Chinese scientists appear to be working with a new strain of COVID that could be far deadlier than the virus that originated in a Wuhan lab and killed almost seven million people across the globe, according to real-time statistical website Worldometer.
Multiple media reports making the rounds in India cited a report on BioRxiv, a free online distribution service for unpublished preprints in the life sciences, saying that GX_P2V has had a 100% mortality rate in mice genetically modified to appear as humans. The virus attacked the brains, eyes, and lungs of the mice. The four infected were dead within eight days.
According to Firstpost.com, the experiments were approved by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. The researchers stressed the need for further experimentation to understand the virus’ behavior and its impact on human health.
Dr. Robert Malone, a scientist and bioethicist who specializes in development of advanced countermeasures to infectious diseases, said on Washington Watch Wednesday that it’s quite possible the U.S. is providing funding for this project.
“Is it directly involved? This is too early to tell. It’s not disclosed in the manuscript you’re citing,” Malone told show host Tony Perkins. “But there’s no question that our fingerprints are all over the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the research going on there.”
An obvious question might be: Why would this research take place given the disastrous results of GX_P2V’s forerunner? Malone, the Chief Medical and Regulatory Officer for The Unity Project, responded:
“I have to speculate because I can’t get into the minds of the people who are doing this,” he offered. “But there is an ethic [rampant in this research culture] that if things can be done, they should be done …. These scientists often believe they’re the best and the brightest – and that they’re entitled to do this,” Malone added.
Beyond the arrogance, scientists could possibly learn more about potential future behavior of the virus, according to Malone.
“There is [some] contrived logic that with this dual-function research – technically called that because it can be used for weapons purposes or for research and discovery purposes – if scientists can meddle about with these viruses and demonstrate ways that they can become more lethal, then they can anticipate that happening in nature.
“That’s the justification, but clearly what we’ve learned over the past four years is that’s not sufficient to justify the risk to the global population,” Malone stated.
The bioethicist laughed when asked about the lack of ethics with this research. “This is what I highlighted when I kind of came out of the closet, metaphorically, on the COVID crisis … [I exposed] the gross ethical failures that were ongoing,” he explained.
“I argue this really has to be revisited in a major way. We need to have the bio-warfare treaty renegotiated.”
Got concerns? Call the U.N. Security Council
The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) – the treaty Malone referenced – has been in place since 1975 and currently includes 185 nations. China became part of the BWC in 1984. The agreement requires nations to inform and consult with one another to address compliance concerns.
“I also argue that there needs to be a global ban on this type of research and development activity. Those who are performing it clearly have few if any ethical boundaries,” Malone concluded. “This is a gross failure of education, but we’re talking about the CCP – and their ideas of what is justified are not aligned with classical Western thought.”
Concerns regarding compliance with the BWC can be filed with the United Nations Security Council.
