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Billy Bostickson 🏴👁&👁 🆓 Profile picture
@BillyBostickson
Nov 27, 2021 • 135 tweets • 78 min read • Read on X
1. Omicron Thread - A Compilation of Opinions

"finally, the time has slip and slid its slimy course through to us - and we're the vicious bastards of the new generation. we do not relent, and we should not be held to account for our ancestral faults"

Image
2. The Letter Chosen by the WHO

"It's amazing that the Xi variant seems to have somehow managed to evade detection..."

via @readomain

Why 'Omicron', Not 'Nu' or 'Xi'?

WHO Says Two Letters in Greek Alphabet Jumped to 'Avoid Stigma'

news18.com/news/world/why… Image
3. The Omicron variant has been found in nearly every province of South Africa, as well as Botswana, Belgium, Israel, UK and Hong Kong.

This month, Israel held an exercise, The “Omega Exercise”, meant to prepare for a hypothetical, new COVID-19 variant

jpost.com/health-and-wel…
4. Omicron Infographic

(appeared in Germany and Italy now)

breakingnews.ie/world/pharmace… Image
5. Overview of Omicron (B.1.1.529) from @nicd_sa

Image
6. Timeline of Omicron from @nicd_sa

Note:

@Clucky92864053 points out that this variant of the virus itself was first identified back in July 2021

threadreaderapp.com/thread/1464592… Image
7. Minimal FAQ from @nicd_sa (26 November 2021)

nicd.ac.za/frequently-ask…
9. Opinion of Trevor Bedford @trvrb

He considers that the extremely long branch (>1 year) indicates continual evolution in a chronically infected individual before spilling back into the population.



Archived thread:

threadreaderapp.com/thread/1464353…
10. Opinion of @trvrb (2)

He highlights the striking accumulation of mutations in the S1 domain of the spike protein.

He concludes that the presence of host derived RNA insertion from TMEM245 gene points to evolution within humans rather than spillback from animal population Image
11. Spreading quickly



with a doubling time of 4.8 Days

ImageImage
12. Opinion of @ydeigin

"Looks like the new strain was either incubated in an immunocompromized person for months or serially passaged in a lab in the presence of convalescent plasma"

13. Some facts from Dr Emma Hodcroft @firefoxx66

"making it hard with current sequences to tell much about the evolutionary history"



and

ImageImageImageImage
14. Phylogenetic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 clusters in their international context - cluster 21K

Maintained by Emma Hodcroft @firefoxx66

nextstrain.org/groups/neherla… Image
15. Krammer @florian_krammer asks a question

"Do you think it is plausible that this variant was mostly generated within one host with a persistent infection?" Image
16. Rewind to the South African HIV patient

17. Earlier Concerns

Persistent SARS-CoV-2 infection and intra-host evolution in association with advanced HIV infection


and


As COVID-19 collides with HIV/AIDS, the pandemic may be taking an ominous turn

https://t.co/RMZ2y9i23I
18. Rumours abound - Molnupiravir (1)

@veryvirology and @marc_g_wathelet point to a possible connection to recent trials with Merck and Ridgeback’s Investigational Oral Antiviral "Molnupiravir" in South Africa



and

19. But according to Daily Maverick (SA) (18/11/21)

"New antiviral pills to treat Covid unlikely to be made available in South Africa for some time"

dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-1…

and the trials took place at 170 sites in many countries not just South Africa.

merck.com/news/merck-and… ImageImageImage
20. Also rumours of Lab Leaks ;)

University of Pretoria BSL3

up.ac.za/centre-for-vir… ImageImage
21. BSL3 and BSL4

nicd.ac.za/wp-content/upl… ImageImage
22. The Mutations

Page 18:

SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and variants under investigation in England

Technical briefing 29 - 26 November 2021

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/upl… ImageImage
23. Significance of the Mutations

