, and in the case of public swimming pools:
the number of bathers
the condition of the pool
care taken to disinfect the ...
- 321
6
votes
Why don't gum abscesses heal on their own?
Good evening,
The reason the abscesses in your mouth won't heal on their own is due to:
The fact that the mouth is one of the areas of the body with the most bacteria
Therefore, the immune system ...
- 1,215
6
votes
Accepted
Can dog bites cause Echinococcosis?
Dog bites are the most common type of animal bites. Only 5% of dog bites lead to local infection.
No, echinococcus can't be transmitted through dog bites. Pathogens which can be transmitted by the ...
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6
votes
What methods are there to diagnose helminths?
Yes, there are other methods, but they are dependant on the type of helminth. Common tests for helminths are the following:
serological tests
molecular tests
microscopic tests
To have the most ...
- 6,742
6
votes
Accepted
Will 70% isopropyl alcohol deactivate i.e. kill COVID-19?
Yes, it does.
According to the CDC, this is how surfaces should be disinfected:
Surfaces
Wear disposable gloves when cleaning and disinfecting surfaces. Gloves should be discarded after ...
- 9,694
6
votes
If I get COVID-19, can I get cured by myself?
If you’re young and healthy with only mild symptoms, your doctor will likely advise you to isolate yourself at home and to limit contact with others in your household. You’ll likely be advised to rest,...
- 13.3k
6
votes
Accepted
Are there known outdoor super spreader events for COVID-19? Are there *any* known outdoor infections at all?
There are known instances of outdoor transmission, and even some fairly large spread, but every study I've been able to find that attempted to differentiate between indoor and outdoor transmission ...
- 611
5
votes
Accepted
Difference between common cold and flu?
Symptoms, in short:
Common cold: blocked nose, yellow/green mucus, scratchy throat lasting for 7-14 days (usually no headache, fever or fatigue), year round
Hay fever (allergy to pollens): runny ...
- 15.8k
5
votes
Difference between common cold and flu?
In general a cold (usually rhinovirus), Influenza, or even a bacterial infection can have quite similar symptoms. If contracted through airborne particles, they primarily affect the respiratory system....
- 198
5
votes
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Effect of the common cold on the immune system
I've written on this subject a few times, but the most relevant question ended up being closed, and the other is on Bio.SE, so I will mostly focus on tailoring the information there to the specifics ...
- 1,846
5
votes
Why stomach ulcer need more than one antibiotic at the same time?
The aim of taking two antibiotics at the same is to prevent an overgrowth of the H. pylori strains that could be resistant to a single antibiotic. The antibiotic choice depends on the individual ...
- 15.8k
5
votes
Accepted
Drinking alcohol after tick-borne encephalitis vaccine
No, you can't get encephalitis from the vaccine. According to a company that provides one brand of the vaccine:
https://centrumcestovnimediciny.cz/en/prices-of-vaccines/encepur-for-adults/
On the ...
- 9,694
5
votes
Can HIV patients get further infected by their own blood?
No.
One is either infected or one isn't. There is no middle ground. Infection is defined as
invasion and multiplication of microorganisms in body tissues, as in an infectious disease.
Also, ...
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5
votes
Are motorcycle helmets effective in preventing Corona?
It's better to use some guidelines from reputable sources rather than coming up with your own.
The WHO does not recommend masks for healthy people in most circumstances, only when directly dealing ...
- 13.3k
5
votes
Would the human seasonal coronaviruses be just as deadly as COVID-19 in a population with no prior immunity?
I should add here that there has been a case of ARDS reported for the alphacoronavirus 229E (i.e. a "common cold" coronavirus) in 2018. But ARDS occurrences are of course, much less common in these "...
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