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The phrase "gain of function" seems to mean the virus differs in some way that makes it more contagious or deadly.

Yes, and here is a good overview of it in the context of some contentious research [1].

[1] https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/030631271666642...

Seems interesting, but I can't read that without paying, and I probably lack the background necessary for it to be understandable.

Type the DOI into sci-hub.tw

Thanks. Didn't know this existed.

you can copy it like a link as well and paste it in

Thank you, that makes a lot more sense than some sort of “gain” (as in, increasing output levels) of “function” (as in, a mathematical calculation where each input has exactly one output).

I’m thinking what the heck is a Gainof Function?

Heh, It makes more sense if you think about it medically. Like, the gain or loss of function in a limb or organ.

For a virus I suppose this would be function in reproduction.

Yeah the function here is not a mathematical function - it just means functionality, like the thing that it can do. Sometimes we biologists can be spectacularly uncreative in naming things :)

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