Boston University scientists have created a new Covid strain in a laboratory by combining Omicron and the original Wuhan strain. This new strain killed 80% of the mice used in their study, according to the scientists themselves.
Apparently, there's no shame in doing this kind of research. We can therefore assume that similar work is done all over the globe, and we can further conclude that some accident will eventually happen where such a deadly strain escapes the laboratory. However, we now have enough experience with this kind of shenanigans to know that there's little to worry about.
The Wuhan flu started out dangerous but became harmless within a few months. This was clear as early as April 2020. The mortality rate dropped off a cliff from day one.
This is because viruses don't benefit from being deadly. It's better for the virus to let the host live because viruses die when their host die. The longer the host lives, the more chances there are to spread, and so we end up with the most benign versions spreading more than the more lethal ones. Natural selection kills off the deadly strains in favour of the harmless ones.
The trick to surviving the next lab leak is no different from the trick we already employed in order to survive the Wuhan strain: Avoid being among the first to catch the virus and keep a healthy lifestyle.
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| A roast lamb dinner |
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