Lab-Developed COVID-19 Strain Found More Lethal With 80% Kill Rate; Draws Government Scrutiny

Boston University researchers claim that they have developed a new COVID-19 strain at a laboratory that is more lethal than previous strains, showing an 80% kill rate among mouse subjects.

The team's research follows a series of similar experiments that were first thought to have started the global pandemic that started in China. The new variant, which is a combination of Omicron and the original strain of the virus found in Wuhan, was able to kill 80% of the mice that the team infected.

Lab-Developed COVID-19 Strain

This is compared to when the researchers exposed the mice to only the Omicron variant, the animals only experienced mild symptoms. The team responsible for the study were scientists from Florida and Boston at the school's National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories.

The researchers extracted the spike protein from the Omicron variant and attached it to the strain that was first detected at the beginning stages of the health crisis. The team then documented how the mice reacted to the hybrid, lab-developed strain, as per Yahoo News.

The team wrote in a research paper said that in mice, while the Omicron only resulted in mild, non-fatal infection, the Omicron S-carrying virus inflicted severe disease that had an 80% kill rate.

Based on the data gathered, the researchers observed that the lab-developed COVID-19 strain was five times more infectious than the Omicron variant. The study comes amid some rumors that the virus was engineered at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

According to 1News, Richard H. Ebright, an American molecular biologist, criticized the research, saying that it is a clear example of "gain of function research." He noted that it was especially concerning that the study may not have undergone the prior risk-benefit review that is mandated under U.S.-government policies.

More Lethal Than Original

However, Boston University argued that the research does not constitute gain of function research because it does not make the original COVID-19 strain more virulent. In a statement, the university said that the research made the virus replicate less dangerous.

The lead author of the study said that the research will help better understand the Omicron variant and assist medical experts to come up with new treatments. Mohsan Saeed said that the work, consistent with studies published by other experts, showed that it is not the spike protein that drives Omicron pathogenicity, but rather, other viral proteins.

Saeed added that the determination of those proteins will lead to better diagnostics and better disease management strategies. While the university argues that the research is not gain of function, some experts said that these types of research are actually necessary for the fight against future pandemics.

There was no evidence that the research, which was performed under biosecurity level 3 precautions, was conducted improperly or unsafely. However, it became apparent that the team did not clear the work with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), which is responsible for funding the project. The agency indicated that it would be looking for some answers as to why it first learned of the work through media reports, StatNews reported.