Private channel session 1276
30 messages over 46m, 2021-04-21 – 2021-04-21.
A “conversation” here is an activity session — a run of messages with under 60 minutes of silence inside it. The channel had no native conversation boundaries.
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DRASTIC thinks NellY was a mouse mutation engineered into circulating SC2 by the CCP army to take out the UK. That theory is based on https://science.sciencemag.org/content/369/6511/1603.full
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I'm surprised it took them so long to speculate about lab origins of the variants. Way more likely (but still highly unlikely...) than the initial spillover.
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Yes. They waited for an imported case from London, engineered in all the mutations and then shipped it back to Kent to release it.
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Probably in a dog
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Maybe even a special genetically-engineered Superdog? That Trump era intel really needs to be released ASAP.
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OTOH - it's perhaps not _too_ crazy to think that SC2 could find it's way into and get established in other perhaps high density species. Low hanging fruit - shutting down mink farming seems prudent.
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Yup
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The the thing if you have a new persistent reservoir you should be seeing on going spill over from it.
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All B.1.1.7 seems to be neatly derived from the early kent virus
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(apart from the recombinants)
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However, if DRASTIC is going down this route (that B.1.1.7 was actually constructed) they are just revealing themselves to be the nutters they are to the people who have been taking them seriously.
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Let them dig their hole. Give them a spade
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For the animal epizootic - I agree that we should see violations of tree structure if new mutations kept cropping upand spilling over from an animal reservoir. Thing is though, looking at the mink example from Denmark, the virus was flowing freely between the two hosts, making it impossible to figure out what was mink derived and what was human. We saw convergent evolution between DK and NL mink, so that made us believe mutations fixed in the mink population - so I'm not convinced we can _rule out_ a potential animal reservoir for e.g., B.1.1.7? Clearly, almost all(>99.99%) new B.1.1.7 infections are caused by human-to-human, but can we rule out that there isn't also apersistent non-human reservoir too? Could be small and limited, and of course, the virus would move from humans into that reservoir too.I agree, definitely not as likely as the alternative hypothesis, but this thing keeps surprising me, so I hate rulingthings out...
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So much convergence and parallel mutations and spike mutational 'bursts' now I think we have to move beyond trying to find a special explanation for B.1.1.7
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True. SLACK_000937
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Angie fights back https:/www.nature.con/articles/s41591-021-01314-9
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Concerted attack on AR by DRASTIC - Yuri claims he's the victim.
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And in related news - Alina still with the attacks on Eddie and the Pango papers - but - of course - call her out for herbullying and she plays the victim. Gullible journos eat it up or in the case of some (e.g. Jackson Ryan) get into the act as well. Truly Focanuba. [shared file(s): image.png, image.png]
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I got this last night: "Dear Dr. Rambaut, I hope this message finds you well. I am writing from the PLOS Publication Ethics team to ask if you might be able tohelp advise us on a pending post-publication case involving the above PLOS Pathogens article. Several concerns have been raised about the article, including about apparent overlap or redundancy with other publications and about the availability of the underlying data. The authors have worked with us to address these issues, and based on the outcome of these discussions we have prepared the attached notice draft. However, before we proceed further or decide whether this would be suitable for a Correction (vs. a different type of editorial notice), we are seeking to have the underlying data reviewed. The underlying data were not provided or evaluatedduring the pre-publication peer review, and the outcome of this post-publication case will depend on whether the data support the reported results and conclusions, and whether they fully address PLOS' Data Availabilityrequirements.The data in question include pangolin SARS-CoV-2 sequencing data available through NCBI as well as gap-fillingamplicon and contig sequencing datas provided in the attached files. In essence, we are seeking expert input as towhether the dataset provided is complete (per community data reporting standards for this type of study, and per the results reported in the article), whether the data are overall satisfactory, and whether the data provide clear andadequate support for the article's results and conclusions. If there are any concerns about the dataset or how the data align with the reported claims, we would also appreciate input on whether the issue could be addressed via aCorrection or whether it has substantial implications for the reliability and/or validity of the article's conclusions. One of the PLOS Pathogens Editors-in-Chief suggested you may be able recommend possible reviewers (e.g.bioinformaticians or viral genomics researchers) who could help with this data review. Do you have any suggestions? Alternatively, if you would be able to help review the data yourself, we would also be truly grateful for that level of support. Thank you in advance for any help you can offer at this time. If you have any questions about this case or this request, please email me and I would be happy to provide any clarifications.Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you. Best regards,ReneeRenee Hoch, Ph.D.Senior Editor, Team Manager Publication Ethics PLOS I plos.org--researchers to transform science CONFIDENTIAL: This email and any attachments are confidential and for the sole use of the individual(s) to whom SLACK_000938 they are addressed. If you have received this message in error please delete the message and notify the sender. Note that information and text in this correspondence should not be disclosed, copied, distributed, or used withoutexplicit permission from PLOS. Case Number:iaref:_OODUOIfis._!BOET:ref* Anyone know what this is about? Anyone want me to suggest them?
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Refers to this paper: RE: "Are pangolins the intermediate host of the 2019 novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)?" (https://doi.org/10.137 1/journal.ppat. 1008421)
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Timely - since Alina is directing more BS at @Eddie Holmes new pango paper - who would have thought pangos could carry more than one respiratory pathogen? Pretty sure this in more Alina bullying - guessing she sent a new round of letters to PLOS and Nature. @Kristian Andersen answered this on virological. *Vegard Eldholm & OlaB Brynildsrud* _ Norwegian Institute of Public Health_ also weighed in. The horse is dead, but Alina keeps beating it.PLOS should do more than just say the data is ok - it should call out the Alina crap.
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Probably just need to reassemble the virus genomes from the provided data - happy to do it @Andrew Rambaut
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Rossana (Yuri's "co=pilot") too - make no mistake RS is accusing us (PO authors) of malfeasance. [shared file(s): image.png, image.png]
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Idiots. Plain and simple.
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https://www.unibas.ch/en/News-Events/News/Uni-Research/Conspiracy-theories-and-cogn...]9-pandemic.html?pk_ campaign=UN_20210407_Verschwoerungstheorien
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Turns out most people are idiots. [shared file(s): image.png]
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Or they have been mislead by our "leaders."
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Not surprised by this - and honestly, polling scientists on the first two questions, I'm not sure it would change much.
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Sadly - you are likely correct. Should point them to your pinned tweet. Also - this was in Switzerland and Germany.US public much more skewed. Start off with all Trump voters 46% in category 1.
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Fortunately all scientists have NOT been fooled. "Nature is clearly a cauldron for intense and dangerous coronavirus evolution." [shared file(s): [14761645 - The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene] The Origin ofCOVID-19 and Why It Matters.pdf]