CORONA Main Coronavirus thread

[marsh]

Zerohedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

www.zerohedge.com

Half Of America Believes Vaccine Mandates, COVID Passports More Important Than "Protecting Freedom", New Poll Finds

THURSDAY, AUG 12, 2021 - 02:00 PM
Authored by Steve Watson via Summit News,

A Fox News poll contends that a majority of Americans are in SUPPORT of vaccine mandates and the introduction of COVID passports that tie freedoms to vaccination status.


The survey found that 50 percent of respondents are in favour of requiring proof of a coronavirus vaccine for “indoor activities such as restaurants, gyms and performances,” while 46% oppose the idea.

Fifty percent also agreed that “protecting the safety of Americans” by requiring vaccinations in order to engage in everyday activities trumps “protecting the freedom” of Americans to choose whether or not they are vaccinated.

In contrast, 47% of respondents said protecting freedom is more important.

The poll also found that 44% said they were more likely to frequent stores and establishments that require customers and workers to be vaccinated, or have a recent negative COVID-19 test.

Only 24% said they were less likely to do that.



Other interesting findings of the poll include 46% of Americans believing the federal government’s change in mask guidance has more to do with politics than science, with 42% saying the opposite.

In addition, 63% of parents agree schools should mandate masks for the unvaccinated, while 60% of respondents who said they had not taken the vaccine said they had no plans to do so.

The poll correlates with findings from April, when a Rasmussen poll revealed that almost half of Americans support the introduction of vaccine passports in order to get “back to normal.”

 

[marsh]

Zerohedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

www.zerohedge.com

"Herd Immunity Is Not A Possibility": Dr. Malone Vindicated After Oxford Prof Warns Over New Variants

THURSDAY, AUG 12, 2021 - 01:10 PM
In one of the most appalling examples of Big Tech silencing scientists who refuse to withhold their criticisms of the mRNA technology behind the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccines, Dr. Robert Malone, a pioneer who helped develop mRNA vaccine technology, saw the credit for his contribution to medicine effectively erased from the Internet by Wikipedia after he raised concerns about potential long-term autoimmune issues and other complications potentially arising from mRNA jabs.

He has also shared other medical heresies, including the possibility that 'imperfect' vaccines might actually help foster more virulent COVID variants due to a phenomenon called 'ADE' - antibody-dependent enhancement. Essentially, what doesn't kill the virus makes it stronger. In retaliation for sharing these views, Dr. Malone was ridiculed by colleagues as a conspiracist and an "anti-vaxxer".



Dr. Malone
But earlier this week, Dr. Malone saw his views subtly vindicated by an unexpected source: a British scientist and academic named Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, who is the director of the Oxford Vaccine Group. During a briefing, Sir Pollard warned Parliament that the UK likely won't ever achieve herd immunity, thanks to the delta variant.

In remarks that risked undermining the government's vaccination campaign, Sir Pollard, a professor of pediatric infection and immunity, warned Parliament on Tuesday that achieving herd immunity is likely "not a possibility" thanks to variants like delta. Recently, a group of scientists estimated that the threshold for herd immunity might now be as high as 90% due to the delta variant. According to Pollard, we're learning for the first time that herd immunity is magical thinking - and has always been magical thinking.

Since those who are vaccinated can still be infected by variants, "there is virtually nothing the UK can do" to eradicate COVID completely.

"We know very clearly with coronavirus that this current variant, the Delta variant, will still infect people who have been vaccinated, and that does mean that anyone who's still unvaccinated, at some point, will meet the virus," Pollard said.

He said it was unlikely that herd immunity will ever be reached, saying the next variant of the novel coronavirus will be "perhaps even better at transmitting in vaccinated populations."
Pollard also shared what sounded like a subtle criticism of masks by saying that "We don't have anything which will stop that transmission to other people." As an example, he pointed to Israel, which saw new cases and hospitalizations nearly disappear before the new variant took hold, causing cases and hospitalizations to surge once again. Now, there have even been a handful of patients who have tested positive even after receiving their third dose of the Pfizer jab (which the US has only just approved for a third dose as well).

Dr. Malone, meanwhile, celebrated Sir Pollard's comments as vindication.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1425086490002997248

View: https://twitter.com/i/status/1425086490002997248
1:41 min



For context, Dr. Malone tweeted back in June that herd immunity targets were effectively useless.



Even the White House is finally acknowledging that vaccines aren't nearly as effective as they once believed, which is why the FDA has decided to approve the third dose. "I think everybody believes this wanes over time, the question is to what extent,” a senior Biden official told Axios.

"Nobody wants to be behind the eight-ball here. We want to catch it before there’s an issue, and that’s why there is very intense scrutiny."

Remember, not only can the vaccinated be sickened by "breakthrough" infections, but they can also pass the virus on to others (including others who are vaccinated). And the more the virus spreads, the more likely a vaccine-resistant variant is to emerge.

 

[marsh]

Non-Peer Reviewed Study Raises Questions About Pfizer Vaccine

A new preprint study suggests that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines may be less effective over time as the Delta variant spreads.

www.breitbart.com

Non-Peer Reviewed Study Raises Questions About Pfizer Vaccine Effectiveness Against Delta Variant

JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images
PAUL BOIS12 Aug 202132

As fear spreads about the coronavirus Delta variant, a new preprint study suggests that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines may be less effective over time.

Between the months of January and July, the study conducted by nference and the Mayo Clinic compared the effectiveness of both the Pfizer and the Moderna vaccines over the course of time. Axios profiled the study’s findings:

Overall, it found that the Moderna vaccine was 86% effective against infection over the study period, and Pfizer’s was 76%. Moderna’s vaccine was 92% effective against hospitalization and Pfizer’s was 85%.

But the vaccines’ effectiveness against infection dropped sharply in July, when the Delta variant’s prevalence in Minnesota had risen to over 70%.

Moderna was 76% effective against infection, and Pfizer was only 42% effective.

The study found similar results in other states. For example, in Florida, the risk of infection in July for people fully vaccinated with Moderna was about 60% lower than for people fully vaccinated with Pfizer.

The study did not determine if the vaccines declined in effectiveness over time, or were simply less effective against the Delta variant. Either way, the study’s findings have since become a cause for concern in the Biden administration, many of whom believe it may be a “wakeup call” for the current challenge at hand. However, it should be noted that the study has yet to be peer-reviewed and cannot be taken as gospel.

Venky Soundararajan, a lead author of the study, said that the data certainly raise important questions about the differences between the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.

“Based on the data that we have so far, it is a combination of both factors,” Soundararajan said.

“The Moderna vaccine is likely — very likely — more effective than the Pfizer vaccine in areas where Delta is the dominant strain, and the Pfizer vaccine appears to have a lower durability of effectiveness.”

Cornell virologist John Moore said that even though the study had some surprising takeaways, more data would be needed before medical professionals “accept its validity.”

The presence of the Delta variant has played a major factor in the Biden administration’s call for mass vaccinations, even among youth.

“Here’s the deal: The Delta variant is more contagious, it’s deadlier, and it’s spreading quickly around the world – leaving young, unvaccinated people more vulnerable than ever. Please, get vaccinated if you haven’t already. Let’s head off this strain before it’s too late,” President Joe Biden tweeted in late June:

 

[marsh]

Deadly Lambda variant could be neutralizing vaccines, new study says

Researchers in Japan have provided new evidence that the ballooning COVID-19 Lambda variant may be as contagious as Delta while evading vaccine efforts.

nypost.com

Deadly Lambda variant could be neutralizing vaccines, new study says

By Hannah Sparks
August 12, 2021 | 3:11pm

https://players.brightcove.net/2a462418-2fef-46fe-a9f7-9a42aaefb7be .23 min

As the US struggles to suppress the rapidly advancing coronavirus Delta variant, new evidence has emerged that the latest Lambda mutation — ravaging parts of South America — won’t be slowed by vaccines.

In a July 28 report appearing on bioRxiv, where the study awaits peer review prior to getting published, researchers in Japan are sounding the alarm on the C.37 variant, dubbed Lambda. And it’s proven just as virulent as Delta thanks to a similar mutation making them even more contagious.

The strain has been contained in 26 countries, including substantial outbreaks in Chile, Peru, Argentina and Ecuador.

“Notably, the vaccination rate in Chile is relatively high; the percentage of the people who received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine was [about] 60%,” the authors write.

“Nevertheless, a big COVID-19 surge has occurred in Chile in Spring 2021, suggesting that the Lambda variant is proficient in escaping from the antiviral immunity elicited by vaccination,” they warn.

The Lambda variant is thought to have emerged somewhere in South America between November and December 2020, and has since turned up in countries throughout Europe, North America and a few more isolated cases in Asia, according to GISAID data.

Researchers have provided new evidence that the ballooning Lambda variant may be as contagious as Delta, while also evading vaccine efforts.Izumi Kimura et al.

The proportion the Lambda variant has of COVID-19 cases in the US is low with just one-tenth of 1% of the share — about 911 cases. Compare that to Delta, which has infected some 77,692 Americans so far.

“In addition to increasing viral infectivity, the Delta variant exhibits higher resistance to the vaccine-induced neutralization,” the authors said. “Similarly, here we showed that the Lambda variant equips not only increased infectivity but also resistance against antiviral immunity.”

Lambda has so far been labeled a “variant of interest” by the World Health Organization, compared to the Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta strains, which have all risen to “variant of concern,” or VOC, status.

Fears arise that lambda COVID-19 variant from Peru may be resistant to vaccines

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has published scant literature on the Lambda variant, though a COVID-19 vaccine briefing from July 27 cited another pre-print study, dated July 3, which concluded that the mRNA vaccine in particular is thought to effectively neutralize the Lambda variant.

In Chile, where C.37 is proliferating, their notably aggressive vaccine campaign relied predominantly on the Sinovac Biotech vaccine, which employs the inactivated virus to promote the production of COVID-19 antibodies.

Meanwhile, doctors are urging patients to get fully vaccinated in order to mitigate the severity of illness if infected with COVID-19 and its variants. Studies have shown that vaccines are effective at reducing deadly outcomes of COVID-19 — and a booster shot may be even better, prompting the Food and Drug Administration to consider providing third vaccine doses to people with compromised immune systems.

In a recent appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci concluded, “There’s no doubt that over time, you’re going to have an attenuation of protection.”

Medical personnel remove the corpse of a COVID-19 victim in Arequipa, Peru.AFP via Getty Images

 

[marsh]

World’s second largest shipping port was just shut down… Because of single Covid case…

Here comes more inflation. Full story at RCMP…

citizenfreepress.com

World’s second largest shipping port was just shut down… Because of single Covid case…
Posted by Kane on August 12, 2021 4:02 pm



Here comes more inflation.



Full story at RCMP… https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3144830/china-coronavirus-infection-closes-shipping-terminal-massive

 

[marsh]

Anti-vax nurse injects 8,600 with saline instead of COVID vaccine: police

It’s unknown why the Red Cross nurse had injected people with a placebo; however, she had reportedly broadcast anti-vax views on social media, investigators reported.

nypost.com

Anti-vax nurse injects 8,600 with saline instead of COVID vaccine: police [Germany]
By Ben Cost

August 11, 2021 | 10:52am

https://players.brightcove.net/0d3eb655-7abc-44f0-8ca9-92043cb30fbe .55 min

She gave them a false sense of immunity.

A German nurse is being investigated for allegedly injecting thousands of people with a placebo instead of the coronavirus vaccine.

Based on witness testimony, police investigator Peter Beer said there was “a reasonable suspicion” that the rogue medical professional had administered shots of saline solution to up to 8,600 patients who were slated to receive the COVID jab, Reuters reported.

“I am totally shocked by this episode,” Sven Ambrosy, a local councilor, said of the alarming switcheroo, which reportedly occurred in March and April in Friesland in northern Germany.

It’s unknown why the shot-blocker — reportedly a Red Cross nurse — had injected people with blanks; however, she had reportedly broadcast anti-vax views on social media, investigators reported.

A German nurse is being accused of injecting up to 8,600 patients with a saline solution instead of the COVID vaccine.AFP via Getty Images

And while the faux jab was harmless, it may have disproportionately affected elderly people, who are at a greater risk of contracting the virus.

In order to prevent casualties from the fake shots, authorities are imploring thousands of people to get a second jab.

“The district of Friesland will do everything possible to ensure that the affected people receive their vaccination protection as soon as possible,” Ambrosy wrote in a Tuesday Facebook post.

Unfortunately, the nurse isn’t the first medical practitioner to express anti-vax views. In June, a Texas hospital suspended 178 employees for two weeks without pay for refusing to get the coronavirus vaccine.

 

[marsh]

Heart Inflammation After COVID Vaccines More Common Than CDC Claims, New Research Shows

U.S. public health officials claim cases of myocarditis and pericarditis following COVID vaccination are rare — but new research published online in the Journal

truthbasedmedia.com

Heart Inflammation After COVID Vaccines More Common Than CDC Claims, New Research Shows

A new study published in JAMA shows 1 in 100,000 people had vaccine-related myocarditis and 1.8 in 100,000 people had pericarditis — compared to the CDC’s data that 4.8 people per 1 million suffer myocarditis after receiving a COVID vaccine.

by MEGAN REDSHAW
August 12, 2021

U.S. public health officials claim cases of myocarditis and pericarditis following COVID vaccination are rare — but new research published online in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) shows they may happen more often than reported.

Post-vaccine myocarditis and pericarditis also appear to represent two “distinct syndromes,” Dr. George Diaz, with the Providence Regional Medical Center Everett, told Medscape Cardiology.

Diaz and colleagues reviewed 2,000,287 electronic medical records (EMR) of people who received at least one COVID vaccination.

The records, obtained from 40 hospitals in Washington, Oregon, Montana and California, showed 20 people had vaccine-related myocarditis (1.0 per 100,000) and 37 had pericarditis (1.8 per 100,000).

A recent report, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), based on data from the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS), suggested an incidence of myocarditis of about 4.8 cases per 1 million following receipt of an mRNA COVID vaccine.

The median age of the CDC report’s cohort was 57 years, and 59% were women.

Only 77% received more than one dose. Fifty-three percent received Pfizer, 44% Moderna and 3% received Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) COVID vaccine.

Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle that can lead to cardiac arrhythmia and death. According to researchers at the National Organization for Rare Disorders, myocarditis can result from infections, but “more commonly the myocarditis is a result of the body’s immune reaction to the initial heart damage.”

Pericarditis is often used interchangeably with myocarditis and refers to inflammation of the pericardium, the thin sac surrounding the heart.

The new JAMA study showed a “similar pattern [to the CDC study], although at higher incidence [of myocarditis and pericarditis] after vaccination, suggesting vaccine adverse event under-reporting.”

The JAMA report also stated: “Additionally, pericarditis may be more common than myocarditis among older patients.”

“Our study resulted in higher numbers of cases probably because we searched the EMR, and [also because] VAERS requires doctors to report suspected cases voluntarily,” Diaz told Medscape. Also, in the governments’ statistics, pericarditis and myocarditis were “lumped together,” Diaz said.

According to Tracy Høeg, physician, epidemiologist and associate researcher at UC Davis, the results of the JAMA study are telling, as recent rates correlate with vaccination.

“An important thing I would say is COVID itself does not appear to be correlated with an uptick,” Høeg said in a tweet.



The researchers calculated the average monthly number of cases of myocarditis or pericarditis during the pre-vaccine period of January 2019 through January 2021 was 16.9 compared with 27.3 during the vaccine period of February through May 2021

The mean numbers of pericarditis cases during the same periods were 49.1 and 78.8.

The authors said limitations of their analysis include potential missed cases outside care settings and missed diagnoses of myocarditis or pericarditis, which would underestimate the incidence, as well as inaccurate EMR vaccination information.

“Temporal association does not prove causation, although the short span between vaccination and myocarditis onset and the elevated incidence of myocarditis and pericarditis in the study hospitals lend support to a possible relationship,” the authors wrote.

Myocarditis more common in men
The 20 myocarditis cases occurred a median of 3.5 days after vaccination. Eleven occurred after receiving Moderna’s vaccine and nine occurred after Pfizer. Fifteen cases were in men, and the median age was 36 years.

Four individuals developed myocarditis symptoms after the first vaccination (20%) and 16 (80%) after the second dose. Nineteen patients (95%) were admitted to the hospital and were discharged after a median of two days. None of the 20 patients died.

At last available follow-up (median, 23.5 days after symptom onset), 13 patients (65%) had a resolution of their myocarditis symptoms and seven (35%) were improving.

Pericarditis more frequent after Pfizer vaccine
The 37 pericarditis cases occurred a median of 20 days after the most recent COVID vaccination. Twenty-three cases (62%) occurred with Pfizer, 12 (32%) with Moderna and two (5%) with J&J’s vaccine.

