Chief Stipe Posted January 13, 2022 Share Posted January 13, 2022 ‘Time to Admit Failure,’ Leading Immunologist Tells Israel’s Ministry of Health In an open letter to Israel’s Ministry of Health, Professor Ehud Qimron, head of the department of microbiology and immunology at Tel Aviv University, wrote, “When the destructive concepts collapse one by one, there is nothing left but to tell the experts who led the management of the pandemic — we told you so.” By David Charbonneau, Ph.D. Professor Ehud Qimron, head of the department of microbiology and immunology at Tel Aviv University and one of Israel’s leading immunologists, last week denounced what he called the Israeli government’s mismanagement of the pandemic. In an open letter to Israel’s Ministry of Health, Qimron wrote: “Two years late, you finally realize that a respiratory virus cannot be defeated and that any such attempt is doomed to fail. You do not admit it, because you have admitted almost no mistake in the last two years, but in retrospect, it is clear that you have failed miserably in almost all of your actions, and even the media is already having a hard time covering your shame.” In his detailed and critical letter, Qimron charged the government ignored established epidemiological science on infections and natural immunity, denied evidence regarding the failure of vaccination and testing, failed to set up reliable protocols for reporting side effects and engaged in useless lockdowns that “destroyed the education of our children and their future.” Much of the letter is devoted to blasting the government’s failure to consult or follow the recommendations of the most qualified scientists in the field, instead colluding with Pfizer to publish “non-objective articles together with senior Pfizer executives on the effectiveness and safety of vaccines.” Qimron contrasted the “destructive policies” of Israel — policies mirrored in the U.S. — with the “sane policies of some other countries.” He concluded there is currently no medical emergency. “The only emergency now is that you still set policies and hold huge budgets for propaganda and psychological engineering instead of directing them to strengthen the health care system,” Qimron wrote. Read the original letter in Hebrew here or the full google translation here: Ministry of Health, it’s time to admit failure In the end, the truth will always be revealed, and the truth about the coronavirus policy is beginning to be revealed. When the destructive concepts collapse one by one, there is nothing left but to tell the experts who led the management of the pandemic — we told you so. Two years late, you finally realize that a respiratory virus cannot be defeated and that any such attempt is doomed to fail. You do not admit it, because you have admitted almost no mistake in the last two years, but in retrospect, it is clear that you have failed miserably in almost all of your actions, and even the media is already having a hard time covering your shame. You refused to admit that the infection comes in waves that fade by themselves, despite years of observations and scientific knowledge. You insisted on attributing every decline of a wave solely to your actions, and so through false propaganda “you overcame the plague.” And again you defeated it, and again and again and again. You refused to admit that mass testing is ineffective, despite your own contingency plans explicitly stating so (“Pandemic Influenza Health System Preparedness Plan, 2007”, p. 26). You refused to admit that recovery is more protective than a vaccine, despite previous knowledge and observations showing that non-recovered vaccinated people are more likely to be infected than recovered people. You refused to admit that the vaccinated are contagious despite the observations. Based on this, you hoped to achieve herd immunity by vaccination—and you failed in that as well. You insisted on ignoring the fact that the disease is dozens of times more dangerous for risk groups and older adults than for young people who are not in risk groups, despite the knowledge that came from China as early as 2020. You refused to adopt the “Barrington Declaration,” signed by more than 60,000 scientists and medical professionals, or other common-sense programs. You chose to ridicule, slander, distort and discredit them. Instead of the right programs and people, you have chosen professionals who lack relevant training for pandemic management (physicists as chief government advisers, veterinarians, security officers, media personnel, and so on). You have not set up an effective system for reporting side effects from the vaccines, and reports on side effects have even been deleted from your Facebook page. Doctors avoid linking side effects to the vaccine, lest you persecute them as you did with some of their colleagues. You have ignored many reports of changes in menstrual intensity and menstrual cycle times. You hid data that allows for objective and proper research (for example, you removed the data on passengers at Ben Gurion Airport). Instead, you chose to publish non-objective articles together with senior Pfizer executives on the effectiveness and safety of vaccines. Irreversible damage to trust However, from the heights of your hubris, you have also ignored the fact that in the end the truth will be revealed. And it begins to be revealed. The truth is that you have brought the public’s trust in you to an unprecedented low, and you have eroded your status as a source of authority. The truth is that you have burned hundreds of billions of shekels to no avail — for publishing intimidation, for ineffective tests, for destructive lockdowns and for disrupting the routine of life in the last two years. You have destroyed the education of our children and their future. You made children feel guilty, scared, smoke, drink, get addicted, drop out, and quarrel, as school principals around the country attest. You have harmed livelihoods, the economy, human rights, mental health and physical health. You slandered colleagues who did not surrender to you, you turned the people against each other, divided society and polarized the discourse. You branded, without any scientific basis, people who chose not to get vaccinated as enemies of the public and as spreaders of disease. You promote, in an unprecedented way, a draconian policy of discrimination, denial of rights and selection of people, including children, for their medical choice. A selection that lacks any epidemiological justification. When you compare the destructive policies you are pursuing with the sane policies of some other countries—you can clearly see