Designer Virus

[Arab Nights (imported)]

So wifey has much more of a conspirancy bent than I do. Her take is that the virus was put in China to mess up China. It does bring up the question of if DNA is well enough understood that it is possible to make a designer virus now to accomplish political ends (assuming it doesn't escape). Anybody have any scientific info on if that is possible? If so, what are your sources?

[DeaconBlues (imported)]

I don't have any scientific information, but I do remember watching the History Channel, a program about the flu epidemic of 1918, that killed about 30 to 50 million people world wide. BOTH sides in WW I accused the other side of deliberately spreading the killer flu. According to the program, the flu epidemic did definitely help influence the Germans to end the war. Germ warfare is NOT a new thing, there are historical accounts of armies back in the medieval times putting corpses killed by the plague into a catapult and trying to infect their enemies cities. As for blaming anyone and everyone else for a virus, I clearly remember tales that the AIDS virus was something created in a CIA laboratory and deliberately spread in gay bath houses... Such wild accusations are to be expected. I am sure there are some people who think this new COVID-19 was developed by the Chinese, and there are some who think it was developed in the U.S. and the SARS virus, etc.

Actually, the whole theme is getting sort of worn out, and does not give proper credit to nature itself. All on it's own, nature seems to develop some totally amazing things, up until just a few years ago our best scientists didn't have a clue about viruses, and oh my goodness the "prion borne diseases" like "mad cow disease" and "CJD" are actually amazing, horrific, but still amazing.

What I think really is INTERESTING AND AMAZING, is the possibility that we might soon be able to alter the genetics of a retro-virus, so that the virus does not infect a host cell and make copies of itself, instead, we might build a "designer virus" that will infect a host cell and alter the host cell's DNA, actually changing the genetic identity of the host. Now that is only science fiction at this point, but properly altered cells could end up changing the whole biology of a host, diabetic patients could actually rebuild and grow a new fully functional pancreas, transgender people could actually change their sex on a genetic level, elderly people could have their DNA made young again and stay young and healthy, all forms of cancer could be completely cured. These possibilities are to me at least very interesting, we might someday look at viruses as very useful instead of curses.

[TopManFL (imported)]

Designer Virus

I think if it were a designer virus it would have a better name.

Coco Chanel, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein or Ralph Lauren would never name a product COVID-2019. It sounds more like one of those asteroids that miss the earth by 29,000 miles.

If it were a designer virus it would have a sexy name like "Deroxy by China Blue" or "Demic by Pan World"

[Paolo]

Conspiracy! I love it. Thing is, a lot of them make sense - the more you look into them!

Do I believe that COVID-19 was something that got loose from a lab? Intentionally created, biological warfare agent? Yes I do.

I also believe the same of Lyme Disease, West Nile, etc., and all these bugs that no one ever heard of in circa 1977.

I could go on for hours, as Jesus A. can testify - as I've done it to him! Come to the MOM (if we have one this year, and the hysteria doesn't shut down the world!) and I will regale you with tales of Planet X, the Deep State, aliens, etc.!

And by the way, the Earth is a toroid, not a lumpy sphere.

[Losethem (imported)]

And by the way, the Earth is a toroid, not a lumpy sphere.

I've heard the same about your testicles.

[Arab Nights (imported)]

I think if it were a designer virus it would have a better name.

Coco Chanel, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein or Ralph Lauren would never name a product COVID-2019. It sounds more like one of those asteroids that miss the earth by 29,000 miles.

Lets not forget the social media influencers. Imagining Khardasian pasties this very minute.

[TopManFL (imported)]

Lets not forget the social media influencers. Imagining Khardasian pasties this very minute.

For decades now I've thought that a Khardasian was everything from an Italian Sports Car to a dog breed mix between a Khard and a Datsun. I came up with the dog breed theory when I saw Snooky Khardasian. The sports car I just figured the Italians spell everything funny.

So please, nobody by a spoiler and tell me what a Card-Dus-Sian is, it more fun for me if I go on wonder why Katlin NotAKhardasian Jenner is their new step mommy.

[JessicaH (imported)]

Since it mainly kills the 65+ age group, it’s the Deep State solution to fixing the pension/SS/Medicare time bomb. Just kidding. Viruses change quickly and it’s a matter of time until we get something as bad as the Plague that kills a massive portion of the population.

[Dave (imported)]

There's a movie out from a few years ago titled CONTAGION that has the same scenario (a virus originating in bats crossing to pigs and then to humans) from 2011, staring Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Lawrence Fishburn, and some more good actors & actresses.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1598778/

Their synopsis:

Soon after her return from a business trip to Hong Kong, Beth Emhoff dies from what is a flu or some other type of infection. Her young son dies later the same day. Her husband Mitch however seems immune. Thus begins the spread of a deadly infection. For doctors and administrators at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, several days pass before anyone realizes the extent or gravity of this new infection. They must first identify the type of virus in question and then find a means of combating it, a process that will likely take several months. As the contagion spreads to millions of people worldwide, societal order begins to break down as people panic.

Everything in the movie will sound and look familiar.

You can watch the movie but beware, it is scary in predicting the stupidity of governments and people involved ...

[thoughtful1998 (imported)]

The virus is too much fit with evolution, to be made in China or everywhere.