from the get-shot-in-the-arm-before-getting-shot-into-space dept.
https://phys.org/news/2019-03-dormant-viruses-spaceflight.amp
Herpes viruses reactivate in more than half of crew aboard Space Shuttle and International Space Station missions, according to NASA research published in Frontiers in Microbiology. While only a small proportion develop symptoms, virus reactivation rates increase with spaceflight duration and could present a significant health risk on missions to Mars and beyond.
[...] "NASA astronauts endure weeks or even months exposed to microgravity and cosmic radiation—not to mention the extreme G forces of take-off and re-entry," says senior author Dr. Satish K. Mehta of KBR Wyle at the Johnson Space Center. "This physical challenge is compounded by more familiar stressors like social separation, confinement and an altered sleep-wake cycle."
[...] "During spaceflight there is a rise in secretion of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which are known to suppress the immune system. In keeping with this, we find that astronaut's immune cells—particularly those that normally suppress and eliminate viruses—become less effective during spaceflight and sometimes for up to 60 days after."
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 16 2019, @05:24PM (13 children)
Lots of us DO NOT have herpes. It isn't a disease that you just automatically get.
Don't get a brit milah with gay pedo cocksucking. (yes, sadly a real thing spreading herpes) Don't let grandma kiss the baby; over the decades her lips have been in many places... you don't want to know. That bit about saving yourself for marriage isn't just religion. Don't be like Snow or MDC. Reject any spouse with a history.
Given the long separation and the 2% risk of death, astronauts should not be in relationships anyway. NASA should make virginity a requirement, with background checks to exclude people who seem to have had relationships.
(Score: 1, Troll) by aiwarrior on Saturday March 16 2019, @07:11PM (4 children)
Wow you truly come from an enlightened place, where contagious diseases are something that makes an astronaut incapable.
Did the herpes cause incapability or lower performance of the people there? Does a virgin make a good astronaut? First you equate people who have herpes, but then you assert that actually a random person can give you herpes, because she was a whore.
God, did I get trolled?
As an interesting related concept in Mozambique bald man heads are considered to have gold. Perhaps you should join their rituals as they seem to be on the same civilizational level.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-40185359 [bbc.com]
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 16 2019, @10:15PM (3 children)
Being in a workplace where your fluid from herpes blisters is floating around in the air is a special kind of horribleness. You could get it in your eye and go blind. You could breath it deep into your lungs.
Astronauts go into quarantine before missions. We don't let them take the flu up to the space station. I don't see why we let them bring herpes.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 16 2019, @11:35PM
Dude, I'm not gay or nothin, but if I ever meet you I'm going to give you a big kiss just so you can wonder if I ever encountered any other human being who may have had some form of a herpes virus. Pucker up big fella.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @02:27AM (1 child)
Ewwww, Porntube has lots of chicks who get it in their eyes. Do they go blind?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @08:39AM
No, but you will if you keep visiting those naughty, naughty sites.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Saturday March 16 2019, @08:15PM (4 children)
Are you giving your kids anti-HSV-1 training?
One of them will probably get it and spread it to the rest of the family. Just acshept it.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 16 2019, @09:57PM (3 children)
Of course I train my kids. I'm the guy with 11, soon 12. This goes way beyond herpes. For example, tooth decay and gum disease are caused by communicable disease which is avoidable. There are even viruses that cause obesity (several adenoviruses) and heart disease, plus obviously cancer -- all the big killers really.
It is unacceptable to mouth things in public, such as grocery cart handles. It is unacceptable to go to daycare, preschool, babysitting, or similar. (homeschooling is superior) Older kids must not leave toothbrushes or used dishes where younger ones could get access. Incest is prohibited. Kids must be wary about dating; mine are.
Nobody in my family has ever suffered any evidence of HSV-1 or HSV-2. We get relatively few diseases for such a large group. If I could convince my wife to stop going to church, we'd have almost none. I expect that most of my kids will never get HSV-1 or HSV-2. Probably a few will fail, likely due to a dishonest spouse, but the anti-HSV-1 training includes paranoia about bad spouses.
Remember that the herpes viruses are associated with Alzheimer's disease and other troubles. They are not harmless. I'm not going to just accept it. Alzheimer's is a horrible way to die.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Saturday March 16 2019, @10:01PM (1 child)
If there's not a cure for Alzheimer's (and herpes 1+2 for that matter) within the next 30 years or so, then shit probably hit the fan (national/global conflict).
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @02:23AM
I wouldn't count on that.
It is looking like the neuron-killing plaque might be how the brain stops viruses from rapidly causing complete destruction. If you could stop the plaque, you might speed up an infection.
Treating the viruses offers a bit of hope. As we've seen with HIV, we can make some progress but a cure isn't practical.
BTW, a strange and interesting recent discovery is that virus-like particles are naturally generated in human brains, transferring RNA between cells for some purpose related to memory. If those were blocked by a defense against viruses, one would expect problems.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by RS3 on Saturday March 16 2019, @10:15PM
You make good points. My mom had done bio research in the 1950s and 1960s. Some of her chief scientists and co-workers have won Nobel prizes; I'm just saying she did some significant work, and with people who did major stuff. Anyway, she hypothesized that many conditions, syndromes, diseases, etc., are at least partly caused by viruses. We know that many viruses are the trigger for autoimmune diseases. (Ugh- our body attacking itself.)
I like to hope that humanity will work toward a cure or at least some way to fight viruses. You might know how much was learned about humans, cells, DNA, RNA, viruses, cancer, immune system, on and on- all due to HIV research. So part of me says yes, do all you can to avoid viruses, but the sad fact is: the more widespread and problematic the viruses become, the more time / effort / priority / money society will push into research.
