Quote from Dr Richard

One small point that nobody considers is that the COVID collection of SARS-2 viruses are living organisms and like all other living organisms must possess sexual reproduction which in bacteria and upwards in the phylo-genetic chain is termed meiosis as apposed to non-sexual reproduction or mitosis. This involves a sharing of genetic information which may account (in addition to mutation) for the rapid evolution of new COVID variants!

Human intervention is what leads to variants seen so far. Monoclonal treatments used to treat human petri dishes has led to most variants. 2 have been observed happening my in real time. Think RNA silencing. Mutations and variants are the process of defence. RNA comnicates with the nucleus to rewrite to defend and evade.

Janssen warns of risks of blood clotting disorders after vaccines

Janssen warns of risks of blood clotting disorders after vaccines

Janssen, a part of Johnson and Johnson, warned healthcare professionals in South Africa of the risks of blood clotting disorders triggered by the COVID-19

trialsitenews.com

Janssen, a part of Johnson and Johnson, warned healthcare professionals in South Africa of the risks of blood clotting disorders triggered by the COVID-19 vaccine, in a medicine safety information announcement released on October 26, 2021. TrialSite has followed the development of this vaccine from its early stages and through its promising clinical trials. However, the October statement highlights the risks of immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) and venous thromboembolism (VTE) following vaccination with the Janssen product.

The Janssen COVID-19 vaccine is approved for use in a number of countries worldwide, including the US, where it was issued Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) in February 2021. Over 15m doses were administered in the US alone by the end of October 2021. The vaccine is popular because of only requiring a single dose, as well as the company’s commitment to releasing the vaccine on a not-for-profit basis.

However, the vaccine’s roll-out has not been smooth. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) paused use of the vaccine in April 2021, after six serious adverse events related to blood clots occurred in vaccinated women.

Following a detailed review, the agencies recommended that use of the Janssen vaccine could be resumed. The CDC placed warnings on its website recommending that women younger than 50 years old should be aware of the “rare but increased risk” of adverse events, and be offered other vaccine options.

In April 2021, authorities in Belgium also suspended use of the Janssen vaccine in people under 40, as a result of the death of a woman from a blood clotting disorder following vaccination.

Janssen’s statement in South Africa follows warnings in May 2021 related to the risk of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS), in which no risk factors were identified, and in July 2021 related to capillary leak syndrome (CLS), which included guidelines on identifying and handling TTS. The latest statement provides concrete recommendations on the risks of ITP and VTE following administration of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine.

Immune Thrombocytopenia

In the release, Janssen states that cases of ITP have occurred in patients receiving the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine. They explain that although these cases are rare, some have been severe (with platelet levels below 20,000 per μL) and resulted in bleeding or death. They state that the cases usually occur within the first month after vaccination, both in patients who have a history of ITP and those who don’t.

Healthcare professionals are recommended to be alert to symptoms of bleeding, bruising or petechial hemorrhages. They are also advised to monitor platelet levels after vaccination in patients who have a history of ITP. For patients who show symptoms of ITP, Janssen recommends that doctors evaluate for thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS).

The statement clarifies that there was no imbalance of ITP between vaccinated and placebo groups in the clinical trials of the vaccine, but these risks have become apparent when analyzing post-marketing cases.

Venous Thromboembolism

VTE is also presented as a potential risk of the Janssen vaccine. Again, the statement emphasizes that the cases are rare, but the risk should be considered in susceptible patients.

Healthcare professionals are given guidance to warn recipients of the vaccine to seek medical attention if they experience any chest pain or shortness of breath, leg pain or swelling, or abdominal pain following the vaccination. As with ITP, patients who develop symptoms of VTE in the three weeks following vaccination should be assessed for TTS.

One of the phase 3 clinical trials of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccination resulted in an increased number of venous thromboembolic events in the vaccinated group compared to the placebo group, but the results were not statistically significant and not repeated in other trials.

Implications of the statement

The statement opens by explaining that the update is at the direction of the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA). Healthcare professionals are requested to report adverse events to SAHPRA via their Med Safety App or on the SAHPRA website.

In the October 2021 statement, Janssen confirms that these risk warnings will be incorporated into an updated Professional Information (PI) sheet for the vaccine in South Africa. Similar risk statements are included in the vaccine fact sheets in other countries, including the FDA. The American Society of Hematology has also produced guidelines for healthcare professionals on diagnosing TTS in vaccinated patients.

