Government(s) knew COVID, companies do not.

Although I am a healthcare biochemist, I likely don't have much more insight into COVID-19 (coronavirus) than anyone else who researches on the internet since my work is mostly on drug testing kits. With this in mind, I'd like to provide a few public information points that may be of interest/help to those outside of my worksite:

1.) Our healthcare company was 'surprised' by COVID, reacting about the same time as all other companies in the country with the sudden work-from-home policies for many, and similar restrictions to those working on site.

2.) Our company worked on developing a 'gold standard' COVID test kit for hospitals but doing so took a lot of time, work, and convincing the FDA of its accuracy and functionality. This was in vitro diagnostics, so there was no direct danger to any patients. By the time tests were being effectively distributed, so were the vaccines.

3.) Last year the company had a net loss in COVID-19 tests from developing and selling the tests, even though the prior two years netted some profit. Overall, judging from the updates, I'm expecting the COVID kits to be cut from offering unless there is a dramatic change or demand.

4.) A former associate was let go from Novavax about two months ago. Although true for a lot of companies now, even the one I work for, so perhaps not necessarily COVID-related, but growing companies don't typically lay off workers.

In summary, science corporations are reacting to the changes in COVID in both its introduction and waning, often at a pace that is behind demand.

Reasons why I suspect the government(s) knew what was going on:

1.) The sudden international response did seem quick & coordinated. As much as us, the general public, were told the results would be 'unknown', we did seem to know quite a lot about the virus, how to guard against it, and that there were periodic mutations.

2.) Anecdoctal, I realize, but two months ago my wife's doctor recommended that she get a COVID vaccine because there would be a new outbreak in autumn. He didn't say "maybe" or "could be" but "will", so I'm wondering what kind of notice he was able to obtain.

3.) News broke of the new strain:

The U.S. has a new Covid-19 strain on the rise. Meet Eris.

We seem to know a LOT about this strain before its rise. We've learned that U.S. funds were used at least in part at he Wuhan Institute of Virology:

Coronavirus: Was US money used to fund risky research in China?

The global death toll from COVID is nearing 7 million people (covid19.who.int...), so for this reason I think we can do a better job at honestly communicating what we know to both companies that can provide solutions as well as the general public. Perhaps communication between the government and healthcare was there and the general public didn't know (or care) about the toll the virus would have.

What do you think? Did we 'do our best' as a global society?

Or do we have a long way to go to prevent and fix these kinds of tragedies?

a reply to: saint4God

Google event201, nuff said.

originally posted by: Terpene
a reply to: saint4God

Google event201, nuff said.

Thank you for the link, very insightful video here, Event 201 Pandemic Exercise: HIghlights Reel



"Just In Time" did have a HUGE impact at the beginning of 2021 and 2022 for healthcare, getting materials from across oceans to create drug testing kits for hospitals. Having a stockpile is problematic too because 1.) there is a cost in producing unused products and 2.) products expire, usually between 1 to 2.5 years. The video does address cooperation and communication, very important discussions. Grateful this hasn't lasted a decade, but agree in asking, "Are there things that could've been done to lessen the consequences"?

a reply to: saint4God

It only took a few days to analyze and publish the viral genome. Here's an article about it:

Co vid-19: How unprecedented data sharing has led to faster-than-ever outbreak research

a reply to: saint4God

I am wondering of you are able to shed any light on the recent news about the Bio Lab found in California. There is indications that they were manufacturing covid tests as well, or at least attempting to as they were shut down by the FDA.

Would they need access to covid samples to achieve this and would the Mice that were found be necessary to those ends?

Funny they would name the new strain after the greek goddess Eris, goddess of chaos, strife and discord...

The top down approach to covid was criminally insane as politicians took over health care. The usual treatments for lung conditions all got banned while saying there is not enough data. Then experimental mRNA tech got pushed saying it is safe and effective without any data. What data there was had a lot of problems and concerns.

The scale of the censorship when looking for a more reasonable and appropriate response to covid has been well organized and coordinated.

originally posted by: chr0naut
a reply to: saint4God

It only took a few days to analyze and publish the viral genome. Here's an article about it:

Co vid-19: How unprecedented data sharing has led to faster-than-ever outbreak research

Wild stuff, especially since it took nearly 20 years to sequence the human genome. Are we getting better at sequencing? Or did we have advanced knowledge of COVID?

originally posted by: datguy
I am wondering of you are able to shed any light on the recent news about the Bio Lab found in California. There is indications that they were manufacturing covid tests as well, or at least attempting to as they were shut down by the FDA.

When I heard through the news, I wasn't surprised per the scientific method (en.wikipedia.org...) that the government and companies follow. Companies must comply with FDA government standards and are regularly audited to ensure the businesses do so. If a company is manufacturing antibodies, for example, there has to be some way to test the antibodies to ensure they work as intended. Antibodies are 'manufactured' from animals; basically an injection of an antibody, then the animal produces more as the animal grows (like a bioreactor). Antibodies aren't made by linking atoms together, that would be very difficult and expensive.

