Elon Musk Co-Authors COVID-19 Paper Accepted For Publication In 'Nature' (livemint.com) 64
Slashdot reader Rei writes:
On 15 February, 2021, the paper Discrete SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers track with functional humoral stability was accepted for publication by the prestigious journal Nature — interesting not only for being a large-cohort study on COVID-19 reinfection, but for the presence of one of its coauthors: one Elon Reeve Musk. According to reporting, Musk — concerned in April 2020 with maintaining the schedule for the SpaceX crewed launch in May and wanting to make sure that an outbreak wouldn't set back plans — contacted academic researchers and worked with them to set up an antibody testing research programme. Over 4,000 SpaceX employees volunteered and were provided with periodic free testing at work to look for infection and monitor previously-infected people for reinfection. The programme gave SpaceX an advance heads up about upcoming threats, such as the growing wave in Texas in June, and continues to this day, with a new focus on mutant COVID strains.
The primary results of the study? Past infection provides a strong, although not perfect, barrier to reinfection; the level of antibodies strongly indicate the level of risk of reinfection; and this bodes well for vaccines, which tend to result in much higher antibody levels than infection.
The primary results of the study? Past infection provides a strong, although not perfect, barrier to reinfection; the level of antibodies strongly indicate the level of risk of reinfection; and this bodes well for vaccines, which tend to result in much higher antibody levels than infection.
Small wonder (Score:3)
"The primary results of the study? Past infection provides a strong, although not perfect, barrier to reinfection"
That also the reason why in some places health professionals who have had contacts with many infected and have lots of antibodies, those make a riot when these people are vaccinated.
In some places vaccinated health professionals can't work for a couple of days.
When I was vaccinated against tuberculosis 50 years ago, I had to endure 2 antibody tests in the weeks before to avoid a strong reaction.
Perhaps for doctors and nurses they should do that again?
Re: (Score:2)
"The primary results of the study? Past infection provides a strong, although not perfect, barrier to reinfection"
So... just like all those other cold and flu viruses then?
Buy your Erdos number here! (Score:2)
As far as Musk is concerned, the primary result of the study is that he'll get his very own Erdos number. Color me "not impressed". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org] (And yes, I checked. As of now, Musk has no Erdos number. A couple of my friends are under 5... One of them might be a 2 or 3. (Unlike Musk, I wasn't ever willing to accept a coauthor citation for my minor assistance.))
Seems to me like all self-proclaimed advanced countries should be doing large-scale antibody testing as part of all routine blo
Re: (Score:2)
"Unlike Musk, I wasn't ever willing to accept a coauthor citation for my minor assistance"
Easy to say, because nobody ever asked you.
Re: (Score:1)
Why do you [722110] like lying? Does it make you think you have value? Do you think you are fooling someone? Anyone?
However, the "exchange" did remind me of a case when I did coauthor a minor piece in IEEE Computer. Still didn't get an Erdos Number for it.
All in all I think it is safe to regard this "discussion" as terminated.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Excess deaths under communist party rule have been discussed as part of a critical analysis of communist party rule.
Any attempt to estimate a total number of killings under communist party rule depends greatly on definitions, ranging from a low of 10–20 millions to as high as 110 millions.
Re: Marxists (Score:2)
*ducks to avoid being hit with flying objects hurled my way*
Re: (Score:3)
And all the fake communist countries have labor camps for one reason or another.
Re: (Score:3)
So does the US. Slavery is illegal, except for the incarcerated.
Re: (Score:2)
So your European utopia doesn't have prisons? The US is the middle of the road when it comes to prison. Somewhere between the Nordic countries and Guatemala.
Re: (Score:2)
We have prisons but forced labour is illegal.
Re: (Score:2)
So who is forced into labor in the USA? I don’t see prisoners mining coal or turning large rocks into small rocks. I can call Ted Cruz a motherfucker all day without repercussion. Do that in a communist country and see what happens.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: Marxists (Score:2)
Wh do you rape babies while you eat them alive?
I've got proof! They are coming for you!
(See, I can blurt out crap too. You failed life. Go back to your trailer and fail some more.)
Re: (Score:2)
https://www.deviantart.com/fli... [deviantart.com]
Re:bodes well for vaccines? Which ones? (Score:5, Informative)
One vaccine (AstraZeneca) already found to be almost as useless as tits on a bull against the mutant strain prevalent in South Africa so they've stopped using it... and that variant already popping up in USA and elsewhere. It is also suspected the other vaccines will similarly be a dismal failure against that mutant, research on that ongoing.
I assume you're talking about B.1.351. The Pfizer vaccine is about two-thirds less effective at neutralizing it, but it does still appear to result in neutralization. The Moderna vaccine is about five-sixths less effective at neutralizing it, but it also does still appear to result in successful neutralization.
One problem with using a chimpanzee adenovirus as a vector is that it is useless in people who have a strong immune response to the vector, because their immune system destroys most of the virus before the virus has time to cause their bodies to create a meaningful number of spike proteins. There's a very real possibility that the AstraZeneca vaccine would be more effective against that COVID strain in parts of the world where chimpanzees are not a native species.
Re: bodes well for vaccines? Which ones? (Score:2)
Also, remember that you can combine vaccines (which is usual for other diseases), and a ton of other companies are working on better vaccines as we speak. (Just not with the budget. Which sucks.)
