Norobiik @[email protected]

Scientists believe that #permafrost – at its deepest levels – may contain #viruses that are up to a million years old and so will be far older than our own species, which is thought to have emerged about 300,000 years ago.

Because of the disappearance of #Arctic #SeaIce, huge mining operations are being planned to extract #oil and #ores in Siberia's #DeepPermafrost. #ClimateChange

Arctic #ZombieViruses in Siberia could spark terrifying new #pandemic, scientists warn
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/jan/21/arctic-zombie-viruses-in-siberia-could-spark-terrifying-new-pandemic-scientists-warn

Arctic zombie viruses in Siberia could spark terrifying new pandemic, scientists warn

Threat of outbreak from microbes trapped in permafrost for millennia raised by increased Siberian shipping activity

The Guardian
Jan 21, 2024 at 10:55amWeb
Show threadMichael GemarJan 21, 2024
@Norobiik @hannu_ikonen This is potentially alarming. That said, how likely are such viruses to be infectious to humans? I thought that most viruses are very specific to their particular hosts, and don’t tend to cross species barriers often.
Show threadGrumpSec SpottycatJan 21, 2024
@Norobiik even if they can infect humans and do cause a new pandemic, due to the politicising of public health as seen with covid, there won’t be anything done to contain or stop any of these viruses.