Thread by @GidMK

A "new study" has hit the headlines that apparently proves that SARS-CoV-2 was lab-grown

I am QUITE SKEPTICAL for a number of reasons, would love your thoughts...

First massive red flag🚩: the paper is NOT PUBLISHED YET

Science journalists know you NEVER report on a paper that is unpublished (because it might be shit)

Second 🚩🚩🚩: the abstract is...kind of weird

I'm not a virologist, but talking about some previous experiments that "reverse the burden of proof" is...not really logical

Also, the statement in the abstract that "all relevant" information has been destroyed or is unavailable is both untrue and a weeeird conspiracy theory for a scientific journal to publish

Reading the abstract, they literally say "because of our study, which does not prove anything, we expect other people to prove that the virus did not escape from a lab"

Like I said, not ideal logic that

In an interview, one of the two scientists also says things that are, uh, wrong

Again, not a virologist but as I understand it this is simply untrue (natural viruses can do lots of things)

Anyway, would love some virologists perspectives on this because it does not seem likely despite being everywhere in the news @MackayIM @angie_rasmussen @trvrb
dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9…