Slack / Private Message Drop — page 372

[2021-01-09 10:21:41] [Robert Garry] Looks like Eeek even though it doesn't seem to contact ACE2 nevertheless can enhance binding when coupled with Nelly. Surprising but perhaps not shocking. [2021-01-09 10:23:11] [Kristian Andersen] Yup - enhances it by quite a bit [2021-01-09 10:29:42] [Robert Garry] Poor preserved 2/3 predicted O-glycans just like Pooh. [2021-01-09 10:32:04] [Robert Garry] Immune escape plus enhanced fitness is ......worrisome. [2021-01-09 10:32:44] [Kristian Andersen] That's to put it mildly... [2021-01-09 10:34:08] [Kristian Andersen] Also, this is basically the final confirmation that @Andrew Rambaut was absolutely correct in ringing the big red alarm bell: https://twitter.com/LindorffLarsen/status/1347916349704646656?s=20 Looks like the doubling rate might be a little less in DK than UK, but clearly same trajectory. [2021-01-09 10:37:58] [Kristian Andersen] And I have mentioned this several times, but worth repeating - it's unclear to me we'll be able to control COVID in the US in a couple of months. Just too much inaction and lack of coordination, coupled with pandemic fatigue. I would not be surprised if we reach 1m fatalities by summer. I hope I'm wrong. Very wrong. [2021-01-09 10:38:41] [Robert Garry] False reports of a new 'U.S. variant' originated from Dr. Deborah Birx on the task force. [2021-01-09 10:42:32] [Robert Garry] Birx needs to retire - I got into more than one scientific disagreement with her back in the day on AIDS study sections - doesn't really think things thru - overtly political - perfect for trump, but hopefully we do better going forward. [2021-01-09 10:59:07] [Robert Garry] "it's unclear to me we'll be able to control COVID in the US in a couple of months." Actually no way. The only thing that is going to stop this in the US is vaccine for the reasons you mention. One has to hope that despite the variants the vaccines retain enough efficacy to blunt the spread [i'm hopeful but not convinced] and that somehow all stops pulled out they can be manufactured in sufficient quantity and distributed to enough people who agree to be vaccinated. It's going to be more than a few months before case numbers come down to "control" in the best case. Need to start on v2.0 of the vaccines right now.