https://www.foxnews.com/us/boston-university-lethal-covid-strain-lab
Boston University researchers claim to have developed new, more lethal COVID strain in lab
Researchers
at Boston University added a spike protein from the Omicron variant
with the original Wuhan strain, which has an 80% kill rate
Researchers at Boston University say they have developed a new COVID strain
that has an 80% kill rate following a series of similar experiments
first thought to have started the global pandemic that began in China.
The
variant, a combination of omicron and the original virus in Wuhan,
killed 80% of the mice infected with it, the university said. When mice
were only exposed to omicron, they experienced mild symptoms.
The research was conducted by a team of scientists from Florida and Boston at the school's National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories.
They extracted the spike protein from omicron and attached it with
the strain first detected at the onset of the pandemic that began in
Wuhan, China. They then documented how the mice reacted to the hybrid
strain.
"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 new strain has five times more infectious virus particles than the omicron variant, researchers said.
In a statement, the university stressed that the replicated strain was less dangerous than the original strain.
"First,
this research is not gain-of-function research, meaning it did not
amplify the Washington state SARS-COV-2 virus strain or make it more
dangerous. In fact, this research made the virus replicate less
dangerous," the statement read. "Secondly, the research was reviewed and
approved by the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC), which consists
of scientists as well as local community members. The Boston Public
Health Commission also approved the research. Furthermore, this research
mirrors and reinforces the findings of other, similar research
performed by other organizations, including the FDA. Ultimately, this
research will provide a public benefit by leading to better, targeted
therapeutic interventions to help fight against future pandemics."
COVID-19 was first detected to have come from a wet market in Wuhan, though many believe the virus was engineered
at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The World Health Organization
continues to face criticism for its handling of the crisis in its early,
most pivotal, days.
The omicron variant is highly transmissible, even in those who are fully
vaccinated. The spike protein is responsible for rates of infectivity,
according to researchers, other changes to the virus’ structure
determine its deadliness.
One limitation to the study was the breed of mice used, as other types are more similar to humans.
