It was probably for the best, but here's the thing. I caught a respiratory bug back in October/November of last year. Worst I ever had. Several more people where I work caught it the same time I did. I wondered at the time if something had escaped a lab somewhere.
I wonder if this thing got a leg up because they delayed telling everyone.
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Scotw ago
I got it just after Christmas, on the 27th. I was badly sick until the second week of January. The cough lasted until February. At the time, it was "just the flu", take some nyquil and get some rest. The trouble was the lungs. If I lay down to sleep, my lungs would fill with fluid and I couldnt breathe. There were many nights I thought I was going to die. Worst flu I ever had, and I never want it again. I am positive now that it was the WuFlu. My wife got it shortly after, and half her school was out with it. It was here earlier than they reported, they were just following up on the shipment into seattle so it could be announced. No question it is real, and its bad. But not nearly as contagious as they make out, and not nearly as fatal.
lordvain2 ago
My concern is that it has some long term effects that we may not be aware of. The really don't go into what they mean by its "gain of function". WTF does that mean?
Scotw ago
gain of function really is only applicable to transmission status. Making it more easily passed. What most fail to realize, is that mutations occur often with a virus, and in most cases the resultant strain loses some of its "functional gains" and becomes "weaker", although a small percentage of the original can become stronger, but this is only a percentage of the original and at each mutation this percentage (the stronger) gets smaller and smaller, while the remaining strains weaken, much like dogs let go in the wild, they interbreed and become mongrels, losing the individual qualities they were originally bred with.