Slack / Private Message Drop — page 154

[2020-09-06 17:01:11] [Eddie Holmes] What about the natural variant with a longer ORF? [2020-09-06 17:02:21] [Eddie Holmes] Do we know how common this? I've not read the paper I should say. [2020-09-06 17:07:46] [Kristian Andersen] Yeah, sorry, that I don't know [2020-09-06 17:10:03] [Eddie Holmes] No worries. [2020-09-06 22:59:27] [Andrew Rambaut] Wins a prize for the most gratuitous use of `quasispecies`: "but also describe the emergence of natural SARS-CoV-2 quasispecies with an extended ORF3b gene that may potentially affect COVID-19 pathogenesis". [2020-09-07 03:04:32] [Eddie Holmes] I was trying to get past that. But failing. [2020-09-07 03:07:43] [Andrew Rambaut] 'natural' [2020-09-07 08:46:18] [Robert Garry] Yes - the mechanism seems to be mutation of a "premature" stop codon. However, the issue of insertions and particularly deletions (including deletions near the furin site) is a real thing - becoming a problem with the animal models according to a discussion I was having with respiratory pathogens branch at CDC on Friday - if the stocks are not properly grown [ie by passing a low MOI} the furin site gets screwed and the viruses are no longer pathogenic in animals. Related - worried about ongoing vaccine trials - rumbles are could all be major disasters in progress under the hot spotlights [human and animal versions]. Live challenges (yes - @Kristian Andersen I agree - no placebo) may be they only way out to find vaccines that actually work. [2020-09-07 08:49:27] [Kristian Andersen] Trump going to force through an EUA for _any_ vaccine by end of October is going to be the biggest - and by far most consequential - mistake America will do when it comes to COVID-19. And there's been plenty of major mistakes along the way... Not optimistic to say the least. [2020-09-07 09:05:10] [Robert Garry] I'm pretty sure he's going to try to do this - esp as the poll numbers either stay the same or more likely move a bit more to Biden/Harris - this is literally who he is and nothing else other than getting re-elected matters in the least - I'm also pretty sure this is going to be a line in the sand for not only the vaccine manufacturers but the FDA, NIH, even the Warp Speed commandos themselves - be ready to speak out. [2020-09-07 09:13:21] [Andrew Rambaut]