Native Answers Coronavirus Related Basic Science Questions

[Native]

From another thread I got drug into.... but has some info I want to have placed here on the development of mRNA vaccines.

Here is the link to the review.. https://www.nature.com/articles/nrd.2017.243#Sec5
(I wouldn't likely attempt to read this unless you have a science background.)

Distilled TL-DR of an aspect of the review. (Bolded bullet in Box 1)

So basically our immune system has some innate capabilities to recognize some foreign structures as foreign without having to go through adaptive immunity. This allows for immediate generalized detection of a lot of bacteria, and viruses. These receptors are called Toll-Like receptors and are numbered 1-10 (in humans, mice have 12). They detect, gram+ (TLR2), gram - (TLR4), dsDNA, foreign RNA, etc.... So mRNA was leading to activation of TLR7, which basically made the body activate the innate immune system, you would feel like crap, the mRNA would get destroyed and you wouldn't develop protective immunity. So synthetic nucleotides were made that allowed escape from that TLR7 activation allowing a productive adaptive immune response to take place.

This is a table from the review that highlights hurdles that have been overcome to allow mRNA vaccines to be a possibility.

Box 1: Strategies for optimizing mRNA pharmacology​

A number of technologies are currently used to improve the pharmacological aspects of mRNA. The various mRNA modifications used and their impact are summarized below.
• Synthetic cap analogues and capping enzymes26,27 stabilize mRNA and increase protein translation via binding to eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (EIF4E)
• Regulatory elements in the 5′-untranslated region (UTR) and the 3′-UTR23 stabilize mRNA and increase protein translation
• Poly(A) tail25 stabilizes mRNA and increases protein translation
• Modified nucleosides9,48 decrease innate immune activation and increase translation
• Separation and/or purification techniques: RNase III treatment (N.P. and D.W., unpublished observations) and fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) purification13 decrease immune activation and increase translation
• Sequence and/or codon optimization29 increase translation
• Modulation of target cells: co-delivery of translation initiation factors and other methods alters translation and immunogenicity

 

[Native]

Full Disclosure. Son and daughter are both signed up to get vaccine in early June. Taking them in together as daughter doesn't turn 12 until May 30th.

 

[Native]

I don’t really think the purpose of this thread is to spend time on the debates and not really fair as it is one sided! Locked thread.
Anyway… for the interested, I think these two articles take a fair approach to the lab leak theory and are good reading.

The lab-leak hypothesis for COVID-19 is becoming a conspiracy theory

To explain where SARS-CoV-2 came from, look at processes with scientific explanations and precedents

massivesci.com

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/coronavirus-lab-escape-theory.html

 

[Native]

I know there is a great mask debate. This is pretty compelling that masks provide protection for other respiratory illnesses even when there is compliance, quality of masks, proper use etc etc.

 

[Native]

Presented as humor. Not an endorsement on either side of the lab leak theory.

 

[Native]

The Fundamental Question of the Pandemic Is Shifting

We understand how this will end. But who bears the risk that remains?

www.theatlantic.com

Good article by easily the premier writer on the Covid topic.

 

[Native]

Developing situation that I am following.

 

[Native]

No question answered with this post.... but Covid long-haulers and youth.... this could get interesting as the delta variant seems to infect kids at a higher rate. (My guess is the % with lingering symptoms is much higher in the studies than reality, due to the number of infections that were never realized in youth... making the denominator wrong).

Edit: My guess was pointed out in the article. I wasn't all the way through yet when posted).

Long COVID and kids: scientists race to find answers

Children get long COVID too, but researchers are still working to determine how frequently and how severely.

www.nature.com

 

[Native]

Nice thread on what is known, and what is not known about the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2.

 

[Native]

Good thread. This is how scientists should be explaining things. Things are nuanced.

 

[Native]

Your Vaccinated Immune System Is Ready for Breakthroughs

Getting COVID-19 when you’re vaccinated isn’t the same as getting COVID-19 when you’re unvaccinated.

www.theatlantic.com

Know your Covid infections!

 

[Native]

#Math #VaccinesWork

 

[Native]

Here is a nice twitter thread to debunk ADE or antibody dependent enhancement.

This is the latest attempt to sway away from vaccines. Dr. Robert Malone with a nifty "I am anything but an anti-vaxxer" qualifying statement to try and lend credibility to his "concerns" only to follow it up with bad science.

 

[Native]

Sticky is now gone, so this tread will drop from the top with a season of HUSKER FOOTBALL concerns. Hope some have found the tread helpful. I will continue to bump as I find stuff worth sharing....

Don't hesitate to ask me questions via PMs.

Summary as of Aug 3rd, 2021. Best thing you can do for yourself and others that you know, don't know, love, or even think an Iowa fan or Jaysker is.... #GetVaccinated

 

[Native]

How the Pandemic Now Ends

Cases of COVID-19 are rising fast. Vaccine uptake has plateaued. The pandemic will be over one day—but the way there is different now.

www.theatlantic.com

Best reading on COVID. Ed Yong