In certain countries, including the Philippines and Belgium, senior citizens have been prioritized for the Janssen vaccination – the very demographic that is likely to be at greater risk of blood clotting disorders. Nevertheless, Janssen’s statement concludes that the “benefits of vaccination continue to outweigh the risks.”

TrialSite will continue monitoring the safety recommendations related to the COVID-19 vaccines.

Memory T cells could hold key to long-term COVID immunity

Memory T cells could hold key to long-term COVID immunity

Studies on long-lived natural immunity in COVID-19 are showing encouraging implications of the CD8+ T cells role in adaptive immunity after COVID-19. In

trialsitenews.com

Studies on long-lived natural immunity in COVID-19 are showing encouraging implications of the CD8+ T cells role in adaptive immunity after COVID-19. In research following a convalescent patient over a six-month period, it was reported that the SARS-CoV-2 specific CD8+ T cells could be effective in almost all variants of concern (VOC) to date and that long-lasting memory cells are produced following infection. This is significant in the context of other studies showing that CD8+ T cells are possibly the main responders of COVID-19 in mild to moderate cases, while others show different responses contingent on the severity of infection.

Importance of Study

Adaptive immunity has the potential for prolonged protection long after exposure, a central factor for effective immunization against infections. It is important to understand the underlying mechanism of the adaptive immune responses and immunological memory after infection in COVID-19. This is especially so in the quest for improving and developing evidence-based interventions such as effective vaccines, to support long-term immunity. There is a need for more studies to find out if this can provide some direction in dealing with new variants.

Study Design

The study entailed 21 longitudinally sampled donors in the convalescent phase. The participants included in the study were those who had mild COVID-19. Phenotype profiling was used to identify a participant with an immunodominant response to a specific nucleocapsid peptide that exists in all known SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. Through 32 serological measurements, the CD4+ and CD8+ T cells of this participant were examined over a period of six months. The study was completed by May 2021.

The Study Recap

The study on SARS-CoV-2 specific CD8+ T cells involved serum from one participant convalescing from mild COVID-19. It showed that the long-drawn-out recovery period is characterized by ever-changing SARS-CoV-2 specific CD8+ T cells. The study’s key interest was to find how the killer cells coordinated with the rest of the adaptive immune responses (e.g., CD4+ cells, B cells) after the infection.

The adaptive immune system is activated after an infection or vaccine introduces an antigen to the body. While the initial response is to target the antigen, the cells develop into memory cells which are stored in the body and ready to multiply if reinfection occurs. This immunological memory is important for long-lasting immunity, which in some cases can be a lifetime.

During the recovery time of mild COVID-19, the participant’s CD8+ T cells progressively changed from activated CD8+ T cells to lymph-node homing, homeostatic proliferating CD8+ T cells.

These features suggest that COVID-19-specific memory T cells are slowly produced and stored in the lymph nodes in the months following mild infection, ready to proliferate if exposed to the nucleocapsid peptide in the future.

On conducting specific phenotyping profiles plus serological measurements, the study found coordination of the CD8+ T with CD4+ T cells and the antibody arm of the adaptive immune response against the same antigen.

What are the implications?

The study admits its limitations, as it is based on data from one patient and cannot be extrapolated to represent all patients and demographics. However, the discovery of the potential for long-term immunity following natural infection is important. The authors claim that “the course of differentiation we describe in this study may be one that leads to SARS-CoV-2-specific memory CD8+ T cells that can persist for up to 17 years.”

Who did the research?

Nadia R. Loan is based at the Gladstone Institute and is a faculty member at the Department of Urology at the University of California. Other contributors can be found here.

Which institutions were involved?

The research received grants from several organizations including the Gladstone Institute, National Institutes of Health Grant (NIH), Center for AIDS Research. Other institutions involved can be found here.

NIAID-Led Study Indicates SARS-CoV-2 Specific CD8+T Cell Responses Generally Effective Against Variants But More Study Needed

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) recently announced promising results from a small but important study involving 30

trialsitenews.com

Protracted yet Coordinated Differentiation of Long-Lived SARS-CoV-2-Specific CD8+ T Cells during Convalescence

CD8+ T cells can potentiate long-lived immunity against COVID-19. We screened longitudinally-sampled convalescent human donors against SARS-CoV-2 tetramers and…

www.jimmunol.org

Defining Memory CD8 T Cell

CD8 T cells comprising the memory pool display considerable heterogeneity, with individual cells differing in phenotype and function. This review will focus on…

www.frontiersin.org

Infection with SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7 detected in a group of dogs and cats with suspected myocarditis

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Background

Domestic pets can contract severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection; however, it is unknown whether the UK B.1.1.7 variant can more easily infect certain animal species or increase the possibility of human-to-animal transmission.