that the destruction you have caused has only added victims beyond the vulnerable to the virus. The economy you ruined, the unemployed you caused, and the children whose education you destroyed—they are the surplus victims as a result of your own actions only. There is currently no medical emergency, but you have been cultivating such a condition for two years now because of lust for power, budgets and control. The only emergency now is that you still set policies and hold huge budgets for propaganda and psychological engineering instead of directing them to strengthen the health care system. This emergency must stop! Professor Udi Qimron, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freda Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 Interesting read, Chief, thanks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquaman Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 Nothing we didn't already know 6 months ago. Only surprising thing is how long it took the experts to discover this. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shad Posted January 17, 2022 Share Posted January 17, 2022 And still in our country they are pushing the injection, have heard already been a few nasty reactions in the kids, not sure how true it is, let's hope this madness stops sometime soon. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Bloggs Posted January 17, 2022 Share Posted January 17, 2022 All this shows what a flawed species we are, we have a neighbouring family split in half, the husband is totally in favour of 100% VAX for him and the kids, his wife is adamant it wont be happening. The result, she's taken the children and moved out.....I've always found him a decent reasonable human being, but he's turned feral over this vaccination plague.....there must be thousands of divided families, this is a very fragile world. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freda Posted January 17, 2022 Share Posted January 17, 2022 That's so sad, but I see around me the fear and division too...and the utter b/s espoused by formerly rational people, from both sides! Won't be long before our Leader makes a booster compulsory for a vaccine pass. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted January 17, 2022 Author Share Posted January 17, 2022 11 minutes ago, Joe Bloggs said: All this shows what a flawed species we are, we have a neighbouring family split in half, the husband is totally in favour of 100% VAX for him and the kids, his wife is adamant it wont be happening. The result, she's taken the children and moved out.....I've always found him a decent reasonable human being, but he's turned feral over this vaccination plague.....there must be thousands of divided families, this is a very fragile world. What do you expect when the Governments in OZ and NZ have first created a climate of extreme fear bearing to correlation to the risk of Covid. Then using propaganda to promote the concept that the only way to be safe and to have freedom back is to get vaccinated. Now those that have been vaccinated believe they are safe and anyone who isn't is dangerous. They cannot back down because they bought into the propagation of fear and that vaccination was the the silver bullet. I would back the mother's instinct in this case. I know of a similar example in NZ - however NZ has been so slow at vaccinating young children (thankfully) that the pro-vaccination father has changed his mind to the point he is now supporting the mother's human rights case to overturn the Education Departments proclamation that unvaccinated children can't attend school sporting events. How ludicrous is that ban when the biggest pandemic killing children is obesity!!! In my opinion the vaccination of children and the push for booster shots will be the turning point. I've already seen a significant change in friends who are double vaccinated. The majority will NOT be getting the booster. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Bloggs Posted January 17, 2022 Share Posted January 17, 2022 11 minutes ago, Freda said: That's so sad, but I see around me the fear and division too...and the utter b/s espoused by formerly rational people, from both sides! Won't be long before our Leader makes a booster compulsory for a vaccine pass. Supreme leader? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted January 17, 2022 Author Share Posted January 17, 2022 4 minutes ago, Freda said: Won't be long before our Leader makes a booster compulsory for a vaccine pass. That will be the final nail for Cindy. I know many people that will not get the booster. She is believing her own propaganda which is always the beginning of a sudden end. BTW there is no way that the 95% figures of double vaccinated in Auckland is correct. We all know that there are more people in Auckland than official counts - add to that double counting of vaccination. So once again Cindy is either dumb or deliberately misleading. I'd say both. It cracks me up when the Government says we should trust the MOH and Medsafe. I've worked for the MOH and in my opinion they are more incompetent than most Departments. I got sent a bowel cancer screening kit in the mail. Followed the instructions (you have to pass your motion over a supplied sheet of paper which has something written in about 8 languages on it - I'm sure there is some cultural insensitivity that I have invoked!) and read the consent form. Went to sign the consent form and lo and behold there is nowhere to sign it!!!!! What's more the cardboard envelope that you put your sample in has one of those serrated pull tabs. When you close the envelope the serration comes apart. Having visions of my sample floating around in the mail bag I fixed it with some duct tape. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquaman Posted January 17, 2022 Share Posted January 17, 2022 Did anybody read the letter on FB from the father who lost his 7 year old son after getting the vaccine. It was heart wrenching. Somebody with better computer skills than I might like to put it up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shad Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 How sad, certainly won't make one news, to late for the poisoned, I know one that just had booster, now with on going heart issues, I know at my work three with issues from it, many many more that we will never know of,I've made my decision, and will be staying untainted as the risks are just to high, will lead to unemployment in a month, but the sacrifice I have to take, shame when I enjoy my work and employers, interesting enough in my position the vaxxed and anti all allowed in the supermarket, it's there right to shop, but not mine to stay untainted, winter will be interesting and how all the poisoned cope with the standard flu, and wether they any of their own immunity left, us that are left may be in demand. