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> It's been a long established medical fact that viruses evolve to become less severe over time, Is it? The evolutionary pressure is only that reproductive su

> It's been a long established medical fact that viruses evolve to become less severe over time, Is it? The evolutionary pressure is only that reproductive success, succeeds. A virus that spreads better, well, spreads more. There is no real reason why COVID-19 would have to get less severe to be more successful, as most transmission is pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic already. If the host is more likely or less likely to die later on in the disease, is irrelevant to the virus' fitness. https://twitter.com/zeynep/status/1468225625764814859 https://twitter.com/zeynep/status/1468225625764814859 https://twitter.com/Devilstower/status/1465332043005501448 https://twitter.com/Devilstower/status/1465332043005501448

JPKab 5y ago
Could you please cite a source that says most transmission is pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic? Is that new with the delta variant? The studies I've seen have more recently concluded that asymptomatic transmission is far lower than previously thought. Although it probably doesn't matter, since the plurality of symptomatic people below the age of 55 are going to have symptoms hard to distinguish from a cold. Regardless, you make a fair point, but for a virus to kill you, it's going to be more severe in earlier phases, and less likely to be transmitted by a person in a bed than one walking around. Sure, they might have spread while they were walking around, but the proportion of time they are infected and mobile (higher spread) is lower than if the virus is milder. Covid hawks seem to have only one answer for all news items: be more afraid, lock down more. It's tiring, and reminds me of the right-wing equivalent after 9/11: Everything was terror, or potential terror, and you need to be afraid, and if you aren't afraid, it's because you are unpatriotic, stupid, or both.
- SideburnsOfDoom 5y ago
  > Could you please cite a source that says most transmission is pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic? Both links above say as much. Please don't waste our time with "cite a source" when the sources are right there. No it is not new with Covid-Delta.
  - JPKab 5y ago
    Neither of the links above said anything about asymptomatic transmission. Neck beard of doom indeed.
    - SideburnsOfDoom 5y ago
      Further down thread in both cases, but not very far. If you can't understand what you're reading, I can't help you.

JPKab 5y ago

Could you please cite a source that says most transmission is pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic? Is that new with the delta variant? The studies I've seen have more recently concluded that asymptomatic transmission is far lower than previously thought. Although it probably doesn't matter, since the plurality of symptomatic people below the age of 55 are going to have symptoms hard to distinguish from a cold. Regardless, you make a fair point, but for a virus to kill you, it's going to be more severe in earlier phases, and less likely to be transmitted by a person in a bed than one walking around. Sure, they might have spread while they were walking around, but the proportion of time they are infected and mobile (higher spread) is lower than if the virus is milder. Covid hawks seem to have only one answer for all news items: be more afraid, lock down more. It's tiring, and reminds me of the right-wing equivalent after 9/11: Everything was terror, or potential terror, and you need to be afraid, and if you aren't afraid, it's because you are unpatriotic, stupid, or both.

SideburnsOfDoom 5y ago
> Could you please cite a source that says most transmission is pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic? Both links above say as much. Please don't waste our time with "cite a source" when the sources are right there. No it is not new with Covid-Delta.
- JPKab 5y ago
  Neither of the links above said anything about asymptomatic transmission. Neck beard of doom indeed.
  - SideburnsOfDoom 5y ago
    Further down thread in both cases, but not very far. If you can't understand what you're reading, I can't help you.