For some, these mutations support lab leak theory (Wuhan), for example @zhiyanle

"the mutations again proves SARS-2 is lab-made. Natural Cov needs 50 years for 1100BP mutation; but lab-made nCov can have 5 times more mutation just in a year"
24. Others Disagree, for example @_b_meyer

Image
25. Comments

Image
26. @_b_meyer rightly chastised by @notoriousFIL

in a complex but very interesting thread related to the argument that "the 681 Proline before the FCS of SARS-COV-2 was somehow "suboptimal"



We def need more people like @notoriousFIL in #DRASTIC
27. Two specific tweets

1. The argument that the 681 Proline was somehow "suboptimal" relies on misunderstanding about the conditionality its presence given the rest of the Spike protein structure



2.
ImageImage
28. Back to Omicron (Opinion of @JCPEREZCODEX )

Fibonacci Sins!

He identifies a "RUPTURE" that no longer follows a pattern of virus-to-host adaptation, and thus suspects lab manipulation



and

https://t.co/fU5L8xNPoB
29. @jcbarret dissects the "Omicron" mutations

Image
30. @jbloom_lab on the "Omicron" Mutations

He explains how mutations in #SARSCoV2 Nu variant (B.1.1.529) will affect polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies targeting RBD.

31. @theodora_nyc responds to @jbloom_lab



(experiments in Sep 2021 were with VLPs)

SARS-CoV-2 polyclonal neutralizing antibody escape

nature.com/articles/s4158…

"Nature performed the same experiment as we did with a lot more samples"
33. @florian_krammer is a worried virologist

"The mutations in Omicron which seem to wipe out the majority of neutralizing antibody epitopes are very worrisome. Combined with the apparent fitness of the virus, this could be a problem"

34. But is Omicron just a "storm in a teacup"?

South African Medical Association Says Omicron Variant Causes 'Mild Disease'

sputniknews.com/20211127/south… Image
35. Short Video Interview with Angelique Coetzee

(Medical Health "Chief" of South Africa)

36. From a storm in a teacup to a blessing?
via @DMoffin

"Wouldn't artificially creating a highly infectious virus with very low pathogenicity, & therefore outcompeting more deadly variants, be most genius thing researchers could do to end the pandemic?
Image
37. Keep up to date with Omicron @nytimes

Great graphics by Jonathan Corum @13pt

and @carlzimmer

Tracking Omicron and Other Coronavirus Variants

nytimes.com/interactive/20… ImageImageImage
unroll Omicron @threadreaderapp Image
Update 1

People currently arguing about the positive outlook

Update 2 via @phil_aussie and a great idea

Update 3 Thanks @AGHuff

The "UK " Diplomatic Connection...

thailandmedical.news/news/this-is-g…
Update 4

Opinion of Geert Vanden Bossche @GVDBossche

Quite a short opinión piece ;) mostly looking at ADE and vaccines

voiceforscienceandsolidarity.org/scientific-blo… Image
Update 5 by Moritz Gerstung @MoritzGerstung

A thread on Omicron mainly focusing on HIV



threadreaderapp.com/thread/1464287…
Update 6 from Mia Malan @miamalan

early look at the identified mutations

Update 7

Although some conclude that accumulation of mutations in a single immunocompromised patient (perhaps AIDS) is plausible, @Daoyu15 disagrees


and

and
Update 8 - @P_J_Buckhaults is surprised

Update 9 - @ydeigin moves further to a lab leak

Image
Update 10 - @NPRGoatsandSoda

npr.org/sections/goats…
Update 11 - "Weird" Omicron by @EricTopol

Update 12 - Mega Omicron Thread by...

Hans Kristian "Lazarus" Andersen @K_G_Andersen2

Thinks it's "odd" and suspects "reverse zoonosis" possibly from rodents...

Update 13 - @mroliverbarnes

Update 14 - Reinfections surging?

