Ben Pierce @BenFPiercePhD Twitter profile | Pikagi

Pikagi

Ben Pierce

@BenFPiercePhD

1,110

Followers

334

Following

263

Media

2,836

Statuses

Health, science, vaccines, research, covid origins. Working in NHS as Head of Data Analytics and Partnerships. All views/opinions are my own.

London

Joined January 2021

Don't wanna be here? Send us removal request.

Pinned Tweet

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

2 years

Today the completion of the COVAC Uganda clinical trial was celebrated - the first trial of a self-amplifying RNA vaccine in all of Africa and the first trial of any COVID-19 vaccine candidate in Uganda

@KaleebuPontiano

Pontiano Kaleebu

@KaleebuPontiano

2 years

Today we had a team meeting where we discussed the successful closure and completion of COVAC Uganda vaccine trial. We reviewed and discussed the progress status and plans of this vaccine technology in the country and world at large.

Tweet media one

Tweet media two

Tweet media three

Tweet media four

3

6

22

4

3

20

Last Seen Profiles

@EvolveLABio

@LuriosTragedy

@AveryBBCAN12

@349_CoolCoin

@LukeLegarreta

@nfrdsa

@TheOldhamTimes

@KiwamiFx

@njinhf

@pengen_stw

@frogdesign

@MegalodonFilms

@Hygiea

@twixyC

@BCApostgrad

@crot_ayo

@Im_Doriiiiiii7

@esther_ligar

@JimboSlice354

@iheartmomoring

@June_The_Star

@TonyLClark

@coracaodegalo

@USLChampionship

@BernieUpstateNY

@BossToukeeIsa

@oxonpolis

@RoffeyAndrew

@KingBeeRoyal

@BinorRaja

@alexacphillips

@WoodberryFB

@jandakembangstw

@barrycunningham

@_Therealbadgal

@alinelsen

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

7 months

A mythbusting notice that the #lableak #covidorigins 'theory' is absolutely rubbish. Let me explain as simply as possible, using the most critical data to date. 🧵 1/n

1

160

571

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

1 year

Such an important point on #covidorigins : if it were a lab leak, Lineage A would have infected people earlier, and anyone within or closer to the WIV. It didn't. 1/7

Tweet media one

55

72

275

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

11 months

I'm motivated to speak out on #covidorigins because it's the clearest example, right after vaccines, where #scicomm is losing, with consequences likely to lead to more mistrust in data/research in general. 1/n

24

63

213

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

3 years

@guardian Instead of supporting my 4-year-old watching one of her favourite movies, this article has shown me the light. From now on, we will watch Schindler's List 🤣

1

0

165

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

6 months

Almost the 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣4️⃣ New Year, so here's a Countdown of Top 🔟 Reasons #COVID Was Not Caused By A Lab Leak🧵 #covidorigins #originsofcovid #scicomm

27

52

150

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

8 months

"Misinformation and disinformation proved to be the enemy of good public health implementation not only in the United States but also in many countries throughout the world."

Tweet card media

What keeps me up at night

The lessons of COVID-19 must be heeded if the world is to be prepared for the next emergent pathogen with pandemic potential.

www.science.org

14

41

92

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

7 months

The WIV is in Wuhan, though Wuhan is larger than London. The WIV is over 10 miles away from the Market, no evidence of WIV staff getting ill, and A didn't magically mutate to B by Dec 2019 without leaving intermediates. That's why a #lableak didn't lead to #SARS2 . [end]

1

8

99

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

7 months

There is no chance #SARS2 escaped from a lab. Not only was this virus nearly impossible to engineer in 2019, this virus's epidemiology and genomic signatures in early 2020 make it - not just implausible, but impossible - to have research origins. 13/n

1

15

100

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

9 months

The elusive raccoon dog. A mammal susceptible to #SARS2 , sold live at the Huanan Market by 2019 - could it or other mammals have caused the #COVID outbreak in December 2019? More #covidorigins data indicates that yes, such animals remain the most likely culprit. 1/11

Tweet media one

33

30

96

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

10 months

I'm almost amazed that this is still a discussion really. There isn't any evidence, compelling or otherwise, of a #covidorigins lab leak. It comes down to epi + genomic details of the 2 lineages found in Dec 2019 and early 2020. Nothing about that indicates lab leak, at all.

