Physician-Scientist Steven Quay Calls for International Effort to Investigate a Coronavirus discovered in Laos by Institut Pasteur

Rhea-AI Summary

Physician-Scientist Steven Quay, MD, PhD, has published a significant e-print on the coronavirus BANAL-236, which exhibits high homology to SARS-CoV-2 and can infect human cells. This research, reported by the Institut Pasteur, indicates that BANAL-236 evolved to infect human cells through a previously unknown mechanism. Quay emphasizes the urgency for an international effort to investigate this virus due to its potential transmissibility and implications for current therapeutic strategies.

Positive

• Dr. Steven Quay's research on BANAL-236 may lead to important breakthroughs in understanding coronavirus infections.
• Quay has extensive experience with over 360 publications and 87 US patents, enhancing his credibility.

Negative

• The findings raise concerns about the infectivity of BANAL-236, which could indicate potential risks for public health.
• There is uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of current therapeutic interventions against this newly identified virus.

SEATTLE, Dec. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Physician-Scientist Steven Quay, MD, PhD has published an e-print on his research into a new coronavirus, named BANAL-236, reported by the Institut Pasteur in September 2021. At the time, BANAL-236 was the first bat coronavirus with high homology to SARS-CoV-2 that could directly infect human cells using the same receptor that SARS-CoV-2 uses. The new research reports that BANAL-236 has evolved the ability to infect human cells by an unknown mechanism that violates over 40 years of coronavirus research. The COVID-19 e-print is available here and has also been submitted to Nature.

"When I read the paper from the Institut Pasteur and looked at the virus, I immediately assumed there was an error in either the way the sequence was assembled or a mix up in the lab with another virus to explain the infectivity," Quay said. "I contacted the Institut Pasteur with my findings and was deeply disturbed to learn that there was not, in fact, some simple mistake had occurred to explain things. I now knew we were in uncharted waters with a virus that is missing eight key elements that have been shown, over 40 years of research, to be required for growth."

"To encourage an international effort to understand how this virus can be infective, I have sent my findings to both Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and to Dr. Tedros Adhanom of the World Health Organization," continued Dr. Quay. "Until we understand how a virus with the genome sequence features of BANAL-236 can be infective, we are in the dark as to how transmissible this virus would be in humans and whether any of the current therapeutic interventions will be effective."

About Steven Quay, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Steven Quay has 360+ published contributions to medicine and has been cited over 10,000 times, placing him in the top 1% of scientists worldwide. He holds 87 US patents and has invented seven FDA-approved pharmaceuticals which have helped over 80 million people. He is the author of the best-selling book on surviving the pandemic, Stay Safe: A Physician's Guide to Survive Coronavirus. He is the CEO of Atossa Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: ATOS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics for oncology and infectious diseases.

He received his M.D. and Ph.D. from The University of Michigan, was a postdoctoral fellow in the Chemistry Department at MIT with Nobel Laureate H. Gobind Khorana, a resident at the Harvard-MGH Hospital, and spent almost a decade on the faculty of Stanford University School of Medicine. A TEDx talk he delivered on breast cancer prevention has been viewed over 220,000 times.  His scientific manuscript entitled, "A Bayesian analysis concludes beyond a reasonable doubt that SARS-CoV-2 is not a natural zoonosis but instead is laboratory derived," has been viewed over 194,000-times. For more information, visit www.DrQuay.com

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SOURCE Dr. Steven Quay

FAQ

What is BANAL-236 and why is it significant?

BANAL-236 is a new bat coronavirus reported by Institut Pasteur that can infect human cells, raising concerns due to its similarities with SARS-CoV-2.

Who is Steven Quay and what are his contributions?

Steven Quay is a physician-scientist with over 360 publications, 87 patents, and notable contributions to understanding coronaviruses.

What implications does the research on BANAL-236 have for COVID-19 treatment?

The research raises questions about the transmissibility of BANAL-236 and the effectiveness of current therapeutic interventions.

When was the research on BANAL-236 published?

The research was published in December 2021.

How does BANAL-236 compare to SARS-CoV-2?

BANAL-236 shows high homology to SARS-CoV-2 and can utilize the same receptor to infect human cells.