"there may be an increased risk of reinfection with Omicron (ie, people who have previously had COVID-19 could become reinfected more easily with Omicron), as compared to other variants of concern"

who.int/news/item/28-1…
Update 15 - Reinfections (2)

"Previous infection used to protect against Delta but now with Omicron that doesn't seem to be the case," said Anne von Gottberg, microbiologist at South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases.

reuters.com/world/africa/s…
Update 16 - Reinfections (3)

"We monitored these reinfections for Beta & Delta wave & we didn't see increase in reinfections above what we expect when the force of infection changes - when the wave stops. However, we are seeing an increase for Omicron"

news24.com/news24/southaf…
Update 17 - Rodents?

Humanised Mice and Rodents with HIV?

Interestingly, Anderson mentions similar mutations in rodents as supporting his reverse zoonosis hypothesis:



But stops there.
Update 18 - Rodent and other animal Mutations

by Robert Garry and Bill Gallaher

Mutations arising in SARS-CoV-2 spike on sustained human-to-human transmission and human-to-animal passage

virological.org/t/mutations-ar… Image
Update 19 - Updated Mutations including Omicron

Rats and Mice abound!

Note hACE2 mice in grey

virological.org/uploads/short-… ImageImage
Update 20 - HIV Rodents?

Now as is well known, HIV cannot infect mice, rats..

BUT

Humanized mouse models currently available are capable of replicating both HIV-1 & 2 exclusively in human immune cells that are present both in the periphery & in tissues
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/artic… Image
Update 21 - Humanised Mouse Models (2)

Humanized mouse models like the T cell only mouse or the myeloid only mouse permit the analysis of HIV biology in individual cell types.

systemic reconstitution of humanized mice with human cells permit in vivo analysis of HIV persistence Image
Update 22 - Sample HIV Mouse papers

1. A mouse model for study of systemic HIV-1 infection, antiviral immune responses, and neuroinvasiveness (USA 2005)
pnas.org/content/102/10…
Update 23 - Sample HIV Mouse papers

2. Rectal Transmission of Transmitted/Founder HIV-1 Is Efficiently Prevented by Topical 1% Tenofovir in BLT Humanized Mice (UNC, 2013)

journals.plos.org/plosone/articl…
Update 24 - Sample HIV Mouse papers

3. Mucosal HIV-1 transmission and prevention strategies in BLT humanized mice (UNC)

cell.com/trends/microbi…
Update 25 - Rats and HIV (2007)

By @sciencecohen

"now scientists have shown that a genetically engineered rat is susceptible enough to HIV infection that it may be able to help evaluate some AIDS drugs"

archive.ph/zbHwn
Update 26. SARS COV 2 in Mice

As is known, unlike the first identified strain, new SARS-CoV-2 VOCs are capable of infecting animal models (mice) in the lab.

pasteur.fr/en/press-area/…

Paper

B1.351 & P.1 variants extend SARS-CoV-2 host range to mice
biorxiv.org/content/10.110…
Update 27 - ABSL2, University of Cape Town

Research on HIV vaccines & helminth parasite infested Mice (2018)

Note:

In this specific study the BALB/c mice did not have HIV

Chronic schistosomiasis suppresses HIV-specific responses in a mouse model

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/artic… ImageImage
Update 28 - HIV Research with Mice (Cape Town)

Anna-Lise Williamson

Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town
Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Williams…
Update 29 - Groundhog Day (2020)

"One hypothesis for emergence of this lineage, given the many mutations relative to background mutation rate of SARS-CoV-2, is that it arose via intra-host evolution in 1 or more people with prolonged viral replication"

medrxiv.org/content/10.110…
Update 30 - December 22, 2020

immunosuppressed patient hypothesis discarded

multiple individuals?

