Fear and Loathing, a Rat Flu Odyssey

[old goat]

A promising new vaccine that could be made quickly and cheeply in huge quantities in poor countries in existing flu vaccine facilities. Involves introducing a gene for modified spike protein into the virus for Newcastle disease--a bird virus--and then growing the modified virus in eggs. The modified spike protein is even more stable than the modified protein in the current mRNA vaccines--both were developed by James McClellan. The new protein is being licensed for free. The one downside--so far it's only been shown to work in hamsters. Phase I trials in humans underway.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/05/h...n-vaccine.html

Sorry for the dad pun.

[MontuckyFried]

The one downside--so far it's only been shown to work in hamsters.

Well, so it was too with the mask study that everyone like the CDC and WHO have been referring to over the last year:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7314229/
Hamsters seem to be quite the standard for COVID studies! Not kidding. Look it up. Apparently they are more naturally susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 than other lab animals so it makes sense.

[KQ]

I couldn't read that without thinking of this clip.

Yes.... I said the exact same thing when they said it on the news. Funny... but this isn't:

The highly contagious B.1.1.7 variant has fueled an alarming rise in Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations in parts of Europe. And experts worry the US could be next if Americans don't double down on safety measures until more people are vaccinated.

What's worse, experts say, is that the variant is changing the pandemic's playbook and could spell trouble for younger groups that haven't yet been vaccinated.

"We have to think about the B.1.1.7 variant as almost a brand new virus," said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. "It's acting differently from anything we've seen before, in terms of transmissibility, in terms of affecting young people, so we have to take this very seriously."

[KQ]

A promising new vaccine that could be made quickly and cheeply in huge quantities in poor countries in existing flu vaccine facilities. Involves introducing a gene for modified spike protein into the virus for Newcastle disease--a bird virus--and then growing the modified virus in eggs. The modified spike protein is even more stable than the modified protein in the current mRNA vaccines--both were developed by James McClellan. The new protein is being licensed for free. The one downside--so far it's only been shown to work in hamsters. Phase I trials in humans underway.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/05/h...n-vaccine.html

Sorry for the dad pun.

I'm assuming you mean Jason McClellan because James is a Rice alum who works in electrical engineering and computer science. However... speaking of Rice (Go Owls!) two other alums, Barney Graham and Bill Gruber (who are family friends) have been at the forefront of the vaccine development.

Rice alums Graham, Gruber discuss COVID-19 vaccines

[The AD]

The highly contagious B.1.1.7 variant has fueled an alarming rise in Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations in parts of Europe. And experts worry the US could be next if Americans don't double down on safety measures until more people are vaccinated.

They might as well have just skipped that last part.

[old goat]

Well, so it was too with the mask study that everyone like the CDC and WHO have been referring to over the last year:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7314229/
Hamsters seem to be quite the standard for COVID studies! Not kidding. Look it up. Apparently they are more naturally susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 than other lab animals so it makes sense.

You do realize that's not the only mask study.
Pet Station here in town is sold out of hamster masks--anyone have any luck finding them on line?

I'm assuming you mean Jason McClellan because James is a Rice alum who works in electrical engineering and computer science. However... speaking of Rice (Go Owls!) two other alums, Barney Graham and Bill Gruber (who are family friends) have been at the forefront of the vaccine development.

Rice alums Graham, Gruber discuss COVID-19 vaccines

Oops, yeah, Jason. Nobel laureate to be.

[bodywhomper]

Can somebody please translate the variants between numerical/letter designations to their more common names?

[Mofro261]

Can somebody please translate the variants between numerical/letter designations to their more common names?

Yes, we can.

There are 2 naming systems (confusingly) along with a geographic designation.

B.1.1.7 =UK variant
B.1.351 =SA variant
P.1 = Br variant
B.1.427 / B.1.429 = California variant
B.1. 526 = NY variant


Just a note that all of these variants remain >99% identical to the original Wuhan strain; the UK strain has 17 changes total among ~30,000 base genome.

