Free Republic

Abstract RaTG13, MP789, and RmYN02 are the strains closest to SARS-CoV-2, and their existence came to light only after the start of the pandemic. Their genomes have been used to support a natural origin of SARS-CoV-2 but after a close examination all of them exhibit several issues. We specifically address the presence in RmYN02 and closely related RacCSxxx strains of a claimed natural PAA/PVA amino acid insertion at the S1/S2 junction of their spike protein at the same position where the PRRA insertion in SARS-CoV-2 has created a polybasic furin cleavage site. We show that RmYN02/RacCSxxx instead of the claimed...

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Although it may feel like North Carolina hit a crucial benchmark in returning to normalcy from COVID-19 this week, Dr. Anthony Fauci is voicing concern for states that have pulled back on regulating limits on social life. In an interview with "Meet the Press" host Chuck Todd, Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, advised caution for what he feels is prematurely lifting restrictions among some states. North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia all eased major restrictions on Friday, as did Massachusetts, Arkansas and Wyoming. Several other states eased some level of...