Category: Origins
Preprint: Monkeypox has epidemic potential
“Monkeypox has epidemic potential”
“We conclude that circulation of smallpox, followed by worldwide smallpox vaccination, have previously protected human populations from monkeypox epidemics. More...
Research: Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 before Wuhan outbreak in 2019
In the USA, SARS-CoV-2 reactive antibodies were detected in over 100 blood samples collected in several different states in early December 2019. More...
Preprint: MSH3 omohlogy and potential recombination link to SARS-CoV-2 furin cleavage site
“A BLAST search revealed that a 19 nucleotide portion of the SARS.Cov2 More...
SARS-CoV-2 in Angola from 23rd September 2019
“Our findings demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2-reactive antibodies were detected in 40 out of 442 specimens, as early as September 23, 2019”
This retrospective study on blood specimens from measles patients collected from 23 September 2019 to 28 February 2020, reported from the 17 provinces of Angola, suggests evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection months before detection of the virus in Luanda, the epicenter of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Angola. More...
Preprint: Omicron a recombination between BA.1 and B.35 lineages
Here, we show that Omicron lineage SARS-CoV-2 is characterized by the feature of chimera. More...
Preprint: Evidence for a mouse origin of Omicron
“In this study, we identified mutations acquired by Omicron before its outbreak, and tested whether the molecular spectrum of these mutations was consistent with the cellular environment of human hosts.” More...
Preprint: Evidence for a mouse origin of the Omicron variant
Pre-outbreak Omicron mutations in the spike protein significantly overlap with mutations in mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2. More...
Preprint: Omicron is the product of extensive evolution that has left no obvious traces of intermediate forms
The Omicron variant identified in Southern Africa in late November 2021 is the product of extensive evolution within an infection context that has so far left no obvious traces of intermediate forms since it diverged from the B.1.1 lineage (presumably at some time in mid to late 2020). More...
Omicron “incubated in an immunocompromized person for months or serially passaged in a lab”
Some interesting developments on the possible origins of the new Omicron variant, B.1.1.529…
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Evidence of two global Covid waves in 2020, and estimating the pandemic start date
Global Covid waves have been easy to spot in 2021 with their distinctive sine wave pattern, but what about 2020, when testing was largely limited to those with symptoms until late into that year? More...