Chinese scientists connected with the military have reportedly engineered a lethal coronavirus strain with a 100% mortality rate in mice.
The new strain, GX_P2V, allegedly killed all infected mice within eight days, prompting the researchers to investigate further.
A report showed the virus demonstrated high viral loads in the mice’s brains and eyes, indicating a distinctive pattern of multiplication and spread, distinct from the known behavior of COVID-19.
“It’s a terrible study, scientifically totally pointless. I can see nothing of vague interest that could be learned from force-infecting a weird breed of humanized mice with a random virus. Conversely, I could see how such stuff might go wrong,” infectious disease expert at University College London Professor Francois Balloux said.
The virus, cloned from a strain similar to COVID and found in pangolins, was used to infect mice genetically modified to express a human protein, simulating human reactions.
The researchers highlighted the alarming “spillover risk of GX_P2V into humans” after reportedly cloning and storing the virus in a Beijing lab, where it continued to evolve.
All eight mice subjected to the live virus succumbed to the infection within seven to eight days, displaying symptoms such as rapid weight loss, fatigue, and white eyes.
Although the study highlights concern, studies on the original COVID strain also demonstrated a 100% mortality rate in mice.
Professor Richard Ebright of Rutgers University expressed concern over the absence of information about “biosafety precautions.”
The professor also noted that the United States government is still funding research.
“The website for federal grants shows EcoHealth Alliance currently has 11 active grants … worth a total value of $46 million. Almost all were signed after the Covid pandemic emerged — with two worth $4.5M signed off as recently as 2022.” Ebright said on X.
