Here's a comment from a discussion over at Unz.com:
Antibeast: Phylogenetic analyses have shown that the Wuhan ‘L’ strain is NOT ancestral to the Italian ‘G’ strain which has the D614G mutation in its spike S protein, causing the latter to become more infectious over time. The Wuhan ‘L’ strain does NOT have the D614G mutation in its spike S protein which explains its low rate of infectiousness thus leading to a lower number of Covid-19 cases in Wuhan, as compared to Italy. The attribution of Wuhan-1 arising inside of China is quite likely true, however the attribution of progenitor Covid is not needed to originate inside of China, that is only an inference that has not been established.
The Wuhan ‘L’ strain is attributed to have originated in Wuhan while the Italian ‘G’ strain is attributed to have originated in Italy. Both share a common ancestral strain which has yet to be attributed to its place of origin. Here’s an article discussing the significance of the D614G mutation in the Italian ‘G’ strain which caused the global Covid-19 pandemic: https://graphics.reuters.com/HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS/EVOLUTION/yxmpjqkdzvr/ G strains are now dominant around the world. One specific mutation, D614G, has become the most common variant. It is so named because one amino acid is changed from a D (aspartate) to a G (glycine) at the 614th position on the viral spike proteins, the structure that gives the virus its crown-like appearance. The rise of the G strains coincided with spikes in outbreaks of the virus around the world, with a clutch of new cases allowing the strains to invade new areas. The dominance of the G strains is illustrated by the data for Australia, Japan and Thailand. During Australia’s second wave of infections, G strains were present in almost all samples, indicating the country had effectively eliminated transmission of the earlier L and S strains through a series of social distancing measures. All of Australia’s second wave clusters were sparked by people who had returned from overseas and breaches in quarantine. The dominance of the G-strains becomes even more evident when looking at some countries with the most infections. The United States is leading the overall number of infections and deaths by far. The majority of infections and first, second, and third waves all coincide with the increase in samples showing three G strains. In India, a similar pattern can be observed as the constant increase in infections from June to September seemed to follow the curve of the G strain samples.
Empirical evidence suggests that travel bans and containment measures adopted against travelers from China during Jan-Feb 2020 helped stop the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus as evidenced by the low number of Covid-19 cases involving the Wuhan ‘L’ strain outside of China. Scientific evidence has now proven that the Italian ‘G’ strain spread rapidly throughout the Western World during the same period precisely due to its D614G mutation which caused the global Covid-19 pandemic. As both the Wuhan ‘L’ strain and the Italian ‘G’ strain were known to have been discovered in December 2019, the question as to the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus must perforce address the global spread of the ancestral strain prior to December 2019. This inquiry should not be limited to Wuhan but also expanded to Italy and elsewhere. |
That the SARS-COV2 viral outbreak in China in late 2019 was of the less infectious L Strain, not the G Strain that afflicted the rest of the world, would explain several otherwise curious facts; namely,
(1) that China contained the initial outbreak quickly and with very few deaths; and
As the author of the comment quoted above notes, that the global pandemic began with more than one viral strain raises new questions about the origin and global spread of SARS-COV2.
"As the author of the comment quoted above notes, that the global pandemic began with more than one viral strain raises new questions about the origin and global spread of SARS-COV2."
ReplyDeleteWhat bothers me is the link supplied by Antibeast does not support Antibeast's argument.
What the authors of the link say is that originally there was the L strain from Wuhan, which subsequently mutated to become seven other variants, among which was the G strain, which indeed is the one prevailing in the world now.
The article does not say there was a variant strain in Italy, the G strain, and the L strain in China, emerging independently.
What do I know? Next to nothing. I do think that's a discrepancy, but if you read it otherwise, I will be happy to hear your better explanation.
"What do I know?"
DeleteEvidently more than I do, about the evolution of SARS COV2, anyhow. Thanks for your comment.
Looking around I see that Reuters reported Covid in Italy in September 2019:
DeleteResearchers find coronavirus was circulating in Italy earlier than thought
But that report says nothing about the strain. Did Antibeast simply make the unjustified assumption that this was the G-strain?
Here's a paper on SARS-COV-2 strains in Italy, but it does not identify the strains as L and G etc. so it does not help me as I have no idea what ar the distinguishing features of the L and G strains:
DeleteWhole genome and phylogenetic analysis of two SARS-CoV-2 strains isolated in Italy in January and February 2020: additional clues on multiple introductions and further circulation in Europe
Wow, these genome analysts publish horribly complicated diagrams. I give up.
DeleteIt's potentially interesting that SARS-COV2 is reported to have appeared in Italy in the fall of 2019, but whether the evidence for that is good, I don't know, and if it is, what strain of the virus it was, I don't know!
