Currently the Omicron and its variants are dominant worldwide
Just as we are coping with the mutating variants of the coronavirus, a horror in a research laboratory has just unfolded.
Researchers at Boston University have claimed to have developed a COVID strain that has a mortality rate of 80%. Currently the Omicron and its variants are dominant worldwide and these are said to be mild viruses in terms of severity. However, the risk is still high, health experts have always warned us.
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The research was conducted by a team of scientists from Florida and Boston at the school's National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories. This lab is one of 13 biosafety level 4 labs in the US and is engaged in dangerous research projects like those of COVID and Ebola.
What happened in the Boston University laboratory?
The researchers extracted the spike protein from the Omicron and genetically engineered it into the ancestral strain of coronavirus which was detected first in the wet market of Wuhan, China.
They documented how this hybrid, genetically modified strain reacted in mice.
How lethal is the new virus?
"In…mice, while Omicron causes mild, non-fatal infection, the Omicron S-carrying virus inflicts severe disease with a mortality rate of 80 percent," they wrote in a research paper.
The researchers have said that the new strain has five times more infectious virus particles than the Omicron variant.
The spike protein is where the virus attaches and enters the human cells. With every new variant the spike protein is getting stronger and is making it easier for the virus to enter the body.
Laboratory made virus is a danger to mankind
With this, an outrage has emerged. People are now concerned about health and safety after this debacle. Even some doubt the origin of the Wuhan virus as a laboratory mistake. During the onset of the pandemic, it was believed that the coronavirus was engineered in the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
'This should be totally forbidden, it's playing with fire,' said Professor Shmuel Shapira, a leading scientist in the Israeli Government.
'The research is a clear example of gain of function research," Dr Richard Ebright, a chemist at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, told DailyMail.com.
"The government says law-abiding citizens can’t have a rifle or shotgun. They’re just too dangerous. Meanwhile, they’re literally engineering deadly viruses," says Ezra Levant, a journalist.
What does the University have to say?
“First, this research is not gain-of-function research, meaning it did not amplify the Washington state SARS-COV-2 virus strain (original virus from 2020) or make it more dangerous,” BU said in a statement following online reports that the university called “false and inaccurate," reported Boston Herald.
The researchers have said that this study sheds light on the omicron’s ability to cause disease.
Backing their research and ignoring the outrage, the lead author Mohsan Saeed told Boston Herald, "Consistent with studies published by others, this work shows that it is not the spike protein that drives Omicron pathogenicity, but instead other viral proteins. Determination of those proteins will lead to better diagnostics and disease management strategies."
Does this research serve its purpose?
Yes, say the researchers.
When the mice were infected with the engineered virus, 80% of them died. But when they were infected with just the original, ancestral virus strain, 100% of the mice died.
The researchers have said that this study shows that the spike protein does not drive the pathogenicity of Omicron, instead several other proteins contribute to that. Determination of those proteins will lead to better diagnostics and disease management strategies, lead study author Mohsan Saeed told Boston Herald.
How have authorities reacted to this?
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases which funded the project told STAT that Boston University's original grant applications did not clarify that this specific work would be done. "The agency indicated it is going to be looking for some answers as to why it first learned of the work through media reports," reported STAT.
Things to note
While more official information is awaited for this laboratory horror, people should also take cognizance of the emerging variants of COVID. The new variants are said to be of high transmission rate and are notorious for their immunity invasion nature.
In order to remain safe, wear masks, avoid going to crowded places, keep extra care of elderly people and kids and keep your hands sanitized.