New Coronavirus threat

oldsig127

The Bunker Group
Verified Defense Pro
A quick search on wiki says they were making a chimera virus from bat coronavirus and SARS to see if it can infect HeLa.


And even if the leak was accidental or intentional, nothing too surprising about that. Covid is cash cow for the vaccine industry. They already making annual booster shots worth trillions of profit.
1. Wikipedia is not a source.
2. The inference that "big pharma" are rubbing their hands with glee needs a LOT of supporting evidence, not a knee jerk accusation. How, for example, does it square with pharmaceutical companies producing vaccines on a non-profit basis?


oldsig
 

John Fedup

The Bunker Group
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #822
@John Fedup Wall Street Journal opinion column is a nice material for a discussion on US economics but not for biology. They're also owned by News Corp. Frankly this narrative is extremely suspect. To use a science term, it's not falsifiable. For those who believe it, nothing can be produced that will satisfy them that it's not China's fault. Even if China magically change their mind and opens all their files to everyone, they'll still accuse China of hiding something. You can't prove a negative.

@TaiChen Trying to link the pandemy with the vaccine industry is unsupported speculation. Sure the vaccine industry benefits. So? TSMC's profit hits a record high in 2020. Computer chips of all kinds are in high demand as people buy computers and tablets to work from home and also for entertainment while they're stuck at home. Why not link the chip industry with the pandemy? How about online marketplaces? Amazon is making a killing as everyone orders online during the pandemy. Why not link Amazon with the pandemy too?

There's an Indonesian term called "cocoklogi" which really applies here. If you want to find evidence to suit your belief, you will find it by picking out facts that matches your belief (maybe apply a bit of creative interpretation) and discarding the rest. There's no good English translation, though cherry picking is closest. It's the kind logic that ends up in claiming that Indonesia is Atlantis.
There are many other sources besides the WJ putting forth information on why COVID may have a lab origin. Add in China’s lack of transparency and the missing zoonotic link, it is not unreasonable to suggest the lab origin hypothesis.
 

John Fedup

The Bunker Group
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #824
This Forbes article is one of the better articles discussing the lab leak theory and why it's unlikely, well worth a read :
The Wuhan Lab Leak Hypothesis Is A Conspiracy Theory, Not Science
As the Forbes article mentions, most of us are not virologists so it can be difficult to sift through all the conflicting articles and come to a conclusion. Many pro and con articles also point out the opposing view can not be ruled out with certainty. WRT the 18 scientists who wrote the “letter” instead of applying for a grant, there is a huge argument over the value performing “gain of function” experiments to better understand viruses, basically the usefulness isn’t worth the risk. Several of the researchers mentioned in Forbes article rejecting the leak theory have been involved in gain of function experiments.
 

ngatimozart

Super Moderator
Staff member
Verified Defense Pro
A quick search on wiki says they were making a chimera virus from bat coronavirus and SARS to see if it can infect HeLa.


And even if the leak was accidental or intentional, nothing too surprising about that. Covid is cash cow for the vaccine industry. They already making annual booster shots worth trillions of profit.
Wikipedia is not a reliable source. Secondly you are making unsubstantiated claims that could be deemed slanderous in some jurisdictions. Such actions are unacceptable on this forum. As one Moderator has already told you, read the rules.
 

OPSSG

Super Moderator
Staff member
1. The Delta variant of Covid-19 really kicked the butt of Singapore’s biological defences — every additional measure taken was inadequate for a period. We had such a huge testing and tracing effort to every outbreak cluster that even I was surprised at the speed and scale of mobile testing.

2. We kept failing at plan A for a long time; and we finally have hope that it is under control with spread limited to single digits in this stage. We will know if this plan A was finally executed a few weeks from now — in the fight to stop community spread by large scale testing at specific residential locations (and neighbourhood specific shutdowns with 100% testing of select residential blocks).

