A drug created by Merck to fight COVID is causing mutations to appear in the virus in some patients. This has led some researchers to worry that the drug may create more lethal and dangerous variations of COVID.
The new drug, Lagevrio (molnupiravir), works by creating mutations in the Covid genome that prevent the virus from replicating in the body, reducing the chances it will cause severe illness. Some scientists had warned before it was authorized in late 2021 that by virtue of how it works, the drug could give rise to mutations that could turn out to be problematic. The preprint paper has reawakened those worries about the Merck drug.
So here we are again, trying to manipulate the genetic structure of a virus while it is roaming out in the wild so to speak. What could possibly go wrong? Isn’t this how we got COVID in the first place? In that situation, the virus was supposedly locked up inside a “safe” facility. Yet here we are with COVID now being endemic around the world.
Merck’s response:
“There is no evidence to indicate that any antiviral agent has contributed to the emergence of circulating variants. Based on available data we do not believe that Lagevrio (molnupiravir) is likely to contribute to the development of new meaningful coronavirus variants.”
Notice the very careful weasel wording going on here. Merck does not respond to the assertion that its drug causes new variants to be created. Instead they say that there are no current variants that have emerged from an antiviral agent and are circulating in the population. They then go onto say that they believe that “meaningful coronavirus variants” are unlikely to be the result of the drug.
How do they know this? They are monkeying around with the genetic code of the virus. They are creating mutations and hoping nothing bad will happen. It will only take one serious mistake in that process to start an extremely harmful variant to emerge. Then it will be too late.