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Research was carried out on mice and it showed just how lethal the new strain is.
metro.co.uk
Nuance:
The scientists admit the hybrid virus would be unlikely to be as deadly in real humans as it was in mice.
They noted that one limitation of their study was the specific breed of mice used, as other types of mice are more similar to humans.
Mice and humans also don’t have identical immune responses, as there are variations in DNA and genes between the species.
The genes that regulate the immune system behave differently, for example, and the response to stress is different in mice and humans.
The type of mice used in the study were developed specifically for looking at severe Covid infection, but currently, no mouse model replicates all aspects of Covid in humans.
The lab, at Boston University’s National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, is one of 13 biosafety level 4 labs in the US.
These are labs that are authorized to handle the most dangerous pathogens. There are also facilities in Texas, Atlanta and Manhattan, Kansas.
Experiments at these labs often involve tinkering with animal viruses to advance treatments and vaccines that could be used in a future outbreak.