4 Especially difficult to manage was the emergence of hospital clusters. Thanks to superb efforts at contact tracing, there are currently 29 active clusters, ranging from three to 93 infections. The spread is limited to 4 new cases of locally transmitted cases that are linked to the following clusters:
  • Two new cases in the 105 Henderson Crescent cluster
  • Two new cases in the 115 Bukit Merah View Market & Food Centre cluster
5. No wonder India cannot manage with Delta variant of Covid-19 spreading like wild fire. This virus variant from India is going to kill many more in Europe and America even with their vaccine roll out. In Singapore, MOH continues to recommend masking for those who have taken the 2nd dose of the vaccine.

6. Plan B is the rolling out the virus jab. As of 29 June 2021, MOH has administered a total of 5.42 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines under the national vaccination programme to 3.32 million individuals. Earlier this week, I got my first dose of Pfizer-Biontech vaccine (renamed as Comirnaty and pronounced phonetically as koe mir' na tee); in Singapore all residents can begin the process by registering online and go to a self-selected centre (to choose a location, time and date and type of vaccine) to get an initial injection and in 30 days, my booster shot — there is a 50 person socially distanced queue ahead of me when I went for my 1st jab; the wait time for a painless 3 milligram jab including the registration admin is 45 to 50 minutes — while at the vaccination centre, we are given a bottle of water and seated in segregated areas to wait 30 mins to check for side effects before we go off.

7. Currently only 2.1 million individuals have received their second dose and completed the full vaccination regimen. This was because the wait time for the second dose was 6 weeks — it’s now shortened to 4 weeks. Vaccine supplies are finally reaching Singapore to enable country wide speeding up of the vaccine program.

8. The execution of plan B is going on smoothly and the priority continues to give as many people as possible their 1st dose — 40,000 people being given a first dose per day — the aim is to administer 60,000 jabs per day. The vaccine drive roll out is gathering speed in Singapore — we need to execute plan B, if we want to reopen.
 
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OPSSG

Super Moderator
Staff member
On 10 July 2021, two C-130Hs of the Republic of Singapore Air Force transported assistance packages from the Singapore Government to Indonesia.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan handed over Singapore’s assistance to Indonesia to Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Singapore Suryo Pratomo at Paya Lebar Air Base. The assistance packages included contributions from MINDEF and the SAF that will be given to the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Indonesia and the Indonesian National Armed Forces. The Republic of Singapore Navy will transport a second batch of supplies subsequently via an Endurance Class vessel.

Singapore and Indonesia share close and long-standing bilateral defence ties, and my country tries to support Indonesia in its fight against #COVID19.
 

Ananda

The Bunker Group

Asside the ventilators, and Oxygen Cylinder that Singapore send, the Government also doing commercial procurement for Oxygen Concentrators. This will be needed for those infected patients that are need only low-medium treatment, that doesn't need ventiloators or more hospital grade Oxygen facilities.

This will release some pressures from Hospitals, as those type of infected patients can be send to temporary facilities that being prepared in Sports Stadium, Government Hall, and even some goverment subsidise apartment (that has not been sold yet).

Frm what I heard from those in Government institutions. The increase so far mostly in Java and Bali. However it's already create distribution difficulties toward some rural area or secondary cities. What they afraid of if the run away hike happen on outer islands. Some region in Sumatra already shoem that.

That's why the Ministries of Industries asside increasing local oxygen industrial capacities, also talking to their peer in Singapore and some other East Asian nations to book more Industrial Oxygen supply if needed. Seems comsidering the trend, some will be needed. That's what the talk with Singapore more about, getting Industrial capacity back up.
 

OPSSG

Super Moderator
Staff member
RSS Endeavour sets sail to deliver Covid-19 Aid — Part 1

1. BZ to RSS Endeavour getting ready in a short notice to sail to Tanjung Priok, Indonesia. On 11 July 2021, Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean said in a Facebook post that the Singapore Navy ship carried two tanks with 40 tonnes of liquid oxygen, 500 cylinders of oxygen and 570 oxygen concentrators.
 
