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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: sylvester80 who wrote (1541521)	6/6/2025 1:32:58 AM
From: Maple MAGA	2 Recommendations Recommended By longz miraje Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 1575344

This article, while dramatic, is a blend of real science, cautious speculation, and media hype, and it's important to separate those elements before deciding whether to run into the street naked or buy Pfizer stock. What’s true: A new virus called HKU5-CoV-2 has been identified in bats in China. It is closely related to MERS-CoV, a deadly coronavirus with a high fatality rate (~34%). Washington State University scientists, led by Prof. Michael Letko, conducted a lab study showing that this virus can infect bat cells and might be only a few mutations away from infecting human cells via ACE2 receptors (the same ones targeted by SARS-CoV-2). The study used pseudoviruses and AI modeling, which is common in virology for early-stage risk assessment. What’s speculative or hyped: Saying it's "one small step away" from a pandemic is not a prediction, it's a possibility, one of thousands of similar viruses floating in bat populations. There's no current evidence that HKU5-CoV-2 has infected humans or animals outside the lab. The jump from “bat virus” to “human pandemic” usually requires multiple steps: intermediate hosts, repeated exposure, and specific environmental conditions, not just one mutation. Referencing the Wuhan lab and COVID-19 origin debate may stir emotion but isn't directly relevant to this virus unless evidence links HKU5 to lab manipulation, which this study does not claim. What’s misleading or premature: Implying you should brace for another pandemic tomorrow is irresponsible. This is early-stage research that simply says: “Hey, we should monitor this.” As for investing in Pfizer, any bump from pandemic fear is already priced in or speculative. Pfizer’s COVID profits have actually declined, and no one’s producing a vaccine for HKU5-CoV-2 yet (or likely to soon). So should you panic? No. This is not “bombshell” material unless you’re a virologist building a virus-risk database. If we panicked every time a bat virus could possibly jump to humans, we’d live in permanent lock down. Should you buy Pfizer stock? Not based on this article. If your goal is pandemic play stocks, look at broader indicators, not a single lab study. And remember: pandemic stocks are now mostly yesterday’s trade. Bottom line: Yes, the article makes sense scientifically. It’s a mix of legitimate research and media sensationalism. Be informed, but keep your pants on.