Thread by @DrEricDing

📍“Cryptic” unknown #SARSCoV2 variants were found in New York City sewers, many never before found in humans. Some could infect cells with mouse🐁 and/or rat🐀 ACE2-receptor, & were resistant to different neutralizing monoclonal antibodies. So 🍕rat-COVID?
nature.com/articles/s4146…

2) “Interestingly, all four WNY lineages contained a polymorphism at spike protein residue 498 (Q498H or Q498Y)… both of these polymorphisms have been associated with host range expansion of SARS-CoV-2 into rodents, which are generally resistant to the parent SARS-CoV-2 lineage”

3) It’s very clear that the 4 key NYC sewer #SARSCoV2 variants have an unusual affinity towards favoring mice-ACE2 and rat-ACE2, much higher than human-ACE2 receptor. Hence the reasons the authors think it has mice 🐁 and rat 🐀 as a likely source.

4) and yeah, it’s well known NYC has a rat 🐀 problem. “both cat and dog populations are dwarfed by the NYC rat population, which is estimated to number between 2–8 million animals” 👀

5) I think a key lesson is we need to be vigilant about new variants. They will keep coming so long as we allow the virus to keep spreading. Talking about variant concerns is NOT scaremongering - it’s about being prepared. And chance favors the prepared mind, said Louis Pasteur.

https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1490500144462237697