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swerve

Super Moderator
Great! I heard combination of different types of vaccine is actually more effective than any one type.
Here in the UK official guidance is that you should have both doses of any of the vaccines for which the manufacturers recommend two doses, but giving a third dose of a different vaccine as a booster is currently being considered.

Almost 90% of adults here have now had one dose, & about 65% two doses, & I think the plan is to fully vaccinate everyone willing before starting on boosters.
 

OPSSG

Super Moderator
Staff member
Part 1 of 4: Delta from 0% to over 80% in 10 weeks

Here in the UK official guidance is that you should have both doses of any of the vaccines for which the manufacturers recommend two doses, but giving a third dose of a different vaccine as a booster is currently being considered.

Almost 90% of adults here have now had one dose, & about 65% two doses, & I think the plan is to fully vaccinate everyone willing before starting on boosters.
1. UK despite its high vaccination rate is having difficulty in managing the spread of the Delta (aka one of the coronavirus variants first detected in India - the B.16172) and the British variant B.1.1.7. I also worry about the spread of the B.1.525 ("Nigerian") coronavirus variant that combines traits of B1.1.7 (British) with B.1.351 (South-African). Almost 45.7 million people in UK have had a first vaccine dose - about 87% of the adult population - and more than 34 million have had a second. The number of first doses administered each day is now averaging at about 98,000 in UK - far below a peak of some 500,000 in mid-March. An average of more than 160,000 second doses are now being given a day, with the delivery of second doses accelerated in UK in response to the emergence of the Delta variant, first identified in India.
(a) Likewise, Israel is a 60% 2-dose Pfizer vaccinated country is also struggling with the Delta variant. Israel said the country will begin offering a third dose of Pfizer Inc's vaccine to adults with weak immune systems but it was still weighing whether to make the booster available to the general public. Israeli data shows that in June it had 2,395 Covid-19 cases​
  • 57% unvaccinated = 1373
  • 4% partially vaccinated = 90
  • 39% vaccinated = 932
Today, there are 34 severely ill patients in hospital​
  • 59% unvaccinated = 20
  • 6% partially vaccinated = 2
  • 35% vaccinated = 12
(b) In the latest sign of the uneven state of the coronavirus pandemic around the world, a slew of countries in the Asia-Pacific region are rushing to impose restrictions on movement to contain surging cases, a full year and a half into a pandemic that many had originally handled deftly. Thailand is introducing a seven-hour nightly curfew, South Korea is introducing curbs in capital Seoul and Vietnam is locking down after setting fresh records for daily case numbers or deaths this week. Indonesia has had to source emergency oxygen supplies from neighboring Singapore as it struggles with shortages, the Associated Press reported.​

2. A study in Singapore showed that the B.16172:

(a) has a higher viral load (Australian studies show that previous or earlier variants spread to 25% of household members vs 100% spread to household members) and fleeting exposures of just 5-10 seconds is now enough with the new Delta variant;​
(b) is able to spread to vaccinated (2 shots) to unvaccinated, which led to large transmission chains in Singapore that even our world class contact tracing and testing regime struggled to cope with for 2 to 3 weeks; in a Singapore Delta variant cluster that was in the study, among 29 vaccinated who got infected, 21 transmissions events were between vaccinated-to-vaccinated or vaccinated-to-unvaccinated; and​
(c) has been shown to cause more unvaccinated people who are infected (by percentage) to be hospitalised and increases the need of the infected for oxygen to survive, which increases the load on hospitals.​

