one truly noxious virus

[mellowtigger]

It's time for a Moody Monday post.  This one is pandemic edition.  I apologize for being unusually hyperlink-heavy this time, even for me.  Here we go...

1. anti-prions: Amongst its many other wonders, marijuana may actually be effective at removing amyloids in neurons.  These are the misformed proteins that eventually disrupt the mind (as in, alzheimer's or mad cow disease).  This removal does NOT address the underlying production of those proteins, but maybe it's a useful tool for addressing the dangerous effect of amyloid accumulation.
    
2. prions: SARS-CoV-2 may have amyloid production properties. First, it was an interesting idea based on the similarity in neurological symptoms.  Last week, it was given a substantial boost.  I'm almost convinced enough to add it to the sars2.org website. 
   
   "Our data propose a molecular mechanism for potential amyloidogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 S-protein in humans facilitated by endoproteolysis. The prospective of S-protein amyloidogenesis in COVID-19 disease associated pathogenesis can be important in understanding the disease and long COVID-19."
   https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jacs.2c03925
   
   Specifically, the spike protein has this effect. There's an open question if the rna vaccines (which produce spike proteins) have the same effect.  I suppose they should, in theory.  Even if true, at least amyloid production would end as the rna vaccine is used up. Unless this protein is one of those self-replicating prions.  The people who are infected, though, may need that marijuana medication to relieve symptoms.
    
3. C-AIDS: I've mentioned the immunodeficiency aspects of this virus already.  Recently, there was the frequently mentioned adenovirus in the news.  (Hint: It's not here because of dogs.)  There are also signs of tuberculosis making a comeback due to this effect.  That's in addition to the shingles boost.
   
   Just wait until cancers start showing up more frequently.  Oh, wait, we have our first one of those too.
   
   Now, we're seeing a weird global spike of monkeypox.  Some websites still claim that it's rarely airborne, while others state clearly that it is airborne, even up to 90 hours.  Regardless, monkeypox still has potential as a new epidemic.  There are already monkeypox trackers for USA-only (created by this person) and global interests.
   
   Are you old enough to have your smallpox vaccine scar?  If not, you might want to ask your doctor about getting one.  Apparently monkeypox is close enough to benefit, even 48 years later, although getting a booster is still a good idea.  The USA is already gearing up for smallpox vaccination.  But only if you're sure that you haven't had COVID already, because getting injected with live virus when you're immunosuppressed (after SARS-CoV-2 infection) would be a bad idea.
    
4. disability: Our medical institutions are badly misleading the world, but the bean counters are figuring out what's what.  See Figure 6 at the bottom of this Bank Of England notice.  Somebody's realizing that we're losing an increasing number of people from the workforce to disability.  Not WHO.  Not CDC.  A bank.  In a plutocracy, it's money that determines policy, not the people.  Change may finally happen.

So, speaking of disability...

In these trying times, it's good to see that some people can keep their sense of humor.  Keep reading that Twitter thread of calendar dates to 2022 May for the sad humor to build.

Comments

[zipperbear]

Typo alert: The distinctive scar is smallpox vaccine, not chickenpox vaccine. (Although according to my mom, chickenpox in infancy left me with one small pockmark on my face.)

I thought any true pox virus could spread by air (along with unrelated chickenpox or measles that also spread by inducing coughing), but primates aren't very susceptible to monkeypox. It's just distinctive and readily visible (and the younger half of the human population now isn't vaccinated against smallpox).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthopoxvirus#Laboratory_transmission

[mellowtigger]

Oops, that's definitely what I meant. Thanks for pointing out the error! I was one of those weird people who had chickenpox on only one half of my body. I made sure to get the shingles vaccine, since getting chickenpox on the other half as an adult is a worse experience.

P.S. We get so many diseases by inhalation, it seems like more vaccine delivery mechanisms should be nasal. I know different places are working on one for SARS-CoV-2, but apparently working with live virus is tricky.

[mellowtigger]

Note to self for later thought. I've seen the suggestion that the spike protein (or perhaps how it is processed by the body) may lead to fibril formation. Over time, and maybe with genetic susceptibility or cumulative exposure, that process apparently could lead to prion formation? The systemic amyloidosis could apparently explain a rash of people suddenly dying either in their sleep or during sports without prior signaling for amyloidosis. If the spike is indeed a "terrible snake head", dangerous even when removed from the body of the virus, then we picked an astoundingly bad target to use for the first global mrna vaccine.

Also, we've known since 2020 that the virus invades practically every organ, including the brain? Global no-mask policy makes NO SENSE.