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Texas Baboon Troop Enlisted in Humankind’s War on Coronavirus

Scientists rush to experiment on primates: ‘It’s the only way to understand it.’

A baboon on the campus of Texas Biomedical Research Institute. One could show the way to a vaccine. — A baboon on the campus of Texas Biomedical Research Institute. One could show the way to a vaccine.
Source: Texas Biomedical Research Institute

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March 7, 2020, 12:00 PM UTCUpdated onMarch 7, 2020, 5:34 PM UTC

To cure the humans, first you get the monkeys sick.

Finding the right animal as a research model for the new and deadly coronavirus is crucial for learning how to treat it. The ideal subject is a non-human primate that shows similar symptoms: coughing, sneezing, fever and chest congestion. The hunt is on in the U.S., tightly coordinated among a small coalition of labs authorized to raise monkeys for research. High hopes are riding on a troop of Texas baboons.