3. A 90-year-old woman who died after falling ill with Covid-19 was infected with both the B.1.1.7 (Alpha) and B.1.351 (Beta) variants of the coronavirus at the same time, researchers in Belgium said on 10 July 2021, adding that the rare phenomenon may be underestimated. The unvaccinated woman, who lived alone and received at-home nursing care, was admitted to the OLV Hospital in the Belgian city of Aalst after a spate of falls in March and tested positive for Covid-19 the same day. While her oxygen levels were initially good, her condition deteriorated rapidly and she died 5 days later. According to the CDC, there are four notable variants in the US:
  • B.1.1.7 (Alpha): This variant was first detected in the US in Dec 2020. It was initially detected in the UK.
  • B.1.351 (Beta): This variant was first detected in the US at the end of Jan 2021. It was initially detected in South Africa in December 2020.
  • P.1 (Gamma): This variant was first detected in the US in Jan 2021. P.1 was initially identified in travelers from Brazil, who were tested during routine screening at an airport in Japan, in early January.
  • B.16172 (Delta): This variant was first detected in the US in Mar 2021. It was initially identified in India in Dec 2020.
These variants seem to spread more easily and quickly than other variants, which may lead to more cases of COVID-19. An increase in the number of cases will put more strain on healthcare resources, lead to more hospitalizations, and potentially more deaths; and vaccines alone is not the solution for the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, UK or North America.

4. To combat the spread of Covid-19, TraceTogether, SafeEntry requirements to be reintroduced in supermarkets in Singapore. Singapore’s MOH said the high volume of patrons in supermarkets increases the risk of transmission. The reintroduction of the rule requirement will facilitate more targeted contact tracing for those who visited indoor buildings at the same time as an infected person, the ministry said. In Singapore on 9 July 2021, 3.9 million first doses of the vaccine has been administered and 1/3 of the population or 2.3 million have completed the full vaccination regimen of the 2nd dose.
(a) Singapore encourages mask wearing even after vaccination but will move to a new normal after a large percentage is vaccinated — the tiny country is on track after relaxing the latest round of restrictions on 13 June 2021 and is currently providing 60,000 vaccine jabs per day.​
(b) From 12 Jul 2021 onwards: (i) groups of 5 allowed to dine in; (ii) resumption of wedding receptions — weddings with no more than 250 attendees allowed with pre-event testing. For wedding receptions with 50 attendees or fewer, pre-event testing will be required for the wedding party only; (iii) the cap on group sizes for indoor activities such as gyms raised to 5; and (iv) gatherings at the workplace must be limited to a total size of no more than 5 people.​
(c) From 15 July 2021: mandatory, routine fast and easy tests for staff in higher-risk settings to start. From 16 July 2021 onwards, antigen rapid tests kit will be sold at supermarkets, and convenience stores.​
5. With its testing capacity and ability to acquire vaccine stocks for its entire population, Singapore has been punching above its weight in fighting against the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition:
(a) Blood samples from 3 patients in Singapore were used to develop the experimental antibody cocktail used to treat former US President Donald Trump after he tested positive for the coronavirus. Singapore’s National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) had responded to a collaboration request from US biotechnology firm Regeneron - the company which developed that antibody cocktail - with no claim of intellectual property right over the treatment.​
(b) Regeneron eventually used 3 of the 5 Singapore patient samples as the research starting point to develop the antibodies. Regeneron's treatment, called REGN-COV2, is a combination or 'cocktail' of two antibodies, which are infection-fighting proteins that were developed to bind themselves to the virus and inhibit it from invading human cells.​
(c) The key is having a large enough sample of infected to develop the science of treatment and having a superb contact tracing capability in Singapore to gather reliable data and study the spread of new variants.​

6. In the US, Covid-19 is now a pandemic of the unvaccinated, according to the head of the US CDC. In Alabama, state officials report 94% of COVID hospital patientsand 96% of Alabamians who have died of COVID since April were not fully vaccinated. Every new case provides chance for further mutation. Delta went from 0% to over 80% of cases in 10 weeks. As children get infected, any mutation that can better infect their vaxxed parents (and their parents' friends) will have a selection advantage.
 
