A person could say A LOT about the Yan report, which makes false assertions to claim that SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus was made in a lab.
Or you could let David Robertson (@robertson_lab), a viral genomics researcher at University of Glasgow, take the reins. nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/0…
.@NatGeo spoke with prominent virologists/misinformation researchers to understand where the Yan report came from and what it got wrong.
Along the way, they offered tips for overcoming misinformation about COVID-19 nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/0… by @mo_brouillette and @RebeccaRennerFL
In July, Robertson authored a peer-reviewed paper in Nature Medicine that showed the lineage behind SARS-CoV-2 and its closest known ancestor have been circulating in bat populations for decades. nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/0…
The Yan report ignores this study and the vast body of published literature regarding how coronaviruses circulate in wild animal populations and the tendency to spill over into humans, including recent publications about the origins of SARS-CoV-2. nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/0…
"What’s more, the report was funded by the Rule of Law Society, a nonprofit organization founded by former chief White House strategist Steve Bannon, who has since been arrested for fraud."
nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/0…
The Yan report uses science jargon like “furin-cleavage sites” and "restriction-enzyme sites"--but its claims are objectively untrue. nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/0…
My fave example:
Or to quote, @angie_rasmussen nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/0…
Misinfo has been a hallmark of the pandemic, and preprints have played a role, including with claims like the virus mutating into a more deadly form, coming from snakes, or being less deadly than it truly is.
But this is indicative of a broader problem...nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/0…
Why this keeps happening: The Yan report and other coronavirus misfo, such as the Plandemic documentary, have gained traction because they take advantage of vulnerable human emotions.
Those feelings can drive the viral spread of hoaxes. nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/0…
Share this Scrolly Tale with your friends.
A Scrolly Tale is a new way to read Twitter threads with a more visually immersive experience.
Discover more beautiful Scrolly Tales like this.