One of the most fascinating and horrifying aspects of this nightmare is if it is a bioweapon originating from Wuhan or any other lab, it is going to have some features no one, from the greatest epidemiologist or virologist in practice today, will have entirely anticipated.
ReplyDeleteIt might be, along with amplified transmissivity, the virus will have an amplified capacity to mutate into variants, and some of these variants will have the potentiality of going bubonic, even if the originally leaked virus was only mildly pathogenic.
I think we're seeing evidence of this now, as you point out by noting China's response to one of these more deadly variants washing back up onto China's shores, with China responding accordingly.
To top it all off, we're messing with an unknown "vaccine" which some very well informed scientists speculate will have the potential side effect of kicking off other variants, also with the possibility of going bubonic all over our little globe.
You were right when you said we were doomed. Maybe not, but that's the theory best supported by the evidence we have before us--klutzes and fools rule the day, from every direction.
"One of the most fascinating and horrifying aspects of this nightmare is if it is a bioweapon originating from Wuhan or any other lab, it is going to have some features no one, from the greatest epidemiologist or virologist in practice today, will have entirely anticipated."
DeleteApparently the vaccine antigen, i.e., SARS-COV-2 spike protein enters the blood stream:
Clinical Infectious Diseases: Circulating SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Antigen Detected in the Plasma of mRNA-1273 Vaccine Recipient
A comment on this paper by Canadian Dr. Byram Bridle:
will we render young people sterile.
FEMA is urgently hiring in my area. I can earn up to $2,800 per paycheck.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile I can't fly down to Washington and then drive back up to Fairbanks via Canada unless I get tested for Covid both entering and leaving, as well as submit to a fourteen day quarantine (I don't understand what I have to do for this quarantine.)
That means I am not going to fly down to Washington. I know these tests give many false positives and I don't want to be stuck in Washington unable to drive back to Canada, for obtaining the vehicle would have been my purpose in going there in the first place.
ReplyDeleteSounds crazy. You can't fly from one US state to another without testing and quarantine? Wow.
But then here, travel around the province of BC is prohibited except on urgent business, with fines of $575 for failure to comply with restrictions.
I can fly to Washington state and back, but I can't fly to Washington state and then drive back to Alaska through Canada unless I submit to testing upon entry and exit, and go through some quarantining process which lasts 14 days. When in Canada, I would have to take the shortest route to Alaska and not do any sight seeing or dallying.
DeleteThink of the smaller businesses and roadhouses harmed by this. Think of the tourism industry in B.C. and Alberta. We do not hear of these injuries and harms, but I do not see how they cannot be taking place, ruinously.
It seems I have a valid concern not wanting to fly to Washington, test positive trying to enter Canada (I do not trust these PCR tests and their alarming number of false positives) and not be able to get back to Alaska the way I would prefer.
There's just too much conflicting information.
As far as I know, Fauci is still advocating double masking after vaccination, and as far as I know MOST people still regard him as the "nation's top immunologist".
"The Wuhan ‘L’ strain does NOT have the D614G mutation in its spike S protein which explains its low rate of infectiousness thus leading to a lower number of Covid-19 cases in Wuhan, as compared to Italy."
ReplyDeleteThis is also simplistic, and beyond that, basically incorrect.
The L strain definitely had unprecedentedly high infectivity, if we are to believe any of the science. Except for certain age groups or co-morbidities, however, it was not very pathogenic or lethal.
Antibeast's use of the phrase "case" reveals a very widespread misunderstanding. In Italy, there were clearly more cases-- meaning severe symptoms requiring hospitalizations and quite often death-- but not necessarily because the G strain was present in early 2020. There were a number of demographic and sociological features explaining the higher number of hospitalizations and death. Most importantly, Italy has an aging population. The median age is 47.3, and 47.3 ain't a spring chicken. In 2020, 23.1% of the population was 65 or older. Nearly a quarter of the population was in the higher risk category.
From the Boston Herald:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.bostonherald.com/2021/06/05/cohan-dr-anthony-fauci-is-a-hero-and-he-got-us-through-this-pandemic/
Dr. Fauci is a hero and he got us through this pandemic.
Coverage of the "Fauci Scandal" is a very typical situation in the mass media. Whether Fauci is a hero and saint or belongs in jail divides neatly into two polarized sides. The fringe media, conspiracy theorists, and Fox News classify him as a villain while most of mass media (with the exception of the Washington Post?) classify him as hero and saint and now a martyred or at least unrewarded hero and saint.
ReplyDeleteThere are 3200+ emails. I've read about thirty-five.
All I see so far is Fauci and his crowd hated Trump and clearly were not on Trump's team. There's this fawning, sycophantic tone to their communications to Fauci, as if he's the infallible pope of infectious diseases.