"If evolution within long-term infections were the explanation for the evolution of this lineage then it supposes a transmission chain that passes through multiple individuals" ImageImageImage
Update 31 - Garry & Gallaher - Rodent Mutations

"7 (mutations) are associated with rodent adaptation — changes that allow the virus to infect mice, rats & related species. All 7 of those mutations are in Omicron"

statnews.com/2021/12/02/som…
Update 32

Oh my Cron, this will be the never ending thread! Image
Update 33 - @DrJlieberman

1. Key mutations in Omicron (NTD deletions around 144, 478K, 484A, 501Y) emerged independently in an immunosuppressed patient

2. Mapping of viral mutations that escape antibodies used to treat COVID-19
Update 34 - Bloom Lab @jbloom_lab

Update 35 - Finland (double vaccinated + booster)

A man in the COVID ward of Landspítali with the omicron variant of the coronavirus is fully vaccinated and has received a booster dose.

ruv.is/frett/2021/12/…

@THAILANDMEDICA1 puts the boot in again

thailandmedical.news/news/breaking-… Image
Update 36 - First of many preprints on Omicron

A bleak picture? (Posted Yesterday)

Increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection associated with emergence of the Omicron variant in South Africa

medrxiv.org/content/10.110…
Update 37 - Omicron Origins by @WmHaseltine

Discusses 3 theories:

1. immunocompromised patient
2. Reverse Zoonosis
3. Molnupiravir-induced

archive.ph/MuTGu
Update 38 - Fishing for Silent Omicron Mutations

"To produce those 25 selected mutations, evolution would also have produced ~50 silent ones which would persist, since they are not selected against"

But did not happen, says @tony_vandongen

Update 39 - it gets worse, says @tony_vandongen

"The large concentration of silent mutations would have to occur anywhere in the 30k genome sequence"

But there only 7 silent mutations in total (instead of the expected 300)

Whoever designed this failed to make it look natural.
Update 40 - Explosive Thread by @VBruttel

So to sum this up:

SARS2 Omicron genome looks like it was "separated/frozen" between June 2020 and late summer 2021 -

This has never before been seen in nature, only in lab leaked pandemics

threadreaderapp.com/thread/1466919…
Update 41 - Targeted Manipulation

"only logical explanation is targeted manipulation"

Update 42 - Risky Research in Durban BSL3

Update 43 - Omicron first detected in Durban?

Update 44 - Frozen in Time (Further Evidence)

Update 45 - The Durban Paper

Affiliations listed

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33780970/

Full paper: Published: 29 March 2021

Escape of SARS-CoV-2 501Y.V2 from neutralization by convalescent plasma

nature.com/articles/s4158… Image
Update 47 - Inconvenient Truths?

Rambaut @arambaut shuts down the discussion

github.com/cov-lineages/p…

h/t @ydeigin ImageImageImage
Update 48 - Updated Omicron Mutation Graphic

(Animals) By robert Garry

"This version makes corrects mutations sustained at Q493 and Q498 in humans (Omicron) and mice plus adds a few mink mutations."

virological.org/uploads/short-…
Update 49 - Spike mutations & Epitope Effects

Report on Omicron Spike mutations on epitopes and immunological/epidemiological/kinetics effects from literature

virological.org/t/report-on-om… Image
Update 50 - Monkey Cells

"in an otherwise deserted lab. Cele & de Oliviera chanced their luck on using human saline to infect monkey cells, which until then had proved unresponsive to weeks of experimentation. The outcome was best Christmas gift ever"

discovery.co.za/corporate/heal…
Update 51 - Sandile Cele

KZN scientist finds new way of growing new Covid-19 variant in groundbreaking research

iol.co.za/dailynews/news…
Update 52 - BSL3 Lab Durban via @WhereIsYanLing

edition.cnn.com/videos/world/2…
Update 53 - Interview with Sandile Cele

The Scientist Working Towards a COVID-19 Breakthrough

Update 54 - Compare Dates

Image A

Startling new variant raises urgent questions (long new branch)

science.org/doi/epdf/10.11…

Image B (Durban Paper) noted by @VBruttel

nature.com/articles/s4158…

Experiments using plasma from donors with 1st wave variant B.1.351 (501Y.V2 VOC) ImageImage
Update 55 - Suart Neil's Opinión

I don't usually RT Threads by @stuartjdneil but will make an exception this time as his thread presents some quite valid counter arguments against certain recent leaking suggestions,

Update 56 - Durban Cases?