Fifteen people developed pericarditis after the first vaccine dose (41%) and 22 (59%) after the second. Twenty-seven (73%) of the cases occurred in men with a median age of 59 years.

Thirteen (35%) patients were admitted to the hospital with a median hospital stay of one day. No patient died.

Kids and myocarditis
In another, small case series published online in JAMA Aug. 10, researchers examined 15 children who were hospitalized with myocarditis after receiving Pfizer’s vaccine. Boys were most commonly affected after the second dose.

Three patients had ventricular systolic dysfunction — a common and serious complication of myocardial infarction that leads to greatly increased risks of sudden death and of heart failure.

Twelve patients had late gadolinium enhancement — a result of cardiac injury — on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.

There were no deaths, and all but one patient had normal echocardiogram results on follow-up one to 13 days after hospital discharge.

The researchers concluded patients were mildly affected, but long-term risks associated with post-vaccine myocarditis remain unknown and larger studies with longer follow-up are needed to inform recommendations for COVID vaccination in children.

According to the latest data from VAERS, there have been 2,018 U.S. reports of myocarditis and pericarditis following COVID vaccines, with 1,275 cases attributed to Pfizer, 667 cases to Moderna and 71 cases to J&J’s COVID vaccine.

Among 12- to 17-year-olds, there have been 406 reports of myocarditis and pericarditis, with 402 cases attributed to Pfizer’s vaccine.

The VAERS website states underreporting is one of the main limitations of a passive surveillance system like VAERS. The website states: “The term underreporting refers to the fact that VAERS receives reports for only a small fraction of actual adverse events.”

According to Dr. Hooman Noorchasm, a cardiothoracic surgeon and patient safety advocate, the myocarditis risk of mRNA vaccination in younger boys is real.

“This is why it’s, at the very least, absolutely critical for medical necessity to be established through COVID-19 antibody testing so that already immune COVID-recovered children are spared an unnecessary vaccination,” Noorchasm said. “I also suspect that spreading out the vaccine dosing to 6-8 weeks will reduce the incidence of this complication.”

Noorchasm said any child who complains of chest pain following vaccination ought to have his/her troponin levels evaluated to rule out myocardial injury — irrespective of which vaccine dose they’ve received.

On Aug. 12, The Defender reported about a 14-year-old boy, Aiden, who developed myocarditis after receiving Pfizer’s vaccine. Aiden’s mother, Emily Jo, said she was aware of the potential side effect of heart inflammation, but the CDC said it was very rare and mild.



“What they didn’t explain is that mild means hospital care and follow-up care indefinitely,” Jo said.

But the biggest problem, Jo said, is the CDC does not explain what mild myocarditis means. “Aiden’s cardiologist told us no case of myocarditis is ‘mild.’

That’s like saying a heart attack is mild,” her son’s doctor told her.

On June 25, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) added a warning to patient and provider fact sheets for Pfizer and Moderna COVID vaccines suggesting an increased risk of myocarditis and pericarditis — particularly following the second dose and with onset of symptoms within a few days after vaccination.

The FDA’s update followed a review of information and discussion by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a committee within the CDC that provides advice and guidance on effective control of vaccine-preventable diseases, during a June 23 meeting where the committee acknowledged 1,200 cases of heart inflammation in 16- to 24-year-olds, and said mRNA COVID vaccines should carry a warning statement.

Dr. Elizabeth Mumper, a pediatrician who has seen many patients experience vaccine adverse events in her practice, listened to the entire June 23 ACIP meeting.

Mumper said

“I was surprised that a working document was presented in which ACIP was leaning toward recommending a second COVID vaccine in patients who experienced heart inflammation after the first dose, as long as the patient had improved. I was also surprised that some ACIP committee members seemed to be making the assumption that the cases of myocarditis and pericarditis would not cause long-term harm. We simply do not have the evidence to make COVID vaccine decisions on that assumption.”

Mumper said she’s worried there will be many more cases of heart inflammation as the vaccine is rolled out to younger and younger children.

Health officials said the benefits of receiving a COVID vaccine still outweigh any risks. But physicians and other public commenters during the June 23 meeting accused the CDC of exaggerating the risk of COVID to young people, and minimizing the risk of the vaccines.

Pfizer and Moderna have submitted applications to the FDA requesting full approval of their COVID vaccines.

 

[marsh]

Leftist elites push proposal to punish unvaxxed with ‘fair share’ of higher taxes and insurance premiums

Left-wing elites are calling for the unvaccinated to not only face higher taxes and higher premiums but also be denied insurance coverage.

www.bizpacreview.com

Leftist elites push proposal to punish unvaxxed with ‘fair share’ of higher taxes and insurance premiums
August 12, 2021 | Vivek Saxena |

Left-wing elites in media and academia have begun calling for unvaccinated Americans to pay higher taxes and insurance premiums — and, worse, to be denied coverage for the costs of any COVID-related hospitalizations even if they pay for insurance.

Note that these demands are all coming from left-wingers who have accused Republicans of being “cruel” for being against Obamacare, a healthcare policy that forces the healthy and fit to subsidize the healthcare costs of the unhealthy and lazy.

The most recent plea comes from a “policy journalist” for Washington Monthly, a nonprofit magazine that purports “to tell the stories of how government really works —and how to make it work better.”

In a piece published Wednesday, so-called “journalist” Anne Kim called for forcing the unvaccinated to pay higher taxes and fees than everybody else.

So far, we haven’t asked unvaccinated Americans to pay their fair share of the costs their “personal” choices are imposing on the rest of us. I propose to change that @monthly – Tax the Unvaxxed | Washington Monthly
— Anne Kim (@Anne_S_Kim) August 11, 2021

“Does an unvaccinated high schooler want to play on the football team or participate in another high-contact sport like wrestling? Schools should double the activity fees for those students to cover the cost of expenses such as disinfection or medical expenses for teammates infected in an outbreak,” Kim wrote.

“Does a traveler want to fly unvaccinated? Airlines should add a ‘public safety fee’ along with the fees for checked baggage and extra legroom, with proceeds compensating flight attendants, airport staff, and other professionals for sick days and lost wages,” she added.

After listing a couple more proposed taxes and fees, she then falsely claimed that “none” of these “proposed penalties would fall disproportionately on low-income Americans.”
Fact-check: FALSE.

Data shows that vaccination rates are lowest among those with low income.

“More than half of unvaccinated Americans live in households that make less than $50,000 annually,” Axios confirmed last month.

Not a single thought given to the civil liberties implications of forcing the revelation of private medical information as this “price,” nor how the impact of “exclusion” will fall disproportionately on those with lower socioeconomic status. All that’s to be celebrated, evidently pic.twitter.com/VEqv7nB704
— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) August 4, 2021

Comparatively, Kim’s proposal is one of the less “cruel” ones.
In a piece published last week in MarketWatch, Texas A&M University professor Jonathan Meer — whose research interests reportedly include “altruism and philanthropy,” ironically enough — called for unvaccinated Americans who pay for private insurance to be denied coverage for COVID hospitalizations.

“Insurers, led by government programs, should declare that medically-able, eligible people who choose not to be vaccinated are responsible for the full financial cost of COVID-related hospitalizations, effective in six weeks,” Meer opined.

Some might say he was kind of copying a page from the Republican playbook. Republicans have for years made a similar argument in regard to those who willfully choose to be lazy, to not exercise, to eat unhealthily, etc.

Except that Republicans have never called for unhealthy people who pay for insurance to be denied coverage. They’ve asked only that the healthy not be forced to pay to subsidize the unhealthy’s premiums.

Regardless, the irony wasn’t lost on conservatives, who were quick to note that Meer had just unintentionally debunked the left-wing narrative that healthcare is a human right:

This is great argument for denying medical care to the morbidly obese
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) August 10, 2021

Should there be an obesity tax?
— Kyle Smith (@rkylesmith) August 10, 2021

You either have to know this is an asinine comment or you’re suggesting that we also must now blame and shame the overweight and smokers and for the strain they put on the system?
— The Currency of Cool (@currencyofcool) August 10, 2021

Glad to see you come out so strongly against nationalized health care payments – would not have guessed you to be such an advocate of personal payments only.
— Cheesetrader (@cheesetrader1) August 10, 2021

Isn’t healthcare a human right? Is it less of a human right if one disagrees with another one’s politics?
— (@hypest_ion) August 10, 2021

Funny how the “healthcare is a human right” and “it should be free” crowd are now calling for people’s insurance to be canceled, and not cover Covid expenses. pic.twitter.com/Fa7N1nyMaM
— Vashta Nerada (@GoldPorcupine) August 10, 2021

Last up is a piece published at the start of the month in The New York Times. In the piece, Kaiser Health News editor Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal and Stanford Graduate School of Business lecturer Glenn Kramon called for raising premiums on the unvaccinated.

“Why should patients be kept financially unharmed from what is now a preventable hospitalization, thanks to a vaccine that the government paid for and made available for free? It is now in many drugstores, popping up at highway rest stops and bus stops and can be delivered and administered at home in parts of the country,” they wrote.

“A harsher society might impose tough penalties on people who refuse vaccinations and contract the virus. … nsurers could try to do more, like penalizing the unvaccinated,” they added.

It’s notable how, again, the left is suddenly so interested in adopting arguably conservative ideas — albeit grossly twisted versions of them — now that it’s politically convenient.

 

[marsh]

Parents Push for Mask-Free School Openings Amid Decline in Reading Scores and Speech Development

Parents and education experts are pushing school district officials to fully reopen schools without mask mandates, pointing to a decline in reading test scores and speech development following a year of coronavirus restrictions.

freebeacon.com

Parents Push for Mask-Free School Openings Amid Decline in Reading Scores and Speech Development

USC professors: 'Masking is a psychological stressor for children and disrupts learning'

Schoolchildren wearing masks / Getty ImagesLeif Le Mahieu• August 12, 2021 12:00 pm

Parents and education experts are pushing school district officials to fully reopen schools without mask mandates, pointing to a decline in reading test scores and speech development following a year of coronavirus restrictions.

During the first full year of primarily virtual or masked in-person education, reading test scores for young children plummeted and school-based speech pathologists saw an increase in children needing speech therapy. The number of students under the baseline level of reading achievement increased by 19 percent for kindergartners and 17 percent for first graders during the 2020-2021 school year, according to a report by curriculum developer Amplify.

These declines have led parents and experts across the country to decry the masking of children in school, saying they will not go along with mandates as coronavirus fears reemerge. States including Florida, Texas, and South Carolina have already passed bans on school mask mandates.

USC professors Neeraj Sood and Jay Bhattacharya said California's school mask mandates posed a greater risk to children than they do benefit. Children are at an extremely low risk of severe illness or death due to COVID-19, according to scientific studies.

"Masking is a psychological stressor for children and disrupts learning," they wrote in an op-ed. "Covering the lower half of the face of both teacher and pupil reduces the ability to communicate. In particular, children lose the experience of mimicking expressions, an essential tool of nonverbal communication."

While experts agree that masking could have adverse effects on children, most are quick to defer to the CDC when it comes to making recommendations.

Coupled with children's resiliency to coronavirus are concerns that masking inhibits speech development. Tiffany White, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's director of school services, said speech pathologists at schools saw an increase in cases, but she downplayed the effect of masks on speaking.

"Wearing masks does not impact a person’s ability to produce sounds or speak; however, a mask may muffle how the message sounds by a listener," White said.
Masks and distance learning often prevent children from being able to see their teacher's mouth, which could hurt their "phonemic awareness," the ability to learn proper word pronunciation.

"It's much harder to accomplish if kids are struggling to hear those sounds," University of Chicago professor and children's literacy specialist Timothy Shanahan told the Washington Free Beacon. "A big part of perception of language sounds, not just for kids but for all of us, is the ability to see the other person's mouth."

"Especially in not being able to see the teacher's mouth," Shanahan added. "Even with things like I'm saying, how do you have the kids work with mirrors? Even just touching their mouths when they are trying to say certain words so they can get a sense of what's going on. Of course with a mask, your attention is distracted from where it needs to be." He said he deferred, though, to the CDC's mask recommendations.

In Wisconsin, a coalition of 38 parent advocacy groups put out a letter to Gov. Tony Evers (D.) and President Joe Biden that opposed school mask mandates.

"Your renewed calls for lockdowns, enforced mask mandates, and masking in schools is not rooted in science and is objectively cruel to the most vulnerable in our society, our children. We believe that you are in fact aware of this and continue to play political games with our children," the letter reads.

Amy Richards, part of the parent group from Kettle Moraine, Wis., that signed on to the letter, said masking children does more harm than good, especially for children with ADHD.

"Now they've got something touching them all the time, and a lot of times ADHD kids have sensory challenges," Richards told the Free Beacon. "Any kid who's got any kind of hearing or verbal challenges, it was a problem for them."

Richards also had concerns for her son. "We did have speech concerns with him, so I was very worried about the masks this year," she said, adding that school mask mandates were a "line in the sand" for many Wisconsin parents. She said that many would be looking into alternatives such as homeschooling or private schools if their districts insisted on masking.

In Virginia, some school districts, such as Loudoun County, have imposed mask mandates for all K-12 public schools despite opposition from parents. Brei Bailey, a Loudoun parent, opposes the mandate because of the harmful consequences of masks for children's mental health and their ability to learn the fundamentals of word pronunciation. She has cut out the inner lining of her son's masks to make it easier for him to speak.

"It's teaching these kids to be scared of everything," Bailey said. "If there are parents who do want to keep masks on their kids, that's fine. They can go ahead and do it, but don't force it on me."

 

[northern watch]

Deadly Lambda variant could be neutralizing vaccines, new study says

Researchers in Japan have provided new evidence that the ballooning COVID-19 Lambda variant may be as contagious as Delta while evading vaccine efforts.

nypost.com

Deadly Lambda variant could be neutralizing vaccines, new study says

By Hannah Sparks
August 12, 2021 | 3:11pm

https://players.brightcove.net/2a462418-2fef-46fe-a9f7-9a42aaefb7be .23 min

As the US struggles to suppress the rapidly advancing coronavirus Delta variant, new evidence has emerged that the latest Lambda mutation — ravaging parts of South America — won’t be slowed by vaccines.

In a July 28 report appearing on bioRxiv, where the study awaits peer review prior to getting published, researchers in Japan are sounding the alarm on the C.37 variant, dubbed Lambda. And it’s proven just as virulent as Delta thanks to a similar mutation making them even more contagious.

The strain has been contained in 26 countries, including substantial outbreaks in Chile, Peru, Argentina and Ecuador.

“Notably, the vaccination rate in Chile is relatively high; the percentage of the people who received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine was [about] 60%,” the authors write.

“Nevertheless, a big COVID-19 surge has occurred in Chile in Spring 2021, suggesting that the Lambda variant is proficient in escaping from the antiviral immunity elicited by vaccination,” they warn.

The Lambda variant is thought to have emerged somewhere in South America between November and December 2020, and has since turned up in countries throughout Europe, North America and a few more isolated cases in Asia, according to GISAID data.

Researchers have provided new evidence that the ballooning Lambda variant may be as contagious as Delta, while also evading vaccine efforts.Izumi Kimura et al.

The proportion the Lambda variant has of COVID-19 cases in the US is low with just one-tenth of 1% of the share — about 911 cases. Compare that to Delta, which has infected some 77,692 Americans so far.

“In addition to increasing viral infectivity, the Delta variant exhibits higher resistance to the vaccine-induced neutralization,” the authors said. “Similarly, here we showed that the Lambda variant equips not only increased infectivity but also resistance against antiviral immunity.”

Lambda has so far been labeled a “variant of interest” by the World Health Organization, compared to the Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta strains, which have all risen to “variant of concern,” or VOC, status.

Fears arise that lambda COVID-19 variant from Peru may be resistant to vaccines

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has published scant literature on the Lambda variant, though a COVID-19 vaccine briefing from July 27 cited another pre-print study, dated July 3, which concluded that the mRNA vaccine in particular is thought to effectively neutralize the Lambda variant.

In Chile, where C.37 is proliferating, their notably aggressive vaccine campaign relied predominantly on the Sinovac Biotech vaccine, which employs the inactivated virus to promote the production of COVID-19 antibodies.

Meanwhile, doctors are urging patients to get fully vaccinated in order to mitigate the severity of illness if infected with COVID-19 and its variants. Studies have shown that vaccines are effective at reducing deadly outcomes of COVID-19 — and a booster shot may be even better, prompting the Food and Drug Administration to consider providing third vaccine doses to people with compromised immune systems.

In a recent appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci concluded, “There’s no doubt that over time, you’re going to have an attenuation of protection.”