@florian_krammer

Florian Krammer

@florian_krammer

10 months

@WashburneAlex @jbkinney I have never been sold on where it comes from. I just don't see any compelling evidence for a lab leak. Sorry. I do, however, see a lot of nutcases that push lab leak and a lot of people who want to sell their books.

13

3

56

34

8

90

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

1 year

Objectively, this report is the most anti-science document I have ever read. #OriginsofCovid The veracity on WIV workers getting sick? Check out Feith's bogus reply at 1:12:30 - that allegation has no evidence and was drafted to raise interest

Tweet card media

House Select Subcommittee Holds Hearing on COVID-19 Pandemic Origins

The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic holds a hearing on investigating the origins of COVID-19.» Sign up for our newsletter KnowThis to g...

www.youtube.com

@angie_rasmussen

Dr. Angela Rasmussen

@angie_rasmussen

1 year

I don't know where to begin about yesterday's Senate report on COVID origins. Besides the vast volume exaggerated or outright fabricated "evidence" & the flagrant display of ineptitude at basic molecular biology, I can't get past this ghastly font choice.

Tweet media one

27

170

533

5

30

88

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

1 year

Last weekend, I found a copy of the book “Viral” in the library. Screenshots and references to this book are often included in some nasty replies to some of my threads on #COVIDOrigins . So, what does this book say? 🧵1/23

Tweet media one

7

30

88

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

8 months

It's November 2023, what do we know about #COVIDOrigins ? How strong is the evidence of a zoonotic spillover? Here, I'll sum up all the research and point out what some nefarious players are up to. 1/15

23

59

83

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

11 months

Claims that Proximal Origins was written to silence debate on #covidorigins , despite it clearly stating "More scientific data could swing the balance of evidence to favor one hypothesis over another."? So much for silencing. 🧵1/n

24

13

80

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

1 year

Nearly 1 year on, if only #covidorigins #lableak supporters would read @MichaelWorobey et al’s Science 2022 paper, in full. How does it stand up against its critics? A 🧵. 1/20

44

27

80

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

7 months

A #lableak of A would require mutation to B, prior to Dec 2019, yet no evidence of #COVID19 before then exists. If A and B were equally present in Dec 2019: getting B 12 times in a row has likelihood of 1 in 4,096 (probability = 0.000244). B spilled over first. 3/n

1

3

77

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

7 months

Important: had a #lableak occurred, intermediates between A and B in humans that arose before late Jan 2020 would be "the" 💥 key evidence. And yet: there is no evidence of early A/B intermediates in people. 5/n

Tweet media one

1

3

73

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

8 months

Richard Ebright has never, not once, presented a rational hypothesis for a #covidorigins #lableak . I have threads with dozens of articles supporting zoonotic spillover. He has thrown insults at me and others. He has added nothing to any discussion anywhere. Get well, Richard. 👍

Tweet media one

7

10

68

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

1 year

It took but 3 min to exemplify why the new Rubio #COVIDOrigins "report" is a watered down Muddy Waters. On pg 63, "experts in the field" cannot find a project's finding. It took 0.2 sec to find the paper , grant 31770175. This is not difficult. (1/4)

Tweet media one

21

15

66

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

7 months

Based on analysis of these 148 samples from Hubei not analysed in 2022, there are several interesting, similar findings: ➡️ no A/B intermediates ➡️ B arose earlier than A ➡️ mean tMRCA of early Dec 2019 ➡️ Rooting of lineages growth stems from Wuhan strains There's more. 10/n

1

3

66

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

7 months

People became ill in Wuhan in December 2019. Samples were sequenced, and 2 #SARS2 lineages were found (A and B). However, the first 12 were lineage B. 2/n