The two Durban cases likely travelled through Gauteng

Gauteng cases earlier than Durban

Image
Update 57 - Omicron Battered Kids?

Mainly unvaccinated for obvious reasons of course

thedailybeast.com/omicron-varian…
Update 58 - Kids, Good, Bad and Ugly

Most cases are incidentally diagnosed SARS-CoV2


SARS-CoV2 found in admission screen
less Covid-19 pneumonia


Hospitals not made to handle mass paediatric casualties
Update 59 Strange Mutation Ratios @P_J_Buckhaults

Non Synonymous Versus Synonymous mutations

33:1...!



threadreaderapp.com/thread/1465739… Image
Update 60 - Explained by Recombination?



Missing intermediates explained?

Update 61 -Recombination with other Coronaviruses?

Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 harbors a unique insertion mutation of putative viral or human genomic origin

osf.io/f7txy/

Same genetic sequence appears in HCoV-229E and in the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) Image
Update 62 - Deja Vu

B.1.1.7 variant first detected in UK had 12 + mutations that appeared suddenly. Recombination may merge mutations from different variants that arose spontaneously within same person over time or that co-infected someone simultaneously

archive.ph/LvJcb
Update 63 - The Man from Boston - Deja Vu

Extraordinary Patient Offers Surprising Clues To Origins Of Coronavirus Variants (Feb 2021)

wbur.org/npr/964447070/…

Paper:

Persistence and Evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in an Immunocompromised Host

nejm.org/doi/full/10.10… ImageImageImage
Update 64 - The Boston Spike Protein Mutations

What One 'Extremely Unusual' COVID-19 Case Tells Us About New Variants

wbur.org/hereandnow/202… Image
Update 65 - Related Durban Paper (2)

Advanced HIV drives SARS-CoV-2 evolution?

Divergence of delta and beta variants and SARS-CoV-2 evolved in prolonged infection into distinct serological phenotypes

medrxiv.org/content/10.110… ImageImage
Update 66 - @EthicalSkeptic Omicron Opinión

Although I disagree with his theory, he has certainly done a great deal of background research

Update 67 - Super Spreading Omicron Christmas?

Party in UK where 14 of 18 guests tested positive for the new variant despite everyone being double jabbed & some with booster, all guests had taken a lateral flow test 24 hours beforehand that was negative!

inews.co.uk/news/health/om…
Update 68 - Similar Event in Norway

analogartistdigitalworld.com/2021/12/norway…

and

dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1…

it seems all were double vaccinated and all mild cases of illness.....so far.
Update 69 - A herd of virologists at work

Selection analysis identifies significant mutational changes in Omicron likely to influence both antibody neutralization & Spike function

Part 1
virological.org/t/selection-an…

Part 2
virological.org/t/selection-an…

Spoiler: They are confused
Update 70 - The above paper tries hard to explain

"the extensive time period of undetected replication"

1. surveillance failure hypothesis
2. chronic infection hypothesis
3. reverse-zoonosis hypothesis
4. Combination of above

An analysis by @sergeilkp
Update 71 "escape calculator" thread by @jbloom_lab



archived:

threadreaderapp.com/thread/1468001…
Update 72 - A sister lineage to Omicron ;)

"Nothing to worry about" says @theosanderson

Update 73 -The contrarian point of view of @Daoyu15

"VSV based directed evolution explains this almost flawlessly"

threadreaderapp.com/thread/1467638…
Update 74 - A quite tedious paper on Omicron

(one of the many to come)

Genome Characterization and Potential Risk Assessment of the Novel SARS-CoV-2 Variant Omicron (B.1.1.529)

scienceopen.com/hosted-documen…
Update 75 - Twitter as usual way ahead of academia

Scroll up from last tweet in discussion on the possibility of Omicron emerging via an HIV patient



with contributions from:

@Daoyu15
@roadjull
@VBruttel
@TonyBurnetti
@pathogenetics
@P_J_Buckhaults
Update 76 - Opinion of Dr Fareed Abdullah

Discussion | SAMA: Tshwane epicentre of Omicron

Update 77 - CEZPD scrubbing web pages a la WIV?

