Novel human coronaviruses from pigs and dogs
Recently isolated coronaviruses from humans in Haiti and Malaysia appear to have originated in pigs and dogs.
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A genetically stable attenuated poliovirus vaccine
Eradication of poliomyelitis appears to be on track: types 2 and 3 polioviruses have been declared eradicated, and in the past 12 months there have been just 338 cases of type 1 polio in Afghanistan and Pakistan. But there have also been 491 cases of polio caused by the type 2 Sabin vaccine. The development …
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SARS-like bat coronaviruses are not only in China
It is well past the time to stop blaming a laboratory in China for the release of SARS-CoV-2. Such fallacies reflect an ignorance of scientific facts, including the recent finding of closely related coronaviruses in bats in Thailand. The bat CoV RatG13, sampled in 2013 in Yunnan province, shares 96% whole genome identity with SARS-CoV-2, …
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SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern
In recent months variants of SARS-CoV-2 have been detected that are unusual in that they have many more genome mutations than previously found. These have been called ‘variants of concern’ (VOC) as it has been suggested that the genome mutations might impact transmission, immune control, and virulence. Below I cover each of these issues separately. …
Biden’s pandemic plans
The Biden-Harris administration has released a document describing its plans to bring the United States out of the ‘worst public health crisis in a century’. It is a roadmap for not only ending the pandemic in the US, but to re-establish leadership in the global health care community and provide assistance to other countries. I …
Camelids for COVID
Human monoclonal antibodies that block infection with SARS-CoV-2 are being used to treat COVID-19 patients, but an alternative, antibodies produced in camelids (alpacas and llamas) might have advantages. Camelid monoclonal antibodies can be more cheaply produced in mass quantities in bacteria, and protein engineering can be quickly used to produce a better therapeutic product. Human …