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquaman Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 15 hours ago, Shad said: How sad, certainly won't make one news, to late for the poisoned, I know one that just had booster, now with on going heart issues, I know at my work three with issues from it, many many more that we will never know of,I've made my decision, and will be staying untainted as the risks are just to high, will lead to unemployment in a month, but the sacrifice I have to take, shame when I enjoy my work and employers, interesting enough in my position the vaxxed and anti all allowed in the supermarket, it's there right to shop, but not mine to stay untainted, winter will be interesting and how all the poisoned cope with the standard flu, and wether they any of their own immunity left, us that are left may be in demand. Stand firm Shad, you have made the right decision. The vaxed people will find themselves on the wrong side of history. The tide is turning, and your skills will be valuable when the world comes out of this madness. This coming winter is not going to be good for those that chose the poison, and healthy people will be in short supply. Boris has now lifted all mandates in the UK, and time is running out for the portrayer's of evil and mass murder. Today I am standing at a protest here for Silver Fern Farm workers who have been told to vax before Feb 6th or lose their jobs, many will be there. Tomorrow its a silent protest at the Bridge of Remembrance, and Saturday we march up Papanui Rd all 10,000 of us, then Sunday a pop up Moorhouse Av. So a busy 4 days. But believe me this will end soon and light is shining at the end of the tunnel. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shad Posted January 20, 2022 Share Posted January 20, 2022 6 hours ago, aquaman said: Stand firm Shad, you have made the right decision. The vaxed people will find themselves on the wrong side of history. The tide is turning, and your skills will be valuable when the world comes out of this madness. This coming winter is not going to be good for those that chose the poison, and healthy people will be in short supply. Boris has now lifted all mandates in the UK, and time is running out for the portrayer's of evil and mass murder. Today I am standing at a protest here for Silver Fern Farm workers who have been told to vax before Feb 6th or lose their jobs, many will be there. Tomorrow its a silent protest at the Bridge of Remembrance, and Saturday we march up Papanui Rd all 10,000 of us, then Sunday a pop up Moorhouse Av. So a busy 4 days. But believe me this will end soon and light is shining at the end of the tunnel. Cheers for your support, interesting I posted on other thread before reading yours, our views very similar, probably the toughest decision I've ever made, no matter how much thought I've put into it, and it's been huge, the same conclusion I come to, is just how bloody wrong this is, a mate thought i was extreme when I akin it to rape, is it any different, at least you save your job on one score. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freda Posted February 2, 2022 Share Posted February 2, 2022 On 18/01/2022 at 10:04 AM, Chief Stipe said: That will be the final nail for Cindy. I know many people that will not get the booster. She is believing her own propaganda which is always the beginning of a sudden end. BTW there is no way that the 95% figures of double vaccinated in Auckland is correct. We all know that there are more people in Auckland than official counts - add to that double counting of vaccination. So once again Cindy is either dumb or deliberately misleading. I'd say both. It cracks me up when the Government says we should trust the MOH and Medsafe. I've worked for the MOH and in my opinion they are more incompetent than most Departments. I got sent a bowel cancer screening kit in the mail. Followed the instructions (you have to pass your motion over a supplied sheet of paper which has something written in about 8 languages on it - I'm sure there is some cultural insensitivity that I have invoked!) and read the consent form. Went to sign the consent form and lo and behold there is nowhere to sign it!!!!! What's more the cardboard envelope that you put your sample in has one of those serrated pull tabs. When you close the envelope the serration comes apart. Having visions of my sample floating around in the mail bag I fixed it with some duct tape. Sure enough....we are now being softened up to the idea that vaccine passes will be invalid without ' the booster ' . 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted February 2, 2022 Author Share Posted February 2, 2022 Imperial College in the UK did a challenge trial with the original Covid-19 virus I.e. the worst variant. 29 people aged between 18 and 29 who hadn't been infected before were exposed to the virus in quarantine conditions. Half of them didn't get infected. The majority of the rest experienced no more than a cold. Only a couple experienced more severe flu like symptoms. All recovered without any long term effects. Why get boosted? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquaman Posted February 2, 2022 Share Posted February 2, 2022 4 hours ago, Chief Stipe said: Imperial College in the UK did a challenge trial with the original Covid-19 virus I.e. the worst variant. 29 people aged between 18 and 29 who hadn't been infected before were exposed to the virus in quarantine conditions. Half of them didn't get infected. The majority of the rest experienced no more than a cold. Only a couple experienced more severe flu like symptoms. All recovered without any long term effects. Why get boosted? Were they vaxed, or unvaxed.? