– “…cycled through umpteen generations in human cell cultures”
This is called Gain of Function research – to see what “functions” your virus might gain. It makes lab escapes so potentially dangerous that it was suspended internationally mid decade, but restarted a couple of years later.
These labs are in city centres, employing people 9 to 5. If this sort of research is to continue at all the labs should be in remote locations, employing people live-in only, with everyone quarantined before they can go home.