Thai virologist downplays presence of new ‘Deltacron’ COVID variant

[Cake Monster]

17 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

There is a high probability that the Delta or Omicron variant may have been tainted during the genome sequencing process, he noted, as he urged virologists concerned to be more cautious and not to jump to a public conclusion that they have found a new variant.

I am not a Virologist, or any other kind of " ologist ".

But I do find it just a little bit unnerving, and hardly believable, that with all the protocols, containment policies, and Public Safety that Laboratories apply to their Trade, a Virus is allowed to become " tainted " during sequencing.

Its also pretty bad that a Thai Virologist should be critical of others within his own profession, when Thailand seems to be doing very little in the way of Testing of their own.

[IamNoone88]

17 hours ago, DavisH said:

Interesting, but Omicron did not evolve from Delta. Omicron arose form the original Wuhan strain. What Omicron has been doing the last two years is a bit of a mystery. 

Perhaps there is a reason why China keeps its borders closed and locks down entire cities over a few cases. The Gov't knows more than it is letting on. I suspect those Chinese labs are very busy.

[kiwikeith]

1 hour ago, jacko45k said:

He simply means that between the discovery of omicron, and the original Wuhan strain, no variants in that lineage are known. More of a 'where has it been' question? I saw this discussed on a Dr John Campbell video, but it made my head spin. (7 Jan 2022, Omicron from mice)

I saw this as well, and it looks like it did not come from Delta or beta but from the original Wuhan strain, whatever it is looking to be good for us and may end the pandemic

[Harveyboy]

5 hours ago, freedomnow said:

Marriage will be blocked by courts.

yes maybe that would create a transgender virus ..This is Thailand eh

[kiwikeith]

23 minutes ago, IamNoone88 said:

Perhaps there is a reason why China keeps its borders closed and locks down entire cities over a few cases. The Gov't knows more than it is letting on. I suspect those Chinese labs are very busy.

My feeling is big pharma were not expecting this??

[AustinRacing]

It’s an effective way for China to cause havoc in the West as the main target. Omicron being supposedly weak may suggest the Chinese are working on making a more noteworthy variant. Is it a coincidence that as soon as things start to settle a new variant inconveniently pops up?

[SteveAZ]

Based on what I read. There is a good chance the virus doesn’t exist.

[billd766]

17 minutes ago, SteveAZ said:

Based on what I read. There is a good chance the virus doesn’t exist.

If it doesn't exist, can you explain what so many people worldwide of. if it wasn't the Corona virus?

[SW Happy]

20 hours ago, DavisH said:

Interesting, but Omicron did not evolve from Delta. Omicron arose form the original Wuhan strain. What Omicron has been doing the last two years is a bit of a mystery. 

Its been biding its time.

[jacko45k]

1 hour ago, SteveAZ said:

Based on what I read. There is a good chance the virus doesn’t exist.

Beano? Just kidding, I know you mean this specific variant/mutation.

Edited January 11, 2022 by jacko45k

[placnx]

15 hours ago, hioctane said:

Omnicron didn’t exist 2 years ago. It mutated recently from South Africa.

An origin in South Africa seems likely since Omicron's infectiousness would have made it rampant elsewhere first if South Africa were not the origin. Some people mention Botswana, though. This following analysis is very interesting, one suggestion being that a reduced course of Molnupiravir could have led to Omicron, as lower dosage was being tested in South Africa.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamhaseltine/2021/12/02/omicron-origins/?sh=3713230d1bc1

[VBF]

17 hours ago, hioctane said:

Omnicron didn’t exist 2 years ago. It mutated recently from South Africa.

To be pedantic.....  It mutated recently  and the mutation was discovered in South Africa.

Probably because SA, Israel and UK have much of the world's best genome testing.

[VBF]

5 hours ago, IamNoone88 said:

Perhaps there is a reason why China keeps its borders closed and locks down entire cities over a few cases. The Gov't knows more than it is letting on. I suspect those Chinese labs are very busy.

I have suspected an awful lot about China over the last 2 years.

Most of it is included in various conspiracy theories, some believable, others not. Trouble is, I cannot prove any of my suspicions so am not about to broadcast them.

