Thread by @Ayjchan

Thank you to experts independently calling for proper investigation of possible lab origins of COVID-19. Not an exclusive list, alphabetically by surname:
@jbloom_lab @canardbruno @DecrolyE @R_H_Ebright @DFisman @FilippaLentzos @mlipsitch @ras_nielsen @vaxine_news @DavidRelman

Sincere thanks to @jbloom_lab who has taken a lot of heat recently for raising the lab leak hypothesis and for defending me, a “conspiracy peddler” according to some scientists.

https://twitter.com/jbloom_lab/status/1372383452197097473

Also many thanks to @canardbruno and @DecrolyE who have been publicly discussing the lab leak hypothesis and were among the first to point out the unique furin cleavage site and why it is concerning that it was missed in the WIV’s first papers on COVID-19.

https://twitter.com/canardbruno/status/1269234415793831937

And of course @R_H_Ebright for having to fight hard for scientists to take a lab leak origin of SARS2 seriously since all the way back in Jan 2020 sciencemag.org/news/2020/01/m…

Saw this today - thank you for advocating for an intelligent discussion of the origins of COVID-19 @DFisman 🇨🇦

https://twitter.com/DFisman/status/1373980719316402179

And huge thanks to @FilippaLentzos @MilesPomper @gregkoblentz and colleagues for laying the foundation for a real discussion about the risks of lab escape not just wrt COVID-19 but also future outbreaks. thebulletin.org/2020/05/natura…

And this today too @mlipsitch on @alisonannyoung article about the real risks of lab accidents involving pathogens with pandemic potential. This is a problem that affects just about every human being on the planet.

Thank you.

https://twitter.com/mlipsitch/status/1373978645560229890

Also great thanks to @ras_nielsen for speaking to the challenges that experts face in calling for a credible and transparent investigation into possible lab leak, which was conflated with conspiracy theories since the beginning. bloomberg.com/opinion/articl…

And thank you to @vaxine_news 🇦🇺 who faced a great deal of pushback for raising concerns that the virus might have lab origins undark.org/2021/03/17/lab…

Last but definitely not least @DavidRelman thank you for putting this point forward, to the scientific community especially, that the origin of COVID-19 isn’t a question we can afford to leave unanswered.

pnas.org/content/117/47…

The point I’m making to other scientists is that if you think a credible, independent investigation into possible lab origins of COVID-19 is necessary, you are in exceedingly good company.

Please be confident in making your own independent threads or statements on this matter!

I’m very happy to add more tweets or threads to this list if they’re made by top experts explicitly calling for an investigation or a serious discussion of the lab leak hypothesis and the natural spillover hypothesis.

Even if an independent investigation cannot be organized in the near future, I think it is entirely achievable and worthwhile to organize a public conference where reputable journalists and scientists present their analysis on the origins of COVID-19.

😉

Adding @phylogenomics to the list of experts :)

https://twitter.com/phylogenomics/status/1374021774648561664