Methods

This is a descriptive case series reporting SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 variant infections in a group of dogs and cats with suspected myocarditis.

Results

The study describes the infection of domestic cats and dogs by the B.1.1.7 variant. Two cats and one dog were positive to SARS-CoV-2 PCR on rectal swab, and two cats and one dog were found to have SARS-CoV-2 antibodies 2–6 weeks after they developed signs of cardiac disease. Many owners of these pets had developed respiratory symptoms 3–6 weeks before their pets became ill and had also tested positive for COVID-19. Interestingly, all these pets were referred for acute onset of cardiac disease, including severe myocardial disorders of suspected inflammatory origin but without primary respiratory signs.

Conclusions

These findings demonstrate, for the first time, the ability for pets to be infected by the B.1.1.7 variant and question its possible pathogenicity in these animals.

Scientists identify mechanism that may influence infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 variants

Enzyme process alters spike protein function

Scientists identify mechanism that may influence infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 variants: Enzyme process alters spike protein function

Scientists have found that a process in cells may limit infectivity of SARS-CoV-2, and that mutations in the alpha and delta variants overcome this effect,…

www.sciencedaily.com

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health have found that a process in cells may limit infectivity of SARS-CoV-2, and that mutations in the alpha and delta variants overcome this effect, potentially boosting the virus's ability to spread. The findings were published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study was led by Kelly Ten Hagen, Ph.D., a senior investigator at NIH's National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR).

Since the coronavirus pandemic began in early 2020, several more-infectious variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, have emerged. The original, or wild-type, virus was followed by the alpha variant, which became widespread in the United States in early 2021, and subsequently the delta variant, which is the most prevalent strain circulating today. The variants have acquired mutations that help them infect people and spread more easily. Many of the mutations affect the spike protein, which the virus uses to get into cells. Scientists have been trying to understand how these changes alter the virus's function.

"Throughout the pandemic, NIDCR researchers have applied their expertise in the oral health sciences to answer key questions about COVID-19," said NIDCR Director Rena D'Souza, D.D.S., Ph.D. "This study offers fresh insights into the greater infectivity of the alpha and delta variants and provides a framework for the development of future therapies."

The outer surface of SARS-CoV-2 is decorated with spike proteins, which the virus uses to attach to and enter cells. Before this can happen, though, the spike protein must be activated by a series of cuts, or cleavages, by host proteins, starting with the furin enzyme. In the alpha and delta variants, mutations to the spike protein appear to enhance furin cleavage, which is thought to make the virus more effective at entering cells.

Studies have shown that in some cases protein cleavage can be decreased by the addition of bulky sugar molecules -- a process carried out by enzymes called GALNTs -- next to the cleavage site. Ten Hagen's team wondered if this happens to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, and, if so, whether it changes the protein's function.

To find out, the scientists studied the effects of GALNT activity on spike protein in fruit fly and mammalian cells. The experiments showed that one enzyme, GALNT1, adds sugars to wild-type spike protein, and this activity reduces furin cleavage. By contrast, mutations to the spike protein, like those in the alpha and delta variants, decrease GALNT1 activity and increase furin cleavage. This suggested that GALNT1 activity may partially suppress furin cleavage in wild-type virus, and that the alpha and delta mutations overcome this effect, allowing furin cleavage to go unchecked.

Further experiments supported this idea. The researchers expressed either wild-type or mutated spike in cells grown in a dish. They observed the cells' tendency to fuse with their neighbors, a behavior that may facilitate spread of the virus during infection. The scientists found that cells expressing mutated spike protein fused with neighbors more often than cells with the wild-type spike. Cells with wild-type spike also fused less often in the presence of GALNT1, suggesting that its activity may limit spike protein function.

"Our findings indicate that the alpha and delta mutations overcome the dampening effect of GALNT1 activity, which may enhance the virus's ability to get into cells," said Ten Hagen.

To see if this process might also occur in people, the team analyzed RNA expression in cells from healthy volunteers. The researchers found wide expression of GALNT1 in lower and upper respiratory tract cells that are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection, indicating that the enzyme could influence infection in humans. The scientists theorized that individual differences in GALNT1 expression could affect virus spread.

