The SARS-CoV-2 transmission riddle - Part 6

The contribution of the Common Cold Unit to the study of coronaviridae

In the first five parts of the Riddle series, we have discussed how poor quality and superficial science has led to research waste and misled the globe as to the number of active covid cases, the incidence of hospital-acquired covid and the number of deaths directly attributable to SARS-CoV-2, We have also remarked on the apparent unwillingness of decision makers to put the newly discovered agent in the context of what was already known about coronaviridae and other acute viral respiratory infections and especially of the uncertainties surrounding some of the interpretation of the facts.

In this and the following chapters, we will briefly examine what was known about human coronoviridae and other main respiratory viruses, their characteristics and transmission, introducing some readers to the work of pioneering scientists, forgotten in the recent tweeting and media frenzy. The review is not meant to be exhaustive or detailed; we point out what seem significant findings and, ultimately,…