Thread by @FLAHAULT

1/6 - “The theory that #COVID19 was accidentally released from a lab in Wuhan “remains viable” and should be investigated further, a group of scientists has said.”
ft.com/content/818fc5…

2/6 - “An investigation into the origin of the pandemic carried out last year by the WHO and China found that infect via an intermediate animal host was “likely to very likely”. But that investig failed to properly examine if the virus leaked from a lab.”
science.sciencemag.org/content/372/65…

3/6 - “Only 4 of the 313 pages of the WHO report and its annexes addressed the likelihood of a laboratory accident. WHO director-general Tedros Ghebreyesus subsequently admitted that this was insufficient.”

4/6 - “[The scientists] added that “greater clarity about the origins of this pandemic is necessary and feasible to achieve”. Any future investigation should be transparent, objective and “subject to independent oversight . . . to minimise the impact of conflicts of interest”.

5/6 - ““Knowing how #COVID19 emerged is critical for informing global strategies to mitigate the risk of future outbreaks,” the letter said.”

6/6 - ““Theories of accidental release from a lab and zoonotic spillover both remain viable,” said the scientists, who work at universities in the US, UK, Canada and Switzerland.”