"This study suggests that GALNT1 activity may modulate viral infectivity and provides insight into how mutations in the alpha and delta variants may influence this," Ten Hagen said. The knowledge could inform future efforts to develop new interventions.

This research was supported by the NIDCR Division of Intramural Research. Support also came from the intramural program of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

Furin cleavage of the SARS-CoV-2 spike is modulated by O-glycosylation

The novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that is responsible for the global pandemic contains a unique insertion of four amino acids within the spike protein (S).…

www.pnas.org

Spike Protein Goes to Nucleus and Impairs DNA Repair (In-Vitro Study)

Spike Protein Goes to Nucleus and Impairs DNA Repair (In-Vitro Study)In this concerning in-vitro study the researchers show how SARS-COV-2 Spike protein and ...

www.youtube.com

Although SARS–CoV–2 proteins are synthesized in the cytosol [1], some viral proteins are

also detectable in the nucleus, including Nsp1, Nsp5, Nsp9, Nsp13, Nsp14, and Nsp16

[19]. We investigated whether these nuclear‐localized SARS–CoV–2 proteins affect the

host cell DNA damage repair system.

Paper:: https://www.researchgate.net/p…DJ_Recombination_In_Vitro

Only the full–length spike protein strongly inhibited both NHEJ and HR repair (Figures 2B–E and S4A, B). Next, we sought

to determine whether the spike protein directly contributes to genomic instability by in‐hibiting DSB repair.

To confirm the existence of spike protein in the nucleus, we performed subcellular

fraction analysis and found that spike proteins are not only enriched in the cellular mem‐

brane fraction but are also abundant in the nuclear fraction, with detectable expression

even in the chromatin–bound fraction (Figure 3A). We also observed that the spike has

three different forms, the higher band is a highly glycosylated spike, the middle one is a

full–length spike, and the lower one is a cleaved spike subunit.

So it looks like the actual RNA vaccines will have a huge impact on the vaccinated. We already do see a strong immune suppression in UK vaccinated.

A solution would be to use just a subset of the S1 or S2 protein!

Quote from Fm1

FDA’s Smoking Gun: Disinformation Campaign Targeting Ivermectin

I think one of the more interesting aspects of the pandemic story is how politicized the US health care agencies have become. We have the NIH's Fauci recently redefining what GOF is when caught red-handed funding...well, GOF. The CDC has also been right in the thick of the politics also. One of the many examples was last month when they changed the definition of "vaccine":

CDC Emails: Our Definition of Vaccine is "Problematic"

CDC: Problematic Vaccine? No, Problematic Definition of Vaccine.

technofog.substack.com

CDC Emails: Our Definition of Vaccine is "Problematic"

The CDC caused an uproar in early September 2021, after it changed its definitions of “vaccination” and “vaccine.” For years, the CDC had set definitions for vaccination/vaccine that discussed immunity. This all changed on September 1, 2021.

The prior CDC Definitions of Vaccine and Vaccination (August 26, 2021

Vaccine: A product that stimulates a person’s immune system to produce immunity to a specific disease, protecting the person from that disease. Vaccines are usually administered through needle injections, but can also be administered by mouth or sprayed into the nose.

Vaccination: The act of introducing a vaccine into the body to produce immunity to a specific disease.

The CDC Definitions of Vaccine and Vaccination since September 1, 2021:

Vaccine: A preparation that is used to stimulate the body’s immune response against diseases. Vaccines are usually administered through needle injections, but some can be administered by mouth or sprayed into the nose.

Vaccination: The act of introducing a vaccine into the body to produce protection from a specific disease.

People noticed. Representative Thomas Massie was among the first to discuss the change, noting the definition went from “immunity” to “protection”.

Thomas Massie @RepThomasMassie
Check out @CDCgov’s evolving definition of “vaccination.” They’ve been busy at the Ministry of Truth:

September 8th 2021

11,193 Retweets22,210 Likes

To many observers, it appeared the CDC changed the definitions because of the waning effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines. For example, the effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine falls over time, with an Israeli study reported in August 2021 as showing the vaccine being “only 16% effective against symptomatic infection for those individuals who had two doses of the shot back in January.” The CDC recognizes the waning effectiveness, thus explaining their promotion of booster shots.

Of course, the usual suspects defended the CDC. The Washington Post, for example, cast doubt that the CDC changed the definition because of issues with the COVID-19 vaccines. The CDC tried to downplay the change, stating “slight changes in wording over time … haven’t impacted the overall definition.”

