3 ms·
What if it was engineered in the lab to be LESS lethal and severe, so it could finally end COVID 19?
by sydthrowaway 5y ago
What if it was engineered in the lab to be LESS lethal and severe, so it could finally end COVID 19?
- BbzzbB 5y agoThat's a dangerous gamble which cannot be put back in the box in the event that it fails to be less dangerous. Like throwing a enormous amounts of sulfur in the atmosphere to take out CO2. It's the sort of decision that would have to be taken by isolated group or nation on behalf of the rest of humanity despite potentially catastrophic unintended consequences. Maybe the result will be that it's a "less dangerous than Delta collective immunizer", but I wouldn't be thrilled if it's an intended variant (even if a lab leak isn't much more reassuring). I'm also unclear how such researchers could come to the conclusion that it is less dangerous and more contagious with humanized mice considering it is the result (AFAIU) of it contaminating and replicating in the airways rather than the lungs. I'd be curious for someone more informed than me (an ecologist with very superficial understanding of viruses and studies in mice), but if I'm correct that lung vs. airway contamination isn't quite replicable in humanized mice vs. humans, intentional "alter and release" seems dubious.
- dboreham 5y agoFunny I was about to post the same thought. It's the vaccine for Republicans.
- kelnos 5y agoIt's certainly a possibility, but an incredibly reckless, unethical route to take. One mistake, and you end up killing far more people than before. Not that I'd put such a plan past some people...