||| FROM THE DAILY BEAST |||
COVID-19 cases are increasing again in the United Kingdom, potentially signaling a future surge in infections in the United States and other countries.
A pair of new subvariants of the dominant Omicron variant—BA.4 and BA.5—appear to be driving the uptick in cases in the U.K. Worryingly, these subvariants seem to partially dodge antibodies from past infection or vaccination, making them more transmissible than other forms of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
There are also some suggestions that the new subvariants have evolved to target the lungs—unlike Omicron, which usually resulted in a less dangerous infection of the upper respiratory tract.
But there’s good news amid the bad. While cases are going up in the U.K., hospitalizations and deaths are increasing more slowly or even declining so far. “This could mean higher transmissible variants, BA.4 or 5, are in play, [and] these variants are much less severe,” Edwin Michael, an epidemiologist at the Center for Global Health Infectious Disease Research at the University of South Florida, told The Daily Beast.
The trends could change, of course, but the decrease in deaths is an encouraging sign that, 31 months into the pandemic, all that immunity we’ve built up–at the cost of half a billion infections and tens of billions of dollars’ worth of vaccines—is still mostly holding.
As far as COVID goes, things were really looking up in the U.K. until recently. COVID cases steadily declined from their recent peak of 89,000 daily new infections in mid-March. Deaths from the March wave peaked a month later at around 330 a day.
By early June cases and deaths were near their pandemic lows. Then came BA.4 and BA.5. The grandchildren of the basic Omicron variant that first appeared in the fall of 2021, BA.4 and BA.5 both feature a trio of major mutations to their spike protein, the part of the virus that helps it to grab onto and infect our cells.
Eric Bortz, a University of Alaska-Anchorage virologist and public-health expert, described BA.4 and BA.5 as “immunologically distinct sublineages.” In other words, they interact with our antibodies in surprising new ways.
The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control—the European Union’s answer to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—labeled BA.4 and BA.5 “variants of concerns” back in mid-May. Two weeks later the two new subvariants began the gradual process of overtaking older forms of Omicron in the U.K. That’s when cases began increasing again.
It doesn’t help that the U.K. like most countries—China is a big exception—has lifted almost all restrictions on schools, businesses, crowds and travel. Those restrictions helped to keep down cases, but were broadly unpopular and came at a high economic cost.
“There’s a disconnect between the actuality of how infections are happening… and how people are deciding not to take very many precautions,” John Swartzberg, a professor emeritus of infectious diseases and vaccinology at the University of California-Berkeley’s School of Public Health, told The Daily Beast. He described it as “COVID fatigue… 100 percent of the world’s population must have it by now.”
The combination of a fully reopened economy and new COVID subvariants had an immediate effect. The U.K. Health Security Agency registered 62,228 new infections in the week ending June 10, a 70 percent uptick over the previous week. COVID hospitalizations grew more slowly over the same period, spiking 30 percent to 4,421.
COVID fatalities actually dropped, however—sliding 10 percent to 283. Deaths tend to lag infections by several weeks, of course, so it should come as no surprise if the death rate flattens or bumps up later this month or early next month.
But it’s possible it won’t. Yes, BA.4 and BA.5 are more transmissible, owing to that mutated spike protein. But that doesn’t mean they’re going to kill a lot of people. Despite their unusual qualities, it could be that BA.4 and BA.5 aren’t actually more dangerous than previous subvariants.
First, let me say I have had 2 Moderna shots. That is what was recommended after 2020, and Dr. Fauci promised us “after we took them everything would go back to normal” There is video out there.. No more for me.
These gene therapy tools do not prevent infection or transmission. They can not therefore prevent any kind of “Pandemic”.
We may find out soon that the variants are due to over-vaccination of the population. Wait and see,.
In the mean time, it appears insane to give 5-month to 6-year-olds a gene therapy tool called a Covid vaccine. (mRNA)
Kids are our disease carrying immunity pools. That is where immunity starts.
Here is the UNICEF read on childhood mortality to Covid:
“That analysis, which included empirical data on mortality in 2020 from more than 80 countries and areas, found no evidence of significant excess mortality among those under age 25 for 2020.”
https://data.unicef.org/topic/child-survival/covid-19/
True believers who have told me that at least the shots prevent death in the hospital, have yet to produce a study from the FDA or CDC that states that.
Because there are none.
I welcome someone to show us otherwise.
Pay no attention to this misinformation. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are most definitely NOT “gene therapy tools.” John Titus does not know what he’s talking about.