Internal CDC E-Mails

CDC emails we obtained via the Freedom of Information Act reveal CDC worries with how the performance of the COVID-19 vaccines didn’t match the CDC’s own definition of “vaccine”/“vaccination”. The CDC’s Ministry of Truth went hard at work in the face of legitimate public questions on this issue.

In one August 2021 e-mail, a CDC employee cited to complaints that “Right-wing covid-19 deniers are using your ‘vaccine’ definition to argue that mRNA vaccines are not vaccines…”

After taking some suggestions, the CDC’s Lead Health Communication Specialist went up the food chain to propose changes to the definitions: “I need to update this page Immunization Basics | CDC since these definitions are outdated and being used by some to say COVID-19 vaccines are not vaccines per CDC’s own definition.”

Getting no response, there was a follow-up e-mail a week later: “The definition of vaccine we have posted is problematic and people are using it to claim the COVID-19 vaccine is not a vaccine based on our own definition.”

The change of the “vaccination” definition was eventually approved on August 31. The next day, on September 1, they approved the change to the “vaccine” definition from discussing immunity to protection (seen below).

There you have it. Affirmative action for the multinational corporations. Why have them improve their vaccines when you can just change the definition of vaccine to fit their ineffective vaccines?

Congrats to all the skeptics out there – you raised enough hell that the the CDC went and tried to change reality.

So with the new anti-virals coming online, monoclonal antibodies already proven effective and in use, is there a need for 5 year olds to be forced, or enticed ( https://ny.chalkbeat.org/2021/…0-covid-shots-nyc-schools ) into getting vaccinated?

Pfizer antiviral drug could nearly end deaths from COVID-19, company study suggests

Pfizer antiviral drug could nearly end deaths from COVID-19, company study suggests

A new drug being developed by Pfizer offers the possibility of nearly putting an end to deaths from COVID-19.

When given within five days of the onset of symptoms, the antiviral therapy, called Paxlovid, prevented almost 90% of deaths from COVID-19 compared with a placebo, a Pfizer study found.

By the end of the year, the company plans to complete two other studies of the pill, which is given twice a day for five days. Pfizer plans to submit the study data as part of its rolling submission to the Food and Drug Administration as soon as possible.

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It's not yet clear how much the treatment would cost or how many doses could rapidly be made available, assuming it receives clearance from regulatory agencies.

Pfizer's pill compares favorably with a similar one being developed by Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics that cut in half the hospitalization and death rate for COVID-19.

The Pfizer and Merck-Ridgeback drugs were so effective that independent boards reviewing their data stopped the studies early.

On Thursday, Merck and Ridgeback received authorization to provide their drug, molnupiravir, in the United Kingdom to adults with confirmed mild to moderate COVID-19 who have at least one risk factor for developing severe disease.

This made it the first authorized at-home treatment for COVID-19. In the U.S., only one drug, remdesivir, has been approved for use in patients hospitalized with COVID-19, though the steroid dexamethasone and other treatments approved for other purposes are also used in treatment.

Monoclonal antibodies, which can help stop the progression of coronavirus infections, are authorized for emergency use in people recently diagnosed with COVID-19 who are at high risk for severe disease. The treatments are generally available as infusions, though they also can be delivered as multiple-dose shots.

Molnupiravir, originally created by researchers at Emory University in Atlanta along with colleagues at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, is given as four pills taken twice a day for five days.

In a company-funded study of more than 750 people who tested positive for the coronavirus and had at least one risk factor for severe COVID-19, roughly half received molnupiravir and half a placebo. More than 7% of those who received the active drug were hospitalized, and none died; 14% of those who received the placebo were hospitalized, eight of whom died. All participants were either over 60 or had diabetes, obesity or heart disease, the companies said.

An FDA advisory committee is scheduled to meet this month to discuss the companies' request for an emergency use authorization for molnupiravir.

In a statement Thursday, the U.K.'s Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid called molnupiravir a “gamechanger for the most vulnerable and the immunosuppressed.”

Merck and Ridgeback expect to produce 10 million treatment courses of molnupiravir by the end of this year.

Pfizer and Merck-Ridgeback are entering into advance purchase agreements with countries to provide their pills once regulatory agencies sign off on them.

Merck and Ridgeback already have a purchase agreement with the U.S. government to provide 1.7 million treatment courses of molnupiravir at just over $700 each. For comparison, an antiviral used against the flu, called Tamiflu, costs just under $100 a treatment, and its generic sells for about $21.

