COVID-19 >>"True and Helpful" Covid Information Thread

[Anonymous]

Some hope that we will be out of this in 2022.



T Cell Immunity and Vaccination



The hope for long-lasting immunity relies on protective T cell responses. In my previous article I quoted a University of Cape Town study showing that long-lasting T cell response, induced either by vaccination or natural infection, cross-recognizes Omicron. The authors concluded that well-preserved T cell immunity to Omicron is likely to contribute to protection from severe COVID-19 caused by other variants.



It turns out that not all T cell responses are the same, however. The Cape Town study did not distinguish the types of T cell responses a natural infection induces versus that of vaccination. We now know that although vaccinations with S protein-based vaccines stimulate T cell responses, the responses do not induce protection. That is why, even though the world had a high vaccination rate in November, the Omicron wave still arrived.



Stronger Protection

On Jan. 10, the scientific journal Nature published a peer-reviewed article titled "Cross-reactive memory T cells associate with protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection in COVID-19 contacts." Submitted to Nature by Imperial College London scientists five months ago, the article looked at T cell epitopes (very small protein fragments) from different SARS-CoV-2 proteins (S, N, E, and ORF1) in terms of their cross-reactivity to those of other species of human coronavirus OC-43 and HKU1, which cause the common cold.



They found a pool of T cell epitopes from S, N, and ORF1 proteins that were cross-reactive between SARS-CoV-2 and human coronavirus (huCoV). However, the specific T cell response that induces protection is from the epitopes of the N and ORF1 proteins, not the S protein (spike protein). They then concluded that in the second generation of vaccines developed against COVID-19, non-spike proteins should be included.



When I read the paper, I was less interested in the scientists' recommendation on next-generation vaccine development than I was in their study of the non-spike proteins (N and ORF1) and their T cell epitopes' cross-reactivity between SARS-CoV-2 and huCoVs, as this new information could shed light on detailed T cell immunity cross-protection between SARS-CoV-2 and huCoVs.



In other words, if the N-protein epitopes from the common cold could induce long-term protective T cell immunity against SARS-CoV-2, then Omicron infection with plenty of N-protein epitopes should also be able to induce similar T cell immunity and provide stronger protection against any future SARS-CoV-2 variant infections.



If you can recognize a distant cousin in a crowd, you can certainly spot your brother right next to you.



Light at the End of the Tunnel

For about a year now, scientists have been discussing the potential of SARS-CoV-2 to join the other four human coronaviruses as an endemic virus.



SARS-CoV-2 is the seventh coronavirus that infects humans. We have MERS-CoV causing Middle East respiratory syndrome, SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 causing severe acute respiratory syndrome, and the remaining four (OC43, HKU1, 229E, and NL63) endemic viruses that cause the common cold.



In a peer-reviewed paper titled "Immunological characteristics govern the transition of COVID-19 to endemicity" published in the prestigious journal Science in February 2021, scientists at Pennsylvania State University and Emory University stated that all human coronaviruses elicit immunity with similar characteristics. The COVID-19 pandemic is a consequence of a human population that had not seen SARS-CoV-2 before. Once widespread infection (such as the Omicron wave) occurs across the world, the virus will eventually circulate endemically, meaning that infections may still happen but with milder symptoms and much less mortality.



There are two reasons that the transition from pandemic to endemic did not happen until Omicron: 1) all the widely used vaccines are based on the spike protein, which does not induce protective long-lasting T cell response, and 2) natural immunity was not widespread.



The Nature paper disclosed that protective (IL-2 secreting) T cells are induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Accordingly, we could foresee that a wider spread of Omicron infection would induce a wider range of cross-reactive T cell immunity, subsequently offering more widespread protection against potential future SARS-CoV-2 variants. As a result, we are likely very close to being able to say goodbye to the pandemic.



Although we should be mindful that we're not out of the woods yet and people are still suffering, I remain optimistic that we are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.



We also must remember that even when we say goodbye to COVID-19, we probably won't be completely free of SARS-CoV-2. Even the seasonal flu kills more than half a million people globally every year, according to the World Health Organization. And another endemic virus will likely increase the burden on health systems around the world.



The good thing is, as I noted in my previous article, Omicron can be viewed as a live attenuated vaccine, which enjoys a very good track record among all vaccines. There have been about 11 diseases that attenuated vaccines were widely used to combat, such as measles, mumps, chickenpox, and polio. So far, none of these diseases have spread out of control after decades of vaccination.



