activity could lead to the accelerated melting of the permafrost and the reemergence of ancient viruses that had remained trapped for millennia; viruses against which we have no natural defenses, and for which there exist no vaccines. “At the moment these regions are deserted and the deep permafrost layers are left alone,” said Claverie. “However, mining and drilling means digging through these ancient layers for the first time in millions of years. If viable particles are still there, this is a recipe for disaster.” In 2018, they were proved right.
