In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed is king

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I have no choice, but to react to E. Topol’s latest substack: From a Detour to Global Dominance - by Eric Topol (substack.com) Can you believe this??? These esteemed scientists seem unaware that what they are looking at in their in vitro neutralization assays are ‘pseudo’neutralizing antibodies (Abs) that merely accelerate viral immune escape. Did you notice how the D614G Abs remained at high levels, while antibodies to Omicron variants plummeted significantly prior to the boost? I bet that that the pseudoneutralizing Abs decreased in just a few weeks after the XBB.1.5 boost, but they are not showing us these data. Nor are they showing us results from Elisa Ab assays! Elisa assays could expose the mismatch and unveil an unprecedented lack of correlation between the results from their alleged 'neutralization' assay and those obtained in an Elisa assay. ‘Pseudo’neutralization occurs when the once-neutralizing Abs are boosted due to vaccine breakthrough infection (VBTI) caused by circulating variants that have largely evaded the protective neutralizing Abs induced by Covid-19 (C-19) vaccines. Boosting results in a significant increase in the titer of these Abs, which therefore acquire the capacity to hinder viral infection by hydrophilizing virus-Ab complexes. However, due to their low binding affinity, especially after maturation into isotype-switched IgG4 Abs, these Abs will rapidly lose their infection-inhibiting (i.e., ‘pseudo’neutralizing) capacity, thereby exerting large-scale suboptimal immune pressure on viral infectiousness in highly C-19 vaccinated populations. This collective immune pressure contributes to the co-emergence and co-circulation of new immune escape variants, which are currently causing large-scale repeated VBTIs in highly C-19 vaccinated populations. The latter are mostly accompanied by (very) mild to moderate symptoms. However, VBTIs, by fostering immune refocusing, fuel the emergence of new, even more infectious immune escape variants. This has now resulted in a scenario where large, poorly solubilized/ hydrophilized virus-Ab aggregates undergo enhanced uptake into antigen-presenting cells (APCs), thereby triggering strong activation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). While strongly activated CTLs substantially reduce viral shedding, viral transmission persists due to a combined enhancement of intrinsic viral infectiousness and a higher incidence of mild/ asymptomatic infection (equally mediated via enhanced CTL activity). Under these circumstances, achieving herd immunity becomes unattainable. On the contrary, as described in my previous substack, there is compelling evidence from virological, immunological, and clinical perspectives that this pandemic continues to evolve in a manner beyond control. Topol openly admits (as also D. Barouch did several months ago) that they don't comprehend how the Abs are still exhibiting neutralizing effects (E. Topol: ‘this is damn lucky’). How can they accept this lack of understanding? It's like accepting a death sentence. Death rates in Finland (with a full vaccination rate: 78.5%) appear to be increasing in tandem with the rise in JN.1 throughout Scandinavia. However, regardless of whether the rising hospitalization and mortality rates are still primarily due to non-Covid-19 excess hospitalizations and deaths1 or to JN.1 already evolving towards a more virulent behavior in C-19 vaccinees, the ignorance and naïve optimism of Topol’s ‘highly regarded labs’ are equally worrisome (as both phenomena underlie the same cause1)! All their hope now solely relies on 'pseudo'neutralization, but that hope will rapidly vanish when clinics eventually reveal the truth....

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_{1 As previously clarified, these excess hospitalization and death rates are likely caused by immune refocusing. This phenomenon is also responsible for large-scale immune escape, stemming from mRNA vaccination and VBTIs, predominantly caused by Omicron and its descendants.Author: G. vanden Bossche, PhD, DVM December 6th 2023}