Tweet media one

1

2

66

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

7 months

Several studies, not just Pekar 2022, show B arising first in people, then A some weeks later - - with no intermediates, all based on the timing. 6/n

Tweet media one

1

3

66

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

7 months

➡️ presence of D614G mutation ➡️ similar pathogenicity of A and B D614G found so early (Jan 2020) counters any "pre-adaptation" argument. The virus facilitated better human transmission with this mutation. 11/n

1

3

64

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

7 months

What's next is critical: some sequences were indeed omitted from Pekar 2022 for quality reasons. Claims that these are crucial intermediates is rubbish: none of these 20 are prior to 23 Jan 2020 (most are from Feb 2020). 7/n

1

1

63

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

7 months

Recent analysis of non-recombinant regions support animal origins, as does recent analyses of the Market environment samples. 14/n

Tweet media one

1

5

63

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

7 months

Yet A precedes B, doesn't it. The Market 2-spillover theory is simple: A and B arose in animals, and B spilled over first. Any A/B intermediates might remain in animals, though these were gone by 31 Dec 2019, which is why no live Market animals were sampled. 4/n

1

2

62

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

1 year

Despite reviewing mountains of emails and hearing hours of testimony about Fauci and the Proximal Origins #covidorigins paper, @COVIDSelect missed an actual cover-up. Thanks to @mstandaert for his excellent insights. A 🧵. This gets wild. 1/n

19

21

62

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

7 months

And similar pathogenicity of A and B is key. If they had different pathogenicity trajectories, one might argue that perhaps A was a quick burner and faded before B came to prominence. Not the case: A remained and spread very well. 12/n

1

2

61

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

1 year

Lab leakers love emails to attack people because when the #SARS2 sequence becomes the focus of discussion, well... Experts know it was impossible to engineer in 2019. Wonderful🧵, from @wanderer_jasnah , who knows CoVs. Enjoy this expert insight, and unroll. 👇 #CovidOrigins

@wanderer_jasnah

Jasnah Kholin - 8964 - ACAB

@wanderer_jasnah

1 year

okay, here we go. so as i've said numerous times, DEFUSE could not have given us SARSCoV2 b/c: 1) there is no evidence that WIV had a viable progenitor sequence (something very clearly stated in the ODNI report) 2) it was not funded, i.e. the grant proposal went nowhere

39

91

315

10

15

58

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

7 months

An unpublished study analysed 125 samples from a hospital in Wuhan, not uploaded to GISAID and therefore unavailable for inclusion in Pekar 2022 and other studies. A further 42 are from Hubei, 23 of which were not included in Pekar 2022. 9/n

1

2

60

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

1 year

I'm shocked by anyone claiming that @K_G_Andersen has not explained the zoonotic spillover theory for #covidorigins . He's done it. He does not need to do it again and again. 👉

Tweet card media

The Proximal Origin and Evolution of SARS-CoV-2

Prof. Kristian Andersen's virtual talk from the 2022 Virus Genomics and Evolution Conference on the origin of SARS-CoV-2.AbstractUnderstanding how SARS-CoV-2...

www.youtube.com

@RVAwonk

Caroline Orr Bueno, Ph.D

1 year

It’s…. not disinformation to tell him how to communicate information more effectively. If the “other side” has persuasive, easy to understand narratives, you aren’t going to combat that by pointing to scientific articles and congressional testimony.

22

11

126

22

7

57

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

8 months

Last month, this sad reply guy sent me what he called the "best evidence" of a #covidorigins lab leak - the June 2023 Times article that: ❌️named an index case as someone who graduated in April 2019 ❌️but got their name wrong ❌️was debunked by the ODNI report 2 weeks later

Tweet media one

11

7

59

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

11 months

Exciting preprint on #CovidOrigins - 1218 bats sampled in Viet Nam show recombinants and similar spikes to #SARS2 , further supporting 🦇 origin. Phenomal effort and exciting research! Just one question: 1/3

Phylogeographic evolution of horseshoe bat sarbecoviruses in Vietnam and implications for the...

