One recent study reports the discovery of MERS-like viruses that use the ACE2 receptor like some SARS-like viruses.
Pre-covid, I would've thought it was neat.
Post-covid, all I can think of is that some scientist out there might try to make a hybrid of MERS- and SARS-like CoVs.
Pre-covid, I would've thought it was neat.
Post-covid, all I can think of is that some scientist out there might try to make a hybrid of MERS- and SARS-like CoVs.
As a scientist, you really hope that -all- other scientists will have learnt from this pandemic not to try crazy **** that could potentially generate a pandemic pathogen or bring one from nature into urban centers.
But academia is like the Wild West.
But academia is like the Wild West.
https://twitter.com/Ayjchan/status/1468582694007279616
Don't forget, in 2018/2019, scientists unintentionally created chimeric SARS-like viruses with enhanced pathogenicity in humanized mice and intentionally did more of the same work with human pathogen MERS, in a city of 11 million + international flights.
theintercept.com/2021/10/21/vir…
theintercept.com/2021/10/21/vir…
The above work was proposed to NIH who did not tell the scientists to cease and desist.
In Sep 2021, the grant holding organization, EcoHealth Alliance denied to reporters that the chimeric MERS experiments had been done despite submitting data on this to the NIH in Aug 2021.
In Sep 2021, the grant holding organization, EcoHealth Alliance denied to reporters that the chimeric MERS experiments had been done despite submitting data on this to the NIH in Aug 2021.
Once you come to the realization that there's little regulation and little awareness of what scientists are doing with dangerous or novel pathogens around the world, you realize that a lab-based pandemic could be one scientist's bad day or accident away from happening.
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