Elon Musk on Thursday responded to a social media post on X claiming that the Wuhan Institute of Virology was preparing for new experiments on a bat virus strikingly similar to Covid-19, identified as “HKU5-CoV-2.”
Expressing problem, Musk reposted the state and questioned its legality, writing,” Um … what? Is this absolutely true? If so, quite concerning”.
Chinese scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology ( WIV ), which some people believe may have been responsible for the Covid-19 pandemic, are conducting new experiments that experts have described as “ominous,” according to the Daily Mail.
Earlier this month, experts at WIV announced the discovery of a new pitcher disease, HKU5-CoV-2, which bears striking similarities to Covid-19.
Experts warn that the disease has the ability to infect human tissue and is strongly related to a known coronavirus, which has a mortality rate of up to 33 %.
Independent experts have expressed concern about the Wuhan Institute of Virology’s ( WIV ) intended experiments on this new virus, which may be linked to those that might have caused the Covid pandemic, according to the Daily Mail.
First Covid cases were found close to the lab, which had been known to be collecting and studying coronaviruses.
In December, a US limited subcommittee’s research revealed that the WIV was most likely the source of the disease that caused the world crisis.
A chemical researcher at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Dr Alina Chan expressed issue regarding the new HKU5-CoV-2 research. She told The Daily Telegraph:” The report ends on an menacing note- describing a set of potential research related to what might’ve led to the Covid-19 pandemic… they’re going to examine the viruses ‘ ability to cause illness in humanised mice”.
These humanized mice undergo specific breeding to combine human tissues or cells, improving our knowledge of zoonotic infections in people.
Dr. Chan further raised her concerns about WIV’s ability to safely perform for contentious study in a city with over 8 million residents.
” After what we experienced with Covid-19, I believe there is no biosafety level suitable for such tests in the town of Wuhan”, she continued.
‘ If quite work has to be done, it should be done at a biosafety Stage 4, far apart from any capital heart,” she added.
Lab tests confirmed that HKU5-CoV-2 penetrates individual cells leveraging similar pathways as SARS-CoV-2, the clinical classification for the Covid-causing disease. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome ( MERS ) is also closely related to the disease in scientists ‘ genetics.
Ebola is a contagious respiratory condition that spreads between people and animals. Signs include fever, cough, shortness of breath, vomiting, and diarrhea, with serious cases probably proving dangerous.