I don't even know what the hell he was doing replying to average people's emails at a time he was swamped. Any credible businessman or manager would have delegated this, responsibly so. In fact, I see it as irresponsible not to have delegated it. Ms. Cohan who wrote the Boston Herald sees this as the act of a true public servant.
It is also clear to me Trump is on another, much higher level in intelligence, shrewdness, and critical thinking. Yet Trump was deeply hampered by being in possession of only the very most minor sampling of scientific knowledge or understanding. He tried to question what turned out to be highly questionable, and was rebuked as a moron for it.
Meanwhile, no one seems to remember the figure of 2.2 million dead Fauci supplied Trump, "with no lockdowns" ordered. I guess we conclude we don't have 2.2 million dead because we did apply lockdowns. Of course we might also conclude we had far fewer dead because Covid19 is not lethal to most of the population-- far from it. We know this as scientific fact! Yet ALL OF THE POPULATION LOCKED DOWN.
We'd need someone of stature, with Trump's shrewdness, and Dr. Suneta Gupta's depth of knowledge and scientific competence, to guide the public to more sound conclusions as to what's befallen us. We're not going to get it.
Instead, we're going to get more divide, polarize-- and conquer. I now have the impression that's all this is. More of the same damned thing. Fear it is now the "new normal".
Concerning sound conclusions, is there a compelling technical reason for using the spike protein, the element that causes blood clots, as the vaccine antigen? Or was it chosen as the vaccine antigen on the principle of doing as much harm as possible?
DeleteAs far as I know the choice of this mRNA "vaccine" was made purely because it was expedient. It could be rammed into production much more quickly than any conventional vaccine.
DeleteWhether that was wise or not-- I don't think there's any way it was wise. It was crazy.
There's some evidence this spike protein which the madmen are inducing peoples' bodies to produce is precisely the most dangerous element of the Covid19 virus.
Good God. This reminds me of the internet bubble of the late '90's when completely unknown companies with no tested product, track record, or profits were valued more highly than blue chips.
I guess we're all suckers for the new, new thing. This could be our undoing.
But the SARS-COV-2 has 29 proteins. Why would they use as a vaccine antigen the one protein, i.e., the spike protein, that is responsible for the pathogenic effect of the virus?
DeleteEven if Michael Yeadon was incorrect in claiming that the booster shots will be designed to kill you with cancer or liver disease, he was nevertheless correct in asserting that the vaccines have been designed to hurt you -- or quite likely kill you -- by way of spike-protein induced blood clots.
I also have to say-- as I read the emails, I am reminded how scandalous it is to have an octogenarian at the helm--at any time, place, or situation, critical or otherwise.
ReplyDeleteHaving observed both business and government for a long time, I have concluded these guys who don't retire are doing the public no good. There is usually a bad motivation behind this.
There's the ego, and also the big ego's understanding the humanoid housing the big ego is absolutely nothing once outside their high position within business or government.
This is often accompanied by another situation even scarier. You know, the bank presidents who can never retire or go on holiday, fearing that in their absence they won't have control of who sees what within their organizations, or what auditors who might happen along will see or not see. And when someone--anyone-- sees what they're not supposed to see, the bank presidents', or some old codger head of a government agency (say the FBI), the whole stinking Potemkin Village of their lives gets pushed aside to reveal the rat infested mess of which their lives consisted.
In some cases, experience, crystalized intelligence, may beat fluidity of mind. For example, the senile, 67-year-old Prince Kutuzov, strapped to his horse lest he fall off while in a doze, being woken from time to time for new orders only to repeat the old: Continue the retreat -- the order that destroyed the army of Napoleon, the 43 year-old military genius.
DeleteBut then there was Alexander, dead at 33, Gustavus Adolphus dead at 38, and Peter the Great, dead at 43.
But Fauci's role was not to make a single decision reflecting the wisdom that may be acquired by age, but to manage a great bureaucracy. For that he was presumably deemed most suitable because he was a reliable agent of a crooked elite, temporarily out of power. Trump evidently failed to see the danger of keeping such people in place.
But then Trump cannot be as sharp as he was. Indeed it is surely a sign of a regime nearing the point of collapse when the leadership depends on a contest between the elderly overweight and the plainly senile.
I don't think there's any way Ms. Cohan of the Boston Herald could have read most of the 3200+ emails in the short time they've been accessible. Everything she observed I observed and I've read less than fifty. These people are liars. She didn't offer any insights into the few scattered emails which are sparking controversy. She hasn't come to them. Neither have I. I would never comment on any of this for publication before studying those carefully first hand.
ReplyDeleteThat's what journalists do. They have to fill space.
DeleteThey take a fact, or a rumor, or a vague possibility and blow it up into a thousand, two thousand, or if they are wannabe journalists like Ron Unz, five or ten thousand words.
That's how the masses are kept in almost total ignorance, but in a state of endless agitation and anxiety, to be readily panicked in any direction the elite may chose.