[bodywhomper]

Yes, we can.

There are 2 naming systems (confusingly) along with a geographic designation.

B.1.1.7 =UK variant
B.1.351 =SA variant
P.1 = Br variant
B.1.427 / B.1.429 = California variant
B.1. 526 = NY variant


Just a note that all of these variants remain >99% identical to the original Wuhan strain; the UK strain has 17 changes total among ~30,000 base genome.

Thanks! What about the India variant, also called the “double mutant?”

[Self Jupiter]

Kelly Sills paid a small fortune for an enchanting trip to “the most magical place on Earth.”
Instead, the Baton Rouge resident — like several other Disney World guests who have defied coronavirus restrictions — visited the Orange County jail.

Amid heightened precautions for the virus at the major Florida tourist attraction, Sills, 47, skipped the temperature screening required of guests, authorities said. He was confronted by security about it at a Disney Springs restaurant, the Boathouse, when he yelled and refused to leave, according to an Orange County Sheriff’s Office arrest report from Feb. 13. When deputies insisted he would be charged with trespassing, he pointed to how much he spent on his vacation, according to body-camera footage released this week.

“I paid $15,000,” said Sills, handcuffed. “You can’t trespass me if I paid $15,000.”

He pleaded not guilty to a trespassing charge, according to Orange County court records.
In an interview Saturday with The Washington Post, Sills said he would have “happily” consented to a temperature screening but he had inadvertently walked in through an exit and not realized his error. He partly blamed the security manager for escalating the conflict — and compared Disney security to Nazis and the mafia — but also admitted he was in “a bit of a mood” after a day of travel.
He was arrested on the first night of what was a five-day trip with his family, a rare reprieve for which he had paid thousands, he said. Two hotel rooms, air travel and admission to Disney and Universal for seven to eight people set him back, he said.

“Covid is a very serious thing, but so is my vacation with my family,” he said.
Sills’s arrest, first reported by the Orlando Sentinel, is not the first instance guests have been reprimanded over defying coronavirus restrictions at a Disney park. The newspaper reported several skirmishes have stemmed from angry refusals to follow the theme park’s rules, including guests spitting on, yelling at and pushing employees tasked with reminding visitors to follow restrictions instated to curb the spread of the deadly virus.
Unmasked spring breakers are descending on Florida. Officials are begging them to behave.
The confrontations at Disney World come as other parts of Florida have had to ramp up enforcement when rowdy tourists flocked to the state that Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has promoted as less restrictive. While spring break revelers descended on South Florida, DeSantis praised how busy the area was compared with cities in other states with stricter coronavirus guidelines, such as New York City. He has touted the state’s distribution of vaccine doses and argued it is safe to visit.

“It’s booming here because you can live like a human being,” he said at a February press event. “People take precautions, which is great, but you’re not locked down. People aren’t miserable.”
But some local leaders said the “open for business” message that endorses fewer rules could lead to “chaos.”
Miami Beach police pepper-spray ‘unruly’ spring breakers, arrest 100 as authorities fear covid-19 surge
Disney spokeswoman Andrea Finger said conflicts over coronavirus rules are uncommon, with most guests following the requirements shared with them before they travel. Disney requires guests to stay home if they have symptoms, wear masks for if they are ages 2 and up, and undergo temperature checks at some entries.
“Guests have been overwhelmingly supportive of our protocols,” she wrote in a statement. “Millions of Guests visit our theme parks each year and in rare instances when things of this nature occur, we hold them accountable.”

