Thread by @TheSeeker268

Gain-of-Function Deliberative Process Written Public Comments (Oct. 19, 2014 – Jun. 8, 2016) #GoF

osp.od.nih.gov/wp-content/upl…

Very interesting and informative - worth reading in full. A few choice quotes from this document to ponder to, in the thread below...

Elizabeth Hart: "There appears to be serious inadequate ethical oversight of this dangerous research,..It is most concerning that there is an arrogant attitude about this type of research.., perhaps exemplified most tellingly in the comments of Vincent Racaniello"

Steven Salzburg: "Gain-of-function research on viruses is both dangerous and irresponsible. The benefits are minimal if not zero. I strongly support a permanent ban on this research. Please shut it down and keep it shut down."

Charles Stack:"the risk of accidental release of a mutated pathogen into society far outweighs any insights we might obtain from this exp work. Humanity cannot afford to have a lab-originated pandemic occur when we have enough problem with naturally occurring emergent pathogens."

Andrew Snyder-Beattie: "If we assume there is a 1 in 10,000 chance per year of an accident occurring that results in a pandemic, and that the pandemic is typical for flu, and has a case fatality rate of 0.05%, we get some 700 deaths per year in expectation."

Richard Adams: "As a deeply concerned citizen and a human being, I demand a permanent halt to gain-of-function research on pathogenic viruses. Such 'science' is hubris, and it is a fantasy that the results can be 100% contained, for sure, forever."

Kimball Ward: "We know lab viruses can escape containment because it has happened..little reason to believe that GOF research will somehow accurately predict what the virus will do in the future; instead, we risk creating the kind of nightmare we claim to be trying to prevent."

Carlos S. Moreno: "The number of accidental releases of potentially fatal pathogens in recent years has demonstrated unequivocally that human error is inevitable and impossible to completely eliminate from experiments with deadly pathogens."

Lynn C. Klotz: "Although biosecurity measures have improved greatly over the years, human nature has not. Laboratory accidents will happen and laboratory workers will get infected, not realize it or not admit it, and take the infection home."

Peter Hale: "Where should the red lines be drawn? Increasing the transmissibility of SARS and MERS viruses between humans. Creating chimeric viruses that could be anticipated to have pandemic potential."

Deborah Gold: "Although BSL 3 & BSL 4 labs are req to have secondary containment.., may expose workers outside of the lab to the enhanced pathogens. Other routes of exposure include contact with waste or equipment that has been inadequately decontaminated"

Lynn Klotz: "History of NIH review is concerning..Most of the NIH’s oversight provisions are guidelines & not legally enforceable. The NIH can withhold funding from those violating the guidelines. But the agency doesn’t & won’t. Even prestigious universities pay only lip service"

Marc Lipsitch: "GOF experiments unjustly require unconsenting populations to bear pandemic risk while promising them no realistic prospect of benefit. This is a serious and independent ethical objection to such research"

Giga Gerard: "Stop genetic manipulation of ALL virusses and pathogens, all else remains open for debate and allows for malice!!"