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted February 3, 2022 Author Share Posted February 3, 2022 Unvaxed. COVID-19 human challenge study reveals detailed insights into infection by Ryan O'Hare02 February 2022 view large Findings from the UK’s world-leading human challenge study provide new insights into mild infections with SARS-CoV-2 in healthy young adults. The collaborative study is the first in the world to perform detailed monitoring over the full course of COVID-19, from the moment a person first encounters SARS-CoV-2, throughout the infection to the point at which the virus is apparently eliminated. The Human Challenge Programme is a partnership between Imperial College London, the Vaccine Taskforce and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), hVIVO (part of Open Orphan plc.), and the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. Among several key clinical insights, researchers found that symptoms start to develop very fast, on average about two days after contact with the virus. The infection first appears in the throat; infectious virus peaks about five days into infection and, at that stage, is significantly more abundant in the nose than the throat. They also found that lateral flow tests (LFTs) are a reassuringly reliable indicator of whether infectious virus is present (i.e., whether they are a likely to be able to transmit virus to other people). The findings, published on a pre-print server and which have not yet been peer-reviewed, detail the outcomes in 36 healthy, young participants with no immunity to the virus. With a newer strain [of SARS-CoV-2], there might be differences in terms of size of response, but ultimately we expect our study to be fundamentally representative of this kind of infection.Professor Christopher ChiuDepartment of Infectious Disease This landmark study, which took place at a specialist unit at the Royal Free Hospital in London, shows that experimental infection of volunteers is reproducible and resulted in no severe symptoms in healthy young adult participants, laying the groundwork for future studies to test new vaccines and medicines against COVID-19. Professor Christopher Chiu, from the Department of Infectious Disease and the Institute of Infection at Imperial College London and Chief Investigator on the trial, said: “First and foremost, there were no severe symptoms or clinical concerns in our challenge infection model of healthy young adult participants. "People in this age group are believed to be major drivers of the pandemic and these studies, which are representative of mild infection, allow detailed investigation of the factors responsible for infection and pandemic spread. “Our study reveals some very interesting clinical insights, particularly around the short incubation period of the virus, extremely high viral shedding from the nose, as well as the utility of lateral flow tests, with potential implications for public health.” Clinical insights In the trial, 36 healthy male and female volunteers aged 18-30 years, unvaccinated against COVID-19 and with no prior infection with SARS-CoV-2 were given a low dose of the virus – introduced via drops up the nose – and then carefully monitored by clinical staff in a controlled environment over a two-week period. The study used virus from very early in the pandemic obtained from a hospitalized patient in the ISARIC4C study, prior to the emergence of the Alpha variant. This important study has provided further key data on COVID-19 and how it spreads, which is invaluable in learning more about this novel virus, so we can fine-tune our response.Professor Sir Jonathan Van-TamDeputy Chief Medical Officer for England Eighteen of the volunteers became infected, 16 of whom went on to develop mild-to-moderate cold-like symptoms, including a stuffy or runny nose, sneezing, and a sore throat. Some experienced headaches, muscle/joint aches, tiredness and fever. None developed serious symptoms. Two participants were excluded from the final analysis after developing antibodies between initial screening and inoculation. Thirteen infected volunteers reported temporarily losing their sense of smell (anosmia), but this returned to normal within 90 days in all but three participants – the remainder continue to show improvement after three months. There were no changes seen in their lungs, or any serious adverse events in any participant. All participants will be followed up for 12 months after leaving the clinical facility to monitor for any potential long-term effects. Participants were exposed to the lowest possible dose of virus found to cause infection, roughly equivalent to the amount found in a single droplet of nasal fluid when participants were at their most infectious. Accurate timeline of infection The study has also revealed some unique insights into the timeline of COVID-19, particularly during the very early period after virus exposure that cannot be looked at in other types of study, where patients are not identified until symptoms are noticed. Among the 18 infected participants, the average time from first exposure to the virus to viral detection and early symptoms (incubation period) was 42 hours, significantly shorter than existing estimates, which put the average incubation period at 5-6 days. Professor Christopher Chiu, Chief Investigator on the trial, said there were no clinical concerns with the challenge model for young adults, and the study has "revealed some very interesting clinical insights" Following this period there was a steep rise in the amount of virus (viral load) found in swabs taken from participants’ nose or throat. These levels peaked at around five days into infection on average, but high levels of viable (infectious) virus were still picked up in lab tests up to nine days after inoculation on average, and up to a maximum of 12 days for some, supporting the isolation periods advocated in most guidelines. There were also differences in where the most virus was found. While the virus was detected first in the throat, significantly earlier than in the nose (40 hours in the throat compared to 58 hours in the nose), levels were lower and peaked sooner in the throat. Peak levels of virus were significantly higher in the nose than in the throat, indicating a potentially greater risk of virus being shed from the nose than the mouth. This highlights the importance of proper facemask use to cover both the mouth and nose. Lateral flow tests Importantly, lateral flow tests (LFTs) were shown to be a good indicator of whether someone was harbouring viable virus. Positive LFTs correlated well with lab-confirmed detection of virus from swabs throughout the course of infection, including in those who were asymptomatic. However, the tests were less effective in picking up lower levels of virus at the very start and end of infection. This is the first study that has been able to provide detailed data on the early phase of infection, before and during the appearance of symptoms. While there is a possibility of missing infectious virus early in the course of infection, particularly if only the nose is tested, the researchers say these findings overall support continued use of LFTs to identify people likely to be infectious. Among several key findings were Lateral flow tests are reliable to