Previous studies on horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus spp.) have described many coronaviruses related to SARS-CoV (SARSCoVr) in China and only a few coronaviruses related to SARS-CoV-2 (SARSCoV2r) in...

www.researchsquare.com

12

12

56

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

7 months

But were there any other sequences that were not available for analysis? The answer is yes. 8/n

1

1

55

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

1 year

A sad day in American history. Anyone from this subcommittee is welcome to publish an article on a "cover-up", using US intel (oh, wait). Just remember that it's spelled "genera", not "genre". Let's see how many scientists step up to help for the next pandemic.🤦 #CovidOrigins

@COVIDSelect

Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic

1 year

🚨SUBPOENA ALERT🚨 @COVIDSelect announces its FIRST subpoena for “Proximal Origins” author Kristian Andersen’s private communications with the paper's co-authors & related info on COVID-19 origins. We are following the breadcrumbs of a COVID cover-up straight to the source!

Tweet media one

572

1K

3K

27

12

52

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

1 year

Many thanks to @K_G_Andersen and Bob Garry for their patient and direct answers today at @COVIDSelect . At that ridiculous closing statement, we should all grin as we may. #covidorigins #science #SARS2 #COVID ー19

12

9

53

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

1 year

Astonishingly misleading podcast from @thetimes on #covidorigins . Claims of uncovering already available info through FOI, unrelated SARS1 work (Mojiang again..) incapable of generating #SARS2 , "weak" zoonotic evidence, and a hotspot of care for early cases next to the WIV? 1/2

Tweet media one

Tweet media two

17

21

50

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

1 year

Phosphorus detected in an ocean beyond 🌍 for the first time. Science is amazing.

Tweet card media

Detection of phosphates originating from Enceladus’s ocean

Nature - Cassini’s Cosmic Dust Analyzer mass spectra of ice grains emitted by Enceladus show the presence of sodium phosphates, suggesting that phosphorus is readily available in...

1

18

50

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

11 months

If you don't trust this, you are stuck with a theory that WIV researchers isolated/engineered a new virus, inserted a noncanonical FCS (PRRA) and an RBD, without any knowledge of binding affinities to human ACE2, and passaged this in humanised mice. All in 2018-2019. 5/n

5

9

50

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

11 months

This site is terrific in filling my feed with posts from those that claim facts are missing from Quammen's nytime article on #covidorigins and that PO authors are bullies, without giving any examples of either, yet somehow are just fine with this guy.

Tweet media one

15

9

51

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

11 months

Not only do virologists strongly dispute this theory, I don't know of ANY wet lab researcher that believes this. It's also exceptionally challenging/costly to do whole genome sequencing, let alone culturing. 6/n

17

2

49

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

11 months

If you don't, you are banking on all of WIV, PO authors, virologists, epidemiologists, and each evolutionary biologist coming to a secret agreement to cover up the LL theory. (Please...just try keeping a secret amongst 5 friends.) 9/n

7

4

49

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

11 months

So much vitriol against scientists on here - but, serious question, does a scientific critique, focusing on the content of the Proximal Origins paper (paper, not authors) even exist? #covidorigins

Tweet card media

The proximal origin of SARS-CoV-2

Nature Medicine - The proximal origin of SARS-CoV-2

26

9

47

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

11 months

Proximal Origins authors have given hours of interviews/explanations and even congressional testimonies, yet are still attacked, professionally and personally. Strange, because the paper is inconsequential. It really is, because you can't prove a negative. 7/n

7

3

45

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

9 months

What an awful article. Andersen doubted himself as US Intel indicated #lableak evidence exists (yet none has been found). #covidorigins Disparate: Ladapo lied as he omitted evidence that disproved his desired outcome. That's not insincere, that's fraudulent.