Medical personnel remove the corpse of a COVID-19 victim in Arequipa, Peru.AFP via Getty Images

New Studies Suggest Lambda Variant Could Be Vaccine-Resistant

BY TYLER DURDEN
ZERO HEDGE
THURSDAY, AUG 12, 2021 - 07:25 PM

Two separate studies have concluded that the latest Covid-19 fearpocalypse - the Lambda strain - may be vaccine resistant, as well as more infectious than the original alpha strain of SARS-CoV-2.


No word on how people with preexisting natural immunity fare against Lambda.

As the New York Post reports, a not-yet peer-reviewed study out of Japan published on July 28 concludes that the C.37 Lambda variant is defeating the 'leaky' vaccine at an alarming rate.

The strain has been contained in 26 countries, including substantial outbreaks in Chile, Peru, Argentina and Ecuador.
“Notably, the vaccination rate in Chile is relatively high; the percentage of the people who received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine was [about] 60%,” the authors write.
“Nevertheless, a big COVID-19 surge has occurred in Chile in Spring 2021, suggesting that the Lambda variant is proficient in escaping from the antiviral immunity elicited by vaccination,” they warn. -New York Post

The new variant is thought to have emerged between November and December 2020 in South America, and has since emerged in countries throughout Europe, North America and Asia according to data from GISAID. That said, it's only around one-tenth of 1% of cases in America, around 911 so far.

"In addition to increasing viral infectivity, the Delta variant exhibits higher resistance to the vaccine-induced neutralization," wrote the authors, adding "Similarly, here we showed that the Lambda variant equips not only increased infectivity but also resistance against antiviral immunity."


In a similar not-yet peer-reviewed study out of Chile, investigators concluded "that mutations present in the spike protein of the lambda variant of interest confer increased infectivity and immune escape from neutralizing antibodies elicited by CoronaVac."

CoronaVac is a vaccine manufactured by a Chinese company and that’s used in Peru. The study continues: “These data reinforce the idea that massive vaccination campaigns in countries with high SARS-CoV-2 circulation must be accompanied by strict genomic surveillance allowing the identification of new isolates carrying spike mutations and immunology studies aimed to determine the impact of these mutations in immune escape and vaccines breakthrough.”

Of note, Peru has the highest Covid-19 death rate of any country in the world - around 600 for every 100,000 people, about double the next highest country, Hungary. Around 81% of cases in Peru since April were the lambda variant, according to the WHO.

The news comes amid an Axios report that the Pfizer vaccine was just 42% effective in July - when the Delta variant was dominant. Meanwhile, 40% of migrants bused into Laredo, Texas are Covid-positive.

The next time you hear Fauci, Biden or Psaki warn how scary the Lambda strain is, ask yourself why they won't close the border - or mandate the 'efficacy challenged' vaccines they've bet the farm on.

New Studies Suggest Lambda Variant Could Be Vaccine-Resistant | ZeroHedge

 

[Heliobas Disciple]

Deadly Lambda variant could be neutralizing vaccines, new study says

Researchers in Japan have provided new evidence that the ballooning COVID-19 Lambda variant may be as contagious as Delta while evading vaccine efforts.

nypost.com

Deadly Lambda variant could be neutralizing vaccines, new study says
By Hannah Sparks
August 12, 2021 | 3:11pm

As the US struggles to suppress the rapidly advancing coronavirus Delta variant, new evidence has emerged that the latest Lambda mutation — ravaging parts of South America — won’t be slowed by vaccines.

In a July 28 report appearing on bioRxiv, where the study awaits peer review prior to getting published, researchers in Japan are sounding the alarm on the C.37 variant, dubbed Lambda. And it’s proven just as virulent as Delta thanks to a similar mutation making them even more contagious.

The strain has been contained in 26 countries, including substantial outbreaks in Chile, Peru, Argentina and Ecuador.

“Notably, the vaccination rate in Chile is relatively high; the percentage of the people who received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine was [about] 60%,” the authors write.

“Nevertheless, a big COVID-19 surge has occurred in Chile in Spring 2021, suggesting that the Lambda variant is proficient in escaping from the antiviral immunity elicited by vaccination,” they warn.

The Lambda variant is thought to have emerged somewhere in South America between November and December 2020, and has since turned up in countries throughout Europe, North America and a few more isolated cases in Asia, according to GISAID data.

Researchers have provided new evidence that the ballooning Lambda variant may be as contagious as Delta, while also evading vaccine efforts.Izumi Kimura et al.

The proportion the Lambda variant has of COVID-19 cases in the US is low with just one-tenth of 1% of the share — about 911 cases. Compare that to Delta, which has infected some 77,692 Americans so far.

“In addition to increasing viral infectivity, the Delta variant exhibits higher resistance to the vaccine-induced neutralization,” the authors said. “Similarly, here we showed that the Lambda variant equips not only increased infectivity but also resistance against antiviral immunity.”

Lambda has so far been labeled a “variant of interest” by the World Health Organization, compared to the Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta strains, which have all risen to “variant of concern,” or VOC, status.

Fears arise that lambda COVID-19 variant from Peru may be resistant to vaccines

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has published scant literature on the Lambda variant, though a COVID-19 vaccine briefing from July 27 cited another pre-print study, dated July 3, which concluded that the mRNA vaccine in particular is thought to effectively neutralize the Lambda variant.

In Chile, where C.37 is proliferating, their notably aggressive vaccine campaign relied predominantly on the Sinovac Biotech vaccine, which employs the inactivated virus to promote the production of COVID-19 antibodies.

Meanwhile, doctors are urging patients to get fully vaccinated in order to mitigate the severity of illness if infected with COVID-19 and its variants. Studies have shown that vaccines are effective at reducing deadly outcomes of COVID-19 — and a booster shot may be even better, prompting the Food and Drug Administration to consider providing third vaccine doses to people with compromised immune systems.

In a recent appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci concluded, “There’s no doubt that over time, you’re going to have an attenuation of protection.”

Medical personnel remove the corpse of a COVID-19 victim in Arequipa, Peru.AFP via Getty Images

New Studies Suggest Lambda Variant Could Be Vaccine-Resistant | ZeroHedge

New Studies Suggest Lambda Variant Could Be Vaccine-Resistant
BY TYLER DURDEN
ZERO HEDGE
THURSDAY, AUG 12, 2021 - 07:25 PM

Two separate studies have concluded that the latest Covid-19 fearpocalypse - the Lambda strain - may be vaccine resistant, as well as more infectious than the original alpha strain of SARS-CoV-2.

No word on how people with preexisting natural immunity fare against Lambda.

As the New York Post reports, a not-yet peer-reviewed study out of Japan published on July 28 concludes that the C.37 Lambda variant is defeating the 'leaky' vaccine at an alarming rate.

The new variant is thought to have emerged between November and December 2020 in South America, and has since emerged in countries throughout Europe, North America and Asia according to data from GISAID. That said, it's only around one-tenth of 1% of cases in America, around 911 so far.

"In addition to increasing viral infectivity, the Delta variant exhibits higher resistance to the vaccine-induced neutralization," wrote the authors, adding "Similarly, here we showed that the Lambda variant equips not only increased infectivity but also resistance against antiviral immunity."
In a similar not-yet peer-reviewed study out of Chile, investigators concluded "that mutations present in the spike protein of the lambda variant of interest confer increased infectivity and immune escape from neutralizing antibodies elicited by CoronaVac."

Of note, Peru has the highest Covid-19 death rate of any country in the world - around 600 for every 100,000 people, about double the next highest country, Hungary. Around 81% of cases in Peru since April were the lambda variant, according to the WHO.
The news comes amid an Axios report that the Pfizer vaccine was just 42% effective in July - when the Delta variant was dominant. Meanwhile, 40% of migrants bused into Laredo, Texas are Covid-positive.

The next time you hear Fauci, Biden or Psaki warn how scary the Lambda strain is, ask yourself why they won't close the border - or mandate the 'efficacy challenged' vaccines they've bet the farm on.

More on Lambda:

BREAKING! Japanese Researchers Warn Lambda Variant Is Extremely Lethal And Next Surge Will Be Bad. Prospective Mu and Nu Variants Identified! - Thailand Medical News

Japanese researchers from the University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, Tokai University, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kobe University, University of Miyazaki , Osaka University, National Institute of Infectious Diseases-Tokyo and the National Institute of Genetics-Japan based on a new...

www.thailandmedical.news

(fair use applies)

Japanese Researchers Warn Lambda Variant Is Extremely Lethal And Next Surge Will Be Bad. Prospective Mu and Nu Variants Identified
Jul 31, 2021 12 days ago

Japanese researchers from the University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, Tokai University, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kobe University, University of Miyazaki , Osaka University, National Institute of Infectious Diseases-Tokyo and the National Institute of Genetics-Japan based on a new study conducted have concluded that the Lambda variant is to date the most lethal variant to ever emerge and various global centres involved with genomic monitoring are warning that the variant is fast spreading globally and becoming prevalent and might be the dominant variant in the next surge.

The study team says that the spike protein of the Lambda variant is more infectious and it is attributed to the T76I and L452Q mutations. The RSYLTPGD246-253N mutation, a unique 7-amino-acid deletion mutation in the N-terminal domain of the Lambda spike protein, is responsible for evasion from neutralizing antibodies. Since the Lambda variant has dominantly spread according to the increasing frequency of the isolates harboring the RSYLTPGD246-253N mutation, the study data suggest that the insertion of the RSYLTPGD246-253N mutation is closely associated with the massive infection spread and increased mortality of the Lambda variant in South America.

The study findings were published on a preprint server and are currently being peer reviewed. SARS-CoV-2 Lambda variant exhibits higher infectivity and immune resistance

In a separate development, global researchers have identified two new concerning variants exhibiting concerning mutations and also demonstrating unique characteristics in those infected with it. The variants were separately discovered in two different South-East Asian countries and could very well be the next Mu and Nu VOCs. Details of the findings of these two new variants are expected to be announced sometime the coming week by virology experts in the UK and also US. TMN is unable to provide more details as both countries have strict laws concerning divulgence of anything with regards to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Due to rapid mutations, the continual emergence of several SARS-CoV-2 variants have been reported, among which some are regarded to be variants of concern (VOC), e.g., Alpha, Beta, and Delta. Other variants are known as variants of interests (VOI), e.g., Eta, Kappa, Lambda, and Iota. As a result, researchers keep an eye on the prevalence of these variants since they may pose a global threat.

Numerous SARS-CoV-2 variants more harmful than the original SARS-CoV-2 strain that first emerged in Wuhan-China and what is sometimes referred to as the original wildtype strai n.

It has been found that multiple mutations are present in the Spike (S) protein of VOCs and VOIs, and these variants have been reported to be resistant to the neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) that were elicited post-vaccination or post-natural COVID-19 infection.

Because the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2’s S protein is immunodominant, a mutation in this site causes immune evasion. Also, mutations in the N-terminal domain (NTD) aid viruses in escaping neutralization.

Hence, to date, all the vaccines that received emergency use authorization (EUA) from various regulatory bodies are targeted towards the Spike protein.

Not all mutations disrupt the effectiveness of the vaccine-induced immune responses. For example, previous research has shown HV69-70 deletion does not have any effect on the sensitivity of neutralizing antibodies sensitivity, however, it increases viral infectivity.

Also the deletion of the LAL242-244 in the Beta variant does not affect the sensitivity to the vaccine-induced neutralization. However, it has shown little resistance to NTD-targeting neutralizing antibodies.

These previous studies reveal that all mutations do not necessarily have negative effects on the efficacy of vaccines.

The newly emerged Lambda variant belongs to the C.37 lineage, which has been newly designated as a VOI on June 14, 2021, by WHO.

This variant is predominantly spreading in South American countries that include Chile, Peru, Argentina, and Ecuador.

Concerningly, according to the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID) database, the Lambda variant has been reported in 28 countries worldwide as of today.

Interestingly the rate of vaccination has been notably high in Chile.

A recent study conducted in Chile has shown that around 60% of the population has received at least a single dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

However, recently, during the spring of 2021, a rapid surge in COVID-19 cases was observed in Chile. This is because the Lambda variant is capable of escaping the immune responses induced via vaccination.

The study team used molecular phylogenetic analysis to study the evolutionary trait of the Lambda variant.

Importantly the study team has revealed that insertion of RSYLTPGD246- 253N mutation in the NTD of the Lambda S protein is associated with the increased virulence. This mutation is responsible for the rapid spread of the Lambda variant in the Southern American countries.

The study team have indicated two of the critical virological features of the Lambda variant, namely, a) resistance to viral-induced immune responses due to the RSYLTPGD246- 253N, L452Q, and F490S mutations and b) enhancement in the rate of transmission due to the T76I and L452Q mutations.

Alarmingly the study findings revealed that the Lambda S is more resistant to the vaccine-induced antisera compared to the Lambda+N246-253RSYLTPGD S derivative.

Also another important aspect of this is that RSYLTPGD246-253N mutation overlaps with a component of the NTD “supersite” indicating that it is the immunodominant site.

The mutation of this site has enabled the Lambda variant to escape immune responses elicited by the COVID-19 vaccine.

The detailed comparative study between the parental D614G S strain and the Lambda variant has shown significantly higher infectivity in the latter viral strain.

The study findings are in line with previous studies that had revealed that higher infectivity of the Lambda, Delta and Epsilon variants is due to the L452Q/R mutation.

Researchers have explained that only increased viral infectivity does not attribute to a large-scale infection. Such an instance was observed for the Epsilon variant, where even after possessing high infectivity, it failed to spread in the human population. Thereby, WHO excluded it from the VOC/VOI classification on July 6, 2021.

However in order to understand if a variant would infect a large number of people, it is essential to determine two characteristic virological features of the variant, i.e., increased viral infectivity and evasion from the immune response. This study alarmingly revealed that the Lambda variant possesses both these virological features.

The Japanese study finding has elucidated the evolutionary trend of the Lambda variant using molecular phylogenetic analyses and virological experiments. Even though the Lambda variant has been classified as VOI, the researchers have highlighted the potential of this variant to cause a catastrophic epidemic in the future.

 

[Heliobas Disciple]

New Study Warns That SARS-CoV-2 Variants Are Strategically Evolving Towards Better Furin Cleavage Efficiency. Attention To The S:655Y Mutation Warranted - Thailand Medical News

SARS-CoV-2 Variants: A new study led by researchers from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai-New York along with scientists from the University of California-San Francisco and Kansas State University warns that the SARS-CoV-2 variants are strategically evolving towards better Furin cleavage...

www.thailandmedical.news

(fair use applies)

New Study Warns That SARS-CoV-2 Variants Are Strategically Evolving Towards Better Furin Cleavage Efficiency. Attention To The S:655Y Mutation Warranted
Aug 09, 2021

SARS-CoV-2 Variants: A new study led by researchers from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai-New York along with scientists from the University of California-San Francisco and Kansas State University warns that the SARS-CoV-2 variants are strategically evolving towards better Furin cleavage efficiency.


Typically for efficient cell entry and membrane fusion, SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein needs to be cleaved at two different sites, S1/S2 and S2’ by different cellular proteases such as furin and TMPRSS2.

Polymorphisms in the S protein can affect cleavage, viral transmission, and pathogenesis.

The study team investigated the role of arising S polymorphisms in vitro and in vivo to understand the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants. First, they showed that the S:655Y is selected after in vivo replication in the mink model. This mutation is present in the Gamma Variant Of Concern (VOC) but it also occurred sporadically in early SARS-CoV-2 human isolates.

In order to better understand the impact of this polymorphism, the study team analyzed the in vitro properties of a panel of SARS-CoV-2 isolates containing S:655Y in different lineage backgrounds.

Study findings demonstrated that this mutation enhances viral replication and spike protein cleavage. Viral competition experiments using hamsters infected with WA1 and WA1-655Y isolates showed that the variant with 655Y became dominant in both direct infected and direct contact animals.

The study team also investigated the cleavage efficiency and fusogenic properties of the spike protein of selected VOCs containing different mutations in their spike proteins.

Study findings showed that all VOCs have evolved to acquire an increased spike cleavage and fusogenic capacity despite having different sets of mutations in the S protein.

The study demonstrates that the S:655Y is an important adaptative mutation that increases viral cell entry, transmission, and host susceptibility. Moreover, SARS-COV-2 VOCs showed a convergent evolution that promotes the S protein processing.

The study findings were published on a preprint server and are currently being peer reviewed. SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern have acquired mutations associated with an increased spike cleavage

The SARS-CoV-2 is a novel coronavirus that has caused infections and deaths in millions of people worldwide since its emergence in Wuhan, China, in late December 2019.

The novel coronavirus affects not only humans but also cats, dogs, ferrets, hamsters, and non-human primates. The virus was even found to affect minks, and cases of mink-to-human cross-species transmission have been reported.

Co-corresponding author, Dr Teresa Aydillo from the Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai told Thailand Medical News, "The spike (S) glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 is the main determinant of host tropism and susceptibility, and the main target of antibody response s.”

