Smells like science
Hey hey. I found a weak-ass paper to support my weak-ass rumor-mongering. This is the article going around Twitter.
There’s a receptor in the lung called Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, or ACE2. Do I understand this? I do not. But apparently, the new Coronavirus ‘hooks in’ to these receptors. So did SARS. The more of them you have, the more susceptible you are. There was a study that counted ACE2 receptors in donated lungs (I was going to say healthy, but if you’re donating a lung, you’re probably dead).
The study found men had more ACE2 receptors than women by something like 3 to 1, and the Asian lung had, like, five times as many as the white or African lungs. Which would explain the weird way this disease is moving through the world.
It appears to be a proper academic study, but the kicker is the sample size was shit. Eight donors, of which one was Asian.
A sample size of one. This is not good.
I have to assume there have been other such studies, though. If they know there’s a connection between SARS and ACE2, I’m betting there’s a body of literature out there. It would be great if this means the epidemic can be halted, but I can’t call it good news if it means ripping a path of destruction through the East.
Oh, speaking of death. Kirk Douglas snuffs it at last and Neon Madman takes the dick. Congratulations!
You know what that means. Here. Tomorrow. Six-on-the-dot Weasel Blog Time. Dead Pool 129. (Was the Inktober Dead Pool really the most recent one?).
Posted: February 6th, 2020 under medicine.
Comments: 6
Comments
Comment from Mitchell
Time: February 6, 2020, 9:44 pm
A sample size of ONE?? Was his name was Wei To Lo? Or perhaps Sum Ting Wong?
Well, in any case I don’t think this is going to be Black Death II: the Kung Flu Buggaloo.
Comment from Durnedyankee
Time: February 6, 2020, 10:44 pm
I’m getting a jump on the dead pool!
I predict the impeachment effort is temporarily dead, but will be resurrected by September 2020.
Did they get their sampling methodology from ‘doctor’ Michael E Mann?
Comment from gebrauchshund
Time: February 7, 2020, 1:04 am
Here’s a Medcram coronavirus update discussing a couple studies looking at ACE2 frequency. Interesting and well presented.
Comment from BJM
Time: February 7, 2020, 4:42 pm
Welp, my theory is that Westerners hooked up with Neanderthals and Asians didn’t. Might that explain the difference in percentage of RhD-positive between the populations too? I dunno, but something gave us hybrid vigor…in spite of tribal inbreeding.
Comment from LesterIII
Time: February 7, 2020, 5:57 pm
BJM, I will sheepishly admit that I may have hooked up with a Neanderthal in my youth, but there were no offspring that I am aware of.
Comment from MikeW
Time: February 9, 2020, 2:52 am
Africa better hope to all that is holy that nCoV is an “Asian” disease. I just found out why there have been *no* reported cases in Africa… they’ve never had a test kit until now!!11!!
https://twitter.com/nCoVPerspectiv1/status/1225682760125169664
Report is dated Feb07. It also notes that there are a lot of Chinese workers there. Belt & Road projects, I’d suppose.
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