identify people likely to be infectious, and that twice-weekly rapid tests would allow diagnosis before 70-80% of viable virus was generated during the course of infection. (Image: Shutterstock) The study provides supportive evidence that LFTs can reliably predict when someone is unlikely to infect others and can come out of isolation, and that twice-weekly rapid tests would allow diagnosis before 70-80% of viable virus was generated during the course of infection. “We found that overall, lateral flow tests correlate very well with the presence of infectious virus,” said Professor Chiu. “Even though in the first day or two they may be less sensitive, if you use them correctly and repeatedly, and act on them if they read positive, this will have a major impact on interrupting viral spread.” Next steps The authors highlight that while the model is a safe and effective approximation of real-world infection in young adults, the small sample size, reduced diversity of infected volunteers and limited follow up period may restrict the findings. However, they add that despite these limitations, the study has important implications for public health, including around proper mask-wearing, isolation periods for infectious individuals, the use of LFTs, and establishing the human challenge platform to investigate further aspects of COVID-19. Professor Peter Openshaw, co-investigator, said the study has revealed extraordinary discoveries about the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Future work will see the team determine why some people became infected and others did not and develop a challenge virus using the Delta variant, which is already underway by Imperial in partnership with hVIVO and funded by the Wellcome Trust, and which could be used in follow-on trials. According to the team, with these data supporting the safety of the infection challenge model and a Delta variant available, this could theoretically provide a ‘plug and play’ platform for testing new variants and therapies, including vaccines. Professor Chiu added: “While there are differences in transmissibility due to the emergence of variants, such as Delta and Omicron, fundamentally, this is the same disease and the same factors will be responsible for protection against it. "From the point of view of virus transmission related to the very high viral loads, we are likely if anything to be underestimating infectivity because we were using an older strain of the virus. With a newer strain, there might be differences in terms of size of response, but ultimately we expect our study to be fundamentally representative of this kind of infection.” Professor Sir Jonathan Van-Tam, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England, said: “Human challenge studies have been performed using other pathogens for decades, including flu and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). They need full independent ethical review and very careful planning – as has been the case this time. Every precaution is taken to minimise risk. “Scientifically these studies offer real advantage because the timing of exposure to the virus is always known exactly, therefore things like the interval between exposure and the profile of virus shedding can be accurately described. “This important study has provided further key data on COVID-19 and how it spreads, which is invaluable in learning more about this novel virus, so we can fine-tune our response. Challenge studies could still prove to be important in the future to speed the development of ‘next-generation’ Covid-19 vaccines and antiviral drugs. “These data underline just how useful a tool lateral flow tests can be to pick up people when infectious and the importance of wearing a face covering in crowded, enclosed spaces.” According to the researchers, the data underline the importance of wearing a face covering over the mouth and nose, in crowded, enclosed spaces. (Image: Shutterstock) Professor Peter Openshaw, co-investigator on the study and Professor of Experimental Medicine at Imperial College London, said: “The UK is able to provide a very good legal and ethical environment for human challenge studies and has invested substantially in studies of this sort for many years. "I am especially pleased that this study has been made possible by the MRC investment in the Human Infection Challenge consortium (HIC-Vac) that we established in 2017. The information that we have been able to discover about the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection in this study is extraordinary.” Dr Andrew Catchpole, Chief Scientific Officer at hVIVO, part of Open Orphan plc., said: “The SARS-CoV-2 characterisation study has provided invaluable insights into the progression of COVID-19 infection in healthy young adults. Importantly, the study demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 challenge studies are safe and well tolerated by the volunteers with no serious symptoms and no Serious Adverse Events (SAEs). "The study’s results have provided useful insights which could be used to inform public health decisions on COVID-19 symptoms and virus detection going forward, including isolation periods for infectious individuals, the use of LFTs, and establishing the human challenge platform to investigate further aspects of COVID-19. “While the characterisation study was focused on the original SARS-CoV-2 strain, and there are differences in transmissibility between it and the other variants, the same factors will be responsible for protection against it, meaning the findings remain valuable for variants such as Delta or Omicron. These data provide a clear platform to now utilise the human challenge model to expedite product efficacy testing for new vaccines or antivirals””Dr Sir Michael Jacobs, consultant in infectious diseases at the Royal Free London, said: “We have vast experience of safely managing highly transmissible infections at the Royal Free Hospital and we are really pleased to have been able to play our part in this landmark study. “The trial has already provided some fascinating new insights into SARS-CoV2 infection, but perhaps its greatest contribution is to open up a new way to study the infection and the immune responses to it in great detail and help test new vaccines and treatments.” - ‘Safety, tolerability and viral kinetics during SARS-CoV-2 human challenge’ by Killingley, B. et al. is available on the Research Square pre-print server and has been submitted for peer-review. Article text (excluding photos or graphics) © Imperial College London. Photos and graphics subject to third party copyright used with permission or © Imperial College London 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