Hence the emergence of adaptive mutations in the spike protein has a strong effect on host tropism and viral transmission.

The S or spike protein comprises of two subunits: S1 subunit having the receptor-binding domain (RBD) that helps it to bind to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which is present on the cell surface of the host, and the S2 subunit that helps in the fusion of the cellular membrane and the viral membrane.

Dr Aydillo added, "To fuse with the host cell, the S protein needs to be cleaved by cellular proteases at the S1/S2 and S2' sites.”

Importantly the S1/S2 site consists of a multibasic furin motif that can undergo processing by the furin proteases or by transmembrane serine proteases.

To date, several SARS-CoV-2 lineages termed as Variants of Concern (VOC) have emerged that have increased the virus's transmissibility. These variants have arisen mainly due to spike protein mutations.

The study team characterized the spike polymorphisms of SARS-CoV-2 both in vitro and in vivo in order to understand viral pathogenicity, transmissibility, and fitness.

It should be noted that the SARS-CoV-2 variants have arisen due to several mutations in the spike protein. The first mutant that became dominant in March 2020 was S:655Y, following which many more polymorphisms arose in late 2020.

Dr Aydillo further added, "The N501Y substitution convergently evolved in early emerging VOCs Alpha (B.1.1.7), Beta (B.1.351) and Gamma (P.1) variants and has been associated with an enhanced spike affinity for the cellular ACE2 receptor. These mutations were located in the receptor-binding motif (RBM) of the RBD and led to the decrease in neutralizing antibody responses that were elicited by the virus. Similarly, the later SARS-CoV-2 Kappa (B.1.617.1) and Delta (B.1.617.2) variants have also shown a significantly reduced sensitivity to convalescent and immune sera.”

The research was carried out using the African green monkey cell line, human cell line, hamsters, and minks. The viral samples were collected from human nasopharyngeal swabs collected in March 2020 and February 2021. Variants of SARS-CoV-2 were obtained from different labs.

Subsequently, the cell cultures, as well as hamsters and minks, were infected, and the viral titer was also calculated using the plaque assay. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was performed to quantify the level of SARS-CoV-2 RNA present after infection.

To determine which mutations are mostly present at the furin cleavage site of SARS-CoV-2, mass spectrometry was utilized.

Multiple sequence alignment was also done with the mink and human variants to identify and compare the spike mutations in them. In the case of hamsters, the frequency of variants was determined using the Oxford Nanopore Sequencing method.

The study findings showed that the H655Y variant had a growth advantage in both human and monkey cell lines. Therefore, it can be confirmed that the S:655Y mutation alone led to enhanced growth and higher replication.
It was also observed in the hamster model as well that the efficiency of 655Y was much more than its ancestors.

Pertaining to the furin cleavage site, higher amounts of cleavage at this site were found in the case of alpha, delta, and kappa variants. Although the beta variant did not contain a change in the furin cleavage site, instead it contained a change in residue 701.

The study team concluded that the 655Y spike polymorphism was a significant cause of the SARS-CoV-2 transmission and infection.

Dr Aydillo commented, "The selection and increasing frequency of S:655Y in the human population and following SARS-CoV-2 infection of different animal models such as cats, mice, and minks suggests this mutation is associated with an improvement of viral fitness and adaptation to diverse hosts through an increased cleavage of the spike protein.”

 

[Heliobas Disciple]

BREAKING! Scamming Nigerian Variant Called Eta Or B.1.525 Now Fast Spreading And Starting To Become Dominant. More Cases Emerging In India! - Thailand Medical News

The ETA variant that debuts from Nigeria and has a typical “scamming” behavior in the sense that it cannot be detected by many present COVID-19 RT-PCR testing platforms is now worrying virologists and experts from around the world as it starts to become more prevalent in circulation and spread...

www.thailandmedical.news

(fair use applies)

Scamming Nigerian Variant Called Eta Or B.1.525 Now Fast Spreading And Starting To Become Dominant. More Cases Emerging In India
The ETA variant that debuts from Nigeria and has a typical “scamming” behavior in the sense that it cannot be detected by many present COVID-19 RT-PCR testing platforms is now worrying virologists and experts from around the world as it starts to become more prevalent in circulation and spread.
Aug 08, 2021

Thailand Medical News first reported about this variant at that time known as the B.1.525 variant when it first emerged in Britain in February 2021. New SARS-CoV-2 Variant B.1.525 With More Than 20 Mutations Including E484K, 9 Non-Synonymous And 69-70 Spike Deletion Emerges in Britain! - Thailand Medical News

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Eta variant was first identified in Nigeria in December last year.

The Eta variant also known as the Variant of Interest VUI-21FEB-03 was given the nomenclature Eta in June 2021 by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The Eta variant has more than 20 Mutations Including E484K, 9 Non-Synonymous And 69-70 Spike Deletion besides two other deletions as well.

The Eta variant does not carry the same N501Y mutation found in the Alpha, Beta and Gamma but carries the same E484K-mutation as found in the Gamma, Zeta, and Beta variants, and also carries the same ?H69/?V70 deletion (a deletion of the amino acids histidine and valine in positions 69 and 70) as found in Alpha, N439K variant (B.1.141 and B.1.258) and Y453F variant (Cluster 5). It is expected to be upgraded to a status of a variant of concern or VOC in coming days or weeks. CoVariants

Eta differs from all other variants by having both the E484K-mutation and a new F888L mutation (a substitution of phenylalanine (F) with leucine (L) in the S2 domain of the spike protein).

The concerning mutations of Q677H, Q52R,and A67V are also found on it.

As of March 5, it had been detected in 23 countries but a recent update in August 7th 2021 saw that it is now in 68 countries and in countries like India, more cases linked to it are becoming apparent.

Just 48 hours ago, the Indian state of Karnataka confirmed yet another case in the district of Mangaluru in an Indian man that had travelled from Qatar. In late July a case was also reported in Mizoram India.

It should be noted that lots of Middle East countries are now the originating source of the Eta variant to other countries.

India has also reported numerous other cases linked to the Eta variant but experts are warning that here might be more as most RT-PCT testing platforms have not been upgraded to test for it including many in the various South-East Asian countries. To further complicate the situation, India is not doing enough genomic sequencing of infections.

It would also be a major disaster if the Nigerian Eta variant was to recombine with the Indian Delta variant,.... the world might be inundated with a sly, lethal and full of 'hot-air' Democrat Kamala Harris who really does not care about anyone... type of pathogen! (Lol! Just Kidding!)

Interestingly in most cases of those patients found infected with the Eta variant, besides the typical symptoms and lung inflammation, most also exhibited a variety of severe gastrointestinal issues and secondary conditions typically associated with severe IBD and in some cases severe diverticulitis and gut microbiota dysbiosis was also observed.

Very often most infected with the Eta variant would develop sepsis, organ failure and eventually die from heart failure ie the mortality rate is extremely high.

According to the U.S.CDC, the Eta variant is “identified to cause significant community transmission or multiple COVID-19 clusters, in multiple countries with increasing relative prevalence alongside an increasing number of cases over time, or other apparent epidemiological impacts to suggest an emerging risk to global public health.”

Eta is not the only variant that could play a role in impending surges. The Lambda variant and also the newly emerged Mu and Nu strains that were found in two South-Easts Asian countries but is currently being studied could all be key players besides the emerging second and third generation variants of the Delta lineages.

It fact a lot more concerning variants have already emerged and the WHO has acknowledged that the Greek alphabets would not be sufficient to cover them all.

In a recent press interview with the Telegraph, Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s technical chief for Covid-19, said the UN health agency was already looking at new names for mutations amid fears there will be more concerning variants than the 24 letters of the Greek alphabet. She said that star constellations are the current frontrunner to follow the Greek alphabet, suggesting we could one day see variants known as Aries, Gemini or Orion. Variants could be named after star constellations when Greek alphabet runs out, says WHO Covid chief

Thailand Medical News already predicts that the Omega variant would emerge somewhere February 2022 and become globally dominant by about June 2022 and start wreaking catastrophic havoc.

For those thinking that the COVID-19 pandemic would slow down by the end of the year and that the COVID-19 shots would allow for everything to go back to normal by then, they are going to be in for a rude shock

Already we are getting more and more interesting feedback on a daily basis about the COVID-19 jabs especially from UK and Israel. Stunning Covid report from Israel…

Also the Lambda variant according to a latest Japanese study is also literally resistance to the jabs. SARS-CoV-2 Lambda variant exhibits higher infectivity and immune resistance

 

[Heliobas Disciple]

BREAKING! Salicylanilides In Anti-Worm Drugs Like Niclosamide Inhibits SARS-CoV-2 Replication And Suppresses Inflammation Causing Cytokines - Thailand Medical News

COVID-19 Drugs: A new mouse based vivo study by researchers from the Scripps Research Institute-California along with scientist from the University of Texas and Sorrento Therapeutics Inc.-California have found that salicylanilides which are active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) found in drugs...

www.thailandmedical.news

(fair use applies)

Salicylanilides In Anti-Worm Drugs Like Niclosamide Inhibits SARS-CoV-2 Replication And Suppresses Inflammation Causing Cytokines
Aug 07, 2021

COVID-19 Drugs: A new mouse based vivo study by researchers from the Scripps Research Institute-California along with scientist from the University of Texas and Sorrento Therapeutics Inc.-California have found that salicylanilides which are active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) found in drugs used to treat tapeworm infestations demonstrated efficacy in terms of inhibiting the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus replication and also suppressed cytokines that cause inflammation.

While the world has mobilized to create antiviral vaccines and therapeutics to combat the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, their long-term efficacy remains in question especially with the emergence of new variants.

The study team wanted to exploit salicylanilides - a class of compounds that has previously shown success against various viruses. A detailed salicylanilide library was first screened in a SARS-CoV-2 activity assay in Vero cells. The most efficacious derivative was further evaluated in a prophylactic mouse model of SARS-CoV-2 infection unveiling a salicylanilide that can reduce viral loads, modulate key cytokines, and mitigate severe weight loss involved in COVID-19 infections.

The combination of anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity, cytokine inhibitory activity, and a previously established favorable pharmacokinetic profile for the lead salicylanilide renders salicylanilides in general as promising therapeutics for COVID-19.

The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: ACS Infectious Disease. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsinfecdis.1c00253

Thailand Medical News had covered about the usage of Niclosamide as potential drug to treat COVID-19 as early as June 2020 based on a Korean research. Niclosamide Shows Efficacy Against COVID-19 In Animal Tests According To South Korean Pharmaceutical Giant Daewoong - Thailand Medical News

Thailand Medical News also covered an Indian study on Niclosamide to treat COVID-19 in December 2020. COVID-19 Drugs: Niclosamide Emerging As Another Potential Repurposed Drug Candidate To Treat COVID-19 - Thailand Medical News

A Florida based biotech company had also announced its plans to develop a form of niclosamide to treat COVID-19 gastrointestinal infection in early January 2021. Pharma News: Azurrx Biopharma’s Proprietary Niclosamide Formulations To Treat COVID-19 Gastrointestinal Infections - Thailand Medical News

Niclosamide, a medications long prescribed to treat tapeworm has inspired a compound that shows two-pronged effectiveness against COVID-19 in laboratory studies, according to the new research.

The bioactive compound, part of a class of molecules called salicylanilides, was designed in the laboratory of Professor Dr Kim Janda, Ph.D., the Ely R. Callaway, Jr. Professor of Chemistry and director of the Worm Institute for Research and Medicine at Scripps Research, in La Jolla, California.

Dr Janda told Thailand Medical News, "It has been known for 10 or 15 years that salicylanilides work against certain viruses. However, they tend to be gut-restricted and can have toxicity issues."

Dr Janda's compound overcomes both issues, in mouse and cell-based tests, acting as both an antiviral and an anti-inflammatory drug-like compound, with properties that auger well for its use in pill form.

The bioactive API - Salicylanilides were first discovered in Germany in the 1950s and used to address worm infections in cattle. Versions including the drug niclosamide are used in animals and humans today to treat tapeworm.

Salicylanilides have also been studied for anti-cancer and antimicrobial properties.

Interestingly the modified salicylanilide compound that Dr Janda created was one of about 60 that he built years ago for another project.

However when the SARS-CoV-2 virus became a global pandemic in early 2020, knowing that they may have antiviral properties, he started screening his old collection, first in cells with collaborators from Sorrento Therapeutics and The University of Texas Medical Branch, and later, after seeing promising results, working with Scripps Research immunologist Dr John Teijaro, Ph.D., who conducted rodent studies.

Importantly one compound stood out. Dubbed simply "No. 11," it differs from the commercial tapeworm medicines in key ways, including its ability to pass beyond the gut and be absorbed into the bloodstream—and without the worrisome toxicity.

Dr Janda added, "Niclosamide is basically digestive-track restricted, and that makes sense, because that's where parasites reside. For that reason, simple drug repurposing for a COVID treatment would be counterintuitive, as you want something that is readily bioavailable, yet does not possess the systemic toxicity that niclosamide has."

The study found that about 80 percent of salicylanilide 11 passed into the bloodstream, compared to about 10 percent of the antiparasitic drug niclosamide, which has recently entered clinical trials as a COVID-19 treatment, Dr Janda said.

The study showed that of the many modified salicylanilides he had built in his laboratory, No. 11 affected pandemic coronavirus infections in two ways. First, it interfered with how the virus deposited its genetic material into infected cells, a process called endocytosis. Endocytosis requires the virus to form a lipid-based packet around viral genes. The packet enters the infected cell and dissolves, so the infected cell's protein-building machinery can read it and churn out new viral copies. No. 11 appears to prevent the packet's dissolution.

Dr Janda stressed, "The compound's antiviral mechanism is the key. It blocks the viral material from getting out of the endosome, and it just gets degraded. This process does not allow new viral particles to be made as readily."

It should also be noted that because it acts inside cells rather than on viral spikes, questions about whether it would work in new variants like Delta and Lambda aren't a concern, he adds.

D Janda explained, "This mechanism is not dependent on the virus spike protein, so these new variants coming up aren't going to relegate us to finding new molecules as is the case with vaccines or antibodies.”

Furthermore, no. 11 helped quiet potentially toxic inflammation in the research animals, Dr Janda says, which could be important for treating acute respiratory distress associated with life-threatening COVID infections. It reduced levels of interleukin 6, a signaling protein which is a key contributor of inflammation typically found in advanced stages of COVID-19.

At present, better and efficient medications against COVID-19 are urgently needed, as highly infectious new variants drive renewed surges of illness and death globally.

Dr Janda added that salicylanilide No. 11 was created long before the pandemic.

D Janda, after fighting an unpleasant bacterial infection called Clostridioides difficile about 10 years ago, saw a clear need for better treatment options.

Alarmingly multi-drug-resistant strains of C. difficile have become a major cause of drug-resistant diarrheal disease outbreaks in health care institutions globally, and among people using antibiotics.

Being a director of the Worm Institute, which focused on parasitic infections, Dr Janda was very familiar with salicylanilides, and knew of their antimicrobial properties.

His research laboratory created a "library" of modified salicylanilides several of which showed strong efficacy against C. difficile, and the collection was subsequently licensed by pharmaceutical firm Sorrento Therapeutics. Among them was salicylanilide 11.

Dr Janda commented, "Salicylanilide 11 actually was placed on the back burner in my laboratory against C. difficile because it's not as gut-restricted as we would like it to be. But salicylanilide 11 has got a lot of really positive things going for it as a potential therapeutic for COVID."

Warning to all ‘Cheap Charlie’ or 'parasitic 'readers, please do not attempt to self-prescribe and consume niclosamide or any anti-worm drugs to treat COVID-19 without consulting a licensed medical doctor first. (Not to say any of them might know anything!) Even worse, please do not attempt to purchase niclosamide meant for veterinary use and consume it unless your a stupid cow!

 

[Heliobas Disciple]

COVID-19 Drugs: New In Vitro Study Shows That The High Blood Pressure Drug Losartan Inhibits SARS-CoV-2 Replication - Thailand Medical News

COVID-19 Drugs: A new in vitro study conducted by researchers from University of Georgia-US and Shahid Beheshti University-Iran has found that the common high pressure drug called Losartan is able to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus replication. Losartan, sold under the trade name Cozaar among...

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New In Vitro Study Shows That The High Blood Pressure Drug Losartan Inhibits SARS-CoV-2 Replication
A new in vitro study conducted by researchers from University of Georgia-US and Shahid Beheshti University-Iran has found that the common high pressure drug called Losartan is able to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus replication.
Aug 04, 2021


Losartan, sold under the trade name Cozaar among others, is a medication mainly used to treat high blood pressure. Losartan belongs to a group of drugs called angiotensin II receptor antagonists. It keeps blood vessels from narrowing, which lowers blood pressure and improves blood flow. It is also used for diabetic kidney disease, heart failure, and left ventricular enlargement. It is taken by mouth. It may be used alone or in addition to other blood pressure medication

The study team tested the effect of angiotensin II type I receptor blocker, losartan, on SARS-CoV-2 replication and inhibition of the papain-like protease of the virus.