The mRNA 'vaccine' works so differently that the dictionary had to redefine what a vaccine is. As far as I knew, a vaccine used to be only inactivated or dead viruses and bacteria so I was confused by the vaccine term in the context of mRNA injection. The mRNA in Moderna and Pfizer vaccines (if I have this right) is coded to produce the antibodies to attack COVID rather than having to introduce COVID to prompt an antibody production response.

Still, in order to have clinical trials, an institution would need some kind of test subject for the vaccine whether animal or human. I realize a lot of animal rights groups are very much opposed to testing on animals, in many cases I think rightly so, but we go through many many more animals daily for food and the aim is to cure the disease for the sake of the larger population of animals and/or humans, not kill animals painfully nor senselessly. Additionally, I'm under the impression the U.S. Army has biological warfare laboratories to predict and counteract a biological weapons attack, but any additional findings had been shared with the medical community in the past if found beneficial.

originally posted by: datguy
Would they need access to covid samples to achieve this and would the Mice that were found be necessary to those ends?

I'm going to go with 'yes' that a live animal in the actual disease state would be necessary because even with computer modeling, modelling is just a simulation based upon probabilities. Computers are great with theory, and chemistry is pretty much a slam-dunk science, but biology is weird because we're working with living organisms with so many different variables. One example is allergies. Different people are allergic to one thing or many different things, all based on how the body chooses to react to the material that's being introduced. Anyone could be allergic to just about anything so often there's no single answer to ailments, which is why I'm grateful for doctors.

originally posted by: datguy
Funny they would name the new strain after the greek goddess Eris, goddess of chaos, strife and discord...

I learned something new today , it's Greek to me. A lot of new science terms are based on German, Latin, and/or Greek to name a few. German I get, because of the accuracy in naming convention, but the others are poetic traditions I suppose? Often, new English words are created, especially if the aim is to trademark.

originally posted by: saint4God

originally posted by: chr0naut
a reply to: saint4God

It only took a few days to analyze and publish the viral genome. Here's an article about it:

Co vid-19: How unprecedented data sharing has led to faster-than-ever outbreak research

Wild stuff, especially since it took nearly 20 years to sequence the human genome. Are we getting better at sequencing? Or we had advanced knowledge of COVID?

Viral genomes are very much smaller than the human genome and computing for storage analysis search and retrieval has also improved.

... and the human genome project ran for 13 years, from 1 Oct 1990 until 14 April 2003. We have had 20 years of development since then. We have gotten very much better at it.

originally posted by: [post=27094044]chr0naut
Viral genomes are very much smaller than the human genome and computing for storage analysis search and retrieval has also improved.

... and the human genome project ran for 13 years, from 1 Oct 1990 until 14 April 2003. We have had 20 years of development since then. We have gotten very much better at it.

Good stuff! I was unsure if viral decoding would be easier or harder. The thought that technology advancement and experience had come to mind and happy to see how beneficial the progress has been.

I had noted the Human Genome Project as staring 1984, but see now this was pre-launch. Good point too that two decades of experience is a big factor.

my only key issue is the huge gap betwen the different worlds, i worked in histopathology dealing with all many of infected material.. this was at the point that Dustin Hoffmans outbreak was released..

How we all laughed at the actors in their suits while we had equally lethal infectious material wearing while lab coats/gloves.. for the public you have this huge void between the reality of how actual workers deal with lethal material and the movies.

from that point of view all govs should have been focusing on training everyone in excellent hand/respiratory hygiene rather than this obsession with looking like a space cadet from the movies as though masks will save everyone when hand was

so there are 3 worlds the real world lab workers live in, the political one and the imagined public one that has ended up destroying trust in all the others.

so unless the new virus has an ebola like fear factor (ie you life will ooze out of your every orifice) I feel that few will take any notice of a new covid strain, if they had focused on hand/mouth rather than magical masks we'd have a more permanent aid instead they've created complete distrust in the media, medical and political classes..

i do wonder if the political gains they sought by using covid in this way will be worth the costs..

originally posted by: saint4God

The global death toll from COVID is nearing 7 million people

This seems very unlikely. The high initial tolls in the elderly were more likely to have been from mistreatment, then the withholding of treatment that followed.

Statistical malpractice has also been a defining feature of the propaganda program foisted on the public. Not that there weren't deaths from covid of course, it's just that we will never know how many died from covid anytime soon, but the real figure will only be a small fraction of that IMO.

It will be up to historians and non aligned academics in the future to study the reality.

originally posted by: Quintilian

originally posted by: saint4God

The global death toll from COVID is nearing 7 million people

This seems very unlikely. The high initial tolls in the elderly were more likely to have been from mistreatment, then the withholding of treatment that followed.

Statistical malpractice has also been a defining feature of the propaganda program foisted on the public. Not that there weren't deaths from covid of course, it's just that we will never know how many died from covid anytime soon, but the real figure will only be a small fraction of that IMO.

