Covid-19 was generated by ‘gain of function’ research with a coronavirus in an underfunded lab in China. There was no malice in this — but there was incompetence due to arrogance and inexperience. In my opinion, this was, in part, fueled by China’s desperation to gain the ability to develop a vaccine against another virus, the swine flu virus which has decimated their hogs (the very same food source that they’ve been relying on to convert Brazil’s soybeans into a reliable protein source). Ironically, perhaps even karmically appropriate, the greed that helped decimate the Amazon forest generated a virus that could eventually reduce their need (in so many ways) for raising so many pigs in factory farms. Indeed, this virus (and others forthcoming) may yet help reduce the overall desirability of factory farms and other unsafe agribiz practices.
Note: “Gain-of-function research has gone on for years and involves experiments that take viruses, or other organisms, and alters their genetic make-up to gain a new ability… the research is often intended to demonstrate how viruses could evolve in the near future, and give researchers something on which to test different medical treatments, like vaccines.”
Note: The variants of the Covid virus are not finished evolving. Indeed, the ‘genie is out of the bottle’, and it yet remains to be seen how many problematic variants will arise as a result of different conditions that it faces. There are still far more questions than answers. For example: will a variant that’s comparatively unaffected by vaccines pop up; will the Delta variant become more virulent (or less); etcetera, etc…
My comments related to Covid:
“Covid, Global Warming: Speed Bump —
Us: We can’t slow everything down just because of global climate change!
Mother Nature’s Response:
Oh Really?!
Here’s a new virus.
Have some practice.”
“The world is balanced on a knife edge of destruction every single day. You accept that, and you can just get on with things.”
And so, in the spirit of getting on with things, watch this encouraging video:
“Is the world getting better or worse?”
A look at the numbers (18 minutes)
Ignorance is bliss only to the degree that one is genuinely ignorant of one’s own ignorance. However, very few of us are completely and totally ignorant, which is why fear creeps in around the edges and provokes anger and hatred as defensive mechanisms. Ignorance then proceeds to demonstrate that stupidity is not a virtue and that Darwin was right.
Those who routinely receive flu shots are highly to become fully vaccinated against Covid. Noteworthy, also. is the fact that those who were immunized against the flu are somewhat less impacted by severe Covid effects.
Search: ‘flu shots covid protection’
“Immunization is a cornerstone of public health policy… Vaccines have transformed public health, particularly since national programmes for immunization first became properly established and coordinated in the 1960s. In countries with high vaccine programme coverage, many of the diseases that were previously responsible for the majority of childhood deaths have essentially disappeared…”
History of Vaccines:
What Are Vaccines:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41577-020-00479-7
In my postings on Covid, I’ve emphasized the importance of the size of the initial infectious dose of viral particles as a critical factor contributing to the seriousness of the symptoms experienced. Then, when the Delta variant came on the scene with its hyper loads of quickly manufactured viruses, it was obvious that not only would the Delta variant spread more quickly but that, also, the percentage of asymptomatic cases would decrease. Additionally, the increased viral infectious load puts children at even greater risk — unvaccinated teachers are especially a danger to them.
Covid (by date):
https://samslair.blogspot.com/search?q=Covid&max-results=20&by-date=true&m=1
Covid (by relevance):