The dose-dependent inhibitory effect of losartan, in concentrations from 1µM to 100µM as determined by quantitative cell analysis combining fluorescence microscopy, image processing, and cellular measurements (Cellomics analysis) on SARS-CoV-2 replication was investigated in Vero E6 cells. The impact of losartan on deubiquitination and deISGylation of SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease (PLpro) were also evaluated.

The study findings showed that losartan reduced PLpro cleavage of tetraUbiquitin to diUbiquitin. It was less effective in inhibiting PLpro’s cleavage of ISG15-AMC than Ubiquitin-AMC. To determine if losartan inhibited SARS-CoV-2 replication, losartan treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infected Vero E6 was examined. Losartan treatment one hour prior to SARS-CoV-2 infection reduced levels of SARS-CoV-2 nuclear protein, an indicator of virus replication, by 80% and treatment one-hour post-infection decreased viral replication by 70%.

The study findings found that losartan was not an effective inhibitor of deubiquitinase or deISGylase activity of the PLpro but affected the SARS-CoV-2 replication of Vero E6 cells in vitro. As losartan has a favorable safety profile and is currently available it has features necessary for efficacious drug repurposing and treatment of COVID-19.

The study findings were published in the peer reviewed Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Losartan Inhibits SARS-CoV-2 Replication in Vitro | Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences

The COVID-19 disease, which is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, has already claimed more than 4.3 million lives worldwide and infected more than 200 million people over the last 19 months. It is expected in the next few months, surges with the delta, lambda and other newly emerging variants might triple these figures in a short span.

The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is a single-stranded positive-sense RNA virus belonging to the Coronaviridae family. Other members of this family include the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and the severe acute respiratory coronavirus (SARS-CoV-1).

To date, there are no effective antiviral drugs for the treatment of COVID-19 and vaccine rollout has been quite heterogeneous across different countries. Furthermore, studies are emerging that the new variants are making the current vaccines less effective.

As such scientists have turned to drug repurposing as a potentially promising strategy to combat the disease.

Importantly a globally available and safe drug that has properties that could ameliorate the pathological changes of COVID-19 with minimum side effects, in particular, could greatly impact the management of the current pandemic. A better understanding of the features of COVID-19 pathogenesis can also assist in drug repurposing and discovery.

This new study explores the use of Losartan to provide protection against COVID-19 pathogenesis.

It has been known that the downregulation of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) has been shown to cause local RAS dysregulation. This can subsequently lead to pro-inflammatory, pro-apoptotic, and pro-thrombotic effects and, ultimately, COVID-19-induced cytokine storm.

The study team hypothesized that selective AT1R antagonism by angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) can aid in reducing COVID-19-related lung pathology.

Angiotensin receptor blockers or ARBs achieve this by rebalancing the Ang II/angiotensin (1-7) ratio and by indirectly promoting Ang II-induced activation of AT2R.

Previous studies have found that C21, which is an antagonist of AT2R, improved respiratory function in the hospitalization and mortality rates of COVID-19 patients. The angiotensin type 2 receptor agonist C21 restores respiratory function in COVID19 - a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 2 trial

Notably, during the initial phases of the pandemic, the use of ARBs was limited owing to concerns over their possibility to increase its viral load, due to ACE2 upregulating effects. Further research has since proven that this is not the case and experimental and clinical studies on ARBs in COVID-19 are well underway.

Interestingly in recent in silico studies, losartan, which is an ARB, was shown to change the structure of ACE2, thereby affecting its binding with the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Are losartan and imatinib effective against SARS-CoV2 pathogenesis? A pathophysiologic-based in silico study - PubMed

Losartan was also found to reduce inflammatory responses that would otherwise lead to acute respiratory distress and change the atomic configuration of SARS-CoV-2 PLpro. Losartan, a selective antagonist of AT1 receptor, attenuates seawater inhalation induced lung injury via modulating JAK2/STATs and apoptosis in rat - PubMed

The study team scientists examined the ability of losartan to inhibit the deubiquitinase and deISGylase properties of SARS-CoV-2 PLpro. The team also examined whether losartan was capable of preventing viral replication in pre-and post-infected Vero E6 cells.

For the study, losartan was first incubated at various concentrations with SARS-CoV-2 PLpro and a peptide substrate, which contained interferon-stimulated gene product 15 (ISG15). The results of this experiment suggested that losartan could be interacting with certain elements of PLpro that are capable of accommodating peptide and Ub-like substrates. The inhibition rate of losartan was 2.3% when tested against Ub-AMC and 6.9% against ISG15 cleavage.

However with regards to the effects of losartan on Tetra-Ub Deubiqutination at 2mM, losartan showed a small reduction in deISGylase activity as compared to the control.

Importantly further, treatment of Vero E5 cells with losartan showed a dose-dependent (0-100 µM) effect on SARS-CoV-2 replication.

The study findings demonstrate the weak inhibitory effect of losartan on viral PLpro deubiquitinase and deISGylase properties. Albeit dose-dependent, the treatment of Vero E6 cells with losartan inhibited viral replication.

The tea says that despite obtaining some initially promising results, more extensive research is required to gain a better understanding of the structural changes that occur in the viral proteins and their biological products when interacted with losartan.

Should these further studies yield viable results, it could open up new avenues for effective antiviral design and development. More research is using diversified cohorts in randomized control trials would also be necessary in order to better understand the effect of Losartan in the future stages of the pandemic.

It should be noted that two of the main advantages associated with losartan are that it is not toxic to cells and has inhibitory effects on viral replication. These features may immensely help in curbing the spread of COVID-19 and managing individuals who are unresponsive to vaccination.

Furthermore there is also a possibility that losartan is effective against future mutants of SARS-CoV-2. All of these crucial issues warrant more research. Promising results would imply easing the burden of healthcare costs globally.

Thailand Medical News however warns that this is only a in vitro study and that no one should ever contemplate self-treating with losartan without consulting a licensed qualified doctor first.

 

[Heliobas Disciple]

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U.S. Study Alarmingly Finds That Young Males Are At A High Risk of Myocarditis From SARS-CoV-2 Infection. New Nutraceutical Product Might Help
Aug 02, 2021

A new observational study conducted in the United States by researchers from Case Western Reserve University-Ohio, Akron Children’s Hospital Heart Center-Ohio and the MetroHealth System-Cleveland has alarmingly revealed that the incidence rate of myocarditis due to the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection is about 450 per million cases among young males. Young males with the COVID-19 disease, which is the disease that results from infection by SARS-CoV-2, are 6-times more susceptible to myocarditis than those who received the COVID-19 vaccine.

The shocking study findings were obtained via the meta-analysis of a data set that was created from the TriNetX Research Network, aggregating electronic health records from 48 mostly large U.S. Healthcare Organizations (HCOs). Inclusion criteria were a first COVID-19 diagnosis during the April 1, 2020 - March 31, 2021 time period, with an outpatient visit 1 month to 2 years before, and another 6 months to 2 years before that. Analysis was stratified by sex and age (12-17, 12-15, 16-19). Patients were excluded for any prior cardiovascular condition. Primary outcome was an encounter diagnosis of myocarditis within 90 days following the index date. Rates of COVID-19 cases and myocarditis not identified in the system were estimated and the results adjusted accordingly. Wilson score intervals were used for 95% confidence intervals due to the very low probability outcome.

Surprisingly for the 12-17-year-old male cohort, 6/6,846 (0.09%) patients developed myocarditis overall, with an adjusted rate per million of 876 cases (Wilson score interval 402 - 1,911). For the 12-15 and 16-19 male age groups, the adjusted rates per million were 601 (257 - 1,406) and 561 (240 - 1,313).

For 12-17-year-old females, there were 3 (0.04%) cases of myocarditis of 7,361 patients. The adjusted rate was 213 (73 - 627) per million cases. For the 12-15- and 16-19-year-old female cohorts the adjusted rates per million cases were 235 (64 - 857) and 708 (359 - 1,397). The outcomes occurred either within 5 days (40.0%) or from 19-82 days (60.0%).

The study findings were published on a preprint server and are currently being peer reviewed. Risk of Myocarditis from COVID-19 Infection in People Under Age 20: A Population-Based Analysis

To date, a growing amount of evidence has identified myocarditis as a rare side-effect of mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines. The risk-benefit analysis of COVID-19 vaccines has indicated that young males under the age of 30 years are 10-times more susceptible to myocarditis as compared to those over the age of 30. The highest risk of myocarditis has been observed in males aged 12 to 17 years after receiving the 2nd vaccine dose.

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7027e2.htm
https://www.gov.il/en/departments/news/01062021-03
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamacardiology/fullarticle/2781601
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.121.056135

However aside from vaccin ations, SARS-CoV-2 infection has been found to increase the risk of myocarditis.

In hospitalized COVID-19 patients, myocarditis has been identified as a serious complication, even for those without a history of cardiovascular disease. However, there remains an insufficient amount of information available to assess the risk of myocarditis in low-risk COVID-19 patients.

The study team had estimated the prevalence of myocarditis in young male COVID-19 patients who are under the age of 20 years. The study was conducted on young males and females with confirmed COVID-19 diagnoses who did not have a history of any cardiovascular disease.

For the study, three specific age groups were considered which included individuals between 12 and 17 years of age, 12-15 years, and 16-19 years. The studied age groups corresponded to the previously identified high-risk myocarditis cohorts related to mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccination.

In order to include information about any missed COVID-19 cases, an adjusted number of COVID-19 cases were derived for each tested age group using the population-level infection rate and study-estimated COVID-19 prevalence.

Any incidence of myocarditis that occurred within 90 days following COVID-19 diagnosis was considered for the analysis. Patients immunized with mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines prior to a myocarditis diagnosis were excluded from the analysis.

Shockingly in the 12-17 years age group, about 0.09% of male COVID-19 patients were diagnosed with myocarditis. This corresponded to a rate of 876 myocarditis cases per million male COVID-19 patients. After adjusting for missed COVID-19 cases, an incidence rate of 450 myocarditis cases per million patients was estimated.

Also for the 12-15 and 16-19 age groups, the adjusted myocarditis cases per million patients were estimated to be 601 and 561, respectively.

However in female COVID-19 patients belonging to the age groups of 12-17 years, 12-15 years, and 16-19, the adjusted rates of myocarditis per million patients were estimated to be 213, 235, and 708, respectively.

Collectively by considering the entire study population, including males and females, the adjusted rates of myocarditis per million patients were estimated to be 328, 416, and 643 for the 12-17 years, 12-15 years, and 16-19 years age groups, respectively.

Interestingly of all identified myocarditis cases, about 40% occurred within 5 days and 60% occurred within 19 to 82 days following COVID-19 diagnosis.

From the study findings, it can be concluded that the prevalence of myocarditis in young male COVID-19 patients is 450 per million cases. Previous studies have estimated that the incidence rate of myocarditis following mRNA vaccination in the high-risk age group of 12-17 years is about 76 cases per million vaccine recipients.

The study highlights that young males with SARS-CoV-2 infection are 6-times more susceptible to develop myocarditis as compared to those who received mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines.

In a separate development, there is a buzz going around the research community about a new nutraceutical compound that was developed by a German Biotech company based in Pune-India that was initially developed as an adjuvant to treat COVID-19.

The phytochemical based nutraceutical called Vedicinals9 has now been found to be able to not only treat COVID-19 but also help those inflicted with myocarditis or other heart related conditions to recuperate faster.

The Vedicinals9 nutraceutical suspension has shown in animal trials and human clinical trials to control the underlying factors leading to myocarditis.

The nutraceutical suspension not only lead to faster viral clearance which was the main underlying cause but also controlled inflammatory and thrombotic factors very efficiently, like IL-6, CRP and D-Dimer levels, as well as protecting the myocardial muscle tissues.

https://www.vedicinals.com/safety-studies/

As the COVID-19 pandemic accelerates and becomes worse with more catastrophic surges, more safe therapeutic products are urgently needed to deal not just with the SARS-CoV-2 infection but also with the variety of chronic medical conditions the novel coronavirus brings along.

 

[Heliobas Disciple]

COVID-19 Therapeutics: MicroRNAs From Plants And Even Humans Might be The Holy Grail To Stopping The SARS-CoV-2 Crisis - Thailand Medical News

COVID-19 Therapeutics: Researchers from Gujarat University inspired by Thailand Medical News call to focus on Phytochemicals and microRNAs as solutions to containing the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic have in a new study utilizing computational workflow, identified potential cellular miRNA candidates that...

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COVID-19 Therapeutics: MicroRNAs From Plants And Even Humans Might be The Holy Grail To Stopping The SARS-CoV-2 Crisis
Aug 02, 2021

Researchers from Gujarat University inspired by Thailand Medical News call to focus on Phytochemicals and microRNAs as solutions to containing the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic have in a new study utilizing computational workflow, identified potential cellular miRNA candidates that are potent in providing antiviral defense against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The study team designed a systematic computational workflow to identify the cellular microRNAs (miRNAs) from human host possessing the capability to target and silence 3'UTR of SARS-CoV-2 genome.

The team next further extended their miRNA search to medicinal plants like Ocimum tenuiflorum, Zingiber officinale and Piper nigrum, which are well-known to possess antiviral properties, and are often consumed raw or as herbal decoctions.

Such an approach, that makes use of miRNA of one species to interact and silence genes of another species including viruses is broadly categorized as cross-kingdom interactions. As a part of the team’s genomics study on host-virus-plant interaction, the study team identified one unique 3'UTR conserved site ‘GGAAGAG’ amongst 5024 globally submitted SARS-CoV-2 complete genomes, which can be targeted by the human miRNA ‘hsa-miR-1236–3p’ and by Z. officinale miRNA ‘zof-miR2673b’.

The study team also predicted that the members of miR477 family commonly found in these three plant genomes possess an inherent potential to silence viral genome RNA and facilitate antiviral defense against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Significantly the study findings reveal a universal site in the SARS-CoV-2 genome that may be crucial for targeted therapeutics to cure COVID-19.

The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: Computers in Biology and Medicine (Science Direct ) by Elsevier. Identifying potential human and medicinal plant microRNAs against SARS-CoV-2 3′UTR region: A computational genomics assessment

Thailand Medical News would like to add that after auditing the systematic approach adopted by the researchers from the University of Gujerat, the nutraceutical cum biotech firm BioInnovations-US and the genomic based diagnostics company: Advait Theragnostics-India, it was concluded the studies were meticulously and professionally executed according to global acceptance standards.

Thailand Medical News (TMN) has been advocating the usage of plant miRNAs in combination with other phytochemicals as an effective therapeu ctic agent against the SARS-Cov-2 coronavirus.

TMN had worked with Chinese researchers in identifying plant miRNAs from a certain cultivar of honeysuckle that are able to inhibit the SARS-CoV-3 coronavirus. BREAKING NEWS! COVID-19 Herbs: Researchers Confirms That In Studies And Clinical Trials The Herb Honeysuckle Has Efficacy Against SARS-CoV-2 - Thailand Medical News

TMN has incorporated miRNAs from honeysuckle and also other plants in our special therapeutic teas that have been shown to possess both prophylactic and also therapeutic properties against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and the COVID-19 disease. NEW THERAPEUTIC TEAS - Thailand Medical News

While some are advocating the usage of single herbs as a possible therapeutic against the COVID-1 disease such as Andrographis Panniculata or Artemisia Annua and others are simply focusing on just extracted phytochemicals, such approaches are deemed to be futile as the SARS-CoV-2 is able to not only mutate rapidly to develop resistance to single and even combo agents but it is able to also rearrange its viral proteins on the various ORF and N regions of its genome to evade various effects from such agents.

Only a multi-pronged approached of using a variety of plant miRNAs along with various phytochemicals in the right bioactive and easily absorbable forms will be a much effective method of developing an effective therapeutic agent against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

At present the world is at a critical juncture with regards to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even after the development of effective vaccines and the commencement of global vaccination campaigns, health officials continue to report a high percentage of people who are reluctant to be vaccinated.

In addition, the continuous emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants has challenged the effectiveness of approved vaccines.

There is a dire need therefore to develop alternative approaches that could directly target SARS-CoV-2 particles. One potential approach that could be used to combat SARS-CoV-2 infection is to target the viral genome’s functional integrity using microRNAs (miRNAs).

The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is a single-stranded positive-sense ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus belonging to the family Coronaviridae. This virus is approximately 26–32 kilobases (kb) in size and consists of 14 open reading frames (ORFs) that encode for 27 polyproteins.