It will be up to historians and non aligned academics in the future to study the reality.

my feeling is the numbers will match bad flu years, my town had a bad flu outbreak in the month before covid hit the uk and spread from a local city to the rest of the country.. i tend to put those deaths down to the reason we had a death toll as low as the remotest parts British islands, 9 per 100k for the first wave this is just a few miles from the epicenter of the uk outbreak in Brighton.

it was studied at length and any number of reasons given while ignoring the glaring reality the very vulnerable elderly died of the flu the month before..

Good grief. It was just a common cold and cult manipulation tactics. If you fell for any of that BS it means you’re easily manipulated. It’s a good way to sort the free thinkers from the non thinkers. If you just said “we’re looking for people who can think outside the box“ everyone would raise their hand. Make free thought difficult and unpopular and all the non thinkers weed themselves out. It’s also a good way to identify the minions of the ruling class so we can cut them out like the cancer they’ve become.

originally posted by: saint4God

originally posted by: chr0naut
a reply to: saint4God

It only took a few days to analyze and publish the viral genome. Here's an article about it:

Co vid-19: How unprecedented data sharing has led to faster-than-ever outbreak research

Wild stuff, especially since it took nearly 20 years to sequence the human genome. Are we getting better at sequencing? Or did we have advanced knowledge of COVID?

Didnt the NIH or some other entity hold patents on the original sars virus and the Wuhan lab worked with it.

Chances are the advanced knowledge came from the very people that were fiddling with the original.

originally posted by: nickyw
my only key issue is the huge gap betwen the different worlds, i worked in histopathology dealing with all many of infected material.. this was at the point that Dustin Hoffmans outbreak was released..

I got to see Outbreak in college, an awesome movie, and one professor did make reference to the film as well.

I'm interested in hearing more about your histopathology experience, though can't come up with a specific question at the moment.

originally posted by: nickyw
How we all laughed at the actors in their suits while we had equally lethal infectious material wearing while lab coats/gloves.. for the public you have this huge void between the reality of how actual workers deal with lethal material and the movies.

I believe it but also I'm surprised given the nervousness of most businesses regarding OSHA. Our labs have extremely low risk of Hepatitis B and HIV, yet the company greatly encourage the Hep B vaccine and a great deal of garb, signage, restricted access, environmental controls, training, waste streams, and decontamination procedures. Most of the time Personal Protective Equipment is a Tyvek lab coat and nitrile gloves, but pumping urine, blood, and serum means face shields.

All this in mind though, experienced persons tend to get a little loosey goosey with hazardous materials they're familiar with. Human nature, I suppose, to get a little too comfortable with warning signs if you see them all of the time.

originally posted by: nickyw
from that point of view all govs should have been focusing on training everyone in excellent hand/respiratory hygiene rather than this obsession with looking like a space cadet from the movies as though masks will save everyone when hand was

so there are 3 worlds the real world lab workers live in, the political one and the imagined public one that has ended up destroying trust in all the others.

so unless the new virus has an ebola like fear factor (ie you life will ooze out of your every orifice) I feel that few will take any notice of a new covid strain, if they had focused on hand/mouth rather than magical masks we'd have a more permanent aid instead they've created complete distrust in the media, medical and political classes..

Yeah, looks like the basics although mentioned, weren't given their due along with additional low-effectiveness rules.

originally posted by: nickyw
i do wonder if the political gains they sought by using covid in this way will be worth the costs..

I'm a bit afraid of the answer.

originally posted by: Quintilian

originally posted by: saint4God

The global death toll from COVID is nearing 7 million people

This seems very unlikely. The high initial tolls in the elderly were more likely to have been from mistreatment, then the withholding of treatment that followed.

Statistical malpractice has also been a defining feature of the propaganda program foisted on the public. Not that there weren't deaths from covid of course, it's just that we will never know how many died from covid anytime soon, but the real figure will only be a small fraction of that IMO.

It will be up to historians and non aligned academics in the future to study the reality.

Sounds fair, I only have the public info from the World Health Organization and heard there are a lot of criticisms for the tally. The only clear picture to me in this regard is that not every country wanted to admit they had an outbreak problem, some countries inflated their numbers, or both. I guess we'd have to go back to the 'find the motive, find the killer' sort of detective work. Here's hoping those historians and non-aligned academics can help sort out the truth.

originally posted by: HeirHeart

Good grief. It was just a common cold and cult manipulation tactics. If you fell for any of that BS it means you’re easily manipulated. It’s a good way to sort the free thinkers from the non thinkers. If you just said “we’re looking for people who can think outside the box“ everyone would raise their hand. Make free thought difficult and unpopular and all the non thinkers weed themselves out. It’s also a good way to identify the minions of the ruling class so we can cut them out like the cancer they’ve become.

If I hadn't known good people who died from COVID-19, I might be persuaded.

originally posted by: igloo
Didnt the NIH or some other entity hold patents on the original sars virus and the Wuhan lab worked with it.

I don't know, good question which prompted me to find this:

Corona Virus Patent US10130701B2

I don't really know what I'm looking at here beyond the basic terms and likely wouldn't gain much more from the study without experience or guided education. Still, interesting to read and share!

originally posted by: igloo
Chances are the advanced knowledge came from the very people that were fiddling with the original.

Makes logical sense to me.

a reply to: saint4God

Bull#… stop lying