1. OK

Introduction to the Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases (CEZPD) in Johannesburg (BSL3 and 4)

nicd.ac.za/centres/centre…

2. Scrubbed?

web.archive.org/web/2021081819…

Can @nicd_sa explain?
Update 78 - A more innocent explanation

Maybe CEZPD has a virus?

Image
Update 79 - Morons!

Thailand medical news loses its patience..

thailandmedical.news/news/morons-ha… Image
Update 80 - The Arrival of Omicron

via @Onorpik
Update 81 - Omicron Cartoons (1)

Sources:

1 cartoonmovement.com/cartoon/omicron
2 archive.ph/0znaH
3 dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-1…
4 newframe.com/cartoon-knee-j… ImageImageImageImage
Update 82 - Omicron cartoons (2)

5 baltimoresun.com/opinion/editor…
6
journal-news.net/journal-news/t…
7
cincinnati.com/story/opinion/…

8 twitter.com/i/lists/134320… ImageImageImageImage
Update 83 - Omicron cartoons (3)

9
slguardian.org/2021/11/omicro…

10
9gag.com/tag/omicron-pe…

11 fredericknewspost.com/terms/special/…

12
startribune.com/editorial-cart… ImageImageImageImage
Update 84 - Omicron now avoiding detection

How dare you try to detect me, says Omicron on a trip to Australia (Queensland).

1. msn.com/en-us/news/wor…

2. theguardian.com/world/2021/dec…

3. theguardian.com/world/2021/dec…
Update 85 - Two Lineages within Omicron

@BallouxFrancois says:

There are two lineages within Omicron, BA.1 and BA.2, that are quite differentiated genetically. The two lineages may behave differently.
Update 86 - Welcome Omicron's Sister!

Proposal to split B.1.1.529 to incorporate a newly characterised sibling lineage

List of mutations found in Omicron's sister

github.com/cov-lineages/p…

and image

github.com/cov-lineages/p… Image
Update 87 - @arambaut busy deleting comments & closing discussions

"There are B.1.1.529 lineages that do not have the N440K & K417N mutation (336 GISAID entries) & form a separate clade when analysed with other sequences that do contain these mutations"

github.com/cov-lineages/p… Image
Update 88 - Transmission to a second person?

"Either an intermediate that didn't acquire all defining mutations or it is consensus of a mixture of 2 lineages"

"If chronic infection hypothesis is true, no reason to believe patient zero would only have transmitted to one other" ImageImage
Update 89 - One BIG uncertainty

Omicron’s less severe cases prompt cautious optimism in South Africa

"However, potential for Omicron to result in less severe symptoms may be more a consequence of immunity than the virus evolving to become less virulent"

ft.com/content/d315be… Image
Update 90 - Thread by @jburnmurdoch

(explaining aspects of FT article linked in last tweet)

Update 91 - AB Neutralisation of Omicron Variant

The Good (Pfizer Spin)


The Bad:
Average loss of neutralization potency was lower than feared


The Ugly:
Up to 37 times reduction in Delta vs. Omicron
threadreaderapp.com/thread/1468465…
Update 92 - The Ugly (reasons)

monoclonal AKs imdevimab and casirivimab are - as expected - ineffective with Omicron

experiments were carried out with a virus isolate (infectious virus), not with pseudoviruses.

