Current intense controversy concerns whether the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the causative agent for COVID-19, came from nature or from a laboratory. And if the latter, was it an accidental or a deliberate release?
Doctors for Disaster Preparedness (DDP) asks: How can we establish a definitive answer, and what action would be advisable?
Some proponents of a laboratory origin have focused attention on a virologist at a major American university. An enormous fire occurred at a laboratory at that university (coincidentally?), despite its sprinkler system, causing extensive damage on multiple floors.
“What is achieved by ‘doxing’ an individual scientist, even if the scientist is guilty?” asks DDP president Jane Orient, M.D. “Killing Osama bin Laden did not remove the terrorist threat. And accusing the wrong man diverts attention from the real culprits and discredits the accusers.”
DDP makes several observations:
- It seems unlikely that an evil scientist bent on making a bioweapon to kill millions would work openly at a public university and patent his product.
- The actual product may not be the same as an accuser claims. It is important to read the patent first-hand. For example, one patent claimed to be a “smoking gun” actually concerned developing a veterinary vaccine against porcine transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE), a plague that kills pigs en masse.
- Molecular biology is a highly complex subject. Most physicians do not have the expertise to independently assess claims by “experts” that they may be repeating.
- Animal infections (zoonoses) do have the potential to “jump species” and infect humans (e.g., Ebola). SARS-CoV-1, which is the “older brother” of SARS-CoV-2 but not the same, evidently did so. Thus, we need sophisticated labs for monitoring.
- Any technology can be used for good or ill.
- There are hundreds of laboratories, many funded by the U.S., capable of making bioweapons—or defenses against same, located in the U.S., Ukraine, China, or unknown locations. China has reportedly been working explicitly on bioweapons and genetic weapons.
“Our first priority should be effective pandemic response, which COVID-19 revealed to be woefully lacking,” Dr. Orient stated. “We need to investigate the source, but premature accusations, which may terrorize scientists, are counterproductive.”