view large Findings from the UK’s world-leading human challenge study provide new insights into mild infections with SARS-CoV-2 in healthy young adults. The collaborative study is the first in the world to perform detailed monitoring over the full course of COVID-19, from the moment a person first encounters SARS-CoV-2, throughout the infection to the point at which the virus is apparently eliminated. The Human Challenge Programme is a partnership between Imperial College London, the Vaccine Taskforce and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), hVIVO (part of Open Orphan plc.), and the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. Among several key clinical insights, researchers found that symptoms start to develop very fast, on average about two days after contact with the virus. The infection first appears in the throat; infectious virus peaks about five days into infection and, at that stage, is significantly more abundant in the nose than the throat. They also found that lateral flow tests (LFTs) are a reassuringly reliable indicator of whether infectious virus is present (i.e., whether they are a likely to be able to transmit virus to other people). The findings, published on a pre-print server and which have not yet been peer-reviewed, detail the outcomes in 36 healthy, young participants with no immunity to the virus. With a newer strain [of SARS-CoV-2], there might be differences in terms of size of response, but ultimately we expect our study to be fundamentally representative of this kind of infection.Professor Christopher ChiuDepartment of Infectious Disease This landmark study, which took place at a specialist unit at the Royal Free Hospital in London, shows that experimental infection of volunteers is reproducible and resulted in no severe symptoms in healthy young adult participants, laying the groundwork for future studies to test new vaccines and medicines against COVID-19. Professor Christopher Chiu, from the Department of Infectious Disease and the Institute of Infection at Imperial College London and Chief Investigator on the trial, said: “First and foremost, there were no severe symptoms or clinical concerns in our challenge infection model of healthy young adult participants. "People in this age group are believed to be major drivers of the pandemic and these studies, which are representative of mild infection, allow detailed investigation of the factors responsible for infection and pandemic spread. “Our study reveals some very interesting clinical insights, particularly around the short incubation period of the virus, extremely high viral shedding from the nose, as well as the utility of lateral flow tests, with potential implications for public health.” Clinical insights In the trial, 36 healthy male and female volunteers aged 18-30 years, unvaccinated against COVID-19 and with no prior infection with SARS-CoV-2 were given a low dose of the virus – introduced via drops up the nose – and then carefully monitored by clinical staff in a controlled environment over a two-week period. The study used virus from very early in the pandemic obtained from a hospitalized patient in the ISARIC4C study, prior to the emergence of the Alpha variant. This important study has provided further key data on COVID-19 and how it spreads, which is invaluable in learning more about this novel virus, so we can fine-tune our response.Professor Sir Jonathan Van-TamDeputy Chief Medical Officer for England Eighteen of the volunteers became infected, 16 of whom went on to develop mild-to-moderate cold-like symptoms, including a stuffy or runny nose, sneezing, and a sore throat. Some experienced headaches, muscle/joint aches, tiredness and fever. None developed serious symptoms. Two participants were excluded from the final analysis after developing antibodies between initial screening and inoculation. Thirteen infected volunteers reported temporarily losing their sense of smell (anosmia), but this returned to normal within 90 days in all but three participants – the remainder continue to show improvement after three months. There were no changes seen in their lungs, or any serious adverse events in any participant. All participants will be followed up for 12 months after leaving the clinical facility to monitor for any potential long-term effects. Participants were exposed to the lowest possible dose of virus found to cause infection, roughly equivalent to the amount found in a single droplet of nasal fluid when participants were at their most infectious. Accurate timeline of infection The study has also revealed some unique insights into the timeline of COVID-19, particularly during the very early period after virus exposure that cannot be looked at in other types of study, where patients are not identified until symptoms are noticed. Among the 18 infected participants, the average time from first exposure to the virus to viral detection and early symptoms (incubation period) was 42 hours, significantly shorter than existing estimates, which put the average incubation period at 5-6 days. Professor Christopher Chiu, Chief Investigator on the trial, said there were no clinical concerns with the challenge model for young adults, and the study has "revealed some very interesting clinical insights" Following this period there was a steep rise in the amount of virus (viral load) found in swabs taken from participants’ nose or throat. These levels peaked at around five days into infection on average, but high levels of viable (infectious) virus were still picked up in lab tests up to nine days after inoculation on average, and up to a maximum of 12 days for some, supporting the isolation periods advocated in most guidelines. There were also differences in where the most virus was found. While the virus was detected first in the throat, significantly earlier than in the nose (40 hours in the throat compared to 58 hours in the nose), levels were lower and peaked sooner in the throat. Peak levels of virus were significantly higher in the nose than in the throat, indicating a potentially greater risk of virus being shed from the nose than the mouth. This highlights the importance of proper facemask use to cover both the mouth and nose. Lateral flow tests Importantly, lateral flow tests (LFTs) were shown to be a good indicator of whether someone was harbouring viable virus. Positive LFTs correlated well with lab-confirmed detection of virus from swabs throughout the course of infection, including in those who were asymptomatic. However, the tests were less effective in