Omicron BA.4 & BA.5 sub-variants; "This May Be the COVID Variant Scientists Are Dreading"; this report shows you how inept and moronic and out of step the handling of vaccine & omicron has been
by Paul Alexander
SOURCE:
This May Be the COVID Variant Scientists Are Dreading
The Daily Beast said:
‘A pair of new subvariants of the dominant Omicron variant—BA.4 and BA.5—appear to be driving the uptick in cases in the U.K. Worryingly, these subvariants seem to partially dodge antibodies from past infection or vaccination, making them more transmissible than other forms of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.’
To be fair, we cannot expect a Daily Beast reporter to address the issues. The statement above is wrong for it completely disregards the main reason that the vaccinated are getting infected. The non-neutralizing antibodies that bind to the virus is the reason.
The following three show that the induced vaccinal antibodies (Abs) (non-neutralizing) bind to the virus’s spike and enhances the infectiousness of the virus to the vaccinated person. The infectious behavior of the virus cannot be accounted for by the virus itself. Properties intrinsic to the virus. We argue that infectiousness must be looked at from the view of the non-neutralizing Abs that bind and enhance infectiousness in the vaccinated. In short, the non-neutralizing Abs give the virus the property of increased infectiousness. Enhanced infectiousness.
2)Liu et al.: An infectivity-enhancing site on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein targeted by antibodies
3)Lempp et al.: Lectins enhance SARS-CoV-2 infection and influence neutralizing antibodies
This other statement is what we were concerned about:
“There are also some suggestions that the new subvariants have evolved to target the lungs—unlike Omicron, which usually resulted in a less dangerous infection of the upper respiratory tract.”
in this regard, researchers show us why vaccinees are less vulnerable to severe disease in the lower lung, respiratory tract. Researchers show that the very same non-neutralizing Abs in the upper respiratory tract (URT) work in the lower respiratory tract (LRT) and prevents fusion of infected cells with non-infected cells that prevent the formation of syncytia and those syncytia is linked (correlated) to severe disease.
The ‘common’ denominator that is determining the infectiousness and severe nature of the virus is the non-neutralizing Abs. It binds in the URT and enhances infectiousness yet binds in the LRT and prevents severe disease. The concern is that this blocking of severe disease in the LRT may be overcome in time (lose their protective effect) and we run the risk if we continue with the non-neutralizing vaccines, of generating both infectious and severe lethal, virulent variants.
1)Asarnow et al.: Structural insight into SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies and modulation of syncytia