Which brings me to another thought I had in response to the article: if viruses thrive in space, maybe that's where we need to do more research?
(Score: 2) by crafoo on Sunday March 17 2019, @01:55AM (1 child)
Just curious, what is brit milah? I don't think I've ever heard of that. But, you know, gay cocksucking isn't my thing so maybe that's why.
And yes, not everyone has herpes. HPV is really spreading around though. you have to really think twice about what you decide to put your mouth on/around.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @06:34AM
> Just curious, what is brit milah?
Just another name for a Bris.
You mostly see it in NY news as far as I can tell, but after a Bris (Jewish genital mutilation) the Mohel (the bastard with the knife) apparently often sucks the baby's penis to reduce blood flow. (yeah right)
There have been documented cases of babies dying from herpes contracted this way.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @12:47PM
Since there is like 52 strains of HPV and only a few give you warts or other external issues, then I'm not sure you know what you are talking about.
Ah... ok, so you are just another ignorant commentator assuming that HPV has anything to do with sex. Well, hopefully your mama didn't give you herps either. ;)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 16 2019, @05:43PM (3 children)
could it be that something in fermented cabbage neutralizes cortisol?
so i guess it's either blister lips or stinky food ^_^
(Score: 2) by HiThere on Saturday March 16 2019, @08:03PM
Maybe. Or, as they seem to be assuming, it could be radiation. Or it could just be zero G. That is known to have some chemical effects, as, e.g., you don't get convection.
The diet hypothesis would be relatively easy to check. Monitoring cortisol levels only a bit more difficult. The other possibilities....seem either more difficult or more dangerous.
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Saturday March 16 2019, @08:16PM (1 child)
I just had some kimchi. Why are we talking about it?
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @12:11AM
You're supposed to feed the kimchi to some cuttle fish before you eat them raw.
(Score: 5, Informative) by PinkyGigglebrain on Saturday March 16 2019, @06:34PM (7 children)
The Herpes virus group, known medically as "HSV" (Herpes Simplex Virus) contains eight variants. Almost everyone knows about HSV-2, genital Herpes, as it gets the most press. But the more common HSV infection is HSV-1, which causes cold sores. That is right, if you've ever had a cold sore you probably have Herpes. And once infected that is it, the virus remains in your body for the rest of your life.
The virus can be transmitted by casual contact, shaking hands, drinking from the same glass, the relative who would kiss you on the cheek when they came to visit, etc. So odds are you got it as a child and possibly don't even remember the initial outbreak.
Also a person can transmit the virus to another even when they themselves have no symptoms.
You can go your whole life being infected but never have any kind of outbreak or noticeable symptoms, and even if you are infected unless the virus becomes active you would not infect anyone else.
Oh, and chicken pox is also a variant.
Well over half the Earth's population has at least one of the variants.
sources :
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db304.htm [cdc.gov]
https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/28-10-2015-globally-an-estimated-two-thirds-of-the-population-under-50-are-infected-with-herpes-simplex-virus-type-1 [who.int]
https://health.mo.gov/living/healthcondiseases/communicable/chickenpox.php [mo.gov]
The HSV blood test will detect the antibodies against the virus, though it can sometimes be thrown off if you've had chicken pox or a small pox vaccination.
"Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 16 2019, @09:38PM (4 children)
Quit trying to normalize the disgusting STDs you have.
Decent people from decent families rarely get HSV-1 or HSV-2. Yeah, you could get raped or something like that, which is horrifying so we made it illegal.
Chicken pox is more trouble, and it is technically herpes, but that isn't usually what people mean and you know it.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @12:15AM
Good Sir, I will have you know that there is nothing normal about my STDs.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @12:26AM (2 children)
You seem to be missing the point, that "decency" has nothing to do with it. You can try to avoid it but it will require germophobe levels of obsessive behavior. Don't touch anything in public places. Never eat out. And obviously no space travel.
Good luck with that.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @01:29AM (1 child)
Eating out is to be avoided. If you must do so, choose a place that uses factory-wrapped disposable utensils. Order food that is served completely hot, all the way through. (so not a hot sandwich with cold lettuce and bread)
If you must eat with your hands, scrub them well and then don't touch anything other than the food. This means you don't touch a faucet handle, door, chair, cup handled by a worker, table, etc. If this is annoying, don't eat with your hands.
It's a small price to pay for avoiding horrible disease.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @03:35AM
Wow. Your girlfriend (yeah, right!) must be real desperate.
(Score: 2) by darkfeline on Sunday March 17 2019, @06:20AM (1 child)
Thankfully, as a kissless virgin in mom's basement, I don't have that problem.
Seriously though, I don't think I've ever gotten gold sores. I actually had to look up what it is. It probably helps that I don't casually feel up other people and likewise avoid being on the receiving end. I swear, some people's purpose in life is to spread infectious diseases with how much "casual" contact they engage in.
Join the SDF Public Access UNIX System today!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @12:56PM
Very few strains can result in any sores. Others just lie dormant in your body. Who knows, maybe you can get Viral Meningitis later and still be a virgin?
https://www.meningitis.org/meningitis/what-is-meningitis/causes/viral-meningitis [meningitis.org]
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 16 2019, @07:48PM (1 child)
...some horny astronauts needed a plausible cover story! :P
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 16 2019, @10:18PM
That seems a little excessively judgemental [scientificamerican.com].
"Puritanism: The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy."
-- H.L. Mencken