picking up lower levels of virus at the very start and end of infection. This is the first study that has been able to provide detailed data on the early phase of infection, before and during the appearance of symptoms. While there is a possibility of missing infectious virus early in the course of infection, particularly if only the nose is tested, the researchers say these findings overall support continued use of LFTs to identify people likely to be infectious. Among several key findings were Lateral flow tests are reliable to identify people likely to be infectious, and that twice-weekly rapid tests would allow diagnosis before 70-80% of viable virus was generated during the course of infection. (Image: Shutterstock) The study provides supportive evidence that LFTs can reliably predict when someone is unlikely to infect others and can come out of isolation, and that twice-weekly rapid tests would allow diagnosis before 70-80% of viable virus was generated during the course of infection. “We found that overall, lateral flow tests correlate very well with the presence of infectious virus,” said Professor Chiu. “Even though in the first day or two they may be less sensitive, if you use them correctly and repeatedly, and act on them if they read positive, this will have a major impact on interrupting viral spread.” Next steps The authors highlight that while the model is a safe and effective approximation of real-world infection in young adults, the small sample size, reduced diversity of infected volunteers and limited follow up period may restrict the findings. However, they add that despite these limitations, the study has important implications for public health, including around proper mask-wearing, isolation periods for infectious individuals, the use of LFTs, and establishing the human challenge platform to investigate further aspects of COVID-19. Professor Peter Openshaw, co-investigator, said the study has revealed extraordinary discoveries about the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Future work will see the team determine why some people became infected and others did not and develop a challenge virus using the Delta variant, which is already underway by Imperial in partnership with hVIVO and funded by the Wellcome Trust, and which could be used in follow-on trials. According to the team, with these data supporting the safety of the infection challenge model and a Delta variant available, this could theoretically provide a ‘plug and play’ platform for testing new variants and therapies, including vaccines. Professor Chiu added: “While there are differences in transmissibility due to the emergence of variants, such as Delta and Omicron, fundamentally, this is the same disease and the same factors will be responsible for protection against it. "From the point of view of virus transmission related to the very high viral loads, we are likely if anything to be underestimating infectivity because we were using an older strain of the virus. With a newer strain, there might be differences in terms of size of response, but ultimately we expect our study to be fundamentally representative of this kind of infection.” Professor Sir Jonathan Van-Tam, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England, said: “Human challenge studies have been performed using other pathogens for decades, including flu and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). They need full independent ethical review and very careful planning – as has been the case this time. Every precaution is taken to minimise risk. “Scientifically these studies offer real advantage because the timing of exposure to the virus is always known exactly, therefore things like the interval between exposure and the profile of virus shedding can be accurately described. “This important study has provided further key data on COVID-19 and how it spreads, which is invaluable in learning more about this novel virus, so we can fine-tune our response. Challenge studies could still prove to be important in the future to speed the development of ‘next-generation’ Covid-19 vaccines and antiviral drugs. “These data underline just how useful a tool lateral flow tests can be to pick up people when infectious and the importance of wearing a face covering in crowded, enclosed spaces.” According to the researchers, the data underline the importance of wearing a face covering over the mouth and nose, in crowded, enclosed spaces. (Image: Shutterstock) Professor Peter Openshaw, co-investigator on the study and Professor of Experimental Medicine at Imperial College London, said: “The UK is able to provide a very good legal and ethical environment for human challenge studies and has invested substantially in studies of this sort for many years. "I am especially pleased that this study has been made possible by the MRC investment in the Human Infection Challenge consortium (HIC-Vac) that we established in 2017. The information that we have been able to discover about the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection in this study is extraordinary.” Dr Andrew Catchpole, Chief Scientific Officer at hVIVO, part of Open Orphan plc., said: “The SARS-CoV-2 characterisation study has provided invaluable insights into the progression of COVID-19 infection in healthy young adults. Importantly, the study demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 challenge studies are safe and well tolerated by the volunteers with no serious symptoms and no Serious Adverse Events (SAEs). "The study’s results have provided useful insights which could be used to inform public health decisions on COVID-19 symptoms and virus detection going forward, including isolation periods for infectious individuals, the use of LFTs, and establishing the human challenge platform to investigate further aspects of COVID-19. “While the characterisation study was focused on the original SARS-CoV-2 strain, and there are differences in transmissibility between it and the other variants, the same factors will be responsible for protection against it, meaning the findings remain valuable for variants such as Delta or Omicron. These data provide a clear platform to now utilise the human challenge model to expedite product efficacy testing for new vaccines or antivirals””Dr Sir Michael Jacobs, consultant in infectious diseases at the Royal Free London, said: “We have vast experience of safely managing highly transmissible infections at the Royal Free Hospital and we are really pleased to have been able to play our part in this landmark study. “The trial has already provided some fascinating new insights into SARS-CoV2 infection, but perhaps its greatest contribution is to open up a new way to study the infection and the immune responses to it in great detail and help test new vaccines and treatments.” - ‘Safety, tolerability and viral kinetics during SARS-CoV-2 human challenge’ by Killingley, B. et al. is available on the Research Square pre-print server and has been submitted for peer-review.