Question about different results

Update 93 - The "Ugly" Paper @CiesekSandra

Reduced Neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant by Vaccine Sera and monoclonal antibodies

medrxiv.org/content/10.110…
Update 94 - The opinion of @BallouxFrancois

on the antibody neutralisation results for Omicron

Update 95 - Big One straight from the Horse's Mouth

@Sandile_Cele22 @Tuliodna So, pay attention!

SARS-CoV-2 evolved during advanced HIV disease immunosuppression & has Beta-like escape of vaccine & Delta infection elicited immunity

medrxiv.org/content/10.110…

h/t @mouth_madness
Update 96 -Shape shifting Omicron?

Update 97 - Omicron Lab Leak Hypothesis (Thread)

Update 98 Surely some revelation is at hand?

Surely the Omicron is at hand.

Update 99 - Lab Leak 2.0 (worth a read)

Summarised many anomalies discovered to date

bprice.substack.com/p/lab-leak-20

via @capitolsheila
unroll Omicron @threadreaderapp

save Omicron @buzz_chronicles

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More from @BillyBostickson

Billy Bostickson 🏴👁&👁 🆓 Profile picture
Apr 23
1. The Second Lab Leak

Turning and turning in the petri dish,
The scientists cannot hear the warnings;
Genes recombine; the barriers cannot hold,
Evil virology is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
2. The Second Lab Leak

The best lack critical thinking, while the professors
Are full of furious bias.
Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the cover up is now banned?
Lab Leak! Hardly are those words out
When a vast image out of Human Folly
Troubles my sight:
3. Somewhere in Wuhan

somewhere in the cell lines of a Chinese laboratory
A shape with pangolin body and the head of a bat,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its long tongue, while all about it
Reel shadows of the indignant molested bats.
Read 6 tweets
Billy Bostickson 🏴👁&👁 🆓 Profile picture
Apr 22
🧵As promised, here is my counter critique & rebuttal of some points made by @gadboit about the Pangolin Papers Hypothesis.

His theory seems to be that SARS-COV-2 emerged like Aphrodite, from BANAL BAT viruses, possibly with some FCS tweaking & no Pangolins coronaviruses needed.
🧵1. Introduction

@gadboit claims BANAL-52’s 96.8% similarity and natural recombination outweigh my lab + PangolinCoV hypothesis for SARS-CoV-2’s origin.

However, my evidence shows PangolinCoV signatures, WIV lab work & recombination are stronger.

researchgate.net/publication/39…
@gadboit 🧵2. @gadboit claims BANAL-52’s 96.8% similarity & ACE2 binding make it closer to SARS-CoV-2 than PCoVs (~91%) & that PCoV features could come from bat CoVs.

But GD PCoV’s RBD (97% identity) needs no mutations for hACE2, unlike BANALs.

See Wrobel et al:

nature.com/articles/s4159…
Read 28 tweets
Billy Bostickson 🏴👁&👁 🆓 Profile picture
Apr 13
🧵 As promised, my final report is now published 🍾

1. Obviously this is not a tik tok video, although it would be great to make a tik tok version 🙂

So, you will need a few hours to read and digest the implications as the science is complex.

Links to the report in next tweet.
🧵2. Link to Report: Pangolin (Coronavirus) Papers

1. Researchgate:

researchgate.net/publication/39…

2. Zenodo:

zenodo.org/records/152063…
3, Well, it is a Pangolin Sunday, eh?

A. “The Pangolin Papers” presents a robust argument for the lab-mediated origin of SARS-CoV-2, particularly centered on experiments conducted at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) during 2018 and 2019.
Read 48 tweets
Billy Bostickson 🏴👁&👁 🆓 Profile picture
Mar 24
A Swift🧵

1. A Modest Proposal for the Fair Imprisonment of Women and the Liberation of Men

By a Concerned Citizen of Reason,

Published in The Rational Gazette on X

March 24, 2025
2. Dire Injustice!