12

12

44

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

1 year

Allegation that Ben Hu, Yu Ping & Yan Zhu fell ill in 2019: this comes from a blog. The US has not yet declassified anything. Ben Hu published a paper 1 month later. And Yu Ping was in Beijing in 2019. This image was taken on 15 Jan 2020, with Ben present. #CovidOrigins

Tweet media one

27

12

47

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

2 years

What utter nonsense. Malone confuses RNA with protein and Ab production. RNA is detected as a control (for PPIB, NOT spike) for 60d. Vaccine RNA levels decrease in LN from 37d (Fig 7B). Ab (NOT spike) levels for vaxxed is as high (NOT higher) as patients with severe COVID.

2

9

45

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

2 years

@paimadhu I have said this elsewhere, but the misinformation is right in front of you - on the poster promoting this video. There are exactly ZERO injectable vaccines for children with 1.5mL doses.

1

4

45

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

5 months

Some #scicomm : I have seen the statement “75% of emerging pathogens are zoonotic” several times in media articles during the pandemic, often related to #covidorigins . My Q: where did this stat come from? If true, where does the other 25% originate? An explainer🧵 1/n

2

13

41

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

6 months

It's become exceptionally obvious to know who hasn't read or at least understood Proximal Origins. #covidorigins

@NateSilver538

Nate Silver

6 months

There's a special place in hell for people who engage in scientific misconduct, are also huge assholes about it on Twitter, and then are shamless enough to complain that *they're* the victims somehow.

222

183

3K

10

2

41

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

7 months

An excellent summary of why we will be even more unprepared for the next pandemic: experts that stepped up to protect and inform on public health are attacked daily by people who have benefited from those contributions. Thanks @K_G_Andersen .

1

9

40

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

1 year

This #OriginofCovid report confirms that no virologist was on the investigative team: the FCS is *not* a con to zoonotic spillover origins. And what was that about recombination happens only between similar viruses? 📢

Tweet card media

Extensive Recombination-driven Coronavirus Diversification Expands the Pool of Potential Pandemic...

Abstract. The ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is the third zoonotic coronavirus identified in the last 20 years. Enzootic and epizootic coronaviruses of divers

academic.oup.com

@axios

Axios

1 year

The pandemic appeared to originate from a lab accident, based on biosafety issues in the epicenter in Wuhan and factors observed in the nature and early spread of the virus, per a 302-page Senate report obtained by Axios.

479

392

970

8

6

42

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

11 months

If this crew is so happy to publish private messages, they should reveal the source(s) who wrongly identified 3 early career WIV researchers allegedly infected by #SARS2 in Fall 2019 and accused as starting the pandemic. And then apologise for that. #covidorigins

Tweet media one

13

8

40

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

1 year

1/ Several details and nuances to the #CovidOrigins / #OriginsofCovid debate: here's a mega-🧵with all the info you need. 👇

5

16

39

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

11 months

It is NOT any virologist's duty to teach us all about the basics of their field. It's right in front of us; it just requires some reading. 📚 #scicomm is a 2-way street: looking forward to it running more smoothly. 13/n

3

1

40

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

3 years

Really instructive critique of the UK's recent report falsely declaring that structural racism is not prevalent - focusing on health of ethnic minorities 👇 @bmj_latest @Azeem_Majeed @MohammadRazai @aneezesmail

0

18

38

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

7 months

Importantly, the first identified furin cleavage site found in this coronavirus family, comes from samples taken in 2016 and 2017. This further shows how much is unknown about the animal virosphere. Animal sampling and analyses can't keep up with zoonosis. #covidorigins 1/2

6

8

38

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

10 months

New #covidorigins mythbuster: at 25min, George Gao states that maybe they "should have looked at the other"... Sudworth hears the word "side" and even adds [of the river] i.e. the WIV. That is NOT what George said. How do I know? Because he told me 1/2

10

4

35

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

11 months

Taking a break a bit from this site, but should return after the holidays. Take care. 👋[end]

7

0

36

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

4 months

I ♥️ #science and want researchers to be properly represented – and this isn’t happening with the ongoing #misinformation on #covidorigins . A🧵on #originsofcovid #virology theories. 1/n

9

9

39

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

9 months

I have a #covidorigins #lableak joke but there's no evidence for it.

