The head of the MIPT laboratory of genomic engineering, virologist Pavel Volchkov believes that a virus capable of destroying all of humanity should be invisible, “slow” and contagious. Volchkov told Gazeta.ru about this. According to the expert, such a virus, first of all, should spread quickly in the air.
According to Volchkov, powerful viruses provoke respiratory diseases that are difficult to combat. In addition, such a virus must be “slow to be detected.” “Slow” viruses, like HIV, are more difficult to identify and track, the scientist emphasized. The difficulty also lies in the fact that infected people often do not even suspect it in the initial stages of the disease and pass the virus on to others, increasing the level of infection.
Also, the virus should be invisible in terms of public awareness of it. Now, according to Volchkov, some unusual viruses are being studied in special laboratories. However, fortunately, they do not yet pose a threat to people.
Modern bioinformatics capabilities make it possible to determine the approximate development of viral infections and their evolution in the future, the virologist believes.
Earlier, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, molecular biologist Sergei Netesov called HIV the most dangerous disease for humans.
Source: Rosbalt
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