The novel coronavirus encodes 16 non-structural proteins (nsps), accessory proteins, and structural proteins. The structural proteins of SARS-CoV-2 include the spike (S), envelope (E), membrane (M), and nucleocapsid (N) proteins.

These viral proteins have been the primary targets for vaccine development, as well as drug repurposing and therapeutics studies.

Interestingly the SARS-CoV-2 genome also consists of two flanking untranslated regions (UTRs) at the 5' end of 265 nucleotides and 3' end of 358 nucleotides.

Typically, viruses take over the control of host cellular machinery, such as nucleic acid synthesis and protein translation system, in order to advance their replication within the host.

The study team from Gujerat believes that if the functionality of the virus is silenced, the proteins that aid in the viral replication of the host cells will not be synthesized. Therefore, such gene silencing of the virus would lead to apoptosis of the infected cell.

Typically the miRNA is a non-immunogenic and single-stranded noncoding RNA that is about 22 nucleotides in size and is an important part of the eukaryotic cell.

MicroRNA or miRNAs that are endogenously found in humans are known as ‘cellular miRNAs,’ whereas those which are acquired by ingesting vegetables are known as ‘plant miRNAs.’

These miRNAs play a vital role in regulating the expression of various genes at the post-transcriptional phase.

Numerous studies have shown that the main role of plant-derived miRNA is the repression or inhibition of gene expression. For example, a plant-derived miRNA known as ‘miRNA2911’ has been found to suppress the expression of the influenza A virus in mice. Honeysuckle-encoded atypical microRNA2911 directly targets influenza A viruses - Cell Research

Importantly in the context of inhibiting the SARS-CoV-2 gene, the study team found that the miRNA, present both endogenously inside the host or acquired exogenously through diet, could bind with the 3' UTR flanking region of the virus via complementary binding. This interaction can repress protein translation or promote messenger RNA (mRNA) degradation to block protein translation.

A study last year has revealed that administering honeysuckle decoction, which consists of plant miRNA2911, could efficiently absorb and inhibit SARS-CoV-2 viral replication. This approach has shown that the miRNA of one species can interact and silence genes of another species, including viruses, via cross-kingdom interactions. BREAKING NEWS! COVID-19 Herbs: Researchers Confirms That In Studies And Clinical Trials The Herb Honeysuckle Has Efficacy Against SARS-CoV-2 - Thailand Medical News

This new study by the researchers from Gujerat focuses on the identification of probable miRNA candidates from three medicinal plants; namely, Ocimum tenuiflorum, Zingiber officinale, and Piper nigrum, that are associated with cross-species interaction. Each of these plants is known to possess antiviral properties and can be consumed raw or as an herbal decoction.

The study team designed a systematic computational workflow to identify probable cellular miRNA candidates that are potent in providing antiviral defense against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The team studied host-virus-plant interaction and have successfully identified one unique 3'UTR conserved site of ‘GGAAGAG’ among 5,024 globally submitted complete sequences of SARS-CoV-2.

This conserved site can be targeted by both endogenous human miRNA (hsa-miR-1236–3p) and exogenous Z. officinale miRNA (zof-miR2673b).

Also three prospective anti-SARS-CoV-2 miRNAs were identified and found to belong to the miR477 family.

Often the members of the miR477 family have the inherent ability to silence viral genome RNA and promote antiviral activity. These results, therefore, highlight that the usage of these three plants in the right form could be effective in the prevention or management of COVID-19.

The study findings concludes that targeting the SARS-CoV-2’s 3' UTR region with miRNA could trigger a silencing mechanism that can ultimately cause transcriptional repression. The study used the principle of cross-kingdom interaction, where plants were used as a potential source of exogenous miRNAs that could efficiently repress viral replication in the host.

Importantly the study team identified one conserved 3'UTR site in SARS-CoV-2 genomes that can be targeted by human miRNA (hsa-miR-1236–3p) and Z. officinale miRNA (zof-miR2673b).

Significantly, this conserved site in the SARS-CoV-2 genome that could be effectively used as an alternative target to combat COVID-19.

 

[Heliobas Disciple]

More on the infected deer. Article is from back in July but adds some info.

COVID-19 News: US CDC Warns That Peridomestic Animals Such As Deer Mice, Bushy-Tailed Woodrats And Striped Skunks Could Serve As Zoonotic Reservoirs for SARS-CoV-2 - Thailand Medical News

COVID-19 News: A new study conducted by researchers from the Colorado State University-USA, and the University of Queensland-Australia has concluded that peridomestic animals such as deer mice, bushy-tailed woodrats and striped skunks could serve as zoonotic reservoirs for the SARS-CoV-2...

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COVID-19 News: US CDC Warns That Peridomestic Animals Such As Deer Mice, Bushy-Tailed Woodrats And Striped Skunks Could Serve As Zoonotic Reservoirs for SARS-CoV-2
Jul 04, 2021

COVID-19 News: A new study conducted by researchers from the Colorado State University-USA, and the University of Queensland-Australia has concluded that peridomestic animals such as deer mice, bushy-tailed woodrats and striped skunks could serve as zoonotic reservoirs for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

The study findings were published in the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC’s Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal. Peridomestic Mammal Susceptibility to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection

Typically zoonosis occurs when a pathogen that derives from animals jumps to, and successfully transmits between, human hosts. But we are now witnessing more cases where humans are passing the virus to not only pets and domestic animals but also to certain wild life.

During the early onset of the pandemic, a commonly subscribed to hypothesis was a possible spillover event during close human contact with wild animals at a ‘wet market’ in Wuhan, China, where the virus was first detected in December 2019.

Although subsequent phylogenetic evidence has largely problematized this initial thesis, most of the world’s scientific community is still fairly certain that SARS-CoV-2 had jumped to human hosts via wild animals. This was potentially through an intermediary host that contracted the virus from horseshoe bats (a common reservoir for betacoronaviruses like SARS-CoV-2).

Past detailed investigations of the types of animals that are susceptible to this type of coronavirus or that can act as zoonotic reservoirs have already been undertaken.

These studies have aimed both to try and get closer to understanding the precise origins of the present pandemic, but also to conduct risk assessments on potential future zoonotic spillovers of SARS-CoV-2 so that we may avoid these sorts of calamitous outbreaks in the future. Of particular concern is the virus’s ability to advantageously evolve within animal hosts and then jump back to humans through immunity-evading mutations.

However research into how the SARS0CoV-2 coronavirus has affected wildlife species is currently limited. However, this may be crucial to determining whether wildlife species can serve as reservoirs for retaining the virus.

This new research attempted to address this issue, peridomestic mammals, which live in and around human habitations, have been investigated to ascertain how SARS-CoV-2 can affect species external to, but in close proximity with, the human population.

Typically peridomestic animals may include wild and feral animals which reside near humans and can be seen as a key component for researching the epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2.

The critical importance of understanding how SARS-CoV-2 interacts with peridomestic mammals is underscored when assessing their associations with humans and the modification of their habitats due to human intervention. These species are at the highest risk of exposure to the virus from humans, which can be said even in pets such as cats.

Furthermore if these species were to be susceptible to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, they may have the capacity to replicate and spread this to a high titer, which ma y lead to the virus being maintained in the species and could result in shedding and being transmitted back into humans. This could possibly lead to an outbreak with new viral variants and populations being led back into a pandemic.

It has been known that mammals that can display peridomestic characteristics within urban and suburban environments can include wild rodents, cottontail rabbits, raccoons and striped skunks.

Past research has shown these species to shed influenza A viruses after experimental inoculations, suggesting their ability to harbor productive infections when exposed to other human infectious respiratory viruses (like SARS-CoV-2).

Detailed protein analyses of amino acid residues of the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) host cell receptor and the viral spike protein suggest that carnivores and wild rodents are within high-risk groups regarding susceptibility to the virus. However, when investigating which specific species is susceptible to SARS-CoV-2, the research is more complex.

It should be noted that rodents are the largest and most diverse order of mammals which makes susceptibility to the virus more varied within the same species. Non-transgenic mice are predominantly found to be unsusceptible to infection.However, transgenic humanized mice and hamsters, as well as Syrian hamsters, are found to be highly susceptible to infections. One previous study found that Roborovki dwarf hamsters exposed to infection resulted in disease and death after three days.

The study assessed six common peridomestic rodents for their level of susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2, which included deer mice, wild-caught house mice, bushy-tailed woodrats, fox squirrels, Wyoming ground squirrels, and black-tailed prairie dogs. These animals are commonly found in the United States and have close contact with humans as well as human residences.

Another three peridomestic mammals ie cottontail rabbits, raccoons, and striped skunks which may have less interaction with humans but are still commonly found were also assessed.

The study findings consisted of illustrating that peridomestic species such as deer mice, bushy-tailed woodrats and striped skunks are susceptible to being infected by SARS-CoV-2 and have the ability to shed the virus in respiratory secretions.

Interestingly however, other peridomestic mammals such as cottontail rabbits, fox squirrels, Wyoming ground squirrels, black-tailed prairie dogs, house mice and raccoons were found not to be susceptible to the virus.

The peridomestic animals were all assessed daily for the temperament and clinical signs of disease before conclusions were drawn. The results of this study confirm previous research into the susceptibility of animals, such as deer mice. The researchers conclude that most wildlife exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus manifest with either no or mild symptoms of the clinical disease. Additionally, they either did not shed the virus or shed the virus for short periods of time.

The study team does however acknowledge that while some rodents may be found to be potential reservoirs for the virus, the study has limitations of being unrepresentative due to the high doses provided to the animals.

This may not be reflective of reality which relies on the available dose within nature, as this may be lower than what was provided in this study. However, due to the susceptibility of some peridomestic animals, the researchers recommend the development of safety guidelines that can ensure the safety of humans and their pets.

This can include risk assessing occupational hazards when working with or around susceptible animals in areas of contact such as barns and sheds. This may require personal protective equipment (PPE) to prevent exposure from any type of pathogen that these rodents may carry. Safety is always of paramount importance, and action should be cautioned when interacting with susceptible animals, especially during the ongoing pandemic.

Importantly the study findings has provided insight into how human and wildlife interactions can result in a continual circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in both animals and humans and the likelihood of susceptibility from this interaction.

 

[Heliobas Disciple]

Found this technology interesting. These articles are from back in 2019; Bill Gates had a part in this.

Invisible ink “tattoos” could be used to ID vaccinated kids

The more we know about who got what vaccine, the easier it'll be to eradicate diseases.

futurism.com

(fair use applies)

Invisible Ink “Tattoos” Could Be Used to ID Vaccinated Kids
They're only visible using a special smartphone camera app and filter.
Victor Tangermann
12. 19. 19

For the people overseeing nationwide vaccination initiatives in developing countries, keeping track of who had which vaccination and when can be a tough task.

But researchers from MIT might have a solution: they’ve created an ink that can be safely embedded in the skin alongside the vaccine itself, and it’s only visible using a special smartphone camera app and filter.

In other words, they’ve found a covert way to embed the record of a vaccination directly in a patient’s skin rather than documenting it electronically or on paper — and their low-risk tracking system could greatly simplify the process of maintaining accurate vaccine records, especially on a larger scale.

“In areas where paper vaccination cards are often lost or do not exist at all, and electronic databases are unheard of, this technology could enable the rapid and anonymous detection of patient vaccination history to ensure that every child is vaccinated,” researcher Kevin McHugh said in a statement.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funded the team’s research, which was published in the journal Science Translational Medicine on Wednesday. According to a Scientific American story, the project came about following a direct request from Microsoft founder Bill Gates himself, who has been personally involved in efforts to eradicate polio and measles through vaccinations.

The invisible “tattoo” accompanying the vaccine is a pattern made up of minuscule quantum dots — tiny semiconducting crystals that reflect light — that glows under infrared light. The pattern — and vaccine — gets delivered into the skin using hi-tech dissolvable microneedles made of a mixture of polymers and sugar.

So far, the system is mostly a proof of concept. But the researchers have already tried it out on rats and found that the patterns were still detectable nine months after injection. In human cadaver skin models, the patterns outlasted five years of simulated Sun exposure.

“It’s possible someday that this ‘invisible’ approach could create new possibilities for data storage, biosensing, and vaccine applications that could improve how medical care is provided, particularly in the developing world,” MIT professor and senior author Robert Langer said in the statement.

Invisible Ink Could Reveal whether Kids Have Been Vaccinated

The technology embeds immunization records into a child’s skin

www.scientificamerican.com

(fair use applies)

Invisible Ink Could Reveal whether Kids Have Been Vaccinated
The technology embeds immunization records into a child’s skin
By Karen Weintraub
December 18, 2019

Keeping track of vaccinations remains a major challenge in the developing world, and even in many developed countries, paperwork gets lost, and parents forget whether their child is up to date. Now a group of Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers has developed a novel way to address this problem: embedding the record directly into the skin.

Along with the vaccine, a child would be injected with a bit of dye that is invisible to the naked eye but easily seen with a special cell-phone filter, combined with an app that shines near-infrared light onto the skin. The dye would be expected to last up to five years, according to tests on pig and rat skin and human skin in a dish.

The system—which has not yet been tested in children—would provide quick and easy access to vaccination history, avoid the risk of clerical errors, and add little to the cost or risk of the procedure, according to the study, published Wednesday in Science Translational Medicine.

“Especially in developing countries where medical records may not be as complete or as accessible, there can be value in having medical information directly associated with a person,” says Mark Prausnitz, a bioengineering professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, who was not involved in the new study. Such a system of recording medical information must be extremely discreet and acceptable to the person whose health information is being recorded and his or her family, he says. “This, I think, is a pretty interesting way to accomplish those goals.”

The research, conducted by M.I.T. bioengineers Robert Langer and Ana Jaklenec and their colleagues, uses a patch of tiny needles called microneedles to provide an effective vaccination without a teeth-clenching jab. Microneedles are embedded in a Band-Aid-like device that is placed on the skin; a skilled nurse or technician is not required. Vaccines delivered with microneedles also may not need to be refrigerated, reducing both the cost and difficulty of delivery, Langer and Jaklenec say.

Delivering the dye required the researchers to find something that was safe and would last long enough to be useful. “That’s really the biggest challenge that we overcame in the project,” Jaklenec says, adding that the team tested a number of off-the-shelf dyes that could be used in the body but could not find any that endured when exposed to sunlight. The team ended up using a technology called quantum dots, tiny semiconducting crystals that reflect light and were originally developed to label cells during research. The dye has been shown to be safe in humans.

The approach raises some privacy concerns, says Prausnitz, who helped invent microneedle technology and directs Georgia Tech’s Center for Drug Design, Development and Delivery. “There may be other concerns that patients have about being ‘tattooed,’ carrying around personal medical information on their bodies or other aspects of this unfamiliar approach to storing medical records,” he says. “Different people and different cultures will probably feel differently about having an invisible medical tattoo.”

When people were still getting vaccinated for smallpox, which has since been eradicated worldwide, they got a visible scar on their arm from the shot that made it easy to identify who had been vaccinated and who had not, Jaklenec says. “But obviously, we didn’t want to give people a scar,” she says, noting that her team was looking for an identifier that would be invisible to the naked eye. The researchers also wanted to avoid technologies that would raise even more privacy concerns, such as iris scans and databases with names and identifiable data, she says.

The work was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and came about because of a direct request from Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates himself, who has been supporting efforts to wipe out diseases such as polio and measles across the world, Jaklenec says. “If we don’t have good data, it’s really difficult to eradicate disease,” she says.

The researchers hope to add more detailed information to the dots, such as the date of vaccination. Along with them, the team eventually wants to inject sensors that could also potentially be used to track aspects of health such as insulin levels in diabetics, Jaklenec says.

This approach is likely to be one of many trying to solve the problem of storing individuals’ medical information, says Ruchit Nagar, a fourth-year student at Harvard Medical School, who also was not involved in the new study. He runs a company, called Khushi Baby, that is also trying to create a system for tracking such information, including vaccination history, in the developing world.
newsletter promo

Working in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan, Nagar and his team have devised a necklace, resembling one worn locally, which compresses, encrypts and password protects medical information. The necklace uses the same technology as radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips—such as those employed in retail clothing or athletes’ race bibs—and provides health care workers access to a mother’s pregnancy history, her child’s growth chart and vaccination history, and suggestions on what vaccinations and other treatments may be needed, he says. But Nagar acknowledges the possible concerns all such technology poses. “Messaging and cultural appropriateness need to be considered,” he says.