Tweet media one

8

7

38

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

11 months

And then? Read more on the wildlife trade in China until the end of 2019. Read more on recombination. Read more on how better nature is than us in creating viruses. Read about the incredible efforts researchers needed to identify animal hosts of other viruses. 12/n

3

2

37

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

5 months

Wow, super interesting #covidorigins

Tweet media one

@SaskiaPopescu

Dr. Saskia Popescu

5 months

The Origin and Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Expert Survey | ⁦ @GCRInstitute ⁩

39

35

117

18

8

37

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

5 months

Fascinating articles on #covidorigins in @Virus_Evolution . Flo Débarre explains her findings on 04 Mar 2023 of the raw sequencing data at the HSM in Jan 2020 👇 1/n

What we can and cannot learn from SARS-CoV-2 and animals in metagenomic samples from the Huanan...

Abstract. While the exact context of the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 remains uncertain, data accumulated since 2020 have provided an increasingly more precise

academic.oup.com

2

15

36

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

6 months

The wildlife trade is a lucrative enterprise in China, and there are some interesting facts behind those vendors in the SW corner of the Market

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

1 year

Despite reviewing mountains of emails and hearing hours of testimony about Fauci and the Proximal Origins #covidorigins paper, @COVIDSelect missed an actual cover-up. Thanks to @mstandaert for his excellent insights. A 🧵. This gets wild. 1/n

19

21

62

3

4

37

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

1 year

In full support of #science , Kristian Andersen and Bob Garry tomorrow. Best of luck to them in receiving 900+ questions about Fauci. @COVIDSelect (They could have added that Lineage B spread prior to Lineage A.) #covidorigins

14

7

35

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

8 months

We don't need another pandemic, and entertaining the lab leak nonsense gets us nowhere. New research shows terrifically high risk of spillover of sarbecoviruses from bats -> livestock/wild mammals -> humans: central and southern China. #covidorigins

Tweet media one

@muymaps

Renata Muylaert

8 months

🦠 New Research Alert! Using drivers and transmission pathways to identify SARS-like coronavirus spillover risk hotspots🌍 Where are the hotspots of landscape change, human exposure and host distribution in different scenarios?👇 #Coronavirus #PandemicPrevention #OneHealth 1/5

Tweet media one

5

22

51

16

16

36

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

6 months

The largest unknown here is the vast wildlife trade in SE Asia (but more insights below). A recent paper shows that some inlets are as far as Africa.

Tweet card media

Genomic analyses reveal poaching hotspots and illegal trade in pangolins from Africa to Asia

A genomic approach reveals illegal pangolin trafficking routes from origins in Africa to destinations in Asia.

www.science.org

3

3

36

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

6 months

🔟 Bat progenitors found in South Asia are far from Wuhan yet are of relatively same distance for SARS1 origins: 🦇 ➡️ market animals ➡️ humans

Tweet media one

5

2

36

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

11 months

Multiple papers, theses and unpublished works, clarify how the WIV was not researching the progenitor to #SARS2 . Want a summary of this? Just check out the book Viral, authored and touted by lab leakers. It says that same: no known #SARS2 progenitor. 2/n

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

1 year

Last weekend, I found a copy of the book “Viral” in the library. Screenshots and references to this book are often included in some nasty replies to some of my threads on #COVIDOrigins . So, what does this book say? 🧵1/23

Tweet media one

7

30

88

10

3

36

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

7 months

@threadreaderapp unroll please, because everyone needs to read why researchers and virologists are not to blame for this awful pandemic 👍

1

0

36

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

5 months

This virus had infected one of 161 pangolins smuggled from Southeast Asia into China in 2018–2019, which supports the hypothesis that many mammals were infected by bat viruses in SE Asia by 2019. #covidorigins

8

6

36

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

11 months

What about unpublished papers? One was rejected in 2018 and summarises parts of genomes from samples on record until 2016. These sequences were released in 2022. None are #SARS2 progenitors. I'm sharing this Figure again as @edwardcholmes has already shared it. 4/n

