Thread by @magi_jay

This piece is atrocious
1. the author conflates bioengineering w/ unintentional lab-leaking of a natural virus
2. the author misrepresents Fauci's email exchange as conspiratorial when, in fact, it's just scientists spit-balling wsj.com/articles/fauci…

1. Fauci sent an article about origins to Kristian Andersen, an immunologist. The article discusses direct animal-human transmission, as well as a possible intermediate host. It doesn’t entirely dismiss a lab-leak theory, but contains criticism of intentional bio-engineering

2. Andersen responds. Says they’re working on figuring out unusual aspects of the virus. “Not entirely consistent with evolutionary theory” does *not* entail the virus "has to be man-made," as the WSJ claims. Only that there are features of the virus that models don't quite fit.

3. Andersen's team goes on to publish a letter in Nature Medicine which they discuss possible origins & specifics of the virus's unusual features. They address animal-human, animal-animal (intermediate host)-human, as well as circulation w/in humans. They dismiss bioengineering.

So none of this amounts to a conspiracy or an intentional suppression of truth about bioengineering. It's just a couple of scientists working through issues, which you would think a "science writer" would understand. But, the author has had issues interpreting researchers before

To be clear: I'm not commenting on the strength of Andersen's research or the various *credible* hypotheses. I'm just saying people are misrepresenting this exchange between Fauci and Andersen. No conspiracy here.

And, no, I am not surprised by the WSJ publishing this. I still think it needed a good fact check, since there's been general misinterpretation of Fauci's email.

I didn't know this, but Andersen has responded to some of this conspiracy mongering

https://twitter.com/K_G_Andersen/status/1399852467873927173