Chinese Scientists Develop Mutant Coronavirus Strain Targeting The Brain, 100% Lethality in Mice

In a study reminiscent of Wuhan, Chinese scientists are conducting experiments involving a mutant COVID-19 strain that exhibits a 100% fatality rate in "humanised" mice. The GX_P2V virus, notorious for its lethality, targeted the brains of mice specifically designed to mimic human genetic makeup, as revealed in a study shared from Beijing last week.

“This underscores a spillover risk of GX_P2V into humans and provides a unique model for understanding the pathogenic mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2-related viruses,” wrote the authors.

The lethal virus, named GX_P2V is a mutated form of GX/2017, a coronavirus relative reportedly found in Malaysian pangolins in 2017, a discovery predating the global pandemic by three years.

Every mouse infected with the virus succumbed within a remarkably brief period of eight days, a death rate that researchers found to be "surprisingly" rapid.

GX_P2V had infiltrated various organs including the lungs, bones, eyes, tracheas and brains of the deceased mice. The impact on their brains was severe, ultimately leading to their demise.

In the days preceding their deaths, the mice displayed rapid weight loss, a hunched posture and extremely sluggish movement. Strikingly eerie, their eyes turned completely white the day before succumbing to the virus.

While alarming, the study stands as the first of its kind to document a 100% mortality rate in mice infected with the COVID-19 related virus, significantly exceeding previous findings from other research, as noted by the researchers.

Crucially, the study's outcomes do not provide clear insights into how it would affect humans.

Francois Balloux, an epidemiology expert at the University College London’s Genetics Institute, criticised the research, deeming it "terrible" and "scientifically totally pointless" in a post shared on X (formerly known as Twitter).