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Ananda

The Bunker Group

This the result of Survey done by University of Indonesia, that taking random blood sample. They suspect this happen since most of the infected are unsymptomise or only on light symptom. Thus not detected by the tracing team. The random sampling mostly done on crowded populated area in Jakarta.

Jakarta it self already done more than 50% of population with one shoot, and 22% with two shoot already. Those vaccination rate and the survey results, maka suspicion that around half Jakartan already have Covid Antibody.

For me, there's a merit on that. Considering Mortality rate in Indonesia due to Covid or suspected Covid is too high compare the official numbers. Also for several weeks already, eventhough Jakarta have highest number of Infected numbers, but the mortality rate far below some other provinces. For example yesterday, of 1007 daily mortality in Indonesia, only less then 40 coming from Jakarta. At the same time Jakarta officialy provide 30%+ of daily infected rate.

If the implications is true, the good news means Jakarta where 40% of Indonesian economic power reside, will have sooner potential to return. Bad news is outside Jakarta where the capabilities on tracking and vaccination drive much less then Jakarta, will have potential prolong problem.

Most Jakartan just like most Indonesian so far relied on Sinovac for around 90% of vaccination. The number of Infected rate and Mortality rate in Jakarta seems support findings on Sinovac so far from around the world. It has less efficacy then MRNA vaccine, but still effective enough to reduce mortality. The data that I heard from Hospitals also shown significant majority that come there are from Unvaccinated Population with number two coming from One Shoot vaccinated people. Fully vaccinated people make very small patients that come to hospitals, and those who come has underlying medical problem outside Covid ('Comorbid').

Indonesia it self can be consider not slouching on Vaccination drive (has to give some credit on that). The rate in similar level with India and Brazil. All three so far showing vaccination drive that at least can reach 50% of population by end of year.

However, how abour those nations (like in Africa) that are much slower in vaccination drive ?
I'm afraid many of them will have to rely on natural selections during this year and next. Question will be how much new variance that will be created by this conditions. Too bad vaccine now already fall in to Geopolitical game.
 

OPSSG

Super Moderator
Staff member
RSS Endeavour sets sail to deliver Covid-19 Aid — Part 2

2. RSS Endeavour reaches Tanjung Priok Port, North Jakarta, Indonesia, with its life-saving aid package to help fight COVID-19 from Singapore.

3. 9 provinces had reported hospital bed occupancy above 80 per cent, including Jakarta and West Java. The government was in talks with industry about letting authorities have their excess capacity, as well as looking at imports, Budi said. With many Indonesians unable to get hospital beds, independent data group Lapor COVID-19 says 453 people have died from the coronavirus in self-isolation since June.

4. Senior minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, who spearheads the emergency response, on 14 Jul 2021, said oxygen supplies were well managed, with more than 1,500 oxygen generators expected to arrive from Singapore and China. More than 2,000 newly graduated doctors and 20,000 nurses would soon be deployed to hospitals, he added.

5. As aid from 10 countries pour in, Indonesia is reporting over 47,899 daily Covid cases (on 13 Jul 2021), surpassing India, which is now witnessing a dip in the number of daily infections. On 7 July 2021, Indonesia expanded nationwide curbs to battle its deadliest Covid-19 wave. With the spike in cases, authorities unveiled plans to order liquid oxygen and tens of thousands of concentrators from abroad to treat patients suffering from the respiratory disease. The daily need for oxygen has reached 1,928 tons a day. The country’s total available production capacity is 2,262 tons a day, according to government data.

“I asked for 100 per cent of oxygen go to medical purposes first, meaning that all industrial allocations must be transferred to medical,” said Pandjaitan.​
 
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Ananda

The Bunker Group

Well, well. WHO now increase the pressure to PRC. I just imagine how Donald now talk to his constituency, I'm right all along. Prepare for Donald come back :D.

