Marc Johnson

Molecular virologist, Professor, and wastewater detective.
Same handle on bsky.

Opinions are my own and do not reflect those of my employer or anyone else.

[Marc Johnson @SolidEvidence]

We released our latest metagenomics preprint. I’m really excited about this study.

The unofficial title is ‘conquer the dark matter, volume 1’
1/
https://t.co/15PxADQjto

[Marc Johnson @SolidEvidence]

PSA. Flu season is starting very early this year.

WW numbers aren't very high yet, but they are a couple of months ahead of schedule just about everywhere. Almost entirely H1N1.

If you are getting a flu shot, don't put it off.

[Marc Johnson @SolidEvidence]

@ctblizzard @KayLKelley Nationally it is up 85%.

[Marc Johnson @SolidEvidence]

@ctblizzard @KayLKelley It's highly elevated pretty much everywhere except the West coast and Hawaii. It looks like this year will probably be even worse than last.

[Marc Johnson @SolidEvidence]

@DrIanWeissman Our only site in Iowa is Ottumwa and nothing jumped out there. A sample wouldn't be hard to sequence to figure it out.

[Marc Johnson @SolidEvidence]

@LongDesertTrain @jbloom_lab I'm pretty sure that is XFZ. We've been seeing that pretty regularly the last couple months.

[Marc Johnson @SolidEvidence]

@emma6USA Diesel is the highest it's been in history.

[Marc Johnson @SolidEvidence]

@gospacecraft The state site should be up to date, which includes StL.
https://t.co/gSlw8T3VPO

[Marc Johnson @SolidEvidence]

Every week I get a metagenomic readout of the most elevated viruses from wastewater collected the week before (44 sites).

COVID was on the list today for the first time since last winter, along with D68 and a bunch of rhinoviruses.

[Marc Johnson @SolidEvidence]

@LandisLynn1 Diesel

[Marc Johnson @SolidEvidence]

@gospacecraft @JenniferClary14

[Marc Johnson @SolidEvidence]

PJ.3.2 seems to be hitting the accelerator. These are the wastewater samples deposited in just the last week where it was present (based on 439K marker).

[Marc Johnson @SolidEvidence]

@gospacecraft @JenniferClary14 People still get immunity the old fashioned way too.

[Marc Johnson @SolidEvidence]

@gospacecraft @JenniferClary14 If you are concerned, masking works.

[Marc Johnson @SolidEvidence]

@gospacecraft The rest of the country is not really 'on fire'. It's relative.

Numbers are much higher than they were this Spring (when we were at all time lows), but they are still 10-times lower than it was 2 years ago.

[Marc Johnson @SolidEvidence]

@gospacecraft Numbers are still quite low right now and they probably aren't getting better. Watch out for the rhinoviruses (common cold).

I always seem to catch cold after I overexert myself (disrupt mucosal protection?)

[Marc Johnson @SolidEvidence]

I meant PJ.2.1

[Marc Johnson @SolidEvidence]

WTH, I think I found a BA.3.2 cryptic (I hope it isn't circulating anyway).

Standard RBD + A435F, S438F, P463F.

Wonder if that improves ACE2 binding?

It was 100% of the sequence from one sewershed.
@LongDesertTrain

[Marc Johnson @SolidEvidence]

@LongDesertTrain I quit listing the PJ.2.1 detections from wastewater because it was too much. It's widespread on the East coast, Puerto Rico, Colorado, Nevada and California.