Thread by @mbalter

I recorded last night's special by @drsanjaygupta on the origins of Covid-19 and I am going to watch it shortly. I will Tweet any thoughts I think might be of interest on this story I have been following and commenting on [eg, michaelbalter.substack.com/p/once-upon-a-…] #coronavirus

Good to see @drsanjaygupta mentioning the early obstruction by Chinese officials which has set the stage for pretty much everything that followed in this controversy.

Also good to point out Daszak’s conflicts of interest early, and the importance of the Lancet letter in Feb 2020. That also set the stage, the “political tone” as their reporter says.

It’s true, as Daszak says, that some were suggesting the Chinese had “bioengineered” the virus (eg as a biological weapon) but that was not the only hypothesis even that early. But he and others protecting China seized on it. Also, genetic manipulation IS bioengineering.

Using reporters and not just partisans in the debate is a good move. They provide critical context. Gupta asks Daszak about the missing database. Total evasion. Good questions from Gupta. Daszak pretends he knows what is in the database and says he doesn’t at same time.

I suspect the program might be confusing to some who are coming to it for the first time. Those following the debate are in a better position to evaluate statements made. @Ayjchan

Gupta asks Daszak about the Wuhan lab workers who got sick in fall of 2019. Daszak says he asked Chinese researchers about that but they never showed him the data, claiming there were no antibodies to the Covid-19 virus. Daszak seems to have accepted what he was told.

The fact the Chinese side did not want to even include the lab leak theory as one of the subjects of the WHO investigation. That’s pretty amazing and completely invalidates the credibility of the “investigation,” as even WHO’s chief acknowledged.

Gupta talking to the right people. David Relman has pushed hard for a serious investigation. Gupta goes after Daszak harder over failure to get the data. Daszak continues to be evasive, as if he is not even curious about what data there might be. That has always struck me.

Shi Zhengli is obviously a key player in all this, and her credibility is important. Perhaps taken out of context, but the program quotes SciAm editor-in-chief Laura Helmuth (and my former colleague) quoting Shi, as if what Shi said should be taken as authoritative.

On that point, @Ayjchan points out rightly that Shi’s claims have to be backed up with data, not just believed in a credulous manner. But Shi’s veracity is in serious question, more so now that @theintercept has uncovered docs showing gain of function research was being done.

Indeed, the recent revelations raise questions about the credibility of Shi, Daszak, and Fauci, because we are just now finding out how much #coronavirus genetic engineering was going on—including creating strains that were infectious to human lung cells.

For those who have not seen this reporting, required reading: theintercept.com/2021/09/06/new…

Ralph Baric expresses concerns that the work at the Wuhan labs was not being done under sufficient biosafety conditions. Why a lab with Level 4 (the maximum) was doing genetic manipulations of coronaviruses at Level 2 or 3 is still not adequately explained.

Important to point out, ALL ingredients necessary to create a virus like SARS-CoV-2 were present in the Wuhan labs at the time pandemic began. The lab leak hypothesis is not just some wild-eyed speculation, but has just as much circumstantial evidence as natural origins.

Unfortunate that no one from the Wuhan labs, including Shi, would agree to be interviewed for the program. Only adds to suspicions that China has something to hide.

Fauci, Collins, other NIH leaders have defined “gain of function” research in a way that allows them to claim it was not being funded. But it clearly was. I have known Tony Fauci for 25+ yrs, hard to accept he would not be honest, but there it is. Gupta good on this.

Too many commercials! Leaves only about 40 minutes for such a key topic. They should have done a two hour show.

If China will not provide the key data necessary to resolve the controversy, then there is just no excuse for anyone involved to claim they have the answer, or even that they know how “likely” one or the other hypothesis is. Science has really been thrown out the window.

Gupta says trying to find the origins of Covid-19 is like “trying to find a needle in a haystack.” That is so wrong, and a bad way to end the program. We have been able to figure out the origins of many infectious diseases in the past.

Apparently this program was produced before the docs received by @theintercept via FOIA were published. But Gupta could have taken a minute or 30 seconds at the end and told viewers about that. A real failing in what otherwise was a pretty decent job, and well balanced.

One last comment: The producers were smart not to include a couple of researchers who have attacked those who think a lab leak is possible or likely as “racists” or “trolls,” which has really poisoned what should be mainly a scientific discussion despite all the politics.