In the newly published trial result for Paxlovid, Pfizer showed an 89% reduction in risk of COVID-19-related hospitalization or death among more than 1,200 volunteers, half of whom received a placebo. All participants were adults and had at least one characteristic or underlying medical condition associated with an increased risk of developing severe COVID-19.

Nearly 7% of those who received a placebo ended up hospitalized, compared with just 1% of those who got the active drug. Ten of the people in the placebo group died. None of those who received the active drug died.

Quote from Fm1

Janssen, a part of Johnson and Johnson, warned healthcare professionals in South Africa of the risks of blood clotting disorders triggered by the COVID-19 vaccine, in a medicine safety information announcement released on October 26, 2021. TrialSite has followed the development of this vaccine from its early stages and through its promising clinical trials. However, the October statement highlights the risks of immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) and venous thromboembolism (VTE) following vaccination with the Janssen product.

This is a very small example of antivaxxer spin from TSN. they have done much wore, and lied. Perhaps it is a typo, or a Freudian slip, where a phraseology closer to what the writer wants gets inserted.

Janssen, a part of Johnson and Johnson, warned healthcare professionals in South Africa of the risks of blood clotting disorders triggered by the COVID-19 vaccine

which implies that COVID vaccines generally have this porblem

should be

Janssen, a part of Johnson and Johnson, warned healthcare professionals in South Africa of the risks of blood clotting disorders triggered by their COVID-19 vaccine

Blood clots are a known problem from the AstraZeneca vaccine, and it looks like from the J&J vaccine too.

The UK government has pretty well abandoned using vaccines other than the mRNA ones, because they work better and have better safety profile.

However - if we did not have those - the risks here for most people (or for population average) are much higher from COVID than from the vaccines. And they have been well quantified by self-controlled case studies.

Even with these blood clots it is worth pointing out that.

Quote from Shane D.

is there a need for 5 year olds to be forced, or enticed ( https://ny.chalkbeat.org/2021/…0-covid-shots-nyc-schools ) into getting vaccinated?

The vaccine safety profile is much clearer than that of these antivirals. Given that they would be taken by people before serious disease develops, if you just play a numbers game, they have to be very safe to make it safer for your child not to be vaccinated. In fact I doubt the antivirals will be used for children, in which case they do not much alter the safety equation for them.

The other part of the jigsaw is the at risk population: there we can trial these drugs, and even use them, when they come with quite high risks, if they reduce the much larger risk of COVID.

I agree that vaccine + (safe) anti-virals makes for a very large risk reduction. It is very good news.

molnupiravir looks not very effective, and has unproven safety

The Pfizer antiviral looks very effective, also with unproven safety.

We will need to wait 2 or 3 months at least for preliminary real-world safety info. The equation for vaccinating young children (5 - 11) in the interim looks very complicated. Worth pointing out that without vaccination the UK has been seeing ultra-high COVID rates in 11 year olds - which means they all get it, and some of their carers get it as well. So in addition to the very small and comparable COVID or vaccine risks in this age group you have the indirect effects of carers dying, and time off school, etc, etc.

You have to be an antivaxxer to see the (real) risks of vaccines as higher than the real risks of COVID - even for this lowest COVID risk group.

Personally I don't have trypanophobia so don't see vaccinating children as any different from all the other medical interventions we do which in very unusual cases can go wrong. It does not stop most of us from taking the considered advice of our doctors.

THH

Quote from Shane D.

Pfizer antiviral drug could nearly end deaths from COVID-19, company study suggests

It's a bit closer to Ivermectin. May be we have to compare the chemical structure...

Ivermectin gives you 100% protection for a CoV-19 infection and 98% protection from death even for severe cases given you use the right doses and other supportive drugs. Given early - latest day 2 its a 100% (For clowns:: 99.9998%) protection from death too.

Quote from THHuxleynew

The vaccine safety profile is much clearer than that of these antivirals.

I agree::

RNA gene therapy = fake vaccines::

500 heart damages for 1 million vaccinated (for clowns = 2 mio doses) .

15..25 direct indirect deaths.

about 1000 nervous system disorders.

Anti virals::

Ivermectin 0,0,0.... Oh, I have forgotten the cow, that did horn (butt) the doctor. --> one death from Ivermectin.

People that die - even with anti virals show up very late > 10 days after symptoms onset. Here often the virus is almost dead already and your body fights with secondary defects.