In the body-camera footage, Sills expressed disbelief that Disney was requiring a temperature check as deputies walked him to a patrol car.
“I’m so ready to be done with this covid,” he told deputies at another point.
Maskless woman is handcuffed at bank a day after Texas lifts mandates
As deputies escorted Sills past families and others strolling through the park, he had a change of heart, wanting to undergo a temperature screening.
“Will you take my temperature before you kick me out, please?” he asked in the video.
“They’ll do that at the jail,” a deputy responded.
“Well, that’s good,” Sills said.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.was...outputType=amp

[Mofro261]

Thanks! What about the India variant, also called the “double mutant?”

The "double mutant" involves L452R (found in CA variant) and E484K (or E484Q) (in SA, Br, NY) changes in the Spike protein, but no lineage assignment yet. So far there are vastly more of the UK variants found in India than there has been spread of the "double mutant".

L452R (and N501Y in UK, SA) are mutations that likely increase transmission by increasing receptor binding affinity and allowing for more viral replication, whereas the E484K mutation alters some classes of neutralizing antibodies that would block entry into cells.

[Tri-Ungulate]

Can somebody please translate the variants between numerical/letter designations to their more common names?

I believe stuckathuntermountain has them designated the chink, gook and slope variants.

Thanks! What about the India variant, also called the “double mutant?”

He calls that one the paki curry-muncher variant.

[old goat]

Brazilian variant spreading across SA, beginning to overwhelm hospitals.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...south-america/

[bodywhomper]

Tri-U, thanks for the laughs.

The "double mutant" involves L452R (found in CA variant) and E484K (or E484Q) (in SA, Br, NY) changes in the Spike protein, but no lineage assignment yet. So far there are vastly more of the UK variants found in India than there has been spread of the "double mutant".

L452R (and N501Y in UK, SA) are mutations that likely increase transmission by increasing receptor binding affinity and allowing for more viral replication, whereas the E484K mutation alters some classes of neutralizing antibodies that would block entry into cells.

Thank you!!

[LongShortLong]

The highly contagious B.1.1.7 variant has fueled an alarming rise in Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations in parts of Europe. And experts worry the US could be next if Americans don't double down on safety measures until more people are vaccinated.

Americans believe if they ignore it, covid will go away. Was watching Iceland news b/c they have volcanoes.

Iceland: 11 infections per 100K people reported last 7 days -> beginning widespread restrictions
America: 137 infections per 100K people reported last 7 days -> reducing restrictions

We're dumb.

[MontuckyFried]

Americans believe if they ignore it, covid will go away. Was watching Iceland news b/c they have volcanoes.

Iceland: 11 infections per 100K people reported last 7 days -> beginning widespread restrictions
America: 137 infections per 100K people reported last 7 days -> reducing restrictions

We're dumb.

Must be nice to be a small island nation (only ~350K pop) with total border control (obviously), insanely good testing early on, and a mandatory quarantine procedure for entering the country. I wonder if Icelandic leaders were able to shut down travel from China without being labeled racist xenophobes? Interesting piece on Iceland from the New Yorker: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2...he-coronavirus
No lockdowns and pretty much maskless society apparently (at least back when this article was written).

What are your thoughts on our current border situation and the Biden administration's handling of it, such as releasing numerous COVID+ immigrants into our interior? CBP is not doing testing, and immigrants get bussed into locations much further in and dropped off. The administration's taking COVID SOOPER seriously though.

[Bunion 2020]

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, according to a release from his office.

The Republican governor who took office in January had mild symptoms Sunday and was tested Monday in Gallatin County. He received the positive result later in the day.

Gianforte will quarantine for 10 days, following his doctor’s and public health guidance, according to the release. He will work from his home in Bozeman during that time, the release said.

The governor notified all of his close contacts, the release said, though it did not specify how many people that included.

In an email late Monday, a spokesperson said the last public events Gianforte held were Thursday evening.

“He has been in close contact with one staff member, a member of his protective detail, family members, and friends who he had dinner with,” Brooke Stroyke wrote in an email.

Gianforte and his staff have been regularly tested since taking office, and his staff will be tested early Tuesday, according to the release.

Stroyke also said it’s not known how Gianforte contracted the virus.

