"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"
He considers that the extremely long branch (>1 year) indicates continual evolution in a chronically infected individual before spilling back into the population.
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
"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"
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
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"
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
"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"
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?
"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"
"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.
"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"
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…
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
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)
"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"
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
"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"
"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"
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"
"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"
Experiments using plasma from donors with 1st wave variant B.1.351 (501Y.V2 VOC)
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,
Same genetic sequence appears in HCoV-229E and in the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
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
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!
"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"
"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"
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"
Bloody Hell, it's worse than even I imagined in my darkest nightmares about #scamdemia.
Time to spend some of this tax money on local electronics, biological, ecological, IT, optical, chemistry, engineering & physics labs run by local amateurs for the benefit of our communities?
Short 🧵on Primer & PCR Test issues (Pangolin Covs)
1. The key issue with pangolins and Pcovs is that:
It was discovered that the standard PCR tests used in 2020, and often still used, failed to actually detect many of the betacoronaviruses generously hosted by the pangolins.
2. Unless
The samples are retested with bespoke primers & more accurate PCR tests available now,
We will not know exactly whIch Pangolin (or bat) coronaviruses were hosted by Pangolins at WIV & elsewhere pre-pandemic.
However, "they" (I will name who they are later) should, and perhaps in the future, may retest the stored samples at WIV, IPB, SCAU AND GIABR, to clarify the question of which coronaviruses were present in their pangolin samples.
2. May have been for research and commercial purposes, but they were caught bang to rights.
"LIU initially stated that he did not know what the materials were and that someone must have put them into his bag"
3. When asked why someone would put them into his bag, LIU stated that he did not know, and that maybe he had accidentally put the materials there. After further questioning, LIU acknowledged that the materials were different strains of the pathogen Fusarium graminearum
1. Remote truck drone swarm bombings are here to stay!
The techniques will be improved and nowhere will be safe unless underground.
Questions to consider:
How many panel vans, transit vans and small trucks are there in a big city at any one time?
2. This is a revolution in sabotage tactics
Welcome to the future of air bases!
Without concrete and earth roofed revetments, aircraft are sitting ducks.kyivpost.com/post/53749
3. The "good old days"
"clandestine antiaircraft devices using gallium metal pencils which when applied to aircraft results In destruction due to stress failure at the point of application"
GREAT REVOLT SCHEME. SECRET PLANS OF THE THIRD INTERNATIONAL. BOLSHEVISING BULGARIA. A BALKAN FRONT. SPENDTHRIFT MURDERER. SPENDS AMILLION FRANCS IN FOURTEEN DAYS. MENUS OF LONDON'S ZOO. MR. CHURCHILL'S BUDGET. HAKKAS AND HOKLOS. PITCHED BATTLE AT PING CHAU.
More stories!
CANTON SITUATION. SPORT IN THE FAR EAST. GERMAN DISARMAMENT. BRITISH SILK DUTIES. COTTON SPINNERS. WORKING WEEK DISPUTE NOT YET SETTLED. FATE OF AMUNDSEN. MR. HAMMER IS MAKING PLANS FOR RESCUE. THE SOFIA OUTRAGE. POSITIONS FOR TROTZKY. THE EPSOM DERBY.
In this enlightened year of our Lord 2025 I, a humble observer of mankind’s ceaseless quest for health, find myself much struck by the ingenious practices of the Orient..
🧵2. A Scaly Panacea
...where the pangolin, that scaly denizen of subtropical climes, hath been elevated to a panacea most wondrous.
The Baicao Chinese Medicine compendium, a veritable gospel of herbal wisdom, doth proclaim the virtues of this creature’s scales...
🧵3. Humanity's Salvation?
...harvested with a diligence that would shame the most ardent of alchemists.
I propose, therefore, a modest scheme to amplify this noble tradition, ensuring that the pangolin’s sacrifice might serve the greater good of humanity.