Police standing outside Wuhan Institute of Virology, 2021 (Photo Thomas Peter/Reuters)
Police standing outside Wuhan Institute of Virology, 2021 (Photo Thomas Peter/Reuters)

Issues Surrounding Coronavirus Study Showing 100% Lethality in Humans

Updated on

A study, which has yet to be peer reviewed, described an experiment that involved infecting human ACE2-(hACE2) transgenic mice with a mutated strain of SARS-CoV-2 related pangolin coronavirus. The scientists involved with the study – called 'Lethal Infection of Human ACE2-Transgenic Mice Caused by SARS-CoV-2-related Pangolin Coronavirus GX_P2V(short_3UTR)' – conducted it to assess the virus' ability to cause illness in the modified mice. The scientists found that the virus had a 100 percent mortality rate in all mice infected with the illness, likely caused by late-stage brain infection. While the study is significant because it showed how fatal a coronavirus can be when a person is infected, there are several issues surrounding the study. The study is also a part of China's continued shaping of the narrative on how COVID-19 originated from pangolins but there is no way to independently verify the claim.

Loading content, please wait...
Atlas
theatlasnews.co