Vaxx has been demonstrated to provide extremely broad conformational coverage to S in terms of immune memory. The relevant data has been discussed here. So, given the current state of data, the potential alterations to S that may arise in future variants are better offset through vaxx . There is also data that Infection, followed by vaxx, maybe a particularly robust long term memory combination. This may be because the germinal centers that are established through infection allow the long term T and B cell populations to proliferate a few more times before becoming quiescent. The reason for writing this is because, if a parent is thinking about vaxx for their kid, and they get omicron, which almost everybody will, it is the perfect time given what we know. If people don't like that idea, think it is stupid, whatever, then don't do it.
No. Doomsday is all the wailing and gnashing of teeth surrounding policy. People said all the same stuff in 1918, just the political poles were reversed. They were wrong then and they are wrong now. I believe it was you talking about lessons learned. Anyway, a better term for what is going on with these emergent C-viruses is koyannisqatsi. Gven the zoonotic populations of C-virus that are being established around the globe the rate at which descendents of this virus will re-emerge in novel recombined forms will likely increase. SARS, MERS, Cov-2 and now possibly Cov-3 within the span of several decades. Looking forward 50 years there will be more.
The fact that new variants arise and can be selected for has nothing to do with its origin. If it came from a lab or from bats or pangolins or whatever that would still be true. There are many unique features about this c-virus. Having posted about it as much as you do I'm a bit surprised. The way in which it activates S has novel features, which is really the only thing that could have been conceivably engineered. The flexibility in terms of pathway choice for how it enters cells is much more sophisticated than what we saw with SARs or MERs, part of which probably contributes to cell fusigenic properties underlying the pathogenesis of COVID19. And the replicative potential of omicron is unprecedented for a c-virus, which remains to be figured out.
Not sure what your point is. Of course we were immunologically naieve to this virus; it was emergent. That's pretty obvious. I think what you are saying is that this virus will turn into another evolutionarily stable common cold C-virus. Reasonably steady state and seasonal. We will balance with it and it will balance with us. That is of course to be expected as the pandemic winds down; case load under that steady state will be an important factor. What I'm speaking to is novel variants emerging from resevoirs 5, 10, 20, 50 years down the line. The properties and virulence of those emergent strains are impossible to predict. But as long as such emergent viruses remain Ace2 directed, as of right now vaccination appears to provide the broadest long term immunological insurance policy.
