Muh Muh Muh My Corona (virus)

I’m wondering if they’ll be moving forward with in-person classes sooner than we think. Once teachers and staff get vaccinated, there is going to be a lot of pressure to get the kids back in the classroom ASAP.

 

I got a good explanation from people smarter than me who understand the subject on why it's unlikely that any emerging mutations would dodge the vaccine.

The spike protein is like a key, the ACE2 receptor in the cell is the keyhole. Antibodies are a fake keyhole made to mimic the ACE2 receptor so that the spike binds to them instead of real cells.

Any changes in the spike protein can't be *too* different or they'll stop being able to fit the ACE2 receptor keyhole. As long as they fit that keyhole, they should fit the fake one in the antibodies.

It's theoretically possible for a mutation to develop accidentally that's just different enough to dodge the antibodies but still work on the ACE2 receptor, but it would be extremely unlucky and unlikely for that to happen as a coincidence now, when most people don't have the vaccine. There's no evolutionary advantage to dodging the antibodies that don't exist in most people.

Once vaccines are widespread, that sort of mutation does become more plausible because now there's an evolutionary fitness advantage to having antibody-dodging abilities, so if it happens it will quickly become the dominant strain of the virus. But that's something that can only happen on the other side of the vaccine being widespread, so it would be a separate issue and one we are hopefully better prepared to react to (and could quickly adjust the vaccines to deal with without needing to do new safety trials).

 

I maintain my belief that we will be approaching close to normalcy by April 1.

 

Getting competent management from the feds will be a big help. There is only so much Biden’s folks can do now, but anything they do will be an upgrade.

 

@RickStain, thanks, man.

 

This thread ...

 

FB friend posting from last night. Her daughter is a senior (kids used to hang together many years ago). So. The boyfriend is home from the Navy. He's wrapped in a big box. He pops out. And hugs the six assorted teens who are at the party. None of whom live together. JFCovid spreading. And the mom is a nurse. This is why we can't control the spread.

 

I hope you’re right. July to September appears to be the consensus medical opinion on mass distribution.

 

Testing underway.

Pfizer and Moderna are testing their vaccines against UK coronavirus variant — CNN

 

But it made a great Instagram moment!

 

Knife pointing up on ground where he fell.