From Israel data:: The decline rate in cases is 2x lower than after vaccination. This despite a higher total vaccination rate. This clearly shows that boosters have a much weaker effect.

As it looks now like a reply happens of the post alpha wave with lower cases numbers due to wet-warm "winter".

Quote from Wyttenbach

Ivermectin gives you 100% protection for a CoV-19 infection and 98% protection from death even for severe cases given you use the right doses and other supportive drugs.

That doesn’t seem to match… How can 2% die of COVID, if 100% are protected from a Corona infection??

Quote from Wyttenbach

People that die - even with anti virals show up very late > 10 days after symptoms onset. Here often the virus is almost dead already and your body fights with secondary defects.

Quote from zorud

How can 2% die of COVID, if 100% are protected from a Corona infection??

May be you need a bit fantasy why this happens? Because the Dr.Mengele countries do not allow IVR treatment... Also do countries like Zaire not have a medical system in place. Old people can't walk 2 days for the next hospital after an infection. So these folks show up late - when ever...

1-2% is the general figure of people that show up late in all IVR treatement only countries. Only India so far does IVR prophylaxes. Because of this I recommend to vaccinate (Moderna only so far) all age > 70!

Quote from Wyttenbach

A solution would be to use just a subset of the S1 or S2 protein!

I've heard the the S1 can cross the blood brain barrier, yikes.

Quote from Mark U

I've heard the the S1 can cross the blood brain barrier, yikes.

I can see Mark that you are very very afraid of COVID.

All that spike protein synthesised in vast qtys in cells and not (nothing in biology is perfect) all arranged on the outside of baby covid viruses. No, it will be distributed in all sorts of forms (including exosomes). All those antivaxer scare stories? Yup - they apply X100 or so to COVID infection.

But that's OK, because it is natural. And the immunity it provides to most of those it does not kill is natural immunity!

Though I thought, in fact, many of those same people who are antivaxxers also claim that COVID is a completely artificial virus, designed in a lab to faciliate Bill implanting those microchips in us. So not quite so natural.

I dunno - implanted microchips, injections, it triggers all the same memes that being experimented on up in the mothership does...

?

Quote from THHuxleynew

it triggers all the same memes that being experimented on up in the mothership does

Many of our members joined when Oumuamua passed by. Coincidence? I don't think so.

Quote from Wyttenbach

From Israel data:: The decline rate in cases is 2x lower than after vaccination. This despite a higher total vaccination rate. This clearly shows that boosters have a much weaker effect.

• I doubt you have fitted exponentials to the before and after infection curves to get this 2X lower. In fact I'm not even sure what you mean by that. For it to make sense you need to go from exponential coefficient -> R, both before and after, and divide the two. But that does not work, see next point.
• I doubt you are accounting for the differences caused by a large number of the unvaccinated who have caught COVID and have some immunity from that. Many more now than when vaccination started. We know that must be skewing the figures because the infection rate in Israel was not going up exponentially (and without boosters would eventually have flattened and gone down). It is strange you forget this when you often remind us of the effect of natural immunity.
• I doubt you are considering that the 2nd dose vaccination rate is 67%, whereas 3rd dose rate is 43%.

To me, and perhaps this is just I'm not clever enough, any such deduction would be clear as mud. Perhaps it is an example of the well-known law - somone who uses the word clearly does so exactly to cover the fact that they know what they claim is not clear.

Dogs and cats infected with b117 and now eastern Europe?

European Study: Alpha Variant Likely Evading Vaccines Wreaking Havoc in Europe

European Study: Alpha Variant Likely Evading Vaccines Wreaking Havoc in Europe

Corresponding author Buqing Yi, PhD employed with the Institute of Medical Microbiology and Virology, Carl Gustav Carus Hospital in Dresden as

trialsitenews.com

Corresponding author Buqing Yi, PhD employed with the Institute of Medical Microbiology and Virology, Carl Gustav Carus Hospital in Dresden as well as colleagues from Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Technische University DRESDEN-concept Genome Center and the Regional Public Health Authority for the city of Ústí nad Labem in the Czech Republic recently introduced the world to a likely vaccine evading SARS-CoV-2 Alpha variant wreaking havoc in parts of Europe. A sub-lineage of the UK’s Alpha SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.7, the variant is likely the culprit triggering huge surges in infections and possibly even the rising death rates in places such as Austria. Not widely reported, this mutant was discovered by the initiative involving weekly genomic epidemiology analyses of SARS-CoV-2 samples collected from the border region between Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic. The novel B.1.1.7 sub-lineage includes mutations of nucleoprotein G204P and open-reading frame-8 K68 stop. Now apparently this Alpha variant mutation represents the predominant variant in several European countries (e.g., Czech Republic, Austria and Slovakia currently experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases. Disturbingly the German and Czech-based scientists discovered in their analysis that this variant is likely evasive to current vaccines. Could this variant explain the current European COVID-19 surge?

