Without getting into the question of what it means for the pandemic to be "over", I think it's relevant to point out that at least some of the cancelled grants are not studying COVID per se, but rather are studying things relevant to preparing for the next pandemic. Jeremy Berg (a former director of NIGMS) has some commentary, and mentions that the AVIDD program was among those that were terminated: https://bsky.app/profile/jeremymberg.bsky.social/post/3lla4k...
This was a large program that funded general research into antiviral drugs- again, in preparation for next time.
Going on the experience of the last couple of weeks, and what we have seen in terms of grant and program terminations, I would not be surprised if they did a big grep for the substring "COVID" and used that as their starting point for finding things to cut, without actually paying attention to what the grants were really studying.
I really wish more research was funneled into vaccines that target T-cells instead of B cells which produce antibodies. You see viruses mutate quickly and antibodies produced by the b cells can be evaded pretty quickly, but T-cells the white blood cells that actually eat the viruses are far more adaptable.
The latest studies show Long Covid is still growing quite fast. In the UK the GP Patient survey (of 2 million patients) had 5% knowing they suffered and a further 10% unsure if they did. A similar question put to NHS healthcare workers came back with 38% sure they had Long Covid. Both numbers are well up from the year before.
So while death rates are in the hundreds a week which is a lot less than when the pandemic started the chronic disease aspect is continuing.
The pandemic is not over, the WHO says it's still going and is a mass disabling event. We really need that Long Covid and sterilising vaccine research and quickly.
For me it's not over till there's an FDA approved intranasal sars-cov-2 vaccine (mucosal) to complement the intramuscular (humoral) one. Different immune compartments, different antibodies, different tissues/organs protected. It's like we did 2/3 of the race, declared victory and walked off.
5 years on and I've still managed to avoid being infected with sars-cov-2. I was going to continue the extremely burdensome mitigation behaviors till there was an intranasal available... but with how things are in the USA now it seems like this will never happen. I'm just going to have to roll the dice on my car-accident-equivalent sars-cov-2 first infection now, before I get any older, and hope I only come out with minor injuries to my mucosal tissues. My humoral tissues / organs should be fine thanks to the intramuscular vaccinations.
There's plenty of commercial products you can use to enhance the antiviral protection of your mucosal immune system. Zicam sells one. It's a goop. you rub in your nose preemptively. I'm also in the no covid club (over 150 negative tests) and I put a lot of credit for that on the nose goop.
Tangent, feel free to downvote but I want to (lightly) rant.
We're finally pulling the copper from the walls.
I don't think we're imminently about to fall to fascism but I see the UK about 50 paces down the path from us wrt gutting public services and investment in any kind of future that operates better than today.
Our country voted for this, eyes wide open. This ain't a fluke.
The pandemic is over, just like the Spanish Flu pandemic is over, but the virus is still in the wild, and it will be, probably forever.
By now, most people either were infected at least once or got one of the vaccines.
Seasonal variants will occur every year, just like with the flu, people will get sick, but in the vast majority of cases, no internation will be needed unless in the cases of people with comorbidities and other vulnerabilities that make most common respiratory infections potentially challenging for them. It sucks, but it is life.
Medical research investments as with everything else in health need to take into account the cost-benefit ratio of every decision. Spending lots of money on SARS-COV-2 probably in lieu of other more urgent issues probably doesn't make much sense now.
People need to emotionally detach themselves from COVID. The adventure is over.
> People need to emotionally detach themselves from COVID.
An ironic comment. Do you think there is no value in studying this particular virus to better understand future pandemic possibilities? What are “more urgent issues”? Do you think no one studies the flu, in order to create the seasonal shots (which provably and significantly decrease mortality)?
This isn’t a bunch of doomers on Reddit who think everyone should wear masks forever, so I’m curious why you had such a strong response. Are you that familiar with epidemiology?
stevenbedrick|11 months ago
This was a large program that funded general research into antiviral drugs- again, in preparation for next time.
Going on the experience of the last couple of weeks, and what we have seen in terms of grant and program terminations, I would not be surprised if they did a big grep for the substring "COVID" and used that as their starting point for finding things to cut, without actually paying attention to what the grants were really studying.
baja_blast|11 months ago
johnnyanmac|11 months ago
What does this even mean? I guess it does't include Long COVID and what it does to a body after the immediate virus is treated.
With our luck, I guess red states are going to hit a small measles epidemic, so best of luck to those people.
jerlam|11 months ago
It doesn't include things like making necessary medications affordable, or food programs, since those are items being cut.
PaulKeeble|11 months ago
So while death rates are in the hundreds a week which is a lot less than when the pandemic started the chronic disease aspect is continuing.
The pandemic is not over, the WHO says it's still going and is a mass disabling event. We really need that Long Covid and sterilising vaccine research and quickly.
WorldPeas|11 months ago
xboxnolifes|11 months ago
superkuh|11 months ago
5 years on and I've still managed to avoid being infected with sars-cov-2. I was going to continue the extremely burdensome mitigation behaviors till there was an intranasal available... but with how things are in the USA now it seems like this will never happen. I'm just going to have to roll the dice on my car-accident-equivalent sars-cov-2 first infection now, before I get any older, and hope I only come out with minor injuries to my mucosal tissues. My humoral tissues / organs should be fine thanks to the intramuscular vaccinations.
elif|11 months ago
anon84873628|11 months ago
I remember folks making their own intranasal vaccines with research peptides. What is your analysis of that?
0_____0|11 months ago
We're finally pulling the copper from the walls.
I don't think we're imminently about to fall to fascism but I see the UK about 50 paces down the path from us wrt gutting public services and investment in any kind of future that operates better than today.
Our country voted for this, eyes wide open. This ain't a fluke.
elzbardico|11 months ago
By now, most people either were infected at least once or got one of the vaccines.
Seasonal variants will occur every year, just like with the flu, people will get sick, but in the vast majority of cases, no internation will be needed unless in the cases of people with comorbidities and other vulnerabilities that make most common respiratory infections potentially challenging for them. It sucks, but it is life.
Medical research investments as with everything else in health need to take into account the cost-benefit ratio of every decision. Spending lots of money on SARS-COV-2 probably in lieu of other more urgent issues probably doesn't make much sense now.
People need to emotionally detach themselves from COVID. The adventure is over.
jmye|11 months ago
An ironic comment. Do you think there is no value in studying this particular virus to better understand future pandemic possibilities? What are “more urgent issues”? Do you think no one studies the flu, in order to create the seasonal shots (which provably and significantly decrease mortality)?
This isn’t a bunch of doomers on Reddit who think everyone should wear masks forever, so I’m curious why you had such a strong response. Are you that familiar with epidemiology?