Mice to Men

Mice are remarkable laboratory animals as they can be genetically engineered to investigate a wide range of human conditions, Traditional mouse lines are not influenced by coronaviruses but the Jackson Laboratory, in Maine USA, has reportedly developed the Perlman strain, which can be infected by both the SARS Cov and SARS Cov2 viruses (https://www.knowablemagazine.org/article/health-disease/2020/building-mouse-squad-against-covid-19). These rapidly-breeding mammals may give us quick information about how these retro-viruses interact with the cells of their hosts, providing clues about how to medically counter the pandemic.