Re: (Score:1)
Too early to say, Pfizer did study with 20 people, lolz. Can't make any such conclusions at this point without months of study. This niew mutant is a problem for all vaccines, that is the certainty. There is talk of remaking vaccines for it.
Re: (Score:2)
Too early to say, Pfizer did study with 20 people, lolz. Can't make any such conclusions at this point without months of study. This niew mutant is a problem for all vaccines, that is the certainty. There is talk of remaking vaccines for it.
It was a serum study to see whether the antibodies neutralized the virus quickly enough to prevent people from getting seriously ill. I'd expect the number of blood samples tested to be mostly irrelevant; the antibodies either neutralize the virus or they don't (ignoring people who for whatever reason don't produce the antibodies correctly).
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
False conclusion, let me pop your silly bubble of hope. Vaccine was nearly useless against new mutant, the trial group average age was 31 so that's the only reason deaths and hospitalizations not seen.
There was virtually no difference in the numbers of people in the vaccine and placebo groups who were infected with B.1.351, suggesting that the vaccine did little to protect against the new variant. Nineteen of the 748 people in the group that was given the vaccine were infected with the new variant, compare
One of 30 authors (Score:5, Informative)
That is a "courtesy" listing, not an actual authorship.
Re: One of 30 authors (Score:5, Insightful)
I just love that he completely ruins the calling black Americans "African-American" thing.
You know what we call them in the rest of the word?
AMERICANS!
Which is what you do if you're not racist.
Re:One of 30 authors (Score:5, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
What was there to study?
Elon Musk denies COVID-19 exists and doesn't believe it's a dangerous virus. So why did he even bother studying it?
Heck, he's even admitted he's not going to get vaccinated.
Re: (Score:1)
What was there to study?
Elon Musk denies COVID-19 exists and doesn't believe it's a dangerous virus. So why did he even bother studying it?
Heck, he's even admitted he's not going to get vaccinated.
Well, in that case, he should be removed from the author list for scientific misconduct.
Re: (Score:2)
Musk is sure is good at PR...
Re: One of 30 authors (Score:1)
I really hate this, but I have to say it now:
This game is so essy!
No. Kidding. :) I mean:
So was Hitler.
Re: (Score:1)
He's also very likely better than you in general and in lots of things.
Re: (Score:2)
He did authorize some funding and cooperation from Space X. Most of the particle physics papers or telescope astronomy papers might have longer author lists than the length of the paper. Every technician in the collider or telescope complex, and their bosses and the directors automatically get listed as authors.
5000 author paper [wordpress.com]
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
You are sorely mistaken if you think authors (or co-authors) make a dime off of papers they've published. Usually the primary authors have to pay to submit the paper for publication, then it is, selected by unpaid volunteer editors, peer-reviewed by unpaid volunteer scientists, then "published" on a website that charges people to read it.
The only people making any money at all out of the process are the "publishers". They are a tax on humanity that should be eliminated.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I have lots of co-authors who didn't know the work was being done, didn't ever respond to a request to review the manuscript and had to be chased down to give their disclosures for the submission. They'd be right pissed off if they weren't included as authors though.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Nope. Musk basically provided funds and access to people. That gets listed under "Acknowledgements", but with sound scientific standards, it does not get you a place on the list of authors.
Must be nice to be rich and famous (Score:2)
Musk's program is definitely forward-thinking... but I'm not seeing how it should result in a co-authorship on the paper.
But then, now that I think about it... the problem of scientific papers having (at times) dozens of co-authors - some of whom do very little - is not a new thing. And I wonder if one of the lead authors said "boy it sure would be cool to co-author a paper with Elon Musk...".
Re: (Score:2)
Musk's program is definitely forward-thinking... but I'm not seeing how it should result in a co-authorship on the paper.
"Based on current trends, probably close to zer new cases in US too be end of April"
I dunno, that's exactly the kind of forward thinker I'd want to co-author my papers!
You're like a dog going SQUIRREL... (Score:2)
Except you go "ELON MUSK!!!"
Next up: "Elon Musk chose this kind of toilet paper at the store. Read all about it here!"
I don't hate the guy, and wish him all the best (provided that it's good for us too). I just think he's acting like an attention whore (usually due to how his parents treated the child(, and you're feeding it, which if it's the right diagnosis, isn't good for him. News about achieving something with SpaceX are alright. This shit here is pathetic.
Brilliant (Score:2)
No tests were available, so he contacts academics to offer his staff for an experiment in which they are tested (and for free, although that's peanuts for SpaceX). He launches the rocket in time and is listed as one of the authors of the paper. This is the sort of attitude of 'making things happen' that pushes the companies forward. Kudos on this one.
Re: (Score:2)
That's my take on it too. Helps his company, supports his employees, and is also of benefit to the general population. Certainly self-serving, but not narrowly greedy. You could call it, I dunno, enlightened self-interest.
Re: (Score:2)
It's better than that. The "currency" of science is a citation. Nature is a highly regarded journal because they tend to publish papers that they think will be highly cited (and they're usually correct).
By publishing in Nature, AND by having Musk as a co-author, the academics on this study are going to see a nice boost to their citations.
So: good for SpaceX business, good for employees, good for the academics doing the test, and good for our understanding of COVID in general (I'm a scientist, and if I cou
Musk deserves credit (Score:5, Interesting)
"prestigious" (Score:2)
Fuck your weasel words.