Joke asside, this will put PRC on corner with how to react on this. So far their Vaccine diplomacy still provide them some International good will diplomacy. I still believe the key is to increase the vaccination drive. Despite the increase on infected cases in UK due this COVID, however the hospitalisation number still below then before.

Even in Indonesia the proportion of vaccinated population that need hospitalisation were much smaller in proportion from unvaccinated population. Off course there will be idiots in every country that are going to say vaccination is the conspiracy as case of COVID.

US begin now shown more willingness to come to Vaccine diplomacy game. Many countries that already using Chinese vaccine want to use US ones as booster. For me considering that Chinese vaccine is easier on logistics preparation for developing nations, perhaps better still to use Chinese vaccine for fully vaccination then use US ones as booster.
 
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ngatimozart

Super Moderator
Staff member
Verified Defense Pro
There was an informal APEC Leaders virtual meeting overnight NZ time chaired by the NZ Prime Minister. The COVID-19 pandemic was the first item on the agenda. This is the part of the formal statement regarding the pandemic itself.
APEC Economic Leaders’ Statement Overcoming COVID-19 and Accelerating Economic Recovery

We, the APEC Economic Leaders met on 16 July 2021 to discuss the COVID-19 health and economic crisis and response. The pandemic continues to have a devastating impact on our region’s people and economies. Our efforts to diagnose and treat COVID-19 continue to be essential. But we will only overcome this health emergency by accelerating equitable access to safe, effective, quality-assured, and affordable COVID-19 vaccines. We recognise the role of extensive immunisation against COVID-19 as a global public good. To that end, we will redouble our efforts to expand vaccine manufacture and supply, support global vaccine sharing efforts, and encourage the voluntary transfer of vaccine production technologies on mutually agreed terms. We must ensure our health systems cover all people and have the resilience to cope with current and future shocks. We welcome the varied and continuous efforts as well as the contribution of additional resources across APEC to combat the pandemic. We are committed to realising our Putrajaya Vision of an open, dynamic, resilient and peaceful Asia-Pacific community by 2040, for the prosperity of all our people and future generations.

The document then goes on to discuss other items on the agenda. Of note whilst Xi Jinping was said to have attended, he only submitted prerecorded video contributions. This was a 2½ hour meeting so he was playing games. The PRC also announced a US$3 billion fund towards vaccines for undeveloped nations.

 

TaiChen

New Member
The rise in covid can be attributed to 3 reasons.

1. high mutation rate in RNA virus.
2. decline of vaccine antibodies after months of vaccination without a single booster shot
3. taking off mask after vaccination means increasing transmission

 
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TaiChen

New Member
US begin now shown more willingness to come to Vaccine diplomacy game. Many countries that already using Chinese vaccine want to use US ones as booster. For me considering that Chinese vaccine is easier on logistics preparation for developing nations, perhaps better still to use Chinese vaccine for fully vaccination then use US ones as booster.
While Pfizer and Moderna are pretty good, they are no match for 2nd generation mRNA vaccines such as Walvax which are thermostable and do not require refrigeration which is expensive in less developed countries. Unless America and Germany improve their mRNA technology, they will lose out to the Chinese in less developed countries.

 

TaiChen

New Member
FINAL WARNING for continuing to ignore Moderator directions and posting fantasy material.
Try to post something meaningfull and not fantasy. Walvax still on trial, and that's definetely not in the stage on claiming it's superior then Pfizer and Moderna.
Walvax is in final stage trial. It should be ready for next year when covid cases are expected to get very bad around the world.
 

Ananda

The Bunker Group
Walvax is in final stage trial. It should be ready for next year when covid cases are expected to get very bad around the world.
So, it's not a guarantee the final stage will be successful. Scores of potential vaccines candidates are on final stages from various manufactures. There're no guarantee all of them will be succesfull.

Definetely not on the stage to be claim superior then Proven MRNA vaccines. You better has base on claiming that. This forum always ask members to base their claim on reputable based. Not fantasy. If you can't, better retracted that claim.
 
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