WhitinsvilleWX

Semantics

This isn't true. Everyone has an interest either directly or indirectly.

I figured it would be presented by MHC rather than dumped, mostly. Dendritic cells would be a good candidate. Never thought of the myocyte as a good APC. Not sure about that one. But is is one of the first cell types the mRNA would encounter. It is a liposome prep so degradation would be slowed, you're right about that. Lots of unknowns. mRNA vaccine research has been around a long time. I thought there would be more MOA known by now.

Derek Lowe, PhD is a medicinal chemist who writes a science blog call "In the Pipeline". He used to work at Vertex, but I think he changed jobs recently. He's still in Boston. Smart guy. He's written the blog for years.

The reason the mRNA method is so attractive is because large amounts can be manufactured more quickly than a traditional protein based antigen approach. The mRNA vaccine has a lot of questions about the mechanism. Not really the mechanism that produces the antigen (spike protein) per se, but the cell types that take up the mRNA to begin with. What cell types take up the RNA? How long do those cells crank out antigen? How long does it take for that mRNA to degrade? Does the host cell die after a time? Is the antigen released from the cell or does the cell present the antigen as non self though MCH class II mechanisms? I've tried to get answers for these questions, but to no avail. I know people at pfizer, and I've asked them directly. Either they wont say because of proprietary reasons, or they don't know. My feeling is a lot of the latter. Not knowing the answers to the above questions wouldn't necessarily make it unsafe. Safety data doesn't really hinge on knowing exact mechanisms sometimes, but it would be nice to know. As a healthy adult with zero underlying conditions, and the fact I've been out from under the bed for 6 months at work, in restaurants, on public transport, etc, I'll take my chances with the Rona for awhile longer until more people get dosed up with it and see if they grow extra limbs. Lava Rock may know a little more since vaccines are more up his alley than mine. I'm an immunologist and pathologist, but I make cancer drugs, not vaccines.

What’s this blowing, raking and bagging?? My Brazilian landscapers do a great job. I go to work one morning and when I get home my leaves are raked, perennials are cut, beds are raked shrubs are trimmed, grass gets a last mow and string trim, and I have a bourbon.

Toradol fixed me up. I was on a gurney in the hallway at St V’s in Worcester. Height of the spring surge and all the ER rooms were reserved for virus patients. Only 2 in the whole ER when I was there, but I spent 6 hours parked in the hallway back there. I was a puddle just either hoping I’d pass away or pass out. The pain was unbearable. They asked me to rate it on a 1-10 scale. I said about 100.

I’m not very sensitive to pain meds either. I was in the ER for a kidney stone back in April and they gave me 2 doses of fentenyl and it didn’t do much.

5 mg doesn’t do squat for me. Like eating an M&M. 20 mg might get it if I dont eat much. I must not have enough of the enzyme that converts it. I use the tincture or do it the old fashion way.

This kind of stuff happens all the time in every election I'm sure. It's just magnified in a close one. Still baffles me we sent a men to the moon with the equivalent of a wire wrapped 4 k Commodore computer over 50 years ago and we cant keep track of voters and tally an election in 2020.

^^^ THIS

I know someone who went last month. Crowds are low. Wait times are generally less than 30 minutes for most stuff. They suspended the fast pass but its really not needed right now. Only thing that really stinks is there is no dining plan. We usually get the deluxe plan with the 3 sit downs. The way we eat with the 3 sit downs the dining plan is a good deal. They refunded us the money, but we'll probably end up paying a bit more for meals than what the dining plan refund was. We're staying at the beach Club Villa's .

Call me crazy, and I'm sure some will, but we're going to Disney World for 10 days over Thanksgiving. Planned the trip for over a year. We're still going. But we're not afraid of anything, so it really makes us no difference virus or no virus. Thanksgiving dinner at the Brown Derby in Hollywood Studios.

Nice little snow squall this morning. Not much, but it whitened up the mulch beds.

1.5% of beds in Connecticut with covid cases. ~8900 total beds in the state.

I don't post anymore on this stuff since the MPM thread was shut down. I figured what was the point. But, a rapid antigen test that's specific would be what we need to end this mess. I started looking into the PCR test a little more back in June. I was appalled to find out positives were being called at cycle number <40 (or <37 depending on the lab). I've used real time RT-PCR (or Taqman PCR) since 1997. We always discounted mRNA levels if the Ct value popped above 34-35. Not enough mRNA to make protein at any significant level. Several studies have been done that correlate Ct value with actual viral transfection assays, which is the gold standard. Ct values above 33-34 show no infectious viral particles are present. Yet the cut off still remains absurdly high. I'd love to see the Ct values that come back from these so called cluster events like on a swim team or frat house party. Chances are one kid actually had the sniffles for covid and the rest popped "positive" because they picked up some free mRNA or a few virus particles that their innate immune system took care of. You could find the same amount of mRNA in the entire household from flu A if someone in your house was positive by an antigen test for flu. They don't test for flu with PCR, and they shouldn't with this. Its too sensitive. The test itself is fine, but the interpretation needs to be adjusted to what's called positive. I'm still not sure why no one has come out with a good rapid test. It takes 9-12 months to make a good, specific monoclonal antibody that's suitable for a rapid test, so hopefully that's not too far off. If they keep using PCR and calling "positives" at Ct values of <40, some places will stay locked down for ever since small amounts of mRNA will hang around for months.