BTW, the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron subvariants have recently begun to show up (at the few percent level) in the WA state variant reports.
Well, let’s take a look at Moderna’s stock offering from 2018, which can be found at this link:
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1682852/000119312518323562/d577473ds1.htm
Here is the header:
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
Under
The Securities Act of 1933
MODERNA, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
And on page 19 we find this:
“Currently, mRNA is considered a gene therapy product by the FDA. Unlike certain gene therapies that irreversibly alter cell DNA and could act as a source of side effects, mRNA based medicines are designed to not irreversibly change cell DNA; however, side effects observed in gene therapy could negatively impact the perception of mRNA medicines despite the differences in mechanism. In addition, because no product in which mRNA is the primary active ingredient has been approved, the regulatory pathway for approval is uncertain.”
..And on and on.
Hey, if an old Hippie Gardner can find this, well,…
Mr. Titus provides an instructive lesson on how to spread misinformation that all Orcasonian readers should observe.
Gene therapy involves the manipulation of DNA within the cell’s nucleus. While there may be vaccines that do this, the mRNA vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna do NOT. Instead, they use a cell’s protein-manufacturing apparatus (the “ribosomes,” which sit outside the nucleus) to make spike-like proteins that subsequently train our immune systems to react to and kill the coronavirus.
Relying on an SEC submission for scientific information is a bogus procedure that no respectable scientist would endorse.
And our Hippie Gardner obviously does not have the sense of reasoned skepticism that good scientists bring to their work and help them to discern truth from falsehood.
So, are you saying that Moderna misrepresented it’s product to the Securities And Exchange Commission? Because I believe that would be illegal.
Or that the definition of mRNA was changed so that they could get Emergency Use Approval?
Here is how Moderna presented their product to the SEC as per my link above, perhaps you might read it again. The FDA considered it “gene therapy”:
“Currently, mRNA is considered a gene therapy product by the FDA. Unlike certain gene therapies that irreversibly alter cell DNA and could act as a source of side effects, mRNA based medicines are designed to not irreversibly change cell DNA; however, side effects observed in gene therapy could negatively impact the perception of mRNA medicines despite the differences in mechanism. In addition, because no product in which mRNA is the primary active ingredient has been approved, the regulatory pathway for approval is uncertain.”
Enjoying the back-and-forth, thanks for the reply <;-)
John, an SEC filing is about the last place I’d turn for scientific information. It’s written by attorneys and accountants, not scientists, who are trying to cover all company asses (not assets!) because of the threat of lawsuits that you mention. Note that they put the onus on the FDA considering mRNA a genetic therapy (which I haven’t checked out as I don’t have the time nor interest); they don’t say so themselves. And note that they say “mRNA based medicines are designed to not irreversibly change cell DNA.” That’s the crux of the matter. They work outside the cell nucleus, making proteins — not inside it, manipulating DNA.
This illustrates that you have to approach the Web with a healthy dose of critical skepticism, because there’s an awful lot of junk going up there — unlike most scientific papers, which have to submit to a rigorous process of peer review. Even here, there’s a lot of unpublished papers that see the light of day, too, known as “preprints.”
I speak from vast experience — probably longer that anyone in the islands — as editor of one of the earliest Web publications (SLAC Beam Line, beginning in 1994) on the very first US Web site at Stanford University. Originally, there was mostly good information on the Web, but after it got commercialized in the late 1990s, it’s become swamped with trash. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still a lot of good information there, but you have to hunt for it with a jaundiced eye, alert for errors and fraud.
From the WA state Department of Health’s latest weekly variant report, released yesterday, the incidence of omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5 began to surge in early June, to more than 20% of all cases. So far, the hospitalizations from these sequenced Covid cases are still under 1%, but it’s probably too early to tell. Earlier Omicron variants have had 0.9% to 1.3% hospitalization rates — which is low compared to other variants like Alpha, Gamma and Delta.
And San Juan County shows no sequenced BA.4 or BA.5 cases yet, but again, it’s probably too early to tell. There were only 135 cases of these statewide as of June 16.
This is very basic high school level biology.
Messenger RNAs do not permanently alter the genetic code of our genes (our DNA).
Michael is exactly right when he says,
“And note that they say “mRNA based medicines are designed to not irreversibly change cell DNA.” That’s the crux of the matter. They work outside the cell nucleus, making proteins — not inside it, manipulating DNA.”