[rabas]

1 hour ago, placnx said:

An origin in South Africa seems likely since Omicron's infectiousness would have made it rampant elsewhere first if South Africa were not the origin. Some people mention Botswana, though. This following analysis is very interesting, one suggestion being that a reduced course of Molnupiravir could have led to Omicron, as lower dosage was being tested in South Africa.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamhaseltine/2021/12/02/omicron-origins/?sh=3713230d1bc1

Haseltine is a legend and top expert on viral diseases and developing drugs like Molnupiravir to fight them. He lists Molnupiravir as one of three possible causes of Omicron and his analysis is very detailed. Good read.

 

But If Omicron arose from recent Molnupiravir trials, how can Omicron branch from the SARS2 family tree way back in May 2020?  Must be more to it.

[RobU]

Reports in the UK and from the WHO is that 'Deltacron' does not exist, it is the result of contaminated laboratory specimens

[JoseThailand]

Deltacron: As deadly as Delta, as contagious as Omicron. Perfect combination.

[asiasurfer]

Delracron. It sounds like a cool car... ????

[kiwikeith]

13 hours ago, AustinRacing said:

It’s an effective way for China to cause havoc in the West as the main target. Omicron being supposedly weak may suggest the Chinese are working on making a more noteworthy variant. Is it a coincidence that as soon as things start to settle a new variant inconveniently pops up?

According to most renowned virologists ,this is the evolution of viruses, they usually mutate to milder strains, but there could possibly be a mutation to a worse strain, but most say unlikely , it would go against that trend.

This happened and ended the Spanish flue.

 

However as many are believing that China made this ,there are all sorts of hypothesis going around including the grilling in the American Senate by Senator Rand Paul of Dr Fauci- over whether he funded ( Gain of Function) research in Wuhan.

Thats an interesting debate to watch and freely available on the net.

I'm am hoping that this mutation is going to end the pandemic, and so far it is displacing Delta everywhere it goes, hospitals are not seeing serious infection or as many people dyeing or requiring ICU and oxygen, the death rates have fallen dramatically , and I see, in that Thai newspaper reports of very low deaths in Thailand at the moment.

 

There is going to be a rise in hospital numbers as this spreads so quickly and is causing front line workers to go off sick, interestingly Australia has called Omicron infected nurses back to work as they are so short staffed, so what does that say about Omicron???

Also hospitals are reporting that 50% of Omicron hospital cases are coincidental.

I'm erring towards the positive, NZ is trying to lock omicron out and the experts are telling the Govt that is not a good idea as its inevitable, but one thing I have noticed is Delta going down fast here, and every border case turning up is Omicron, there has been escape but the govt is tight lipped about any numbers, so it is likely , thats what the NZ Herald are predicting, so im going to stay positive that this will be the end of the pandemic for all of , Cheers.

[Stargeezr]

I am just curious of how many variants are still doing well in Africa and other countries where

the amount of people vaccinated are in the low percentages.  The same goes for a big country like China, or Russia

etc. big in population and area. The USA is not doing very well with its COVID cases, I doubt that the delta variant has

totally quit. The omicron variant is certainly taking over as the dominant variant, but many people are getting sick and 

there are still lots who are having to go to a hospital, so the pandemic is certainly not over yet.  We get told that

the newer variants that may be just starting to show up are likely to be milder than the first or second forms of COVID,

and I sure hope that they are.

[placnx]

18 hours ago, rabas said:

Haseltine is a legend and top expert on viral diseases and developing drugs like Molnupiravir to fight them. He lists Molnupiravir as one of three possible causes of Omicron and his analysis is very detailed. Good read.

 

But If Omicron arose from recent Molnupiravir trials, how can Omicron branch from the SARS2 family tree way back in May 2020?  Must be more to it.

If the tree positioning is correct, this would imply a reservoir. If the "origin" variant were hardly infectious and harbored in remote location, could it have survived the waves of VOCs? Maybe we need to better understand Long Covid and whether the virus can secrete itself and escape detection by the immune system. Perhaps Molnupiravir then disrupted the status quo in an immunocompromised individual such as someone infected with an untreated HIV infection.

 

To investigate the tree positioning question, it would make sense to look back at the "origin" variant to compare its unique mutations with the mutations Hazeltine cites as engendered by the action of Molnupiravir. Could a coincidence have ensued?