Let me reiterate, once and for all, that the claim that viruses ‘naturally’ evolve to become milder—because supposedly it's not in their interest to kill us—is sheer nonsense! The origin of such primitive statements lies in a blatant lack of knowledge—not necessarily in virology, but in immunology, especially population-level immunity. Viruses that spread extracellularly, like coronaviruses, will eventually face transmission dead-ends when the majority of the population develops high titers of neutralizing antibodies (Abs). These Abs have the capacity to neutralize the virus before it can infect susceptible cells, thus mitigating disease symptoms and eventually terminating the infection. The more the virus spreads, the more people will be infected and re-infected, driving their Ab titers higher—until transmission collapses entirely.
This basic immunological mechanism leaves immunologically illiterate scientists with the absurd impression that a virus somehow possesses a brain, capable of strategically deciding not to kill its hosts in order to ensure its own survival! The stupidity of this reasoning is exposed by the observation that even mild pandemics—those with low mortality rates—can still lead quite quickly to a decline in cases and disease severity, even though such viral behavior does not require the virus to evolve into something particularly ‘gentle’.
As outlined in the referenced article (New HIV variant discovered in the Netherlands | Financial Times), viruses like HIV can combine high virulence with high transmissibility. If that is the case, there is absolutely no scientific basis to assume that a highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 (SC-2) variant couldn't also become more virulent!
Given the high level of immune resistance exhibited by the currently circulating SC-2 variants, any further evolution toward greater virulence would culminate in a catastrophic triad: high immune escape, high transmissibility, and high virulence. Ominously, the ongoing erosion of innate immunity (cfr. NB. 1.8.1) by currently circulating variants suggests we are already heading in that direction.
Yet, public health authorities remain willfully blind, arrogantly issuing insane recommendations to continue mass Covid-19 (C-19) vaccination—directly fueling the disastrous immune escape this virus is exploiting. Anyone with even a basic biological education will recognize the grave warning presented in the attached publication: “The HIV and SARS-CoV-2 pandemics demonstrate that viruses can—and will—evolve higher virulence when such traits are favored by natural selection.” This report also confirms that under high, suboptimal intra-host immune pressure, extensive genetic changes can occur—resulting in significant phenotypic differences—without intermediate steps in the viral evolutionary pathway, a process known as ‘saltational’ evolution. Yet, when it comes to taking these principles into account in the formulation of policy recommendations for managing SC-2 in highly C-19–vaccinated populations, heads that once nodded in agreement suddenly begin to shake in denial! Large-scale antiviral treatment—a strategy proven effective even against HIV—is not even considered, because its implementation would threaten the most profitable strongholds of the Vaccine Industry!
This level of reckless, willful blindness is unprecedented—a direct, arrogant assault on science itself. And tragically, it is one that will come with enormous public health consequences.
Geert Vanden Bossche received his DVM from the University of Ghent, Belgium, and his PhD degree in Virology from the University of Hohenheim, Germany. He held adjunct faculty appointments at universities in Belgium and Germany. After his career in Academia, Geert joined several vaccine companies (GSK Biologicals, Novartis Vaccines, Solvay Biologicals) to serve various roles in vaccine R&D as well as in late vaccine development.
Geert then moved on to join the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Global Health Discovery team in Seattle (USA) as Senior Program Officer; he then worked with the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) in Geneva as Senior Ebola Program Manager. At GAVI he tracked efforts to develop an Ebola vaccine. He also represented GAVI in fora with other partners, including WHO, to review progress on the fight against Ebola and to build plans for global pandemic preparedness.
Back in 2015, Geert scrutinized and questioned the safety of the Ebola vaccine that was used in ring vaccination trials conducted by WHO in Guinea. His critical scientific analysis and report on the data published by WHO in the Lancet in 2015 was sent to all international health and regulatory authorities involved in the Ebola vaccination program. After working for GAVI, Geert joined the German Center for Infection Research in Cologne as Head of the Vaccine Development Office. He is at present primarily serving as a Biotech / Vaccine consultant while also conducting his own research on Natural Killer cell-based vaccines.
Email: info@voiceforscienceandsolidarity.org