Tweet media one

4

3

34

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

4 months

💥Elucidating explanation of *the* main #originsofcovid conundrum: the rooting methodology of #SARS2 . Thanks to Flo Débarre and Zach Hansel: an explanation of the flaws for rooting on Lineage A. #scicomm 1/n

Tweet media one

8

12

34

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

11 months

The % of non-bat animal virome that has been sampled is miniscule, yet it's really not challenging to find CGGCGG in natural CoV sequences. It pops up twice here in a hedgehog sample. #covidorigins #SARS2 #covid #virology

Tweet media one

12

5

34

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

2 years

More nonsense calling for virologists to defend themselves, otherwise they caused +18 million deaths. No evidence of RE signature in SARS-COV-2, nor any evidence or plausibility of its glycosylation pattern being lab-engineered. Enough with this nonsense.

Tweet media one

21

4

35

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

11 months

The LL theory is fun, it's exciting, but it's also easy. It's also calling many of these individuals liars: particularly when it comes to serological tests for WIV staff, PO authors with their assessment of the implausible engineering of #SARS2 , and wet market authors. 10/n

5

2

34

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

6 months

Genetic analysis of Huanan Seafood Market samples confirm origins are from southern China/Asia

Tweet media one

4

1

35

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

3 months

Ebright's and Nickels's attacks are reprehensible. Hoping this can be sorted, for those attacked, the research community, as well as students.

@NewsfromScience

News from Science

@NewsfromScience

3 months

A dozen #COVID19 scientists have filed a formal complaint with Rutgers University alleging that two faculty members violated the university’s policies by posting “provably false” comments that are often defamatory and that could incite harm against them.

107

177

520

25

1

35

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

6 months

9️⃣ No intermediate reservoir host(s) were found becausre Market animals were cleared out on 31 Dec 2019.

5

2

34

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

7 months

These guys blocked me because they could not provide any rational approach to synthesize #SARS2 by 2019. In fact, even after 4 yrs, we haven't seen any possible methodology behind a #lableak #covidorigins . Also, the following papers wouldn't make any sense. 1/10 🧵

Tweet media one

1

7

33

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

3 years

@ENirenberg Vaccinating children for rubella is done for only this reason.

4

1

34

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

8 months

Anyway, a #scicomm summary; important facts remain ➡️Lineage B cases were the first 12 sequenced ➡️ #SARS2 was not preadapted (D614G came early) ➡️Known cases (B then A) clustered around Market ➡️No A/B intermediates until 2020 ➡️No recorded research or cases at WIV [end]

6

6

34

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

6 months

Several wildlife farms were liquidated upon urgent orders, possibly on 31 Dec 2019, leaving no chance to sample suspected hosts. I look forward to learning more about why/how the Market was cleared - more coming soon.

1

2

34

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

1 year

US Intel on #CovidOrigins is out. Astoundingly hollow of any #lableak evidence, or even indication of evidence. Any apologies to WIV researchers, virologists, or to those of us that have defended their activities? 🦗🦗🦗

Tweet media one

14

9

33

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

11 months

Or skip the book. The WIV isolated only three strains of SARS-related viruses, each of which is published: Nature [2013, 593(7477):535-538], the Journal of Virology [2016, 90(6), 3253-3256] and PLoS Pathogens [2017, 13(11):e1006698]. 3/n

6

1

32

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

4 months

It’s nearly March 2024. We must know more on the origins of #SARS2 , right? Good news: we do! A 🧵on #covidorigins #originsofcovid 1/n

14

9

32

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

8 months

I post on this stuff because I saw (and felt) the attacks on vaccine researchers. The same has happened for virologists. It's ad nauseum attacks on people, devoid of actually reading any papers and looking at data, and it's nonsense. Some examples: 12/15

2

4

32

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

6 months

One of the biggest misconceptions is that Market animals were sampled, when exactly 0 were, and that much sampling has been done, when it hasn't.

