[SkBlogW]

Originally Posted by Malsua

I also agree, but for maybe a little different reason.

Most viruses mutate to become more contagious and less deadly.

The recent outbreaks in Israel, where they are keeping great data, is that the case fatality rate is way down on the delta variant as compared to original flavor alpha. It now has a IFR about equal to seasonal flu.

Let it burn, the faster the better. Get it all wrapped up. That said, maybe it will mutate further to become even more contagious, with an R0 of something like the Measles(R12+) but become even more just a case of the sniffles.

We need to do loss of function research. This is where instead of making viruses more deadly, we make them less deadly and more contagious. The reason the Delta variant is so much more contagious is that the original proline sitting at the polybasic furin cleavage site PRRA is now another arginine. I.E. RRRA. Having two Arginines at that spot on the spike protein made it super easy for the protease to come along and snip so that the payload could enter the cell. Having 3 Arginines is probably an order of magnitude or better easier.

Excellent post!