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A comment on Italian hospital saves Covid-19 patients by 3D printing valves. Parent comment

Re:Italian hospital saves Covid-19 patients by 3D printing v... by Balgair on Monday March 16, 2020 @11:24AM (#22593474)
Not all prions need to break skin to be an issue. Kuru, one of the more infamous prions, was transmitted orally [0]. Mad Cow is also thought to be transmitted orally, but research is on going. Though a low possibility, the absolute last thing you need is an even more complicated issue running about during a world-wide triage/crisis. To save live you are trying to eliminate variables, not add to them.

[0] Kuru is not something you want to research whilst eating, fyi. Hell, none of them are.

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Re:Italian hospital saves Covid-19 patients by 3D printing v... by s0rce on Monday March 16, 2020 @12:36PM (#22594180)
transmitted orally from eating neural tissues not from prions in saliva that could contaminate medical equipment such as ventilators (that's my understanding at least)
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Re:Italian hospital saves Covid-19 patients by 3D printing v... by Balgair on Monday March 16, 2020 @04:47PM (#22597533)
Mad Cow is still active in it's research. We cannot yet rule out that salivary contact is a transmitter of prions, though I agree that it is very unlikely.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3...

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