 

[Heliobas Disciple]

Barrett won’t block Indiana University’s vaccine mandate

The Supreme Court will not interfere with Indiana University’s vaccine mandate. On Thursday evening, Justice Amy Coney Barrett turned down a request from a group of Indiana University students to block the school’s requirement that students be vaccinated against the virus. Barrett, who is...

amylhowe.com

(fair use applies)


Barrett won’t block Indiana University’s vaccine mandate
Amy L Howe
Aug 12 2021

The Supreme Court will not interfere with Indiana University’s vaccine mandate. On Thursday evening, Justice Amy Coney Barrett turned down a request from a group of Indiana University students to block the school’s requirement that students be vaccinated against the virus. Barrett, who is responsible for emergency appeals from Indiana, denied the students’ request without comment, without seeking a response from the state, and without referring the request to the full court for a vote – suggesting that she and the other justices did not regard it as a particularly close case.

The case, Klaassen v. Trustees of Indiana University, was the first test of COVID-19 vaccine requirements to arrive at the Supreme Court. The rule at the center of the case, announced in May by the university, requires all faculty, students and staff to be vaccinated unless they qualify for a medical or religious exemption. Eight students went to federal court to challenge the constitutionality of the mandate, but on July 18 a federal district judge in Indiana rejected their request to block the mandate, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit declined to put the mandate on hold while the litigation continues.

The students came to the Supreme Court last week, asking the justices to act on the case by Friday, Aug. 13. On Thursday evening, the court announced that the students’ request had been denied. The court did not issue a separate order or provide any explanation; instead, the docket for the case only indicates that Barrett denied the application.

 

[Heliobas Disciple]

Court partially blocks New York eviction moratorium

A divided Supreme Court on Thursday night granted a request from a group of New York landlords to lift part of a state moratorium on residential evictions put in place at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The ruling in Chrysafis v. Marks came three days after a federal district judge in...

amylhowe.com

(fair use applies)

Court partially blocks New York eviction moratorium
Amy L Howe
Aug 12 2021

A divided Supreme Court on Thursday night granted a request from a group of New York landlords to lift part of a state moratorium on residential evictions put in place at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The ruling in Chrysafis v. Marks came three days after a federal district judge in Washington, D.C., heard oral argument in a challenge to the Biden administration’s newly enacted federal moratorium on evictions in most of the country.

The state moratorium allows tenants in New York to avoid eviction by declaring that they have suffered “financial hardship” as a result of the pandemic. New York enacted the moratorium in 2020 and has extended it through Aug. 31, 2021.

The landlords went to federal court in New York to challenge the moratorium, arguing that it violates their right to due process by allowing tenants to put eviction proceedings on hold without any proof that the pandemic has affected them and without giving landlords a chance to rebut their assertions. A federal district court dismissed their challenge, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit turned down the landlords’ request to put the moratorium on hold while they appeal.

The landlords turned to the Supreme Court at the end of July, telling the justices that “the courthouse door has been barred to New York’s landlords” for over a year. And when New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) recently declared that the state’s “disaster emergency” is over, and the economy is reopening, they contended, the state cannot point to the pandemic to justify maintaining its ban on evictions.

Opposing the landlords’ request to block the state moratorium, New York pointed to a decision in late June in which a divided Supreme Court allowed a prior version of the federal eviction moratorium to remain in place for one month. In that case, Justice Brett Kavanaugh provided the key fifth vote to keep the moratorium in place. He wrote that the Centers for Disease Control had exceeded its authority when it extended the nationwide moratorium, but he joined Chief Justice John Roberts and the court’s three liberal justices in voting to maintain the moratorium because it was scheduled to expire on July 31.

Shortly after that federal moratorium expired, the CDC enacted a new, 60-day moratorium on evictions in areas of the country hardest hit by the Delta variant. The legal challenge to the new federal moratorium may reach the justices soon.
In the New York case, the state stressed that its moratorium was scheduled to end on Aug. 31 and that state authorities are “in the process of distributing millions of dollars of congressionally appropriated rental-assistance benefits to landlords and their tenants, which will render many eviction proceedings unnecessary.” Lifting the moratorium now, the state cautioned, would only “disrupt the State’s fragile and ongoing recovery from the pandemic by abruptly inundating the courts with eviction proceedings.” Unlike the challenge to the prior federal moratorium, which centered on the CDC’s lack of authority to enact the ban, this case involves a state’s core power to regulate its own affairs, New York argued.

In a brief unsigned order on Thursday, the Supreme Court granted the landlords’ request to block New York from enforcing the portion of the COVID Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act that generally allows tenants to ward off eviction, without a hearing, simply by certifying that they have suffered financial hardship as a result of the pandemic. Such a scheme, the court explained, “violates the Court’s longstanding teaching that ordinarily ‘no man can be a judge in his own case.’” However, the court continued, tenants can still raise financial problems resulting from the pandemic as a defense in court.

Justice Stephen Breyer dissented from the court’s order, in a three-and-a-half-page opinion that was joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. Breyer stressed that the eviction ban would have ended on its own terms “in less than three weeks, alleviating the hardship to New York landlords,” and he noted that the hardship could also be reduced by the aid that the state is distributing, which may be used to pay back rent to landlords. But in any event, Breyer continued, any hardship to the landlords must also be weighed against the hardship to tenants, who “will now be forced to face eviction proceedings earlier than expected.” And all of this, Breyer reminded his readers, is happening during “a grave and unpredictable public health crisis.” Citing a concurring opinion by Roberts in a May 2020 case in which the court declined to lift California’s restrictions on crowds at church services, Breyer wrote that he would not “second-guess politically accountable officials’ determination of how best to ‘guard and protect’ the people of New York.”

 

[155 arty]

W

COVID-19 Drugs: New In Vitro Study Shows That The High Blood Pressure Drug Losartan Inhibits SARS-CoV-2 Replication - Thailand Medical News

COVID-19 Drugs: A new in vitro study conducted by researchers from University of Georgia-US and Shahid Beheshti University-Iran has found that the common high pressure drug called Losartan is able to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus replication. Losartan, sold under the trade name Cozaar among...

www.thailandmedical.news

(fair use applies)

New In Vitro Study Shows That The High Blood Pressure Drug Losartan Inhibits SARS-CoV-2 Replication
A new in vitro study conducted by researchers from University of Georgia-US and Shahid Beheshti University-Iran has found that the common high pressure drug called Losartan is able to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus replication.
Aug 04, 2021


Losartan, sold under the trade name Cozaar among others, is a medication mainly used to treat high blood pressure. Losartan belongs to a group of drugs called angiotensin II receptor antagonists. It keeps blood vessels from narrowing, which lowers blood pressure and improves blood flow. It is also used for diabetic kidney disease, heart failure, and left ventricular enlargement. It is taken by mouth. It may be used alone or in addition to other blood pressure medication

The study team tested the effect of angiotensin II type I receptor blocker, losartan, on SARS-CoV-2 replication and inhibition of the papain-like protease of the virus.

The dose-dependent inhibitory effect of losartan, in concentrations from 1µM to 100µM as determined by quantitative cell analysis combining fluorescence microscopy, image processing, and cellular measurements (Cellomics analysis) on SARS-CoV-2 replication was investigated in Vero E6 cells. The impact of losartan on deubiquitination and deISGylation of SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease (PLpro) were also evaluated.

The study findings showed that losartan reduced PLpro cleavage of tetraUbiquitin to diUbiquitin. It was less effective in inhibiting PLpro’s cleavage of ISG15-AMC than Ubiquitin-AMC. To determine if losartan inhibited SARS-CoV-2 replication, losartan treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infected Vero E6 was examined. Losartan treatment one hour prior to SARS-CoV-2 infection reduced levels of SARS-CoV-2 nuclear protein, an indicator of virus replication, by 80% and treatment one-hour post-infection decreased viral replication by 70%.

The study findings found that losartan was not an effective inhibitor of deubiquitinase or deISGylase activity of the PLpro but affected the SARS-CoV-2 replication of Vero E6 cells in vitro. As losartan has a favorable safety profile and is currently available it has features necessary for efficacious drug repurposing and treatment of COVID-19.

The study findings were published in the peer reviewed Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Losartan Inhibits SARS-CoV-2 Replication in Vitro | Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences

The COVID-19 disease, which is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, has already claimed more than 4.3 million lives worldwide and infected more than 200 million people over the last 19 months. It is expected in the next few months, surges with the delta, lambda and other newly emerging variants might triple these figures in a short span.

The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is a single-stranded positive-sense RNA virus belonging to the Coronaviridae family. Other members of this family include the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and the severe acute respiratory coronavirus (SARS-CoV-1).

To date, there are no effective antiviral drugs for the treatment of COVID-19 and vaccine rollout has been quite heterogeneous across different countries. Furthermore, studies are emerging that the new variants are making the current vaccines less effective.

As such scientists have turned to drug repurposing as a potentially promising strategy to combat the disease.

Importantly a globally available and safe drug that has properties that could ameliorate the pathological changes of COVID-19 with minimum side effects, in particular, could greatly impact the management of the current pandemic. A better understanding of the features of COVID-19 pathogenesis can also assist in drug repurposing and discovery.

This new study explores the use of Losartan to provide protection against COVID-19 pathogenesis.

It has been known that the downregulation of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) has been shown to cause local RAS dysregulation. This can subsequently lead to pro-inflammatory, pro-apoptotic, and pro-thrombotic effects and, ultimately, COVID-19-induced cytokine storm.

The study team hypothesized that selective AT1R antagonism by angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) can aid in reducing COVID-19-related lung pathology.

Angiotensin receptor blockers or ARBs achieve this by rebalancing the Ang II/angiotensin (1-7) ratio and by indirectly promoting Ang II-induced activation of AT2R.

Previous studies have found that C21, which is an antagonist of AT2R, improved respiratory function in the hospitalization and mortality rates of COVID-19 patients. The angiotensin type 2 receptor agonist C21 restores respiratory function in COVID19 - a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 2 trial

Notably, during the initial phases of the pandemic, the use of ARBs was limited owing to concerns over their possibility to increase its viral load, due to ACE2 upregulating effects. Further research has since proven that this is not the case and experimental and clinical studies on ARBs in COVID-19 are well underway.

Interestingly in recent in silico studies, losartan, which is an ARB, was shown to change the structure of ACE2, thereby affecting its binding with the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Are losartan and imatinib effective against SARS-CoV2 pathogenesis? A pathophysiologic-based in silico study - PubMed

Losartan was also found to reduce inflammatory responses that would otherwise lead to acute respiratory distress and change the atomic configuration of SARS-CoV-2 PLpro. Losartan, a selective antagonist of AT1 receptor, attenuates seawater inhalation induced lung injury via modulating JAK2/STATs and apoptosis in rat - PubMed

The study team scientists examined the ability of losartan to inhibit the deubiquitinase and deISGylase properties of SARS-CoV-2 PLpro. The team also examined whether losartan was capable of preventing viral replication in pre-and post-infected Vero E6 cells.

For the study, losartan was first incubated at various concentrations with SARS-CoV-2 PLpro and a peptide substrate, which contained interferon-stimulated gene product 15 (ISG15). The results of this experiment suggested that losartan could be interacting with certain elements of PLpro that are capable of accommodating peptide and Ub-like substrates. The inhibition rate of losartan was 2.3% when tested against Ub-AMC and 6.9% against ISG15 cleavage.

However with regards to the effects of losartan on Tetra-Ub Deubiqutination at 2mM, losartan showed a small reduction in deISGylase activity as compared to the control.

Importantly further, treatment of Vero E5 cells with losartan showed a dose-dependent (0-100 µM) effect on SARS-CoV-2 replication.

The study findings demonstrate the weak inhibitory effect of losartan on viral PLpro deubiquitinase and deISGylase properties. Albeit dose-dependent, the treatment of Vero E6 cells with losartan inhibited viral replication.

The tea says that despite obtaining some initially promising results, more extensive research is required to gain a better understanding of the structural changes that occur in the viral proteins and their biological products when interacted with losartan.

Should these further studies yield viable results, it could open up new avenues for effective antiviral design and development. More research is using diversified cohorts in randomized control trials would also be necessary in order to better understand the effect of Losartan in the future stages of the pandemic.

It should be noted that two of the main advantages associated with losartan are that it is not toxic to cells and has inhibitory effects on viral replication. These features may immensely help in curbing the spread of COVID-19 and managing individuals who are unresponsive to vaccination.

Furthermore there is also a possibility that losartan is effective against future mutants of SARS-CoV-2. All of these crucial issues warrant more research. Promising results would imply easing the burden of healthcare costs globally.

Thailand Medical News however warns that this is only a in vitro study and that no one should ever contemplate self-treating with losartan without consulting a licensed qualified doctor first.

Well that may explain my current conundrum.
I was pretty sick in dec of 2019 Jan 20... Just had a antibody test.. negative no antibody.
I have been taking my d vitamin and c vitamins but I'm on losartin

 

[nomifyle]

I've only read part of this but it is making me pretty nervous. Its hard to know what to believe.

God is good all the time

 

[marsh]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-q0mQP8eoK8
8:49 min

Do the Benefits of COVID Vaccine Outweigh the Risks?

Aug 12, 2021


Doctor Mike Hansen

Rarely, there are serious adverse effects of the covid vaccine. You probably have heard of the Miami doctor who died shortly after getting the Pfizer vaccine. I made a video about that already, but since that video, I’ve learned some new things about that case in an autopsy report, which I’ll talk about in my next video. But for this video, I’m going to look at the overall benefits vs risks of the COVID vaccines, particularly the mRNA vaccines Pfizer and Moderna, and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The mRNA vaccines contain a tiny piece of mRNA, that tells the cells of the body to make some proteins, in this case, antigens. These antigens then stimulate the immune system to make antibodies that specifically become ready to attack the antigens of the virus. So these mRNA vaccines make the immune system get to work in a very specific, targeted manner, much like a precise missile strike. On the contrary, when a virus infects you, its like a bomb goes off within the immune system. Things are chaotic and messy. And this is why immunological processes like Guiilan Barre syndrome, myocarditis, and immune thrombocytopenia are more likely to occur after a viral infection, and much less likely to occur after a vaccine.

The vaccines can also cause other immunologic processes, such as, allergic reactions. Sometimes the allergic reaction is so bad, that it causes anaphylaxis, which is a life-threatening condition. So what are the odds of developing a serious adverse event after COVID vaccination, such as GBS, or Myocarditis? And how often have people died as a result of the vaccine? Let’s take a closer look, and we’ll start with anaphylaxis.

During December 14, 2020 through January 18, 2021, a total of 9,943,247 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 7,581,429 doses of the Moderna vaccine were administered in the US. The CDC identified 66 case reports of anaphylaxis. 47 were after Pfizer, which gives a reporting rate of 4.7 cases/million doses administered. For Moderna there 19 cases, which gives a reporting rate of 2.5 cases/million doses given. Of all of these cases of anaphylaxis, the number of deaths was….0. So the chances of getting anaphylaxis from the COVID vaccine, is about the same as the chances of you getting struck by lightning over the next year. And the chances of dying from a lightning strike are way higher than the chances of dying from anaphylaxis from the vaccine.

As of July 22, 2021, 187 million people in the US received at least 1 dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Close monitoring of safety surveillance has demonstrated that serious adverse events after COVID-19 vaccination are very rare. One medical condition that has been reported in people shortly after they received the vaccine is something called thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS), or VITT, meaning vaccine induced thrombosis and thrombocytopenia…it’s a rare syndrome in which people have blood clots and low platelet levels.

As of June 30, 2021, 12.6 million doses of J&J vaccine have been given in the US, and there have been 38 cases of TTS within 15 days of getting the J&J vaccine. So about 3 cases per million doses given. Of the 38 cases of TTS, four died. The groups with the highest rate was that of females aged 30–49 in which there were about 9 cases per million vaccine doses….And something that I would want to know, is how many of these women were on birth control. Because that in itself is a risk factor for blood blots.

Another condition is Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare autoimmune neurologic disorder characterized by weakness and sometimes paralysis. Some cases have been reported after the J&J vaccine. Within VAERS, 100 reports of GBS after J&J vaccine were received during February 27–June 30, 2021. So the GBS reporting rate was 7.8 cases per million vaccine doses administered. Among subgroups based on sex and age, the reporting rate to VAERS was highest among males aged 50–64 years, with 15.6 cases per million Janssen COVID-19 vaccine doses administered. Of all the 100 cases of GBS, one of them died.

And then there is Myocarditis, meaning heart inflammation, which there have been some cases after the mRNA vaccines, mostly in young males. As of June 30, 141 million second doses of mRNA vaccine have been given to those age 18 and older. Within VAERS, there were 497 reports of myocarditis after the second dose. So 3.5 cases per million second doses. In the subgroup analyses the reporting rate was highest among males aged 18–29, which was 24 cases per million. There were no confirmed myocarditis-associated deaths.

 

[Heliobas Disciple]

W
Well that may explain my current conundrum.
I was pretty sick in dec of 2019 Jan 20... Just had a antibody test.. negative no antibody.
I have been taking my d vitamin and c vitamins but I'm on losartin

what is your conundrum? It looks like you may be getting some extra protection.