Shad Posted February 8, 2022 Share Posted February 8, 2022 On 20/01/2022 at 10:42 AM, aquaman said: Stand firm Shad, you have made the right decision. The vaxed people will find themselves on the wrong side of history. The tide is turning, and your skills will be valuable when the world comes out of this madness. This coming winter is not going to be good for those that chose the poison, and healthy people will be in short supply. Boris has now lifted all mandates in the UK, and time is running out for the portrayer's of evil and mass murder. Today I am standing at a protest here for Silver Fern Farm workers who have been told to vax before Feb 6th or lose their jobs, many will be there. Tomorrow its a silent protest at the Bridge of Remembrance, and Saturday we march up Papanui Rd all 10,000 of us, then Sunday a pop up Moorhouse Av. So a busy 4 days. But believe me this will end soon and light is shining at the end of the tunnel. Any thoughts on the safety or not on the nova vax. Be interested to hear them, cheers. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquaman Posted February 8, 2022 Share Posted February 8, 2022 14 hours ago, Shad said: Any thoughts on the safety or not on the nova vax. Be interested to hear them, cheers. In short, looks promising. Its not mRNA tech. More traditional made from moth cells and tree bark. I have not deeply researched it, but on the surface i'd say go for it if you can get your job back. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquaman Posted February 8, 2022 Share Posted February 8, 2022 Short description of Novavax. "The Novavax vaccine has no genetic material only proteins," says Dr Florescu. "The vaccine technology is more traditional, and its very similar to a protein based influenza vaccine". Influenza vaccines have also used this moth cell factory method. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shad Posted February 9, 2022 Share Posted February 9, 2022 18 hours ago, aquaman said: Short description of Novavax. "The Novavax vaccine has no genetic material only proteins," says Dr Florescu. "The vaccine technology is more traditional, and its very similar to a protein based influenza vaccine". Influenza vaccines have also used this moth cell factory method. Cheers for your input, haven't lost my job yet, but deadline end of month, and seeing if I can buy some time by taking annual leave at that stage, will see what they say on that, or what the laws are, someone did say that Pfizer are tied up with this vaccine in some form, not sure how true this is. Thanks I find your content very informative. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freda Posted February 9, 2022 Share Posted February 9, 2022 18 hours ago, aquaman said: In short, looks promising. Its not mRNA tech. More traditional made from moth cells and tree bark. I have not deeply researched it, but on the surface i'd say go for it if you can get your job back. I'll be looking at NV if, as it seems almost inevitable, boosters are made mandatory for a valid vaccine pass. I've got a couple of months, so... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquaman Posted February 9, 2022 Share Posted February 9, 2022 4 hours ago, Freda said: I'll be looking at NV if, as it seems almost inevitable, boosters are made mandatory for a valid vaccine pass. I've got a couple of months, so... Fortunately I am in the luxurious position of being able to say no to all of the vaccines, except of course I am downgraded to a 2nd class citizen, but that I wear proudly because history and truth is on my side. But for those that are forced, then I think the Novavax could be acceptable re health and long term risk unlike the mNRA vaccines that are and will destroy the recipients own immune system eventually leaving them with A.I.D.S. 2 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted February 9, 2022 Author Share Posted February 9, 2022 2 minutes ago, aquaman said: Fortunately I am in the luxurious position of being able to say no to all of the vaccines, except of course I am downgraded to a 2nd class citizen, but that I wear proudly because history and truth is on my side. But for those that are forced, then I think the Novavax could be acceptable re health and long term risk unlike the mNRA vaccines that are and will destroy the recipients own immune system eventually leaving them with A.I.D.S. I'm like you @aquaman. A second class citizen and it has been bloody tough - family wise, work wise and socially. I understand how some people have acquiesced to the mandate to save their jobs and income but I'm appalled at those that chose to do it so they "could go to events, restaurants and bars". I don't see the point of taking the vaccine now that the disease is so mild - although I always believed it was milder than we would lead to believe. It is now a cold or a very mild flu. So my strategy is to acquire natural immunity which I believe will be longer lasting, more robust and better able to fend off any new variants. I don't want to get onto the vaccination treadmill for this particular virus. The mRNA vaccines aren't vaccines - they don't work. I see Pzifer has declared a US$38 billion on the back of a product that doesn't work. Once I have acquired natural immunity I will be applying for an Immunity Passport as I will be less dangerous than a fully vaccinated person. If the MOH refuses to recognise my natural immunity then I will seek a Judicial Review through the courts. 3 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shad Posted February 13, 2022 Share Posted February 13, 2022 On 10/02/2022 at 9:49 AM, aquaman said: Fortunately I am in the luxurious position of being able to say no to all of the vaccines, except of course I am downgraded to a 2nd class citizen, but that I wear proudly because history and truth is on my side. But for those that are forced, then I think the Novavax could be acceptable re health and long term risk unlike the mNRA vaccines that are and will destroy the recipients own immune system eventually leaving them with A.I.D.S. I was told that in all animal models that they have tried to make a Corona virus vaccine for, but never been successful, and not great outcomes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.