It is a lamentable truth, oft repeated in the progressive broadsheets and the sanctimonious halls of modern discourse, that the state of our prisons reveals a dire injustice.
3. Gaol'd Wretches

We are told, with furrowed brows and trembling voices, that Black men, comprising a mere 4% of the good people of England and Wales, yet numbering 13% of our gaol’d wretches, suffer under the cruel yoke of systemic discrimination.
Read 20 tweets
Billy Bostickson 🏴👁&👁 🆓 Profile picture
Feb 25
1🧵DECLASSIFICATION TASK FORCE - COVID 19

This Task force will be working to obtain the declassification and the release of Covid-19 origins files over the next 6 months.

This is GOOD NEWS!

2 🧵X GOP Member Handles

Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets

@GOPoversight
@realannapaulina
@RepLuna
@RepEliCrane
@NancyMace
@RepNancyMace
@timburchett
@RepTimBurchett
@RepBoebert
@laurenboebert
@RepEricBurlison
@RepBrandonGill
@realBrandonGill
@RepJamesComer
@GOPoversight @realannapaulina @RepLuna @RepEliCrane @NancyMace @RepNancyMace @timburchett @RepTimBurchett @RepBoebert @laurenboebert @RepEricBurlison @RepBrandonGill @realBrandonGill @RepJamesComer 3 🧵Video (1)

Luna Reveals What The Task Force On The Declassification Of Federal Secrets Will Investigate

“This will no longer be a task force that makes bold promises only to fade into irrelevance or send strongly worded letters”

youtube.com/watch?v=Hz3aZL…
Read 17 tweets
Billy Bostickson 🏴👁&👁 🆓 Profile picture
Jan 29
@Ticklicker56 @angie_rasmussen @Dissenting2020 @DrStrangeLovett @Rebecca21951651 @All_New_to_This @VaughnMises @R_H_Ebright @Florin_Uncovers @ban_epp_gofroc @MJnanostretch @Muller_Lab @SolidEvidence @ydeigin @ciukzwil @tgof137 @StavaRune @VBruttel @FondueMean @tom335363 @BioSRP @stevenemassey @jbloom_lab @BallouxFrancois @Ayjchan @mattwridley Not sure what they have done since Burgdorfer's "swiss agent" experiments, apart from building tick moats & annoying locals

bitterrootstar.com/2013/01/about-…

Dr. Rasmussen can tell us or she can ask Dr. Trout

hcn.org/articles/in-mo…
@Ticklicker56 @angie_rasmussen @Dissenting2020 @DrStrangeLovett @Rebecca21951651 @All_New_to_This @VaughnMises @R_H_Ebright @Florin_Uncovers @ban_epp_gofroc @MJnanostretch @Muller_Lab @SolidEvidence @ydeigin @ciukzwil @tgof137 @StavaRune @VBruttel @FondueMean @tom335363 @BioSRP @stevenemassey @jbloom_lab @BallouxFrancois @Ayjchan @mattwridley RML expertise in biodefense inlcudes tick & flea agents, so I doubt she would want to discuss how many ticks they have or what they inject them with.

federalregister.gov/documents/2004…

In the bad old days they injected them with yellow fever & other nasties for dispersal by planes.
@Ticklicker56 @angie_rasmussen @Dissenting2020 @DrStrangeLovett @Rebecca21951651 @All_New_to_This @VaughnMises @R_H_Ebright @Florin_Uncovers @ban_epp_gofroc @MJnanostretch @Muller_Lab @SolidEvidence @ydeigin @ciukzwil @tgof137 @StavaRune @VBruttel @FondueMean @tom335363 @BioSRP @stevenemassey @jbloom_lab @BallouxFrancois @Ayjchan @mattwridley Also work of Jeffrey M. Grabowski

Biology of Vector-Borne Viruses Section, Laboratory of Virology, RML

Work on tick-borne pathogens at the Virology Lab at RML is funded by the Intramural Research Program, NIAID, NIH

Not for long, I think! @DrJBhattacharya
Read 15 tweets

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