 

[155 arty]

what is your conundrum? It looks like you may be getting some extra protection.

Just trying to figure out why I haven't got the Rona ..
Been exposed numerous times .

 

[Heliobas Disciple]

I've only read part of this but it is making me pretty nervous. Its hard to know what to believe.

God is good all the time

You're not alone. I don't think anyone knows what to believe at this point. It seems everyone reporting on this has an agenda. I try to read it all, whatever the agenda (trying to use discernment though when reading so I can pick the facts out from the propaganda parts) and then make my own decisions from there, key being having all the info to weigh and consider. The more info you can get, the better, makes the weighing part more complete. That's why I try to post as many science based article as possible when I find them. Is Lambda going to be worse or is this another CDC noble lie to get more people panicked into getting the shot (seeing how the fear of Delta did motivate a whole new bunch of previous no-vax to change their mind)? Who knows? Read it all and watch the numbers in your area. The numbers at least don't lie. (unless you're in FL - here even the numbers are all mixed up and you don't know who to believe on even that fact).

HD

.

 

[Heliobas Disciple]

Just trying to figure out why I haven't got the Rona ..
Been exposed numerous times .

oh! well that indeed may explain it. you're fortunate you have one of the potentially repurposed drugs already prescribed to you.

Hd

 

[nomifyle]

You're not alone. I don't think anyone knows what to believe at this point. It seems everyone reporting on this has an agenda. I try to read it all, whatever the agenda (trying to use discernment though when reading so I can pick the facts out from the propaganda parts) and then make my own decisions from there, key being having all the info to weigh and consider. The more info you can get, the better, makes the weighing part more complete. That's why I try to post as many science based article as possible when I find them. Is Lambda going to be worse or is this another CDC noble lie to get more people panicked into getting the shot (seeing how the fear of Delta did motivate a whole new bunch of previous no-vax to change their mind)? Who knows? Read it all and watch the numbers in your area. The numbers at least don't lie. (unless you're in FL - here even the numbers are all mixed up and you don't know who to believe on even that fact).

HD

.

I'd never read anything on that thread before this evening. I think I just got scared, usually I don't. What with all the conversations going on its sometimes hard to stand stead fast constantly.

God is good all the time

Judy

 

[Heliobas Disciple]

I'd never read anything on that thread before this evening. I think I just got scared, usually I don't. What with all the conversations going on its sometimes hard to stand stead fast constantly.

God is good all the time

Judy

Follow your gut. If it tells you to stay home for a while, stay home for a while. There is a lot of discussion about Lambda. I'm trying to learn as much as I can about it too. I've been more careful in the last few weeks because of Delta, if Lambda is even worse, I'd rather know now so I can get ready. Beat the rush kind of thinking.

HD


.

 

[greysage]

World’s second largest shipping port was just shut down… Because of single Covid case…

Here comes more inflation. Full story at RCMP…

citizenfreepress.com

World’s second largest shipping port was just shut down… Because of single Covid case…
Posted by Kane on August 12, 2021 4:02 pm

View attachment 282790

Here comes more inflation.



Full story at RCMP… https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3144830/china-coronavirus-infection-closes-shipping-terminal-massive

One case and they shut it down? Call me skeptical but that sounded more like part of an economic reset and act of war than being cautious about a virus.

 

[Hfcomms]

Kind of beating a dead horse but with the vax look at risk vs reward. We know for the unvaccinated they have a greater than 99% chance of survival. In addition there are cost effective supplements to boost your immune system and off patent drugs that are quite effective for most, IE the HCQ (with zinc) and Ivermectin.

What we know about the vaccines is they were rushed into production with limited trials, that mRna based vaccines are new and untested technology, and that they don’t prevent Covid infection. We also know the drug companies have no liability when things go wrong and are raking in tens of billions of dollars and the insane full spectrum push for these vaccines show us another agenda is likely afoot.

To me the risk is significant and the benefit is unknown and those pushing seem to have ulterior motives.

 

[155 arty]

BREAKING! Scamming Nigerian Variant Called Eta Or B.1.525 Now Fast Spreading And Starting To Become Dominant. More Cases Emerging In India! - Thailand Medical News

The ETA variant that debuts from Nigeria and has a typical “scamming” behavior in the sense that it cannot be detected by many present COVID-19 RT-PCR testing platforms is now worrying virologists and experts from around the world as it starts to become more prevalent in circulation and spread...

www.thailandmedical.news

(fair use applies)

Scamming Nigerian Variant Called Eta Or B.1.525 Now Fast Spreading And Starting To Become Dominant. More Cases Emerging In India
The ETA variant that debuts from Nigeria and has a typical “scamming” behavior in the sense that it cannot be detected by many present COVID-19 RT-PCR testing platforms is now worrying virologists and experts from around the world as it starts to become more prevalent in circulation and spread.
Aug 08, 2021

Thailand Medical News first reported about this variant at that time known as the B.1.525 variant when it first emerged in Britain in February 2021. New SARS-CoV-2 Variant B.1.525 With More Than 20 Mutations Including E484K, 9 Non-Synonymous And 69-70 Spike Deletion Emerges in Britain! - Thailand Medical News

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Eta variant was first identified in Nigeria in December last year.

The Eta variant also known as the Variant of Interest VUI-21FEB-03 was given the nomenclature Eta in June 2021 by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The Eta variant has more than 20 Mutations Including E484K, 9 Non-Synonymous And 69-70 Spike Deletion besides two other deletions as well.

The Eta variant does not carry the same N501Y mutation found in the Alpha, Beta and Gamma but carries the same E484K-mutation as found in the Gamma, Zeta, and Beta variants, and also carries the same ?H69/?V70 deletion (a deletion of the amino acids histidine and valine in positions 69 and 70) as found in Alpha, N439K variant (B.1.141 and B.1.258) and Y453F variant (Cluster 5). It is expected to be upgraded to a status of a variant of concern or VOC in coming days or weeks. CoVariants

Eta differs from all other variants by having both the E484K-mutation and a new F888L mutation (a substitution of phenylalanine (F) with leucine (L) in the S2 domain of the spike protein).

The concerning mutations of Q677H, Q52R,and A67V are also found on it.

As of March 5, it had been detected in 23 countries but a recent update in August 7th 2021 saw that it is now in 68 countries and in countries like India, more cases linked to it are becoming apparent.

Just 48 hours ago, the Indian state of Karnataka confirmed yet another case in the district of Mangaluru in an Indian man that had travelled from Qatar. In late July a case was also reported in Mizoram India.

It should be noted that lots of Middle East countries are now the originating source of the Eta variant to other countries.

India has also reported numerous other cases linked to the Eta variant but experts are warning that here might be more as most RT-PCT testing platforms have not been upgraded to test for it including many in the various South-East Asian countries. To further complicate the situation, India is not doing enough genomic sequencing of infections.

It would also be a major disaster if the Nigerian Eta variant was to recombine with the Indian Delta variant,.... the world might be inundated with a sly, lethal and full of 'hot-air' Democrat Kamala Harris who really does not care about anyone... type of pathogen! (Lol! Just Kidding!)

Interestingly in most cases of those patients found infected with the Eta variant, besides the typical symptoms and lung inflammation, most also exhibited a variety of severe gastrointestinal issues and secondary conditions typically associated with severe IBD and in some cases severe diverticulitis and gut microbiota dysbiosis was also observed.

Very often most infected with the Eta variant would develop sepsis, organ failure and eventually die from heart failure ie the mortality rate is extremely high.

According to the U.S.CDC, the Eta variant is “identified to cause significant community transmission or multiple COVID-19 clusters, in multiple countries with increasing relative prevalence alongside an increasing number of cases over time, or other apparent epidemiological impacts to suggest an emerging risk to global public health.”

Eta is not the only variant that could play a role in impending surges. The Lambda variant and also the newly emerged Mu and Nu strains that were found in two South-Easts Asian countries but is currently being studied could all be key players besides the emerging second and third generation variants of the Delta lineages.

It fact a lot more concerning variants have already emerged and the WHO has acknowledged that the Greek alphabets would not be sufficient to cover them all.

In a recent press interview with the Telegraph, Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s technical chief for Covid-19, said the UN health agency was already looking at new names for mutations amid fears there will be more concerning variants than the 24 letters of the Greek alphabet. She said that star constellations are the current frontrunner to follow the Greek alphabet, suggesting we could one day see variants known as Aries, Gemini or Orion. Variants could be named after star constellations when Greek alphabet runs out, says WHO Covid chief

Thailand Medical News already predicts that the Omega variant would emerge somewhere February 2022 and become globally dominant by about June 2022 and start wreaking catastrophic havoc.

For those thinking that the COVID-19 pandemic would slow down by the end of the year and that the COVID-19 shots would allow for everything to go back to normal by then, they are going to be in for a rude shock

Already we are getting more and more interesting feedback on a daily basis about the COVID-19 jabs especially from UK and Israel. Stunning Covid report from Israel…

Also the Lambda variant according to a latest Japanese study is also literally resistance to the jabs. SARS-CoV-2 Lambda variant exhibits higher infectivity and immune resistance

Can't see it can't identify it , but it's real and you should be scared shitless!

 

[Krayola]

We know for the unvaccinated they have a greater than 99% chance of survival.

But for how long? I agree with everything you posted. I am just concerned that Geert Vanden Bossche's theory is coming true. He said the leaky vaccines will cause the mutations to become more deadly. Now, the verdict is still out on Delta, but the initial info looks promising. However, I will give it another month or two because the deaths always lag the case numbers by a few weeks.

 

[Flashyzipp]

How long is this dumb virus going to be around? My Mom died from covid this past February. She was perfectly healthy before that. Get vaccinated, she wanted to and I finally did

 

[Southside]

Japanese Researchers Warn Lambda Variant Is Extremely Lethal And Next Surge Will Be Bad. Prospective Mu and Nu Variants Identified

I am so afraid.

Wait! Didn't they try this before, and nothing happened, other than the people they killed through willful neglect?

 

[Mprepared]

Every lab, every building that studies, experiments, tests, creates, any human called a scientist that experiments with corona virus, should all disappear. Sick of all this. OH LOOK ANOTHER ONE IS COMING. They always know because they created it or turned it loose and we should all live in fear and then buy their cure that will kill us deader. This is just stupid.

 

[marsh]

Here We Go... Biden Admin Is Discussing Mandating Vaccines for Interstate Travel But Is "Not Under Consideration at this Moment" | The Gateway Pundit | by Jim Hoft

The Biden is discussing mandating COVID vaccines for interstate travel.

www.thegatewaypundit.com

Here We Go… Biden Admin Is Discussing Mandating Vaccines for Interstate Travel But Is “Not Under Consideration at this Moment”

By Jim Hoft
Published August 13, 2021 at 9:55am

The Biden is discussing mandating COVID vaccines for interstate travel.
ABC reported on this development earlier today.

Via ABC News:

When the pace of vaccinations in the U.S. first began to slow, President Joe Biden backed incentives like million-dollar cash lotteries if that’s what it took to get shots in arms. But as new coronavirus infections soar, he’s testing a tougher approach.

In just the past two weeks, Biden has forced millions of federal workers to attest to their vaccination status or face onerous new requirements.

He’s met with business leaders at the White House to press them to do the same.

Meanwhile, the administration has taken steps toward mandating shots for people traveling into the U.S. from overseas. And the White House is weighing options to be more assertive at the state and local level, including potential support for school districts imposing rules to prevent spread of the virus over the objection of Republican leaders.

“To the mayors, school superintendents, educators, local leaders, who are standing up to the governors politicizing mask protection for our kids: thank you,” Biden said Thursday. “Thank God that we have heroes like you, and I stand with you all, and America should as well.”

But even as Biden becomes more aggressive, he has refrained from using all his powers to pressure Americans to get vaccinated. He’s held off, for instance, on proposals to require vaccinations for all air travelers or, for that matter, the federal workforce. The result is a precarious balancing act as Biden works to make life more uncomfortable for the unvaccinated without spurring a backlash in a deeply polarized country that would only undermine his public health goals.

 

[marsh]

It's Happening: "No Jab, No Job" Program Introduced in Sydney; Forces Workers to Vaccinate If They Want to Make a Living | The Gateway Pundit | by Julian Conradson

Australians are outraged once again after the Government of New South Whales increased the severity of COVID restrictions by implementing a strict “no jab, no job” policy that is set to begin on Friday in Sydney and the surrounding areas. In the outright assault on individual freedoms which is...

www.thegatewaypundit.com

It’s Happening: “No Jab, No Job” Program Introduced in Sydney [Aus] ; Forces Workers to Vaccinate If They Want to Make a Living

By Julian Conradson
Published August 13, 2021 at 9:41am

Australians are outraged once again after the Government of New South Whales increased the severity of COVID restrictions by implementing a strict “no jab, no job” policy that is set to begin on Friday in Sydney and the surrounding areas.

In the outright assault on individual freedoms which is being billed as a decision for the “greater good,” the power-hungry liberal majority on the council mandated that workers in some specific industries must get vaccinated before they are allowed to return to their job.



As of this weekend workers in 9 different local government areas of the countries largest state are being forced to provide proof that they have been vaccinated just to be able to feed themselves or their families

The directive only applies to construction workers and tradesmen at this point, but more industries are expected to be added. It has already begun to have the effect it was intended to. People who were on the fence, but desperate to provide for their families, have already succumbed to getting the jab.

A 31-year old man who drives for an engineering company explained his dilemma to Reuters:

“I didn’t want to get the vaccine … but I needed to get the jab or I don’t have a job.”

As-if Aussies didn’t have enough to deal with already, now they have some bureaucrat psychopath restricting their ability to make a living unless they shoot up the experimental vaccine. I mean my-goodness, the military was just deployed to enforce new lockdowns and is keeping them locked in their homes after only a handful of new cases.

Even some of the liberals in the government are pushing back against the Orwellian measures over fears that it could weaken their grip on power in the next election cycle, Liberal MP Tanya Davies described the “no jab, no job” program as a form of “discrimination” that is a direct “attack” on the people.

From Australia Broadcasting Corporation(ABC):

Ms Davies predicted the policy would lead to a wide range of liability and unfair dismissals. She has drafted a private member’s bill seeking to ban a blanket mandate for COVID-19 vaccinations.

“No person should lose their job if they do not get vaccinated. A person may not be vaccinated for any number of medical, ethical, or religious reasons.”

“Workers in Western Sydney are being forced into vaccinations for fear of not being able to provide for their families.

ABC also spoke with some locals about the unethical mandates:

One man waiting in line for his vaccine told the ABC if it wasn’t essential to his work he wouldn’t have gotten one, but conceded: “If it has to be done, it has to be done, nothing more we can do about it”.

George Diab, director of Westport Builders, said the vaccination requirement for many workers was a bit of a shock.

“After speaking to a lot of contractors and our employees I’ve realised they wanted to get the jab, but they wanted to hold off a little bit and see the effects of it, I’ve got to say it’s probably about 85 to 90 per cent that are still on the fence.”

“It’s very unfair … saying that it can’t be forced on people but it is being forced on people,” he said.

“It’s either you get it done or you sit at home without pay, without income.”

There were thousands of people marching for their freedom from this tyranny in the streets across the country even before this new policy.

You can bet that there will be more now.


Talk of not allowing people to work unless they take the experimental jab has already made its way into the US, and millions around the world are dealing with similar policies as they mount their resistance.

Remember, Biden and the marxists who pull his puppet strings cant wait for the opportunity to use these tactics on you.

It’s up to us to make sure that doesn’t happen.

 

[marsh]

ttps://thenationalpulse.com/breaking/who-investigator-says-lab-leak-is-probable/

WHO COVID Investigator FINALLY Admits Wuhan Lab Leak Theory Is ‘Probable’.

• AUGUST 13, 2021
• NATALIE WINTERS

The lead investigator for the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 origins team admitted that the virus developing as a result of a Wuhan Institute of Virology employee getting infected by a bat was a “probable hypothesis.”

The claims, made by Dr. Peter Embarek, follow the World Health Organization (WHO) team releasing a controversial report alleging COVID-19 had natural origins and that a lab leak is “extremely unlikely.” The National Pulse highlighted several members of the team – including Peter Daszak and Marion Koopmans – for having conflicts of interest with the Chinese Communist Party.

While speaking on Denmark’s television station TV2, Embarek admitted that “an employee who was infected in the field by taking samples falls under one of the probable hypotheses.”

“This is where the virus jumps directly from a bat to a human,” he added before explaining, “in that case, it would then be a laboratory worker instead of a random villager or other person who has regular contact with bats. So it is actually in the probable category.”

Read the rest here. Covid Patient Zero may have been a Wuhan lab worker infected by a bat