Covid 19 may have originated in US biotechnology lab

[StringJunky]

Prof. Andrew Sachs (economics), who was on the Lancet's Covid 19 Commission, and Prof. Neil Harrison (molecular pharmacology) jointly suggest covid-19 may have originated in a US biotechnology lab and the technique shared with Chinese researchers, who then accidently let it out into the wild. PNAS paper by them:

Quote

A call for an independent inquiry into the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus

Since the identification of theSARS-CoV-2 in Wuhan, China, in January 2020 (1), the origin of the virus has been a topic of intense scientific debate and public speculation. The two main hypotheses are that the virus emerged from human exposure to an infected animal [“zoonosis” (2)] or that it emerged in a research-related incident (3). The investigation into the origin of the virus has been made difficult by the lack of key evidence from the earliest days of the outbreak—there’s no doubt that greater transparency on the part of Chinese authorities would be enormously helpful. Nevertheless, we argue here that there is much important information that can be gleaned from US-based research institutions, information not yet made available for independent, transparent, and scientific scrutiny.

The data available within the United States would explicitly include, but are not limited to, viral sequences gathered and held as part of the PREDICT project and other funded programs, as well as sequencing data and laboratory notebooks from US laboratories. We call on US government scientific agencies, most notably the NIH, to support a full, independent, and transparent investigation of the origins of SARS-CoV-2. This should take place, for example, within a tightly focused science-based bipartisan Congressional inquiry with full investigative powers, which would be able to ask important questions—but avoid misguided witch-hunts governed more by politics than by science.

The data available within the United States would explicitly include, but are not limited to, viral sequences gathered and held as part of the PREDICT project and other funded programs, as well as sequencing data and laboratory notebooks from US laboratories. We call on US government scientific agencies, most notably the NIH, to support a full, independent, and transparent investigation of the origins of SARS-CoV-2. This should take place, for example, within a tightly focused science-based bipartisan Congressional inquiry with full investigative powers, which would be able to ask important questions—but avoid misguided witch-hunts governed more by politics than by science.

Read more https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2202769119

Do SFN biologists think they have a case? I felt this was more about politics, even though it's technically biology, so I put here because I think this conversation may well head in that direction.

[J.C.MacSwell]

1 hour ago, StringJunky said:

Prof. Andrew Sachs (economics), who was on the Lancet's Covid 19 Commission, and Prof. Neil Harrison (molecular pharmacology) jointly suggest covid-19 may have originated in a US biotechnology lab and the technique shared with Chinese researchers, who then accidently let it out into the wild. PNAS paper by them:

Do SFN biologists think they have a case? I felt this was more about politics, even though it's technically biology, so I put here because I think this conversation may well head in that direction.

Surely that could have lead to a similar virus, if true, but would that be said to be covid-19? 

[StringJunky]

13 minutes ago, J.C.MacSwell said:

Surely that could have lead to a similar virus, if true, but would that be said to be covid-19? 

I haven't got a clue. It looks like they were co-dabbling in bat viruses.

Edited July 3, 2022 by StringJunky

[CharonY]

Fundamentally the article does not highlight anything that we did not know before. I.e. I do not see a smoking gun there. All the things the authors mentioned have been discussed in literature elsewhere and while one cannot unequivocally prove that it has not been manipulated in any form (which would only be possible if there was something really unique), wildlife is still remains the most likely origin. 

While deeper probes are fine (though it has some practical implications for researchers and research) I fear that this line of thinking feeds into something that I think of as a Hollywood narrative of catastrophes.

In movies catastrophes just don't happen, there are always good, simple and identifiable reasons, and there is almost always a simple and clear solution. The COVID-19 pandemic does not conform to such narratives. Things the way they did for  many reasons (including, behavioural, economic and societal ones) and simple heroes (perfect vaccines) simply do not exist.

Even if it turned out to be a lab-strain, it would at best give us a false sense of security, as the next inevitable pandemic is likely coming from elsewhere, anyway.

 

 

5 hours ago, J.C.MacSwell said:

Surely that could have lead to a similar virus, if true, but would that be said to be covid-19? 

I know that this is not the point, but the virus is SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 is the disease. It just annoys me that even in microbiology classes students keep mixing it up and we are already years in this particular pandemic.

 

[Endy0816]

IMO pet infections(and infections from pets) suggest natural zoonosis explanation is correct.

Suggest a fairly lengthy period of prior interaction.

Edited July 4, 2022 by Endy0816

[StringJunky]

@CharonYThanks.

@Endy0816 Good thinking, Batman.

@CharonY Thinking about Endy's thought: are coronaviruses naturally zoonotic?

Edited July 4, 2022 by StringJunky

[CharonY]

21 minutes ago, StringJunky said:

Thinking about Endy's thought: are coronaviruses naturally zoonotic?

You mean whether coronavirus are known to jump species? If so yes. The most notable cases before SARS-CoV-2 are obviously SARS and MERS.

But the viruses are present in many mammals and there are many signatures indicating mixtures and exchanges between species. I.e. spillover to humans are not unexpected.

[StringJunky]

6 minutes ago, CharonY said:

You mean whether coronavirus are known to jump species? If so yes. The most notable cases before SARS-CoV-2 are obviously SARS and MERS.

But the viruses are present in many mammals and there are many signatures indicating mixtures and exchanges between species. I.e. spillover to humans are not unexpected.

Cheers