This recent study could contribute to helping solve some perplexing challenges about the pandemic’s spread in Europe. The findings should spur discussions among scientists and public health officials as well as national leaders about the need for more globalized coordination and collaboration involving ongoing surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 variant presence and activity.

This study was made possible by the ongoing collaborations worldwide such as GISAID as well as team members at Institute of Medical Microbiology and Virology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus who conducted sample testing and sequencing as well as Dresden concept Genome Center involved with sequencing.

Background

Some European countries face frightening surges in this ongoing pandemic despite in some cases heavily vaccinated populations. While some politicians and bureaucrats in this part of the world unfortunately raise the specter of authoritarian policies—such as the recent declaration by Austria’s new Chancellor that if the ICUs get filled up beyond a certain percentage the unvaccinated will be targeted for home-based lockdowns (a frightening prospect given that country’s history with previous fascistic experiments), what if the vaccinated were doing much of the transmission? The new B.1.1.7 (Alpha) sub-lineage variant identified by European researchers again raises concerning questions about assumptions underlying existing public health measures.

Bad Surges

Austria faces an unprecedented surge in cases despite nearly 65% of its population fully vaccinated—the figure is notably higher among people 18 years and up. By Nov. 5 the country of just under 9 million people reported 9,388 new cases of SARS-Cov-2 nearly surpassing the record high in the second wave of the pandemic during November-December of 2020. But the rate of new COVID-19 infections continues to climb. While the death rates are lower than the previous surges, they nonetheless are rising with 32 deaths reported in Nov. 5. For much of the summer the average daily death toll was consistently under five per day.

But Austria isn’t alone—Slovakia faces what appears to be it’s worst surge yet during this COVID-19 pandemic. With a record 6,805 new cases reported on Friday November 5 the country’s 20 deaths also indicate a marked change from the relatively calm summer when few deaths were reported in this European nation of 5.4 million people. The media targets the unvaccinated as the culprit behind “spiraling infections” as in addition Slovakia, Croatia, Slovenia, and Ukraine face the highest number of SARS-CoV-2 infections since the beginning of the pandemic.

The Mutant

Given huge surges the finding by German and Czech scientists finds little attention in the media. Not surprising given it could pose a problem for the current public health narrative sweeping the globe.

The variant, a sub-lineage of the alpha variant known as B.1.1.7 is now the predominant B.1.1.7 variant across many of these countries in Europe and just may be further stoking the pandemic fire. In addition to the initial observations Buqing Yi, PhD with the Institute of Medical Microbiology and Virology, Carl Gustav Carus Hospital in Dresden and colleagues report that the they have “detected its [variant] further evolution with extra spike mutations D138Y and A701V, which are signature mutations shared with the Beta and Gamma variants, respectively.”

Alarmingly Dr. Yi and team further declared that based on a series of analysis during this study this particular mutant variant of Alpha“…is 3.2 fold less sensitive to vaccine-elicited antibodies as compared to other B.1.1.7 variants tested, indicating potential for immune evasion.”

The authors do proceed to note that the variant appears to have less replication fitness.

Troublemaker

Dr. Yi and team go on to declare in their summary of the study that this B.1.1.7 sub-lineage variant has caused a lot of trouble, essentially the culprit in “the pandemic waves in early 2021 in various European countries.”

Importance of Global Collaborations

The study authors emphasize the importance of international collaboration on virus mutant surveillance—for COVID-19 and other pathogens from viruses to bacteria.

Funding & Support

German Ministry of Health (grant)

Participating institutions

Lead Research/Investigator (corresponding author)

Buqing Yi, PhD with the Institute of Medical Microbiology and Virology, Carl Gustav Carus Hospital

Call to Action: A more cohesive and collaborative global surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and all its variants would help specific public health agencies and national governments better understand this unfolding pandemic in real time. Policies and directives based on actual unfolding data are key. The authors made the findings accessible here.

Emergence and spread of a sub-lineage of SARS-CoV-2 Alpha variant B.1.1.7 in Europe, and with further evolution of spike mutation accumulations shared with the Beta and Gamma variants