Question

What is your view about infecting Monkey with Covid-19 to conduct experiment for human being and what are the ethical issues involved?

Summary of background:

Monkeys were found to have developed antibodies after they were infected with Covid-19. The team infected four rhesus monkeys with the Covid-19. On the seventh day of the experiment, the team euthanized one of the monkeys. About a month later, after tests returned negative results and X-rays showed their internal organs had fully recovered, two monkeys were dosed with the virus through the mouth. The two monkeys were destroyed about two weeks later and autopsies performed. The researchers could not find a trace of the virus in their bodies.

Answer 1

If we consider the case, it could be said that usage of monkeys for conducting medical experiments are non-ethical. But we cannot deny the fact that such experiments cannot be avoided in circumstances like this. Since we have not been able to find a cure for disease like Covid-19; considering the need to find a cure in order to help mankind from facing death, it is definitely recommendable conducting experiments on animals which will aid for a greater cause.

Ethical issues

1. Monkeys are highly intelligent animals in a similar way to humans, so they can also feel pain and suffer like humans .
2. It is morally wrong to cause animals to suffer from experimenting on them.
3. Experiments which have been designed badly and which are conducted poorly leads to wastage of the animal's life.
4. They also have the right to live without human interference.