‘This May Not Be The Big One’: Army Scientists Warn of Deadlier Pandemics to Come

[rangerrebew]

 ‘This May Not Be The Big One’: Army Scientists Warn of Deadlier Pandemics to Come
The service is closing in on a “pan-coronavirus” vaccine and on synthetic antibodies that could protect a population before spread. But that may not be enough.

Tara Copp | June 21, 2021


The U.S. Army scientists who have spent the last year finding vaccines and therapeutics to stop COVID-19 cautioned that the nation remains vulnerable to a viral pandemic—one that could be even deadlier than the current one.

Since the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the emerging infectious diseases branch at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research has worked to develop a vaccine that would help patients fend off not only the original virus strain but also new variants.

In initial tests on monkeys, horses, hamsters, and sharks, Walter Reed’s spike ferritin nanoparticle, or SpFN, vaccine has shown effectiveness against not only the current SARS-CoV-2 variants, but also against the completely different SARS-CoV-1 outbreak that occurred in 2003, the head of Walter Reed’s infectious diseases branch said at the Defense One 2021 Tech Summit Monday.

https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2021/06/may-not-be-big-one-army-scientists-warn-deadlier-pandemics-come/174853/

[rangerrebew]

Can we plan on it because China is already planning to plant it?

[PeteS in CA]

In initial tests on monkeys, horses, hamsters, and sharks ...

IOW, testing with humans - a nearly 3/4-year-long process under OWS - has not yet begun. DARPA started a program in 2018 to develop "platforms" for rapidly developing treatments for emerging possible epidemics. The monoclonal antibody treatment developed by AbCellera and authorized for use last fall (IIRC) was a result. IOW, there's a bigger picture into which this story fits.

1. At this point, though it may change, I do not believe there is sufficient evidence that the SARS-CoV-2 virus was developed by the Chinese military. I do think, however, that there is sufficient evidence to say it was probably developed in gain-of-function research.

2. The way the Wuhan outbreak happened - in a huge industrial center, a massive near total shutdown of the whole nation - I think is very strong evidence that, whoever developed the SARS-CoV-2 virus, it was not intentionally released and thus was not an attack on anybody. There is evidence suggesting that it happened through a lab accident.

[Cyber Liberty]

IOW, testing with humans - a nearly 3/4-year-long process under OWS - has not yet begun. DARPA started a program in 2018 to develop "platforms" for rapidly developing treatments for emerging possible epidemics. The monoclonal antibody treatment developed by AbCellera and authorized for use last fall (IIRC) was a result. IOW, there's a bigger picture into which this story fits.

1. At this point, though it may change, I do not believe there is sufficient evidence that the SARS-CoV-2 virus was developed by the Chinese military. I do think, however, that there is sufficient evidence to say it was probably developed in gain-of-function research.

2. The way the Wuhan outbreak happened - in a huge industrial center, a massive near total shutdown of the whole nation - I think is very strong evidence that, whoever developed the SARS-CoV-2 virus, it was not intentionally released and thus was not an attack on anybody. There is evidence suggesting that it happened through a lab accident.

...in a lab we paid for, thanks to Dr. Mengele.

[PeteS in CA]

...in a lab we paid for, thanks to Dr. Mengele.

I believe far more funding came from the US DoD. What was it ... $39 million?

[Cyber Liberty]

I believe far more funding came from the US DoD. What was it ... $39 million?