US researchers develop new deadly Covid strain with 80% fatality rate

Boston University scientists combined Omicron with the original virus that began in Wuhan

BOSTON:

A new and far deadlier Covid strain, with a fatality rate of 80 per cent, has been developed by researchers at Boston University, reported Fox News.

The team of scientists from Florida and Boston at the varsity’s National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories conducted the research by combining the Omicron strain with the original virus that emerged in Wuhan, China, and found that it killed 80 per cent of the mice that were infected with it.

They claimed that mice that were solely exposed to the Omicron variant, only experienced mild symptoms.

The research was conducted by extracting the spike protein from Omicron and attaching it to the original strain that led to the global pandemic, added the US cable news channel. 

Read China urges 'patience' as COVID cases rebound ahead of key congress

"In…mice, while Omicron causes mild, non-fatal infection, the Omicron S-carrying virus inflicts severe disease with a mortality rate of 80 per cent," the researchers stated.

It was revealed that the new strain contains at least five times more virus particles than Omicron.

While the Covid-19 pandemic is said to have begun from a wet market in Wuhan, conspiracy theorists still widely believe that the virus was created by scientists at a virology lab.