Botswana Variant

Grow up will ya.



Because there are 32 manipulations to the virus, which people fear could identity as a totally different virus to the immune system therefore easily bypass it and make vaccines useless.

There's absolutely no data on it which is why Governments everywhere are panicking about it, the only thing known about it is that it's still detectable on PCR tests. Facemasks have been made mandatory again as of just now in England they're that worried about it - It could easily be a false alarm, but as said before the indications are looking very grim.
What is the context when considering 32 manipulations to the virus? Is that a lot? How many could there possibly be?
 


Grow up will ya.



Because there are 32 manipulations to the virus, which people fear could identity as a totally different virus to the immune system therefore easily bypass it and make vaccines useless.

There's absolutely no data on it which is why Governments everywhere are panicking about it, the only thing known about it is that it's still detectable on PCR tests. Facemasks have been made mandatory again as of just now in England they're that worried about it - It could easily be a false alarm, but as said before the indications are looking very grim.

Why are you sensationalising this?

How is it looking very grim?

It’s this kind of language that has absolutely no merit.
What is the context when considering 32 manipulations to the virus? Is that a lot? How many could there possibly be?

There isn’t any context.

It’s people not understanding and panicking.
 
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WHO seems to be saying we don‘t know enough about it yet to say if it is more transmissible, evades vaccine immunity or is more serious for health.

They don’t. There had only been ~100 cases reported up until the last few days.

Of those, no one has had serious symptoms. In fact most were asymptomatic.

It’s far far too early. Hence my annoyance at people saying things like ‘grim’ or ‘really bad’.
 
in Twitter the previous gead of UK task force Dix is very critical of UK Gov for not publishing an escape variant strategy

from online article.....


"Under Dix’s strategy, a coordinating team would seek out new vaccines, give the company involved a “fast track” to a swift trial, access to the data and regulatory approval, in return for early access to new vaccines. He said this system worked at the start of the pandemic and should be repeated.

He warned that by simply waiting to buy vaccines once they had been developed, Britain would find itself at the back of the queue because bigger customers would be prioritised. “If we leave it to the industry to do, they’re going to go to the highest bidder, and the UK won’t be at the front of that queue any more, because it’s not a big market. Whereas if you act as a partner, you get things done. It’s not rocket science, and the infrastructure is there.”

"He said that he had envisaged the French company Valneva as a key part of this process. However, he said the government’s “ridiculous” decision to scrap its existing contract with the company had damaged that approach"
in Twitter the previous gead of UK task force Dix is very critical of UK Gov for not publishing an escape variant strategy

from online article.....


"Under Dix’s strategy, a coordinating team would seek out new vaccines, give the company involved a “fast track” to a swift trial, access to the data and regulatory approval, in return for early access to new vaccines. He said this system worked at the start of the pandemic and should be repeated.

He warned that by simply waiting to buy vaccines once they had been developed, Britain would find itself at the back of the queue because bigger customers would be prioritised. “If we leave it to the industry to do, they’re going to go to the highest bidder, and the UK won’t be at the front of that queue any more, because it’s not a big market. Whereas if you act as a partner, you get things done. It’s not rocket science, and the infrastructure is there.”

"He said that he had envisaged the French company Valneva as a key part of this process. However, he said the government’s “ridiculous” decision to scrap its existing contract with the company had damaged that approach"
the full article



interesting that it refer to Valneva

this French co is one developing a traditional vaccine based on the whoke (.dead) virus ( not just spike protein or part of RNA)

could have been very useful as a belt and braces for highly mutated spike protein variant protection (.apparently)
looks like we are really getting on top of it

 
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Most PCR assays will have no issue.

Antigen tests (lateral flow) not so simple because of the significant number of spike protein mutations. Possible some of the shitty ones will struggle. We'll find out soon enough.
Do you know if any of the NHS assays are effected by the S gene dropout?
 
in Twitter the previous gead of UK task force Dix is very critical of UK Gov for not publishing an escape variant strategy

from online article.....


"Under Dix’s strategy, a coordinating team would seek out new vaccines, give the company involved a “fast track” to a swift trial, access to the data and regulatory approval, in return for early access to new vaccines. He said this system worked at the start of the pandemic and should be repeated.

He warned that by simply waiting to buy vaccines once they had been developed, Britain would find itself at the back of the queue because bigger customers would be prioritised. “If we leave it to the industry to do, they’re going to go to the highest bidder, and the UK won’t be at the front of that queue any more, because it’s not a big market. Whereas if you act as a partner, you get things done. It’s not rocket science, and the infrastructure is there.”

"He said that he had envisaged the French company Valneva as a key part of this process. However, he said the government’s “ridiculous” decision to scrap its existing contract with the company had damaged that approach"

the full article



interesting that it refer to Valneva

this French co is one developing a traditional vaccine based on the whoke (.dead) virus ( not just spike protein or part of RNA)

could have been very useful as a belt and braces for highly mutated spike protein variant protection (.apparently)
looks like we are really getting on top of it

Didn’t Valneva vaccine fail during testing?
 
Do you know if any of the NHS assays are effected by the S gene dropout?

Not that I'm aware of, unless they are single gene assays pretty much all 2 or 3 gene assays include S. The single gene tests target ORF1ab so would still pick up positives regardless just not give a heads up that it could be omicron but I imagine they'll be ramping up sequencing positives in any case.

The real issue we face is the piss poor UKHSA and their accreditation process that came in to force on 2 Nov. As of the 2nd they had only passed 3 tests in 3 months for UK use, there's a fair number with temporary extensions until February but a huge number of assays had to be taken off the market in the UK as it was now illegal to sell them. Nothing wrong with the assays, many of which are used by WHO, UNICEF, USA, Europe etc. As of Friday only 1 domestic assay manufacturer had a fully accredited assay, so much for Boris's promise of a world class UK diagnostics service.

The impact will be felt mostly by fit to fly providers as they scramble around for assays after yet another u turn by the government.
 
No, I believe the Government claimed a contractual problem.
there was a contract problem which apparently centred on the fact that it wasn't ready in good time ( to be approved ready for use in 21)

It should eventually get approved.... and it's performance is apparently outstripping many others in terms of efficiency and longevity- or so I read .

perhaps the new variant may provide an impetus to get it through- if it is as good as reported on recognition of escape variants
 

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