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

1 year

Relatively little animal sampling has been carried out during the pandemic in Hubei. More from @mstandaert on this point here: , about which Chinese researchers cannot speak: 17/n

1

2

15

4

0

33

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

1 year

To have found 1 (and other positive reads), days after the market was cleared of animals and cleaned, is amazing and indicative of just how much virus was scattered about. 6/7

7

3

32

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

8 months

Very interesting study, showing how mutations arise randomly upon long serial passage of #SARS2 . What's interesting to me is that it again shows how unstable the FCS is - it's scrambled in all lines, even without immune pressure. 1/3

Tweet card media

Long-term serial passaging of SARS-CoV-2 reveals signatures of convergent evolution

Measures to control the COVID-19 pandemic such as antiviral therapy and vaccination have been challenged by ongoing virus evolution under antiviral and immune pressures. Understanding viral evoluti...

www.biorxiv.org

17

9

31

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

6 months

8⃣ The Market was not a superspreader. Worobey 2022 explicitly explains 2 sets of evidence: the lack of social media check-ins and the presence of Lineage A at the Market.

Tweet card media

The Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan was the early epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic

Spatial distributions of early cases and environmental samples show that SARS-CoV-2 emergence was associated with the wildlife trade.

www.science.org

7

0

31

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

3 months

It's hard to hear lab leakers complain about being silenced b/c of their nonstop conspiratorial screaming over 4 yrs. Here's Sachs, the leader of The Lancet's #COVID Commission, again with a misleading account of all we "know". #OriginsofCOVID

Tweet card media

What Might the US Owe the World for Covid-19? | Common Dreams

A US-funded laboratory origin of Covid-19 would certainly constitute the most significant case of governmental gross negligence in history. The people of the world deserve transparency and factual...

www.commondreams.org

23

4

30

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

6 months

I have written loads on the 2 lineages. Three possibilities could be considered to derive them, had a LL occurred:

2

0

30

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

1 year

Bizarre how those lung ground glass opacities cleared up so well by Jan 2020. #CovidOrigins Perhaps they didn't fall ill with Covid in Fall 2019.

Tweet media one

@Ayjchan

Alina Chan

1 year

It's difficult to understand why "we may never know" #OriginOfCovid when leaks suggest US has detailed intel on sick Wuhan scientists in fall 2019. @joshrogin told @bariweiss these scientists worked with bat coronaviruses, lost sense of smell and had lung ground glass opacities.

43

99

527

18

5

29

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

6 months

Also, a human-driven superspreader event that strangely leaves more positive samples in the SW corner, where wildlife were located, would be nonsense.

6

0

30

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

11 months

Have problems with the wet market theory? Don't blame it on ascertainment bias, as this is covered in the papers themselves, or sampling bias. 11/n

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

1 year

Despite reviewing mountains of emails and hearing hours of testimony about Fauci and the Proximal Origins #covidorigins paper, @COVIDSelect missed an actual cover-up. Thanks to @mstandaert for his excellent insights. A 🧵. This gets wild. 1/n

19

21

62

10

2

29

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

8 months

I have never been funded, directly or indirectly, for any of my #covidorigins #scicomm . Why do I do it? It interests me. Who do I do it for? Me. If anyone is interested and gets to learn anything, or wants a civil discussion, super!

@EpiEllie

Dr Ellie Murray, ScD

8 months

Someone asked me today how i funded my science communication and, hahahahha yeah, no. There is no funding for any of this.

5

45

321

5

4

29

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

1 year

Much of the problem in #covidorigins is the perception that there are holes in the PO and Market data that must be defended against the onslaught of nonexistent LL evidence.

Tweet media one

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

1 year

Last weekend, I found a copy of the book “Viral” in the library. Screenshots and references to this book are often included in some nasty replies to some of my threads on #COVIDOrigins . So, what does this book say? 🧵1/23

Tweet media one

7

30

88

22

3

27

@BenFPiercePhD

Ben Pierce

1 year

And there is much more to come from animal sampling: let’s be patient. There's certainly better tactics than spurring distrust of researchers in this area. [end]

12

1

28