Hopefully, Omicron will act like its other attenuated vaccine cousins, and with any luck no other SARS-CoV-2 variants will emerge and become a pandemic in the future.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/mkt_morningbrief/goodbye-pandemic-hello-endemic_4216339.html?utm_source=morningbriefnoe&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=mb-2022-01-17&mktids=11d28dcfd4bf1e352cf6c869f2531e5a&est=sWWqsumBjBg5EAkpWk4XdmgYCU4VcsQlD8OkwJXJs7x%2FrZ8vnoRtwlUQriAqaOtKOA%3D%3D">https://www.theepochtimes.com/mkt_morni ... tKOA%3D%3D">https://www.theepochtimes.com/mkt_morningbrief/goodbye-pandemic-hello-endemic_4216339.html?utm_source=morningbriefnoe&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=mb-2022-01-17&mktids=11d28dcfd4bf1e352cf6c869f2531e5a&est=sWWqsumBjBg5EAkpWk4XdmgYCU4VcsQlD8OkwJXJs7x%2FrZ8vnoRtwlUQriAqaOtKOA%3D%3D

[cc]

Yes. Right from the start science learned that  T cell response, however produced,  was the key to protection



As to whether future variants are lighter or stronger remains unknown. It can be guessed optimistically but cannot be a known.



The flu for example  mutates constantly  ,, annual shots are not "boosters" / strengtheners per se ... they are to address new variants

[Anonymous]

Yes. Right from the start science learned that  T cell response, however produced,  was the key to protection

We really must move to an endemic this year.

[cc]

Yes. The world is coming apart at the seems. Again, that is not totally under our control. What it mutates into plays the main role. How it mutates we have no control over. To what extent it can repeat  is also a factor

[Anonymous]

Yes. The world is coming apart at the seems. Again, that is not totally under our control. What it mutates into plays the main role. How it mutates we have no control over. To what extent it can repeat  is also a factor

If you read that entire article, the doctor offers targetted solutions such as boost the most vulnerable rather than contunuously restricting everybody. A lot less costly and likely delivering comparable outcomes.

[cc]

Yes. The world is coming apart at the seems. Again, that is not totally under our control. What it mutates into plays the main role. How it mutates we have no control over. To what extent it can repeat  is also a factor

If you read that entire article, the doctor offers targetted solutions such as boost the most vulnerable rather than contunuously restricting everybody. A lot less costly and likely delivering comparable outcomes.

I did and I don't outright disagree. What I was getting at is that he based it on his premises that are opinion. .. for example that it will not mutate or mutate stronger .



I'm not arguing it, just sayin that's conjecture / prediction we all "hope" will come true but are far from certain on either of those items

[Anonymous]

It seems Britain is determined not to return to major restrictions no matter what happens..



The extreme lockdown in the Netherlands didn't work.

[cc]

It seems Britain is determined not to return to major restrictions no matter what happens..



The extreme lockdown in the Netherlands didn't work.

True. Their known #s were very high (up to 300,000 / day) for a while  ... down into 80,000's last few days



Death / know case rate over past 10 weeks is down considerably as well



1 in every 4.5 "known" people have caught it

[Anonymous]

Over the past three days, this is what happened in Alberta.



4,186 Cases on January 16

5,407 Cases on January 15

6,293 Cases on January 14.



We now have over one thousand people in hospital with COVID..



There's no information on severity or how long they stayed.

[cc]

You guys are really taking hits this go round

[Anonymous]

You guys are really taking hits this go round

Some people think it may have plateaued..



But, there are so many unreported cases we don't know what the real number is..



We're not the only province with that problem.

[cc]

You guys are really taking hits this go round

Some people think it may have plateaued..



But, there are so many unreported cases we don't know what the real number is..



We're not the only province with that problem.

It's now a universal problem

[Anonymous]

You guys are really taking hits this go round

Some people think it may have plateaued..



But, there are so many unreported cases we don't know what the real number is..



We're not the only province with that problem.

It's now a universal problem

When I was in Holland, authorities acknowledged they lost control of cases.

[Anonymous]

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told French news outlets in recent interviews that, while he expects COVID-19 to continue to circulate for many years, he thinks future waves won't be beset by major restrictions while predicting life will return to "normal" around springtime.



Bourla told French news outlet Le Figaro in an interview published Jan. 16 that he expects a "return to normal life" at some point in spring of this year, with the caveat that the dynamics of COVID-19 mutations and spread cloud the accuracy of any predictions.

[Poppy]

https://www.covidtests.gov/">https://www.covidtests.gov/



You are able to get max 4 free covid at home test at this new site for USA residents.



The most amazing thing is the site did not crash and you are actually able to order four free at home covid tests.