

Labs studying dangerous diseases will allow them, or even cause them to mutate in ways that they may potentially mutate in nature. This is called gain of function research. You let the virus mutate and then study the results of the mutation to learn how to fight it if and when it occurs in the wild.
That’s the most concerning part to me. Even if this lab wasn’t working on creating a weaponized strain of the virus, the escaped pathogen could still be a mutated and more dangerous strain than is typically found in nature. Just the possibility of this would justify the significant quarantine response in the area.




Because they have to bait the average American to actually read the news. Also, ‘slams the brakes’ is a really common turn of phrase. Any comment on the actual article?