Last Thursday, Gianforte received his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at a Helena pharmacy. While the Pfizer vaccine is about 95% effective a person does not get immunity until two weeks after their second dose, meaning Gianforte tested positive before immunity would have taken effect.

Gianforte has advocated for Montanans to get vaccinated to speed reaching herd immunity and as protection for those at risk of severe outcomes from the virus.

In February, after the Legislature passed a bill to give businesses and others legal protections over exposure to the virus and the state began vaccinate those most vulnerable, Gianforte lifted the statewide mask mandate.

Gianforte campaigned on personal responsibly over government measures, emphasizing the economic fallout of the pandemic.

While the governor has been seen wearing masks in press conferences and other public venues, he has also posted at least one photo to his Twitter account with others indoors and unmasked.

I don't wish this on anyone but this guy is a raving fuckhead.

What are your thoughts on our current border situation and the Biden administration's handling of it, such as releasing numerous COVID+ immigrants into our interior? CBP is not doing testing, and immigrants get bussed into locations much further in and dropped off. The administration's taking COVID SOOPER seriously though.

My thought is that in spite of a friend vouching for you IRL, you as as much a fuckhead as my Governor. Have a nice day.

[glademaster]

Americans believe if they ignore it, covid will go away. Was watching Iceland news b/c they have volcanoes.

Iceland: 11 infections per 100K people reported last 7 days -> beginning widespread restrictions
America: 137 infections per 100K people reported last 7 days -> reducing restrictions

We're dumb.

I miss the shutdowns we had last spring. I could go for some more of that. Not joking in the slightest.

[MontuckyFried]

My thought is that in spite of a friend vouching for you IRL, you as as much a fuckhead as my Governor. Have a nice day.

Think whatever the hell you want. I don't give a crap. However, you're totally sidestepping the question I posed. What are YOUR thoughts on the border situation and releasing COVID+ migrants? Oh, but it's only Republicans who draw your ire. You refuse to call out the current administration for an even further botched COVID response. Got it.

[Bunion 2020]

Take it to polyass and stop cunting up this thread.

No one will play with you there?

For shame.

[concretejungle]

I don't wish this on anyone but this guy is a raving fuckhead.



My thought is that in spite of a friend vouching for you IRL, you as as much a fuckhead as my Governor. Have a nice day.

He went to church on Sunday too. Take 'em all down. Fucking shit heads.

[MontuckyFried]

Take it to polyass and stop cunting up this thread.

No one will play with you there?

For shame.

Whatever, man. I was responding to LongShortLong's comment about "Iceland good. US bad." That's been the general consensus around here: "Look how XYZ small island nation is doing so good! We are doing so bad!" All while refusing to acknowledge some of our glaring shortcomings. People like you want to focus on masks. Fine, but don't ignore the things countries like Iceland did right. And don't ignore the things that we ARE doing wrong. At the same time, we also deserve some credit where credit's due, like our vaccination numbers.

[concretejungle]

Whatever, man. I was responding to LongShortLong's comment about "Iceland good. US bad." That's been the general consensus around here: "Look how XYZ small island nation is doing so good! We are doing so bad!" All while refusing to acknowledge some of our glaring shortcomings. People like you want to focus on masks. Fine, but don't ignore the things countries like Iceland did right. And don't ignore the things that we ARE doing wrong. At the same time, we also deserve some credit where credit's due, like our vaccination numbers.

I will say for all my bitching about getting vaccinated in MT my experience has gone much better than expected. I had a bunch of friends get it in Butte and Billings last week and I'm signed up here next week. From what I've heard it's been pretty well done. Now if Gianfuckhead didn't try to give less funding to counties that extended their mask mandates I'd be pretty happy.

[stuckathuntermtn]

Is that something he actually did?
Heard he just tested positive, btw.

[RootSkier]

Heard he just tested positive, btw.

That's a real shame.