Big sigh!!! People who have a particular viewpoint tend to see a news story about a particular piece of research, the news story has a sensational headline, and people pick that up and repeat it without actually understanding the study. Because of the uncertainty about whether CV-19 was actually lab-created in China, there is obviously concern about other people intentionally modifying coronviruses in a dangerous manner. This piece of research has generated headlines because it created a modified virus which had a high fatality rate in mice. The researchers took the original strain which came out of Wuhan China and melded to it the Omicron spike protein. Omicron has a heavily mutated form of the spike protein, which appears to make it more infectious, but it also has a milder course of infection compared to earlier strains. The researchers gave the Wuhan strain, Omicron and the melded variant to sub-groups of mice. The modified version was very infectious, like Omicron, but led to much higher viral loads in cells and lung models and also caused serious dysfunction, particularly in the lungs, unlike most Omicron variants. The modified version killed 80% of mice it was given to, which prompted the sensational headlines. But the original Wuhan strain killed 100% of the mice it was given. The mice were given very high viral innoculations and mice are very susceptible to death from CV-19. The lesson the researchers drew was that the aspects of the virus that confer lethality reside outside of the spike protein. So don’t freak out from stuff spread by alarmists. (Medrxiv Paper)
Another mouse study was used to examine why people who are obese or have diabetes tend to have worse CV-19 disease. It appears that there is an exaggerated immune response that actually limits ability to clear the virus. (Medrxiv Paper)
Heart inflammation is a vaccine risk, particularly in young males. Taiwan thought this risk might be ameliorated by spreading doses at least 12 weeks apart, particularly for adolescents. This study found that spreading the dose did not impact the risk of heart inflammation, which was rare to begin with. (Medrxiv Paper)
A detailed look at the immune response in people over age 70 who receive a booster dose indicates that their response is attenuated, which would give an explanation for why we see in the Minnesota and other data that the elderly boosted often have higher rates of infection. Not only is the booster not being protective, it may have that paradoxical effect on response that increases susceptibility. (Medrxiv Paper)
This study from Switzerland involved the long-term monitoring of a cohort in regard to infection and immunity. By the end of the study 98% of people had indications of either infection or vax. The vast majority of people had antibodies reactive to multiple strains of the vaccine. Those who had been infected and vaxed had the highest level of antibody response. The authors properly conclude that CV-19 is now endemic and that further boosters only make sense for very vulnerable people. I am not sure boosters make sense at all. (Medrxiv Paper)
Remdesivir became a frequently used CV-19 therapeutic. Like a lot of things during the epidemic there was uncertain evidence of actual benefit prior to widespread use. This article was a review of the use of the research on remdesivir in hospitalized patients. Remdesivir appeared to reduce mortality in patients who were not on a ventilator. (SSRN Article)
Thanks for the clear and objective summaries!
regarding the remdesivir studies.
Remdesivir appeared to reduce death by relatively small amounts. Death rates as follows: 12% vs 15%(total group) and 6%vs 10% (non ventilator) and 23% vs 23% (for patients on ventilators. Granted I am only reading the summary, though the delta seems seems very small. Though also possible that only 6% dying vs 10% dying is a huge delta in drug studies ( and I am therefore misreading the results of the data)
I’m not sure what to believe about anything anymore. I know my lawn needs raking so I’m going with that today.
Would be interested in your comments on Dr Drew’s interview of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Dr. Fauci, CDC & Big Pharma Collusion w/ Dr. Kelly Victory – Ask Dr. Drew. And your readers might enjoy:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IKMgNExcat8